Author: Poovizhi

~Poovizhi, Soundhariya, Ilakya, Premkumar, Dinesh, Preethi, Sanjay

Thamarai (After school program) did a summer camp. Our Mathegramming team visited Thamarai to support students by explaining mathematical concepts visually and in a way that is fun. Our goal at Thamarai was to create a space for students to not only understand mathematics but also to enjoy it.

Visualizing place values:

Using Dines blocks, students were able to figure out what each place value means, such as ones, tens, hundreds, and beyond. They started to play with the numbers in a fun and hands-on way, and they could also identify the place values accurately.

We also introduced another method using sketch pencils. Students can increase their exploration with these pencils. They can use these pencils to identify the arrangements of Dines blocks, understanding the importance of each place value. Whether it’s a simple two-digit number or a multi-digit number, they can figure it out with the help of sketch pencils.

Working with the Thamarai students was a fantastic experience for both the Mathegramming team and the students.

As the team worked with the students, we noticed that everyone was learning new things without even realizing it. It was amazing to see how these simple ways of explanation could turn into grand adventures of thinking and learning. Students started to work together, sharing their ideas and exploring new things.

As our time with the Thamarai students came to an end. They had been amazing to work with, and we were grateful for the memories we shared. On our last day together, the students surprised us with a special ceremony to say thank you to the Mathegramming team.

Sitting in a circle, they each spoke about what they had learned and how much they enjoyed our time together.

To show their gratitude, the students gave each of us a gift. They were simple things, like the handcrafted sand pots they had made and written acknowledgment letters. But they meant a lot because they showed that our time together had meant something special to them.

The experience taught us that teaching and learning are about more than just books and lessons it’s about building connections and creating moments that make a difference for a long time.

We also covered other mathematical topics like decimal division, exponents, algebraic questions- finding age of a person, area rectangle, Introduction about similar triangles.

Divisibility rule:

We taught divisibility rules, By explaining the rules for each number, such as divisibility by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, students gain a deeper understanding of how numbers interact and can quickly determine whether a number is divisible by another. Later we gave them a random number to divide, there they learned about the recurring and non-terminating decimal numbers.

Decimal division:

In teaching decimal division, we explained a simple method for removing decimal points: multiply or divide by powers of 10. By using numbers like 10, 100, or 1000, we can shift decimal points to make division easier. This practical approach helped students grasp the concept and handle decimal calculations more effectively.

Laws of exponents:

We first explained how these rules work by expanding powers. By breaking down the concepts of multiplication and division involving exponents, students gained a solid understanding of the laws. We then applied this knowledge to the order of equations, focusing on multiplying terms and simplifying expressions using the laws of exponents.

Similar triangles:

The students enjoyed using the geoboard to make different similar triangles and see how they were alike. It helped them understand similar triangles better and practice geometry in a fun way.

Reflections from Thamarai:

“I want to acknowledge your support during the camp and the dedication, you created with the students inspiring us. Thank you so much for the effective iterative session for making the student. self-examine and understand the basic concepts. We will follow up with the report soon and share it with you.” – Savithri on behalf of Thamarai team

Reflections from the team:

My name is Premkumar I deeply care about courage and equality for myself and others what I had felt while working with Thamarai children that I can also learn as many things as possible when I really care about others learning and growth it made me feel so special while working with kids and I really enjoyed the whole process and learnt that I can give something to the kids which they can teach to others and the peer learning will be excellent.

My name is Ilakyaarasi I stand for patience and courage for myself and others. I had a great time with the students. The students were calm and patient to learn from us though it didn’t match with their main core.

My name is Soundhariya I stand for courage for myself and others. Working with Thamarai children, I noticed that they learn to think differently to solve problems by creating their own stories, games, and using math-related materials. Everyone was learning new things without even realizing it, making them more energetic and effective. This approach helps them understand how it relates to daily life.

My name is Dinesh, I stand for care and perseverance for myself and for others. While working with the Thamarai children, I realized the importance of understanding where they get stuck in problem-solving or approaching a problem. I found it effective to engage with them at their level, whether they misunderstood the problem or were unsure how to proceed after certain steps, by offering various approaches such as using pen and paper methods or math materials

Sanjay:

Interacting with the Children at Thamarai was an extremely enjoyable experience. I wish I could have stayed longer than 11:00 AM each day, but I was grateful that I was even able to spend that amount of time with the children. 

I would like to Acknowledge both Sanjeev and the Mathegramming team for their support and for their creative approach to teach Math using materials. It is the teaching materials which made math more like a game than anything else. Mathegramming team members also told me about how enjoyable it was for them to interact with the Children at Thamarai. What stood out for all of us was the enthusiasm of the Children for learning via the materials

I wish to thank the entire team at Thamarai for providing us with the opportunity to do something meaningful and enjoyable. I hope for many more such opportunities for collaboration between StemLand and Thamarai in the future. 

~ Sivaguruprasath, Ajay, Poonguzali, Arunkumar, Rajesh, Sandhiya S, Soundhariya, Sharmila, Premkumar M, Nithya Sandhosh, Tamilarasan, Premkumar, Poovizhi, Duraisamy, SandhiyaBala

The drama rehearsal happened for about two and half days for the stage preparation, ensuring correctness and coordination of the characters. Additionally, adjustments to lighting for scenes and sound checks were completed for the dance and songs.

The children from grades 4 to 8 from our school contributed their roles in the play, and two teachers played the roles of Lord Shiva and Parvathi. Our STEM teachers have guided and supported the children in making drama utilities, coordinating rehearsal and managing stage play.

The final stage play presented on March 7, 2024, on a Thursday evening (on a day before Sivarathri) at the Bharat Nivas auditorium in Auroville. Thirumuraiyai kanda cholan (jpUKiwiaf; fz;l Nrhod;) – The story depicted occurred over 1000 years ago during the rule of King Raja Raja I, who discovered the Thirumurai (inscriptions written by followers for Lord Shiva, notably Appar, Sundarar, Sambandhar, Manikkavasagar) with the help of Nambiyandaar Nambi and Thiruvasagam story by Manikkavasagar. It was enacted by children as depicted in the inscription. The drama showcased our cultural heritage and history. It also showcased the challenges and the values of different individuals and how they overcame them using universal values and inner capacities. We believe that by bringing our culture and history to life, we can foster a deeper appreciation and understanding among our audience, connecting them with the profound roots of our identity and instilling a meaning and purpose to life.        

Here are the reflections from out STEM teachers on their contribution,

Sivaguruprasath:

My name is Sivaguruprasath and I stand for courage, full-potential and equanimity for myself and for others. On participating in supporting the drama I feel so satisfied and also I learned about my own potential in managing and coordinating such an event. During rehearsal of the event we planned the positioning of backdrop setup, Nataraja statue, Palanquin(pallakku) and giving feedback for the children performance.

During the final play, I took up the role of changing collar microphones for the children according to their respective characters they were playing. The children cooperated well, and I also managed them for their next scenes.

Ajay:

My name is Ajay, and I stand for self-awareness for myself and others. From the Nayanmargal drama, I learned that team effort will pay off in the end. It helps people understand each other and listen to their ideas. I noticed myself putting my full potential into different roles: preparing materials, organizing people, and involving everyone to support seating allocation for children in the auditorium and distributing snacks. I felt happy, and this was a new experience in supporting such big events at our school.

Poonguzhali:

My name is Poonguzhali I stand for courage for myself and others. I volunteered to support the drama. I engaged in making questions based on the story and took part in background painting, craft jewellery, and decoration. I observed the quality of deep listening. This quality helped me to exchange my thoughts and enabled me to accomplish the tasks I did.  Thank you for the wonderful opportunity, I feel grateful to the school.

Arunkumar:

I was appointed as a microphone manager, and that’s a task for which I have to be honest and on time. Constantly engaging with changing microphones to the next character’s. It’s more challenging work than I have done for a while. Moreover, the little acknowledgement and recognition from a stranger urge me to engage in such activities. The children were aware that their voice should reach out to everyone in auditorium they ensured that before going to perform the mic is turned on and after coming they voluntarily asked us to turn it off.  In order to not make noise while others performing.

Rajesh:

My name is Rajesh, I stand for care and integrity for myself and others. I learned that When I am at my full potential, the outcome I can produce is higher and by the output, people get inspired. This can generate a new system in which everyone can involve themselves. I also learned how consistent I can be when I say ‘yes’ and get that done. This creates a huge trust in me. Throughout the practice and final performance, whatever support I was asked, I first said ‘Yes’, then we Did it. In doing the work, I was able to involve everyone from my team. As I was aware of what each individual could do, it was easier to get the required output from each individual.

Sandhiya S:

My name is Sandhiya. I stand for progress as happiness, and love for myself and others. I am happy to be part of the drama presentation. It was so nice to see children participating actively, fully involved, and working as a team. I noticed that everyone who was part of the drama, and those who supported, did so with goodwill. Not everyone needs to be instructed; when there is space for self-development, responsibilities, and creativity grow and show up so well. Many involved in that drama loved their work, and this was clearly seen during the presentation. Children had overcome their stage fear; they enjoyed from preparation to the presentation.

Soundhariya:

My name is Soundhariya. I stand for courage for myself and others. When I worked with the Nayanmargal drama, I noticed the collaboration of teamwork with full potential. All the students were able to participate with courage and break their silos. So I felt very enthusiastic throughout the event.

Sharmila:

My name is Sharmila, and I stand for courage and patience for myself and others.  Students of Isai Ambalam performed the “Nayanmargal drama” on the occasion of Sivarathri in Bharath Nivas. Stemland teachers volunteered to help them make their jewels and backdrops. On the day of presenting the drama, the students were all ready with their costumes, and the whole stage was filled with positivity and happiness. While seeing the children performing their roles, I felt very happy and accomplished. I had a wonderful experience and I’m happy to be a part of this drama.

Premkumar M:

My name is Premkumar Murugan. I stand for self-confidence and equality for myself and others. Through the Nanyanmargal drama, I have gained many new insights. I am extremely excited to witness the performance of the Nayanmargal story by the Isai children. I deeply appreciate the talent of these Isai children. When it comes to speaking or acting on stage, I often feel fearful due to my age. However, I am delighted and pleasantly surprised to see these young children act without any fear. Participating in this drama has been a truly enriching experience for me.

NithyaSandhosh:

My name is Nithyasandhosh, I stand for kindness and equality to myself and others. I proudly supported “Nayanmargal” drama performed by the children of Isai Ambalam School. The children are performing drama in the center of the stage after a screenplay finished. we Dhinesh, Rajesh, and I eagerly worked together with the children to change the backdrop. I am so much involved in that drama. I am developing friendship with people and the children’s dedication and sense of responsibility filled me with joy.

Tamilarasan:

My name is Tamil, and I stand for courage and compassion for myself and others. I have learned that education is not only about studies. Each individual has their own identity and capability. When multiple sources are provided to children, they get the opportunity to develop themselves and their confidence. As a teacher, I have learned that I need to involve other activities that include creativity and create space for children where they can explore themselves and learn. I supported drama sessions with involvement and took on responsibilities such as supporting the setup of the stage backdrop and preparing the pallaku. Later, I was assigned to make a video of the whole process. This video gives a brief view of the preparation, efforts, and goals of the people involved. I was happy to see this video during the performance.

Premkumar:

My name is Premkumar I deeply care about for me and others. The drama was interesting and the students done it very well. The songs were sung in the background were very good. The acting of the children showed their full potential and the efforts were taken by them and the drama also showed the importance of team work which leads to success.

Poovizhi:

My name is Poovizhi and I deeply care about Equality and equity for myself and others.
After watching the drama, I learned about the stories of Nayanmars and their importance. The way the children performed was admirable; they were confident and clearly enjoyed what they were doing. They didn’t just act out the drama but also connected with the universal values behind the story. This connection made me think about spirituality in a deeper way, rather than just following blindly.

Sandhiya Bala:

My name is Sandhiya Bala, I deeply care about courage, care, and happiness for myself and others. I learned the dedication and confidence of each child’s effort . While I support the childen. I felt the spirituality in a deeper inner values of mine.

Duraisamy:

My Name is Duraisamy Pandurangan, I deeply care about dignity, wisdom and freedom for myself and others. After watching the drama performed by the children at Bharath Nivas, I had a wonderful experience. The story of Raja Raja Cholan and Maanikkavasagar deeply connects with values of wisdom and care.

~ Mathegramming team, Sundaresan, Sharmila, Poonguzhali, Jayabharathi, Ajay, Sri Bhavani, Duraisamy, Choudery

Learn the principles of Electronic and critical components

The core values of Mathegramming Academy are responsibility,equality,and courage to create.We (Mathegramming team) wanted Children to connect electronics to the world around them and they will relate Electronics to the Mathematics they have been learning.

Our team wanted to have the following shifts:

• From Theory to Hands-On Practice
• From classroom Learning to Real-World Exploration
• From Confusion to Clarity in Learning
• Moving from Being scared to trying new things to embracing new learning
• From Disempowering isms like classism, groupism and genderism to equality and creative learning together

The Mathegramming Hackathon was set up to encourage creativity and learning at every stage. We conducted the workshop for around 40 children and the children were from different schools. Our team mixed the children from different schools. So that children got different perspectives, encouraging working together, increased their communicative skills.

We started the day with an reminder about our Stand and fears, by knowing what I stand for or care about I can transcend my fears and work at their full potential.

We talked about the difficulty in learning electronics

• it is something we can see the impact of, but cannot see directly.
• Most the terms are known but the distinction is unclear e.g. the power has come, is there voltage, is there current. and all used as synonyms. Related to this there are too many units that appear unrelated.
• You can go over a large range of values – kilo ohms, to micro ampheres and requires some grounding in Engineering units and some Mathematics.

Then we dived into Electronics, by using the minimum mathematics of Multiplication and two hidden division stories. Using this simple idea, we introduced how to calculate power, current, Voltage, Charge, Energy. We also used only a few units for these that allows children to correlate between the quantities. We then applied this to our real life of understanding how much energy we consume. In time we analyzed how much energy would have been used to do the workshop itself on backup power and how much battery would have been used.

For resistance we use the concept of body resistance students and knew about their actual body resistance using multimeter with that they knew current and resistance were inversely proportional to each other and students also estimated that at what voltage they would get shock. Students checked if it is possible to light an LED through their body resistance (can you?) and also learned the importance of resistor in series with the LEDs.

From the Water Tank analogy students knew about the concept of voltage, current, resistance and energy. We introduced about the precautions while using multimeter for safety purpose. Students knew about how to use the multimeter to measure voltage, current, resistance and how to check the connectivity in the circuit. Students designed their own circuit for the required current flow in the circuit.

We introduced about the battery, resistor, LED, variable resistor, capacitor and also their symbols with that students knew about the symbols of the components.So,that they able to draw the circuit diagram and we showed the sensor(LDR) by showing the demo how it worked students gave different perspective how to use LDR for their circuit.Capacitor as a bucket if a battery is like a reservoir of charge by worked in it. Students knew that more the capacity in the capacitor more the charge it can hold and they saw the working of capacitor by charging using the battery and discharging using the LED.

When the challenges were allocated for each team I saw the enthusiasm with which children learn with engagement, We also saw team work worked well with different school students and each students shared their perspective and some students convenience why their perspective of approaching the problem was correct and some students struggled to understand and hesitated to do the task. students from different schools didn’t isolate themselves stepped up for their new friends worked as a team and got their output from that I saw the Leadership quality in that student and I saw a good team work among the students.

After the workshop came to an end students shared their learnings in the workshop and also shared what they learned about themselves in the workshop by doing the workshop I realised that we (Mathegramming team) added something useful to their life. We had many stdents who had not registered beforehand and our colleagues stepped up for us and supported us in organising the event and I saw the quality of care and that moment brought every one together.

Some of the reflections from our mentors in the workshop:

My name is Sundaresan,I stand for happiness and courage for myself and for others. While working with new children at the hackathon, I learned how to approach them effectively. I realized that I shouldn’t guide them with only wanting to win, but rather focus on their learning new skills and knowledge that will benefit in their future. I was impressed to see how they weren’t struggling with the calculation of power consumption of fans and lights, which showed me their strength in mathematics. Each child in my group has different talents: one excels in Scratch programming beyond my expectations, while another explains the project very well. Reflecting on this event, I recognized what I missed in my own childhood.

My name is Sharmila. I stand for courage and patience for myself and others. This electronic hackathon gave me a chance to contribute my knowledge to students regarding electronics. Students were excited and curious to know about electronics and how they are used in our daily lives. During the hackathon, the students quickly mingled with each other. They also shared their thoughts in the group while working on the tasks that we gave them. The hackathon showcased the values of equality, responsibility, and the courage to create. It demonstrated the transition from individual to group learning, with strong communication between mentors and mentees. Overall, the event emphasized the importance of electronics and their usage in our daily life.

My name is Poonguzhali I stand for courage for myself and others. I could see the values of STEM Land throughout the tournament: Equality responsibility and courage to create. I could see individual learning to group learning. There was good communication between the children and facilitators. We were breaking silos. The children were able to connect real-time examples with the electronic concepts.  I learned some basic electronics concepts from this workshop. It stimulated my interest to learn even more in the future. I felt excited throughout the event.

My name is Jayabharathi, I stand for Equality for myself and for others. The electronics hackathon helped me contribute my knowledge to the children. I was able to see the team work and the coordination among the children of different organizations. It helped me to bring out my universal values (care and confidence) into action. The curiosity of the children after each step of the experiments it helped me to develop my skills to teach them in a simplified manner. Apart from the technical part, children were able to mingle with each other very easily and they were able to help each other. The children were encouraging each other when other teams won the prize. I noticed that they were fostering leadership and i would also practice the same. This hackathon gave me an exposure to experience unity and curiosity with the team members as well as the children.

My name is Ajay, and I stand for love, happiness, and self-awareness for myself and others. My experience at the electronics hackathon with children was amazing. Initially, they learnt about themselves and then moved into the concept of energy consumption. They were able to calculate how much energy they used for the workshop and learnt about units of power, energy, current, and voltage in a different way. It turned into a tournament at the end. I found the part was finding out the body resistance of each member using a multimeter very interesting. As a team, we helped each other and took responsibility to claim the first prize for our team of children. We also assisted other teams’ children to complete their tasks so they could understand, what I learnt I have shared it with others.

My name is Sri Bhavani. I stand for Love and Equality for myself and others. In this Hackathon, our team created an opportunity for the children to work with other school children to get the essence of team work to achieve the goals. My favorite part in this event was that one representative was requested to share their learning to represent their team at random. In this, team members encouraged the team representative to share their team learnings. Children were able to notice their fears during presentation as well as competition, then they were also be able to still themselves to act from their values. Overall, children as well as facilitators enjoyed the event and Mathegramming team, all facilitators, and students acted from their full potential to make this event happen.

My name is Duraisamy, I stand for Dignity, wisdom and freedom for myself and others. Mentoring kids about electronics and how they’re part of everyday life is something new for them. Understanding the different parts and symbols is a first step. It helps them see how things work and sparks their curiosity to learn more. Explaining electronics to kids in simple terms not only helps them understand the world around them but also encourages them to explore and ask questions. It’s important to lay a basic foundation that they can build upon as they grow, fostering a lifelong interest in learning and discovery.

My name is Choudery. I stand for justice and equality for my self and others. In the electronics tournament I just came to have a look how children were doing. Then I sat with a team at random. I have noticed children are curious to learn electronics and doing their tasks one by one. Then I start to teach a child and explain how seven segment display works. One child understood the logic behind the seven-segment display and started to do it by own. This made the other children in the team to curious. The children came to me and ask how to do. Then I ask the children to ask the child who was doing it. The team them learned from him. Here I noticed the curiosity of learning, peer learning and teamwork. This electronic workshop and tournament really helpful for children to have more ideas and thoughts about how the real world working with electronics.

~ Sharmila, Santhosh, Poonguzali, Preethi, Nithyasandhosh , Premkumar Murugan

Students of Isai Ambalam School decided to stage the “Nayanmargal” (saints in the Shiva) drama for the occasion of Sivarathiri and how their songs have made it to us now. The creation of backdrops played a crucial role in bringing the production to life. Over a period of six weeks, we embarked on the journey of painting these backdrops, encountering various challenges and experiences along the way.

Initial Challenges Encountered:

One of the initial difficulties we faced was sourcing the right materials after finalizing the scenes of the drama to be displayed. As it was our first-time painting on such large cloth we did not have confidence that we will be able to do it. We decided to create draft paintings on smaller cloth pieces to test our abilities. Upon seeing the results, we gained confidence in our skills. We then prepared a list of materials required for the painting and provided it to the organizer, Anita akka.

Step-by-Step Painting Process:

Conceptualization: Initially, we planned to paint four backdrops: 1) a larger flowing Vaigai river with trees and bushes on both banks, 2) a temple gopuram with trees and people, 3) Nandhi facing sideways with four pillars, and 4) a palace. Later, we added a fifth backdrop—the Kailash Mountain which was painted by Arham.

Sketching: With the concept in mind, we began sketching rough outlines of the backdrops on the cloth and finalized them with Anita akka. This stage allowed us to experiment with different compositions and perspectives to ensure that each backdrop would complement the unfolding story on stage.

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Layering Colors: Once the sketches were finalized, we embarked on the colorful journey of painting. Using acrylic paints, we meticulously layered colors to create depth and texture, bringing each scene to life with vibrant hues and subtle shading.

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Detailing and Finishing: As the paintings progressed, we focused on adding intricate details and finishing touches to enhance realism and evoke emotion. Every aspect of the backdrops was infused with care and attention to detail. Adding details to the backdrops took more time to complete.

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Collaboration and Feedback: Throughout the painting process, collaboration and feedback played a vital role in refining our work. We regularly consulted with Anita akka, friends, and fellow artists to ensure that the backdrops aligned seamlessly with the overall vision of the production.

Overall Insights on Painting:

Painting the backdrops for “Nayanmargal” was not just about applying colors to clothe; it was a journey of exploration and expression. As artists, we discovered the power of storytelling through visuals, transcending language barriers to convey the rich tapestry of emotions woven into the fabric of the drama.

In conclusion, the creation of backdrops for “Nayanmargal” was a testament to the transformative power of art.  When the backdrops were hung upon the stage they looked really good and amazing. As a artist we felt happy and accomplished.

Individual Insight on Painting:

My name is Sharmila, and I stand for courage and patience for myself and others. As I love painting, I volunteered to paint backdrops for the “Nayanmargal” drama. Initially, we were a bit nervous about painting on such large cloth pieces and whether we could finish on time. However, working as a team, we were able to overcome our doubts. After completing each backdrop, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction fueled our confidence. The praise from Anita akka and others made us feel good and motivated us to carry on and complete the backdrops on time. I had a wonderful team to support me throughout. Through this activity, I noticed qualities such as care, love, taking responsibilities, deep listening, courage to create, and the ability to plan and execute effectively.

Insight of Santhosh

Doing backdrop painting for the Nayanmargal drama was a wonderful experience because this was the very first time I made big-picture drawings and paintings. when I completed my first backdrop of natural scenery with the Vaigai River I felt satisfied and also I had a wonderful painting team to support me with other backdrops. From this activity I learned my life lessons like stillness is very important, focus on what we doing now, full concentration, preplanning plays a major role and more creative imagination.

My name is Poonguzhali and I stand for courage for myself and others. I volunteered to paint the backdrops for the drama. Whenever I had time, I helped with the backdrops. As a team, we worked to our full potential, and I felt accomplished with the work. When the backdrops were hung on the stage, they helped in setting the scene for the play. It was more satisfying and added colors to the atmosphere of the performance. Being a part of the creative process made me feel courageous, happy, and proud of our work.

My name is Preethi. I stand for courage, kindness and perseverance for myself and others. When I’m doing drama backdrop painting, I get to learn lot about myself. when I was painting it reflected my thoughts, emotions, and creativity. It helps me to understand myself better and appreciate the beauty within me. I also realize making mistakes is a part of the process. Sometimes the imperfections make the painting even more beautiful. While doing new things and making mistakes helps me grow and learn. Through painting, I learn to be patient and keep going, even when things don’t work out the way I want. When I paint with others, I learnt lot from them and inspire one another to create beautiful things. It’s really a wonderful experience that I really loved

My name is Nithyasandhosh. I stand for kindness and equality to myself and others. I volunteered to painting a backdrop for Nayanmargal drama. I love painting, before I have done painting in wall and paper but Its was my first time I am painting in a big cloth. I felt happy to paint with my team, and learn from each other. When I was painting I felt more focused in what I’m doing.  After finishing our 4 backdrops, I felt responsible and integrity.

My name is Premkumar Murugan . I stand for self confidence and equality for myself and others. My insight for painting Nayanmargal drama. So far I have only experienced painting on papers, As this was my first time of painting on big clothe, I felt nervous but when I met with my group I felt, I could draw and then I tried drawing and painting and it worked out well. After completing the backdrops, I felt complete and happy. It also helped to recognize my talent within me. It gave me a wonderful experience.

~ Ajay, Sundaresan, Sandhiya.B, Rajesh, Murali, Premkumar, Preethi

One of our values is responsibility. This includes taking responsibility of our life and health. Few of us decided to participate in the Auroville Marathon event. While most of us participated in a 10k run, Prem did a half marathon (21 kms). Some of us prepared leading to the event a few others did a bit of a warm up for a week leading up to the challenge. Here are our reflections.

The Auroville Marathon was held on Sunday 18^th February 2024. In addition to the marathon and half marathon and a 10k run is available. It is one of the largest and most popular running events in India, with participants from all parts of India which is publicized by past runners through word of mouth or blogs like this.

The event is non-commercial and organized purely for the joy of running. It considers all the finishers as winners.

This year our team participated in the marathon. For that, our steward Sanjeev Ranganathan encouraged us to be physically fit to do the push-ups and sit-ups during the morning meeting every day for a week before the run. This helped us to stretch ourselves as physically fit. It helped us to complete the marathon without any physical injuries.

Insights

Ajay– My name is Ajay, and I stand for happiness and self-awareness for myself and others. I noticed my ability to overcome my fear of not being good enough to complete the marathon. Somehow, I was motivated by the senior people who ran alongside us. This boosted my morale and helped me complete the 10K at the marathon event. It also motivated me to participate in more marathons with proper training.

Sundaresan – I regularly practiced running 5km to prepare for the AV marathon. This practice helped me during the actual marathon. I learned that I can keep going even when things get tough. Finishing the 10km race without stopping made me feel confident. Even though my legs hurt halfway through, I didn’t give up. I realized that pushing through the pain is important to reach my goals. I want to keep this determination in my life. The marathon brought people together and allowed me to meet new friends.

             When I reached the 9km mark, I felt a burst of energy that helped me run faster. Finally, I finished the marathon in 1 hour and 10 minutes (1:10). Now, I want to try a half marathon (21km) next time. This experience taught me that taking small steps can lead to big accomplishments.

Sandhiya- My name is Sandhiya Bala, and I stand for courage, care, and happiness for myself and others. I have learned that by consistently practicing activities such as exercise and walking, the discomfort associated with them diminishes over time.

Taking this initiative, I gained more confidence and completed 10 km marathons after my delivery. I felt a sense of achievement, and I’ve realized that regular practice empowers me to accomplish anything in life.

I acknowledge our steward Sanjeev Ranganathan for encouraging us to maintain physical fitness by incorporating push-ups and sit-ups into our morning meetings every day. This practice has helped me to improve my physical well-being, and I intend to continue using it in my life.

Rajesh- My name is Rajesh and I stand for care and integrity for myself and others, I learned that before leaping into anything the preparation part is important. My organization played a vital part in preparation as we spent a few minutes in sit-ups and pushups every morning.

I also learned life is a long journey like a marathon, which has ups and downs. What matters is how equanimous I am, and how determined I am to explore the journey. Also, in the long run like life or organization or say marathon, Partners play a vital role. Where they encourage courage throughout the hard run. When I am completely down, they give me that inspiration and a positive mindset to continue. I noticed this when I was running with a person throughout the marathon.

Murali- My name is Murali and I stand for happiness and Equality. I noticed that after completing my 10 km marathons, I noticed how I was physically fit.

Premkumar-My name is Premkumar I deeply care about courage and equality for myself and others. While running the 21 kilometers at the beginning I felt I couldn’t finish it but seeing every other person passionately running towards the goal inspired me to finish the marathon. I felt like I was challenged and motivated. It was a great journey that created a meaningful impact on my life.

Preethi –My name is Preethi. I stand for courage, kindness, and perseverance for myself and others. While participating in a marathon, I get to know how tough I am by not giving up when I’m tired or facing challenges. Running a marathon helps me realize how strong my mind can be when I need to keep going. I understand more about how my mind and body work together and how to take care of myself. Staying focused and determined during the race helps me understand how determined I can be. I ran the marathon along with my friend. When I felt tired, he encouraged me, which helped me complete the marathon. Therefore, I acknowledge Ajay for his support and care, and I will carry it with me in my life. Finishing a marathon makes me feel proud of myself, which feels awesome.

Sundaresan, Preethi, Sivaguru Prasath, Sri Bhavani, Ajay, Narmadha, Nithya Sandhosh

At STEM land we embrace unending education and constant progress. Auroville brings many opportunities for this. For the commencement of the Auroville festival in 2024, the Yoga gathering happened at Matrimandir Amphitheater, Auroville, from Feb 22 to Feb 26. From STEMland, a few teachers attended the Yoga session along with students from Udavi and Isai Ambalam schools. There were also children from other schools.

Here are the few reflections from our STEM teachers on attending Yoga session,

Sundaresan:

The yoga masters teach different types of yoga and pranayamas throughout the entire week. It makes me feel healthy for the entire week. They start with Hatha yoga on day 1 by Dr. Mollika Ganguly. Without continuous practice, it causes back pain and body pain for two days. After continuous practice, my body adapted to the pain. Surya Namaskar is taught by S. Srinivasan with the Ramayana story on day 2. The story is related to the 12 asanas, and I enjoyed it. I learned that Surya Namaskar has different types of 12 poses, each taught in its own way. On day 3, Yogic Pranayama and Silence Concentration for ‘the Supramental Manifestation’ are taught by M. Muthukumari.

On day 4, I learned Ashtanga yoga by Velu and Tamil Hymns and Chants by Anandou. I learned three different types of Chants in the session. On day 5, Mantra chanting by Devan and Aravind, and Sounds Meditation and Relaxation by Swaram. From this, I learned how to slowly convey new things to others. I will use this teaching method and calmness in my life. From a sound healing session, I learned to notice my background noises and conversations. After the session, I felt very calm. My mind was clear, and I didn’t feel any stress. The vibrations caused some changes in my body. This session helps me to continue yoga every day. I can feel that I get lots of energy from yoga. For that reason, I can work efficiently the whole day. I decide to teach others what I’ve learned to make it a habit, as well as to keep my health as good as possible.

Preethi:

My name is preethi. I stand for courage,  kindness and perseverance for myself and others. My insight for yoga workshop is I learnt different asanas that help me make my body strong, flexible, and balanced.  I learnt breathing techniques that calm my mind and give more energy. While doing meditation I find out how to relax my mind and focus on the present moment to feel more peaceful. When I do yoga in Mathirmandir,  amphitheater, I feel close to nature. I enjoy hearing birds singing and feeling the cool breeze on my face. It feels like nature is giving me a hug, and it makes me feel calm and peaceful inside. I had a really awesome week, and I had a great experiences.

Sivaguru prasath:

My name is Sivaguru prasath and I stand for courage, full-potential and equanimity for myself and for others. On practicing yoga, I observed that I feel calm, active and flexible and also it was a immense pleasure to do yoga along with children and old-age people which gives us more positive energy and motivation. The day-1 was a like a quick session, we did it continuously, most of the children were felt tired and we motivated them to do it properly and completely. The Surya namaskar we did on the day-2 were taught with the correlation of Ramayana was a different and interesting experience.

On the day-3, we did Pranayama, which improved my breathing and concentration and I found it as the most needful thing for me. On the day-4 we did yoga with some chants and On day-5 they conducted a sound healing session with Swaram team that relaxed my mind and felt like a feather without stress, fear and anxiety. I noticed that I felt active throughout the days when I was practicing yoga and I have to keep my practice day to day to feel energetic and thoughtful.

Sri Bhavani:

My Name is Sri Bhavani, I stand for Love and Equality for myself and others. This time number of members joined from our team for the yoga session has increased compared to the past. Children from Auroville and Auroville outreach schools participated in this session and benefitted. This event also helped us to enhance our physical health. All age groups were participated in this session, this shows physical health has how much importance in all the stages of life. As Sri Aurobindo offered Physical education had three principal aspects:

(1) control and discipline of the functioning of the body;

(2) an integral, methodical and harmonious development of all the parts and movements of the body; and

(3) correction of any defects and deformities.

This session helped me to have disciplined physical activities and utilise it as healing for the body.

Ajay:

The five-day yoga session in the morning at the Amphitheater has been refreshing for me. It helps me keep my body flexible and energetic throughout the day. Going for yoga with children gives me a special feeling in the early morning. Each day, different people shared their way, and I learned various pranayama techniques, Savitri chantings, and on the final day, we had an amazing sound bath from the Svaram team. This year more people from stemland joined so it motivated me to continue doing this and looking forward to the upcoming yoga activities

Narmadha:

The day started with stretching; it had been a long time since I had done yoga, so it was initially difficult for me. However, as the days progressed, I found it easier to perform the yoga asanas, and I noticed a positive difference in myself. Each day brought a unique blend of physical challenges, mindfulness, and spiritual connection. At the end of each session for all five days, we concluded with Savasana and chanting. On the last day, there was a sound bath, during which I could feel my breath and the sensations in my body. This practice was organized in celebration of Auroville’s birthday and took place from 6:30 am to 7:30 am. The morning meditation and yoga routine provided a refreshing start to my day, and I have continued this practice every morning since.

NithyaSandhosh:

My name is Nithyasandhosh, I stand for kindness and equality to myself and others. As I settled onto my mat, the world around me seemed to fade into a gentle blur. With each inhale, I welcomed peace into my being, and with each exhale, I released tension and doubt. In the stillness of the moment, I felt a profound connection with my body and mind. Every stretch, every pose, was a conversation between the two, a dance of harmony and balance. As I flowed through each movement, I embraced the sensation of energy coursing through me, awakening every fiber of my being.

~ Rajesh

We were thrilled to teach a math intuition class to students, as it was fascinating to have a sense of what the result would look like. Under the guidance of Sanjeev Anna, we focused on patterns instead of answers. He spent each morning explaining mathematical patterns, which we taught to school students in the evenings

We discovered new patterns and logic that were not taught in schools or colleges to us

Advantages of having intuition in maths:

Having intuition in math allowed us to quickly recognize patterns, leading to more efficient problem-solving. It also improved our understanding of abstract concepts and fostered creativity in problem-solving and generating new mathematical ideas.

Feedback from students who attended the classes:

Firstly, they noticed the simplicity of understanding maths with patterns.

Even complex concepts were understandable

Patterns finding reduced our school theory of memorizing maths

Telling stories and relating with real-time examples increased the logic of mathematics

~ Sanjay Tumati

I keep in touch with a few of my friends who I feel possess qualities that I would like to inculcate in my life. One of these friends is strong in his Christian faith. In a conversation to understand what a monk does to understand the spirit of doing. He said:

Monasteries are obligated to be as self-sufficient as possible for the basic necessitates. The spirit of which extends to the individual monks. They farm but they are not farmers. They makes clothes but they are not tailors. They herd but they are not herders. They may even write computer programs and debug and test them, but they are not programmers. They are spiritual scholars that happen to work with their own hands to support their vocation as monks, but they must not be distracted by the work itself.

This comment struck me very close to home because of the similarities with what we are doing in C3StreamLand. At C3Streamland, we too are self-sufficient, not only for our basic necessities but also to support a whole host of activities such as employment (we provide it), education (we provide it free of cost), Vipassana at Auroville (group sits/short courses, 10-day courses), Seminars for growth (RTL workshops), support other principled and ethical actors (Thamarai, RTLWorks, SAIIER). Indeed in this respect, perhaps, we go further than a monastery does.

Now comes to the point of being distracted by work and activity. We work for a commercial concern in Bangalore as a means to support ourselves, as well as fund our activities and the larger community in Auroville. In addition, each one of us in involved in some teaching activity or the other, be it an activity or formal classes. Further, each one us also has an accountability with regards to maintaining the Organisation as a whole à Finances (school, C3streamland), Maintenance (Internet, facilities, power) etc. Furthermore, most of us are also supporting others in their growth (organising Vipassana activities, organising RTL workshops and supporting them as PCs). 

Apart from generating a livelihood and supporting others, work and being busy with wholesome tasks is a wonderful tool to prevent me from falling into lower mental states that for me a chiefly characterized by sloth, addiction to useless information and trivia (which the internet has an unending supply of), time wasting conversations, mental brooding and so on and so forth.

The benefits of having an engaged mind during all waking hours have been spoken of by Great Men and Women down the ages. As my friend never tires of reminding me, Jesus was a fine Carpenter with a very strong work ethic. Buddha himself did not believe such a thing as R&R (rest and relaxation) since the impurities never rested, so why should purity?  Closer to time, GoenkaJi would keep busy peeling potatoes if there was nothing else to do and his wife, Mataji herself was never found idle when awake, her favourite go to activity being knitting sweaters. Mataji used to mention the importance of having a mind engaged in a wholesome (or at least not-unwholesome) pursuit at all times.

So much for the benefits of an engaged mind. Now I come to my friends’ admonition. There is a very real possibility and danger that I am getting distracted from my larger purpose in life in the rush to keep delivering on my livelihood and my support activities. There is the danger that I become so distracted by my Job performance and my various support roles, in meeting the delivery schedules and my social commitments that I forget what I really want from life in terms of my inner life. How do I forget what I really care about at a deep level? When I notice that my thoughts are mostly about what needs to be done next and what needs to be done today, when I notice that my Vipassana practice has become mechanical, when I notice that I am too tired at night time to care about any of the higher things in life that I claim to care about in daytime, when I notice that I am too tired to desire the higher mental planes that a human can access and that I wish to access.

Now that I notice it what will I do? I don’t know. For one, I have become aware of it, so that is a good thing. The next is to reflect. Clearly I am not overworked. It’s just that I am overwhelmed. I am building tension during the course of my day that leaves me detached from the higher mental planes as the daylight concludes. I no longer feel attracted to the lower mental planes during the nights as I used to, so that’s reason to rejoice. But the goal now is to cultivate the sort of mind that feels attracted to the higher mental states even as the day progresses right until the time comes for slumber.

~ Poovizhi

8th grade students in Udavi are learning pie chart. In C3STREAM land we
have a system where we enter teachers notes everyday and will receive
feedback on the same from Sanjeev at the end of the week. From his
feedback I learnt that I can ask children to draw pie chart for their
daily activity. I asked them to collect data on their daily activities
for 24 hours to create a visual representation of their time management.

Students began by recording their activities throughout the day, by
writing them down on their notebook. They then organized the data into
categories, such as sleeping, eating, studying, traveling, and leisure time.

After categorizing the data, students calculated the percentage of time
spent on each activity. They converted number of hours in degree for
each activity and plotted them in a pie chart.

Each activity was shown as a separate slice of the pie, with the size of
the slice corresponding to the time spent on that activity.

Once the pie chart was complete, students analyzed and interpreted the
data. They noticed patterns and trends in their time management, which
helped them understand their own behavior and habits better. Students were able to notice where they spend more time and realized where they need to work on.

This exercise helped 8th-grade students develop their skills in data
collection, analysis, and visualization. By engaging in this exercise,
they gained a deeper understanding of pie charts and how they can be
used to represent complex data in a simple and visual form.

~ Poovizhi, Sri Bhavani

On 08/04/2023 We organised a technical session for the teachers in Udavi school from C3STREAM land. In this session, we offered our learnings to teachers be aware of cookies, application permissions, agreements and terms and conditions.

The session was handled by Sanjeev. He began the session by screening the popular documentary “The Social Dilemma,” which highlights the dangers of social media and the impact it can have on our lives. The documentary served as an eye-opener for many of the teachers, who were unaware of the extent to which their personal data is being collected and used by tech companies.

Participants were able to understand the situation of how much children were addicted to mobile phone usage. How it affects their emotions.

In Social media platforms, we always get feeds based how we likes and dislikes. No one is monitoring each person to provide such things. It was done by AI algorithm do it. The feeds were customised for each person based what they search and see.

Notifications: Turn off notifications of applications. When people get notifications, at that moment they get diverted to notification message. Anyways we see our mobile phones many times in a day. Turn off notifications of some app may help us to reduce the distraction.

Ethical and un-ethical business:

Ellipsis: Ellipsis are three dots you can see in some social media while other person is typing a message. It makes us to keep wait for the message until we receive. It also takes our time to be keep waiting for what will be the reply. In some applications, there will be option to turn of this.

Password: Never Save your passwords online. There is always risk of losing your password when you are saving it online. When people need to save their sensitive information like password, they can use keyPass tree application to save their passwords safe in offline also.

Digital wellbeing: In every android phone, there is a inbuilt app called Digital wellbeing. In this application, user can set the timer to use mobile phone for a particular time period and also user can set timer for usage of each application in your mobile phone. It will be useful for the parents who wants to control their children phone usage. After the usage of that particular time, application will lock automatically.

The session was well-organized, and the teachers were appreciative of the valuable information they received. They left with a better understanding of the importance of data privacy and online security and Conveyed their gratitude for their learnings.

Insights from the Participants:

Insight 1: I am able notice that I don’t have the control over the mobile phone usage.

Insight 2: I am able notice I am being monitored based on likes and dislikes, feeds were customised based on my likes. This session helped me to be aware of how I am using phones.

Insight 3: Creating these kinds of applications affecting the people who don’t know about these AI algorithms. They simply using these applications, get addicted to it. It leads to loss of their life sometimes.

Sri Bhavani:

From the session, I learned about ellipsis, keypass application to save passwords safely and Digital wellbeing app in mobile phone. I am to be aware of how I am using the technologies.