Principals Meet: Life Skills Workshop
IETS Pune held a workshop for thirty Principals and Administrators of schools in Pune on the “Need for Life Skills in Today’s World” on 15th April 2008 . The workshop was interactive in nature. The Principals were taken through two activities which helped them understand ten core Life skills and the need for students to know techniques for creative thinking and solving day-to-day problems.

The activities were followed by an interactive discussion on the need for English Language Skill Development in children and the use of technology-based language labs for the same.

Given that the world of education is experiencing rapid change, teaching methods and teaching-learning processes are evolving in order to prepare Gen X for the modern world. IETS partners teachers and schools in preparing children to become functional citizens of tomorrow. The organization already has a Life skills program known as Anchor that aims at promoting cognitive skills, social skills, self management skills, and interpersonal skills among adolescents.

Oakridge International School
Adding Dimensions T 8 module on "Classroom Management" was conducted at Oakridge International School in December, 07. The session unfolded with an introduction followed by an activity wherein all the teachers were asked to speak about the subjects that they liked or disliked in school and the reason for doing so. This activity led to a lot of reflection & introspection.

As the session proceeded, the teachers participated with great enthusiasm & vigour in activities like "Lesson planning", "In & Out" etc. "Lesson Planning" was a big hit wherein the teachers analysed their own lesson plans against the sample lesson plan & came out with creative ideas, which could be implemented in their lesson plans.

Towards the end of the session, the teachers raised a lot of queries on managing behavioural problems in children. At the end, they felt happy that their queries were answered & felt that the workshop was an enriching experience for all those involved.

Baramati Bus
IETS has a vision of spreading learning to every corner of India. The organization truly believes that knowledge is the cornerstone of development and self sufficiency. Learning empowers the weak and gives the strength of self sufficiency.

To achieve its objectives and mission, IETS has introduced several initiatives in education. "The Baramati bus" is an innovative program that takes IT learning to rural areas. Teaching IT skills was an ideology that was not easy to implement. To fulfill this dream, a team was put together and a plan created by IETS to teach computer skills to students in 40 villages in rural Maharashtra. The goal was simple, "teach IT". Buses were fitted to become mobile computer labs. This meant IT teaching could be on the move and reach the remotest schools and teach computers even in the absence of electricity. The computer lab was designed to run on 12 volt batteries.

The "Hasat Khelat Sanganak" as the project was called, taught IT skills to students of 51 schools for 224 hours a week from 2004-2006. Learning reached 6351 students of Classes 5, 6, and 7 of 51 schools located in 40 rural villages of Baramati and Ambegaon in Maharashtra. The terminology was not a random creation. Hasat means laughter or fun; Khelat means play and Sanganak means computers. The learning of essential computer skills is through fun-based learning modules and delivered by familiar faces. The teachers are sourced from local schools and trained to impart IT skills.

 Role of IETS:
The role played by IETS is that of a design and implementation partner. The expertise within the organization in the fields of education and technology was used to create a module that is functional, adaptable, and feasible. IETS used the given syllabus to create workbooks, teacher training programs, as well as monitoring, and assessment tools.

Goals:
The goals of the Baramati Bus program were to enable children in rural areas to use computers and computer programs like spreadsheets, MS Paint, MS Word, MS PowerPoint and to use the World Wide Web to communicate and learn. The primary goals were to inculcate in rural children:

• An awareness of computers as a window to knowledge
• Greater interest-levels in learning
• The importance of information
• Aspects of the multidisciplinary approach to education
• Basic skills in using computers as a tool for daily tasks
• Collaborative learning skills
• Greater interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of use of technology and the opportunities it provides