First contributions

Participating children in Catalonia have already begun to share their team video-presentations and their opinions on Acces to Education through their collaborative blog. You can check it here.

This is what Jana and Clàudia (8th graders) from Institut de Gurb said:

We think that the topic of this project [Access to Education] is very interesting. Besides it is totally appropriate for us. By carrying out this project, we have the opportunity to learn English, to practice Scratch and also to enrich ourselves when talking to our Indian colleagues. Although this project seems quite difficult for us, we feel really inspired and we are eager to start. From our point of view, the right to education is extremely important. We have learnt that this is one of the goals for sustainable development that UN wants to achieve by 2030. That would be grateful, but we think it might be difficult. One of the greatest activists who stands for this right is Malala Yousafzai, who was attacked when she was coming back from school.

And here the video-presentations of  children at Escola Carme Auguet and Institut de Gurb. To talk in English is a big challenge for them, but a great opportunity!

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Team-based workshop on underwater robotics with kids of Parikrma

Besides promoting virtual collaboration of schools, an important part of the work of our team also consists of providing training to schools and conducting workshops and activities with children. On our last stay in South India we conducted activities for 8 schools.

In all the activities we have focused on promoting creative learning through a constructive and innovative use of technology.

The most spectacular activity was the underwater robotics workshop, where kids from 5 Parikrma Centres for Learning, divided into 4 teams, spent three full days to build from scratch a remotely operated underwater robot using low-cost materials such as PVC pipes, wood, etc. The students customized their own design over the different phases of the workshop.

Apart of increasing the interest of students for science and technology, and of promoting engineering skills, capabilities and values, the idea is that once the activity is completed, every team understands that with teamwork, effort and a good working strategy, every problem can be overcome.

We were very pleased with the results of the workshop. Students exceeded our expectations, and even taking into account some limitations of materials, they managed to put and drove fully functional robots into the water.

This workshop would not have been possible without the invaluable help of the staff of Parikrma, and without the facilities that The Koramangala Club offered us. Thank you so much to both!

Photos by Jordi Freixenet.

 

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