Maverick Learning Centre (MLC) is a project based learning centre initiated by Fountainhead School, Surat in the year 2019-20. It is an experiment in the domain of alternative learning which began for students of Grade 7&8 who would be interested in this.
Rationale behind MLC
Living in an era where the world is changing at the pace of light, one objective of the education system is to equip students with one of the most important skills of “learning how to learn”. In an age where everything is just a click away, learning facts has been rendered unnecessary and useless.
Additionally, to be successful in life, children often need to become experts at something. With regular schooling and classes – there are many expectations from students such as adhering to a standard timetable, finishing assigned homework, scoring well in term end exams etc – which take away the opportunity of having concentrated time to focus on the one thing they are passionate about. MLC was created with the intention to give at least some students the time and flexibility in schedule and in expectations to really focus on what they wish to learn/do.
The set up began with an understanding that textbook learning might not be the only way students learn. In fact, it stemmed out of a belief that children learn better when they learn by doing. They learn better when they are exposed to real life scenarios and challenges that they need to decode in everyday life. It is believed that children learn better when they see real life value and application of the knowledge they are expected to learn.
The Maverick Learning centre is a place where 31 students and 4 facilitators (year 2019-20) stay together for the entire day (in the absence of any class schedule), in the same space for more or less the entire year. The lack of any structure resulted in a few challenges.
First was that each child’s day looks different depending on their interests and motivation levels – resulting in different end products and results. To formalise it and to ensure at least some minimum expectations met by ALL students (even if at their own pace) we introduced the Credit System.
The second challenge we faced was indiscipline and misuse of resources due to the increased informal and unstructured interaction with the space and amongst the students. To develop accountability in students and bring some discipline we introduced the Governance System.
The third challenge we faced was keeping track of all things that all students did. There was so much variety not only amongst students but even the things that one student did. Along with that, sometimes it was difficult to know if all students were involved in meaningful activities most of the time. To ease this as well as other issues, we introduced the Mentoring System.
The fourth struggle we faced was communication with parents. Unlike regular schooling, evaluation in MLC is not on the basis of marks – therefore it became difficult for parents, students and teachers to evaluate if the child is doing well in the space and if a set up like MLC is helping the child. To communicate with parents and students effectively, as an extension of your credit system, we came up with a regular Reporting System.
The final struggle we faced was ensuring daily productivity. While the credit system ensured that over the period of 1 year most students would do the bare minimum, it was still tricky as students couldn’t divide their tasks effectively by themselves, got overwhelmed at the last moment and therefore did not produce quality tasks. To solve this issue, as well as ensure daily productivity, we came up with the Goal Setting System.
All of these systems combined helped us bring some structure and discipline in the space which helped students become more productive and also ensure that MLC runs rather smoothly. Below is a detailed account of each of these systems.
Credit System
This is the Credit System we have developed over the course of the year. The system is largely divided in evaluating a child’s Character and Competence (as per the school Mission statement).
Briefly – students have to do 8 projects in a year. They have to minimum do 1 in each category (Language and Arts, Design and Technology, Sciences, Humanities, Leadership, Passion) and they can do +2 projects in any of their desired categories. Look here to know the different kinds of projects they can do in each category. These categories aim at a holistic development in the child. These categories ensure that students explore something in each of these different fields and then get an opportunity to dig deeper in their interest area. The second evaluated part is Language and Mathematics. These are believed to be core skills and are therefore taught in MLC, their performance in these units taught is then evaluated and scores are given accordingly. Please read here to know more. The third part focuses on their contribution as a community leader – which is expanded further in the governance system. This mainly evaluates their character and ability to take up leadership and responsibility in the space. The third category also focuses on ‘Norms’. This is a co-created list of behaviours and attitudes that influence the space either positively or negatively. Based on a student’s actions in the space outside or within projects, facilitators give them points for their behaviours and attitudes. The list of the norms can be found here. The fourth category deals with whether the child is well behaved, well prepared and well disciplined in all the classes/sessions/meetings that take place in MLC. It also evaluates the ability of a child to set SMART goals daily and whether he/she is able to achieve those goals. This system is further explained here. The final and most unique category is that of a “Maverick Tag” – where the purpose and intention is to give the child motivation, space and time to become an expert in a field the child is extremely passionate about.
The total credits go up to 80+ and it’s expected that students at least earn 50 credits in a year to qualify and pass for the next year.
Governance System
The MLC space is huge with a lot of resources to be taken care of. To instill a sense of discipline and accountability in students, we felt we should build a governance system and make students in-charge of different responsibilities to ensure smooth functioning of the space. Students were given options (as can be seen below) and were asked to give their preferences for the category they would like to lead:
Governance categories:
- Space manager (Corridor and shoe rack)
- Space manager (Chairs, Shelves and Lights and fans)
- Space manager (Mats and Bean bag)
- Space manager(Voice meter, movements)
- Space manager (Lost and found)
- Space maintenance
- Helping hands to MLC facilitators
- Library (Books)
- Library (Games)
- Announcements and Updates
- Techno Cops
- Techno Pros
- Resources (Stock Keeping)
- Resources (Issue and return)
It was ensured that all 31 students were leaders in at least one of these categories. Their role as a community leader involved making rules for their assigned category, as well as developing a system for maintenance of the resources involved, and to ensure that the rules made are followed.
The work differed from category to category, each of these categories had a facilitator mentor in-charge whose job was to assign weekly tasks and give suggestions, as well as help students ensure proper work is done. For evaluation of this (for the purpose of the credit system), students were given time each week to finish their assigned tasks and then were evaluated on the quality, effectiveness and timeliness of this task done.
Mentoring System
In order to track and monitor each student’s progress, we came up with the idea of assigning teacher mentors to each student. In the academic year 2019-20, two types of mentors were to be chosen by students:
Well-being and overall mentor – Out of the 3 facilitators in the space, each child had to give their first and second preference for this mentor, which would remain for the entire academic year. This would be the primary mentor they would report to about their progress in MLC, and also go to if the student was facing any issues of difficulties. This mentor would deal with all the things pertaining to that student such as ensuring the child is okay and on track with his/her projects, consult as well as be a point of contact to the parent of that student, ensure all required and relevant announcements and updates reach that student etc. The ratio of student:mentor this academic year was 10:1.
Project Mentor – This was a more short-term, project oriented choice of mentor. As all kids would work on 8+ projects throughout the year, they could choose to do different projects with different mentors available in the space. So a child primarily reporting to mentor X, can choose to do one or more of his projects with mentor Y. This ensures that the child gets expert guidance from the mentors for each of their different projects in different domains.
Reporting System
As each child was onto something new and different in MLC, it sometimes became difficult for parents to exactly know what their child was doing. In the absence of a curriculum, homework and regular graded tests – parents often wondered if their child was involved in anything productive. To ease these worries a little, in the first term we came up with a report format that summarised all the activities, explorations, projects and their reflections on the term they had had. An exemplar of the first term report can be found here.
In the second term, with the credit system in place, evaluation became much more standardized and convenient. To give parents and students a constant update on how the child was doing as far as the requirements of the credit system were concerned, we started generating a monthly report, wherein the child was assessed and the report was updated on all the achievements the child had made till then – and highlight all the areas where work could either be improved, or was pending all together. A sample monthly report can be found here.
The final report of the child would include the entire year’s achievements, detailed mentor comments, and an evaluation of the child against the credit system put in place.
Goal Setting System
To ensure daily productivity and progress, we introduced a goal setting system which involved the following two parts:
- Ruminate: This is a 15-20 minute time at the start of the school day where students sit in solitude and make SMART (S- specific M – measurable A – achievable R – realistic T – time-bound) goals. They then have to get them checked and report to their overall mentor for the same. For the following day then the child is expected to work on fulfilling those goals.
- Closing the loop: At the end of the day for the last 15 minutes, each student has to go back to their overall mentor to report progress on their goals and provide evidence for the same.
Students are regularly marked on making as well as completing these goals. This goes to their credit system.
Student Led Projects
| Project Category | Sample Student-Led Projects |
| Humanities | Understanding the Human Development Index and rating of different countries. The child felt that the parameters to rate the ‘best’ country were not enough – and that aspects like environment and technological development were neglected. Therefore he undertook a study to find these parameters, undertake his own study and come out with his own improved rating and ranking of countries. |
| Sciences | A child was curious about ‘How eyes see color’ and undertook a detailed study of the same. He researched and understood concepts like reflection, refraction etc. and performed experiments to prove his understanding. |
| Troubled by the increasing issue of plastic in the world, this child focused on understanding how bioplastics can be made. She met experts and worked with different chemical combinations to understand the nature of plastic and determine how bioplastics can be made and used. | |
| Leadership | Two students decided to organise an MUN in the MLC space. After gaining experience at one of the school level MUN’s they decided to do it with a twist – by taking a local issue instead of an international one – and ensure that the resolution made is action oriented and actually worked upon. They figured out all the logistics as well as formalities and registrations of this MUN. |
| One child – very good at coding and programming, decided to teach programming to 3 other students in the space. He designed and held about 20 hours of classes with the other 3 students, and taught HTML and CSS step by step to these kids. The project concluded with the 3 students making their own websites by the concepts they had learnt. | |
| Language and Arts | A student undertook a simple project about designing a real fully functional bunker. The project was preceded by research on bunkers and the proper original design of a bunker in a limited space of 100m^2. The child created an online 3D model of his bunker describing the features it will have, the material it will use and the correct dimensions of the space. |
| A student extremely passionate about Architecture decided to explore if his interest in architecture was only theoretical or if he actually enjoyed working. He decided to do a 1 month internship in his father’s architecture office where he learnt softwares like AutoCad and was a part of the designing project the firm had undertaken in that duration. The experience was very practical and hands-on for him, after which is concluded that Architecture was indeed his passion area. | |
| Design and Technology | One of the students, again very passionate about coding decided to work on and make a chat bot for school. He worked on making an interactive page which would answer regular student and staff queries like “what’s for lunch today”, “which bus number does my bus-stop fall in”, “what’s the intercom number of xyz teacher” etc. He worked on linking all of these databases and coding this site as well as debugging it. |
| Another student – very passionate about automobiles and cars decided to design and make his own car using metal parts and welding them together. He began with a short internship at a makers lab, worked on his skills and then designed this. | |
| Passion | Many students in the space were very passionate about cooking. About 6-7 students undertook different kinds of projects under the umbrella of cooking. Some learnt and cooked a 7 course meal for teachers, others cooked and sold sandwiches, some held a cookies workshop where they learnt and made chocolate-chip and chilli cheese cookies, whereas some simply learnt new and basic dishes to cook for their family. |
| Another popular passion amongst students was sports. About 10-12 students decided to dedicate more time to train in their sport of choice. They joined Grade 9 classes of football/frisbee/table tennis etc. to hone their skills and achieve mastery for their sport sooner. They dedicated about 8 hours a week of school time for these sports. |
Facilitator Led Projects
| Project Category | Sample Facilitator-Led Projects |
| Humanities | The Humanities facilitator led project looked like a research process wherein students were divided in 3 groups with 3 different Humanities topics (a. To what extent is sustainability important and how can our school practices become more sustainable? b. To what extent can humans and nature coexist? c. Understanding the stages of any religious conflicts through the lens of the case study of the Ayodhya Dispute). The project was divided in 3 stages – A. Pre-field work – researching and understanding all secondary information available on the topic. Making a plan for on-field research (making questionnaires etc.) B. On-Field – conducting interviews, observations and collecting primary data on their chosen topic. Gaining an insight on the topic through lived experiences and personal journeys of people involved and expanding their understanding of the topic at hand. C. Post – Field – compiling and assimilating all knowledge gained through both the processes. Deciding a plan of action based on the new-found knowledge and presenting the information through a research report. Each of the 3 groups were led by a facilitator that closely monitored the progress of their students and guided them in the right direction. |
| Sciences | The science facilitator-led project was divided in 2 parts. The first part focused on a fixed number of pre-decided experiments in physics, chemistry and biology being guided and done in the labs – to teach students the scientific process, how to work in and be safe in a lab, understanding the experimental process, and learning some important theoretical concepts through these experiments. In the second part then, students were asked to choose a scientific topic (in either the domain of physics, chemistry or biology) that they are naturally curious about – and undertake a deep study of that topic by conducting 7-9 experiments and making some conclusions about the topic they had chosen. Example of a topic – “How does a car work with gravitational force, kinetic energy & potential energy”; list of experiments done to understand this topic – 1. Trying different weights on the Lego Car, 2. Trying 60 grams weight on the Lego car by different heights, 3. We tried our Lego car on different places like: mats, marble tables, etc. ,4. We put 60 grams of weight on the front, back, right side & left side of the Lego car & checked if the weight hampers the car’s process, 5. Different types of wheel on the Lego car, 6. Tried different weights on the metal car, 7. Tried the car on different slopes & angles. Students then had to fill a detailed project journal about each of their experiments, explaining the entire scientific process they undertook, the observations they made, the results they deduced and the conclusion they made. |
| Arts | The facilitator-led arts project was a Play Production. About 22 students got together to work on making a play from scratch. From writing the entire play till the final execution, students were in-charge of the entire process. Students took up all and different responsibilities such as being a writer, director, producer, costume designer and makeup artist, actor, back-stage manager and crew, light designer and manager, sound designer and manager, communications and marketing head etc. All students took up 1-2 roles of their choice and worked hard by collaborating and co-creating a 25 minute play – then presented in front of the school teachers and parents. The idea of the play was to mix characters of 2 comic indian TV serieses “Tarak mehta ka Olta Chashma” and “Khichdi” – and to show the interaction of these comic characters with MLC students and staff when they come looking for a ‘new and interesting’ project based school for their kids. |
Core Skills: Language and Math
Language:
Language in MLC took the approach of working on ‘core’ skills. The core being – LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing). Rather than focusing on literature and literary analysis of selected texts – students were made to work on the above stated skills. We had a Language Speech Unit, wherein students were exposed to different forms of speech such as spoken poetry, stand up comedy, extempore, TED talk etc. They then chose topics of their choice along the topic “How can I change the world” and chose a speech format of their choice – and presented it in front of parents and teachers. For the writing unit, they were taught ‘Persuasive Writing’ – as it would be helpful for them through their projects. They were asked to pick a topic of their own and write a 350-500 word persuasive essay on the same. The final unit they had in Language was a reading unit. It comprised several different challenges and tasks. It began with a book tasting event where students were asked to ‘taste’ books of different genres to find out their ‘reading type’.They had to read a book of 200 pages minimum (bonus points for books above 350 pages), they were taught Skimming and Scanning technique of reading, they were taught summary writing and finally had challenges quizzes and presentations to culminate their learnings. Other than these classes, we laid down an exhaustive list of benchmarks students had to meet in LSRW. We intended for students to meet these benchmarks through authentic contexts ie. real life situations that they dealt with for their projects. The focus of Language in MLC was highly on bettering language skills in a way that it can directly help them in real life.
Mathematics
Mathematics in MLC did not differ in content from MYP but in the method it was taught. In Core Mathematics, We taught the same curriculum and covered either same or higher level concepts. We looked at various Mathematical concepts using 4 different lenses, a) Knowing and understanding, b) Investigating patterns, c) Communicating and d) Real life application. However, rather than having 1 hour classes spread throughout the year – units were chunked into math weeks. Being a self directed set up – most math units were turned into Flipped Classrooms or students led sessions. Flipped classroom sessions were where, unit resources and plans (The plan included relevant videos and readings. Once the student has watched the video, he was supposed to Solve worksheets and then take a check for understanding.) were given to students in advance to be able to do the units by themselves on their own pace, while during students led sessions, students were given topics and each one of them was supposed to lead a topic of the unit. For example, While teaching statistics, students were asked to Learn different types of representation. Students had to understand the form of representation assigned to them, using the resources. Students had to then teach that form of representation to the class(They were given pointers to prepare). This gave them an opportunity to learn by teaching it to someone. Students who were interested in Mathematics were encouraged to take higher level topics and co teach, while a different curriculum was designed for students with special needs. The Classes were mostly either practice/doubt solving sessions then. Math week meant that for that entire week, the majority of the time in the school day would be spent by students in doing mathematics.This allowed them to dive deeper into the concepts and master them with concentration. Students were asked to form Support groups among themselves.Supporting each other was encouraged and created a positive environment for doubts solving. If a Student Shows clear understanding of the topic, He could choose to not attend Math week and work on his projects..Assessments were mostly the same as in MYP. For some units like statistics, the assessments were more process based where they had to collect, represent, analyse and interpret,real time data on climate change and make an infographic of the same.
MYP Exams
Other MYP subjects such as Humanities, Sciences and Language Acquisition (Hindi) were not formally catered to in MLC. However, our project benchmarks for Science and Humanities overlapped with MYP skills in those said subjects. As can be seen in our facilitator led projects, most of these skills were covered in the way students were expected to do these projects. We however did not focus much on content, and left that up to students to study from central presentations about each unit prepared by MYP teachers. Students could always approach either of the MLC facilitators or MYP teachers in case they had any questions about this content. Students usually studied it at their own pace as preparation for term end examinations. Students had an option to give the exam. Almost all the students decided to give exams for at least 2 subjects during the MYP term exam. They also had an option to choose the subjects for which they wanted to give the exam. Hence exams became a Self test, which was used by them to check their own understanding. The system was able to build a sense of ownership to learn in students. We also observed that over a period of year, students became Independent, self directed and confident, when it came to learning something new.
Maverick Learning Center
All your questions about the MLC answered here
Table of Contents
How did the school get the idea of MLC? What is the objective of the MLC?
How will MLC make me (the student) different from others?
What will be the venue for MLC?
Generally, how does a day in the MLC space look like?
Is MLC for the whole year? What if after a year we want to go back to MYP?
How will we integrate with the MYP or DP when we want to make that shift?
How will I learn other MYP subjects?
What is the assurance that I am going on the right track?
Do we have to wear school uniforms?
Can we go more for more PS classes if we want to?
Can we come late or leave early?
Will we have free play and can we spend time with our friends?
Are we dedicating a fixed time table for essential subjects ?
Do we have to make Goals and provide evidence after completing it ?
Do we have some Dedicated time for individual projects?
How does MLC’s Timetable work?
Are there some specialized projects as well? Can we do more than 8 projects?
Will we get any material that we want for our projects?
Can sports/dancing/playing an instrument or cooking become a project?
Will I have to give board exams?
I want to be a businessperson, so what will I do in MLC?
I want to become an IAS officer (or do an MBA). How can MLC help me in that?
I want to be a cricketer (or a tennis player). So will these sports be offered in MLC?
What if I don’t yet have a career interest? Will I get help?
What skills do we focus on at MLC?
How are 21st century skills related to the real world?
Why are we focussing on skills & traits?
What do we mean by character building?
How are the character traits decided?
Why MLC?
How did the school get the idea of MLC? What is the objective of the MLC?
Being true to Fountainhead School’s vision of scaling new heights in terms of curriculum innovation and teaching methodologies, the MLC is an experiment on the self-directed learning model. We believe children can take responsibility for their education provided they get the right environment and support. The MLC’s objective is to provide such an environment where students can learn 21 century skills and attitudes while they explore areas of their interest, and build expertise.
How will MLC make me (the student) different from others?
The MLC will give you the opportunity to excel in those areas that you want to pursue. It will develop an ability and confidence to manage yourself effectively. It will allow you to take responsibility, and learn through both failures and successes through the projects and learning that you undertake.
Am I ready for MLC?
Fundamentally, we believe that every child wants to learn something and they are naturally curious. Even if you don’t know what you are excited about today, you will have the opportunity to do so during MLC. Having said that, we have planned a set of tasks that will help you and your parents evaluate whether you are ready for self-directed learning.
Structure
What will be the venue for MLC?
An exclusive space has been assigned to the MLC on the third floor of the 6th block of the school. The space has been divided into different learning spaces to provide for different learning models and methods – for research work, for collaboration, for reading, for making things, etc. Two washrooms are in the corridor and a designated outdoor play area on the terrace with fencing has been added. In addition, all the specialized facilities in the school such as the science labs, cooking lab, design tech labs, arts and sports facilities will also be accessible by the students
Generally, how does a day in the MLC space look like?
Inside (and outside) of the space, you will find students setting their goals every morning. These goals can be related to their projects, explorations, learning something new, and such. After setting the goals for the day, students begin with their work based on their calendar. If there is a language/math skill class then that becomes a part of their day as well. As they progress through the day, they can have several mentoring and consultation sessions with their well-being and project mentors to work on themselves and their projects. There can be explorations planned for them or they could be conducting explorations for a set of students as well. Sometimes, even Facilitator-Led projects occupy their daily agenda for a period of time, where they work in teams to achieve a common and individual goal.
Is MLC for the whole year? What if after a year we want to go back to MYP?
Yes the MLC is meant to be a year-long program as we would prefer to have students for the whole year. However, after the year’s over, you have the option to either continue with MLC or shift to the MYP. The same option will be available to you after 2 years as well. Having mentioned that, we still work on a case-by-case basis to help students in case MYP seems to be a better and more suited place for them over MLC.
Is MLC a board like CBSE/IB?
No – the MLC is not a board in itself. However, the students are still under the aegis of the IB broadly and can take up the MYP e-assessments in Grade 10 if they wish to. And obviously they can join the DP in Grade 11.
How will we integrate with the MYP or DP when we want to make that shift?
Both the MYP and the DP are skill based programs rather than content based. You will be working on the same set of skills and more in the MLC and more deeply because you will be working on projects for longer durations. So in terms of skills (thinking, research, self-management, communication and social) you will be very much at par with other students.
Having said that, you will need to make sure that you are prepared with the prerequisite content for specific subjects such as Sciences, Mathematics, etc. Once you are clear about your subjects, facilitators will help you make a learning plan for these subjects so that you are thorough with them when you start the DP. Students who wish to opt for MYP/DP as they progress, have been working on their MYP subjects along with MLC projects and have been able to cope with that.
Is there a limit to the number of students? If we don’t get selected in interview this year, can we give an interview next year?
Because this is a recently established set-up and at MLC the facilitator to student ratio is an important aspect for a student’s learning and growth curve; we focus on admissioning students upto an extent where the Mentor to Mentee ratio can be optimised. As of now we have 4 Facilitators in MLC and 37 students, maintaining a Mentor to Mentee ratio of 1:9. Thus, we will continue our admission process this year with the same aspects in mind.
What is core skills practice?
At MLC, Maths and Language(English) skills are defined as core skills as they are essential to success in further education (both subjects are compulsory in the DP) as well as in careers. MLC will hold core skills classes at regular intervals which all Mavericks will be encouraged to attend.
How will I learn other MYP subjects?
You will learn the content of various subjects through your projects and through inquiries. While there will be no fixed curriculum for the other subjects, by doing projects across the 6 baskets at MLC, Mavericks will be exposed to a range of subjects. Students can choose the depth to which they would like to go into each basket and the subject involved in it.
Facilitators will be available to guide your learning and to solve doubts as and when they arise. We will also invite subject experts to help you as and when needed. When you approach the DP and once you decide which subjects you would like to take up, the facilitators can help you make a learning plan.
What is the assurance that I am going on the right track?
Your mentors cum facilitators will be working closely with you to help you assess whether you are working well in your projects or your learning topics. Parents will also be involved frequently in these conferences. Mavericks will be expected to work on the feedback given so that they can improve the quality of their work. There is a credit evaluation and project structure that acts as a guide for the students here.
Do we have to wear school uniforms?
Yes you are expected to wear the school uniform. All standard policies such as uniform, transport, food, discipline will apply to the Mavericks.
Who will be our facilitators?
Once you have been oriented into MLC, your skill sets and general interest areas have been identified, and you have had an overview of the systems at MLC; your facilitators will be decided as per your requirements and needs. The facilitators will be assigned in a way so as to maximise your efficiency and effectiveness at the space.
Will there be exams?
No, there won’t be exams of the standard kind. However when learning a topic you need to push yourself to master the concepts and the content. After the completion of the projects, self- assessment and feedback from peers and facilitators will definitely be there. Assessments for Language & Maths skills will be held so that students can know where they stand and what they need to work on.
Timetable
Can we come late or leave early?
Yes it’s possible with the following two conditions:
- For school routes, there should be space in those bus routes. If not, then parents will need to manage the transport.
- More importantly, there has to be a reason for coming late or leaving early. Reasons for which permission will be given include attending a sports camp, or a learning workshop or an event which is related to a project that you are doing.
Are we going to attend regular classes? Can we come anytime in our class and will our teacher allow it?
For classes that are scheduled by the facilitators such as core skills, or circle / reflection time, or for specific topics, students will be expected to be on time like for any other class. Mavericks won’t be attending regular MYP classes and will be encouraged to make their own schedule. However, if a Maverick is interested in learning a certain subject in the classroom with other students, then we can speak to the teacher and make that work.
Will we have free play and can we spend time with our friends?
Yes, Mavericks can schedule time for free play as long as long as project objectives are being met. Further, as you will be collaborating with other Mavericks for many projects (by choice) you will be spending time with them. Or else you could just be learning a topic together or reading a book together. Mavericks will also be encouraged to spend time with friends during lunch time.
Are we dedicating a fixed time table for essential subjects ?
Yes, Maths and language are core subjects and we have language sessions twice a week and as for math we have a math week for each unit where, for one week students focus on math and complete the unit. Assessments for Language & Maths skills will be held so that students can know where they stand and what they need to work on.
Do we have to make Goals and provide evidence after completing it ?
Yes, You have to make SMART(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals In the morning (Ruminate). Clarify your goals and make them measurable. At the end of the day you have to complete the goals and get it approved by the facilitators in Reflect. A goal is always more effective if the end result is measurable but a goal will still help you even if it isn’t.
Do we have some Dedicated time for individual projects?
Yes, We Dedicate a whole month for each project basket i.e There will be IS month, Design and Tech month and so on for other projects as well that will be led by facilitators .
How does MLC’s Timetable work?
We have a google calendar for MLC. You can check out the MLC calendar for more clarity.
Projects
Do we have to compulsorily do a project from all the 7 project baskets/categories ? If I want to do all my projects in one area only is that possible?
These are the project areas -: a) Humanities b) Science c) language and Arts d) Design and Technology e) Leadership f) Passion. There is one additional basket – Interest Projects (1&2) for which students can make a project related to the above 6 baskets or some other area of their interest. These seven project areas have been carefully chosen so that the Mavericks get exposed to a wide variety of subjects and topics. The categories have been intentionally kept very broad so that students don’t limit themselves.
As we go forward, we allow for specialization of projects from grade 9. Sometimes we let students explore their interest areas aligning it with the requirements of a particular project category but it depends. Out there in the real world, it’s the best to have a ‘Jack/Jill of many trades but master of one’.
Are there some specialized projects as well? Can we do more than 8 projects?
The concept of specialized projects are carried out in two ways – a) Student led projects & b) Fac-led projects. It’s either aimed to pursue an interest of a learner (Student-led) which goes on to become a shared interest area for many or to support students by offering project ideas (Fac-led) which some or all the Mavericks can take up based on their needs and interests. These sessions are taken up by facilitators to provide more clarity. If a particular learner is interested in it, he/she may work together with the facilitator in taking these sessions.
Learners can take up as many projects as they want as long as reasonable passion and effort is shown. They are acknowledged for their hard work as they first have to be done with all the projects from the other categories and only then can they take up additional projects.
Will we get any material that we want for our projects?
Regular resources like stationery, papers that are available in the classroom will be available in the Maverick Centre as well. Specialized material for projects can also be ordered – within reason and as long as your parents are fine with the expense; for e.g. electronics, or art and design resources. But resources that may pose safety risks have to be evaluated carefully. The same applies to costly equipment – Mavericks will have to present their project ideas to their parents and get approval for the cost. As for study materials or online resources, the facilitators help them to look at the right places or share whatever is needed so that nothing comes in their way of learning.
Can we work in pairs / groups? How will we make groups for research groups as we will have different topics?
Students will be encouraged to work in groups of their choice, based on common interests or skills. It’s important that Mavericks don’t limit their collaboration based on their social relationship with others.
In real life, we work with those with whom we can hope to achieve the best results. At the same time students will also be encouraged to work independently to gain confidence that they can achieve things on their own.
Can sports/dancing/playing an instrument or cooking become a project?
Definitely yes. All the above mentioned fields or even beyond these may be a learner’s area of passion and MLC allows their students to excel in that field. Facilitators help the students to build on their passion while specifying certain objectives. An entire category – ‘Passion Project’ has been introduced so that students/parents don’t feel that these fields are useless.
Career
Will I have to give board exams?
Fountainhead school is certified to give Grade 12 equivalent – American High school Diploma certificate By MSA- CESS(Site). Which means that you can get a grade 12 Board equivalent certificate through Real life Project based learning. This will allow you to become an expert at something you like. The specialization pathway is designed specially for Mavericks.
I want to be a businessperson, so what will I do in MLC?
To become a successful businessman, one needs a range of skills such as leadership and teamwork, marketing, analytical, business research, communication and attitudes such as determination, learning from failure, ability to take risks. Our students develop these skills as part of the MLC projects. They also take up more business projects where they run a small business, or study existing business, do internships and projects with other companies. They learn a lot of business skills practically.
I want to become an IAS officer (or do an MBA). How can MLC help me in that?
Both the IAS and MBA are post-graduate programs. So Mavericks will need to pursue a college degree of their choice and then appear for the relevant examinations. During the MLC period, you can build the required knowledge or skills for these entrance examinations and careers by making a plan for yourself. For e.g IAS officers need to have an excellent hold over current affairs – so you can plan to read and discuss current affairs every day for an hour.
I want to be a cricketer (or a tennis player). So will these sports be offered in MLC?
We are not going to be able to add sports exclusively for the Mavericks and at this point we don’t have any plans of adding a new sport to the ones that we already offer. So while you won’t practice your sports directly as part of MLC, you can work every day for 45-60 min on your fitness and athletic skills which are necessary to excel in any sport. You can make a plan with the guidance of our coaches, and then work diligently on your plan. Not having fixed homework, submission deadlines and examinations will allow you to practice your sport regularly outside school. When you need to go for camps in the city or even outside, you won’t miss any curriculum because you are incharge of your learning. Also You can complete your project quickly and then focus on Your sport exclusively!
I want to be a scientist (or an artist) and explore Astronomy (or fine arts). So how can MLC help me?
MCL will allow you to explore your interests today thoroughly instead of doing it much later. You can take up projects in science and astronomy, meet people in these fields, read up about these, conduct experiments, learn the content needed to understand these fields and so on. The same applies for someone interested in art or any other field. You can start working on those areas today.
What if I don’t yet have a career interest? Will I get help?
Absolutely. The school career counselors will work closely with the MLC facilitators as well as you and your parents to help you figure out what careers you might be interested in. The process will be a slow one as we don’t expect students to be sure about career choices today; but we believe with MLC you will be able to make more sense of your interests.
Skills & Traits
What skills do we focus on at MLC?
All the projects and explorations carried are focussed on building 21st century skills that prepares students as they live through their real life.
What are 21st century skills?
In the current world when knowledge is accessible at fingertips, learning facts has been rendered unnecessary and useless. Jobs that were popular once are obsolete now, and jobs that are popular now didn’t exist till a decade ago. The future is extremely dynamic and students need to be prepared for this. Hence our focus has shifted to building essential skills that remain useful even in the uncertain future. These skills include emotional intelligence, metacognition (learning how to learn), financial literacy, communication, media literacy, collaboration, scientific thinking, critical thinking, self management, time management, research, and survival skills.
How are 21st century skills related to the real world?
These are a selected set of skills that can be applied in personal life and across all ranges of professions. For example, metacognition – the skill of learning how to learn gets to the fundamentals of the process of learning. This can be used to learn anything anyone wants to learn in life. Another skill, for example, is emotional intelligence which teaches the learner how emotions can productively be handled – a knowledge that can be applied across all spheres of life.
Why are we focussing on skills & traits?
We believe that knowledge alone is not enough to build a good professional career and a balanced personal life. To excel in what you do and to lead a meaningful life, we need to build skills that are relevant and character traits that add value to not only their life, but also to people around them, and the community they live in.
How are these skills built?
Skill building is integrated with projects and explorations. Each project focuses on developing a specific set of skills. Apart from these, separate sessions/workshops are also taken throughout the year. Skills are broken down into simpler steps so that students can take them up one by one.
What are traits?
These are character traits such as kindness, mindfulness, integrity, honesty, discipline, empathy etc which we encourage students to work on via the projects & explorations they take up.
What do we mean by character building?
We believe that good character can consciously be built if students start/align/upgrade their work and goals with the traits they believe in and want to develop in themselves. We encourage this by making students more conscious of the values they are building and also rewarding them for it via credit points.
How are the character traits decided?
Character traits are decided by students and facilitators together. In one academic term, 6 character traits are chosen.
How are these traits built?
Characters are something that can’t be assessed or judged but we do encourage students to take action or have conscious realization/reflection of the things they have done to build the desired character traits in themselves. We reward these actions by giving additional credit points. Students can take actions to build their character as part of their projects or they can take stand alone actions as well.