Mangaluru: As Karnataka rolled out bilingual education and phased out the Nali Kali activity-based learning model, two govt school teachers from Sullia have come up with an innovative digital learning resource to help students of class 1 to 5.Kannada teacher Jalajakshi KD and English teacher Ranganath MS, of the Govt Upgraded Higher Primary School, Kolchar, have developed ‘Big Book’, a series of interactive e-books designed to make learning engaging, enjoyable and meaningful for young learners.“The Big Book uses colourful illustrations, bold text and simple stories to support classroom storytelling, shared reading, vocabulary development and active participation,” Jalajakshi told TOI.Available in digital format, the e-books can be accessed on mobile phones, tablets, computers and smart TVs, enabling children to learn both in the classroom and at home. “Our objective is to cultivate reading habits, strengthen language skills, stimulate imagination and make learning fun,” she said.Three books have already been released, while content for another 10 is ready. The teachers plan to release 10 to 12 e-books in the series. Although the education department had encouraged schools to develop Big Books, the Kolchar school opted for a digital version to make it easily accessible. The e-books were launched about two weeks ago and have received an encouraging response from teachers and parents alike, she said.The idea emerged after teachers observed that many class 1 students, particularly those coming directly from anganwadis, LKG and UKG were struggling to cope with the new bilingual curriculum introduced this academic year.The school itself has emerged as a model govt institution. Besides introducing bilingual education last year, it has mobilised nearly Rs 7 lakh through community support to establish smart classrooms, indoor games and other facilities comparable to private schools, supplementing the Rs 1 lakh annual govt grant for basic infrastructure.
