HURDA (Noun) pronounced /hu-ra-da or hu-ra-da-ne/ is Marathi (an Indian regional Language Largely spoken in Maharashtra state) word means: Corn or grains which have been roasted. So in the month of December and January when farms yield grains, farmers pluck the grain roast and enjoy the test.
Being an IB School we know how authentic inquiry learning occurs, the very Simple approach is … step out into nature! We, at any age group, have a natural fascination with environment and it is this interest and desire to understand how world works which enables anyone to independently pose a range of rich, authentic questions that cover a wide range of subject areas, concepts and skills.
Imagine Teachers going out to collaborate and plan teaching. We at WGS practice this philosophy of “stepping out” literally, even our collaborative sessions are planned outside campus walls.
Subsequently last Saturday, 11th January was an eventful vertical curriculum planning Day outside school boundary. We chose Deogiri Farms as our destination and blended the session with Hurda Party.
What is Hurda Party ? Hurda Parties are quite famous in Maharashtra. Hurda not only gives an opportunity to connect Urban Society to Rural Life and Nature but also gives scope to experience Countryside closely. Hurda is roasted on coal in mud pits which gives it an earthy taste. This freshly roasted hurda is then eaten with an accompaniment of various types of chutneys made of sesame seeds, groundnut, dry coconut, garlic and red chillies. Additives like jaggery and lime make the experience all the more interesting. This experience becomes more interesting with activities such as bullock cart, horse and camel rides. People also love to try their hands at ploughing the fields, plucking fresh vegetables and flowers, sitting near water bodies and walking bare feet. We did all this!! Along with our PD sessions.
Teachers had hands on experience of using Nature as tool to develop fresh ideas to generate inquiry naturally, how to develop Learner’s communication, independence, curiosity, resilience, thinking, risk taking, imagination, reflection, co-ordination, observation, perseverance, questioning and self-management skills.
We had sessions which were targeted to develop skills along with ways for mapping progress and effective differentiated teaching approaches in practice. Teachers and Coordinators worked in groups to give presentation of effective learning outcomes. All in all we had a wonderful time working together.
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