Many schools in the city have begun adopting technologically-advanced features such as smart classes, but experts in the field say that even though a lot of money is spent on these tools, they are not really utilised very well.
Many schools have smart boards in every classroom, but do not have the broadband connection to support it. “Technology in the classroom is not only about displaying multimedia CDs to children, but helping them learn better,” J. Jayappriadhevi, managing director of Kriyative Education, said at a panel discussion at the FICCI School Education Conference here on Saturday.
“Schools should analyse their core competencies and see if the tools align with the strategy of the school and only then, purchase them,” she added
There is a need to re-imagine the use of technology in the classroom, Chitra Ravi, CEO of EZ Vidya, said. “Technology should be used to cater to different kinds of learners, to deal with different learning speeds and assess performance in a way that will allow the child to perform better,” she said.
The focus should also switch to teachers so that they are in line with the technology provided, K.R. Maalathi, CEO, Auuro Educational Services, said. “Many schools spend a lot of money on technology, but neglect pedagogy,” she added.
The way children are learning and the role of pedagogy has been changing, according to G. Balasubramanian, former director (Academics), CBSE. “Now, from e-learning, the trend is shifting to m-learning or mobile learning. So, schools will have to keep pace,” he said.
The one-day school education conference dealt with four main themes – innovative teaching and learning through technology; value education, sport and skill development; professional development for teachers; and evaluation and assessment methods.
