JAGA

JAGA: India’s First Campus Redesign Hackathon for Children

The ‘JAGA’ hackathon is India’s first school campus redesign hackathon, and it is organized by Tapas, the progressive educational institution and 100% project-based learning school in Bangalore. The hackathon aims to make children’s classrooms more adaptable and conducive to learning. The revolutionary effort, which departs from the typical cookie-cutter method of classroom design, focuses on stimulating dialogues and coming up with new ideas to promote improved student-teacher interactions and engaging learning environments in schools. This hackathon is open to participants, and students will also have the opportunity to undergo a Tapas Masterclass on space planning.

What Is a Hackathon?

The format of hackathons varies, but the basic idea is always the same: participants work on a project in teams for a day and then present their work to the rest of the participants.

Hackathons aren’t just held at institutes of higher education; Montessori and primary schools like Tapas School also hold them to inspire creative ideas and solutions. For instance, our JAGA event also doubles as a hackathon where students can propose ideas for redesigning our school’s campus.

Bid Farewell to Cookie-Cutter Approach!

Most international schools in Bangalore have typically used the cookie-cutter way to design classrooms. As a consequence, classrooms have always been teacher-centered. Students are not encouraged to work together in these classes. They provide little flexibility and create restrictive learning environments. Jaga is being held to foster discussion, idea generation, and the development of solutions to improve the flexibility and learning environment on school campuses.

The Procedure

progressive educational institution

This hackathon has a simple procedure; you have to name 3 things you would change about the school campus. It could be anything you see across campus. From classrooms to libraries, from the cafeteria area to the labs.

Parents can also contribute to this scenario. How? We parents are the ones who know our kids the most and the best. Parents can participate by brainstorming with their children to generate ideas and plans in a progressive educational institution, Tapas school.

What Are the Benefits of Taking Part in Jaga?

By participating in this event, you may learn new skills, strengthen your abilities to work in a team, and more.

Participating in the JAGA hackathon conducted by Tapas progressive learning institution in Bangalore has several advantages, including the following four:

Feel a Sense of Accomplishment.

progressive learning institution in bangalore

This hackathon is open to all participants, regardless of their level of knowledge.

Every participant who completes a hackathon feels very satisfied. There is so much to gain from participating in this event. You will have a complete presentation to show to your peers, and it will be tough to walk away from this experience without feeling productive!

Enhance Your Soft Skills

You’ll gain valuable soft skills at hackathons and technical skills you acquire during the event.

You will need a combination of hard and soft skills for a successful career in the competitive world, and our JAGA event will help you hone both.

You will learn the crucial communication, problem-solving, and cooperation skills useful in any professional field and have a better future with these skills gained. You’d eventually thank the progressive educational institutions’ founder of this event after good future outcomes!

Learn Team-Building Skills

Collaborating with a team of individuals from various backgrounds and viewpoints is the last advantage of participating in the JAGA event.

You’ll also be able to hone your interpersonal and communication abilities.

Contributing Your Part

You are contributing significantly to a more meaningful purpose by participating in our JAGA hacking event. You can help redesign our school’s campus here! Any changes you’ve always wanted to make to the halls, school hall, cafeteria, or anywhere else are possible with JAGA! Therefore, you’ll help not only yourself but also the greater good.

Your Takeaway

This is a fantastic chance you shouldn’t pass up. Learning many things at home, like collaboration, new talents, market trends, etc., takes a lot of work. Hackathons are an excellent way for students to put their skills to the test, as well as to get their first experience of collaboration and problem-solving in this real world. This has been made possible to you by India’s first campus redesigning hackathon for children at Tapas School. Be a part of us today. Sign up today! Learn today – Lead tomorrow!

How the progressive learning institution is changing the way we look at education?

The world is evolving quickly. In comparison to ten years ago, the world has changed dramatically. Everything in our lives has changed, from cars to cellphones, from shopping to traveling, and from where we live to what we do for a living.

The epidemic has sped up development even further. As a result, businesses, managers, and workers are dealing with difficulties they have never encountered. To handle this chaos and unpredictability, there is a necessity for a wide range of collaborative learning spaces, talents, abilities, and skills.

We start learning at a young age. The majority of our brain’s growth occurs during our early years. Therefore, early education is crucial in developing skills, talents, and interests. These are the fundamental justifications for children needing higher education.

Meanwhile, schools across the country have only now started to try and diversify. But Tapas School, our curriculum is NEP 2020 compliant, and above that, we are amongst a select few schools in India that have already started implementing this.

Progressive educational institution provides numerous benefits if implemented well:

Depth Of Knowledge

An in-depth understanding of concepts is ensured through high-quality progressive education so that they can be used both in the classroom and in the real world. This is necessary for our children’s future employment and when they apply to the finest institutions. Ideally, the demand for expensive college preparatory programs would decrease due to high-quality education.

Creativity And Innovation

The world’s most innovative and creative people and companies have achieved great success. Unfortunately, the current educational system is built on a curriculum that will be assessed in an exam with one right answer. Instead, children are taught to think critically and consider several options in a progressive educational institution.

Working Well With Others

Being able to get along with people is one of the most crucial qualities, yet it’s typically not something that’s taught in schools. This characteristic cannot be cultivated if students spend most of their school days on individual tasks and being assessed individually. Instead, they are exposed to group and team activities via projects and problem-solving exercises in a progressive educational institution.

Resilience

By using “project-based learning programs,” progressive schools consistently push students beyond their comfort zones. They are given tools to develop their minds.

Ability to Communicate Well

Traditionally, schools have yet to do much to help students improve their presenting and communication skills. From an early age children are prepared to present to a diverse group of people from an early age via progressive educational methods. Children are required to work in groups regularly so that they can develop their communication skills.

Ability to Listen Well

Building strong social and emotional connections is facilitated by the skill of active listening. Influential leaders ask questions and encourage their followers to do the same today, which is among the most crucial qualities for leaders. In addition, children’s participation in group projects and activities naturally fosters empathy and active listening abilities.

Confidence

Knowing the subject thoroughly is the key to confidence. Children have more learning confidence when they apply what they have learned from collaborative learning spaces. Student-led seminars and project exhibitions further bolster confidence.

Ability to Influence Others

Children who work in groups develop their ability to achieve consensus, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

Lifelong Learning Habits

The most crucial skill of the twenty-first century is the ability to learn. According to CEOs and HR managers, one of the most vital skills is the ability to learn new things. Learning in a progressive environment involves using knowledge to resolve problems. Therefore, children should constantly acquire new skills owing to this.

Happiness

Happy students are usually more focused. This is because retention and enhanced academic achievement are impacted by attention. So the best Progressive Learning Institutions in Bangalore, like Tapas School, put a lot of effort into developing a happy atmosphere where students look forward to studying and developing connections with their teachers.

Innovative methods have greatly boosted schooling. These days, teachers teach kids using more modern methods, including project-based learning programs, experiential, and inquiry-based learning.

The Positivity Brought By Progressive Learning Institue To Students

The progressivism method has some positive aspects. Instead of relying solely on memorization, recitation, and textbooks, progressive educators try to stir students’ interest in their studies. Before progressivism, in the 1890s, a strict reliance on these techniques was widely practiced in schooling.

At Tapas School, we know that students must learn the art of becoming completely automated—the skills of reading, writing, and mathematical factual information and operations. Moreover, learning facts and skills extends beyond the basic 3-R concepts. In math and English, the need persists through school writing and reading—through calculations and beyond.

Curriculum planners should create a curriculum that emphasizes content in the academic disciplines that are culturally significant, such as math, science, geography and history, literacies, music, and the arts. Education in these areas should be incremental and progressive, building on knowledge gained in prior years. Teachers, textbook authors, and curriculum developers shouldn’t disregard or abandon the tools, terminologies, and approaches that academic discipline practitioners have traditionally used. The wisdom practitioners have acquired through time by employing these methods and tools defines those disciplines.

We are mindful that explicit teaching is required to achieve advanced conceptual knowledge in all areas. Conceptual knowledge does not happen automatically; it requires intensive, prolonged study. A teacher’s role is to provide constant direction and, at times, to provide direct instruction to the student.

Final Thoughts

The solution to the nation’s broader economic problems lies in improving the education system, which is at the issue’s core. Employers demand talented individuals with the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to work well in the changing era. All Indians can access the education they need to tackle these challenges if a progressive education approach is in place.

Tapas is amongst a handful of schools in the country that have embraced this approach and base their teaching on these innovative techniques.

All educational institutions—pre-nursery, nursery, kindergarten, and or primary schools—like Tapas School- must emphasize teaching kids using these innovative methods.

When searching for “a nursery school near me,” “Progressive Learning Institution in Bangalore,” or “project-based learning programs,” we should keep the latest developments in education in mind. Choosing the best school for our child could be our most crucial choice.

The Importance of Good Parent-Teacher Communication

For an educational experience to be embraced and integrated wholeheartedly, it has to come from a joint effort from everybody involved in the progressive learning process, the student, the teacher and the parents.

For academic success, a stimulating environment is essential which includes educators that are committed to the cause, short-term and long-term educational goals, easy access to nature-based education, formulation and regulation in the leadership and hierarchy of the educators, and excellent familial support systems.

It is a known fact that when parents are involved minutely in their child’s education, there are great results. Hence, the teacher-parent-child triangulation needs to be smooth. This means that the parent-teacher relationship has to be honest and engaging. Tapas Education doesn’t miss any opportunity to organise events at school for the parents to get involved along with their children, and thus build up the learning relationship together!

For a child that is just starting out at school, his/her parent is their role model which soon changes to the teacher being one too. For this transition to happen smoothly year after year, there needs to be positive communication between the parents and teachers and evidently, this proves to be positive in the child’s academic performance each year too.

For education to have a positive impact, it is imperative that the learning that is formal at school should be incorporated in an informal way at home too because a child’s intellectual development happens at both places.

And for this journey to be successful, it is crucial that the communication between the parents and teachers is consistent as this impacts the emotional, cognitive and social development of the child. At Tapas Education, through stimulating curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge between teachers, students, and parents, we would like to nurture lifelong learners. Furthermore, we think that expositions like Poshak Sabha and Summit of The Minds enable us to communicate with the Tapas families more effectively and to forge greater bonds with them.

Positive Parent-Teacher Communication

At the onset of each educational year, there is a new relationship forged between the parents and teachers that ends when the child goes to the next grade. At first, introductions are made and then a relationship is established based on the common factor – the student. Typically, the school system has parent-teacher meetings that are known as PTMs. These are set early in the academic year for the whole year and this is where the parent-teacher interaction takes place. Although, in the lower grades, teachers frequently meet the parents at pick-up and drop-off times too. Also, the option of communicating via mail and phone is always available.

With consistent communication, teachers can inform the parents about the child’s achievements. At Tapas Education, we negotiate through the “two-way communication” model with parents and let them decide what suits their children. A collaborative effort by both the teacher and the parents can cumulatively have a positive impact on a child that is struggling with behavioral problems or grades. If the teacher cooperates and empowers the parent, then they can put in the right amount of help for the child at home too. This is a win-win situation because it augments the teachers’ efforts at school.

Child Centric Teaching

When all of the involved parties in a child’s education, parents and teachers per se, have a positive relationship, it impacts the child’s overall education and growth in a wholesome manner. This teamwork has great advantages for the student’s success. We host events like “Summit of the Minds” as another way to promote two-way communication between students, teachers, and parents. Summit Of the Minds is an exposition that is totally run by children. The students lead the exposition from beginning to end.

It is a learner-led exposition that improves students’ communication skills while also increasing their sense of accountability and responsibility.

  • The child tends to work harder with Genuity and piqued interest levels. They take part in the goals set for their class or school proactively. They get inspired to achieve more.
  • The student gains more respect for their educators when they see the teachers taking initiative in each of the students and their parents proactively. The respect and inclusivity shown by the teacher to the parents make the student have more regard for that teacher.
  • The student can solve problems easier when there is a level of trust between the teacher and parents that translates to the child too. Any issues faced in daily activities or in their studies, the child is able to comprehend and ask questions or seek help confidently. This is only due to the faith in the relationship that has been established between the three given parties.
  • One of the main social skills is two-way communication and it is learned passively. A child apes effective communication between adults and peers. An active environment and an advanced channel of communication intended to steer the child in the direction of observing, absorbing and open learning. The interactions with the classmates, teachers and parents are thus, successful.
  • A conducive environment for learning brings about small and big achievements like awards, good grades, etc., and students thrive on accomplishments. The collaborative relationship between parents and teachers can be enhanced when they motivate and celebrate the child’s successes, big and small equally. This happens when there is good communication and the effect of this is that it will motivate the child to shine better.

A Few Strategies for Teachers

When the teacher understands that the parent’s involvement is a job half done for the teacher itself, learning and teaching become an easier process. That’s when our two-way communication at Tapas Education works out.

A few pointers to start in the right direction.

  • Communicate with the parents consistently.
  • Set clear classroom expectations and communicate them to the parents.
  • Have open house events and special projects that parents can be a part of.
  • Seek feedback from parents regularly.
  • Have patience with parents and empathize with them if they take the time to understand.
  • Prioritize the parent’s timings for meets and give them importance so that they feel confident to take part in the day-to-day activities of the school.

A Few Strategies for Parents

Education starts at home. A child’s cognitive development starts the moment they are born. This makes it imperative for the parents to approach communication skills correctly as they are the first role models for their children. To accomplish a meaningful communication channel with the teachers, here are some tips.

  • Be considerate of the teacher’s schedule and show up on time.
  • Establish a channel of communication that suits the teacher and stick to that throughout the year like two-way communication.
  • While you are dealing with one class teacher per year, that teacher is dealing with many parents hence, respect their off-school hours time.
  • For a PTM, carry a list of questions that you can ask and get answers for in a concise manner and in the given time slot.
  • Get pointers on how you can help teach your child at home to ease the workload on both the child and the teacher.
  • Small stuff goes a long way. Gestures like signing the notebook or short comments, appreciation for the teachers, volunteering in projects or even greeting the teachers amiably when you drop off or pick up the child can do wonders for the communication channels.
  • Share all the relevant information in the first half of the academic year, like report cards and where you think the child needs help. Also, send notes regularly on the child’s academia and history so that it helps the teacher to delve better into the child’s psyche and help him/her do better in school.
  • Make sure you respond to the teacher’s queries regularly and not just wait to meet at the PTMs. Correspond systematically and routinely with the teachers to stay involved in the child’s progress.

It Takes a Village

Whether you are a parent or an educator, we all need to work hard toward a child’s academic success. And for a child to succeed at school, it does not mean just the curriculum but also an entire support system that has its roots at both, the home and school. When a child gets better scores and the development is wholesome in a holistic manner, it is not only the success of the child but of the whole gamut of communication between the three entities involved. At Tapas Education, our two-way communication model between the parent and teacher brings about good relationships and instills much-needed confidence in little children.

“From the earliest days, we knew that it was not possible to do good work with the little children without the help of their parents.”
― Caroline Pratt, I Learn from Children

What is the Difference between conventional and progressive teaching methods?

The traditional method of teaching is made up of two solids: Chalk and Talk. Centered around a teacher.

So, there is a classroom full of children and one teacher who is the central figure and the only one who provides information. While every school’s primary function and priority is to provide education to the children as well as get optimal results, it all starts going in different directions when how to implement the teaching methods is down for discussion.

In a traditional classroom, discipline is taught separately, for example, wherein in a progressive setup, it is integrated through the learning processes and becomes a part of life as a whole. Basically, it all comes down to how the curriculum is being taught. Students in a traditional school are expected to process the information as soon as the teacher has taught the children. In a progressive school, however, there is no structured curriculum and everything is taught by experience and subtle guidance by the educators.

The main difference between the two methods is that conventional teaching has been and continues to be governed by grades, exams and homework, leaving one child happier than the other. The sense of competition amongst the children is higher than the sense of achievement. Whereas in the PBL (Project Based Learning) system, every child learns through collaborative inclusion, experiences and play. The difference here lies in student learning and where it is centered. Traditional schools focus on the teachers and subjects taught while progressive school focuses on the student.

Child centric teaching

Conventionally, teachers hold the authority in teaching various subjects and are considered to be the source of all information. To set a particular academic standard, teachers have to gauge whether the students have learned the subject at hand, and whether are they ready to pass exams. For this reason, oftentimes teachers take a rigid approach and directness. It all boils down to rote learning, pass or fail. On the other hand, in a progressive school, the teachers are facilitators instead of figures of authority. They help the child learn and think, whether it is in the confines of a classroom or outside. Knowledge comes from everywhere and the teachers do not claim to be the experts as they gently nudge the child in the correct direction of his/her choice. Therein, the child can use any number of sources and resources to find and process information. These can be inclusive of their personal interests, peer interactions, sense of adventure, play and experiences.

Progressive educational institution

The conventional methods of teaching have long since established that learning is passive and the students aren’t active participants in the process of learning. Information is disseminated through the information that a teacher provides and the understanding of a particular subject that a child perceives is subjected to grades without so much as a second thought as to why the child did not understand or process the information correctly.

A progressive school, on the other hand, has experiential learning methods devoid of homework, grading systems, rote learning and exams. Since progressive learning itself uses two different approaches, they tend to follow less structure and more experience and experimentation systems to ensure that the child has the look and feel of it all. This keeps evolving with each subject distinctly. Discipline is integrated into the teaching and the students learn to connect the dots.

Differentiated learning strategies

Traditional or Progressive, both methods have their pros and cons. How amazing would it be if a parent got the best of both worlds? This is where Tapas education, a progressive learning institution in Bangalore comes in. The best practices of the conventional and project-based teaching methods are synergised and interspersed with an exclusive program that is devised for the Tapas students.

The curriculum follows a set of routines, structures and standards but also, but each child is nurtured by the educator with guidance and personalised attention. Students are taught critical thinking, decision-making skills and knowledge application besides test-taking skills and study habits.

Conclusion

When literacy, humanities, numeracy and life skills can be integrated into one wholesome curriculum, why keep the boundaries? When the children can make connections between all the subjects with an inherent discipline, why subject them to rote learning? These are imperative questions to ask oneself as a parent.

https://tapaseducation.com/ has created an alliance between the conventional and progressive methods, that prepares each individual student to be successful, remaining grateful and kind in all areas of their lives. This kind of nurturing environment exemplifies the wisdom and merit that all parents strive for their children to have.

Progressive Educational School

What are the features of progressive education?

The term “progressive education” is used to describe an educational philosophy that emphasises critical thinking skills, experiential learning, and social responsibility. Some schools have adopted this type of education in order to provide students with a more hands-on approach to learning. Progressive educators believe that students should be given the opportunity to explore their own interests and find their passions, rather than being limited by what the school has deemed appropriate for them. Progressive Education focuses on children’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. It is also known as child-centered education.

The term progressive education was coined by John Dewey in education reform. The progressive pedagogy was a significant part of Dewey’s philosophy. In his time, educators considered the progressive approach to be a type of education that would have broader social and political implications. Progressive education is opposed to traditional education in which children are expected to memorize knowledge, whereas progressive education advocates educational experiences that allow children to think critically and learn by using what they have learned in different settings. Progressive educators believe that the method of teaching should be based on the needs and interests of each individual student. In today’s society, education is sometimes criticized as being a tool for social advancement. Low-income students are often put into classes before they are prepared for them, and their grades suffer as a result.

Progressive education means different things to different people, but most progressive educators agree that it involves providing children with opportunities to learn through exploration, experimentation, and other activities that are engaging and interactive. Progression is also based on the idea that children learn best with questions, not answers.

Tapas School is an example of a Progressive Educational Institution in Bangalore. 

What are some of the main benefits of studying in a progressive educational institution?
The benefits of progressive education are that it provides a more interactive and less rigid environment for the students. The students are encouraged to explore their surroundings in order to learn about themselves, the world around them, and what they can do in it. Students are more holistically trained to take on the problems of tomorrow. Progressive Education makes your child’s education future proof. 

What are some of the key features of Progressive Education?

a) In progressive education, teachers serve as facilitators or guides. Lectures are replaced by active collaborative learning. In progressive education classrooms, students have a say in the pace and style of learning, unlike in traditional classrooms.
b) Progressive education is student-centered. This leads progressive education curriculums to be interest-based, which encourages learning way more than traditional grade-based systems.
c) Students learn topics by undertaking the practical applications of theoretical concepts. Such hands-on investigative learning builds up a natural curiosity amongst children, which serves them well throughout their lives.
d) Progressive education encourages collaborative learning, thus leading to more empathetic students.
e) Practically doing things helps students find creative ways to solve problems. This also enhances critical thinking skills amongst students. 

Tapas is a progressive learning institution in Bangalore that engages students in project-based learning programs. They follow a project-based learning structure to teach the students. This new methodology has been met with a lot of enthusiastic reception from educators and parents alike. Progressive Education Institutions are the future of the education ecosystem and Tapas is learning the way in Bangalore, India.

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#213, B.M Kaval, Bangalore South Taluk, Off Kanakapura Road, Bangalore - 560082

Early Years Campus:

586B, Vajarahalli Main Road, Off Kanakapura Main Road, Banashankari 6th Stage, Kanakapura road, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560062

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