Students of the 21st century are being taught by teachers of 20th century using 19th century curriculum and 18th century techniques and only technology can remove these mismatches, said Ranjitsinh Disale, winner of Global Teacher Prize 2020.
Technology could be effectively used in bridging several of the gaps that currently exist in the education system, he said in a fireside chat, with Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, organised in connection with the company’s EduDays, a three-day annual event that highlights the role of technology in education and learning for teachers and students.
Responding to query on his vision for the future of education, the acclaimed educator Disale said, “I would like to see this world prioritise girls’ education. It is not about getting them into classrooms, but it is about empowering them and making them feel safe in the community.’’
Unfortunately, during the pandemic, girls education has really been given less importance compared to that of boys, according to him. This was one area where technology can play a vital role in bridging the gap, he argued.
He said teachers should be willing to learn throughout their career and such a mindset was extremely critical in today’s technology-driven education and learning environment.
“I have to face 27 editors every day in my classroom. They are my students. They keep editing my teaching style saying Ranjit you have to teach the way we like to learn’. So I have been learning and changing since I started teaching. In the process, I also learnt how to use technology in the classroom in a meaningful way. I’ve experienced how technology can transform classrooms into interesting places with so much spark, creativity and curiosity.’’
Mr. Disale, also a Microsoft Innovative Educator, said the award put him on a global platform and he was currently working on a project, titled `Let’s Cross the Borders’.
``This is a project for peace. I am going to form a peace army of students from India, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, Iraq and Iran. These are the conflict countries and let all students from these countries come together, converse and think of a peace plan as they are the future citizens and decision-makers of these countries.’’
He said he was very optimistic about the tech-driven transformation that is expected to take place in India’s educational system especially when the government now has the backing of a tech-savvy regulation, the New Education Policy.
