INTEREST-BASED

LEARNING
(‫ اڑا‬% & ' ( ‫ *ق‬+)


An interactive workshop for spiritual parents




Participant Name: _________________

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 1

Aim of the workshop:
The workshop seeks to achieve seven major objectives:
1. Reflect upon your interests and differentiate between interests and
wishes
2. Define worthwhile learning and the factors that enable it
3. Review the framework for parents and teachers in order to inspire
students for lifelong learning
4. Analyze the inherent features of classrooms and clubs and the difference
between them
5. Know about various types of clubs and their intended outcomes
6. Plan to set up a club

The workshop is based on two basic convictions:
• To acknowledge that the physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs of
children is the pre-requisite of any meaningful educational initiative.
• Every child can excel if you create the right environment.

Activity: Reflect upon your interests
Interests Interests (to be)

Questions for reflection:

• Can you identify the difference between interest and wish?
• Can you think of various benefits of having more interests?

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 2

Activity: Reflect upon your learning
Make a list of twenty major things/skills that you have learnt in your life, including
your obvious abilities and subtle qualities.

Questions for reflection:
• How many of the above listed skills are benefiting you in this world?
• How many of the above listed things are beneficial for you in the life hereafter?
• How many of the above listed strengths are beneficial for you in both the
worlds?
• Identify the factors that contributed to the development of each skill/strength.
Factors could be person/s, experience/s, material/s, environment and
conditions.
• How many of the above listed strengths are developed by the teacher, through
class work/homework and in classroom setting?

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 3



Major factors that have contributed to the development of your strengths

Factors Mostly they were not ... Mostly they were ...

Person Instructors Experts or mentors

Actual life tasks or

Experience Class work or homework
challenges

Material Textbooks Real objects of the world

Environment Unreal, artificial setting Real or natural setting

Conditions Compliance Willfulness

Worthwhile Learning (‫)ﻋﻠم ﻧﺎﻓﻊ‬:

Can you think of any example of worthless learning?

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 4


The generic purpose of clubs
To facilitate worthwhile learning
through creating the naturally conducive environment
and modeling of mentor's exemplary behaviours
while letting learners learn in their own way
at their own pace
with complete ownership of what they learn,
hence making them lifelong learners.



Fundamental differences
between classrooms & clubs

There are some inherent features and conditions of classrooms, and some inherent features and conditions of
clubs. The table below will help you, in understanding the main differences between the two.

Inherent features and conditions Inherent features and conditions
of classrooms of clubs

1. Age-wise or ability-wise grouping of 1. Interest-wise grouping of students is done

students is done to create classrooms to create clubs

2. No fixed tenure ranging from six weeks to

2. Fixed tenure (one year or one semester)
as long as ten years

3. Instruction based learning 3. Self-initiated learning

4. Compulsory teacher assigned tasks 4. Freedom to choose what to do/ study

5. Uniformity — children are required to do

5. Diversity — children do varied tasks in
the same task often in the same manner
their own ways
within the specified duration

6. Generalized environment — all

6. Specialized environment — the features
classrooms contain more or less the same
and components vary from club to club
components

7. Can go without a mentor or an expert 7. A mentor or an expert is a must

8. Fixed time slots / periods 8. Flexible timings

9. Reasonable amount of classroom time is 9. No such need to control children since

consumed in controlling children they participate willingly

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 5

 10. Most of the instructional time is used in
10. Most of the club time is used in sharing of
developing the concepts —explaining is
what everyone has learned
the central teaching skill

11. Largely depends upon and revolves 11. Largely depends upon real world tasks
around the textbooks and revolves around life

12. Curriculum defines the terms of

12. Interest defines the terms of engagement
engagement

13. Syllabus determines the pace of the 13. Students take as much time as they need,
instruction they learn at their own pace
14. Teacher Talking Time (TTT) is generally 14. Student Talking Time (STT) is generally
greater than the Student Talking Time greater than the Teacher Talking Time
(STT) (TTT)
15. Family and community involvement is
15. Family is generally not involved
encouraged

16. Frequency — daily 16. Frequency — varies

17. Attendance is mandatory 17. Attendance is not mandatory

18. Assignments can be reviewed by peers,

18. Assignments are essentially checked and
mentors or other experts on the mentees'
marked by the teacher
desire

19. Mentees develop their own

19. Conformity of students' perception with
understanding and share their actual and
the ideas of the teacher is required
original perceptions in the club

20. Teachers remain relaxed and keep

20. Teachers often become suspicious if
modeling even if students do not do
students' learning is taking place
anything

21. Students' learning and achievement is 21. Students' learning is gauged by the
gauged through formal assessment sustenance of their interest

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 6

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INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 7
20 generic elements of a club

1. Mixed-age, interest wise grouping
2. Reasonable club size
3. Mentor as model
4. Specialized setup
5. Adjustable duration & frequency
6. Attendance not mandatory
7. Chat
8. Unconditional respect
9. Self-initiation
10. Experimentation
11. Value of feelings
12. Volunteer sharing
13. Peer support
14. Avoidance of judgments
15. Feedback on request
16. Field trips
17. Guest experts
18. Recognition
19. No language restrictions
20. Conservation & cost effectiveness


Who can start a club?

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 8

 List of various clubs:
1. Writer’s Club 2. Wood Workshop 3. Alumni Club

4. Readers’ Club 5. Martial Arts Club 6. Mentors’ Club

7. Art Studio 8. Health Club 9. Origami Club

10. Drama Club 11. Swimmers’ Club 12. Rumi Club

13. Speakers’ Club 14. Change Agents’ Club 15. Ghalib Club

16. Astronomers’ Club 17. Horse Riding Club 18. Melody Club

19. Chess Club 20. Shooting club 21. Cyclists’ Club

22. Sports Club 23. Handicraft Club 24. Farmers’ Club

25. Football Club 26. Family Club 27. Organic Food Club

28. Science Club 29. Robotics Club 30. Sewing Club

31. Environment/Nature Club 32. IT Club 33. Bird Watchers’ Club

34. Literature Club 35. Recycling Club 36. Photography Club

37. Poetry Club 38. Storytelling Club 39. Philosophers’ Club

40. Iqbal’s Club 41. Research Club 42. Hiking Club

43. Quran Club 44. History Club 45. Socio-Political Club

46. Hadith/Seerah Club 47. Geography Club 48. Journalism Club

49. Thinkers’ Club 50. Film-making Club 51. Dawah Club

52. Gardening Club 53. Debate Club 54. Mass Awareness Club

55. Entrepreneurs’ Club 56. Fund Raising Club 57. Clay Craft Club

58. Maths Lab 59. Expedition Club

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 9
 Club Initiation Plan

Title of the club:

Vision of the club:









About the moderator:




Type of the club: Choose one option in each column

Structured Broad Scope Open Group

Unstructured Narrow Scope Closed Group


Tenure: Commencement date:

Frequency & duration:

Club size: Age bracket:

Venue: Schedule:

Sign up procedure:
Membership eligibility/criteria:



Minimum expectations from members:

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 10


Considering factor # 1:
Names of mentors or experts who can be invited in the club







Considering factor # 2:
Key experiences that the club intends to offer







Considering factor # 3:
Any special material that can facilitate intended learning






Considering factor # 4:
Specific considerations for the physical environment of the club






Considering factor # 5:
Recommendations to create favourable conditions for the functioning of the club








INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 11
 Club Initiation Plan: Sample # 1

Title of the club: Writers' Club
Vision of the club:
• To let children explore the magical world of writing without any boundaries and limitations.
• To introduce them to a diversity of ideas, books, texts, and perspectives.
• Children should be able to accept and celebrate diversity.

About the moderator:

Ms ABC, a teenager and blogger, who has a strong passion for writing.

Type of the club: Choose one option in each column

Structured Broad Scope Open Group

Unstructured Narrow Scope Closed Group



Tenure: 5 months Commencement date: 2nd Oct, 2017

Frequency & duration: Weekly sessions, of 1.5 hours each

Club size: 10 – 12 kids Age bracket: 9 – 13 years

Venue: Schedule: Every Monday, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Sign up procedure: Filling an online form and payment of registration fee

Membership eligibility/criteria:

Minimum expectations from members:

Be intrinsically motivated to join the club and be a part of it.
Have a love for books / reading / writing.

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 12


Considering factor # 1:
Names of mentors or experts who can be invited in the club

Storytellers
Writers
Authors
Bloggers
Playwrights


Considering factor # 2:
Key experiences that the club intends to offer

Free writing
Storytelling sessions
Sharing of ideas
Sharing writings and other creative work
Watching meaningful videos


Considering factor # 3:
Any special material that can facilitate intended learning

Notebooks
Stationary
Books (fiction and nonfiction)
A variety of writing materials
Multimedia (occasionally required for showing videos and talks)


Considering factor # 4:
Specific considerations for the physical environment of the club

Warm and welcoming
There should be lots of books


Considering factor # 5:
Recommendations to create favourable conditions for the functioning of the club

Nobody will be forced to write, or to share their writings.

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 13
 Club Initiation Plan: Sample # 2

Title of the club: History Club
Vision of the club:
• To develop a better understanding about our past in children.
• To help them learn from and get inspired by great leaders and great stories of the past.
• To realize how our past continues to have an impact on our present and how our present will
become a part of history

About the moderator:

An enthusiastic student of history

Type of the club: Choose one option in each column

Structured Broad Scope Open Group

Unstructured Narrow Scope Closed Group



Tenure: 6 months Commencement date: January 6, 2017

Frequency & duration: Weekly 1.5 hours long sessions

Club size: 20 – 25 people Age bracket: 10 years and above

Venue: A local library Schedule: Saturday evenings, from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Sign up procedure: Registration not required

Membership eligibility/criteria: None

Minimum expectations from members:
To come with questions about past
To be able to question their assumptions

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 14


Considering factor # 1:
Names of mentors or experts who can be invited in the club

Historians
Travelers
Researchers
Biographers
Archaeologists
Senior citizens
Explorers


Considering factor # 2:
Key experiences that the club intends to offer

Discussions and talks by historians or travelers
Readings of excerpts from relevant books
Visits to museums, historical sites, and related exhibitions
Screening of historical films and movies


Considering factor # 3:
Any special material that can facilitate intended learning

Travelogues, memoirs and biographies / accounts of people from the past
Maps and atlases

Considering factor # 4:
Specific considerations for the physical environment of the club

Books on various relevant topics, preferably a library section

Considering factor # 5:
Recommendations to create favourable conditions for the functioning of the club

Questions / discussions to be encouraged
Disagreements to be accepted

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 15
 Club Initiation Plan: Sample # 3

Title of the club: Organic Food Club
Vision of the club:
• To let families share their experience of having organic food
• To improve food choices of people
• To support each other in achieving a healthy lifestyle
• To create a deeper understanding about organic food and its value for health

About the moderator:

Ms XYZ, cooking expert & promoter of organic food

Type of the club: Choose one option in each column

Structured Broad Scope Open Group

Unstructured Narrow Scope Closed Group



Tenure: 1 year Commencement date: November 5, 2017

Frequency & duration: Once a month for two hours

Club size: 5 – 7 families Age bracket: All ages

Venue: Residence of Mr. X Schedule: 1st Sunday of every month, 8:00 am to 10:00 am

Sign up procedure: Online submission of a membership questionnaire

Membership eligibility/criteria: Halal eaters

Minimum expectations from members:
To bring organic food in every session which should be enough for one family
Only organic food will be served in the session
There should be no wastage of food

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 16


Considering factor # 1:
Names of mentors or experts who can be invited in the club

Generally, nutritionists, organic farmers and cooking experts can be invited.

Specific names are…


Considering factor # 2:
Key experiences that the club intends to offer

Eating together
Cooking
Farming
Collection of organic waste and making compost
Sharing of experiences
Offering technical support to each other


Considering factor # 3:
Any special material that can facilitate intended learning

Samples of various seeds
Various home grown vegetables, fruits or dairy products
Various types of organic food (cooked)
Gardening tools
Books / magazines on the subject


Considering factor # 4:
Specific considerations for the physical environment of the club

Farm land or garden
Cattle farm


Considering factor # 5:
Recommendations to create favourable conditions for the functioning of the club

The only non-negotiable principle is to eat nothing but organic food in the club. Experimentation with
farming and cooking is encouraged.

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 17

 Points for action

Make a list of such experiences Make a list of mentors/ scholars and
that may cause or enable worthwhile experts whom you would like your
learning of your children. children to be connected with.

INTEREST-BASED LEARNING WISDOM HOUSE SCHOOL SYSTEM 18