MInD ( Multiple Intelligence Development) Kendras_ 21st Century School For India
MInD (Multiple Intelligence Development)Kendras |
A 21st Century School - Going Back To The Future |
Addressing all of India’s challenges namely, the right to education, unity in diversity, environment and health security, means of livelihood, well-being and happiness through the learning space. |
Meetings of Minds
A school in the 21st
century must allow a potter collaborating in the same space, at the same time
with an artist, chemist, environmentalist and physicist to create a pot that
would then be strength tested by a martial artist before it finds its way to
market.
Forced Education_ Seven Deadly Sins
- Denial of liberty on the basis of age.
- Fostering of shame, on the one hand, and hubris, on the other.
- Interference with the development of cooperation and nurturance.
- Interference with the development of personal responsibility and self-direction.
- Linking of learning with fear, loathing, and drudgery.
- Inhibition of critical thinking.
- Reduction in diversity of skills, knowledge, and ways of thinking.
Presently, our children have to
endure mindless conformity in their education, designed to kill innovation,
imagination and aspiration, in order to produce the equivalent of broiler
chickens closeted in a confined space, fed the same rubbish then ‘dressed’ for
market looking apparently confident but lacking in competence.
Eventually what is produced by
the education system is an abundance of mediocre ‘cogs in the wheel’, unable to
analyse but competent at processes required to sustain the corporate-industrial
complex. Neither do these excellent engineers, artists or athletes make.
From Studying to Learning
The idea of education must transform
from the relentless indoctrination of irrelevant knowledge designed for a
bygone age towards calibrating the individual with his/her environment, through
the identification of the dominant intelligences, which are subsequently
developed through sustained exposure to experiential learning.
Eventually, the individual would
gravitate to an activity or combination of activities driven by personal
passion and competence which sustains happiness and a livelihood.
A Democratic School For All
Imagine a space a within which
individuals are accorded all the rights and responsibilities of democratic
citizenship; where students truly practice, rather than just read about, the
principles of free speech, free association, and freedom to choose their own
activities; where students vote on the rules that affect them, and serve on
juries to try those accused of violating those rules. What better training than
this to prepare students for democratic citizenship?
MIND Kendra personifies the
continuity of learning. An individual is never too young or never too old to be
in school. The school is a learning space open to all irrespective of mental
ability, gender, age, caste, creed, community, and background. There will be no admission, only
enrolment. A student may attend as and
when he/she chooses learning whatever he/she prefers.
It is a space where young learns
from old and vice versa. It is a space
where mentally challenged refers to students challenged by a problem defying
resolution, not to any group of individuals with diminished mental abilities.
MIND Kendras focus on collaboration
not competition. A convergence of perspectives would cultivate in individuals
the appreciation of diverse opinions leading towards a more empathic society.
It is a space accepting and recognising that we are all ‘differently abled’
without a hierarchy or valuation of abilities or intelligence.
An Oasis In The Urban Desert
In our suffocating cities
‘desertified’ of imagination MIND Kendra is an oasis for the community, the
size of space in proportion to the size of community served.
MIND Kendra goes back to the
future rooting modernity in relevant and secular traditions, marrying
technology with common sense, to create a space conducive to the development of
all intelligences.
Reciprocal Symbiosis
MIND Kendras promotes reciprocal
symbiosis; encourage the convergence of perspective and expertise of people of
all ages, of diverse backgrounds contributing their multiple intelligences to resolve
21st century challenges through projects of their choosing - through
kindness, generosity, compassion - in their
own time frame and at their own pace.
Learning sans Borders
MIND Kendra is a space without
walls, without boundaries, deriving its structure and energies from the
community it serves, thereafter invigorating and sustaining the community with
its energy and expertise.
Sacred Groves – Breathing Space
To begin with the MIND Kendra is housed
within the confines of ‘sacred groves’ forested green spaces designed to
reflect local bio-diversity and promote the conservation and sustainable
mindset within the community.
Furthermore, it would both
literally and figuratively serve as the breathing space of a community also reducing
the carbon footprint of the community in some measure.
Within this forested space, are
spaces dedicated to all intelligences, from math-logic to music and everything
else in between
The Psycho-Physical Space- Making the Body All Eyes
In order for
any individual to develop an awareness of and sensitivity towards their
intelligences, the first step involves self-awareness of mind and body through psychophysical
training and development, permitting each individual to optimally utilize their
dominant and secondary intelligences.
Fundamental to
Psycho-Physical are three spaces: 1) Gymnasium 2) Swimming Pool and 3)
Amphitheatre.
The first two
spaces help ‘attune’ the individual with the universe through a synergy with
the elements. Results of such efforts
are then ‘tested’ in the performance space of the amphitheatre where the
challenges of life in the real world are simulated.
Build and Learn
Ideally, the learning for the community commences with the creation of the MIND Kendra space:
- Creating the forest space, understanding the workings of biodiversity.
- Building the learning spaces within, following Eco-architecture; learning the methodology through application (please refer to Garbage Warrior film below).
- Sustainable Spaces : Creation of Vegetable Gardens, Energy spaces
Curr Curriculum
The MIND
Kendra serves as a platform to identify, prioritise and develop the multiple
intelligence of an individual with the object of streamlining the learning flow
into an eventual livelihood.
At the
secondary level those individuals who wish to pursue a mainstream academic
approach will be afforded the opportunity and resources to receive
certification from NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling www.nios.ac.in
For
certification of a non-academic approach, please refer to the attached paper
titled “GIMME SPACE” proposing a
curriculum design.
Putting our MInD to address India’s challenges
It is envisaged that the MIND Kendra
through its adaptability will be able to address many of the challenges facing rural
and urban India including education for all, improving the environment and
public health and most importantly the optimal use of India’s human resources
through the revitalisation of the imagination leading to innovation and more
job opportunities that would lead eventually to a happier nation.
In order to do so, MIND Kendra would
be the first step in a quantum shift that requires to occur to the nation’s
mindset, moving from GDP as an index of prosperity to GNH (Gross National Happiness)
http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/
Further Resources:
1) Alternatives To
School: http://alternativestoschool.com/
2)
Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
: http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/learning/howard_gardner_theory_multiple_intelligences.pdf
3) Schooling The World If you wanted to change a culture in a generation, how would you do it? You would change the way it educates its children. http://schoolingtheworld.org/film/
4) Garbage Warrior :
5)
National Institute of Open Schooling: www.nios.ac.in
6) Forest Schools : http://www.forestschools.com/
7)
Democratic Schools :
9) Gross National
Happiness http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/
10) GIMME SPACE : https://www.change.org/p/gimme-space
Comments