“Education is not learning of facts but the training of the mind to think”- Albert Einstein
In recent years, the focus has shifted from the traditional idea of education, where education was all about the transfer of knowledge from teachers to students, towards a more holistic approach, where an overall development of the student in all aspects has become important. Keeping this in mind, the Gitarattan Institute of Advanced Studies and Training, Delhi took the initiative to conduct an online webinar to highlight the importance of holistic learning and the right manner in which teachers can implement it in classroom learning. This webinar was conducted on the topic “Creating a Holistic Learning Culture” on 4th February 2022 at Google Meet Application.
Dr. Shikha Ranjan, Associate Professor, Gitarattan Institute of Advanced Studies and Training initiated the session by welcoming everyone. Dr. Aanchal Rana, Assistant Professor, Gitarattan Institute of Advanced Studies and Training preluded the schedule of the program by quoting Swami Vivekananda, highlighting the importance of the overall development of a child through holistic learning. To carry over the proceedings of the webinar, Cynosure was given by Dr. S K Bhatia, Former Associate Professor, CIE, Delhi University, where he related his own experiences and instances that helped to create holistic learning. He emphasized the need to integrate life skills and highlighted the role of home that also has to contribute to the holistic learning of the child as it lays the foundation. He addressed the contributions of various philanthropists and organizations to holistic learning at the community level. He also focused that learning includes the ability to communicate efficiently when asked and is not confined to school as it extends to community, society, neighborhood, friends, etc.
Ms. Shikha Sharma, Assistant Professor, Gitarattan Institute of Advanced Studies and Training coordinated the Technical Session I by inviting the honorable resource person Dr. Anjali Shokeen, Assistant Professor, USE, GGSIPU, and the presenters in which three papers were presented by guests.
Dr. Anjali Shokeen, Assistant Professor, USE, GGSIPU, focused on the ideas put forward in NEP 2020. She highlighted the importance of sensitizing teachers and parents towards equal importance of academics and non-academics. She addressed Gandhi’s ‘Nai Talim’ to focus on working with hand and education closer to the community. Creating a positive school and home environment to fulfill non-academic needs as well. She mentioned the need to revamp the education system – make it holistic for all levels of education and the role of community that maintains and strengthens relationships.
Ms. Dipika Malhotra, Assistant Professor, SCERT, Research Scholar, K.R. Mangalam University, presented on “Parental Role in Child’s Holistic Learning” and focused on the key elements of holistic development - cognitive, language, social-emotional, physical. She elaborated on the concept of each of these elements and explained the role of parents in developing a holistic learning and growth environment for the children to develop these factors efficiently.
Ms. Diksha Batra, Student, Sri Ram Institute of Teacher Education, Delhi – School: A Miniature of Society – Schools are considered as pacemakers as they set the pace for the future of the Nation as the children. The children spend a major part of their life schools and develop their personalities through their learnings from the schools. Thus, they set the pace at which the child grows and this pace is not set for the child’s growth alone but the entire nation as it completely depends upon its individual citizens.
Ms. Vaishnavi Tripathi, Navyug Kanya Mahavidyalaya, U.P. – The Parental role in the development of Child – In her paper, Ms. Tripathi focused on the parents’ role in providing an appropriate environment and guidance for their holistic development. Along with the schools, the parents also determine the kind of developmental environment a child is provided with, and to ensure the children’s positive growth accordingly, the parents need to be conscious of their responsibility too.
The Technical Session II was coordinated by Ms. Shalu Jarwal as she welcomed the speakers and presenters in which three papers were presented by guests.
Dr. Yukti Sharma, commenced with a question- How NEP 2020 is different from the earlier educational policies? Which she addressed by highlighting the prime idea, which is a holistic understanding of the learners to ensure holistic learning. She highlighted NEP doesn’t refer to the western philosophers but borrows critical ideas from the Indian philosophers, which talk about the learners, their ability, background, community, their needs. Focuses on creative ability and not just creative thinking and creates experience and opportunities for the learners so that they can grow according to their own learning which will be self-evolutionary. She focused on the need for a cross-curricular pedagogical approach and dissolve the hierarchy created among the curricular and co-curricular activities.
Dr. Tanya Gupta (Director) and Ms. Deepa Khatri, Scholar, K.R. Mangalam University, Gurgaon – “Prudent Parenting: A Wy to Nurture Holistic Learning in a Child” – This paper focused on holistic learning based on the four pillars of learning provided by UNESCO. She elaborated on the parental role in holistic learning and different learning styles, especially based on Neil Fleming’s VARK model. She emphasized how different external factors affect parenting styles which include their own characteristics, the child’s characteristics, and the socio-cultural characteristics.
Ms. Eram Aziz, Assistant Professor, Institute of Vocational Studies, IPU, Delhi – Reflection on the role of the teacher in providing online education. Ms. Eram stated that her contribution to the discussion was not based on her empirical research paper but on a reflection on the importance of developing different skills to become an efficient online teacher. She focused on the need to identify the right content to be taught online and to collate them in a sensible manner. She also highlighted the positives and negatives of taking an online class which not only the teachers are experiencing but also faced by the students too.
Ms. Neha Madan (Assistant Professor) and Dr. Arti Bhatnagar, Assistant Professor, Guru Ram Dass College of Education, Delhi – “Holistic Development: A Holistic Development of the Child”. They elaborated on the idea of what exactly holistic development means and its importance and highlighted the aims of holistic development with reference to NEP 2020. The need for holistic development of children has been constantly highlighted in different policies but has been a major focus especially in NEP 2020. This paper too highlighted the ways in which this particular policy tries to bring in an implementation of this holistic learning in a much more practical and efficient manner.
After the conclusion of these presentations, Prof. Sonia Jindal, Principal, Gitarattan Institute of Advanced Studies and Training welcomed all the participants on behalf of the institution. She addressed holistic learning in the current context. She emphasized the difference between literacy and education to understand the actual meaning of holistic culture. She linked the content presented by the presenters to the development of the education system.
The session was concluded by Dr. Yukti Sharma by highlighting the importance of parents’ role in India in reference to Dr. Tanya Gupta and Ms. Deepa Khatri’s papers. She focused on the changing demands of holistic learning according to changing society and highlighted important points from the papers of each presenter.
Ms. Garima, Gitarattan Institute of Advanced Studies and Training brought the session to an end with the official vote of thanks expressing the institution's gratitude towards all the resource people, the presenters, and also, the audience.
Watch the Webinar at: https://youtu.be/H_hBrCV5Ivs
