The Learning Pad

Walden’s Path introduces Informal Learning as Pedagogy at The Learning Pad in Hyderabad, India. The Learning Pad is a Children’s Explorium at the Walden’s Path Kinder in Hyderabad, India. The Learning Pad provides an informal learning environment suitable for homeschoolers and school going children, for extracurricular engagement. The Learning Pad provides a platform for children to nurture their natural instinct to observe, deconstruct the environments around them and construct their own knowledge. “It is important to help children explore, create and develop their imagination and original ideas. Every child creates original artwork, which is a reflection of their own ideas and personal interpretation. Active purposeful play should be the central learning experience in both formal and informal early learning classrooms. It is a natural way of learning that supports creativity and imagination.”, says Dr. Madhulika, Director of The Learning Pad. Centers of Learning The learning centers include a library, science center, dramatic play corner, engineering/blocks and art/maker-space areas. Providing these learning centers to support project work and learning objectives in an open, safe and hands-on environment is the key feature of the Learning pad. Intentional learning opportunities are incorporated through open ended literacy and mathematics games, science experiments, and fine motor skills, to name a few. Process Art at the Learning Pad Art is a personal expression of emotions, sensitivity and sensibility of an individual at many levels. Emotional development, development of an understanding of the world through many lenses, multiple perspectives, constructing one’s own knowledge etc are central to learning. While, Art education to a large extent focuses on production; Arts based learning tends to focus on transformation. One such approach to Arts based learning is Process Art. Process art is about the process of creating art and not so much the end product! Adults are facilitators set the scene with required materials, planning etc and then allow the child to use their own creativity to interpret themselves and their learning through art. The child’s creativity is kindled, critical thinking skills put to work within the framework of emotional development.