During one of my trips to Tamilnadu
Government schools as part of the SSA monitoring project I happened to visit a
school where a group of children were huddled in front of the computer and
animatedly discussing something. On closer look I realized that they were
watching a CD developed by an NGO on Listening skills. On my subsequent visits
I saw this same CD and many more of such CDs being used in other schools as
well. There were no teachers to assist the children. The children were on their
own navigating through the CD, learning and understanding-all this with so much
fun and fervor. This is when I realized
that technology has come to Indian schools and like a stubborn guest it is here
to stay.
Technology could do wonders in our
schools to promote active learning and understanding. Essentially learning in
schools has to be an active process following constructivist approaches.
Learning is not just about asking a child to reproduce what she has understood,
instead the teacher should use an appropriate instructional strategy/technology
in the classroom so that the child is able to reflect, stretch her mind and
transfer creatively what she has learnt onto a new situation. Teachers should
no more confine themselves to setting their goals of learning at the level of
‘know’, ‘list’ and ‘explain’ instead they should extend themselves to arrive at
learning at the level of ‘analyze’, ‘appreciate’ and ‘construct’.
So
how can technology transform Indian schools? In her book ‘Teaching for
understanding with Technology’, Martha Stone Wiske says that technology can
help convert dull topics into ‘generative topics’. This would mean that the
teacher need not use chalk and talk method to teach lessons on ‘mountains’ and
‘space’ instead she could take the help of internet or e-learning technologies
to give wonderful visual and audio experiences to make mountains look real and
space appear nearer. A child instead of
merely visualizing what a meteorite or comet would look like, can actually view
a falling meteorite or a far away comet using appropriate technology. Thus
technology can enable learners to see learning from multiple entry points viz.,
visual, symbolic and verbal. Technology can assist active learning. It can
enable learners to actively engage with the learning material, reflect on it,
understand the various relationships between variables and construct new
knowledge. New technologies which teachers can use in schools could include video
recorder, players, graphing calculators, computer and internet, multimedia web
sites with its e-mail and video conferencing capabilities.
Technology
can develop a new kind of citizenship in learners-learners who will be able to
function effectively in the changing global scenario. It can help bridge the
gap between learners who are separated culturally and geographically and enable
them to learn from each other through discussion and collaboration. Finally technology
when used well can make learning fun and enjoyable…. It will bring about the
same sparkle in the eyes of millions of children… one that was seen in the eyes
of those children in the Government schools of Tamilnadu.
