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Local Content Development in
Computer assisted learning centres
Chaitra, studying in 7th standard in Govt. Higher Primary
school, Hungenahalli in Malur Taluk, Kolar District was curious
and inquisitive, like any other child of her age. She wanted
to know more about her surroundings, nature, animal and plant
life. Chaitra was very curious about the ‘BUTTERFLY’….
Is it a bird or an insect, what does it eat etc. This curiosity
was recognized by the Young India Fellow in the Computer assisted
learning centre, who encouraged Chaitra to learn more about
the butterfly by developing Local Content.
Children are highly imaginative and have a lot of ideas which
can be put into use to develop their thinking ability, logic,
skill at work etc. To utilize the child’s investigative
ability, observations of his daily routine and the environment
around him or her and to give an opportunity to present his/her
thoughts, the concept of development of local content was
introduced in the Computer assisted learning centres. The
purpose of creating local content is to encourage teachers
and children to proactively explore and capture local realities
into the computers and use this process as a learning opportunity
The main objectives of developing content locally by the
children are:
- Introduce a new method of project based learning to children
by providing an opportunity to children to take initiative
in collecting information through local resources and local
experts
- Improve creativity, communication skills, problem solving
and project developing skills among children
- Sensitise children to locally relevant topics like local
temple, local water sources, local occupations, local life
style, local food habits, medicinal plants, local remedies
for common ailments etc.
The students do the entire project development - deciding
the topic, planning the project, , gathering information,
reference work with Encyclopedia and textbooks, talking to
mentor, teachers, parents, community and classmates, drawing
pictures, entering the text, giving voice over etc. The Young
India Fellow facilitates the development of the project from
the initial stage till the completion of the project with
the help of the teacher. The teacher provides the academic
guidance to the students and implementation guidance to the
Young India Fellow. Teacher should mainly provide inputs for
the overall planning of the project as learning methodology,
prepare a list of expected outcomes, assess children and evaluate
the projects. The parents and members of the community encourage
their wards and students to collect information and accomplish
the activities. The mentor is the local expert on the topic
under project development.
Chaitra prepared a project on the Butterfly using the computer
in the Computer assisted learning centre. She read a few books,
discussed with her teacher, used Paintbrush to draw a Butterfly
and label its parts, recorded her own voice for the voiceover
and prepared a full-fledged powerpoint presentation.
Some of the topics on which local content has been developed
include Prevention of Polio, Mother, Forests etc.
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