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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

No Matter How Dark It Gets

By Ranjana Harlalka
25-May-21
No Matter How Dark It Gets


No matter how dark it is now

I know that our battle will end

The sun will rise and we will find our joy again!

With this confidence in our heart, I, Ranjana Harlalka, Maths teacher at Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti, Guwahati, India, strive to give a tough fight to the deadly pandemic! Here we never lose our enthusiasm, hope and confidence—moreso in this tough scenario. We have kept or spirits high in making our online classes as lively as ever. There has been equal cooperation and hard work by the children, along with their parents.

The following are some of the glimpses of the excellent work done by our students, where we got the taste of their never-die attitude.

My students’ first global project was with Libra Edu, Serbia on the Topic “Let's Be Humans, Be One,” in which students from different schools around the world participated. Through this project the students spread the message of love, inspiration, care and affection through various musical performances, drawings, writeups, posters and artworks. They also shared videos on yoga asanas, gymnastics, Indian classical dance, and fusion dance to spread the message of wellbeing and mental health during the days of the pandemic.

As a part of the project, we also had a collaborative meeting with Turkish teachers and students where the students from both the countries welcomed each other with a soulful musical performance. They shared their feelings on the ongoing pandemic with each other. They also exchanged the cultural attributes, cuisines and different festivals celebrated. And finally, they gave their views on the collaborative project.

Presently my students are working hard on another global project related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals titled RiseUp4SDGs, through which the students are spreading awareness about SDGs all around the globe. In this project they are to contribute to all 17 sustainable development goals to transform our world. My students started this project with goal no. 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation” and now we are on goal no. 10, “Reduced Inequalities.”

The students always find new ways to contribute to each goal. They make beautiful artwork manually and digitally; they sometimes compose poems, write stories, prepare writeups and create rap songs, classical dances, and mime to spread the message of each particular goal.

The students’ brilliant contributions to global learning and to raise awareness about SDGs is getting high praise and recognition globally. Some of their work has been shared been shared on UK Global platforms by LeapEd Global Learning.

The students also participated in the Earth Day Contest conducted by Young Changemakers (UK) where students were supposed to make a two-minute speech video wherein one of our students, Dishita Saikia was among the Best 10 while the others each received a participation certificate.

By participating in such global projects, students are able to develop their critical thinking and self-confidence, get authentic opportunities to become global citizens. It helps the students to learn how to work better in groups, providing their own inputs, listening to theirs, and resolving conflicts when they arise. They also learn how to solve problems that are important to them, including real community issues, more effectively. They apply creative thinking skills to innovate on new designs and possibilities for projects. This work also helps them to build on their research skills and deepen their learning of applied content beyond facts or memorization.

While working such projects, students find their voice and learn to take pride in their work, boosting their agency and purpose. They also learn how to manage projects and assignments more efficiently. They also get explore their curiosity, ask questions, and form a new love for learning. Students take ownership over their projects, reflecting on and celebrating their progress and accomplishments.

Relationships formed during collaboration of global projects is a huge part of project-based learning (PBL). Students form cordial relationships with community members, gaining insight for careers and beyond. It also encourages them to make new friends and get introduced themselves to vibrant new cultures.

In a nutshell, I can mention that these projects depict unity and diversity, which is an integral part of brotherhood, humanity, and responsible citizenship.

The students always feel proud if they get an opportunity to showcase their work on a global platform. It gives them motivation to work harder and helps them to become the young changemakers of the world.

As teaching-learning is going smoothly amidst the pandemic with the same zeal and enthusiasm by the teachers and students, we can relate to the saying “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.”




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Comments

05/27/2021 - Sangita Deka
Well done kids! Congratulations Ranjana ma'am, keep up the good work ??

Wishing you all the very best!
05/26/2021 - Dr Diganta Halder
Excellent performance of the school. Excellent contribution, Ranjana ma'am.

Wish you all the best.

Regards
Dr Diganta Halder
Principal
Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti
Amingaon, Guwahati
05/26/2021 - GailB
When I read the words,"Never grade students while they are still learning." Just popped out at me as such a basic truth in education. It appears that the children attending international schools, get a rich education that is global and inclusive, learning from different cultures and how they relate to the rest of the world. Would that we in the US could adopt some of these principles.

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