A new school of thought

As classrooms get more wired and students become more tech savvy, the chalk 'n' talk method is being replaced by new fangled ways of learning. Educationists talk about which one is more effective

A close look at the classroom leaves you amazed. Nursery kids as old as four or five can barely spell their names, but they are quite adept at using iPods and children slightly older are operating iPads with ufffdlan. This 'iLearning' by the 'iGeneration' kids is fast becoming a new fad in city schools.


A teacher interacts with students

The 'Apple kids' bring no textbooks to schools, as they can read them through iBooks. Universal School in Tardeo has taken the lead in 'iLearning'. Said Jesus SM Lall, the school group Chairman and CEO, "Using iPods at such a young age helps them to develop their cognitive and motor skills.
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Features like spelling applications, addition & subtraction, etcetera are presented to them in an interesting manner through iPods and iPads."u00a0

In this school, children from Nursery to Grade 2 are provided with iPods, while those from Grade 3 to Grade 8 are given iPads. Taking the cue from this school, many other schools in the city are contemplating introducing the latest gadgets as learning tools in classes at a very early stage.

Interesting
These digital classrooms are aimed at making learning interesting. For example, The Modern School at Sikkanagar, Vithalbhai Patel Road, believes in the concept of smart classes, where every classroom is equipped with a computer.

Said Dr Ranjan Parekh, Secretary of the school, "This sort of learning is more enjoyable and more interactive. Students pay more attention to teachers and retention is more." The school, which introduced 'Smart Classes' just a year ago, claims that students, parents and teachers are finding such classes really useful.

Manan Shroff, a Class 10 student at Modern School, is upset that this is his last year in school, after which he might have to do away with smart classrooms. "I have started understanding concepts better and have really got used to this," said Manan.

His mother, Manisha Shroff recalls the days when she was a student, "When we studied, teachers used to come with text books and we had to imagine things on our own. This sort of education did not exist then."

She gives an example to illustrate her point, "If a teacher is teaching the Mauryan Empire, my son can actually get to see it on the computer screen, how it looked like and hence understand it better." Manan believes that he has developed a better understanding of subjects through technology.

Attentive
Teachers are happy too, as their pupils listen to them with rapt attention when classes are more interactive. Said Shilpa Purao, who teaches English and Geography in Classes 7 to 10 at Modern School, "When we explain to them a volcano, we can show movements of the volcanic eruptions on computer.
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Talk about the tsunami, how does it happen? Everything can be explained so beautifully." Purao, who has been working as a teacher for the past 12 years believes that technology has certainly reduced the role of a teacher in classes but it can never be a substitute.

"It has reduced our workload but we have to carefully select the study materials from the Internet that will help students to understand the subject well," she explained.u00a0 It has also expanded their horizons beyond just books.

Concern
While many parents are really happy with the introduction of technology in classrooms, they are also concerned about over-exposure to digital technology.

Mita Vora, whose son studies in Universal School Tardeo said, "I keep a check on him when he comes back from school. I am happy that he is getting tremendous exposure but one needs to be careful."

Aruna Sanghvi, whose daughter too studies in the same school, was initially concerned that she might get exposed to unwanted content, but she claims that she is not worried anymore as the school has security in place and makes sure that they do not get access to just any site.

Sanghvi, whose daughter Pragnya studies in Class 3 wanted an iPad for her birthday. But addiction to technology is not Sanghvi's problem because, "since she doesn't insist on using it at home. So she has not become addicted to her iPad.


Learns the modern way at Universal School

For her it is just like another learning aid." For Pragnya though, studying right now is "lots and lots of fun. There are lots of interesting games, quizzes that I get to play on my iPad itself."

The school authorities are however careful and has limited the usage of iPads for students. In Nursery, a student can use it for 20 minutes in a day. The duration is slowly increased in higher classes.
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The Otheru00a0Side
While children are required to become tech savvy in this day and age, many believe that an overdose of technology can be harmful for them.

The ones who oppose the introduction of digital technology in schools say that it is absolutely unnecessary to expose kids to technology at such an early age.

Said Meera Isaacs, Principal of Cathedral & John Connon School in Fort, "There is absolutely no need to have these advance gadgets at such a young age because later they will get exposed to technology anyway."

Teachers
In fact, a lot of parents have claimed that their kids are becoming addicted to technology and their children don't want to read and write anymore. "We have parents who are really worried as their child have become computer addicts. Let them not depend on machines completely," said Arundhati Chauhan, President, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) United Forum.

Dr Veena Shrivastav, Principal of Kohinoor International School in Kurla believes that better infrastructure or technology doesn't solve the problem of education but it is the teacher who can make the difference.
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"I personally feel that the teacher is the most important aide in a classroom," said Shrivastava, who has 24 years of experience in the field of education.

Shrivastava believes that, "using too much of technology makes them physically weak (as they refuse to play outdoor games) and they become really dull."

Schools, nowadays, she believes, are deviating from the real purpose of education and have become more of a commercial market. "Even the use of calculators," she said, "has reduced the application of minds to solve problems."

Combination
Andreas Swoboda, head of Oberoi International School, said that though the school uses technology in teaching their children, the chalk and talk method is very much in place. "We believe that the role of technology is actually shifting. Earlier students were required to go to technology.
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But now, it is the other way round. We have technology coming towards students," said Swoboda. When asked if technology can make kids smarter and better, he clarified that a combination of both is required for a child's all round development.

"I don't think you can hold that computer and claims students have become smarter. Computer education, coupled with reading and writing, should be practiced. It is not the option of one or the other but one and the other. We believe in a balanced approach," concluded Swoboda.