EQUIP

11/06/2018

We all have grown up on stories narrated to us by our parents, grandparents and other elders in the family. Children have an innate love for stories and our EQUIP reading club leaders are telling a lot of stories to the kids in government schools of Sikkim. When a habit of stories is inculcated in them, they learn to become better listeners, readers and writers!

08/06/2018

New Blog Post Alert. Click on the link below to read the post :

Deorali Cluster Workshop 26th April, 2018 and 27th April, 2018 The workshop took place in the auditorium of DGSSS with teachers from different schools under the cluster attending it. The first day …

08/06/2018

EQUIP's Math Program was introduced in EQUIP's Demo School (Pangthang JHS) on 31st May, where our State EMF (Elementary Math Facilitator) Mr. Rajiv Philip spoke to Class UKG/LKG, I and II Math teachers about what the program entails and how this approach makes the children more engaged and how learning happens organically. We arranged for a demonstration class with class I and II students where Mr. Rajiv Philip demonstrated activities like Rangometry and Ghar Chalo. The students were immensely curious and responsive and couldn't wait for the next session to take place. A plan is being drawn out where State Resource Persons visit the school twice a month to engage with the students and the staff.

07/06/2018

EQUIP's Language to Lead Programme introduced it's first Reading Club to the 6 pilot schools in May.
Click on the link below to watch the session video:

As a part of ‘Language To Lead’ program, EQUIP conducted its first Reading Club orientation for the leaders of 6 pilot schools. The session aimed at helping ...

07/06/2018

The 2nd Group Learning Session for the 11 cluster schools under the TF Leadership Program has been successfully conducted. The sessions worked on to build a firm ground for the Teacher Facilitators as mentors. It was also taken as a feedback for the Facilitators reflecting on their first GLS as Facilitators, as it included narratives from the TFs on what they did in their respective schools, what went right and what did not.
The sessions proved to be a great learning experience for the TFs as they shared and learnt from each other. Various innovative practices being carried out in different schools were highlighted while also discussing the challenges and issues.
The sessions then dug a deeper note on the overall concept and Principles of adult learning. Another main learning designed through the sessions were the discussions on the topic of ‘self as a Teacher Facilitator’.

It focused on the importance and the objectives of Facilitation. The session primarily focused on the importance of being open, responsible and a reflective individual. The aim of the discussion was to bring about a better understanding and self-awareness regarding the role and the responsibility of a TF.

Skills and strategies of Facilitation was also the talk of the sessions as to throw light onto becoming an efficient and an effective Teacher Facilitator.

Details of the cluster session:
-4th May: GLS for 7 cluster schools in East at DIET, East.
-7th and 8th May: GLS for 17 schools combining one of the East clusters and North at Khamdong SSS and Mangan SSS respectively.
-10th and 11th May: GLS conducted for 20 schools from two clusters in South at DIET, South.
-11th and 17th May: GLS for 17 schools for two clusters in East at Tadong SSS and SCERT respectively.
-22nd May: GLS for 11 schools under a cluster from South at DIET, South.
-23rd May: GLS for 16 schools from extreme West part of the state at Soreng SSS.
-24th May: GLS for 8 schools in East at Singtam SSS.

24/05/2018

As a part of ‘Language To Lead’ program, EQUIP conducted its first Reading Club orientation for the leaders of 6 pilot schools on 18th May’2018 at Deorali Senior Secondary School.
The program saw participation of Reading Club leaders and teachers in charge from 6 pilot schools. The session aimed at helping students to understand the importance of reading and creating a culture of reading in general. The early years of primary school are extremely important for developing learning so it is pertinent to involve peer learning to shape literacy outcomes.
Research consistently shows that when you read to your child, you’re building their vocabulary, language and literacy skills, while improving concentration, curiosity and memory. Keeping these factors in mind, EQUIP introduced ‘Reading Clubs’ in 6 pilot schools for the purpose of creating a reading environment and promoting the value of reading.
The orientation also included tips to start and sustain a reading club.
Reading Clubs are introduced in the following 6 schools:
1. Deorali SSS
2. Modern SSS
3. Pangthang JHS
4. Sichey JHS
5. Tadong SSS
6. West Point SSS

21/05/2018

The 3rd Group Learning Session was conducted in the month of April and May for the 10 Principal Leadership clusters of EQUIP.

The discussions during the sessions revolved around the role and responsibility of the principals in a school. Learning by realising their responsibility and how leadership is basically based on trust and influence.

The Principal Facilitators have also been supporting their respective school cluster principals to reflect on the school vision and discuss on how they see their school vision and what changes they would wish to see in their schools in the near future.

The next Group Learning Session is scheduled to take place by the end of this month.

16/05/2018

The Documenter’s Workshop was held on 14th May 2018 at SCERT, Gangtok, Sikkim. Mr. Sekhar Chettri and Mr. Shantiram Adhikari from SCERT conducted the workshop.

One documenter has been nominated from each of the Principals and FTFs leadership clusters. The documenters are teachers from schools belonging to their respective clusters.

The purpose of the workshop was to give a clear idea of the documenter’s role and responsibility during the cluster sessions and also to give an insight of the documentation, its format and proceedings.

16/05/2018

The 2nd Steering Committee Meeting for the year was held on 12th May 2018 in Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok, Sikkim. Shri. P.D. Rai, (Co-chair, Steering Committee) chaired the meeting. Shri. G. P. Upadhyaya, (Member Secretary, Steering Committee), Dr. Rabin Chhetri, (Chairman, Executive Board) and other HRDD officials, HOS and EQUIP-PMU were also present for the meeting.
The main agenda of the meeting was to give an update about the progress of the programs that have been taking place so far and also for the discussion and approval of DPR, 2018.

The meeting commenced with an opening address by the Member Secretary, Steering Committee. Ms. Komal Chamling, Program Director, EQUIP gave a presentation on the progress update of the programs namely:
-Leadership Program for the EQUIP Principals and the Teacher Facilitators
-EQUIP Langauge Program
-EQUIP Math Program
-EQUIP's Demo School- Pangthang JHS
The main agenda of the meeting was to give an update about the progress of the programs that have been taking place so far and to get the approval of DPR, 2018.
The Steering Committee Meeting takes place on a quarterly basis.

12/05/2018

The Math Program under EQUIP which seeks to develop a new and fresh approach towards Mathematics as a subject conducted its first “cluster Math workshop” for the year 2018 in the month of April in the 8 Cluster schools in the state of Sikkim. There are 9 to15 schools under each cluster. Two teachers from each school attend these monthly workshops in their respective pilot schools.

The workshop takes place for 2 days, one day each for Class LKG, UKG and Class 1, 2. For the month of April, the 8 pilot schools namely – Namchi Girls SSS (South), Soreng SSS (West), Assam Lingzey SSS (East), Gyalshing Girls SSS (West), Mangan SSS (North), Tadong SSS (East), Jorethang SSS (South) and Deorali Girls SSS (East) conducted the Math workshop in different days in April. The workshop is built around activities which have been carefully curated by the Jodo Gyan organisation in New Delhi which specifically aims at introducing new methods of learning and dealing with numbers. The activities centre around the significance of ‘counting’ and familiarity with numbers in a fun and interesting manner which works towards making the classroom a fun-filled and creative environment.

The workshop was divided into two sessions- the first half which lasted till 1 pm was conducted by the resource persons who demonstrated different activities to the teachers. These activities entailed full participation of teachers in order to understand the effectiveness of the different methods which would help in making Mathematics as fun and simple as any other subject.

The importance of ‘counting’ and inculcating ‘activity based’ teaching was laid out in front of the teachers. The second half of the session, post lunch, is where students of different classes- classes 1 and 2 on the first day and LKG and UKG students on the second day were called and the same activities were carried out with the students. The teachers were asked to carefully observe how the children responded and how the resource persons carried out the activities with the children. At the end of the workshop each day, there was a feedback session where the participating teachers from each school shared their thoughts and concerns on the different methods taught in the workshop.

12/05/2018

We at EQUIP are calling for creative individuals and aspiring writers
who would be deeply interested in writing stories from Sikkim for the
children of Sikkim. If you are interested in being a part of the
workshop, please email us at [email protected] expressing your
interest in being a part of the writers group. Your stories will be
reaching out to many children across the state!

03/05/2018

The 2nd EQUIP Leadership Core Programme for the Principal Facilitators was held on 23rd and 24th of April 2018, in TNSSS, Development Area, Gangtok which was conducted, by Ms. Hema Ramanathan and Ms. Bidisha Roy Das from Creatnet, Delhi. Ms. Hema Ramanathan facilitated Day 1 of the core programme where the Principal facilitators and FTFs were asked to give a brief of the 1st and 2nd Group Learning Sessions they had conducted in their respective clusters. The facilitators also shared their learning and challenges from the cluster sessions. Deep listening and how it is an important skill for a facilitator to posses was discussed and the facilitators were given a deep insight to it, along with an activity.
One major and common challenge that was shared by the principal facilitators was time management due to road and weather conditions in different districts where the cluster sessions are held on a monthly basis.

There were 2 parallel sessions happening on the 24th of April 2018.
Ms. Bidisha Roy Das facilitated Day 2 of the core programme for the Principal Facilitators. The session began with a reflection on what worked, what did not work.
Ms. Hema Ramanathan conducted the session with the FTFs where they openly shared their challenges and the issues that they have been having so far. They had a lot of questions and concerns regarding their facilitation. Hema tried to draw the attention of the FTFs to see the change that they aspire to see in the TF cluster programme as a process which would need time and patience. They did some activities like Johari window to know who they are, known and not known to oneself and the others and hand holding game based on trust and coordination. They also delved into planning for the next two sessions for the month of May and June as Hema walked them through the materials to be delivered.
The facilitators also discussed the content to be facilitated during the cluster sessions to get a deeper understanding and insight to the topics. Understanding school vision was the major topic of discussion. A bi monthly session has been planned for the principal facilitators of the leadership programme.
Selection of a documenters for the respective clusters of the principal facilitators and FTFs was decided. The workshop for the documenters will be held in the month of May for the nominated documenters.