digitalLEARNING-July-2010-[30-40]-Tech @ Hyderabad Schools

Tech @ Hyderabad Schools Yukti Pahwa Vishal Kumar

Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh is one of the major hub cities of India for Indian information technology industry, ranging from pharmaceutics to biotechnology and entertainment industry of India. It is home to many prestigious educational institutions, both in higher education and school education. The education in Hyderabad is booming with utilisation of best practices in teaching-learning process.

This article is a outlook of Principals of various eminent schools in Hyderabad on issues of Information and Communication Technology integration in course and curriculum of the school, digitalisation of education content and online learning.

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Sunrise High School

Meridian School

Adeeb Muneer

D Usha Reddy

Headmistress, Sunrise High School

Principal, Meridian School

Integrating ICT in Course and Curriculum ICT is now an important tool in the process of education.

Drastic and quick changes in the field of technology have made it vital for every school to keep up with the changing world. It eases imparting of education and provides enhanced flexibility and efficiency throughout the learning process.

Benefits and Limitations of Open Source eContent Benefits • There is hands-on-information access to the teacher as well as the student • It promotes interactive learning • The relevant data is stored over long years and can be regularly updated with ease • Improves communication between management and teachers • There is easy transverse learning • The child can keep up with the pace of an ever changing technology from an early age • Customized curriculum can be adapted in keeping with the child’s individual needs • The process of evaluation results in fewer errors • The process of examination is easy and environment friendly saving a lot of paper.

• Promotes distance learning • Provides improvements in designing lesson plans, schedules, etc.

Limitations • Could potentially result in a dependency, that limits the child’s intellect • The writing/art skills of the child become restricted • Investment, security and maintenance is a concern • Infrastructure problems can interrupt the smooth flow of the program.

Online Examinations Digitised school examinations will lessen the burden of the teacher and the management. The evaluation will be quicker and relatively more accurate. However, it will effect the writing and creative skills of the child significantly. \\

Integrating ICT in Course and Curriculum Integration provides classroom teaching with latest technology and helps the children to understand concepts not only theoretically but also in an experimental way by virtually simulating the concepts using latest software packages. A new generation of students can be created who will be knowledgeable digital citizens. After training teachers will have professional development. There will be rich curriculum content. There can be collaborative research. Both teachers and students will have access to quality information.

Benefits and Limitations of Open Source eContent The benefits of open source: • Provides global exposure to students • Students can upload their ideas, creativity and contribute to the open source • Sometimes very simple solution to complex problems can be found • Information freely available and easily accessible • Continuous feedback makes activity dynamic Limitations of open source: • Very vast; students can get lost in the ocean of web pages • Very insecure; can lead to virus and security threats • With many versions of solutions available students can get confused • With content being continuously changing and being upgraded students are expected to keep themselves abreast with the latest technology • Infrastructure could be the biggest limitation.

Online Examinations It would be of a good option as it would provide paperless environment, uniformity in pattern, fast communication and results. It would be less costly, transparent and secure.

However, on the other hand there are many drawbacks including huge investment, technical snags, a good system administrator is needed to continually monitor the network, technical glitches and time management has to be perfect. \\

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Mount Mercy School

Rockwell International School

Fatima Farooqui ICT for Education @ School Integrating ICT in school course and curriculum is the need of the hour. If we fail to do so we will lag behind. The benefits are many like teacher will save time in searching and downloading the required information and the same time can be utilised in organising the classes & helping the children.

Online Examinations Its good idea on making school examination digitalised.

It lessen the burden of the children as well as the teachers.

Its time saving & they learn time management. \\

JNR Patashala

K Sujatha Principal, JNR Patashala

ICT for Education @ School It is a good move as we will be saving a lot of paper & thus helping save the environment.

Digitised Content Usage Children are free to do their homework & projects at any time that is convenient to them. At the same time the teaching personnel also will have sufficient work & will get duly paid. Preparing the content for digital learning is more challenging & requires greater expertise.

Online Examinations It is a very good way of testing as the same standard would be maintained through out the country & at the same time there will be lesser malpractices involved. \\

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Jean Innis Head Mistress, Rockwell International School

ICT integration in Course and Curriculum Modern technology offers many means of improving teaching and learning in the classroom. New technologies have the potential to support education across the curriculum and provide opportunities for effective communication between teachers and students in ways that have not been possible before no one is component in itself to provide good teaching however the presence of all components increases the possibility of excellent integration of ICT in learning and teaching opportunities.

ICT can present information to students and help them complete their learning tasks. Five factors that influence the likelihood that good ICT learning opportunities will develop in schools: ICT Resourcing, ITC leadership, ITC teaching, School leadership and general teaching. The integration of new technology into education varies from curriculum to curriculum, place to place and class to class, depending on the ways in which t is applied. It could positively increase a deeper understanding of principles and concepts and could be used to provide new authentic, interesting, motivating and successful educational activities.

Online Examinations Online testing is becoming more popular as a method of evaluating student performance, but this form of testing has its pros and cons. Connectivity can be a serious disadvantage of online testing. When a school conducts testing online it eliminates the need for some costly resources. This can result is a reduced need for faculty and staff. A great advantage of online testing is its accessibility to students with disabilities. Computers can be customised to cater to those with various physical disabilities in order to place them on a level playing field with other students, blind students can test using a Braille keyboard, and text may be enlarged for those who have difficulty seeing small print. Software can also be installed on a computer that allows students to hear questions or instructions through speakers if they are unable to see the screen. \\

Venus High School

NASR School

Hidayat Ai Khan

Madhubala Kapoor

Director, Venus High School

Principal, NASR School, Hyderabad

ICT integration in Course and Curriculum It is absolutely important to keep ourselves in pace with the modern techniques and trends. Students at any cost are to be updated with the latest in technology and obviously schools lay a foundation stone for that. It will not only enable the students to carry out extensive research in the lab for gathering updated and detailed information connected to their syllabus but also makes the teaching par excellence.

It also helps the teachers and students to go for research in the updated techniques and trends of the ever changing teaching and learning process so that the modern day needs are met with and also time, energy and money is saved .Computer literacy has become a pact and parcel of one’s life for instance job search, future preparation for the child, and helping the child with building blocks of overall knowledge. Its a positive approach indeed for making teaching learning extra interactive and interesting.

Open Source eContent Open resource digitised contact is very eye-catching source for teaching learning purpose. Especially in the field of language learning. This is highly recommendable. It makes the most difficult and boring subjects consisting of true some questions easy and interesting.

Open resource digitised contact is very eyecatchingsourceforteachinglearningpurpose.

Especially in the field of language learning.

Online Examinations Making school examination digitised or having in schools online examinations can lesson the curse of copying or leakage of question paper. Man copying can be ousted as each student will be getting a different set of question where in he will be fixed his own potential and knowledge and understanding or capability of the particular subject.

Correct analysis and assessment of the students knowledge and understanding can be mapped going very little or no room to false calculations or interpretations. \\

Integrating ICT in course and curriculum It is vital to embrace the integration of ICT in school course and curriculum in this digital age. However this thrust must be implemented in a planned, phased and a coordinated manner. The core values of school education must be preserved, yet ICT must be integrated into the fundamentals. This will yield the right result eventually.

Benefits and Limitations of Open Source eContent The potential benefit of open source digitized content freely available is just that it is freely available. The limitations include lack of standardisation, poor control over end users, the potential for abuse in a very impressionable and fertile young mind and difficulty in accessing the right information.

Enthusiasm to digitise everything must be tempered by the part that certain vital aspects of testing may be overlooked. The abilities to write, draw diagrams and their ideas must not be neglected. However multiple choice questions as a part of routine evaluation for internal assessment can be digitalised.

Online Examinations Making school examinations digitalised or having online examination must be restricted to the high classes and possibly only to certain elements of the examination process as a whole. Enthusiasm to digitize everything must be tempered by the part that certain vital aspects of testing may be overlooked. The abilities to write, draw diagrams and their ideas must not be neglected. However multiple choice questions as a part of routine evaluation for internal assessment can be digitalised. In the primary school and infact till the 8th standard children must be encouraged to write on their own. Any effort to change the examinations process there will impede their ability to grow naturally. \\

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Gitanjali Devshala

Wisdom The Global Concept School

Madhavi Chandra Principal, Gitanjali Devshala

ICT for Education @ School ICT plays a very important role in the 21st Century Classroom. Today’s children, being exposed to various forms of technology need this kind of stimulation in schools to encourage learning. It provides students a window of opportunities to develop self learning. Used with proper guidance ICT can be an invaluable tool.

Open source e-content being made freely available for the teaching learning process will make available to the student community a standardised quality content that will bridge the divide between learners in different institutions in different parts of the country.

Open Source eContent Open source e-content being made freely available for the teaching learning process will make available to the student community a standardised quality content that will bridge the divide between learners in different institutions in different parts of the country. As access will be available to both private & government schools all over.

On the flip side it could restrict the learning process. All teachers will have to be made technology savvy & training courses provided for teachers for the proper use of a teaching-learning tool like this. Its implementation would make a significant difference in learning outcome.

Online Examinations Even though online exams benefit schools the reduction of costs, improve quality of correction process & give immediate feedback, it would be difficult to implement in schools established in the primary levels. Each student will require his own computer & need to be proficient in using the computer. On the other hand it is an excellent way to test older children especially in high school, universities and colleges. \\

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SM Basha Principal, Wisdom The Global Concept School

ICT@ School Education The communication revolution and technology has added value to the education system. Every student in corporate sector is more exposed to e learning & school curriculum is also providing much-needed avenue for global integration.

But only lacuna that still persists is more number of children melting under poverty lay way behind or for them ICT s an outer bound area.

At one point of time teacher is only a facilitator not a mentor in true sense.

Student should find his own ways and means of acquiring and enriching his horizons of knowledge.

Benefits of Open Source eContent At one point of time teacher is only a facilitator not a mentor in true sense. Student should find his own ways and means of acquiring and enriching his horizons of knowledge. The open source digitised content provides a good valuable &reliable source of knowledge. Knowledge is ocean, diving deep into the ocean of knowledge needs excellent diving skills, which can be obtained from this open source digitized content, which is outcome of many researches, experiments & theories etc.

Online examinations Making schools exams digitized or online exams in schools is no doubt a revolution. It saves time, paper, and energy. But due care has to be taken as the technology goes sophisticated, its misuse and improper use may put entire effort in jeopardy. Given the levels of poverty and illiteracy, this online system may become privilege for privileged. It needs govt. policy makings in this regard and providing the requisite infrastructure. Only the corporate sector can meet the demands of elated sections of the society. \\

Vision Academy Upper Primary School

White Feathers School

Dr Shanker aiah Uzma Ansari Principal, Vision Academy Upper Primary School

Integrating ICT in Course and Curriculum Yes, ICT must be made compulsory in school course and curriculum as it is easy to access, is convenient for instructors and is at the receiver’s dispersal. There is increased motivation with faster feedbacks and quality check for continuous learning, wide participations; ways to make learning comprehensive and, easy learning mechanisms and improved writing skills. It also diversifies ways of comprehending concepts, cost effectiveness, inclusive of global approaches, introduce various methodologies of learning and reach more students in less time. The student learns continuously from their environment and day-to-day living of a digital world. E-content has flexibility, choice and helps in analysis and evaluation which are key factors of teaching and learning process. As it is a pedagogically correct and instructionally designed and can support learning objectives and outcome in a more scientific manner.

Benefits and Limitations of Open Source eContent The mobile phones, TV, computers, multimedia appliances in some way or the other touch their routine on daily basis. In such scenario, the school environment cannot be left isolated and a digital intervention is a must.

It is beneficial in handling the multisensory faculties of human brain and reach out to students in more than one way. Some drawbacks to name a few include the following: lack of training of the trainers; lack of access, quality and equity amongst the users; and requires ample time for experimentation and implementation.

Online Examinations The benefit of online test formats is that it is a great leveler by taking out the subjectivity in paper correction and assessing all on an equal scale. Online test preparation services give the students an opportunity to assess themselves. As more and more exams become objective based and online; it will also help them to stimulate the exam condition and gain valuable experience close to real test situation. \\

Director, White Feathers school

Integrating ICT in Course and Curriculum Integrating information and Communication Technology (ICT) in school course and curriculum helps in adding the new syllabus for effective results and making the teaching methodology in more interesting way and it will be more productive than traditional teaching ways. ICT is an enhanced methodology to bring contemporary educational system into class room.

Benefits and Limitations of Open Source eContent Potential benefits are: • Explaining and understanding will be easier • Audio visual and graphic and animation content will be able to create interest in students • Teacher finds encouragement with involvement • Teacher can access to wide range of syllabus and content.

Limitations could be: • Adaptability to new system of ICT in the initial stages may face a resistance at the whole system • Training for the teachers to use the ICT is very much of concern • Availability of equipments for the implementation of ICT is big concern • Maintenance and up gradation of content regularly needs a responsible job from authorities.

Audio visual and graphic and animation content will be able to create interest in students.

Online Examinations It is a great idea but it must tried along with regular system and then check the drawback that would come. I think student must be very much aware of using the devise. If they do not know it well, then even though they know the answer, they will not be able to present effectively and evaluation methods must be well tried and tested. \\

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Brilliant Grammar High School

Dr Sreelatha Head Mistress, Brilliant Grammar High School, Narayanaguda

ICT for Education @ School The world, today, is a global village and communication is the Key Element for Progress. Communication using the modern technologies is the main requirement. In order to make the youth of our country to be technology savvy, the foundations have to be at the foundation level.

Hence, students need to be aware of the information and communication technology right from their schooling days.

Benefits of digital Content Some of the Benefits are minimal vendor lock-in and proprietary systems; avoiding vendors branding traps; minimal capital expenditure and ongoing costs, no upfront royalty for license to use, no annual royalties for user seats etc. More control of overall IT strategy and reduced risk of obsolescence Online Examinations The online examination system is rendered attractive to both students and the faculty due to the decrease in the paper-work time involved and the added benefit of receiving immediate feedback. Online examinations bring about a

The online examination system is rendered attractive to both students and the faculty due to the decrease in the paper-work time involved and the added benefit of receiving immediate feedback. reduction in costs and improve efficiency and quality of the correction process. Due to an increase in the number of students and exams, many higher education institutions are considering a shift from paper based examinations to electronic computer based environment. \\

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Springdale De International School

Raghu Vullaganti Director, Springdale De International School

ICT for Education @ School Understanding why, when, where, and how ICT tools will contribute to learning objectives; choosing ICT tools and teaching methods that integrate ICT into the whole curriculum; choosing and recommending ICT tools and teaching methods appropriate to individual students’ learning objectives; emphasising the quality of what students produce and the contribution to individual learning goals and levels of attainment; planning a whole learning program that allows a range of ICT tools and teaching methods to be used, would allow the teachers and students to engage in fruitful learning.

The online examination system is rendered attractive to both students and the faculty due to the decrease in the paperwork tim Digitised Free Source Content Learning materials in electronic format are most useful when they are directly linked to the curriculum. Creating digital/electronic content is difficult, and expensive. Simply importing educational content must be avoided.

The other language use may suffer when ICTs are introduced in education and other language users are at risk of becoming further marginalised.

Online Examinations It will lead to saving of huge money which is spent on paper based examinations. It will also lead to earlier declaration of the results and its subsequent impact on easy promotion to the next level. But it may lead to malpractices as well. Online exams are mostly suitable for multiple choice question formats. For the other formats like descriptive questions, paper based exams are appropriate.

The disadvantage of online exams in schools is Students may lose their hold on good handwriting skills. \\

International School

Narayana Concept School

Venkata Suresh L

Sree Ranjani

Principal, International School

Principal, Narayana Concept School

Integrating ICT in Course and Curriculum Schools and colleges should try to reduce the gap between their curriculum and industry.

We are not aware of the developments or technologies that may take place in future. We need to train the school children to face such eventualities which have not even emerged yet. Information and Communication Technology in school courses and curriculum help the child to understand at least the existing technologies and will assist the child to think creatively thereby adapting himself to face the future challenges.

Information and Communication Technology in school courses and curriculum help the child to understand at least the existing technologies and will assist the child to think creatively thereby adapting himself to face the future challenges.

ICT for Education @ School Modern world of competition demands updated knowledge of up coming technology. A student should be empowered with this technology from school level itself in order to be ahead of the other students of different schools & countries. Hence ICT should be a part of school curriculum.

Digitised eContent E-learning or digital learning gives clarity of ideas and concepts through practical experience. The student learns them more effectively by visual perception when compared to the regular black board/chalk and talk method. Digital contents get impregnated in the tender minds for ever. If a child is not motivated & guided properly about its usage, there is every chance for over exploitation of the technology, which can be a source of misuse & abuse.

Benefits and Limitations of Open Source eContent Benefit: A powerful and interactive tool for the teachers to explain 3D entities. Java applets are very helpful.

Limitation: Availability of relevant content (either too high or too low).

E-learning or digital learning gives clarity of ideas and concepts through practical experience. The student learns them more effectively by visual perception when compared to the regular black board/chalk and talk method. Digital contents get impregnated in the tender minds for ever.

Online Examinations We can partially digitise the school examinations as it generates the report immediately and it is easy to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the skills of the child (understanding, application etc.) We can’t completely digitise it since our testing systems are written based. \\

Online Examinations Digitalised and on-line examinations give faster results.

Instantly the student will be able to check his performance by seeing the marks secured. Scope of competition will be wider. Online exams should include both subjective and objective. \\

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Seventh Day Adventist High School

G.R.Grammar School

G Sridhar N. Daniel Kumar ICT for Education @ School In this fast moving world ICT is very much essential.

Information and Communication Technology could be included in the school curriculum; so that we can emphasis on quality education to fulfill the aspirations of the children and to deliver the quality and quantity of Education.

Integration of ICT in school curriculum thus will help the child to have more access to learn and to get acquainted with the new technique in learning process and offers new education possibilities that can help empower both teachers and students.

Integration of ICT in school curriculum thus will help the child to have more access to learn and to get acquainted with the new technique in learning process and offers new education possibilitiesthat canhelpempowerboth teachers and students.

Digitised Content The digitised contents are very useful in teaching learning process. The child will have more access to extract more relevant information about the particular subject.

The content which find in the digitised is prepared by the most experience persons with their vast knowledge in the particular field. The digitised content provides latest day to day information to the child to hand.

Online Examinations Making school examination digitised on having in school online examination is very good thought but need to have enough of facilities and infrastructure in the school, most of the school do not have the trained teacher to train the children. \\

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Principal, G R Grammar School, Secunderabad

ICT for Education @ School In my opinion education is a continuous process. Technology based education should be under the guidance of a teacher. Traditional method of teaching combined with technology will be effective at upper primary or high school level, where understanding level of children is much higher. Information through technology and communication through technology should be properly channelised. Excessive use of technology makes the child dependent.

Qualities like understanding the concept by collecting concept related data from different sources and presenting it in a proper proforma under the

Qualitieslikeunderstandingtheconcept by collecting concept related data from different sources and presenting it in a proper proforma under the proper guidance of a teacher helps the children indevelopingproperperspectiveinusing thetechnologyforbettercommunication of information gathered. Information andcommunicationthroughtechnology is the trend of present generation. proper guidance of a teacher helps the children in developing proper perspective in using the technology for better communication of information gathered.

Information and communication through technology is the trend of present generation. It is a positive and equally negative trend, highly volatile. This path should be tread very cautiously. Any deviations what so ever will have lasting impressions on future generation. In my view a very clear flat form with utmost care has to be laid for a proper use of technology in collecting or accumulating the information for better communication to be at par with the changing trends of the world. Education through deductive thinking is more effective. \\

NARAYANA e-Techno School

Narasimha Rao ICT for Education @ School It is most important to introduce ICT in the schools.

Students have interest to learn their subjects through ICT because of the attractive modules like power point presentations, 2d modules, videos and live examples. In addition to normal teaching methods ICT play the best role in the school curriculum.

Students have interest to learn their subjects through ICT because of the attractive modules like power point presentations, 2d modules, videos and live examples. In addition to normal teaching methods ICT play the best role in the school curriculum.

Digitised eContent In so may cooperate school we have digital learning and some rural schools also introduced this teaching. In my view I have observed that students are very interested for digital learning and they want to spend more time for this studies. If it is completely digitalised then also it is benefit to the students with a specified observer and instructor.

Online Examinations Schools and colleges are conducting already online examination.

The benefits of this type of examinations are: 1. Students are stress free while writing the exam.

2. There is no chance to mass copying.

3. With digitised exams we expect fast results. \\

Orchids - The International School

Lt Col BG Ray Principal,

Integration of ICT in Course and Curriculum In fact, school curriculum and course provide the best platform for integration of information and communication technology primarily because learning at that stage demands barrier- free communication and concrete conceptualisation.

Limitations of Open Source eContent Benefits of open source digitised contents are limited and limitations are more that benefits. It is often the producers and the consumers. There is a need for perfect balance maintained between technologies, content, learning methodology and receptivity of the students.

Benefits of open source digitised contents are limited and limitations are more that benefits. It is often the producers and the consumers. There is a need for perfect balance maintained between technologies, content, learning methodology and receptivity of the students.

Online examinations Digitisation of examination at school level is not necessary and may lead to more adverse effect than any positive influence. \\

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Riverdale School

St. Patrick’s High School

Iffat Shaheen Principal,

ICT@ School Education ICT in school course and curriculum will immensely benefit the students. The talents of a student can be brought to the fore front and the child can be groomed to become a specialist in particular field. This way a student can be benefited directly. The unavailability of teachers limit imparting right education. Lack of teaching labs also is a drawback. If strict vigilance is available then there is no harm in digitalising school exams otherwise there is always a chance of mis-management in conducting such examianations. \\

Brilliant Grammar High School Kasireddy Narayan Reddy Director, Brilliant

ICT integration in Course and Curriculum Integration of ICT in school course and curriculum is vital and important to bring the world of knowledge opening upto the children around globe.

Benefits of Open Source eContent The benefits of open source digitalised content is that it helps the teacher to access the necessary matter at their doorsteps. Limitations are it curtails the human element and exposure to real or direct experiences.

Online Examinations It is very essential that it helps reducing lot of load of corrections and paper work. \\

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Fr M A Alex SJ ICT for Education @ School ICT has become very important in every one’s life today. It has revolutionised the whole world. ICT should become part and parcel of today’s curriculum. By using ICT it becomes more interesting to teach and students learn better and faster. Only concern is it should be affordable to all sections of the society.

Online examinations. I think still the time has not come to introduce online examinations at the school level. \\

Hyderabad Public School

Ramandeep Kaur Samra ICT integration in Course and Curriculum Integrating ICT in school course and curriculum will give more exposure to more content on a particular topic and deeper understanding of the concepts. It helps in visualiing the abstract concepts thus making it easier for students to comprehend.

Open Source Digitised Content Open source digitised content can be misused if not monitored.

Online Examinations Online examination can be introduced partially as primarily it will be objective type. \\