An insightful Masterclass Session where we delve into Chapters 23, 24 and 25, completing the last section of the book with a Deschool the Roadmap, and reading the reflections of Raj and Naga from Shomie Das The Man Who Saw Tomorrow by Naga Tummala
📅 Date: April 5, 2025
🕠 Time: 5:30 - 6:15 PM
📍 Venue: The Teachers Academy
Partake in our engaging discussion to explore how we can rethink traditional education and create meaningful learning experiences. #LearningForwardIndia #BookDiscussion #ShomieDas #DeschoolTheRoadmap 🚀
The questions:
Q1.Suppose traditional schooling were to be redesigned from the ground up. What would your ideal learning ecosystem look like—spaces, roles, routines, and relationships—that foster curiosity, collaboration, and academic growth? (You may choose to illustrate your ideas by sketching your vision of the "Future Classroom.")
Q2.How can schools foster a culture where parents and teachers collaborate effectively to support a child's holistic development rather than just academic success?
Q3.How can schools integrate humanities subjects effectively into a predominantly science-oriented curriculum to ensure students develop a well-rounded understanding of the world?
Q4.As an educator, what teaching strategies would you use to balance structured instruction with experiential, self-directed learning while ensuring students still develop foundational academic skills?
Sandeep Duttwelcomed educators and enthusiasts at 5:30 PM and introduced the focus of the day—the Chapter "How Your Child Learns Best" from his book My Good School. He encouraged reflections from previous sessions and participation from all.
🧠 Understanding Learning Needs
The session emphasised the importance of learning needs analysis.
Inspired by Rhonda Wynne, it explored learner-centered methodologies that prioritise relevance and individual growth.
Key steps include:
Assessing current skills and knowledge.
Identifying learning gaps.
Setting realistic, personalised goals.
Finding strategies to overcome learning obstacles.
🛠️ School Building from the Ground Up
Manisha and Meenakshi shared their journeys of building a school from scratch:
Manisha emphasised the value of clear vision, phased planning, and the evolving nature of goals.
Meenakshi talked about the need to continuously adapt curricula and expectations.
Both highlighted the importance of student-provider alignment and adaptability in education.
📚 Navigating Educational Challenges
Sandeep discussed individualised learning and the limitations of standardised systems.
The value of mentorship and a supportive teacher-student ratio was emphasised.
A school evaluation checklist: qualifications, environment, and support systems were introduced.
🌐 Media Disruption & Its Lessons for Education
Traditional, centralised media (temples) were compared to the emerging, decentralised ecosystem (gardens).
The discussion explored:
Social media's role in democratising information.
The shift toward economic autonomy and independent voices.
It parallels education, where decentralised learning spaces and trust-based communities are thriving.
🌱 From Temples to Gardens of Learning
The metaphor of a knowledge garden emphasised:
Nurturing individual potential.
Fostering collaboration, creativity, and trust.
Encouraging continuous professional learning and reflection.
💬 Voices from the Community
Umesh Vyas spoke on how media and education transformations mirror each other.
Kunal Rajpurohit linked insights from the Substack post to Nate Silver's book Nexus, focusing on data, information flow, and impact.
🎧 Action Items & Looking Ahead
✅ To Do:
Listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 3-hour podcast—a reflection on changing media narratives
Productive Failures—its lessons for classroom innovation.
📖 Next Session Focus: Understanding performance scores in education and how they shape learning outcomes.
💡 Final Reflection
"Understanding mindsets is the need of the hour."
"One size does not fit all"—this session reinforced the belief that each learner is unique and that systems must be adaptable, inclusive, and empathetic to truly educate the whole child.
We invite you to share your thoughts or reflections in the comments below. Let's celebrate the beauty of words together! ✨📜🎶
