Feedback from Partner NGO:
Prof.G.S.Jayadev, Honorary Secretary,Deenabandhu Trust,Chamarajanagar.
What are the challenges confronted by us while teaching English to school children who lack even the basic knowledge of the language?
Teaching an alien language is indeed a great challenge for any teacher, for, in-spite of the best of efforts the lessons seem dry and lifeless. If one were to bring in some life to the lessons through illustrations and pictures? Yes, indeed, Pygmalion Vanasuma is one such extraordinary program. Here, the tough English lessons are transformed to lively animated characters on the computer screen for the benefit of the Primary School Children. This has helped our students understand the verbal forms and pronunciation and made English a communicable language.
We are grateful to ILID/ Achalabharathi for developing this unique Pygmalion Software Program and implementing it in Chamarajanagar District, which is one of the most backward districts in Karnataka. They have also provided computers free of cost to the schools and ensured that the program has reached several Government Schools in Chamarajanagar District.
In addition, they have provided activity based workbooks with lot of pictures which help in increasing the writing skills and vocabulary of the children. Pygmalion Vanasuma is thus benefiting both the teachers and students of Government Schools.
Pygmalion Vanasuma is blossoming day by day and reaching us in new, more effective forms year after year.
I earnestly wish that the research and sincere efforts of Achalabharathi team reaches more backward districts of Karnataka. I also wish this creative and unique work of Achalabharathi gets generous help from all sources.
Feedback from teachers:
Ms. Bindiya, English Teacher at GHPS Arasinaguppe in Chickmagalur Dist.
“Achalabharathi's programmes, introduced in our school in the year 2010-11 has helped the children in learning English. The animated lessons help the children and the teachers understand the correct pronunciation of a word and also helps them in grasping the meaning very easily. The interactive activities at the end of the lesson help the teachers in knowing whether the children have understood the lesson. We also use ‘Kids Explore’ for classes 1-4. This has helped a lot of children to identify the alphabets. It has also drawn the interest of all the children who use it and hence has proved to be a valuable tool for the teachers. Year after year Achalabharathi has added other programmes Vijnana Darshana, Ganita Bhaskara, Quiz, Basic(for small children).
Most of the children who come to our school live in slums. It is heartening to see them use the computers with confidence. The children, drawn by the animated lessons are displaying a new-found interest in the lessons and have picked up the language well. The workbooks likewise are very useful and have helped the children learn spellings and small sentences through a fun-based method. The children also enjoy doing these workbooks.
There is another fact that I would like to bring to your kind notice. Last year, as always, a few children had dropped out of school, inspite of our best efforts to retain them. This year, all our teachers and also the headmistress were pleasantly surprised to see the dropped out children back in school (7 such cases have been reported till now. Admissions are still going on). Their parents came to us and informed us that they had taken this decision to bring their children back to school because our school, like any other convent in the vicinity had new computer based programmes to teach the children and also provided workbooks to the children.”
Syeda Asma – Maralakunte
Teaching English was very difficult in our school as we had no exposure to this alien language. And also to make our children understand the concept and communicate in English was also difficult. But today with the help of Achalabharathi’s Pygmalion Vanasuma, teaching as well as learning for the students have become very easy as the lessons are in the form of stories with beautiful cartoons.
Manjula K.S – Yelahanka
Your programme gives an opportunity for every child to learn individually. Your programme – Pygmalion Vanasuma is truly “ A flower in the forest.”
Jameel Unnisa – Kodigehalli
Achalabharathi training is very useful for us. I personally learnt a lot from this programme. It also helps us to take the class in a interesting manner. Children also pay lot of interest towards the lesson taught because of the attractive animation and audio. The teaching has become very effective in the class-room. It is a “learn while you play” method.
K.Usha – Bytarayanapura
Achalabharathi, has a very good intention. They work for underprivileged children with immense pleasure . This project is well planned. Achalabharathi’s social mind to give the reinforcement to the society is appreciable. Audio – Visual media of teaching is very effective for the children.
Mahesh .G- Deenabhandu – Chamarajanagar
Pygamlion vanasuma – is a good and interesting method for teachers. It is very useful in teaching children pronunciation, meanings, plurals and opposites. Since it is animated, children are very active and hence becomes an interesting class. We also have an option for repeating the lesson if the student does not understand. The workbooks help children to learn and practice spellings. Communication skill has improved.
Ramya.K.R – Togarihankal Chickmagalur
Achalabharathi's content is a boon for both teachers and students. The new technique of audio visual has replaced the boring charts and other old methods. Now teaching with computer has become very enjoyable. I am very thankful to Achalabharathi for giving us this wonderful opportunity.
K.V.Prakash – Devagondanahalli , Chickmagalur.
Education is strength and light to us and our society. This programme helps us improve our vocabulary, teaching methods and pronunciation. It also allows the children to learn by themselves. I liked your contribution a lot. Will utilise your programme in our classroom as much as possible.
Ms. Rajini, of GHPS Kothihesahalli, Bengaluru
Teaching the lessons through computers has made our task easy and less streneous.
Ms. Sudha of GPHS Jakkur, Bengaluru
This methodology and programme is very useful to teach English, Maths and Science and the animation is very impressive as well.
Ms. Saraswathamma of GHPS Palanahalli, Bengaluru
This programme has made teaching easier. English teaching, which was a tough act has become very easy with the use of this methodology and computers. With this added edge the students of government schools can compete very well with their peers from private and convent schools
Feedback on the project by the parents:
We conducted case-studies of parents across schools. A questionnaire was prepared to get the feedback of the parents on the programmes of Achalabharathi. Our field-coordinators spoke to nearly 50 parents (of children who had shown good to excellent improvement in studies) across various schools in all the districts. There were specific questions about their qualification, occupation etc. The answers have been tabulated and graphically represented.
Most of the parents informed the group that the children were more enthusiastic to go to school and were hesitant to miss school even for a day. All of them were happy with the progress of their kids though some of them were not able to quantify this in numbers or say the specifics. Many of the parents also said that they had noticed that their children had gained a lot of confidence.
What are the challenges confronted by us while teaching English to school children who lack even the basic knowledge of the language?
Teaching an alien language is indeed a great challenge for any teacher, for, in-spite of the best of efforts the lessons seem dry and lifeless. If one were to bring in some life to the lessons through illustrations and pictures? Yes, indeed, Pygmalion Vanasuma is one such extraordinary program. Here, the tough English lessons are transformed to lively animated characters on the computer screen for the benefit of the Primary School Children. This has helped our students understand the verbal forms and pronunciation and made English a communicable language.
We are grateful to ILID/ Achalabharathi for developing this unique Pygmalion Software Program and implementing it in Chamarajanagar District, which is one of the most backward districts in Karnataka. They have also provided computers free of cost to the schools and ensured that the program has reached several Government Schools in Chamarajanagar District.
In addition, they have provided activity based workbooks with lot of pictures which help in increasing the writing skills and vocabulary of the children. Pygmalion Vanasuma is thus benefiting both the teachers and students of Government Schools.
Pygmalion Vanasuma is blossoming day by day and reaching us in new, more effective forms year after year.
I earnestly wish that the research and sincere efforts of Achalabharathi team reaches more backward districts of Karnataka. I also wish this creative and unique work of Achalabharathi gets generous help from all sources.
Feedback from teachers:
Ms. Bindiya, English Teacher at GHPS Arasinaguppe in Chickmagalur Dist.
“Achalabharathi's programmes, introduced in our school in the year 2010-11 has helped the children in learning English. The animated lessons help the children and the teachers understand the correct pronunciation of a word and also helps them in grasping the meaning very easily. The interactive activities at the end of the lesson help the teachers in knowing whether the children have understood the lesson. We also use ‘Kids Explore’ for classes 1-4. This has helped a lot of children to identify the alphabets. It has also drawn the interest of all the children who use it and hence has proved to be a valuable tool for the teachers. Year after year Achalabharathi has added other programmes Vijnana Darshana, Ganita Bhaskara, Quiz, Basic(for small children).
Most of the children who come to our school live in slums. It is heartening to see them use the computers with confidence. The children, drawn by the animated lessons are displaying a new-found interest in the lessons and have picked up the language well. The workbooks likewise are very useful and have helped the children learn spellings and small sentences through a fun-based method. The children also enjoy doing these workbooks.
There is another fact that I would like to bring to your kind notice. Last year, as always, a few children had dropped out of school, inspite of our best efforts to retain them. This year, all our teachers and also the headmistress were pleasantly surprised to see the dropped out children back in school (7 such cases have been reported till now. Admissions are still going on). Their parents came to us and informed us that they had taken this decision to bring their children back to school because our school, like any other convent in the vicinity had new computer based programmes to teach the children and also provided workbooks to the children.”
Syeda Asma – Maralakunte
Teaching English was very difficult in our school as we had no exposure to this alien language. And also to make our children understand the concept and communicate in English was also difficult. But today with the help of Achalabharathi’s Pygmalion Vanasuma, teaching as well as learning for the students have become very easy as the lessons are in the form of stories with beautiful cartoons.
Manjula K.S – Yelahanka
Your programme gives an opportunity for every child to learn individually. Your programme – Pygmalion Vanasuma is truly “ A flower in the forest.”
Jameel Unnisa – Kodigehalli
Achalabharathi training is very useful for us. I personally learnt a lot from this programme. It also helps us to take the class in a interesting manner. Children also pay lot of interest towards the lesson taught because of the attractive animation and audio. The teaching has become very effective in the class-room. It is a “learn while you play” method.
K.Usha – Bytarayanapura
Achalabharathi, has a very good intention. They work for underprivileged children with immense pleasure . This project is well planned. Achalabharathi’s social mind to give the reinforcement to the society is appreciable. Audio – Visual media of teaching is very effective for the children.
Mahesh .G- Deenabhandu – Chamarajanagar
Pygamlion vanasuma – is a good and interesting method for teachers. It is very useful in teaching children pronunciation, meanings, plurals and opposites. Since it is animated, children are very active and hence becomes an interesting class. We also have an option for repeating the lesson if the student does not understand. The workbooks help children to learn and practice spellings. Communication skill has improved.
Ramya.K.R – Togarihankal Chickmagalur
Achalabharathi's content is a boon for both teachers and students. The new technique of audio visual has replaced the boring charts and other old methods. Now teaching with computer has become very enjoyable. I am very thankful to Achalabharathi for giving us this wonderful opportunity.
K.V.Prakash – Devagondanahalli , Chickmagalur.
Education is strength and light to us and our society. This programme helps us improve our vocabulary, teaching methods and pronunciation. It also allows the children to learn by themselves. I liked your contribution a lot. Will utilise your programme in our classroom as much as possible.
Ms. Rajini, of GHPS Kothihesahalli, Bengaluru
Teaching the lessons through computers has made our task easy and less streneous.
Ms. Sudha of GPHS Jakkur, Bengaluru
This methodology and programme is very useful to teach English, Maths and Science and the animation is very impressive as well.
Ms. Saraswathamma of GHPS Palanahalli, Bengaluru
This programme has made teaching easier. English teaching, which was a tough act has become very easy with the use of this methodology and computers. With this added edge the students of government schools can compete very well with their peers from private and convent schools
Feedback on the project by the parents:
We conducted case-studies of parents across schools. A questionnaire was prepared to get the feedback of the parents on the programmes of Achalabharathi. Our field-coordinators spoke to nearly 50 parents (of children who had shown good to excellent improvement in studies) across various schools in all the districts. There were specific questions about their qualification, occupation etc. The answers have been tabulated and graphically represented.
Most of the parents informed the group that the children were more enthusiastic to go to school and were hesitant to miss school even for a day. All of them were happy with the progress of their kids though some of them were not able to quantify this in numbers or say the specifics. Many of the parents also said that they had noticed that their children had gained a lot of confidence.