Syntank: Kit based learning!
Science question asked to a commerce background person became an inspiration to start a new company! The funny but interesting part being their idea of providing the students of India their own personal laboratory because they believe that skilled students make a better and smart nation.
My brother once asked me, do you know what a solenoid is, and I simply said no, giving away the reason that I am a commerce background person. Ask me about Derivatives market, economics, taxes, accounts.
He was stunned when he heard me, and I thought what is so surprising about it, you can't know everything, right?
Well, he asked me few more things which is probably the reason he started his own company with his friend (I know right? Few science questions asked to commerce background person could be an inspiration to start a company, just amazing!)
After this conversation we had, he told me they are conducting a survey to know what the students of different grades actually understand about science. The answers to some questions were like this:
• How do you think a vacuum cleaner works?
Answer- Because it's a vacuum cleaner.
• Why is the ocean blue?
Answer- Because the sky is blue and it's just the reflection. ( It's not true, believe me)
Answers to all these questions above, we should have known because it was in our curriculum during school. Uh oh! Now here I felt - What did I achieve securing 90%?
I laughed off at their idea initially, saying schools have science laboratory, why do they want students to have their personal laboratory (Yes! Their idea is that every student should have a personal laboratory - because Skilled students could make a better and smart nation)
After attending workshops with him of Syntank actually made me believe that practical knowledge is necessary not just when it comes to dancing and singing but in science too. It is the need of the hour and ideas like this should not just be appreciated but supported to great extent. The students looked really excited while doing everything practically which they just read about in books.
The excitement on the students' faces as if on an adventure and the way they jumped after successfully making a working model like aircar, gravity car, projector, everything was so amazing!
I genuinely think that Apply Science is much needed idea in our education system. It's a must and I feel proud as well as content that my brother and his friend are not just talking about the change but actually being a part of one!
If you are wondering -
Isn't coursework/syllabus too much to learn everything from experimenting?
It is! That's the reason why the focus of his idea is on few important topics that require practical knowledge.
And those who think they need more topics to be included they have given this option, that students can demand materials for what they want to make and Syntank would work on making a 3D model of that project and provide materials for the same. Isn't that cool?
