Exposure sparks curiosity, and what ignites our interest becomes the fuel for exploration. Collaboration shapes and aligns the exploration to our learning goals.
Last year during our travel by road my child was wondering how one state ends and another begins. He needed clarification as to why the border shown on the map was not seen in reality. This road travel exposure opened up many learning opportunities for him. Another interesting Aha moment of exposure was when he did his daily chore of cleaning the water bottles. We observed that emptying the bottle at a different angle varies the time of emptying the bottle. This observation brought us to a few concepts of physics which he wanted to explore further.
Our lives are a constant stream of exposures, Some exposures ignite a desire to explore them further. Some exposures get registered in memory. The remaining go unnoticed.
These exposures spark us with curiosity, understanding, and learning. Our travel by road filled my child with curiosity. We explored how we define villages, districts, towns, cities, metro cities, capitals, states, and countries. This brought many new concepts like –
- How countries are formed
- Why do we need government?
- How do countries choose their flags?
- What are passports and visas?
- What is a constitution?
- What are policies?
When we got stuck with explorations we hunted for meaningful resources to enhance our exploration and learning. We collaborated with peers, mentors, subject experts, family friends, and other resources to go deeper into our explorations.
Each exposure might lead to many other exposures Each exploration might lead us in many directions. They form cumulative learning in a myriad of ways.
Aarohi campus uses exposure, explorations, and collaboration as the core of learning and living.
Exposure
Exposure to diverse experiences increases curiosity and provides an expansive landscape for learning. It fosters a growth mindset. These exposures may stem from observation, need, or as part of community work. Exposures can be Indoors or outdoors. Exposures are not limited to any age group. Each exposure works as a stimulation. Some excite us, some bore us some others we choose to ignore. As a family or a community let’s fill our days with multiple exposures, planned and unplanned. For example, a museum visit can be a planned exposure while observing the shadows based on the position of the light source can be unplanned exposure.As a parent or an adult around a child, facilitate all exposures. A few examples are listed below –
- Indoor – Household chores, fixing instruments/gadgets at home, house budget and finances, handwork – stitching, knitting or any other creation with hand, organizing, etc.
- Outdoor – Travel, various sports, farming/gardening, community service, managing/participating in different events, etc.
A relentless curiosity and a thirst for knowledge can maximize the exposure. Aarohi campus facilitates a wide range of exposure for everyone. On campus, people can get exposure to something as simple as sitting and doing nothing to make robots. Check this article to understand more about exposure.
Exploration
The exploration begins with interests generated by exposure. “Doing” is central theme of exploration. The versatility of resources makes exploration richer.
The Aarohi campus is brimming with diverse resources for multiple explorations. This diversity is supportive of different learning styles and preferences. Such explorations make the learning journey more engaging and efficient. Here is a gem on how children explore many stuff in Aarohi
Exploring different resources allows learners to personalize their journey and find the methods that resonate most effectively. An open-learning environment considers the whole world as a learning resource. Each resource adds a unique piece to the puzzle, shaping a well-rounded understanding of the world around you. Working from such an abundance empowers you to become a self-directed learner. Exploration can be –
Structured Explorations – Planned with a specific goal in mind. Ishaan, an open learner at the Aarohi campus showed others how to create magical 3D models using Blockbench. He demonstrated techniques like adjusting pixels, pixel art, other plug-ins, adding texture, etc.
Unstructured explorations – accidental explorations/going into the rabbit holes. Like a travel across multiple states sent my son to many accidental explorations.
An important aspect of any exploration is the availability and visibility of resources. Many times interests die their natural death in the absence of resources. Sometimes the learner might feel struck because the resources are not visible to them. in such times the parent or facilitator plays the role of a guide.
Collaboration
Learning is not a solitary activity. Collaboration acts as a powerful catalyst for growth. We unlock a deeper understanding when we share knowledge, experiences, and diverse perspectives with others. Collaboration taps into our natural desire to connect and share ideas. By working with others, we gain exposure to different viewpoints and approaches. This challenges our assumptions, sparks new ideas, and ultimately leads to a more comprehensive understanding.
Collaboration builds an innate sense of accountability. Everyone in the team works with their strengths and weaknesses towards a common goal. This effort and accountability instill a sense of better self-awareness. The collaborative environment is an ideal ground for honing different skills. Aarohi believes in all hands matter.
In today’s times, many mediums and platforms facilitate doing things collaboratively. Aarohi’s foundation is based on collaboration. Its journey of collective working can be summarized in the following lines from lyricist and poet Majrooh Sultanpuri –
मैं अकेला ही चला था जानिब-ए-मंज़िल मगर
लोग साथ आते गए और कारवाँ बनता गया
(I set out towards my destination all alone but people came along and a caravan was formed.)
Majrooh Sultanpuri
The journey from Geniekids to Aarohi Life and Aarohi Coversity is a miraculous outcome of collaboration. People learned from each other and worked towards a collective goal. The synergy of many thoughts and the energy of many hands are powerful sources to build something that none can achieve individually despite having all the skills and knowledge. Below is a picture of the Aarohi campus depicting the collaborative effort of many people. Two main ingredients of collaboration are –
Reaching out to people – Let the world know what you need. Eventually, you will find a tribe aligned with your interests and goals
Communication – Communicate your needs and about yourself in as many ways as you can. Let it propagate. Sooner or later people will flock in.
Exposure, Exploration, and Collaboration gift us with some amazing capabilities like –
- Mental flexibility – stimulates various thinking skills critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, etc. We learn to connect seemingly disparate ideas across disciplines, developing the ability to analyze information from multiple angles.
- Learning by observation, experimentation, and reflection – We learn to observe not just passively, but actively, asking questions, conducting experiments, and reflecting on the outcomes. It builds self-awareness.
- Adaptability – various situations strengthen our ability to adjust to unfamiliar circumstances and find our way in an uncertain and ever-changing world.
- Self-Directed Learning – A conscious learning mindset. We learn how to learn anything. It creates a continuous cycle of learning – unlearning – and relearning.
- Growth mindset – We begin to see the world overflowing with possibilities, not limitations.
The journey of exposure, exploration, and collaboration creates immense power with the support of a community. At the Aarohi campus, these three constituents of learning are in abundance. Every day is added with new opportunities for creating a meaningful life.