Ever since implementation of ISA programme, students of Shree Ambika Secondary School of Pokhara in Kaski district have become more efficient in project-based interactive teaching learning process.
One of the ISA coordinators, Ram Chandra Parajuli, also a science teacher of Shree Ambika Secondary School of Pokhara, Kaski district says ISA has encouraged students to engage more in practical knowledge than relying just on theories. ISA has six core skills to implement in the classroom – teaching method, digital literacy and citizenship, information and technology, creativity and imagination, communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving. Through these techniques, Parajuli adds, he has seen students proactive in their practical assignments and this has also enabled teachers to learn more about teaching styles in classroom.
Highlighting about the impact of ISA, Parajuli shares, “With implementation of ISA, we performed better in teaching learning process, which impressed the guardians and students directly. As a result, the number of students increased in our school. Last year, we had 250 students and this year we got 375.”
The teacher added, “Our teachers did not know many IT methods for teaching. We did not know how to use internet and latest technologies for better teaching learning process. Recently, our students had to do a research on silk-farming. We took our students to the farm itself to understand the whole process better than through texts. And any information they missed to gather in the farm, the teachers and students found all of them through looking up on online. This is something the ISA encouraged us to do.”
According to Parajuli, the entire faculty and students have learnt a lot of collaboration, partnership and team work through the ISA programme. The students and faculty have now been sharing ideas through frequent communication with 15 ISA schools including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the UK. Some of the teacher also get training from the UK on practical teaching techniques and core skills.
Seven schools from Pokhara in Kaski districts are ISA members now. Out of 42 schools from Nepal nominated for ISA 2018, 19 schools received full award and Ambika Secondary School is one of them.
