MIND GAMES

In our pragmatic age, the discussions about the quality of education are getting increasingly popular. The disappointing results of analytical studies concerning the results of entry examinations are discouraging: the generation raised on gadgets has lost the interest and the capacity for intellectual development. The situation is common to many countries. Therefore, the scientists exploring the problem came to a conclusion that the human brain of the XXI century “shrinks”, to say the least. The unused cells start to die. This is what the scientists claim. They look deep into the inner aspects of the problem. On the other hand, we can notice a rapid decline in the level of knowledge of our children. Some accuse the national education system and complain about the lack of professional teaching staff, the others complain about the futility of the Bologna education system, which is a hundred times worse than the Soviet one and does not provide for systematic approach to education process.

The criticism of parents, who do not have financial opportunities to educate their children at special schools, are well grounded. The deficiencies in the education process make our children more like inarticulate creatures who cannot even express their thoughts either orally or in writing. And even those who have a fairly comprehensive knowledge, often do not know how to express their thoughts in words.

And yet, in spite of pragmatism and the new style of commercial relations where everything is measured by financial interests, there are people with somewhat different style of relationship: the business and the idea is above all for them. These are professionally enthusiastic and patriotic people devoted to the cause. It is even better, when such people are the teachers – the people wholeheartedly and unselfishly in love with their profession. Those who do care how and what they teach our children paying particular attention to how the children perceive the taught subject and apply it in real life.

Playing as education process

In the early summer, an interactive exhibition codenamed “The ancient weaponry” opened at the Museum of History. The initiators were the junior researcher of the Museum Mr. Fuad Aghayev and the head teacher of one of the private schools of Baku Mr. Namig Rustamov. Both are historians, and both are caring people who constantly work on the problem of awaking interest of the generation grown up on the gadgets in the education process. The exhibition will last until the end of September. So, anyone visiting the Museum of History will be able not only to touch the exhibits but also to hold cold steel and firearms. Most of the museum's unique collection of weapons is from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Far East. The interactive activity will take place under the supervision of expert historians. The ancient weaponry is not the pieces of iron rusted with time. This is a weapon. Swords, armor, knives, muskets, helmets – all are the attributes of the ancient wars. Regardless of age, the weapons are always perceived with great interest. This will be a paid exhibition but everybody will be able to see, to touch, and to hold the weapons of our ancestors. Access to the exhibition will always be limited. Such interactivity with the exhibits requires special attention and care. Both the children and adults will get educational information thanks to interactive learning process that seems boring and uninteresting at school. Not only this interactivity is a game of interest but it also activates the memory. At this point, history as a science ceases to be a dull, dry and uninteresting subject anymore. As a result, the archeology, numismatics, and mythology will be parts of a big and very interesting science called History. This is another technique invented by Namig Rustamov to awaken interest in the sciences!

Intellectuals Club

In fact, it is not a club. It is a training center called “Alternative”. Why alternative? Because the form of teaching is very different from that adopted at public schools. Namig Rustamov is a teacher, a trainer, a generator of ideas, a developer of visual and game manuals for junior and secondary school children who originally proposed the idea of “alternative” approach in learning. Once he had noticed that children are not interested in the lessons of history. And then thought: what if the same subject is not taught in class but in the museum, where the children can go from one room to another paying attention to the visual aids of different ages: stone age, iron age, bronze age? Or search for items issued as photofragments. For example, the student receives a photo of a small fragment of the entire exhibit. It is a tip for a puzzle he must collect to identify the whole exhibit and tell all he knows about the time and era to which the exhibit belongs. Having this in mind, the historian visited the director of the museum Naila Velikhanli, a creative person not indifferent to history, who supported Namig. So, instead of interactive whiteboards at the school, the children had an interactive space in the museum and the ability to work with information provided in the books. The parents bought lightweight folding chairs, which children took from one room to another listening to fascinating stories of the teacher. And the story became a reality for them. That was the beginning, the first step on the way to a big project, which involved the museum staff – after 4 years, it has become a common cause for them too. “Alternative” has a general humanitarian thematic focus, and it is visited on a regular basis by the pupils of schools nos. 27, 56 and the one where Namig Rustamov works as a teacher. Parallel to studies at the training center, the enthusiast instructors hold seminars for high school students and the students attending the Russian Cultural Information Centre. Not only the students attend these lessons but also the teachers, parents, and the museum staff. The project is called “Conversations About Art”. At several workshops preceding the summer vacations, the project has investigated historical materials on the artist Vasily Vereshchagin, whose grandmother was supposedly from an Azerbaijani village in Gazakh, the archaeologist and artist Ivan Shcheblykin, the poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir, and the sculptor Jacob Keylikhis. The visiting hours are available at the website of the museum and the project’s Facebook page. You are always welcome to join!

Teaching is a creative process

In ancient Greece, a pedagogue (from Ancient Greek, “leading the child”) was a servant whom the Athenian families entrusted caring of their boys starting from the age of seven. It was the responsibility of the pedagogue to protect the pupil from physical and moral hazards, and teach him basic literacy until the pupil was enrolled to school.

It is said that one cannot become a pedagogue. Pedagogues are born. Perhaps this is true. But a simple desire to teach, to transmit knowledge to others, to educate eliminating the illiteracy is not enough. It is important to make the mind and heart work in unison.

“The essence of education is to become an interesting and informed man. Before going to school, I always ask myself the question: how this information will help them in life? If there is an answer, there is a meaning in what I'm doing”, says Namig Rustamov.

The junior researcher Fuad Aliyev and the historian Namig Rustamov have formed a good creative tandem. They complement each other, creating a unique information program designed to not only eliminate ignorance and expand horizons of the younger generation, but also to impart taste, love and passion for knowledge, search, education. This is not an easy mission, which is sacredly implemented by these two pedagogues, who have precisely determined their public goal corresponding to the statement of Confucius. “The task of a teacher is to open a new perspective for student’s thoughts”.

Prospects, plans and dreams

“Alternative” and “Conversations About Art” have a lot of different topics to explore in perspective. But beyond that, at the beginning of the new school year, it is scheduled to open a cinema club “Wide Format” under the auspices of the Azerbaijan History Museum. The project leaders had already held talks with the Guild of Directors and have developed some sketches of the future project. The project “Armory Room” will be modified with the use of interactive activities. By the way, anyone can make a selfie with a halberd or a musket in his hands putting it later on Facebook. Interactive games in the museum will be continued in September. Their structure will be designed based on the intellectual game show “Ford Boyard”. And they have a dream to hold seminars on public speaking ...

As you can see, there are a lot of plans, projects and dreams. It is not for personal gain, since all of these classes are made on the enthusiasm and love of the creative process, but for the sake of education of humane ideas, for the sake of those who will come in this life after us, who are enthusiastically looking at their teachers willing to follow them to find their own way and place in this life...