First Education News

Why do we need ICT in schools? Was education not happening before computers came into existence? Why is this paradigm shift necessary?

The answer is that the shift is necessary because this is the age of information technology, an age which requires that teachers should facilitate the knowledge to the students in better ways through present technology.
In today’s competitive world the child needs the skills and information beyond subject knowledge and requires assimilation power and retentions. Over the last few decades, everything has changed in our lives with the intervention of technology.

The classrooms that our grandparents went had only Chalk and blackboard , text books, stale curriculum and a teacher painstakingly explaining abstract concepts with the limited tools at her disposal . The best of teachers take pains to explain the concepts largely depending on their own abilities.

The students listen to the teachers, try to understand the figures drawn on the blackboard and read from their text books, take notes and try hard to visualize how it happens and remember. At the end of the class, the teacher asks a few random questions to assess how the class fared. Invariably a few hands go up, the answers are given and the class ends. On the contrary.

Imagine a Science teacher explaining how cell division takes place and DNA replicates, a History teacher teaching about the Stone Age or a Geography teacher teaching the Himalayan range of mountains by actually showing them the relevant videos and animations for better understanding. Digital classrooms bring about a complete transformation in the teaching learning environment of the class rooms. A science teacher while explaining how a DNA replicates is able to show the class a 3D animation of the DNA replication process on a large screen. She can explain the fine points of the process, zoom to show the relevant visuals freeze and annotate when and where she needs to emphasize. Similarly the History teacher shows the class a virtual walk through of the Stone Age. Uncovering the relevant parts step by step as a part of her lesson plan, while the Geography teacher takes them on a virtual aerial walk over Himalayas …all with engaging animations, colours, music, sounds and voiceovers. The teacher gets complete attention and interest of every child in the class.

Every child gets a visual input on how it happens and the concepts are well understood. Towards the end of the class, teacher displays a set of questions on a large screen, every child in class gets ready to answer the questions with their personal answering device- SAS(Digital Assessment System). Students click the answers, instantly teachers are able to get a score sheet for every child in the class. She ends the class with revising the parts of the lesson that were not understood well by class.

This result is quick and accurate understanding of the concepts in the classrooms. It helps improve the overall academic performance of the students. Teachers are able to keep students interested in the learning process and also get an instant and accurate assessment of learning outcomes at the end . All this happens due to digital classrooms which is a technological initiative in teaching learning process which has already been adopted by progressive schools in India. Digital classrooms are transforming the way teachers teach and students learn in schools. It’s a new age technological initiative for 21st century learners that is fast becoming an imperative for every school. Soon it will touch every school in India.

If Digital Class education is started in most of the schools, it will be successful, if schools provide:
Trained Teachers to facilitate the learning process, make the process real, achievable, challenging yet exciting and intimidating.

Proper on the job training to senior teachers on how to use the projectors and other technologies while taking a class.

Appoint teachers who are well versed with the ICT .

Acknowledges the creativity of teachers teaching in Digital classes.

A healthy class room interaction between teacher and students in a Digital class teaching learning process

ICT has bought new communication possibilities into the classroom at the same time, it placed more demands on teachers. It needs to be effectively integrated into the formal classroom teaching and learning conditions. The ICT’s integration in classroom teaching and teacher’s education is the need of the time. ICT’s can also provide powerful support for educational innovations. By integrating a variety of media into a ‘teaching learning process’ offers learners an opportunity to understand in a better way. Thus Digital class an outcome of ICT definitely has a positive impact on teaching learning process in education.
By
DR. SHILPA JEJURKAR
PRINCIPAL & ADMINISTRATOR
AMBER INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
THANE, MUMBAI.