VE & Mathruchhaya Join Hands For A Pragya Teacher Training

A three-day Pragya Teacher Training was conducted by VE in collaboration with Mathruchhaya Trust, Bangalore from 9th to 11th June 2022. A total of 27 teachers participated in person out of which 7 are sighted, 2 have low-vision and the rest 18 teachers are persons with visual impairment. 6 teachers participated online via zoom.

The first day began with the inauguration and welcome speeches by Sri K.S.S Kamath, General Manager of Canara Bank Relief and Welfare Society followed by a welcome message by Ms Sumangala, Senior Manager, Mathruchhaya Trust. The co-founders of VE, Vidhya Y and Supriya Dey, also greeted the teachers. Vidhya shared about VE and its’ interventions. The sessions started as the teachers were divided into two groups, each for Science and Maths activities respectively. The first group engaged in math activities of algebra and geometry using the Teacher Instruction Kits while the second group engaged in learning science concepts about animals, plants and food using tactile diagrams and 3-D models.

Post lunch break, the teachers were divided into four groups for Computational Thinking games sessions. The teachers were made to play Connect Four, Bundling for Binary Numbers, etc which are meant to introduce the concepts of numeracy in a fun way. The first day came to a close with a feedback session by Mathruchhaya about their braille books.

The second day kickstarted with an in-depth demonstration of the Subodha smartphone application. The teachers showed keen interest to learn from this handy and accessible platform. The teachers’ login credentials were made and handed over to them by the VE team for easy access to Subodha. This was followed by the division of two groups to learn math and science concepts using TIKs respectively. The second half of the training was comprised of a session by a guest speaker, Ms Latha, Associate Manager, Tech Mahindra Foundation (CSR wing). She conducted an interactive session with the teachers on the different aspects of Universal Design for Learning, various types of learners and the different approaches of a teacher.

The last day of the training i.e 11th June was power-packed with sessions on Subodha, CT Games, and using Hexis- Electronic Braille Reader. The teachers logged into Subodha and were able to access the courses available. This was followed by a fun session of playing Market Game along with an introduction to Jodo Gyan Math Kits to make concepts of numeracy easy to understand.

After this, the Hexis devices were given to the teachers where they shared one device between two. The VE team taught them its usage step by step. The teachers were able to read the content on the Hexis device using the navigation keys. Another session on tactile maps was taken up by Mathruchhaya where the teachers reviewed the effectiveness of the maps.

The training came to an end as the participants received certificates from Sri K.S.S Kamath and Ms Renushree, Assistant General Manager, Canara Bank. The teachers shared their feedback and learnings during the three-day training.