May 2024 Issue
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Editor’s Note:
In this issue, we delve into the profound role of aesthetics in education through the lens of the Leading Out curriculum.
Aesthetic appreciation, often confined to art classes or museums, takes on a deeper significance in this innovative approach. The article uncovers the concept of an 'aesthetic mindset'—one rooted in care for oneself, community, and the environment. This mindset transcends mere appreciation of beauty; it intertwines with truth, worth, and cultural identity, shaping individuals into agents of positive change.
Unlike traditional education systems, the Leading Out Curriculum doesn't compartmentalise art and aesthetics but seamlessly integrates them across disciplines. From philosophy to environmental studies, learners are encouraged to perceive the world through an aesthetic lens, fostering wholistic development and a sense of interconnectedness.
Through practical applications and interdisciplinary learning, students engage with aesthetic theories, traditional crafts, and environmental aesthetics, enriching their understanding of beauty and fostering a deep connection to their surroundings. The curriculum's commitment to the Five Areas of Development ensures that students not only excel academically but also grow emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
At its core, the Leading Out Curriculum champions aesthetics as a fundamental aspect of education, preparing students to navigate an increasingly complex and diverse world with empathy, sensitivity, and responsibility. Join us as we explore how nurturing an aesthetic mindset can cultivate caring, engaged individuals ready to make a meaningful impact on society.
Featured Articles
Aesthetics and its Role in Education: The Leading Out Approach
by Ritika Lall Kapur
Art and aesthetics, as understood in the mainstream, have played a key role across education systems around the world, from schools, summer camps, after school programmes, to museums. However, the Leading Out curriculum presents a unique understanding of an ‘aesthetic mindset’, why it is important, and how it can be developed. The aesthetic mind is one centred around care. Care for oneself, for one’s belongings and immediate surroundings, for one's community, for nature, for society and in the future.
The Leading Out Curriculum understands the ‘aesthetic mindset’ to be a unique and contextualised understanding and appreciation for the transcendental values of truth, beauty, and worth, as well as a deeply culturally and socially rooted sense of citizenship, purpose, and care. Stemming from a sense of primordial wisdom that connects every living being to one another and to nature, an aesthetic mindset goes beyond the appreciation of creativity and imagination in a curated setting to a considered and embodied sense of awe. This may be experienced in the smallest details in mundane life or at the wider level of societal and ecological impact.
Research on the development of aesthetic education in primary and middle schools
by Lei Wang
Courtesy: www.researchgate.net
In recent years, social and economic development has been tremendous, but the people’s spiritual quality, especially the development of aesthetic ability has been very poor. The exploration of aesthetic education has become an important node of liberal education and Education. For All, for the law and characteristics of aesthetic education in education and the development of campus aesthetic education put forward higher requirements and we need to continue to explore the process of aesthetic education and expand the status of education and aesthetic education. From the angle of aesthetics and pedagogy, following the characteristics of aesthetic education, this paper studies the development of aesthetic education and campus aesthetic education, aiming at improving the teaching of aesthetic education. With a view to improving the personal development of students, as well as the spirit of the whole society
Click here to read the full article.
Aesthetics education and its position in the 21st-century democratic society
by Slavka Kopcakova
Courtesy: www.researchgate.net
In the paper, the author considers philosophical, aesthetic and pedagogical concepts explaining the specific position of aesthetics education in the education system and its importance in developing the ability to express authentic attitudes not only in the assessment of the arts but also in social processes of a democratic society. A historical account is part of this consideration, as it gives us an overview of cultural epochs in which emphasis on the aesthetic education of a young person became a national interest or, on the contrary, it stood partly on the edge of interest. Through the ideas of important thinkers of the 20th and 21st centuries (John Dewey, Paul G. Woodford, etc.), I try to emphasize the potential of musical, artistic, literary, dramatic education in the development of critical thinking as a fundamental attribute in the education of an authentic, free- and democrati-cally-minded person. Active reception of art and the evaluation of artistic expressions occupy an important place in the awareness of one’s position in a society that faces many civilizations and political challenges, such as poverty, migration, change of cultural mechanisms, and reception habits. All this requires reflection at the level of the philosophy of education in cooperation with its related disciplines, like pedagogy, aesthetics, cultural studies, and their applied educational disciplines. The definitive recognition of a dignified status for aesthetics education is one of the ways of coping with the civilisation challenges of the 21st century and of flexible re-evaluation of the changing trends in the technology-oriented society structure and the one-sided general education.
Click here to read the full article.
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Past Events
Calming the Mind: A Retreat with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Ritinjali and Centre for Escalation of Peace in collaboration with India International Centre, Nalanda Foundation and Pallavan Learning Systems successfully concluded its 4th annual retreat with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on the theme ‘Calming the Mind: Joy of Living - Level One’ on 16 & 17 March 2023 with hybrid mode with in-person sessions in Delhi. Click here to read the comprehensive report on the retreat.
ASSESSMENT: Valuing what matters
The webinar was held on Thursday, 7 September 2023. Pallavan Learning Systems, in association with Ritinjali and the Centre for Escalation of Peace, conducted a webinar on the theme Assessment - Valuing What Matters. The webinar was a part of the series 'On a Quest to Learn: A series on the evolving nature of one's learning journey'. The webinar sought to look at the evolving nature of assessment and gauge its effectiveness in helping people develop into persons of substance. Read the report, watch the video.
Harmony of Head and Heart with Venerable Geshe Lhakdor
Geshe Lhakdor was in conversation with a group of eminent individuals from the education field. During this exchange, Geshe la shared insights and experiences acquired over decades in diverse roles as he deliberated on the topic, ‘Harmony of Head and Heart’. Read the report, watch the video.
Teaching Mathematics with the Help of History
The webinar was held on 23rd November 2023 Mathematics is a subject that is often seen as abstract, complex, and detached from the real world. Many students struggle to find meaning and relevance in mathematical concepts, leading to disinterest and a lack of motivation to learn. However, at Pallavan Learning Systems, we believe that Mathematics is a language – language of the universe – that helps us make sense of the physical world around us. During this webinar, Dinesh Singh strove to make Mathematics accessible, understandable and relatable with the help of History. Read the report, watch the video.
The Purpose of Life with Venerable Geshe Lhakdor
The webinar unfolded as a captivating exchange between Geshe Lhakdor and the vibrant community of students and educators from Second Chance School and Ritinjali learning centres. The event seamlessly blended physical presence at Ritinjali’s Second Chance School with a vibrant online audience, featuring Geshe Lhakdor, a renowned Buddhist philosopher, as the focal point of a spirited dialogue. Read the report, watch the video
Services
Salaam Balak Trust
On 26th April, Choki Wangchuk conducted a session with SBT teachers on ‘Roadmaps’, designed to help teachers chart their learning journey through the use of individual roadmaps. The session was geared towards explaining the dynamic nature of roadmaps and their important role in fostering continuous professional and personal growth and development. By exploring the 'why,' 'how,' and 'what' of roadmap creation, participants gained insights into designing effective roadmaps contextualised to their individual goals and aspirations.
Pallavan School, Jhalawar
On 13th April, Dr. Dinesh Singh conducted a session for the teachers of Pallavan School, Jhalawar. He highlighted the importance of personal growth and curiosity in enhancing skills through knowledge. Key discussions revolved around the digestive system, wildlife conservation, curriculum development, and potential structural changes, emphasising knowledge sharing, critical thinking, and self-evaluation strategies.
The PLS team shared a documentary on wildlife and education integration in India that was discussed during the session. The teachers are to review the documentary and provide their insights in the upcoming meeting, fostering a collaborative learning environment. This will be followed by a quiz for the team’s assessment.
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