Through the looking glass | Ashwin Prabhu | TEDxThe Pupil International School Youth

Educator Ashwin Prabhu argues for a different way of teaching history, one that treats children as active creators of insight rather than passive recipients of information. The talk stresses curiosity, critical thinking, and the freedom to be wrong as core parts of learning. Prabhu is an independent educator and author who writes about education, philosophy, history, and art. The talk was given at a TEDx event, organized independently by a local community using the TED conference format. It is presented here by TEDx Talks.

• A case for teaching history in a more active, inquiry-based way
• Role of curiosity and critical thinking in learning
• Why the freedom to be wrong matters in classrooms
• Speaker: Ashwin Prabhu, author of books on education and Indian art

Ashwin Prabhu advocates a transformative approach to teaching history .His talk highlights how curiosity, critical thinking, and the freedom to be wrong can transform children from passive consumers of information into active creators of insight. Ashwin Prabhu is an independent educator and author who writes on topics related to education, philosophy, history, and art. His first book, "Classroom With A View - Notes from the Krishnamurti Schools" was published by Tara Books in 2022 and drew a warm response from teachers, heads of schools, policy makers, and educational administrators across the country. His series of books on Indian heritage and art for children is published by Tulika Publishers and includes a book each on the sculptures of Mamallapuram ("Sculpted Stones - Mysteries of Mamallapuram") and the paintings of Ajanta ( “Magnificent Murals - Buddhist Art of Ajanta”). Ashwin's current work centres around engaging with schools, teachers and children (through workshops, lectures and presentations) and attempts to present a view of education which goes beyond literacy and numeracy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx