Last date for nomination: Sep 29, 2025
About Bedrock Series
Educational practitioners frequently come across situations where they either have to choose between two or more available options or defend a choice that they made in the past. They struggle to do so, as, more often than not, their responses are intuitive and commonsensical, the rationale of which is never explicitly articulated. Education, being a highly contingent endeavour, draws heavily upon concepts, principles and theories developed in several other disciplines. Three major disciplines that education draws upon are Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology, which are known as foundational areas of education. The Bedrock Series is designed to help the participants gain an understanding of the relevant concepts, principles and theories of the three disciplines, which help them appreciate the what, how and why of education.
This is a series of short intensive independent courses that form the bedrock of educational practices. These courses are specially designed with a focus on developing a holistic understanding of three foundational areas of educational understanding and theorising; viz, Philosophical Perspectives of Education, Perspectives on Learning, and Sociology of Education. All the courses in the series are conceived, developed and facilitated by well-known education practitioners and academicians.
Participants need to enroll in each course separately. In the Bedrock Series this year, the course 'Sociology of Education' will be offered online. The courses “Philosophy of Education” and “Perspectives on Learning” will be offered in-person (face-to-face).
About This Course
Course Objective
An understanding of pedagogy and curriculum necessarily requires insight into the child's developmental processes. To decide what to teach at what age, as well as to help the child learn what is selected to be taught, it is imperative to understand their ways and processes of learning. The course will discuss different conceptions and debates regarding 'child' and 'childhood' and their implication for understanding the developing child in school and non-school contexts. It will take a lifespan, developmental perspective to emphasize the continuity of development and learning. A child's journey of leaming is a complicated path, comprising developmental changes and processes in the closely interconnected and overlapping domains-biological, cognitive (including language), socio-emotional and the moral. Classroom teaching that is practised right now in most schools does not do justice to children because it does not treat a child as a unique person. Rather the child is treated as a part of a system of assumed uniformity. An educator's approach, their behaviour, their ability to connect with children, and their insights. into the child's developmental stages should help them guide the child's leaming better. The course Perspectives on learning' is designed to address this aspect of educators' capabilities.Course Outcomes
The course will help the participants to start the journey of becoming a reflective practitioner in education. A step back from everyday action helps in forming a larger perspective and clarifies the purpose of one’s work. This course will provide such an opportunity in collaboration with another practitioner. Participants will learn to connect theoretical concepts with real-world educational practice. This ensures that they gain a deeper appreciation for the relationship between theory and practice, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness as educators.Pre-requisites
This series/course is ideal for those interested in and engaged with educational thought and practices: educators, teachers, or education administrators, coordinators, and members of leadership teams or program teams of NGOs, etc. Individuals with 3–4 years of experience of working in education or those who have studied the field will benefit the most. However, the courses of the series are also valuable for fresh graduates considering a career in education. Anyone who has a keen mind, and is interested in the rigorous study of education, would benefit and enjoy these courses. However, the ability to read, write and understand the Hindi language is a must, along with an undergraduate degree. Another prerequisite for this series of courses is self-motivation.
Expected Commitment
Participants enrolled in the six-day, face-to-face course are expected to dedicate a total of 74 hours toward their learning experience. This includes 42 hours of in-class sessions, spanning seven hours each day for six days. Additionally, participants are required to allocate 12 hours for self-reading (2 hours/ day for 6 days), and 10 hours each for pre-work and course completion assignments.
Course Details
Perspectives on learning (In person)Facilitator(s):
- Shipra Suneja (Professor, Azim Premji University, Bangalore)
About The Resource Organization
Digantar Shiksha Evam Khelkud Samiti, a non-profit organisation founded in 1978, is dedicated to educational innovation and social upliftment. Key objectives include running schools, advancing educational thought and practices, conducting research, and promoting cultural and social development. Currently, it operates two non-fee-paying schools in Jaipur, Rajasthan, serving marginalized communities.
Digantar's approach integrates theory and practice through The Academic Resource Unit (TARU) and Digantar Publications. TARU offers capacity-building programs for educators, emphasizing the importance of grounding practice in educational principles. The organization advocates for quality alternative education, aiming to cultivate autonomous, rational and caring democratic citizens. Its school and various initiatives reflect this commitment, including teacher training, research and curriculum development.
Shipra Suneja
Shipra Suneja is Associate Professor at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India. She teaches courses in Early Childhood Care and Education and Child Development. Besides this, she has been involved in curriculum development and teacher education in ECCE with government and non-profit organisations. She did her PhD from Delhi University studying children’s experiences of their ecology and construction of caring relationships with an especial focus on sibling relationships. Her research interests include Child Development, Care and inquiry perspectives in early years education, Curriculum in early years and ethnographic methods in studying childhoods in contexts.
Testimonials
“The content was well organized, engaging, and logically structured which made it easy to understand the key ideas.”
“The discussions occurred during the course helped a lot to understand the principles in a better way. The planning and execution were great.”
“Importance of reading both for myself and the team as a tool for reflection be it designing content or in the ways we facilitate with our children. I look forward to bringing these discussions and readings to the workplace.”
“It was great to know that how does the Child developed and throughout the course learnt so many different things like strategies, concepts, development processes.”
1. https://youtu.be/tAl5maGacto2. https://youtu.be/ire5UCTqkhc
3. https://youtu.be/EGAvQziH-HA
