On November 8, 2023, For the first year BVOC students we (Second year’s and C3streamland) conducted Fresher’s Day and the second-year students spoke to Dr. Sanjeev Ranganathan and he suggested them the system game (String game) which they learned from the Integral Education workshop and the game involves better understanding of themself and their fellow mates  it results in teamwork and creativity.
At first Sanjeev joined them online to explain the rules and give some introduction to the game and the game organizers were Durai, Ajay, Sandhiya, Premkumar and Sanjeev. The game had three rounds at the beginning of the game they were confused and stuck with some common shapes like circle, square, like that. at the end of the first round, they were asked to see the score and shapes they were disappointed and got low score and in the second round they started with the same but ended with some shapes like trees, mountains and at the end they were able to see the difference between the first and second game and some of them were able to identify why they got these differences and they discussed. At the third round they were able to see the creativity and team coordination and communication among themself was improved much more than the beginning of the game.
Once they completed the string games and they were asked to share their reflections about the game with Sanjeev and how they can relate it to the real world.
Overall reflections and learnings from
students:
The importance of deep
listening.
Importance of adaptability.
Value of collaboration and
coordination.
Acting over my background
conversation.
They felt the essence of
teamwork and the fun it gives when they work together.
We attended a 3-month course on grammatically correct English conducted from July 28 to October 27, 2023 conducted by Ms. Vatsla Sharma at SAIIER and Coordinated by Sanjeev. Around 15 teachers from Auroville attended.
We learned topics like Apostrophes, Use of Articles, 12
Tenses and Rules, Modals, Prepositions and Conditional clauses.
Tenses help convey the timing of an action or
event in a sentence.
While practicing the exercise of storytelling
with the team we learned to choose the right tense to express ourselves.
When we practiced, we got more confidence. Madam gave homework and drill practice
exercises.
It was awesome to see the new way of learning
and expressing our ideas. As a team, we shared conditional clauses one by one,
and we noticed everyone was learning new things
Conclusion:
In this three-month journey of English class, we have not
only improved our written and spoken communication, but also gained confidence
in expressing ourselves effectively.
This course is beneficial and wonderful opportunity for us.
Thanks to C3STREAM Land and SAIIER.
The core values of Mathegramming Academy are responsibility, equality, and courage to create. The team wanted to bring a change in the systematic thinking of the children who were introduced to visual mathematics using scratch by the Mathegramming Academy. The team wanted to have the following shifts:
Mediocracy
to excellence
From
rote learning of concepts to looking at visualization of the concepts and encouraging
critical thinking.
From
Disempowering isms like classism, groupism, and genderism to a creative space.
The Mathegramming Hackathon was organized with each step
designed to foster creativity and learning.
94 students from 6th to 9th grade enrolled in this tournament from different schools in and around Auroville. On the day of the event, 87 students came. The children who had registered had been organized with groups that cut across grades and schools so when the children came in they received their group number. In addition, many youth and children who had been exposed to STEM land in the past including our B.Voc students volunteered as mentors to each support a team. It was enriching to see that we had reached out to so many children/youth in the past who were enthusiastic to support others learn. There was an equal mix of boys and girls at the hackathon and they all worked with each other harmoniously.
We started the day with an introduction to sourcing our inner capacities which they also used to introduce themselves to the other members of their team. This was followed by a session on to power of modular design and providing the children and mentors with general modules created by Mathegramming Academy which could make their coding faster. Breaks were placed to ensure the children remained energized and focused.
We had invited judges from various organizations- Lopa from Ashram, Sanjay, Pratap, Vasanthraj, and Duraiswamy from C3StreamLand Designs, ShankarDevi from Thalam, Julian from Vaasavi International School, Arun from Aura semiconductor, Bridget from Thamarai, Bharani from AIAT and Chitralekha from Pondicherry University.
The themes were prepared from the 7th-grade textbook by the Mathegramming team which are Pythagoras theorem, Pascal’s triangle, Fibonacci series, Integers, Mean Median Mode, Congruence of triangles, Algebraic identities, Decimal number on a number line, and Fraction division.
The tournament 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. The exchange of ideas between different age groups was a testament to the Academy’s commitment to holistic learning. It was heartening to see the breaking of barriers and the shift from silos thinking to interdependence. The rule for the mentors was that they were not allowed to
Some reflections: My name is Durai.I deeply care about dignity, wisdom, and freedom for myself and others. I was invited to assess the Scratch programs with children based on the following criteria: concept understanding, teamwork, interaction, presentation, and project completion. I found that all the children had the courage to speak in front of a larger audience group and were able to explain their projects more precisely, often using real-world examples, which was impressive. The children could also respond to queries raised by the audience and judges, and the overall assessment session went well. I am delighted to be a part of the assessment team. They were able to connect real-time examples with the concepts.
My name is Pratap. I care about equality and responsibility the program gave me a chance to contribute to the larger picture beyond my work. This program broke the casteism, groupism, and genderism by working with their team on the theme that was given to them. Moving from silos to dependent to independent to interdependent. From the theory what they learn in school to apply to it by making a project and showing their mastery in the theme that they got. To be a judge I learned all the theme concepts and revisited them. I was in my stand to give scores to them and avoided being biased even though I knew all the children. I interacted with the mentors and also explained the criteria for scoring. I also got an opportunity to choose the two best charts in 33 charts and I see my sincerity and happiness. As a senior, I see my presence was very important and I was valued I held integrity in all I did for that tournament. Even though I encountered so many background conversations and I was able to silence all the background conversations and deeply listen to the children. The gifts were super and the participant certificate was encouraging.
My name is Rajesh. I deeply care about Integrity for myself and others. I volunteered to be a mentor. I was able to see the Team had diversity, they broke disempowering isms of classism, groupism, and genderism to form a co-creative space. I employed conversation for action by speaking to children.
My name is Vasanth.I am able to see the values of STEM Land throughout the tournament: Equality responsibility and courage to create. I am able to see individual learning to group learning. There is good communication between mentors and mentees. During the workshop mentees also gave some thoughts about the projects and mentors also without any hesitation, incorporated that in the projects. There is learning across different ages. Mentors also learned something from mentees. I was able to witness Students shifting Theoretical learning — visual proof maths learning (both chart work and animation in Scratch).
I am able to see the equality in the group, different children from different schools work together, and this form of new interaction works with other people to make friends. I was able to see the quality of perseverance, determination, and confidence while they worked on the project. I have learnt that when I am on the judging panel I should overcome my background conversation and deeply listen to the children who presenting the project. I also noticed the joy of learning while the children worked on scratch projects.
My name is Poonguzhali. I deeply care about Love and happiness for myself and others. When I participated in the tournament, I experienced a sense of anxiety. However, the “Stand and Fear” session helped me consciously identify my values and felt a strong desire to align my actions with them. I was determined to respond in accordance with my values. I operated at my highest capacity, giving my utmost effort. In my role as a mentor, I actively enhanced my leadership skills and qualities.
The Mathegramming tournament set an example of how education
can inspire excellence, equality, and courage in the hearts and minds of our
future leaders.
We had a three-day workshop on integral education conducted
from October 4th to 6th at Bharat Nivas campus, unity
pavilion and amphitheatre in Matrimandir. Around 140 teachers from schools in
and around Auroville and others working on education participated in this
workshop. It was a residential gathering where people were engaged in different
activities from 6AM to 7 PM.
We had a three-day yoga sessions at 6AM, which gave us a different and energizing experience. It helped us develop qualities like unity, responsibility, integrity, joy, happiness, balance, care, and peace.
We want to make positive changes in ourselves. This means
moving from being scattered to unified, from an unhealthy to a healthy life,
from a wandering mind to a focused one, from laziness to being proactive, and
from restlessness to peace.
We also want to share what we’ve learned with others. This way, we can all grow together, promoting unity and peace.
The activities in our yoga sessions include music therapy for concentration, pranayama to refresh our blood, Surya Namaskar for energy, and various asanas (sitting and standing poses) for flexibility.
Yoga has been a transformative journey for us, both mentally and physically. We aim to continue these sessions and expand our circle to spread the benefits of yoga to more individuals.
Integral Education Book reading session:
In our interactive reading sessions, we had the privilege to explore “On Education” by Mother and “Three Principles of Education” by Sri Aurobindo. These sessions were much more than reading; they were discussions where we shared our thoughts, challenges, transformations, and solutions in the realm of education, especially in supporting children.
Here’s a summary of what we’ve learned and discussed:
A Holistic Perspective: Mother emphasized that
education is not just about academics. It should encompass four essential
aspects: the physical, mental, vital, and psychic dimensions. For education to
be truly effective, these elements must align harmoniously.
Teaching vs. Supporting: We’ve realized that teaching
isn’t about imposing our ideas on children. It’s about guiding and supporting
them in pursuing their interests and passions, making their learning experience
beautiful.
Beyond Knowledge: Education isn’t limited to
imparting knowledge alone. It’s about nurturing individuals with good
qualities, helping them become strong, responsible, and disciplined, and
encouraging them to live with a sense of purpose.
Empowering Choices: As educators, our role is not to
dictate but to empower. We should give children choices and make them aware of
the consequences, allowing them to choose the path that genuinely interests
them.
The Art of Connection: Connecting with children is an
art we must master. By linking new knowledge to what they already know, we can
make learning feel familiar rather than foreign.
Love and Care: Showing love and care is crucial in creating a comfortable and joyful learning environment. When children feel cared for, they embrace learning more beautifully.
System(String) Game in IE workshop:
This was a fun activity where we could see how I engage with my activity, with my team and with systems in general when we deal with complexity
The
qualities that we saw throughout the activity were equality, care, full
potential, unity, leadership, and creativity. Though we were from different
backgrounds, we were all given equal importance throughout the entire workshop.
We learned to care for ourselves and others around us. The activity unleashed
our full potential by communicating with others, creating new patterns, and
working unitedly to bring out innovative ideas.
This activity helped us
to address the isms related to gender, age, and nationality. The different
ideas shared by each person in the group were very effective in achieving the
goal. We were able to realize the importance of independence to
interdependence. It was clearly seen that each and every individual took part
as a learner and leader. There was no hierarchy. It created space to move from
rigid to flexible mindsets and break the silos and work as a whole group rather
than smaller units alone.
The three principles of the
teaching of Sri Aurobindo were clearly brought out through this activity.
Nothing can be taught –
no one told us what the game was about we needed to discover it ourselves.
The mind must be consulted in its own growth – we learned to create our own patterns and we created our own self-assessment criteria for the game.
Near to far – started with what we had and extended it to new ideas
We were able to bring out what we expected through non-verbal communication. It allowed us to accept that there can be multiple solutions for any aspect.
We have a
team building session where everyone comes together to look at their leadership
ability – leadership means “my ability to create new future grounded on
universal values”. These RTL sessions helps to look at oneself within deeper
and reflect on it. We see RTL program as
both personal transformation and a team building program. Initially we
were very small team in numbers now we have become a larger team that is
working on more and more diverse and high end tech areas. We started working in
more and more silos, but this RTL session help to break silos.
The onsite session
we are having are easier to engage with other participants as compared to
online, but the hybrid model allowed us to learn from the insights and
experiences from people around the country.
Saranya: During
these sessions I was able to reflect on my actions and noticed where all I need
to retain or improve as a person. I learnt that there are multiple ways of
saying no and when I decline the requests from others it moves things forward helps
them find other ways to get things done.
Elam: I was
able to notice that when I am grounded I am being more and more calm inside and
I am not stuck. I am able to move forward with the work I do.
Poonguzhali:
During the RTL sessions I gained more confidence about my project. When I
filled out the SOS (Synergistic Operational strategic) template I saw what I
needed to put in place to make it successful. I reflected on my own integrity,
this awareness helped me to check alignment with my universal values. I also
learned to move from overwhelm into courageous action based on my universal
values.
Arunkumar: Reflecting
on my past events helped me learn how I could have handled a difficult situation
differently in the past from my universal values. I was able to notice the
granularity I missed in my project. In SOS I was able to notice that I need to foster
an enabling environment for the change I wish to see. In discernment and
judgement, I was able to notice that I had reacted in situations and, judged
people when I stilled myself and aligned with my universal values I was able to
discerned and see things as they are.
Dancing
thought breaks were unique and it helped me to overcome my fear of dancing in-front
of others and it was a fulfilled activity. The students of the B.Voc program
who also participated and also shared their reflections on stage (I noticed courage,
not the absence of fear but the ability to act in spite of it).
A few of us stem teachers had a session with Arulvazhi
school students coming for the first time to STEM Land.
A few reflections from the session
Rajesh: What I learned from that was that not all get
an opportunity to learn in a new and different way that is actually very much more
efficient than the system that is generally practiced in school. Getting an
opportunity to teach in that new system that STEM Land has is life-enhancing
for me as well as the students. I also feel grateful to the organization I am
part of.
Sri Bhavani: From the session with Arulvazhi school
children, I noticed that children were very excited for learning new things. I
see the rigor in children to learn new puzzles. It helps them to think and
widen their knowledge. They got an exposure to know, there are many tools that
are available to visualize math concepts. The session went well with
electronics, big shot camera, solving cubes, learning new games, etc
Narmadha: My name is Narmadha. I stand for equality
and happiness for myself and others. When the children visited Stemland, we
began with ground rules: “Respect myself, respect others, and respect materials”.
The session went well, and the children were enthusiastic to learn new things
as they explored STEM Land. What I learned from them is I should stretch myself
to learn new things and be curious about learning, and I will apply these in my
life.
Students’
insights:
In the beginning, we felt
that we were in a place that had technical materials that would be difficult to
handle and learn. But we felt connected to the teachers here and they explained
in such a way that it was so clear and easy.
When I was doing robotics on my own and made it work, it was so encouraging for me. I am becoming more confident in myself.
The new academic year for the BVoc program (Bachelor Courses | AIAT) has just started at AIAT. STEM Land supports the
practical for the Computer Science and Machine Learning program as well as the
Integral Yoga components of the curriculum at our Udavi campus 3 times a week. This year 13 Bvoc students joined the program
which is a 650% increase over the two we had last year. We were curious about
what motivated students to enroll in this program and therefore decided to
interact with the students to find out.
The main questions we were interested in were,
How did the students hear about this particular
Bvoc program?
Why did they choose the Bvoc program at
AIAT?
Why did they not pursue alternate options for
their studies?
The answers were interesting to us and some of what we heard
genuinely surprised us. What follow are my (Sanjay) reflections from the
interactions.
A surprising number of students decided on AIAT purely due
to the reputation Auroville (Welcome to
Auroville | Auroville) enjoys in the local community. It appears that
Auroville truly does have a very positive image among people here. If it is
associated with Auroville, it must be good and it must be high quality was
their confident assertion. This was a sentiment echoed by their friends and
close relatives as well. It was humbling to hear thisas it means we have a
responsibility towards this trust in us.
They felt very
positive about their past experience with Auroville outreach education and
wanted this interaction to continue. They felt they had learnt and grown a lot
in their interactions with AV entities and wished to continue their learning
and growth here. They further believed this Bvoc program afforded them their
best opportunity for their continued development as compared to any other
offerings from the world outside.
Another big draw of the program was the relative flexibility
of the program as compared to the rigidity they found in programs outside. The
standard college insists on external forms such as students having standard 12th
standard (rather than NIOS), or having completed 12th standard only
in the PCM (Physics/chemistry/Math/CS) streams.
One student in particular came to this program at the end of
considerable research. His grandfather visited STEM land, took time to
understand what it is we do and how long we have been doing it, interacted with
the youth, asked them a lot of questions, listened to their answers,
synthesized their answers and then concluded that this was an excellent place
for his grandson.
There were a total of 12 students of whom 5 were female and
7 were male. The fact that the program had some Gender balance was also
gratifying as this has been something that STEM Land has actively worked
towards.
More data on individual students is given below with the
student name removed
Our reflections after interacting with the B.Voc students:
Sanjay: I reflected that we make an earnest wish that
our actions enhances Auroville’s reputation and we do so joyfully. That the
program is designed for personal growth and gives people a chance to learn what
they are interested in transcendingrigid rules and regulations that only close
doors.. It was heartening to see children who had studied with Sanjeev when
they were in school have a chance to continue college with us ?.
I was also much impressed with this grandfather and his
approach and his willingness to go the extra mile and to not be led by
marketing and size of campus. May his tribe increase. Hearing this brough to my
mind the words of the Buddha from the Kalama Sutta Kalama
Sutta: The Buddha’s Charter of Free Inquiry (accesstoinsight.org)
Sundaresan: I was impressed with the homework done
by some of the students in choosing a college. When I went to college, all I
did was look at CENTAC. I can relate to some of the students whose parents
wanted their children to attend this program partly so they could be closer
together. I felt more connected to them.
Rajesh: Volunteering to teach is a day-to-day
activity for me and I don’t think too much about it or the impact that it
makes, either on myself or on others. However, some parents were actually
inspired by our spirit of volunteering and they decided that they wanted their
children to continue their education in just such an environment surrounded by
those who cared. Hence, I too am inspired to continue to volunteer and also to
take up more responsibility with more or increased enthusiasm. I now feel very
positive about mentoring one of the Bvoc students and also about handling the
support-a-child program for Isai Ambalam. During my Shifu program, I had a
mentor which gave me a feeling of confidence that I could handle any task that
I take up. Now I get the chance to do the same for my mentee and I am excited
about the opportunity.
Jayabharathi: I came to know that many of the
students had never used a computer before and did not know any basics at all
and they enjoyed working in scratch these last two days. The students expect
this college to be different from all the others in the sense that practice
will accompany theory. I was also impressed by the research they did in
choosing a college. I felt they were also very responsible students in the
sense that they had all done whatever was assigned to them by their respective
mentor. I have great expectations from this batch and feel they can do great
things. I wish them the best and look forward to further interactions with
them.
Every Saturday, our group from Stemland, consisting of Sundaresan, Preethi, Sri Bhavani, Ajay, and Sivaguru Prasath, goes to the Matrimandir amphitheater for yoga with around 150 children. Last Saturday (August 26, 2023), we had a special sound healing yoga session conducted by Mr. Balu, an executive from Mohanam, with guidance from Muthukumari and her team.
Ajay’s Insight:
I could feel my inner peace and a completely relaxed mind in that
environment. The fresh air, the sounds of birds, and the early morning
pleasantness made me feel refreshed all day long. It was my first time, and I
thoroughly enjoyed it. After the session, there was a smile on everyone’s face.
Sivaguru Prasath’s Insight:
While practicing sound healing, I felt relaxed, calm, and experienced enhanced focus. I also noticed physical sensations and relieved from pain and dullness. Time flies quickly when I concentrate and stay focused.
Sundaresan’s Insight:
In Sound Healing Yoga, the teacher said it might make you feel sleepy. I decided to pay attention to myself. I ended up falling asleep without realizing it. During the session, I discovered I could listen very closely. That day, this therapy made my listening even deeper. That’s when I understood how powerful sound healing therapy can be. I could hear background noises more clearly than before. I even noticed the sounds of small birds while listening to the music. After the session, I felt very calm. My mind was clear, and I didn’t feel stressed. It was really effective. The vibrations caused some changes in my body. I had energy the whole day, finished tasks quickly, focused better, and got clear ideas. It also helped me talk to others in a positive way. It made me imagine things in my mind. Many people use it to help with sickness. I want to keep doing this to become wiser.
Preethi’s Insight: When I attended the sound therapy, I found it quite interesting. Each instrument allowed me to focus on the melody and harmony without any lyrics. This session helped me relax, and the soothing sounds and vibrations made me feel calm. It enabled me to connect with my inner self and emotions. The sound therapy session helped me achieve a sense of relaxation, inner peace, and improved my overall well-being. I felt calm after the session and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sri Bhavani’s Insight:
During this week’s yoga session, we had
the opportunity to experience sound therapy treatment offered by one of the
organizations in Auroville called ‘Swaram.’ The therapy involved various
instruments that produce sounds, including bamboo and sound bowls. I had a new
and refreshing experience throughout the entire session at the Matrimandir
Amphitheatre.
This session helped me relax both my body and
mind, relieving stress. Children from different schools also had the chance to
experience this wonderful therapy at an early age, thanks to this session. In
addition to the yoga session, we support children from Udhavi School in
visiting MatriMandir, which encourages us to take greater responsibility for
their care.
On the 18th of August a group of students visited Stem land from Babaji Vvidyashram International School from Chennai visited STEM land. from Chennai The visit has organized a collaboration with the Mathegramming team along with seniors with the help of some volunteers from C3STREAM Land. The students had filled out a short questionnaire and had watched a video of C3STREAM Land before they came.
Sanjeev and the Mathegramming team have prepared various projects relevant to the 9th-grade level using study resources on Scratch and GeoGebra and also Radical Transformational Leadership tools to facilitate their the learning of the children learning in not only to give some idea about visual mathematics along with using programming but also to for students to discover who they were and to think challenge them and make their critical critically thinking, observe the pattern and work on their grow even better also develop their Leadership skills and knowing themselves well. The students were inspired by the session on the Universal values and socialized fears and they responded very well and also committed themselves fully in the session. The insights were processed by Sanjeev and it helped the students to know their inner capacity and what they care about while noticing what their socialized fears are. Who they are really and what are the fears they have.
Students working with Practioner coaches in groups
While processing insights from the students
Reflection: When I look at the values that have come up in the stand I notice I want to embody all of them and it is a space of my full potential.
Reflection: I
noticed that I often make decisions based on socialized fears and should focus
more on my stand/values to transcend them.
The leadership session also dealt with what we learned — skills, competencies, and inner capacities. A competency is the ability of taking a skill to shift culture or systems in society. We looked at the programming skills they had an explored how this could be used to change the culture of how we learn Mathematics.
Programming skills of the students
We then worked on competencies and skills After the Leadership session the students started to work on the session on Mathegramming session along with the Mathegramming team and some seniors from C3streamland also. This looked at themes that students are expected to know from 9th grade and had a programming challenge to make it visual. We had on assimilating projects and create new ones with the help of Sanjeev and C3STREAM Land volunteers supported the students to make their learning more comfortable with some of the projects which are made by the Mathegramming team and seniors with the help of Sanjeev’s guidance and valuable feedbacks. Students were engaged very well and showed eagerness to learn something new they explored some materials that we use in stem land for teaching mathematics and they coordinated very well with the team and asked so many questions which made the session even more interesting and the students also shared about their learning about themselves after the session.
Reflection 1: I
have memorized the Trigonometric ratios tables before after attending this
Mathegramming session I felt very easy to do it with the visual project on
GeoGebra.
Reflection 2: I have learned to do decimal multiplication in graph sheet which helped a lot to understand the concept clearly before I dont expose to this kind of visual mathematics now its giving me a strong confidence.
Students exploring the Trigonometry project on GeoGebra
Students exploring Set theory games along with scratch project
A sincere thanks from the Mathegramming team to Sanjeev, Ajay, Sri Bhavani, Rajesh, Sandhiya, and Durai and the seniors who helped organize this session. for this session to go well and also, they have sincerely put their time into this. The Mathegramming team feels grateful for the help which was given by the seniors who Not only with their time but also engaged themselves in this eagerness of learning something new. In this session, we felt we embodied our values of responsibility, equality, and the courage to create. Teaching experience for the school children really shows the responsibility and the eagerness to work with the children to make them more comfortable.
Mathegramming Academy, a unique blend of visual mathematics and programming is looking to ground its learning locally. Students in Isai ambalam School and Udavi School are looking to create projects that help them deepen their understanding of the topics taken up in their classes. A couple of children in each grade took up the challenge each time to create projects for a topic by putting in a little more time practicing at home and using the time in the school to do projects.
This approach not only makes mathematics more engaging but also helps students internalize abstract concepts by visualizing them through code. It also allows children to share something concrete with their peers adding a sense of responsibility to their learning. These presentations also act as a way to revisit a concept or get an introduction to a new concept (across grades).
The students who took up projects found that it challenged them and made them think creatively, needing to experiment with different approaches and come up with their solutions. This approach not only enhances problem-solving skills but also gives a sense of confidence and accomplishment
This is creating projects and children who are championing new approaches to education.