The ICT Debate

April 6, 2022
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Is Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in schools to go; or is it the way to go? In the contemporary context, the increasing usage of technology for our daily activities means that the importance of answering this question has increased. Some schools have actively pursued the integration of ICT into teaching, learning and the development of digital literacy in students whereas other institutions see no need for turning towards technology due to issues like increasing costs of procurement and maintenance, etc.

The argument against ICT should not be interpreted in a primitive sense that would entail the absence of all technology within the school. One cannot deny the significant and rising influence that computers have had on our lives, making them so much simpler. However, it cannot be denied that students get exposed to technology increasingly at home. Traditional methods of teaching and learning can fast disappear in the future. If there is increasing dependence on a method that employs the usage of devices for teaching, the student may forget that the method is only a facilitator for learning something and not the end in itself. For example, if a student is always used to learning from concise PowerPoint presentations used in class, he/she may not even refer to textual sources and will just depend on rote learning from such slides, thereby making books redundant. Although this is inherently subjective and may vary from case to case, it remains a source of worry because a turn towards this would mean there was no turning back.

Does modern technology owe pedagogy an apology? Technology itself does not, but a balance has to be struck. It is crucial to drive home the fact that increasing reliance on technology may lead to students being excessively dependent upon them. At the same time, this should not mean that students are stuck experiencing a digital divide as they would have to engage with ICT in some form or the other in their lives.

A solution that presents the best of both strategies is an ideal way out. Only after carefully studying the pros and cons of each method must they be applied in class. The power of thinking is what is imprinted in a child in school and is what will set him or her on course for life. This should not be curtailed in any way possible which is why it is necessary to constantly debate whether the usage of ICT in a particular scenario is beneficial or not, only after which it should be applied.

Understanding before Teaching

April 3, 2022
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In today’s education system, we believe in holistic development of a child, yet number/grades still remain as the yardstick for comparison between students. Not only peers, even teachers do not give proper attention towards an academically weak students, no matter how good they are in extracurricular activities. This often leads to inferiority complex. They start keeping themselves isolated, remain aloof and bear a pessimistic approach towards everything. In my last ten years of teaching career, amidst various experiences that were good, humorous, irritating and so on, one incident made me believe in G.B. Shaw‘s saying ”Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” 

In 2013, in class 9, I had a back bencher, excluded from the entire class, friendless, submissive and soundless. The results of the first exam gave me a bit of hint about his uncanny attitude.

On one of the occasions my students had collected Rs. 1200/- and kept the money in one of the student’s school bag and left for the games period. After their games period, the student came to know that the money was missing. After lot of interaction with each student, I came to know that only one student was in the class when other students had gone for sports but neither the students nor I doubted this child. But something troubled me and thus I decided   to enquire. When I questioned him, he very politely answered that as he was not feeling well, he stayed back. His answer wasn’t too satisfactory. On checking his bag, I got the answer. To my astonishment the money was there!

My usual nature made me take little more effort to know the reason behind this act. I called him personally and told him that I will give him the option of either speaking the truth or exposing the fact to the higher authorities. After few meetings, I gained his confidence, convinced him that I was there with him which broke the ice between us. He admitted that he was so upset with the behavior of his classmates that he wanted to retaliate by harassing them. He also admitted that he had been stealing their money for the last few months. But he also said that he had realized his mistake. Later he assured he would not to repeat and gave back the money he had taken.

Very soon I could see some positive changes in him. He felt happy that I did not make the incident a big issue, as promised, which gave him confidence to share his problems with me. Slowly but steadily a rapport was built between us. I could see that lost soul was able to find some respite. I was sure the little difference that I had made was negligible. Nevertheless, I continued with my efforts whenever I looked into his seeking eyes.

My endeavor bore fruit when he came and gave a card thanking me as he was leaving the school. It not only gave me immense pleasure but also boosted my morale. It strengthen my conviction that we only live once but if we do it right, once is enough.

Mute Bliss

March 30, 2022
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Teaching class 8G, a bunch of enthusiastic children, is always fun and challenging, but amidst all the fun and learning my students and I learnt a lesson. “Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” - William James

It all happened while teaching the lesson “The Beginnings of a Miracle” – Story of Helen Keller. Incidents from Helen Keller’s life deeply touched my heart and soul. As part of our efforts towards holistic development of every child, I took up an initiative and took my students to Ashray Akruti – a school for hearing impaired - children who break the walls of silence.

My students were excited as it was their first field trip that year but the experience at the special school, I am sure, left an indelible impact on these tender minds as they saw how the children, there, need exceptional attention and have to be taught with boundless patience. The students witnessed how these children find it difficult to communicate well as they don’t have the required vocabulary and find it tough to express their thoughts in the form of poems, essays and stories however they are immensely talented in other areas like music, painting and karate. Their great master pieces in paintings and craft articles astounded the little hearts. The students were interactive and light hearted and were overwhelmed by our small gesture as our students donated some stationery and food items.  I silently witnessed the happenings.

It indeed was an awakening experience for my students my ever enthusiastic, excited students, suddenly, mellowed down. The realization that they were a bit more privileged sobered them.

By the time they came out of the school they were moved by the jolt of reality. All of them had one thing to say – “Thank you Lord Almighty for making me who I am!” I could also see pearls dropping from few pairs of eyes. I knew I have done it but Robert Frost’s famous line “And miles to go before I sleep….” hit me hard and I discerned it was just the beginning.

I tried to light the candle in my students’ hearts, the light– beckoning them to tread on the right path.

I strongly feel the jaunt to this special school was rewarding, education is not just that we acquire form books but from our life, which reminds me of Rohn’s words “ Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

TECHNOLOGY

March 27, 2022
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Technology is a boon for human beings. There is an explosive revolution in technology in last fifty years. Technology plays a wonderful role in people’s daily life. It is impossible to imagine the life without technology. Technological advances and their rapid and wide applications are having a significant impact on a nation. Some people argue that such impact is so extraordinary. However, I believe they would continue to thrive by providing alternatives to modern ways of life, and innovative ideas for modern technologies.

First of all, traditional skills and ways of life are becoming an alternative solution which are greatly influenced by modern technologies. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in various ways such as business, hospitals, crime detection, colleges, schools travel, work and even to fly planes.

Technology is making communication easier in today’s world. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people’s ideas. Over the past thirty years the quality of many people’s lives has deteriorated in some respects because of technological progress. It is true that new technologies have had an influence on communication between people. Technology has affected relationships in various ways, and in my opinion there are both positive and negative effects.

Technology has had an impact on relationships in business, education and social life. Telephone and the Internet allow business people in different countries to interact without meeting each other. People use social networks, like Facebook, to make new friends and interact with each other through computer. They are positive developments. Co-operation between people in different countries was much more difficult when communication was limited to written letters or telegrams. Nowadays, interactions by email, phone or video are almost as good as face-to-face meeting. The availability of new communication technologies can affect the relationships of people by isolating them. I think that technology and especially the Internet has caused a significant difference in human’s interactions. It has made our conversations brief, and disrespectful. But it has also enhanced people to talk to each together while they are not able to meet in person. Therefore, we can see both pros and cons of technology in our lives, but whether it is used to the benefit of a person depends on the individual. Globalisation of the whole world occurs because of technology. Technology has made a huge impact on people’s everyday lives. It has revolutionized the way we work, learn, spend free time, and interact with others. Many people can no longer imagine the world without it. Modern technology make our lives more convenient although it has some advantages and some disadvantages.

In conclusion, technology has certainly revolutionized communication between people.

Importance of School

March 23, 2022
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School is the basic foundation of knowledge being imparted to a child. It gives a chance to children to acquire knowledge on various fields of education, such as people, literature, history, mathematics, politics, and other numerous subjects. By obtaining knowledge, a person is in a better position to help other people.

According to Irene Shere, Director of the Early Childhood Consultation Center, “The way that teachers interact with children and the way that teachers encourage interactions between children affect each child’s development in important ways.”

Academic Potential

In addition to an academic skill, problem solving is an essential life skill. It’s “the ability to analyze a situation, propose a solution and, should that solution not work, be able to re-strategize to try again,” according to Shere. The problem-solving mentality encourages kids to keep trying, even after flunking the latest math test. They will push and persist because that mentality also dictates that there is a solution; it just hasn’t been found yet and that sounds like a challenge.

Social Skills

The school plays an important role in helping children learn to interact positively with their peers and teachers. They learn about healthy relationship skills and develop them further through interactions, both in the classroom and on the playground. According to Shere, “The emotional and social maturity of a child provides the important underpinnings for child development in all other areas

Children spend a large portion of their day at school, and it’s vital that a school’s curriculum is designed to help its students form solid social relationships or to “connect with other children and adults in a caring and empathetic manner.”

Character Building and Self Concept

Character building is not an alternative to academic achievement, but rather an essential adjunct of it. Just as the school provides lessons on reading, writing and arithmetic, from the very beginning it also focuses on helping kids learn about compassion, respect, empathy and integrity. At first it begins with basic lessons like “raise your hand to speak” and “keep your hands to yourself.” Later, it develops into argumentative debates about moral and social issues.

It is this understanding of who he is and what he values that will help determine his academic, professional and personal pursuits.

From early on, children are often exposed to different nationalities, cultures and traditions, helping to shape their viewpoint of the world around them. Field trips and interactive projects let your child try out new things, while each different subject in school gives her a taste of what could await her in the future.

Many schools offer a variety of extracurricular opportunities to further whet your youngster’s appetite for the future

All of these experiences help to develop a child’s interests, build self-esteem and shape the course of her later academic and professional life.

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