Subcategories

• Round table

  Education through Reconnection (May 14, 2010, Bishkek)

  Report on conducting of the Round Table

  Discussing approaches of place-based education and perspectives of joint realization of the School Project “Greetings to my Native Land”

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  The objective of organizing a Round Table was to discuss approaches and principles of place-based education and perspectives of realization of the School Project “Greetings to my Native Land” in 2010 by schoolteachers from Bishkek and regional village schools. The Round Table was planned initially for April but because of the political instability after the upheaval in the 7^th of April it was postponed for the later dates.

  It was important on the Round Table to discuss the following issues:

  1. 1.Organization of the workshop for schoolteachers from Bishkek city and village schools on teaching methodologies used in the previous similar projects;
  2. 2.Establishing of the partnership relations between city and village schools for realization of the project;
  3. 3.Possible programs and organizational questions of the project: exchange of ideas, possible risks and barriers and ways of their overcoming.

  School administrators and teachers from Bishkek and regional schools participated in the previous School projects, other schools interested in promoting innovative eco-education, representatives from state departments of education, coordinator of the national program “Sustainable education”, representatives from other organizations involved in popularizing local history, geography and developing tourism among children, Director of the Botanical Garden of the Kyrgyz National University, experts and coordinators of Taalim-Forum participated in this Round Table. In total there were about 40 people participating in the work of the Round Table.

  Taalim-Forum presented their experience of realization of the similar projects with schoolchildren from Bishkek and village schools in 2007-09 and the methodology of place-based education that was used in this work. Teachers who assisted in realization of the project in the past shared their impressions and observations. It was important to hear their opinions and experience of being involved in this work: How children benefited from the participation in the project? Are there perspectives of continuation of such activities in their schools? What are the risks and obstacles?

  Teachers spoke about positive impact of the project on children. For example, in School-gymnasium #29 the Ecology Club was opened; other children started taking part in different competitions in photography; and in general children became more active and creative, careful to the environment and to each others. It can be said that children participated in the project received a chance for creative learning and expressing themselves, to become more self-confident. Teachers from the regional village schools noted growing interest among parents and school administrations to this project and the will of children to have more such activities in the future.

  Participants actively discussed the problems of eco-education in schools and perspectives of using innovative and out-door methodologies. Such approaches can help children to develop their sensorial feelings and visual abilities to see the beauty of local nature and culture. Children become able creatively expressing their feelings. The project connects children with their native land and builds bridges between rural and urban children and schools.

  The difficulties in involving more teachers and receiving support from school administrations were also discussed. Participants of the Round Table noted that many teachers are in general not enthusiastic in doing ‘additional’ work which is not paid. In the situation when teachers are overloaded with regular classes and everyday work and receive very low salaries, this is understandable. At the same time there are many teachers-enthusiasts who are opened to innovations and undertaking new activities. Not only teachers of ecology or geography and biology are interested in out-door and place-based teaching. Teachers of all subjects and especially of Kyrgyz language demonstrated their interest and discussed the advantages for children and teachers by taking part in the project.

  On the Round Table the teachers received materials describing the project’s methodology and the approximate program of realization of the project. Taalim-Forum’s advisor philosopher Savetbek Abdrasulov was speaking about importance of knowing local culture for young generations. Different ideas on the future activities within the School Project were proposed by participants. All participants were invited to apply for participation in the forthcoming workshop and realization of the project together with their students.

  Unfortunately, the anxious feelings among participants somehow impacted the work of the Round Table: some worrying information about the situation on the streets in Bishkek was received from phone calls. Because of this some participants had to leave earlier and summarizing the work was a little hurry.