Inventive Thinking may simply mean the realization that there's no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done. (Rudolph Flesch)
May 2005, Nooraine asked me to run a month long programme to engage children, since the campus was not ready. Here was the perfect opportunity to realize a long cherished idea. Audacious though it was, I thought there was a distinct possibility of entwining experiential learning and an emergent curriculum to truly experience the power of constructivism. Thus a little inventive thinking got Xplore going! I thought, what if we took a group of children to a farm, exposed them to a new environment full of opportunities for learning and discovery and then let the magic begin!
Within a week, I got a team of like minded people together, we spent a day at the farm where the programme would be conducted and came back that evening excited with the manifold possibilities we envisioned. The critical part of the programme design was that there really was no design! My brief to the team was that we would have a broad objective in place but we could not direct the children towards our objectives. That had to emerge from the children.
Come June and we began our adventures in learning and connecting with a set of 28 excited children. The programme was aimed at letting each child learn to 'be'- with themselves, with others and with nature. The children realized that learning was not merely about what's written in textbooks. Each tree, flower, seed, bird, insect, rock and sand, the wind rustling through the leaves, the drops of water forming concentric circles in a ditch - each had a tale to tell, if only one was willing to hear. Their senses became their most powerful tools to learn and discover. These experiences led them to question, explore and create - a pond, a tree house, a hammock, a patch of cultivated land, models and drawings - all unique expressions of their learning.
Important concepts were explored - "Where does the water go when I pour it in the sand? How does the chameleon change colour? Will the patterns on the back of a tortoise help me know how old it is? How do plants grow? How do plants animals insects and birds depend on each other?"
Area and volume were not merely sums done in books. They were critical in determining how large a pond the children wanted to dig and how much water would be needed to fill it up. Concepts of air pressure and energy were revisited in order to design a water device, which would pump water from a nearby tank into the pond.
Each day would start with games, physical activities and challenges. Dodge ball became a fun and challenging way to stay alert and focused, while a simple game of Dog and the Bone taught lessons in honesty, sharing, patience and kindness to the little children. Rappelling down a 45 feet helped them overcome fears and trust themselves and others.
Project time was a time for fun, patience, perseverance and hard work. Each project was fraught with challenges, and when the spirits of some flagged, there were others who lent support. The children learnt much about teamwork and responsibility.
Choice time was a change from group work- each student chose an aspect of the farm to explore and research individually - the snakes, the tortoises, dogs and the chameleon on the custard apple tree, food chains around the pond. Discoveries were chronicled in their journals and discussed at Circle Time.
Circle Time was a serene end to a fun filled morning; it was a time for reflection, soul searching, a time for asking questions and seeking answers, a time for learning to accept others and gain acceptance.
The sleepover at the farm was a first for many of the children. They learnt to pitch tents, get a fire going, cook and clean and brave the lashing rains that did anything but dampen their spirits!
And that was what the Xplore programme was all about - youngsters learning to appreciate themselves and their environment. To engage in experiences and reflect upon their learning.
For me as an educator it was a unique experience, both humbling and exhilarating. A few months later I joined Inventure to continue the exciting journey we had launched upon.
The success of our first year ensured that the foundation programme- Inventuring as we now know it became part of our tradition. The programme is now conducted on our sprawling campus. It is the way we begin each academic year. New students and faculty are welcomed into the fold as we forge strong bonds of friendship and understand the way we learn. This paves way for the exciting year ahead.
As we have grown in numbers, the form or shape of Inventuring has taken differs but the soul and purpose remains intact.
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