On 28 July 2019, Ms Nadezhda Ivanova, guest storyteller from Krasnoyarsk, Russia engaged the students of Class II-A using Skype in the classroom. A seasoned English teacher and MIEE, Ms Ivanova brought alive the fabled Russian tale of the Turnip- Repka and Kolobok for her young audience.
In a mesmeric voice she unfolded the narrative of an old man who planted a turnip that grew big and sweet. Alone, he was unable to pull it out because of its size. He decided to take the help of others. Together, they were able to pull the turnip out. The story imparted the message of friendship and teamwork to the enthralled listeners.
The keen viewers observed in rapt attention the illustrations held aloft by Ms Ivanova as she told them that the turnip used to be the staple crop for Russians in the olden days. The house in the story is called ‘IzbA.’ The old man wore rural shoes called ‘lapty’ made from the birch core.
The students in turn had questions for their story teller - What other fruit and vegetables are grown in Russia? Etc. In the end, everybody concluded that tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelons grew in both India and Russia!
The second folk tale shared was ‘Kolobok’ which was about how a slice of bread which tried to be clever and left her grandma in the middle of the road, got gobbled by a cunning wolf!
The children loved both the stories and learnt a valuable moral lesson. To conclude the Skype session, the children sang a lovely song about the monsoon.
Skype in the classroom creates a whole new world of learning for students by bringing them meaningful, real-world experiences. As a teacher, it was exciting and rewarding to see how interested and engaged the students were in all aspects of an amazing and relatable story.
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