Category: Reggio Emilia Preschool Bangalore

We Created Our Own Forests!

1/12/2020

Our 5 and 6 year olds have been going on a learning journey with one of the characters of SM, called Treeous, who is a traveling tree who loves adventures. One day, during one of his vacation days, he travels to a forest here in South India and gets lost while awaiting his friend who promised to meet him there. Children, journeying with Treeous in the forest, went through their imagination of the different kinds of forests they were in, and created them at home.

Owning and personalizing learning goes beyond class hours. From the limited number of hours with their school mates and facilitators, children take their interests, curiosities and exploration to their lives around them, making their learning deep, wide and connected. After all, imagination knows no bounds indeed!

Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.

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"Happy Independence Day, India!", by our 4 year olds!

22/11/2020

It's been a very different year for all of us collectively, this year. But that has not stopped us from exploring, especially during this Independence Day!

Explore what? You may ask.

Well, we explored our culture, identities, and much more. And we would like to share it with all of you through this video.

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Mistakes as growth!

20/11/2020

Growth through mistakes

We tend to grow up afraid of making mistakes. What do mistakes mean to a lot of us? Do making mistakes mean the end of a chapter, or that the object we made a mistake on/with can't be worked on, that we can't work on ourselves?

Do mistakes define us? Possibly- but if we got to define it for us: whether we choose to call it a lesson through which we grew, or give up and turn away?

We have the power of choice. Our growth is up to us.

So, what would you choose? What goes on in your mind when you make a mistake?

Being A Changemaker

14/11/2020

A lot of us have grown up 'rebels', throwing tantrums, opposing views, walking out on things that didn't feel right, etc. And most of us have labelled them as rebellious acts. Now to wonder on them, did we really create a positive impact doing those acts? Did that help anybody? If we could do certain things differently, how would we change them?

Being a changemaker is a shift in identity where, we create a change within ourselves first, before venturing out into the world to shift and change. Being a changemaker is so much more than what we call a rebel. A changemaker is a learner for life, a problem solver, an inspiration, an empowered being.

So how can one become a changemaker? Is being a changemaker for everyone? Moreover, do you think you are/ can/ want to be a changemaker?

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ECA-APER Hall of Fame Awards!

7/11/2020

"We believe in creating changemakers today and not wait for the future for children to become changemakers. " - Sreeja Iyer

Amidst the chaos of this current pandemic, what keeps all of us going is finding joy and achieving milestones so that when we look back at everything we have been through this year and last year, we will see growth, achievements, and lessons.

We at Sparkling Mindz believe in a similar philosophy where we view trials and triumphs as opportunities for growth. And growth is never achieved alone, neither is it celebrated alone. So, we welcome you to celebrate with us our ECA-APER 2019-2020 Hall of Fame award for being recognized in the Top 10 Primary Schools in India.

At SM, we believe in creating change-makers today, the future is today, which means, we are on our journey towards raising a generation of inspiring confident learners and it wouldn't have been possible without your love and support.

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Empathetic Resolution Routine (ERR)

24/10/2020

One of the biggest crises of our times is the inability to see another's perspective, see the other as human, in fact. So, in our endeavor to teach empathy to children we used a modified ‘Step Inside’ thinking routine. We have also created a 'step out' tool such that it helps people step out of the others' shoes and use the perspective gained to creatively resolve emotionally charged situations. Inspired to implement this? Here's how...

1. Gather Facts

1. If you are an involved party then share things from your perspective as well as what the other person said, did etc. clearly (without distortion)
2. If you are a teacher/parent, then ask questions to gather as many facts as you can for you to get a clear picture of the involved parties and the situation
3. If you are an involved party or not, express how you are feeling and acknowledge your emotional state. This is to ensure this does not carry into your next step.
4. Also clearly state any beliefs or values you have about the issue/situation/behaviour you are dealing with so that it is easier for you and others to acknowledge this and ensure it does not affect your next step.

2. Step In
Step In Routine Involves the following.
I'm the other now (assume that is X). So, I'm X (I step into the situation as X and answer the following prompts):
I see:
I feel:
I care about:
--------------
You can ensure you are not projecting at this stage by asking yourself, "Would X say that about themselves?"

3. Step out

You physically step into a different space and do this part of the routine.

Knowing what I know because of my Step In what can I do differently?
Was the "I see" objective and wide in perspective? If not, how might we see/show objectivity and a wider perspective?
Was the "I feel" resourceful? If not, how might we bring/show awareness and help shift state to something more resourceful?
Was the "I care about" expressed resourcefully? If not, how might we encourage a more resourceful way to express the care about?

4. Iterate

At this stage, you check if the solutions you had found are working or not . If yes, you have just now resolved something with empathy and creativity. Time to celebrate!
If not, you iterate back to the leverages in the "step out" stage and see if you have exhausted all your options. If not, use them. If you have, then you iterate through the "step in" stage. Maybe you missed something there. A different see, feel or care about that given this new information of what didn't work can reveal itself and you find yourself with multiple solutions again to work with.
No two situations, the underlying intentions or the resolutions are the same. The only thing that really works is remaining creative, resourceful and empathetic.

"Empathy is perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give our children in today's world and perhaps, our greatest hope for a better future for humanity." -Sreeja Iyer

Contributed by Sreeja Iyer, Founder & CEO of Sparkling Mindz Global School & Preschool.

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Not All Rules Are Bad

20/10/2020

A level 3 Young Achievers Academy Class. A game is laid out and a discussion ensues just prior to it.

N is a 12 year old who doesn't like rules.

N: I don't like rules, rules are bad.
F: When you are at a traffic signal do you tell your mom to keep going even if it is red light because rules are bad?
N: No!
F: What about in Nikhalasia (his fantasy land), what will you do there?
N: I'll build a bridge for people to walk above vehicles. So no traffic signals.
F: So then people have to walk above and vehicles have to go below - aren't they rules too?
N: Yes
F: Are they bad?
N: Well, no they keep people safe and moving happily. Not all rules are bad :)

"Children tend to take a generic stand towards a few aspects of their lives. It helps them simplify decisions, not necessarily comply because they disagree and is generally resourceful in many ways. " -Sreeja Iyer

Children tend to take a generic stand towards a few aspects of their lives. It helps them simplify decisions, not necessarily comply because they disagree and is generally resourceful in many ways. Changing that stance even to mild flexibility is a success because it means they have started to see some perspective beyond self-protection, they have started to understand logic beyond their own imagined fantasy. That's enough. Sometimes significant shifts come from very small cracks and the first crack is key.

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Written by Sreeja Iyer, CEO & Founder of Sparkling Mindz Global School & Preschool (as narrated to her by Anita Ashok, Facilitator, Young Achievers Academy)

GFEL Recognition 2019

2/10/2020

The word 'education' arouses a lot of emotions and feelings within all of us. To some, it is 'bookish' knowledge while to some, it is broadening the walls of their mind. To some, it is going beyond the industrial life, learning to respect each other and changing lives.

How about you? What do you think of when you hear this word - education? To us, at Sparkling Mindz Global, education is nothing but inspiring confident learners. And last year, Sparkling Mindz Global was awarded Top 50 Educational Organizations by GFEL in 2019 for an innovative approach to learning and empowering children.

And that's exactly what we do here, inspire and empower, to prepare our children for the future, to raise a generation of confident leaders. Get to know us a little through this video of our CEO, Sreeja Iyer, where she touches upon what it is that we do at SM.

What is the kind of school you would like your child to go to?

Contact us at contact@sparklingmindz.in for more information.

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#youngachieversacademy
#reggioemiliainspired
#gfel

'Submerged' in Science!

25/9/2020

On a bright sunny day, the Falcons (11, 12 and 13 year olds) and 2 facilitators headed out on an explore mission to a science exhibition called Submerge. An explore mission is one where a group of students experience either an activity, experiment or so, and generate unlimited wonder questions. That day’s mission was part of a unique learning game in the learning area called SIE (Scientific Inquiry and Experimentation) and these set of students have been playing the game for about a year now.

Excited and curious, this bunch of children got into their school bus with sheets for them to write their observations and questions on, based on the exhibition. While on the bus, one of our students called the school bus a ‘Guardians of Science mobile!’ Upon hearing this, another immediately added, “We could travel around learning about science and have our own exhibit everywhere we go!” While on their way, they pondered on and discussed questions, such as ‘Where are we going ? What is being showcased ? Who is doing this?’ and many many more.

Upon reaching there, we split ourselves into groups to explore multiple exhibits at once. Once we stepped in, we were all constantly left to wonder. Hanging by a wall were 4 metal plates that seemed to make some kind of sound. The mediator asked us what we thought about what it was, what could be a possible reason for the creator to have made this… At this time, S used his detective observation skills to answer we unlocked more and more of the story of gold mines in Colorado and how a river is polluted by Aluminium, Steel, Copper and Lead. And on one side, M was thoroughly amazed as that was the first time M had seen art, science, storytelling and technology put together to create something so amazing!

Some of the other exhibits that were showcased were- a plant called Argus that can detect lead in the soil, an electrolysis equipment that helped us hear the sound of various lakes in Bangalore and so much more. The guardians of science stopped at nothing! They were on a mission- constantly asking and writing questions that would help them set off on a journey to make connections and learn Chemistry deeper. Our questions spread wider as we saw data systems that measured climate and brine shrimp that lay dormant. Amazed, M commented, “ They put science, so many other areas like art, music, social change, farming and all of them together. Can our experiments be this cool?”. As we covered more of the exhibition, we saw more that showcased the combined ability for engineering and science to create an impact, a water fountain made from puddles and a vertical garden of a certain kind of weed that some villages in Bangalore (Karnataka) cook and eat.

With eyes wide open and still remembering, wondering and questioning everything that we saw, we finally sat down to eat and reflect. Post our reflection on what we saw and what we learned, we headed back to school. Some of us shared about how there is so much purpose around us and how it is just a grasp away, that we should just go and find it. Facilitator S mentioned how our careers in the future are going to cross functional and that we will most likely be working on creating impact using knowledge and skills from various areas, merging everything, just like how the exhibition merged science, art, storytelling and technology! And finally, through this experience we fuelled our curiosity, collected unlimited wonder questions, connected to the world of science and explored Chemistry.

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#experientiallearning
#buildingcuriosity

Contributed by Sriram Kakarla, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global School.

Just what does it mean to be brave?

14/9/2020

What does being brave mean

Bravery – a word often used to describe something heroic; saving a life, sacrificing for someone else, catching a wild animal…

What comes to your mind when you hear this word for the first time?

Let me tell you mine: I see myself jumping off a cliff into the ocean (although I can barely swim). I see people riding vehicles through a busy road, exploring a non-treaded path...list is endless.

‘So is bravery all about doing daredevil things?’ We asked ourselves when we were reflecting over lunch today about what it really means to be brave. This topic of conversation came up in between us while contemplating about a recent incident where one of us had to choose between continuing to ride through a busy street, passing through a narrow passage between a lorry or wait until the lorry has passed, for the sake of safety of others who were riding with her. And it got us thinking…

If personified and empathized with the word ‘bravery’, one can probably feel how misunderstood and left-out the word truly feels, as it is often left to stand in the shoes of outwardly humongous achievements by others. So then what about the little actions and decisions made, like choosing to be a mother? Or confronting somebody when all you want to do is run away at the mere thought of standing up for yourself? Or even choosing to answer a phone call when you experience anxiety every time you talk on the phone?

And that took a turn when we went deeper on the topic with ‘what about the times when bravery to somebody is all about being brave to prove to others and yourself of your capabilities? Where does this intention come from, what drives this behavior of wanting to do things for the sake of some kind of approval?’ This led us to ponder over another thought about being brave - doing things for the sake of pure pleasure, avoiding the consequences.

Examples kept piling up between us when we were struck with another question, ‘How about being brave responsibly?’ What does it mean to be responsibly brave? Is taking care of yourself when you live all by yourself responsibly brave? How about facing the crowd and presenting a poem? That left me with another question, ‘Does being responsibly brave come with growth?’ I think the answer is, perhaps?

Some of the examples received from two of my other colleagues who happened to pass by while we were reflecting were words such as,
- Having a sense of purpose
- Confidence
- Soldiers
- Animals and reptiles such as snakes and tigers
- David Goliath
- Good over evil
- Me
- Facing the fears
- Moving out of comfort zones
- Staying true to who you are
- Upholding your values
- Smiling in the face of strife/adversities
- Willingness to change

This would mean, we are all brave, doesn’t it? Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves, that we often don’t tend to see the truth behind our lenses of harsh self-criticism. But I think the truth is, we are all perhaps, brave, taking bold decisions, living our lives to fulfill whatever purposes we give our lives. And maybe, being brave is also a form of self-love? I leave you to that.

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Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.