ScooNews - January 2019 - Digital Edition by ScooNews

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think

Volume 3 Issue 6 January 2018 CHANGING TEACHERS’ LIVES EVERYDAY, EVERY WAY!

Margaret Mead

STRAIGHT

Group Editor Ravi Santlani Deputy Editor Parvathy Jayakrishnan

TALK

Reporters Anushka Yadav, Anshu Pande, Ashima Sharma, Anuj Kr.

Ravi Santlani, CEO

Website Team Pranav Sharma, Ojas Godatwar Art Direction Rexsu Cherry Advisory Board: Anand Kumar, Founder, Super-30 Dr Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster, The Punjab Public School, Nabha Dr Neeta Bali, Director- Principal, G D Goenka World School, Gurugram Dr Swati Popat Vats, President, Podar Education Network & President, Early Childhood Association India Geeta Dharmarajan, Founder & President, Katha Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar,Trustee, Vidyadan Trust & Maharana of Mewar Foundation Lt Gen SH Kulkarni (Retd), Director, Mayo College Meenakshi Uberoi, Education Evangelist, Founder, De Pedagogics Nishi Misra, Principal, Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior Prajakt Raut, Co-founder, Applyifi & The Growth Labs Sandeep Dutt, Founder & Chairman, Learning Forward India Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet Pics Pressfoto Pixabay, Shutterstock Cover Design ATLT Inc

Founder & CEO Ravi Santlani Vice President Operations Vinay K Singh Vice President PR Vanya Bhandari National Sales Head Pankaj Sharma BD Executive Yashwant Parmar, Shivam Joshi, Kirti Mishra, Aryan Mudgal EDITORIAL OFFICE EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Email: editor@scoonews.com FOR ALL SALES QUERIES Pankaj Sharma +91-74120-27891 sales@scoonews.com FOR SUBSCRIPTION +91-72405-17913 subscribe@scoonews.com PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd PRINTED AT Popular Printers, Fateh Tiba, MD Road Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. PUBLISHED AT, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur-302004, India Editor : Ravi Santlani Publishing Date: 10 January ‘2019 Total number of pages 52, including Covers

Edtech: Out in the cold

ver my years of interacting with both schools and edtech providers, I have come to realise a few simple but powerful impediments to its acceptance and implementation. For starters, many school heads, despite good intentions, are simply unable to comprehend the necessity, importance and usefulness of edtech in their schools. The sheer variety of technologies available serves to confuse decision-makers further. And then the inescapable issues – how much edtech is enough, or desirable. And don’t forget the question of additional costs – will parents be prepared to meet the expenses?Our cover story this month brings forth the viewpoints of both school heads and edtech providers to explore the scepticism towards technology in education in India. The consensus is that schools, by and large, are a few generations behind their counterparts in other corporates in the use of data and technology. If, on the one hand, the edtech providers promote their product with minimal thought to implementation support, the school implementation staff are invariably cynical about the many solutions and do not believe it is worth the effort and cost. As a result, edtech, despite its many compelling positives, is invariably left out in the cold. It continues to be largely looked at as ‘a stand-alone chutzpah or frill’, instead of the way of life that it is. Edtech is not a substitute, as many wrongly presume, but a tool for enhancing the learning process in schools. If, as Matthew Raggett, Headmaster, The Doon School, very practically points out, it adds value, increases collaboration, helps to make the skills and content being taught come to life in a manner that is current and relevant for the students, it is essential to embrace and implement edtech wholeheartedly. 2019… Time to open those tightly-shut doors and welcome change in.

January 2019

CONTENTS

12 WISHLIST 2019

16 EDUCATION AMIDST CONFLICT

GESS DUBAI

Educators share with MARIE D’SOUZA the changes they would like to see manifested in the new year

20 COVER STORY EDTECH IN INDIA INCREASING AWARENESS, PATCHY ADOPTION

MARIE D’SOUZA explores why education plays an even greater role in times of strife

Sessions at GESS Dubai include accredited trainings for teacher permits and CPD certifications

BUILDING BRIDGES, NOT WALLS

ANUSHKA YADAV reports on the highlights of UNESCO’s 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report

PARVATHY JAYAKRISHNAN examines the scepticism that largely greets edtech in schools

January 2019

YOURS TRULY Looking forward to reading more about Early Childhood Education. Krishna Rao, Gurugram

MORE INCLUSIVENESS

MORE POWER TO AR-VR

ANTICIPATING EEA 2019

AR-VR is indeed a great way to teach difficult concepts in the classroom. But in India, we are sometimes stuck in the rut with rote learning and we are not ready to come out of it. We are often not ready to explore new things. AR and VR can be effective if used correctly. We need to encourage our schools to try out new technology so that we can also be in line with the latest teaching methods. It will only do good to our children and improve the way they learn new concepts. I think very few schools in India employ AR-VR in their teaching. After reading your cover story, I hope many more follow suit. Radhika Mantri, Bangalore

I was already impressed by the website curated for EarlyEd Asia 2019. However, I hadn’t really decided to attend. But after I read the top reasons to not miss the conference, I registered instantly. I congratulate the writer for crafting out such crisp and honest points. We, as fans of ScooNews, are thrilled about Asia’s largest early childhood conference. We are grateful to be able to become part of a revolution while enjoying the Royal Pink City. Good luck to the entire team for the blockbuster show. Excited and looking forward to EEA 2019. Rishabh Singh, Patna

MIND-BOGGLING!

CROSSWORDS, PLEASE

As I was going through the AR-VR story, it directed me to the month’s Tech It Out surprise. I must say I wasn’t disappointed at all. Kudos to the team for selecting the best VR apps. It was even more helpful to find out that most of these apps can be downloaded for free. My son downloaded Cleanopolis and he is enjoying it. It’s an interactive, fun and educational game. What’s better than your child learning while playing. Both of us sit together and explore through the other apps as well. Thank you, ScooNews, for listing such useful and interesting apps. Vanshika Sharma, Jaipur

I love reading the articles in your magazine. They are very informative and well written. The fact that as a reader we don’t feel that the writer is forcing his or her opinion on us proves your efficiency as a media house. Thank you for being fearless and honest. Although, it would be great if the team could also inculcate some crosswords or puzzles at the end of the magazine. It’s always fun to fill those out after a good read. I also give my good wishes to the entire team for their upcoming conference EarlyEd Asia 2019; may it be a hit like all the other events organised by ScooNews.

I got to know about the concept of adaptive physical education after reading ScooNews. it is indeed important to let children develop physically despite their difficulties. I think being physically active helps to overcome a lot of other problems. Being a yoga teacher myself, I advocate the importance of yoga and meditation too in improving confidence levels in children with disabilities. Exercise is a powerful tool and I think schools must adopt a method of inclusiveness that lets every child play and grow. Thanks very much for the enlightening piece. Keep up the good work, ScooNews. Prerna Singh, Lucknow

EDUTAINMENT SPECIAL I absolutely loved the December issue! It was the perfect combination of education and entertainment. Reading about virtual reality and how it is making a place in the field of education, is rather positive. I look forward to more such articles. Neha Mehta, Nagpur

RELEVANT REVIEW I was in need of a good book, and it so happened that I read the review of Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming. It definitely helped me decide on which book I would read next! I look forward to not only reading the book, but also more ScooNews book recommen dations. Neeti Sharma, Jaipur

INFORMATIVE ARTICLE I absolutely loved the article on government schools. It was very informative and says a lot about the education system of our country. The article includes suggestions to improve the current conditions, and I hope they will be taken into consideration. Well written. Anu Pande, Delhi

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January 2019

TRENDING

YouTube deletes cheating videos YouTube has deleted thousands of videos promoting academic cheating, after a BBC Trending investigation. The videos deleted advertised essay-writing services, which could lead to serious penalties for students. Some ads urged A-level students to use Facebook Messenger to place an order to get their assignments written for them in less than five hours. Although essay-writing services are not illegal, using them to cheat can result in students facing severe penalties - from being zero graded to being expelled from university. Facebook and Google have been asked by a regulator to stop making money from adverts for these companies and have been advised to take steps to discourage dishonest behavior.

Tamil Nadu PSC announces jobs in school ed dept Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) has invited applications for recruitment to the post of District Educational Officer (DEO) in School Education Department under Tamil Nadu School Educational Service. Candidates with Master's degree and B.T. /B.Ed. are eligible to apply. The candidates must also have obtained the qualifying degree in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Economics, Geography, History, Commerce, Tamil and English. Eighteen vacancies have been notified by the Public Service Commission. 'Candidate possessing a degree of M.A or M.Sc. or an equivalent degree awarded under the grading system shall not be considered eligible for appointment unless he has obtained the said degree with "O" or "A" or "B" grade,' clarifies TNPSC regarding the eligibility criteria. In addition to this, candidates must have studied Tamil under Part-I or Part-II of the Intermediate or Pre-University course or Higher Secondary Course. The last date to submit applications is January 9, 2019.

India top 10 in respecting teachers, last 10 in paying them

‘Cleanliness curriculum’ in Delhi schools

A new curriculum will be developed by the government of Delhi, to inculcate hygiene and cleanliness habits among students, announced the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The government is taking suggestions from the teachers and principals of private and government schools to make it better. “While students are contributors of garbage in schools, they have no role in cleaning or maintaining the cleanliness. We want that students should be able to develop these habits and take responsibility of cleanliness in schools,” said Sisodia, the Delhi education minister. “In other countries, students are even responsible for mopping their classes, dusting the desks and watering plants. Students should have a sense of belongingness for their classrooms and school. The curriculum will be activity-based. Neither will there be any book for it nor a separate period will be allocated. “he added.

India has been ranked eighth in the world in terms of respecting its teachers but sadly, the country is among the least paying nations when it comes to teachers’ salary. They are paid “much less than the wage considered fair for the job.” If you look at the Global Teacher Status Index (GTSI) 2018, it shows that India is ranked 26th out of 35 countries, much below the developing countries like Malaysia and much smaller countries such as Portugal, Chile, Czech, Hungary and Columbia among others. Not only this, India also expects a pay cut if the teacher doesn’t do his or her “job” well. The GTSI states that over 60 per cent of Indians think that teachers should be paid according to the record of their pupil. According to the GTSI data, most countries have an opinion that teaching should be an outcome-based profession. However, the number of people who agree with the opinion has decreased over the year. Ironically, India ranks fourth on the list of parents encouraging their children to become a teacher; close to 80 per cent Indians encourage their children to become a teacher. It has been revealed by the index that there is a direct link between teacher status and pupil performance as measured by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s PISA or Programme for International Student Assessment scores

January 2019

School violence survivors say to world leaders: ‘Listen to us!’ More than 100 children and young people from around the world gathered in Johannesburg to draft a global manifesto calling on world leaders to end violence in and around schools. The event – hosted by UNICEF, Global Citizen, JCI and the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children ahead of the Global Citizen Mandela 100 Festival – is part of UNICEF’s global #ENDviolence campaign. Children and young people travelled from countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas to draw up a set of recommendations detailing what they need to feel safe in and around school. Within the Youth Manifesto, students highlighted the importance and need for protection within schools and called for legal measures to keep students safe in school and on the journey, clear rules and regulations on student behaviour, trained teachers and counsellors to respond to students in need, as well as environments that promote diversity and peaceful coexistence. They also called for students to treat one another with respect and break taboos often associated with reporting violence to teachers and other authorities. The manifesto drew on a recent UNICEF poll of young people, which received more than 1 million responses from over 160 countries, and suggestions from a series of student-led #ENDviolence Youth Talks held around the world. In both, students were invited to voice what they need to feel safe in and around school. The #ENDviolence Youth Manifesto will be presented to Ministers at The Education World Forum in January 2019 as part of a collective effort to #ENDviolence in and around schools led by organisations including UNICEF, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), UNESCO, other members of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI). UNICEF is encouraging young people around the world to raise their voices to #ENDviolence in and around schools and to tell us how they are working together and what solutions they are using to #ENDviolence in and around schools once and for all.

Chennai Metro threat to school playground On December 11, around 200 parents and alumni of the Good Shepherd School gathered for an impromptu protest. The protest demanded change in alignment of the proposed phase II network of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). The proposed plan threatens to raze down a major part of the 93-year-old school's playground, stadium gallery and the junior block. The school management has appealed to the parents to help them stand up for the school. They have also obtained an interim stay from the Madras High Court directing metro authorities to give a personal hearing to the school. A senior official of the CMRL said that ways to minimise the land acquisition will be explored since the alignment won’t be changed.

Winners of Khan Academy’s LearnStorm 2018 challenge announced

Khan Academy organised LearnStorm, a nation-wide free, six-week online learning challenge driven by teachers, for classes between Grade 3 and 12. It witnessed participation of over 1700 teachers and 20,000 students from 200 Indian schools. The Grand Prize was bagged by R.N. Podar School, Mumbai. Khan Academy will be awarding the school with a trophy and certificates; a special celebration for the students and teachers will be organised as well. The Keep Going! Keep Growing! Award was given to ten schools namely Jubilee Hills Public School, Hyderabad; Rustomjee Cambridge International School and Junior College, Virar, Mumbai; Tamarind Tree, Dahanu, Maharashtra; Sunbeam School, Lahartara, Varanasi; Delhi Public School, Ghaziabad; Vidyagyan School, Bulandshahr; Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai; Meridian School, Kukatpally, Hyderabad; Gyanfort School, Farrukhabad and Bal Bharati Public School, Delhi. They were given certificates, trophies and special LearnStorm celebration packages for creating a motivating environment and embodying the spirit of teamwork, collaboration, and developing growth mindsets through LearnStorm.

January 2019

TRENDING SDG 4 Data Digest launched to improve learning globally The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) launched the SDG 4 Data Digest 2018: Data to Nurture Learning, which demonstrates how data can contribute to improve learning, as ministers and policymakers gather at the Global Education Meeting in Brussels to take stock of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education for all on December 3, 2018. Inequality in education is high on the agenda in Brussels but, as the UIS points out, it cannot be tackled without robust monitoring to track whether children, adolescents and adults are gaining the skills they need. This monitoring is vital, given that six out of 10 children and adolescents worldwide are still unable to read a simple sentence or handle a basic mathematics calculation, according to UIS data. One-third of the children and adolescents without basic literacy and numeracy skills are out of school and urgently need access to the education that is their right. Two-thirds of these children and adolescents are actually in school.There is critical importance of learning for the achievement of all SDGs, from reducing poverty to tackling gender discrimination and building healthy, peaceful societies. The Digest voices concern about how these goals can be reached by the 2030 deadline if significant numbers of people continue to lack basic skills. The Digest explores the internationally-comparable data needed to reduce inequalities and ensure the lifelong learning envisaged by SDG 4. It covers a wide range of assessment initiatives from early childhood education to adult literacy programmes. It also presents a series of tools to help countries make informed decisions about the types of assessments that will meet their specific needs, as well as guidance on participation in assessments and building the essential human capacity to improve learning outcomes through the effective use of data. Making a strong case for investment in evaluation, the Digest argues for a shift in perspectives about the perceived costs of learning assessments by donors and governments. Participation in major international or regional assessments can cost each country roughly $500,000 every four years, which seems like a major expense for a smaller economy. However, it is minor when set against the overall cost of providing schooling, and the even greater economic consequences of inadequate education. The UIS estimates that solid data on learning to gauge whether approaches are working or whether reforms are needed could improve education spending efficiency by 5 per cent, saving an average of $30 million per year in per country, which would pay for the cost assessments hundreds of times over.

Khelo India Youth Games 2019 in Pune

The second edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be hosted in Pune from January 9 - 20, 2019. The Central Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiation will allow participants to compete in two categories, (Under 17) and (Under 21), from colleges and universities. The official announcement and jersey launch was attended by Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, along with Shri Vinod Tawade, Minister of Sports, Education and Youth Welfare, Government of Maharashtra, Shri. Narendra Batra, President, IOA, wrestler Sushil Kumar and several other government dignitaries. Shining stars of Khelo Indian School Games such as weightlifter Jeremy Lalirinunga, shooters Manu Bhaker, Esha Gupta, Laksya Sheoran, Saurabh Chaudhury, swimmer Srihari Nataraj and Judo player Tababai Devi, and badminton player Lakshya Sen, sported the new jersey and personified the very essence of the reach and impact that the games have had. Speaking at the event, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said, "We want to create an ecosystem of sports in the country and ensure that our young athletes can get an international-level platform, through which they can showcase their sporting talent.â&#x20AC;?

January 2019

The Human Resource Development ministry sent a team of officials to Finland to understand its school education system. The Indian delegation led by IAS officer Anita Karwal, chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education, included three other CBSE officials and NCTE member secretary Sanjay Awasthi, an Indian revenue service officer. The delegation has since returned. The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had submitted a report on Finland’s school system over a year ago, detailing what India could replicate from the best practices followed there. The Finnish education system is considered to be better than most countries’ in view of the consistent top-rank performance of its students in exams such as the Programme for International Students Assessment and the Teaching and Learning International Survey for 15-year-olds. In Finland, children below seven years of age are not allowed admission to Class I and need to go through three years of pre-school — where there is one teacher for every 10 students — before they start formal schooling. No child is detained up to Class X. Any student whose performance is not up to the mark is given special attention and later encouraged to do a vocational course if he or she still continues to lag behind the others. The report said the teaching method exposed the students to social realities, making them more sensitive. The Finnish system is characterised by a late start in formal education, less homework, collaborative learning, no standardised tests, teacher autonomy and special care for students who lag behind the rest. All schools are government-managed but enjoy the freedom to decide their method of teaching and content based on national guidelines. Teachers in Finland are appointed after five years of integrated rigorous training and their salaries are no less than those of engineers, doctors and bureaucrats. The NCERT report recommended that the policy of no-detention till Class VIII should continue although the government has introduced a bill in Parliament to bring back the provision of failing a child.

HRD officials in Finland for education tips

Indian teacher passionate about Maori ed Judy Mathew, an Indian teacher from South Auckland, has true passion for te reo Maori. Mathew tutors kids at Edukids Early Childhood Centre. She also encourages other teachers to practise Maori education. She says, “The Maori language is the mother tongue of NZ and I live here.” Te reo Maori is part of the requirements for an early childhood teacher under ECE.Affectionately known as Whaea Judy, she further added “I teach te reo to my tamariki through waiata. First of all, when I come to the centre I greet everyone in te reo like 'morena', 'atamarie' to the children and the whanau.” “We like to acknowledge more te reo and [to] put the language and tikanga Maori into ECE. So, we promote te reo along with other languages. We would like to put more emphasis on te reo,” added Edukids Centre Manager Rajinder Kaur.

Four Indian innovations recognised in HundrED 2019 Four projects from India have been recognised in the HundrED 2019 collection as among the world's most inspiring education innovations. HundrED aims to share best practice ideas and K12 innovations across borders to help improve the future of education globally. To achieve this, a team of researchers investigated innovations from around the world to determine 100 projects that are already changing the face of education. Over 1,000 innovations were identified through research, events, and recommendations and then 160 were evaluated by HundrED’s academy made up of educational experts, educators and students (ages 11-19 years old) from 28 countries on their innovativeness, impact, and scalability. The selected 100 K12 innovations cover various fields of education from learning environments and holistic well-being to collaborative learning and game-based education, as well as a range of themes including small teacher-led practices, ambitious not-for-profit initiatives, viral EdTech products, and unique whole school models. However, what is unique is that the selected four innovations from India came from two cities, Ahmedabad and Bangalore. These projects were chosen for the HundrED 2019 collection, announced on November 7, 2018, due to their unique pioneering status and ability to create a scalable impact, while reaching the lives of thousands of children. The four projects are: 1. Design for Change (Ahmedabad): Design for Change empowers students to be socially aware and proactive change agents in their community. Through undertaking self-directed community projects, children shift their mindset from "Can I?" to "I can!" 2. Dream a Dream Life Skills Assessment Scale (Bangalore): The scale assesses 5 core life skills – a) Ability to take initiative b) Ability to interact with one another c) Ability to solve problems d) Ability to manage conflict e) Ability to understand and follow instructions. 3. Project DEFY (Bangalore): A system of learning that believes anyone can teach themselves anything by using the internet and the community around them to find solutions. 4. SMILES in Education (Ahmedabad): S.M.I.L.E.S. is Stress-free, Motivating, Inquisitive Learning Ecosystem integrating Mindfulness and Yoga (M.A.Y.) with Pedagogy. Saku Tuominen, CEO of HundrED, said: “Spreading innovations across borders can be a gamechanger for education, worldwide. We will continue to encourage as many stakeholders as possible including schools, educators, administrators, students, and organisations to get involved so that we can work towards a positive future.”

January 2019

OP-ED

In Pursuit of Inclusive Education A

Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka

January 2019

UNESCO believes that four principles are key to understanding and implementing inclusive education. First, inclusion is an ongoing pursuit to promote diversity, to learn to live with difference, and to learn from difference.

ccording to a study by our colleagues at the World Health Organisation, at least 15 per cent of the global population lives with some form of disability. Ensuring that this group of over a billion persons can participate fully and equally in every sphere of life, and creating an enabling environment for them to be able to live with dignity, present grave challenges. International frameworks and agreements recognise how critical the problem is. Seven targets and eleven indicators of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly draw attention to the need to address the requirements of persons with disabilities with respect to education, employment, growth, and the development of accessible human settlements. Other recent frameworks including the New Urban Agenda (2016), the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (2016) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015) have also emphasised that we must be responsive to the rights of persons of with disabilities. Education for persons with disabilities has emerged as a core priority. Sustainable Development Goal 4 (that seeks to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’), the Education 2030 Framework for Action, the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education all posit inclusiveness and equity as the foundations for quality education. Entrenched as these rights are in various conventions and laws, however, disturbing gaps remain between the commit-

disabilities, women with disabilities are three times more likely to have unmet healthcare needs; are three times more likely to be illiterate; are twice less likely to be employed; and are twice less likely to use the Internet. Further, among those employed, women with disabilities are twice less likely to work as legislators, senior officials or managers.

ments made and the lived experience of persons with disabilities. The Government of India has taken proactive steps to empower persons with disabilities through policies and programmes such as the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 that recognises children with disabilities as a separate category with specialized needs, and grants children with ‘multiple disabilities’ and ‘severe disability’ the right to opt for home-based education. The landmark Rights to Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 recognizes and covers 21 types of disability – a significant improvement over the seven types of disability covered earlier – and children with disabilities in the age group 6–18 years now enjoy the right to free education. Moreover, it is now mandatory for Government-funded or Government-recognized educational institutions to offer inclusive education for children with disabilities. Unfortunately, in spite of these empowering legislations, children with disabilities constitute a significant proportion of out of school children in India. According to a 2014 report by IMRB International and the Social and Rural Research Institute, 28 per cent of children with disabilities are not in school. Trends show that 45 per cent of disabled children in India fail to attain literacy; and at little over 54 per cent, the literacy rate of disabled persons is considerably lower than the national literacy rate of 74 per cent. Discriminatory attitudes and beliefs continue to impact the education of children with disabilities in India, and often prevent them from accessing opportunities for education. Quite apart from sociological factors, unsuitable or limited educational resources for the disabled, poor educational infrastructure, and a lack of qualified teachers impede efforts to acquire an education. Consequently, less than one-third of India’s population of disabled persons is able to join the country’s workforce. As we ready ourselves to enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, we find

that we must adopt a highly strategic multistakeholder approach if we are to overcome systemic barriers to education for persons with disabilities in India, and strengthen oversight, coordination and delivery mechanisms for inclusive education. We must work towards innovative policies that will help ensure the achievement of SDG 4, particularly Target 4.5 (which urges us to ‘eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable including persons with disabilities’) and Target 4.a (that encourages us to ‘build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide […] inclusive and effective learning environments for all’). UNESCO believes that four principles are key to understanding and implementing inclusive education. First, inclusion is an ongoing pursuit to promote diversity, to learn to live with difference, and to learn to learn from difference. Second, inclusion is concerned with the identification and removal of barriers to education. Third, inclusion is about the presence, participation and achievement of all students, where ‘achievement’ refers to students’ learning outcomes, not merely academic results. Fourth, inclusion involves a particular emphasis on those groups of learners who may be at risk of marginalization, exclusion or underachievement. This indicates a moral responsibility to ensure that groups that are statistically most ‘at risk’ are carefully monitored, and active steps are taken to ensure their education and growth. Inclusive education is thus founded upon the need to identify and address groups that are most at risk of marginalization. It is very important therefore that we examine the intersection of disability with other soci.l or economic identities. For instance, groups such as women and girls with disabilities are especially vulnerable and tend to face multiple forms of discrimination. As a 2018 UN report titled Realization of the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with Persons with Disabilities notes: compared to men with

Inclusive education is born of a vision of the world that is based on equity, justice and fairness. The global discourse around inclusive education has evolved. It is no longer restricted chiefly to questions about where such education is imparted (for example, whether in segregated special schools or in regular schools), but now also includes the consideration of a wide range of educational experiences and outcomes. These elements could include educational content, teaching methods and teacher training, the learning environment and infrastructure, community norms, and the availability of space for dialogue with multiple stakeholders. In keeping with this expanded understanding of inclusive education, in early 2019 the UNESCO Office in New Delhi will launch a seminal report titled N for Nose: The State of Education Report for India 2019 – Children with Disabilities. The 2019 report aims to articulate an action-oriented vision and roadmap for 2030, focusing specifically on education for children with disabilities, and drawing on national and international policy documents and legislative frameworks. It will critically analyse existing disability-related policies, practices and educational tools in India, and will examine how ideas of inclusive education can be mainstreamed into national education systems. The report will be the first in a series of annual reports that will address a different education-related theme every year. It is through initiatives such as our development of The State of Education Report for India 2019 – Children with Disabilities, our observation of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities on 3 December every year, sustained advocacy and policy engagement, and numerous ongoing activities with partners who specialize in accessibility and the promotion of disability rights, that UNESCO in India continually reaffirms its commitment to build knowledge societies that are cognizant of and sensitive to the needs of persons with disabilities. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has said that ‘Societies will never achieve the Sustainable Development Goals without the full participation of everyone, including persons with disabilities.’ Indeed, as UNESCO steps up efforts to help India achieve the 2030 Agenda, we remain resolute and committed to be inclusive, and to leave no one behind.

January 2019

FEATURE

WISHLIST

2019

Educators share with MARIE Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SOUZA the changes they would like to see manifested in the new year

January 2019

ven cynics cannot help the tingle of hope, the frisson of promise that a new year brings. While the gaps between the high ideal and the actual reality might be yawning, there are the more easily implementable changes which could make a huge difference. Whether an attitudinal shift or improvement in methods, educators share with us the much-desired changes they would like to see take shape this yearâ&#x20AC;Ś

Humanism should underlie all teaching and learning - Dr Neeta Bali Director-Principal and Head of School, G D Goenka World School Some changes I would desire in the coming year are making education more skill oriented rather than content heavy. The aim and purpose should be to equip learners with the skills of 'learning how to learn', problem-solving, critical and analytical skills and skills of articulation and collaboration. Humanism should underlie all teaching and learning. Students should be given time to think outside the syllabus through experiential learning and reflection on their own learning. They should be practically involved in their field of interest. Hands-on assignments and projects should replace exams and the focus should be on accomplishing projects, making presentations and other methods to demonstrate the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to apply the concepts learned in a practical manner.

With 2019 giving a new hope, I sincerely wish that every educational institution will instil in students the important values of compassion, humility and respect for others. With digitalisation set to - Dr Jagpreet Singh change the eduHeadmaster, Punjab cational scenario, Public School, Nabha the educators must not forget that the ultimate goal of education is to spread knowledge and not to churn out mechanised robots. Irrespective of various boards, I hope the decision makers will bring in much needed changes in curriculum.

I hope the decision makers will bring in much needed changes in curriculum

Apart from academic work, students should be given life lessons through daily life incidents. Greater awareness of new age careers and opportunities in school through strong career advisory cells is a must, so that the students learn that life is not a rat race. Each one can carve out a unique niche. We need to do this because our education system and society at large resists deviance from set norms. For this, a strong system of educating the parents is necessary and the onus lies on schools.Standards of teaching profession should be raised so that the young and talented do not feel ashamed to be called teachers. Teachers must be paid well so that best talent can be attracted to take up teaching as a career rather than seeking jobs in MNCs. Updating the skills of teachers by investing in teacher training is the need of the hour as an important part of the teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job will be developing skills, particularly technical since education will be primarily imparted through various technological devices. Teachers must be trained regularly to keep up with use of technology and subject-related apps and their updated versions.

Also, it would be a delight to see the youth taking up the selfless profession of teaching! Young changemakers will definitely bring an evolution.

January 2019

FEATURE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - Nelson Mandela. We come from a civilization where education was considered pious, where Takshila and Nalanda stood for true knowledge and where sacredness defined the Guru-Shishya relationship. And now welcome to the present. Education has become a 'business'. - Hema Poonia Education system is crumbling like a pack of cards. Every other competitive exam is questionably rigged, either by leak or behind the door jacks. Students Education is the basic right of every prepare for an exam with a tinge of human irrespective of geographical locainsecurity about whether its results tion. In India, particularly it is the right of would see light of the day or not! every individual irrespective of caste, There is immense competition among pricreed, religion, vate schools, yet no class. rural or urban. Education has been branded, India being a with no depth in its foundations whatsoever. I can go on and on about diverse country how and why our education system is with 22 languages crippling. But let's focus on solutions or with 29 states, its 'what we expect' from education. First things focus should be on first, we must focus on foundation of children. The initial educating every 4-5 years of a kid is the deciding factor of his/her personality and Indian citizen. As paves the way for a bright or dull future, as the case may be. per stats, India Instead of competing about whose chief guest is a bigger celebrity has achieved or whose annual functions are more extravagant, pre-primary 74.4% of literacy Mohammed Azhar schools should focus on providing moral and ethical education to as of now. The Principal, Knowledge kids. A child spends around 5-6 hours in school, so it's essential goal should be Academy School that the seeds of good manners and habits get sown early. achieving 100% litNext, every government is keen on bringing the education staneracy. India being dards down under the pretext of simplifying it (and catering to a huge country the vast vote bank of parents). It should be stopped right here! only the governExcessive mental pressure of marks is one thing (and it is wrong) ment cannot do but learning to deal with pressure is another thing (which is this uphill task. It important). can be achieved through Children ought to learn about balancing various targets in life and public and dealing with pressures head on. A healthy rivalry among students private with respect to marks and ranks is not at all bad. What's the point of partnershielding them with grades and open book system when a cut throat ships. competition is awaiting them the moment they step out of school? There should be a coordination and sync between education level of 1. Focus should school and universities and competitive exams. be only on achieving 100% Coming to career choices, I wish we have a more comprehensive and vast list literacy through of courses rather than the limited conventional MBBS, IIT, CA, MBA, IAS, CLAT etc. Every child is special and gifted. There is nothing more unfortupublic and private nate than a student failing in life because of choosing a career not meant for partnerships. him. Schools and colleges must include more courses and career options in 2. Education system should undergo a radtheir curriculum like RJ, VJ, ethical hacking, music, fashion designing, ical change focusing on skills. painting, acting, photography, cooking, writing and a whole lot more. I would also have the relevant authorities tighten the grip on the education 3. Assessment pattern should be flexible system, literally. More than the exams, it's the tension of exam paper being enough to accommodate every student leaked, postponed or results withheld owing to court order, which has according to the child's capacity. harassed students the most in recent years. Examination system should be centralised and made transparent, devoid of any kind of political interfer4. Education should focus on skills. ence. The higher authorities ought to stop treating the syllabus as a pendu5. There should be a smooth transition lum, changing it frequently and thus disturbing the stability among the stufrom Higher Secondary School to Higher dent fraternity. Lastly, reforms in education system is not about changing Education. books or syllabus. It must focus on the underlying policies and their effective implementation. I dream, wish and hope for an education system where stu6. Higher Education should give more dents are able to pursue courses of their interest, where they feel secure importance to the skills of the student about authenticity of examination system, where skill based learning takes instead of marks for the admission of the over the mugging up culture, where schools and colleges are ranked on the student in their institutions. criteria of 'Best Students' instead of 'so called influence' and where education provides more than just a degree!

I dream of a system where education provides more than a degree

The goal should be achieving 100% literacy

January 2019

FEATURE

EDUCATION AMIDST CONFLICT L

MARIE Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SOUZA explores why education plays an even greater role in times of strife

January 2019

ast year, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees revealed that the problem of refugee children without access to school was worsening. UNICEF estimated that 17 million children of school age are refugees in countries hit by conflict. The situation is far from rosy even for those who do manage to get to school - education in emergency situations often means classes of 70 pupils and unqualified teachers. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, girls are more than twice as likely as boys to miss out on school completely in such conflict zones. The damage caused by such emergencies can span entire childhoods. In Yemen, for instance, more than 1200 schools

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have been damaged in the conflict, while the others are used as shelters or are occupied by armed groups. The strife-torn countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education system is apparently on the brink of collapse. While the war has left two million children unable to get to school, many teachers have not been paid their salaries for over a year. With children in Yemen facing a bleak future because of limited or no access to education, the future of an entire generation is at stake. The situation is equally tragic in Uganda, broken by war, famine and economic collapse. Nearly 1.5 million refugees currently live here, including a million from South Sudan. War-torn

Syria is struggling to grant a generation a chance of an education, and the opportunity to prepare for a career and acquire skills. Of the 650,000 registered Syrian refugees in Jordan, 335,000 are children. The UN declared that children are the most affected by the conflict in Syria and continue to pay an incredibly high price, as support is minimal. In Nigeria, more than 1.8 million people have been displaced by Boko Haram violence, which includes a million children. RAYS OF HOPE- Amidst this depressing scenario, a few rays of sunshine manage to pierce the

gloom. Despite long years of war, violence and displacement, 4.9 million Syrian children continue to have access to education. Funding from donors, generosity from host governments and communities; relentless work from admirable teachers and the sheer determination of Syrian children and their families have helped millions of Syrian children get an education, UNICEF had shared. Nearly 90 per cent of children who have access to education are in public schools in Syria and in neighbouring countries, Lebanon and Jordan. Afghanistan has been one of the countries worst affected by violence

January 2019

FEATURE

Pix:https://openmigration.org/en/web-review/the-10-best-articles-on-refugees-and-migration-272016/

against schools, with 770 incidents of attack on education in 2008. While violence on students prevented nearly 5 million Afghan children from attending school in 2010, the country is going through a nationwide rebuilding process since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. Institutions are being established across the country despite setbacks. Bangladesh was awarded $25 million by the World Bank, including $4 million from Canada, to help provide education and support to heal the psychological wounds of Rohingya children and youths who had fled violence in Myanmar. The additional financing on grant terms expanded an existing project to help about 350,000 Rohingya children and adolescents get basic education at learning centres. In addition to providing access to learning opportunities, the grant supports psycho-social activities to help Rohingya children recover from shocks and prevent exploitation. VITAL ROLE - As UNICEF put it, â&#x20AC;&#x153;At no time is education more important than in times of war.â&#x20AC;? Education is the key that gives children a chance to reach their full potential and contribute to the future and stability of their families, communities and

economies. There is a glaring need to provide education both during and after conflicts and disasters. In 2000, at Dakar, the global community had committed itself to achieving education for all, including those affected by conflict and disaster: conflict, natural calamities and instability. Education is a fundamental tool that helps protect conflict- and disaster-affected children and youth from harm and exploitation. Providing education to children and youth can help protect from recruitment into fighting forces, forced labour, prostitution, criminal activities and drug abuse. In post-conflict settings, education contributes to the reintegration into society of former soldiers and other children and youth associated with fighting forces.Education gives hope for the future. It provides order, structure and a sense of normalcy, thus helping to reduce the psychosocial effects of conflict, disaster and displacement. It plays a key role helping children and youth who have suffered trauma and violence. Structured play activities and schooling can be a balm for those who have faced the destruction of natural disasters and the loss of loved ones and homes. In fact, it is noted that those communities which have been affected by conflict and disaster

January 2019

place a strong emphasis on education. They often even give it priority over more material needs. Such communities not only request but expect provision of education for their children. Both formal and non-formal education programmes help children and youth to receive important life-saving messages. Awareness about landmines, education for human rights, peace and conflict resolution, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, basic health and hygiene, HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention, education for natural disaster risk reduction and education for sustainable development, can be communicated effectively. Educating children has a cascading effect, as they become key channels to communicate the same essential messages to their families and to the larger community. Provision of education can help overcome gender disparities, promotes economic and social reintegration and reconstruction. Skills training contributes to restoring a sense of normality, facilitating revival and promotion of livelihoods and alleviating poverty. With the joint efforts of national governments and the international community in responding to conflict and disasters, education systems could provide an opportunity to build back education systems to even better standards than existed before the disaster or conflict.

COVER STORY

EDTECH IN INDIA

INCREASING AWARENESS, PATCHY ADOPTION

PARVATHY JAYAKRISHNAN examines the scepticism that largely greets edtech in schools

t is physics hour in school and our little Einsteins are eager to learn their new lesson - a lesson on electromagnetism. The teacher starts explaining Coulomb's law the best way possible by drawing figures on the blackboard and giving verbal explanations. Some students get the concept, some understand it partially and some are simply nodding along because the concept just went past over their heads. This is indeed a real life sce-

nario. It was not rectifiable, maybe, 10 years ago but today with the advent of technology in education, hard to digest concepts are made easy to follow for students. With a 3-dimensional representation of point charges, moving figures of how they attract or repel can be a visual treat for a student to understand the law in its true sense. When a student doesn't understand what is being taught, ultimately he learns by heart the two lines that make up the

January 2019

law only to regurgitate it into his answer paper. When it comes to applying the law in a problem, he will fumble. This is just a small example to show the power of educational technology and why we need to bring it to our schools. Educational technology merely facilitates learning by using appropriate tools, technological processes and resources. Today, students are already

their learning and prepare these toddlers for their entry in formal schools system. Schools too need to build a similar attitude among teachers to make the best use of technology to facilitate expected learning outcomes. Teachers must be encouraged to take on short online courses and also be given demos about practically using the vastly available resources. Inhouse training and peer learning among teachers through class observations is also very helpful. Blended learning, where interdisciplinary and online connects are established is the order of the day. Involvement of parents in their child’s learning is very important. Flipped learning modules will ensure parents are equally participative and will gradually accept the new age methodologies.” Edtech and scepticism In India, we are stuck to our traditional brick and mortar form of teaching and learning and we are, in some ways, afraid to experiment with new methods of teaching. Even parents are skeptical when it comes to edtech sometimes because they never learnt it that way. So what results is, there are a number of edtech companies coming up in the market with very few takers. This is completely unbalanced and it is an aspect that needs to be sorted.

familiar with technology and gadgets and when you deliver lessons through technology, they can be made more interesting for the student. Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO, Kalorex group believes, “Today’s students are exposed to technology right from their early childhood, through toys and games which also enhance

Assessing whether edtech in Indian schools has been accepted and implemented, Imran Jafar, Gaja Capital shares, “Schools are looking for solutions that are curriculum aligned, integrated into their workflow and deliver measurable results especially in learning outcomes. Schools are a few generations behind their counterparts in other corporates in the use of data and technology. Some edtech solutions are helping schools bridge this gap quite success-

fully.” Preparing the ground for wider acceptance and usage of edtech in schools is challenging. “Schools, teachers, parents and students are constantly pressed for time. What is needed is for schools to take one or two big areas of change and focus all their energy to solve that. In our view, schools must focus on their core area of expertise which is to be organisations that attract and retain the best teachers and create the space for the highest quality engagement between teacher and student. Technology can play a huge role in taking away hundreds of hours of non value-adding work by teachers and in arming them with insights on how their students are really doing so that they have more time and space for their core role which is to inspire, coach and guide their students towards their learning goals,” Jafar maintains. According to Venky Datla, Cofounder of Creya Learning, “I would like to highlight issues around mindsets: One is the mindset of the provider who comes with a tool approach and says ‘Here is the new toy in the town, take it’ with very little thought to implementation support. The second is the mindset of the receiver (school/college) whose implementation staff is either tired of too many me-too solutions with no results or feel that the ROI is not commensurate to the efforts and costs.” It is important to instill 21st century skills in our children. They are very familiar with gadgets from a young age but how to use it to their benefit and how to make the best out of it is something a teacher can guide them with. This strong resistance to change needs to be expelled in order to move forward. Nirav Khambhati, partner, Kaizen PE explains, “While there is increasing awareness amongst Indian schools on the benefits that edtech can bring, the current level of adoption is quite patchy. At one end of the spectrum, there are schools led by principals who are quite tech-savvy and are always open to trying out different technologies for improving teachinglearning processes. But they represent a very small percentage of the overall population. Unfortunately, for most schools, particularly government schools, edtech only means having a few rarely-used computers in the computer lab.”

January 2019

COVER STORY

- Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO, Kalorex Group

- Venky Datla, Co-founder of Creya Learning

- Kanak Gupta, Director, Seth M R Jaipuria Schools

- Imran Jafar, Gaja Capital

- Nirav Khambhati Partner, Kaizen PE

- Sharad Bansal, Co Founder & CEO, SRJNA

According to Kanak Gupta, Director, Seth M R Jaipuria Schools, “The greatest challenge is to improve access of quality education. We need to build schools that invest in improving the skills of teachers, and give students the skills to be successful in today’s and tomorrow’s world. There are many institutions that are able to do this outside metropolitan cities. In theory, in the traditional classroom seating scenario, students are unable to get the individual attention they need due to time constraints. In contrast, the one-to-one context of learning in digital mediums currently enables students to learn through

videos and chat with an expert. However, the implementation and applicability of this is quite the opposite. What many people assume and make a mistake with is that they think you can substitute a teacher with technology. To overcome this, the first step is a mind-set change required. Teachers and parents need to be learners, be adaptive to the change themselves that would make implementation of edtech tools in the classroom simpler. “I strongly believe that technology is an added tool in the repertoire of a teacher. One needs to keep a student at

January 2019

the centre of the teaching learning process, without removing a teacher from the classroom, and immersive learning including through edtech tools.” Buying edtech online is yet to catch up here. Parents are not well-aware of their options and they choose to see it before buying it. Mrs Malini Sinha, parent to a student in class 5 explains, “If someone demonstrates to me how an edtech works, I tend to buy it. I never buy this online because I’m not sure whether the product will satisfy my requirements.”

Venky Datla explains, “Building awareness among parents will be the biggest push to improving adoption of edtech in schools. This will remove the hurdle for schools when they have to convince parents for funding the costs. The next big push will come by focussing on the 2-tier towns and 3-tier towns that are largely ignored by all the mainstream edtech providers.” Classroom learning combined with private tuitions is the norm in India. Parents rely on physical tuitions for their children over educational technology. This is also because they are often unaware of the added benefits an edtech will provide. For this, the edtech companies need to strive harder with advertising and sending their representatives to schools so that the bene-

fits of their products are known. Nirav Khambhati shares tips for edtech companies to ensure wider adoption of technology in classrooms. “First and foremost, edtech companies must develop a deep understanding of what happens in the classroom and the structural issues that schools and teachers face. These issues, such as difficulty in finding high quality teachers and time pressure on the teacher to complete the syllabus, are not going to go away overnight even with introduction of technology. Secondly, a lot of emphasis needs to be placed on increasing teachers’ comfort with technology, right from pre-service training all the way to ongoing in-service training. Finally, devices and content that are suitable for the Indian context will have to be developed. At present, a lot

of the content that is available off-theshelf are not designed keeping in mind good instructional design principles. Devices too have not been manufactured after taking into consideration the dust and heat in India. As a result, there are multiple points of failure.” Kanak Gupta believes that we, as a society, have never really worked towards the integration of modern technology into existing learning theories, or the effectiveness of tech with the instructions delivered. “The effort has to be made to integrate tech into learning, not look at it as a stand-alone chutzpah or frill. It is today a way-of life, and instead of fighting it, or fighting for it, I say make it a hygiene factor. The tech interface today promotes ease of access and learning, and it has

January 2019

COVER STORY become part of our lives. Why not then let it be part of our education? “Previously, using technology at schools was seen as a special feature, and the hype around it did intimidate many. Obviously, today’s teachers might not have been exposed to all-pervasive-tech in their lives the way in which their students are. I think the government should take initiatives to up-skill the abilities of teachers. Make them understand that this is fairly standard and easy. Also, most importantly, strong message should go from agencies as well that technology is not a substitute, but a tool for enhancing the learning process at schools.” Insufficient digital infrastructure in schools and homes also hinders the use of edtech. We need to go a long way to make our schools WiFi-enabled and that often doesn’t help in implementing edtech in schools. There is also a challenge of students going for free resources over paid resources. Often, the quality of material is compromised when a free resource is chosen. Sharad Bansal, Co Founder and CEO, Srjna says, “Success stories around non-conventional achievements, awareness of various career opportunities, alumni stories (already the most effective tool in higher education), tips for parents, and government schemes can bring in a sense of awareness about the benefits of edtech.” However, the KPMG report gives further information on the entire growth prospects of online learning market in India. It mentions that the expanding e-learning market is expected to grow at least eight-fold in the near future and become a $1.96 billion market. Also, the user base is expected to grow by six times to 9.6 million users by 2021. This is indeed a good sign of things to come. Hopefully, very soon edtech will become more familiar to teachers and students than it is today and it will be used to everyone’s benefit in schools. Benefits of edtech in the classroom It is important to be aware of the benefits of using edtech in the classroom. Some of the advantages include: 1. Improves engagement: Technology provides opportunities to make learning more fun and enjoyable by teaching the same lesson in different ways. Technology can take students on virtual field trips and it can teach through games and movies. Hence technology encourages a more engaged

learning process which is hard to achieve through a traditional lecture environment. 2. Improves knowledge retention: A student who is engaged and fully immersed in what he is studying will have better knowledge retention. Different technology can be experimented with and the teacher can decide what works best with students to retain their knowledge. 3. Encourages individual learning: Technology is a lifesaver for students with different learning needs. This way they can learn at their own speed, go through tough lessons multiple times, unlike in a traditional classroom setting where a lesson delivered by a teacher can never be retrieved. Internet access gives students more opportunities to research and learn about various topics. 4. Encourages collaboration: Along with supporting individual learning, technology encourages collaboration too. Students can collaborate through various online activities. If a group of students are working on a project together, they can share resources, assign duties and clear doubts - all on their virtual environment. This can even encourage students from different countries to come together in one platform to share ideas and work together. 5. Learn life skills through technology: By using technology in the classroom, both teachers and students can develop skills essential for the 21st century. Students can gain the skills they will need to be successful in the future. Modern learning is about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, critical thinking, developing different forms of communication and leadership skills, and improving motivation and productivity. What is more, technology can help develop many practical skills, including creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet, maintaining proper online etiquette, and writing emails. These are very important skills that can be developed in the classroom. 6. Makes teaching easy: With online resources easily available, the job of teaching is made easy. Virtual lesson plans, grading software and online assessments can help teachers save a lot time. This time can be used by teachers to help strug-

January 2019

gling students. What is more, having virtual learning environments in schools enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing between teachers. 7. Publish and get instant feedback: Edtech can enable a student to publish his ideas immediately and get feedback from professors and students instantly. This can give a great boost to a student who has worked hard on a topic and it can be very fulfilling for him/her to make his/her work known in the respective domain. How to choose wisely Choosing to adopt edtech in your school is an important decision. Choosing the right edtech is an equally important decision and here are some tips to find which one is the right one for you. Venky Datla believes that schools should check for the ease of use of the edtech product more than the features of the cost. A cheap edtech product or a feature rich one, if not used at all, is of no use. Another key aspect is how long in the adoption cycle the vendor is willing to support and stick his neck out for ensuring results. -

The administrators and teachers should build a shared understanding of the specific goals for teaching and learning for the school.

Make a list of what you have and what more you need

List out a few features that you want in your product and look for a product that fits the bill

See if the product can be customised for your school

Check prices and features and go for what suits your budget

The product should be adaptable to the curriculum

Dr Manjula Pooja Shroff says, “We have always been the front runners in the use of technology in our group of schools, be it hardware, software and now ‘smartware’. The most important aspect to consider is the user friendliness of the edtech and the ability of the service providers to customise that as per our requirements. The launching platforms can be any but the content mapping to the curriculum with interactive and diagnostic assessment solutions are helpful for instant feedback and appreciation.” Kanak Gupta advises schools to look at edtech as a value-addition and not a packaged solution. “Technology offers children access to infinite infor-

mation, and thereby, higher order learning. It also offers the chance of customised and adaptive learning. Many processes can easily be automated through edtech, and research can be done on the data acquired. Imagine, a teacher of mathematics analysing test scores and identifies that her class 6 student is solid with measurements, but not clear with types of fractions! As an educationist, the possibility of access to such information is golden, and edtech tools make it easier. Of course, there are challenges. Not every child has access to tech outside of the classroom. That may inculcate a feeling of inequality. I strongly emphasise on mindset change always, because my fear is edtech is seen as a tool to replace the teacher in the classroom. Schools should give edtech tools a shot,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, children are not learning by reading alone. They expect a multi sensory experience, for which technology is necessary. Unless schools can meet their requirement, they will bypass the school and consume content directly from other sources, which is not ideal for education in the long run,â&#x20AC;? according to Khambhati.

What is the biggest hindrance towards introducing edtech in schools in India? How can we overcome it ? The thing that gets in the way is the pedagogy that needs to go alongside the tech. All too often people, schools, states and governments even push tech into classrooms without giving the thought about how the teachers in the classrooms and their students are going to make use of it. Teachers all over the world teach the way that they were taught at school and habits take a great deal of time, training and effort to change. There are many schools that bring in 1:1 laptop schemes for their students and then spend time trying to get the students to close their laptops and do the work because they have been planning lessons (if they plan their lessons) in a way that does not include the opportunity presented by the tech. When Prof. Sugata Mitra visited the school in February and took some classes with the students our teachers learned about the impact of having only one laptop between five rather than 1:1 and how to frame their questions and tasks to take advantage rather than to simply use the tech to replace paper and pen. All too often the D in BYOD stands for Distraction rather than Device! How can we improve awareness about the use of edtech in education in schools?

- Matthew Raggett, Headmaster, The Doon School

Like any technology or new method of teaching, edtech is also useful when used in the right way and in the right amount. Too much of technology can cause distraction in classes. It is important to choose what we really need and make the best use of it. Sharad Bansal says that edtech enables students to access resources and facilities which were out of reach earlier, gives them the power to collaborate across the world, saves time from regressive and repetitive tasks and it brings in some fun to learning. Although excess screen time of students should be curbed, teachers/parents should control the content that is being used. Also, too much of technology can cause plagiarism and cause students to rely on it more than using their own thinking skills.

We keep sharing best practice and gradually make it normal to use the best elements of edtech. We also need to make sure that we are addressing the needs of our students rather than serving the needs of a rapidly changing and hungry marketplace. Just because something is available it does not mean that it is required or desirable. With various edtech options coming up in the market, what are aspects to note while choosing an edtech solution for your classroom?

Does it add value, increase collaboration, help to make the skills and content being taught come to life in a way that is current and relevant for the students? If not, leave it. Does it work with things that we are doing and have in place? Do you have a Tech Committee in school that is strong and visionary enough to both measure the environment and chart a course that is not going to be distracted by the latest gadget or gimmick? What do you think are the pros and cons of using edtech in the classroom? Distraction from rather than enhancement of learning. I know when I do walkthroughs in the classrooms I can still find some classrooms in which there will be 15 different and unrelated things going on on the screens of students if the teacher hasn't a lesson well enough; it's feedback. The pros are too many to mention if things are going well; collaboration, up-to-the-minute data, calculation power, access, publishing to an audience, getting feedback.

January 2019

EVENT

GESS DUBAI EXPERTS TO BOOST MENA SCHOOLS’ ASPIRATIONS FOR WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION Sessions at GESS Dubai include accredited trainings for teacher permits and CPD certifications

eading global experts have been confirmed to speak at the GESS Dubai 2019 conference and education. “Across the region, governments are increasing investments to improve the quality of education in schools. As the premier education show in the Middle East, we support this aspiration for world-class excellence by providing a platform where teaching professionals can learn from international experts to ensure quality of teaching and learning are on part with global standards,” said Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus F&E, organisers of GESS Dubai. Organised in partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Education, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Ruler of the UAE, GESS Dubai offers more than 200 workshops, presentations and sessions providing unparalleled insights on the latest in education, curriculum development, technology advances, teaching innovation, leadership enhancement and others. Among those confirmed to speak include Deborah Eyre, Founder and CEO, High Performance Learning, who will share her expertise on how schools can achieve world-class standards. “We used to think that only some students could be academically successful - but

January 2019

now we know better. Far more children can achieve better performance to become not just ‘test passers’ but wellrounded, happy individuals able to thrive in life beyond school as well as within it.” Eyre’s presentation will introduce the high-performance learning philosophy which enables schools to systematically enhance cognitive functioning. Drawing on psychology & neuro-science research this evidence-based approach leads to a significant uplift in student outcomes. Already adopted by some of the most innovative schools in the Middle East this approach challenges schools to be more ambitious, to banish the old 'bell curve' and aim for high performance for all. Professional enhancement Thompson says GESS Dubai’s conference programme has been carefully curated to ensure teaching professionals not only learn from the best, but also enable them to advance their professional careers. “Our workshops provide CPD certifications that give teachers the tools they need to achieve better outcomes, as well as support their career progression,” he added. At a time where teaching standards are being upgrade across education systems throughout the Middle East, especially with the introduction of the teacher permit requirements in the UAE, GESS Dubai is providing a relevant and useful venue to empower teaching professionals. Another session that could prove

Across the region, governments are increasing investments to improve the quality of education in schools. As the premier education show in the Middle East, we support this aspiration for world-class excellence by providing a platform where teaching professionals can learn from international experts to ensure quality of teaching and learning are on part with global standards - Matt Thompson, Project Director, Tarsus F&E, Organisers of GESS Dubai useful is the KHDA-approved training programme for the teaching permit to be led by Zen Khan, CEO, ZEN Professional Development and Education 1st Recruitment & Consultancy. “The personal development of students plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. The emphasis upon these aims within the school mission statement is

indicative to the central role that the Moral Education Programme (MEP) will have within their school. Development of MEP both explicitly in the daily life of the school and implicitly through direct teaching is essential to raising standards of all students.” Diversity and inclusiveness Also figuring prominently in the conference programme for the 2019 edition of GESS Dubai are sessions on diversity and inclusiveness. Dr Helen Wright, Associate Consultant, LSC Education, is scheduled to speak about The Diversity Equation: How Diversity in Leadership Can Improve School Outcomes, which will present insights on the latest global studies that show the positive impact of diversity on the economic success and sustainability of organisations, including education establishments. Her talk will include specific guidelines on how schools in the Middle East can embrace diversity in leadership. Aligning its theme with the UAE’s proclamation of 2019 as the Year of Tolerance, GESS Dubai has adopted the theme of Empathy, hoping to Inspire, Empower and Flourish. Business exchange and networking In addition to its conference component, GESS Dubai will be showcasing the latest educational products and solutions from over 550 local and international companies. From hi-tech teaching aides and materials, to innovative STEAM equipment and tools, GESS Dubai provides school owners and decision-makers a wide-range of choices for their teaching professional boost or next classroom upgrade. Education professionals will also have a chance to network with their peers from 92 countries around the world. “It’s a valuable community to connect with for business and professional growth. Among the top countries where visitors came from include Saudi Arabia, India, Oman, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain and Nigeria as well as from Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” according to Thompson. Scheduled to take place in on February 26-28, 2019 at the Sheikh Saeed Halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre, it is free-to-attend for education professionals with online registration now live at www.gessdubai.com.

January 2019

FEATURE UNESCO’s GEM Report 2019

Building

Bridges, Not

Walls

ANUSHKA YADAV reports on the highlights of UNESCO’s 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report

Taking Mum's hand, I whispered "Are we really safe, here? - Alwyn Evans, Walk in My Shoes

veryday, people move from one place to another; to seek better opportunities or to flee their burning countries. However, these movements continue to impact the education system globally. Laws and policies continue to fail by negating the rights and needs of migrant, refugee and displaced children.

UNESCO’s 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report) emphasises on the urgent need of addressing issues related to migration, displacement and education. The goal is to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s commitment to leave no one behind. The report brings together the agenda of

the New York Declaration for refugees and migrants and that of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. Commitments to actions Written by children of refugees, the report serves as a valuable resource to transform commitments into action and hold policy makers accountable for fulfilling the right to education of the neglected. The report provides a broad approach to the definitions of migration and displacement. It simplifies the understanding of the phenomenon and its complex interactions with education. It advocates the setting up of com-

January 2019

prehensive and context-relevant policy frameworks and monitoring mechanisms, involving all concerned stakeholders. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said, “Ignoring the education of migrants squanders a great deal of human potential. Sometimes simple paperwork, lack of data or bureaucratic and uncoordinated systems mean many people fall through administrative cracks. Yet investing in the education of the highly talented and driven migrants and refugees can boost development and economic growth not only in host countries but also countries of origin.”

education. Of utmost importance is the report’s bold step to reveal the prejudice and discrimination faced by migrant, refugee and other minority teachers. It presses authorities to confront and address these issues head-on in order to make schools discrimination-free. Teacher diversity, support & inclusive societies Teacher diversity is a boon in relation to migrant students’ achievement, selfesteem and sense of safety. The report asks the governments to address the recognition of prior qualifications and professional experience of migrant and refugee education staff as a matter of priority and in close collaboration with unions. Even in absence of documentation, governments should promote bilateral/multilateral qualifications recognition agreements, the development of systematic and individualised assessment of migrants’ educational background and competences. Available evidence in the report stresses on the role of education; education integrates migrants and refugees to develop their full potential. Thus, it contributes in building inclusive societies.

Pix: http://www.flexlearnstrategies.net/daily-news-flash-826/

The report recognises that teachers and education support personnel are on the front line of diverse educational contexts. It asserts that education staff and their organisations should be given centrestage in the development and implementation of education and migration policies. Thus, leading to an inclusive educational settings; adding to the efforts of education unions working in the direction. Barriers According to GEM’s findings, access to education remains a major concern. Several administrative barriers continue to restrict migrant and forcibly displaced people’s education opportu-

nities. Governments need to identify and remove these barriers. It strongly criticises the detention of migrant minors and youth in particular. Multifaceted discrimination Special emphasis has been given to how treating migrants and refugees differently is wrong. The report clearly points out the many dimensions of exclusion such as geographical segregation, separation in preparatory courses, early tracking and channelling of migrants into different school types, misdiagnosis of special education needs. And it is the responsibility of educational authorities to tackle multifaceted discrimination in

However, teachers and education personnel often fail to address diversity in their classrooms and schools. There is an urgency required to provide support for both teaching and administrative staff. It can happen through pre and in-service training; leading to healthy development of skills and approaches needed to accommodate diversity and integrate newcomers, as well as provide them appropriate resources to fulfil their mission. Education unions across the globe have developed a valuable experience by transforming schools into welcoming environments. Schools become safe havens through supporting staff peerlearning and a 360-degree integration approach. “Provision of education in itself is not sufficient. The school environment needs to adapt to and support the specific needs of those on the move. Placing immigrants and refugees in the same schools with host populations is an important starting point to building social cohesion. However, the way and the language in which lessons are taught, as well as discrimination, can drive them away.” added Azoulay.

January 2019

The 2019 GEM Report reminds us of the urgent need to make our education systems, schools and all education institutions more inclusive, sensitive and responsive to the needs of people and children on the move Further, the report underlines the need for extra support measures. Challenges can be met if governments and donors significantly increase funding channels to schools and education systems enrol significant numbers of migrants and refugees. SDG4’s Progress The 2019 Report says, “Progress is underway, but stronger commitment is needed”. In the three successful years of the agreement, 33 of the 43 indicators of SDG4 are being actively reported on. Although, the limited data coverage often hinders progress. The SDG monitoring framework requires strengthening for clearer guidance to countries. Better guidance will improve their public education systems; Education International has

been advocating for the same within the SDG Technical Cooperation Group developing the indicators. However, quality data on the teacher indicators remains “surprisingly scarce”. This challenge calls for urgent action for the progress of teacher indicators and related data collection. Education financing stands at the core of Education 2030 as well as SDG4. The report highlights that inclusive and equitable quality education has a price tag. However, not even 43 countries were hitting the government spending targets for education laid out in the Education 2030 Agenda. In Uganda, household spending on education accounts for 63%, whereas it is only 20% globally. While the goal seems distant, governments need to make adequate

January 2019

Pix: https://uil.unesco.org/fr/nouveau-rapport-lunesco-revele-linsuffisance-progres-accomplis-integrer-migrants-refugies-systemes

FEATURE

investments in education and show unified commitment. For instance, completion rates for upper secondary education remain at 49% only. There has been a global decline in trained primary teachers since 2013. Even more saddening is that only 17% of countries include issues relating to Human Rights, global citizenship and sustainable development within in-service teacher education. “The 2019 GEM Report reminds us of the urgent need to make our education systems, schools and all education institutions more inclusive, sensitive and responsive to the needs of people and children on the move,” said David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International. Adoption and full implementation of the United Nations’ global compact on migration and refugees is required. “This will require immediate and concrete action by governments, the UN and all of us,” David Edwards concluded. “Investing in the education of those on the move is the difference between laying a path to frustration and unrest, and laying a path to cohesion and peace,” concluded the Director-General of UNESCO.

EDTECH STARTUPS:

Myriad Lessons Learned After the Fall ANUSHKA YADAV looks at promising edtech startups that folded up due to myriad reasons

The government is set to increase digital intensity in education. Technology will be the biggest driver in improving quality of education. - Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister

t has been a fruitful year for edtech startups; the education atmospherics in India and around the globe have produced a good harvest. There have been recent moves by private companies as well as the Indian government in this space. At the announcement of the Union Budget 2018-19, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said, “The government is set to increase digital intensity in education. Technology will be the biggest driver in improving quality of education.” However, the journey of edtech to becoming the next big revolution in education wasn’t a cakewalk. Despite the prediction of India becoming the world’s largest tertiary-age population by the year 2020, we have always been skeptical about introducing edtech in classrooms. As a result, an enormous

number of potential edtech startups have failed and KNO was a software company, KNO was a software company, founded in 2009, that offered interactive e-textbooks and other educational material in collaboration with publishers. Its products were designed for three categories of audiences namely Kno for College that offered higher education e-textbooks, Kno for School that covered K-12 learning material, and Kno for Publishers that provided publishers with tools to add textbooks and interactive content to Kno. Each e-textbook came with interactive features including videos, 3D models and simulations, a personal journal, social sharing features, flashcards, Kno Me - a tool to track student progress, and other effective learning aids.

January 2019

FEATURE

KNO TEACHER

ALLEYOOP KNACK FOR TUTORSPREE COLLLABO

KNO ALLEYOOP KNACK FOR TEACHER TUTORSPREE COLLLABO YOGOME YOGOME

KNO

ALLEYOOP

TEACHER

TUTORSPREE

KNACK

FOR

COLLLABO

KNO ALLEYOOP KNACK FOR TEACHER TUTORSPREE COLLLABO YOGOME ALLEYOOP KNACK FOR TEACHER ALLEYOOP YOGOME

KNO was a software company, founded in 2009, that offered interactive e-textbooks and other educational material in collaboration with publishers. Its products were designed for three categories of audiences namely Kno for College that offered higher education e-textbooks, Kno for School that covered K-12 learning material, and Kno for Publishers that provided publishers with tools to add textbooks and interactive content to Kno. Each e-textbook came with interactive features including videos, 3D models and simulations, a personal journal, social sharing features, flashcards, Kno Me - a tool to track student progress, and other effective learning aids. Kno received funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Intel Capital, Goldman Sachs, FLOODGATE and GSV Capital, and was based in Santa Clara, California.

January 2019

However, the firm was acquired by Intel for $15 million with some retention bonuses for its employees and intellectual property. A startup that raised $73.4 million in venture capital and debt fell down. Thereafter, Kno began its journey as Kakai Inc. It lasted for four years while its tablet flopped and its shift in focus to an app-based textbook platform failed to attract customers.

ALLEYOOP began with the sole aim to prepare students for college. The Pearson-backed startup was known as the “Zynga for learning.” A college readiness network, with up to 100,000 users, it combined customised guidance-educational content with game dynamics. Students could sign up using Facebook and search for homework help. “After three years of design, development, and beta testing it shut shop on —

we’ll be closing Alleyoop on March 31, 2013. The Alleyoop team will work to facilitate a smooth transition for the online community of users and business partners as we wind down the site,” an Alleyoop spokesperson had said. Little is known about the reason for its shutdown; however, a statement from the startup said, "Innovation is a process of trial and error driven by rapid iteration and risk taking. Over the past few years, we've tried some new things and learned a lot..."

KNACK For Teacher started as a simple tool for teachers. The user could make graphs, organise notes and prove their effectiveness with the efficient tools. The makers of the app understood that teachers are short on time and support. Ironically, Knack for Teachers fell short on time and support as well, closing in 2011. According to a blog post shared on Knack’s Twitter account, the app shut down because it "had very low number of users for a very long time." Jarrod Drysdale, Knack’s head, wrote that he learned important things about teachers and education along with the bitter truth that “Knack’s not a solution people want."

TUTORSPREE, an online platform offered web-based tuition services to students on various subjects such as math, social studies, language, science, programming, and English. The New York based startup solved the discovery, matching, scheduling, and payment inefficiencies of the 7 billion-dollar domestic market by combining its growing community of over 5000 active tutors with technology that created ideal union between student-tutor. Started in 2010, the platform gained respectable venture capital funding. However, several reasons led to the company’s shutdown; firstly, after the tutor and student union took place, they cut Tutorspree out of the transaction and deprived the company of the fifty percent cut it deserved. Secondly, they faced difficulty in raising a second round of funding. Finally, Aaron Harris, co-founder, Tutorspree had said, “For our team, I know that we reached a point where we felt growth was not where we wanted it to be.”

COLLLABO, a teacher lesson plan and collaboration site failed because of being treated like a side project. Its founders complained of never getting the attention or traction the company needed to succeed. AJ Juliani, co-founder, Colllabo, wrote in a blog piece, "Three months after shutting down ... two other companies received multi-million-dollar rounds with painstakingly similar ideas. What was worse is how much better they were at executing and shipping than our team was." He is now founder and editor at educationismylife.com.

While looking at the data of startup shutdowns, an interesting fact was unveiled. More than fifty percent of the founders, post-shutdown, have joined another company where they work in leading positions. However, only a small chunk are able to come back as founder.

YOGOME led the way in education by providing children of ages 4-10 across the globe with the necessary tools for success. The Mexico-based edtech startup developed educational tablets as well as mobile games. Yogome created a digital subscription service for its educational apps including 2,000 activities in the form of games, videos and digital books. The multi-lingual games were developed by pedagogical experts. Nine subjects were taught by engaging Yogotar characters to make learning fun. However, 2018 was a year of downfall for the company; the company board came across evidence of mismanagement of funds and financial misconduct by Manolo Diaz, co-founder. The company had claimed to have over six million active customers from over fifty countries; however, after the uncovering of the fraud, it’s expected that these numbers were false and inflated. Further, it has led to investors taking this case as a warning; Yogome was able to raise millions of dollars based on false metrics. SHARPSCHOLAR was found to ideate better ways to connect students and teachers for a more interactive and effective teaching experience. SharpScholar was a pre-class and inclass assessment tool that aided the teacher to identify why and what students were able to learn and miss with real-time learner analytics. It also guided students with quality material helping them prepare for their classes. At their peak, they were able to reach 5,000 students while being adopted by five top universities in Canada, and had 12 professors onboard. However, unlike other startups, founders of SharpScholar were able to accept and learn from their mistakes. Jawwad Siddiqui, co-founder & CEO, elaborated on his experience and gave away four essential learnings from his mistakes on his blog; “Firstly, have a direct relationship with your “Customer” i.e. minimise or eliminate layers of approval and interdependence of your product. Teachers prefer not to use tools that require different layers of approval from others. Secondly, don’t confuse your customers, consumers, and capacity to pay i.e. beware of the complications of scaling a business model that relies on different buyers with different capacity to pay. The third lesson, beware of the empathy gap between teachers and entrepreneurs i.e. entrepreneurs want (or have) to scale fast to meet and exceed business metrics. Whereas teachers need to consider the bigger picture and take their time. This gap is very often too much to bear and results in start-up failure. Finally, we are influenced to be free consumers i.e. In the cash-strapped industry of education, many target users of edtech products believe that there is such a thing as free lunch in the education space.”

Amid the innumerable struggles that the edtech industry goes through, there is a common struggle; it takes a long and tiring period of six to eight months to convert free users to paid ones. Often, these startups lose interest, creativity and funds due to inactive consumers and audience leading

to their shutdown or failure. Is it time for the Indian education system to inculcate edtech as part of a holistic learning experience? Considering the obvious advantages, it is something for educators and policy makers to think about.

January 2019

FEATURE

: D E D E E N E G N A H C M U L U C I R R U C

From redefining the purpose of the education system to focusing on skill-based education, ANSHU PANDE focuses on the changes required in the realm of curriculum

ndian education system has evolved drastically in the past few years. In the times of yore, Gurkul system of teaching was followed. The name comes from Sanskrit language, where ‘guru’ means teacher, and ‘kul’, means domain. It translates as “domain or family of the guru.” The students or ‘shishya’ lived near or with the guru in the same house. The gurus believed in the three-step process of imparting knowledge – Shravana, Manana and Niddhyaasana. Shravana meant listening to the words of wisdom which the teacher spoke. Manana meant interpreting the meaning of the lessons and Niddhyaasana meant the complete comprehension of knowledge. From Sanskrit to the Holy Scriptures, from Mathematics to Metaphysics, the guru taught everything a shishya wanted to learn until the guru was sure he had taught everything he could teach. The learning was closely linked to nature and life with rich knowledge and values. However, the winds of change blew during the Colonial era. In the 1830s, Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay introduced the English language to India. The syllabus became limited to

“modern” and specific subjects like science, mathematics, language, history, geography and civics, whereas, subjects like philosophy and metaphysics were considered unnecessary at school level. The mode of teaching became confined to classrooms, which broke the link with nature and also created a gap in the teacher-student relationship. It was post freedom in 1947, that the Indian government, renowned educationists, social scientists and leaders, joined hands to make education Indiacentric. At present, India’s higher education system is the largest in the world, hosting more than 70 million students in less than two decades. While we have gained freedom from British Raj, have we gained freedom from British curriculum? Even today, most of the schools are following the curricula of 1918 with subjects like English, Math, Science, History and foreign languages. Is this how we plan on preparing the future generation to thrive in the changing landscape? There are debates about future of education, about embracing technology in the classroom, but there is almost no debate on changing what

January 2019

we are teaching in schools. A student that begins primary school today will graduate from university in the mid-2030s and their career will last through 2060 or beyond. But, with the subjects that are currently being taught, it is becoming a huge challenge to even get into a decent college after finishing school. Problemsolving, creative thinking, digital skills and collaboration are in greater need every year yet they are not taught in our schools. Even when schools teach digital skills, they focus on how to use technology – how to create a document or a presentation – rather than how to create technology. In fact, some of the topics we teach today will no longer be essential in the 2030s: handwriting is increasingly obsolete, complex arithmetic is no longer done by hand, and the internet has replaced the need to memorise many basic facts. Howard Gardner is an American developmental psychologist and his theory on different types of intelligences is prolific. Each one of us has one or more than one of these intelligences, such as naturalist (it is a human ability to discriminate among

living things such as plants and animals, as well as sensitivity to other non-living things), logical/mathematical (good with numbers and validity), musical (understanding of sounds, pitch, rhythm and tone), existential (it is the sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why are we here, purpose, etc), interpersonal skills (interacting well with others), bodykinaesthetic (understanding oneself), spatial (mental imagery, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination). Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters and architects all exhibit spatial intelligence and linguistic skills (the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings). That is what schools are supposed to prepare students for, but they put into us certain types of intelligence on precedence by ignoring other types. Each one of us is gifted with one or more of these intelligences—our school education is supposed to help us realise our potential, which just does not happen; resulting in a gross waste of talent. The syllabus of our education system needs to usher in an educational revolution and an evolution of teaching techniques. The study material being taught in educational institutions is just a very small part of the actual amount of matter contained under a topic. The curriculum and pedagogy has to give way to future needs and requirements. The lessons being taught today will get outdated in future. Even as you are reading this, someone has devised something new to the world in his/her interest of subject. That hasn’t come from the monotonous subjects being taught. It’s the updated curriculum – that has included technology and advanced programming in it, which has led to a new invention. The hindrance to technology driven classrooms prevails and is incompletely exploited in the nation. Proper measures should be undertaken to increase awareness of the benefits in adding technology to the classroom and bring in a significant change in student’s perception of subjects. The usual brick and mortar concept has reached its peak and it is high time we welcome modern technology in classrooms to help bring in a new effective learning atmosphere and teaching methodology. A change in teaching of STEM subjects is the need of the hour. One should put special focus on STEM subjects and develop innovative hands-on

Anything less than a holistic, well-rounded education results in only half an education. Non-scholastic areas are as important as scholastic areas for the overall development of a child. This change in policy to provide special tools and toys to play with, and a well-maintained sports facility to play in, does wonders for the child. solutions in Maths, Science and Robotics for schools. Introduction of mobile labs and science centers by the government and the initiative to include parents in this change so that learning becomes a continuous, multigenerational process is a must. Classroom lectures sometimes become too boring encouraging only a little student involvement or creativity. But, if the teacher brings practical and exciting analogies to teach the classroom becomes more interesting and lessons become easy to understand. Many can question that every subject does not need practical guidance and theoretical knowledge is the base of the subject, but the visual experience and practical guidance can help in avoiding the boredom. Many successful entrepreneurs have not got the theoretical knowledge because their success stands on the experience they have gained. This is the philosophy that needs to be imparted from the school days of the students. Some schools in the country focus on the extracurricular activities to develop the student capabilities in terms of problem solving, writing skills, verbal skills, communication enhancement, physical fitness and more. These activities should be made available to each student in the country irrespective of the state and region. Here are a few more points we could work on: Focus on skill-based education Our education system is geared towards teaching and testing knowledge at every level as opposed to teaching skills. “Give a man a fish and you feed him one day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” If you teach a person a skill, you enable him for a lifetime. Knowledge is largely forgotten after the semester exam is over. Still, year after year Indian students focus on cramming information. The best crammers are rewarded by the system. This is one of the fundamental

flaws of our education system. Personalise education – one size does not fit all Assembly line education prepares assembly line workers. However, the drift of economic world is away from assembly line production. Indian education system is built on the presumption that if something is good for one kid, it is good for all kids. Some kids learn faster, some are comparatively slow. Some people are visual learners, others are auditory learners, and still some others learn faster from experience. If one massive monolithic education system has to provide education to everyone, then there is no option but to assume that one size fits all. If however, we can effectively decentralise education, and if the government did not obsessively control what would be the “syllabus” and what will be the method of instruction, there could be an explosion of new and innovative courses geared towards serving various niches of learners, Take for example, the market for learning dance. There are very different dance forms that attract students with different tastes. More importantly, different teachers and institutes have developed different ways of teaching dancing. This could never happen if there was a central board of dancing education which enforced strict standards of what will be taught and how such things are to be taught. Central regulation kills choice, and stifles innovation too. As far as education is concerned, availability of choices, de-regulation, profitability, entrepreneurship and emergence of niche courses are all inter-connected. Implement massive technology infrastructure for education India needs to embrace internet and technology if it has to teach all of its huge population, the majority of which is located in remote villages. Now that

January 2019

PIX :https://www.uniqueclean.co.uk/cleaning-up-perceptions/

FEATURE

we have computers and internet, it makes sense to invest in technological infrastructure that will make access to knowledge easier than ever. Instead of focusing on outdated models of brick and mortar colleges and universities, we need to create educational delivery mechanisms that can actually take the wealth of human knowledge to the masses. The tools for this dissemination will be cheap smartphones, tablets and computers with high speed internet connection. While all these are becoming more possible than ever before, there is lot of innovation yet to take place in this space. Redefine the purpose of the education system Our education system is still a colonial education system geared towards generating babus and pen-pushers under the newly acquired skin of modernity. We may have the highest number of engineering graduates in the world, but that certainly has not translated into much technological innovation here. Rather, we are busy running the call centres of the rest of the world – that is where our engineering skills end. The goal of our new education system should be to create entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, scientists, thinkers and writers who can establish the foundation of a knowledge based economy rather than the low-quality service provider nation that we are turning into. Effective deregulation Until today, an institute of higher education in India must be operating on a not-for profit basis. This is discouraging for entrepreneurs and innovators who could have worked in these spaces. On the other hand, many people are using education institutions to hide

their black money, and often earning a hefty income from education business through clever structuring and therefore bypassing the rule with respect to not earning profit from recognized educational institutions. As a matter of fact, private equity companies have been investing in some education service provider companies which in turn provide services to not-for-profit educational institutions and earn enviable profits. Sometimes these institutes are so costly that they are outside the reach of most Indian students. There is an urgent need for effective de-regulation of the Indian education sector so that there is infusion of sufficient capital and those who provide or create extraordinary educational products or services are adequately rewarded. Take mediocrity out of the system Our education system today encourages mediocrity – in students, in teachers, throughout the system. It is easy to survive as a mediocre student, or a mediocre teacher in an educational institution. No one shuts down a mediocre college or mediocre school. Hard work is always tough, the path to excellence is fraught with difficulties. Mediocrity is comfortable. Our education system will remain sub-par or mediocre until we make it clear that it is not okay to be mediocre. If we want excellence, mediocrity cannot be tolerated. Mediocrity has to be discarded as an option. Life of those who are mediocre must be made difficult so that excellence is attained. Reforming school examination systems There is a strong need to reform the examination system to focus on logical reasoning, problem-solving and Higher

January 2019

Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). In recent years, major changes in the CBSE examination system have been observed. The Class X Board examination has been made optional and a new grading system has been introduced which really works for the modern-day student. State Boards have also welcomed the measures and followed up with efforts to update their respective curricula and examination systems. These refinements not only improve the learning outcomes of the students, they also improve the quality of secondary education. Thus, new reforms are needed which can enhance innovation of the existing system. Promotion of languages We especially laud the suggestion of mother tongue-based education. Children should not be at a disadvantage just because of their cultural distance from English or Hindi. NCERT’s evaluation study found out that mother tongue-based education has shown increased attendance and retention in schools. It has also shown a positive impact on students’ achievement in language studies as well as mathematics. However, there should be basic English education for every student as this is a language which opens more doors. Comprehensive Education – Ethics, Physical Education, Arts & Crafts, Life Skills Anything less than a holistic, wellrounded education results in only half an education. Non-scholastic areas are as important as scholastic areas for the overall development of a child. This change in policy to provide special tools and toys to play with, and a wellmaintained sports facility to play in, does wonders for the child. More importantly, what is growth without the appreciation of art and the ability to express ideas, emotions and thoughts freely? Inclusion of visual and performing arts in school life is as welcome as a breath of fresh air. These are times of great transformation; a period when the technologies around us will alter all aspects of life. Education has the unique and unassailable opportunity in our society to prepare us for such a change. It is precisely our human ability to learn, to harness our minds and to apply creative thought to new problems that will allow us to adapt and overcome any future technology or transition, as it has so many times in the past. We cannot rely on outdated syllabus that teaches subjects which are not required in the coming future. Our children deserve the best knowledge and techniques, for they have to be prepared to face the world.

OP-ED

12 NATIONS, OVER 3,000 EDUCATORS:

All Learners, Many Perspectives & One Community The PLP is a three-year certificate program during which teachers engage in workshops, webinars, staff exchanges with partner schools, and eLearning exercises to find solutions to teaching and learning challenges.

Sandeep Dutt, Chairman, Learning Forward India

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he learning conference Learning Forward’s 2018 Annual Conference puts educator learning at the forefront. We joined colleagues from all over the world! Inspiring practitioners and thought leaders met at the Gaylord Texan Convention Centre in Dallas, Texas USA to find answers to our most pressing teaching and learning challenges. The Venue The Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center will serve as conference central this year. With 4.5 acres of indoor gardens featuring the rugged canyons of the Texas Hill Country and a meandering replica of San Antonio’s Legendary Riverwalk, the Gaylord Texan offers a beautiful backdrop for learning and reflection. “Learning Forward's Conference is a world-class professional learning event. I participate in it each year to stay current on leading-edge practices in education and public education”. — Conference Attendee We return home from this educational conference with strategies for strengthening learning systems and solid practices for leading capacitybuilding efforts at all levels. Our network of peers expanded to include

learning leaders from around the world. More than 300 concurrent sessions addressing the most pressing issues for education leaders including improving instruction, social-emotional learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, applying data-driven decision making, understanding professional development redesign, developing leadership capacity, learning facilitation skills, supporting new teachers and principals, implementing effective school improvement, and much more. “This was the first conference in a long time that I left feeling like I had grown professionally. Often times conferences are full of "infomercials" for products but don't provide me with the knowledge and skills that I can implement immediately. Thank you for challenging my thinking and inspiring me!” —Dawn Spurlock The mission of Learning Forward Build the capacity of leaders to establish and sustain highly effective professional learning. Learning Forward members learn how to leverage professional learning to ensure every student has an equal opportunity to learn at high levels. Vision Equity and excellence in teaching and learning. Mission Learning Forward builds the capacity of leaders to establish and sustain highly effective professional learning. Beliefs Professional learning that improves educator effectiveness is fundamental to student learning. All educators have an obligation to improve their practice. More students achieve when educators assume collective responsibility for student learning. Successful leaders create and sustain a culture of learning. Effective school systems commit to continuous improvement for all adults and students. Strategic Priorities Overview Learning Forward's recently revised Standards for Professional Learning define the elements

essential to educator learning that leads to improved practice and better results for students. Learning Forward's strategic plan is designed to advance the standards both nationally and internationally. Working simultaneously to serve the members of the organisation and influence the wider education field, Learning Forward will focus on the three priority areas below over the next seven years. Standards and Impact Learning Forward establishes standards and examines evidence to strengthen and document the impact of professional learning. Leadership and Practice Learning Forward builds the capacity of its members, clients, partners, and staff to establish and sustain effective professional learning. Advocacy and Policy Learning Forward advocates policies and practices that strengthen the field of professional learning. The highlight of the conference Developing a Professional Learning Program - The Indian Experience Session conducted by Karl Clauset, National Center for School Change; Devanjali & Sandeep Dutt, Learning Forward India An exploration of the Learning Forward India Professional Learning Program (PLP), an extended learning experience that immerses teachers across India in a model of inquiry and problembased learning. Showcase of how blended learning provided a common platform to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing and accelerate program delivery. Appreciation of the accomplishments of teachers who journeyed from resistance to the joy of learning and their students. Take away ideas to improve your own PLP. What is the Professional Learning Program in India? The Professional Learning Program (PLP) is an extended and profound learning experience. It

immerses members in a model of inquiry and problem-based learning that enables them to meet their learning objectives through a collaborative learning environment—all with the support of experienced coaches. The PLP is also grounded in the concepts of transformative learning and collaborative inquiry Schools Can Change (Corwin, 2013) and in the high-quality professional learning concepts outlined in Standards of Professional Learning (Learning Forward, 2011). The PLP is a three-year certificate program during which teachers engage in workshops, webinars, staff exchanges with partner schools, and eLearning exercises to find solutions to teaching and learning challenges. The minimum time required to participate in the program increases from 90 hours in year one to 150 hours in year three. Educators divide their time between structured training sessions and self-directed professional learning with increasing amounts of self-directed time as they progress from year to year. Teachers voluntarily put in extra time and effort. Keys to Success We attribute the success of the 3-year PLP to these three factors: 1. Building an All-India Learning Community of resources 2. Fostering the teachers’ happiness by empowering them to create their own Professional Learning Program 3. Embracing social media and technology The PLP Experience in Their Own Words “Compared with other schools, educators here are more confident, with no hesitation, empowered as they know their opinion will be valued, have started writing a blog, confidently use technology and handle social media, like posting on their own newsweekly and professional writing.” --Rajeshree Shihag, Principal, The Fabindia School “After successful completion of the PLP, I feel more confident as an educator. I’ve transformed myself into a teacher equipped with core values (soft skills) and a user of technology for personal fulfilment and enrichment of mind and soul.” --Ajay Vijayvargi, Teacher “PLP in our school encouraged me to connect my teaching with real-life situations. My confidence level for presenting views and ideas has improved and it helped me to think about changing my way of teaching.” --Byju P. Joseph, Teacher We would love to hear from you! Devanjali & Sandeep Dutt

January 2019

OP-ED

Importance of

Value Education O The importance of value-based education cannot be undermined and if changes are not incorporated soon society at large may be doomed in the long run. Shalini Nambiar, Sr VP, Head Academics operations VIBGYOR High

January 2019

ften times, in our search for the perfect moment of absolute learning, we fail to see the beauty of the stumbling blocks, the little steps that falter and fall backwards and the unsure moments of ‘I can’t do it’. Education has sadly become a race towards perfection and the highest possible grades. It is as much about the moral grain of the being, the accountability and responsibility towards oneself and towards society, about being the liberal citizen of the world and moving with the times as it is about grades. It is important for a teacher to see all his students as achievers and if they imbibe knowledge rather than acquire it, spare a thought for the have-nots in their journey towards success, think that peace, harmony, giving back to society and care for Mother Earth are not duties delegated to some specialists but to them, the ‘Aha’ feeling a good teacher will feel that he has been successful in playing his part in educating them in the real sense of the term. With the world changing rapidly it is creating unknown challenges, opportunity and unpredictability. We as educators are trying to educate a generation without being aware of the different kind of jobs which will be available 10 years. Hence, what are the skills needed to survive in the globalized world? Yet we are trying to reform, improve and work on an attainable solution. We are well aware that these challenges will require new thinking and collective action.

Schools of tomorrow need to be different… even at the present moment, one can see students struggling at school, though we have progressed but still the focus in schools of student excellence is on what a child scores in his tests/exams. Looking at the scenario around it seems that as a society we have failed somewhere in imparting non–formal and formal education to its masses. There is a great need to equip present education being imparted to children with values of life in order to make them good human beings. Society is witnessing a loss of moral compass along with symptoms like growing cynicism, hatred towards others, moral decline in private and public life, increased isolation, increase of violence, greed, racism and many more. The importance of value-based education cannot be undermined and if changes are not incorporated soon society at large may be doomed in the long run. Children imbibe

vales all the time from parents, peers, teachers, but what is important is that we make an effort to ensure that schools teach the right values from their childhood. In ancient times, students were taught what life was really about. They were taught how to live their lives and to conduct themselves in the world. They developed strong minds and could easily withstand hardships or face any obstacles. They were dedicated to truth and were not afraid of death. Over the years, research has indicated that teachers’ attitudes and interactions in the classroom make a difference in student’s learning of values. Mutual respect, appreciation, kindness, courtesy contribute to positive classroom climate. The most effective teachers are the ones who model the values they want their students to learn. Modelling is a powerful learning medium because it can either reinforce or negate what is learned through the formal curriculum. Students will

learn the values if teachers model these values themselves. Modelling of desirable values by the teacher therefore is considered to be an essential pre-requisite. Adopting strategies like questions, stories, anecdotes, games, experiments discussions, dialogues, value clarification, examples, analogies, metaphors, role play, simulation are helpful in promoting values during teaching learning. Planning of value education requires professional development of teachers, and their training and planning at both the school and teacher training level. It may not be so difficult but it definitely involves conscious effort. It may come with orientation, practice and continued focus. A system of education where teaching is restricted to instruction and learning to pass the examination will not deter the committed and inspiring teachers and school personnel to march ahead with force and enthusiasm to implement this important curriculum intervention for the cause of valueoriented education.

January 2019

OP-ED

Focused branding & marketing in

ed institutes is

the need of the hour According to India’s 2018 Education Report, the country has over 1.4 million schools educating 200 million students. The schools include premium, budget and government schools, which cater to students from all socio-economic classes.

Ammara Habib, Business Head, Mad About Ed

rom my extensive experience of interacting with over 350 premium schools across the Indian subcontinent, I have learnt a couple of things that have largely influenced my opinion. Every school is unique in what it has to offer. Between curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular offerings, parents are quite literally spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting the right school for their ward.

According to India’s 2018 Education Report, the country has over 1.4 million schools educating 200 million students. The schools include premium, budget and government schools, which cater to students from all socio-economic classes. Of these schools, only 23.8% belong to the private sector aggregating to a 349,412 schools. The pressure on parents only increases with the realisation that choosing a school is going to have a lifelong impact on the child. The question isn’t about if they should invest; the question is where they should invest. The questions that strike parents when it

January 2019

comes to making the big decision are obvious. However, what’s not obvious is where do parents find answers to these questions; and equally important is how do you, as a school, answer these questions? With the advent of technology, all it takes for a parent to review a school and form a perception is one simple Google search; which has the potential to greatly influence their decision whether to associate with your school. So, my question to you is - How can you ensure that this search throws up results that put your school in the best light? How can you ensure organically that your school pops up as one of the top ten suggested by any search engine and for the right reasons? Here’s where your school’s branding and marketing will play a key role... Technology driven content consumption has made it imperative that schools invest in building their brand and marketing it well. Many schools are waking up to the reality that branding goes beyond a well-crafted logo and a caller tune that plays the school song. Likewise, marketing also goes beyond just having active social media pages. The world has expanded

multiple folds, thanks to the ever expanding reach and effect of social media. In my opinion, a strong branding and marketing strategy has the power to increase your school’s recall, associate a positive emotional response with the brand name along with increasing the brand reputation. While the easiest way to achieve this is by emulating a big brand, it is worth getting a clarity on what you want to communicate and who it is meant for. This can be arrived at by asking two key questions; who am I and who do I want to be, as your journey from where you are to where you would like to reach will be facilitated by your branding and marketing strategy born out of these questions. The strategy thus arrived at should then encapsulate your core values as an institution. Your brand story should be narrated in a way, that the mission and vision statement should speak through the social media campaigns, your school’s strengths and your passion as an educator should be crafted and portrayed creatively onto your social media pages. This will help your school set itself apart from other schools in the city or region.

All other key aspects of your school like faculty, students, management and alumni should be paid equal importance in the marketing campaigns as they are the pillars that will create a sense of belief and trust in the minds of parents. After all, a school is much more than a shiny building and expansive facilities like library, computer lab, swimming pool etc. It is also interesting to note that despite the popular opinion that traditional advertising is on its way to extinction, newspaper, hoardings, television, etc. have a reasonable reach and cannot be discounted. In fact, print media still carries a very high trust quotient and can be very helpful in creating the right perception in the minds of the readers. Before I sign off, I would like to leave you with some food for thought – How do you use your school’s social media? Do you use it strategically to drive home certain key messages that align with your key values? Or do you use it trivially to announce the regular updates? Do send in your replies at ammara@madabouted.com

January 2019

TAKE2 The millennials can explore, access and even play with the latest technology without any aid or assistance. But we as educators and parents often need a guide to fit in the world of technology; even to understand its benefits. As part of our duty, we need to adapt and evolve according to the needs of the twenty first century classrooms and its audience. It’s too late to let stereotypes rust EdTech enabled classrooms. And It’s too late to resist the magic of EdTech!

ANUSHKA YADAV brings to you 5 Must Reads that can serve as an aid on the journey of putting EdTech to greater use.

21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn By James Bellanca and Ron Brandt The book unites education authorities from around the world. Read their confrontation with important issues that affect teachers and administrators. Mostly, issues that have continued to impact student success profoundly. The book examines a daunting challenge today's educators face: how to equip students with the skills to succeed in the twenty-first century. As part of a series, this book covers how educators can change and adapt with technology to connect with students efficiently. “21st Century Skills introduces the 21st century skills movement, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Framework for 21st Century Learning.”

Teaching Digital Natives By Marc Prensky The phrase digital natives was coined by Marc Prensky himself. And his expertise in the field is reflected in book with precision. Prensky has elaborated the world outside of gaming. To open the horizon to educators, he has listed different ways to use technology to better educate students who cannot imagine life without having a wealth of information always at their fingertips. This book acts an as aid for educators to use technology with a more focused approach. It also offers ways that educators (teachers and administrators) can partner to use technology to its full potential to improve the education atmospherics.

January 2019

Teaching with Tools Kids Really Use: Learning with The Web and Mobile Technologies By Susan Brooks-Young We live in a century where students are already familiar with EdTech tools. However, educators can decide the direction they move in parallel to EdTech. Young, through her book, is helping educators deliver relevant instruction through the use of 21st-century technologies. Examine the available low-cost hardware and explore free Web 2.0 tools as you read. The writer has also shed light on the pros and cons of using mobile technologies for instructional support. The book identifies and emphasizes the ethical use of technology, the specific Web 2.0 options for supporting collaboration and communication in K–12 settings, strategies for practical applications, a decision-making model for selecting appropriate mobile technologies and Web 2.0 tools for classroom use along with recommended books, websites, and online reports and articles for references.

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classroom By Will Richardson According to Will Richardson, “A growing majority of students are immersed in social networks and technologies outside of school, and most have no adults in their lives who are teaching them how to use those connections to learn” (p. ix). Thus, this book is not only for teachers, but also for other adults. Each chapter is dedicated to and examines a Web 2.0 tool that must be added to a teacher’s toolbox. The tool’s described along with examples of how each could be used in the classroom setting. “Today’s schools are faced with a difficult dilemma that pits a student body that has grown up immersed in technology against a teaching faculty that is less agile with the tools of the trade.” The writer wishes to change this dilemma. A book that’s handy for adults and revolutionary for children.

How Computer Games Help Children Learn By David Williamson Shaffer We’re often bound with the understanding that gaming causes more harm than good. Often, we find ourselves stuck with thoughts like - How can our children become creative thinkers in a world of global competition? What is the meaning of education in the digital age? Shaffer clears the fog by offering a fresh and reasonable perspective on computer games and learning. The book examines how educational games can help teach children to build successful futures. The writer elaborates on how several computer and video games help students learn to think like engineers, urban planners, journalists, lawyers, and other innovative professionals. Thus, giving them the necessities or tools they need to survive in the twenty first century.

January 2019

TECH IT OUT

7 BEST EDUCATIONAL APPS FOR TEACHERS Anshu Pande

writeback@scoonews.com

5. EDUCREATIONS Educreations is an interactive whiteboard app allowing you to create easy-to-follow tutorials for students. With this, you can explain your actions in the form of recording also. It also allows you to create simple animations, documentary, diagrams with audio covering. Additionally, you can share video via email or social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

1. DROPBOX Teacher Aide Pro 2 is a complement to Teacher’s Assistant Pro. It allows users to record attendance and student details easily. With this, you can find a student’s contact information and that of their parents by clicking his/her name, also providing options to call and email immediately. It even has a function named grade book used to assign different grades to assignments.

6. STUDYBLUE

2. EDMODO Edmodo allows the teachers and students to share content even after school time. They can use this app as a platform for new information or any notifications, to submit assignments and receive grades in the process.

StudyBlue allows teachers to create a digital set of flashcards (time-tested method of study), quizzes and study guides with optional video and audio. In addition to this, students can create and share their own sets of study tools and flashcards providing them a suitable place to study apart from textbooks and lectures.

3. TEACHER’S ASSISTANT PRO Teacher’s Assistant Pro enables you to keep a record of behaviour for each student who is in your care, providing an easy and quick way to note bad behaviour.

4. TEACHER AIDE PRO 2 Teacher Aide Pro 2 is a complement to Teacher’s Assistant Pro. It allows users to record attendance and student details easily. With this, you can find a student’s contact information and that of their parents by clicking his/her name, also providing options to call and email immediately. It even has a function named grade book used to assign different grades to assignments.

January 2019

7. TED TED has hundreds of motivating and interesting TED talks which features interesting lectures from industry leaders. It includes a wide range of categorical topics such as traditional folk music, neuroscience, human evolution and many more. Some of them are perfect for online debates and discussions while some are inspirational.