Socialising, Humanising And Academising Children : V L Balasubramanian, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya

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January 5, 2009

V L Balasubramanian
Principal, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kasaragod, Kerala

Our learning methodology involves modern techniques of learning transactions through projects, group discussions, seminars, symposia, team teaching, etc

What is your vision for quality education in your school?

Quality is a process as well as a product. The ultimate aim of quality education is to help the child to re-orient his personality, whereby he turns out to be a worthy citizen capable of contributing to the world at large. We socialise, humanise and academise the child.

What model of curriculum and learning methodology is followed in the school?

The Vidyalaya follows the CBSE curriculum for both secondary and senior secondary examinations. Since most of the students admitted in class IV hail from rural areas having studied in regional language medium, the medium of instruction in classes VI and VII is mostly the regional language. However, efforts are also made to strengthen the communication ability in English language. Our learning methodology involves modern techniques of learning transactions through projects, group discussions, seminars, symposia, team teaching, etc. The ultimate aim is to make learning an enjoyable task.

What initiatives have been taken in your school for integrating ICT?

All subjects are taught through multi-media presentation, project based learning (PBL), language softwares (like Baraha, Madhuri) and interactive programmes in classes VI to XII.

The school library has a website, Vidyalaya Blogspot, specially raised in connection with UK-India educational initiative (UKIERI Programme) of which we are a partner.

ICT facilities are extensively used in co-curricular activities like quiz programmes, seminars, electronic painting competition, audio recording etc.

Training is given in advanced softwares like Adobe Audition, Photoshop, PageMaker, Flash Player, Dream Weaver, etc.

CBSE subjects like Computer Science & Informatics Practices are offered to the students in classes 11th and 12th to promote an affinity towards software development and computer engineering.

What challenges did you face while integrating ICT in your school?

Initially, the problem of inadequate number of systems was overcome with the help of MPLAD Fund and the Department supported the Vidyalaya with a VSAT connection. At present our school is equipped with sufficient number of computers, three LCD projectors and a separate functional room exclusively for multi-media, apart from the computer lab. Promotion of e-Learning is also carried out through the Vyasa educational channel.

In what ways are the teachers’ capacity built for rendering technology mediated education?

To enhance the teachers’ capacity in implementing ICTs in education effectively, comprehensive training has been provided to them along with specialised training organised by Oracle.com, Indian Institiute of Information Techbology, Intel programmes, etc. Leadership training programmes are also organised for teachers to take leadership in ICT implementation programme.

In what ways can Public Private Partnership enhancing technology in school education?

As part of partnership programme between schools in India and UK, JNV Kasaragod has been enlisted under UKIERI programme. This gives our students ansd teachers an opportunity to have international exposure and also to exchange serious research based projects in school education. Students of JNV have been presenting their projects through Oracle Think.com and the school has been awarded as the best school of the region by Oracle.

What initiatives do you plan to take up in future for effective integration of ICT in your school?

Some of the future initiatives of our school include: (1) to expand the computer facilities and e-Learning process with latest gadgets, (2) to take up a project as a pace setting activity to enhance computer awareness among parents during the next term, (3) to integrate the schools with community by training the elders in and around the Vidyalaya, and (4) to provide every student with a note book with campus wi-fi facility.

Access, Quality And Inclusive Education Mantra For Manipur : Shambhu Singh, Education Commissioner(Schools), Manipur, India

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January 5, 2009

Model schools are being set up wherein the resources of the Government would be committed to deliver quality education exclusively

Shambhu Singh, Education Commissioner(Schools), Manipur

What role do you foresee for ICT in enhancing quality education?

Information and Communication Technologies have a critical role in enhancing quality of education. Though the teacher continues to be pivotal in delivering education to students, amongst the various enabling factors which ultimately ensure delivery of quality education, scope of ICT is unparalleled. For example, it facilitates better comprehension and understanding of various complex phenomena with ease. It also provides access to the unlimited source of digital information available through Internet. It can also play an important role in planning and administration, tracking the performance of individual teacher/student and prompt collection and dissemination of information.

Please mention some initiatives undertaken by the education department in enhancing the quality of education in your state.

Broadly speaking, the State government endeavours to provide access, quality and inclusive education. It is committed to ‘education for all’. While addressing the issue of access and quality, it is apparent that the two goals are divergent in nature and hence wherever the State government has adopted the policy of ‘one size fits all’, it has not been able to deliver quality effectively.

In brief, the State Education Department is making an attempt to review and re-assess the efficiency and effectiveness of its present policies and strategies and adopt such policies and strategies which will address the issue of access and quality separately. Model schools are being set up to deliver quality education exclusively.

e-Learning in various schools is also being taken up to broaden the horizon of the students. Efforts are also afoot to establish an MIS Cell in the Directorate of School Education with a dedicated website for dissemination of information to the public, with special focus on teachers and students.

Specify the challenges faced in integration of ICT in education in your state? According to you, what are the solutions to these challenges?

To harness the benefits of ICT in education it is imperative that the capacity building amongst the administrators, teachers as well as students takes place. Knowledge of computer with abundant hands-on practice is a pre-requisite. Hence, ICT in education has to be introduced in a phased manner by first giving adequate exposure and training to all concerned. Specifically the teachers should be encouraged to adopt computer enabled teaching. A unique problem associated with Manipur is the non-availability/irregular power supply which is compounded by law and order problems.

Manipur is a small but highly sensitive and complicated society. While generating content for e-Learning one has to take all sensibilities into account. The amalgamation of various tribes and the population of the Imphal valley have all different sensibilities and a balance has to be struck before virtual classes can start. As a result, we can depend on outside content providers only for pure sciences and possibly some languages.

In your opinion, should Public Private Partnerships be built for enhancing proper usage of technology in school education?

ICT per-se does not constitute the core activity of teaching-learning process and wherever feasible the supply and maintenance of its infrastructures could be outsource/privatised. There is no harm in the private sector providing the soft skills also, to the extent that it takes into account the local issues. Any public private partnership can however be made functional only when there is rule of law and contractual obligations can be enforced.

How do you envision your state school system with respect to implementation of ICT tools in the coming years?

In the present scenario of globalisation and rapid pace of changes taking place in terms of knowledge, employment opportunities etc, ICT has to become an integral part of education in the coming years. The Department envisions a school system in the future wherein the students would be empowered to access the unlimited source of WWW, shift from a memory-based to skill-based test, availability of lectures/notes on the web and also interaction between the teachers and students, parents and teachers through ICT.

Pro-Active Role Required For Facilitating Reforms In Education : Shakila Shamsu, Planning Commission, India

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January 5, 2009

Among the many limitations and bottlenecks which India faces is the attitudinal factor, where there is a built in resistance to use technology

Shakila Shamsu, Joint Advisor (Education), Planning Commission

What objectives have been laid down in the 11th FiveYear Plan for catering to quality education in India?

The 11th Plan is an investment plan for Education and Health sectors. The education sector covering elementary, secondary, higher and technical education will greatly benefit from the thrust given in the current Plan period. The problems affecting quality of education – such as inadequate infrastructure, poor quality of faculty, outmoded teaching methods, outdated curriculum, lack of linkages between knowledge and skills – have been taken cognizance and appropriate corrective steps have been suggested. The Plan includes a coherent ICT based education both at the secondary and higher education.

All these can be achieved only if the States adopt a pro-active role in facilitating these reforms. States will have to protect the interests of the marginalised sections of the society through appropriate strategies as educational loans, scholarships, hostel facilities and other material assistance.

What role do you foresee for ICT in education? According to you, what are the reasons for India still lagging behind in ICT integration?

The buzzword today is ICT in education. But we need to assess the needs, usage and benefits of ICT in achieving educational objectives in a more realistic manner. Given my experience in Distance Education and Open Learning, ICT can produce optimal results only if both the receiver and sender are trained for its proper usage and attuned towards a common goal.

Among the many limitations and bottlenecks which India faces is the attitudinal factor, where there is a built in resistance to use technology. There is also a bias that greater use of technology will increase the existing digital divide. Another danger is of top down approach which results in adopting technologies unsuitable for our national or regional needs. Appropriateness of technology is crucial to the success of ICT applications.

In your opinion, how can we create an enabling environment for effective and efficient use of technologies in schools?

There is a general acceptance of the need to create technology enabled schooling environment. IT enabled learning would perhaps provide new directions in pedagogy and affect students achievement level. Technology seems to be the answer to several problems in educational settings, provided basic infrastructure such as computers and computer labs, multimedia labs, internet connectivity, power backup, etc, are ensured. In addition, human capital in the form of trained teachers competent to use ICT is also required.

What role does public private partnership play in enhancing technology usage in school education?

I strongly believe that there is great need to nurture public private partnerships for implementing ICT in school education. Majority of schools in our country are not equipped to effectively integrate ICTs in their activities. Private enterprise can do a great deal not only by supplying hardware and maintenance, but also help in developing content for teaching various subjects, especially in regional languages. Another area where private sector initiatives can contribute is teacher training by developing proper training modules.

Lastly, what would be your message for stakeholders in the education sector regarding an ICT policy on education in India?

Each one of us directly or indirectly is a stake holder in the education sector. Students, teachers, parents, educational administrators, heads of educational institutions, technology providers, all have a stake in education. The greatest stumbling block in the way of implementing an ICT policy in education is the attitudinal bias which is technology resistant. We need to correct our perspectives and ensure a blended and balanced use of technology along with the human capital to extend the frontiers of education in a global setting.

Note: Views expressed by the author in the interview are her own and in no way represent the Planning Commission’s views.

Fostering Collaboration and Learning The ‘iKen’ Way : Saurabh Saxena, Axiom Education

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January 5, 2009

“The moment you keep the student, teacher, parent communities in isolation, it would limit their role in the education system. Every individual is a learner. Learning is a lifelong process and each individual can be a teacher and facilitator”

What makes India’s education sector a deserving case for implementation of ICT?

Over 26 million children join India’s primary education system each year which is even greater than the population of many countries. The challenge is to get adequate number of professionals to mentor these millions of new students.

If education remains people-centric, then we will have to find an army of professionals with skills for delivering this. Taking the sheer number into account, we need to ask, is this physically possible? And how long can we keep pace with this? This is where technology comes in as an enabler, in the form of components like computer, printer, projector, etc.

Please tell us about the idea of a collaborative platform like iken.in?

Today, we say technology has made the world a smaller place, that’s the real power of IT. It dissolves all boundaries because of Internet, telecom and other forms. Our intent was to create this platform within education to provide infrastructure to support people coming together and sharing their thoughts. A school with 1,000 students has a base of 2,000 parents, who may not physically be present in the school to contribute and hence technology can provide a platform here to support.

The moment you keep the student, teacher, parent communities in isolation, it would limit their role in the education system. Every individual is a learner. Learning is a lifelong process and each individual can be a teacher and facilitator.

Please tell us more about iken and how it fosters a collaborative approach?

We have built a complete collaborative platform portal, www.iken.in. ‘I’ means my and ‘ken’ stands for knowledge horizon. So, ‘I can’ do, this is what we wanted to imbibe. We have launched the beta version where users can share the experiences and publish their content online. Axiom’s own content is also available and we are open to collaborate with everyone, so that it becomes the biggest knowledge resource.

Collaborative learning through web seminars – students in India sit with students from other countries and solve academic problems – is a possibility at www.iken.in. You also have the best teacher training programmes available online.

There are two sections on the website. One is for the students and the other is for professionals, we have included graduate students also as professionals. There is a segment called ‘create’ where you can draw up your own content and publish it as a learning resource. The section ‘Learn’ has all the ratified content from various recognised content providers across the world. The ‘connect’ segment provides the convergence model to connect to community of mentors, project advisors, peer groups, study groups, etc.

What is your vision for the website five years from now?

Five years from now, www.iken.in is going to be the preferred mode of education delivery across all levels. Education will be more customised, which is the need of the hour, and more individualist catering to their talents and learning curves. People will identify and work upon their strengths and weaknesses.

What are challenges that were seen in bringing this mode of education delivery in formal education system?

Benchmarking ourselves has been difficult as ours is a unique solution. So we found it difficult to improve and upgrade as we had nothing on the same lines to benchmark against. A major bottleneck is going to be the infrastructure.

Lending Collaborative And Analytical Approach to Learning : Ms Madhulika Sen, Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar, Delhi

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January 5, 2009

Ms Madhulika Sen
Principal, Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar, Delhi

“Our curriculum and learning methodology are based on a collaborative, experimental and analytical approach which fosters the creative thinking process in a child”

How does Tagore International School ensure quality education to its students?

We believe in providing a holistic and progressive education which empowers every child with the skills required for the 21st century in a global context.

Please tell us about the curriculum and learning methodology followed in the school.

Our curriculum and learning methodology are based on a collaborative and analytical approach which fosters the creative thinking process in a child. For this activity based lessons and educational outings based on syllabus are planned. Our children use powerpoint presentations to reinforce their assignments, while teachers use audio visual aids such as OHP, TV, video, charts, models and slides to make teaching more effective. To sum it up, we have facilitated the shifting of the methodology from ‘teaching’ to ‘learning’.

We are also part of the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) programme that facilitates strategic partnerships and design and development of joint curriculum projects between schools in India and the UK. As part of the DUKE University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) under UKIERI, two students from our school were selected to attend a three week summer training programme this year at IIM Ahemdabad. Apart from this, online exchange programmes are also conducted with schools in Bulgaria, Romania, Japan regarding curriculum, culture studies, etc.

What is the major challenge in integrating ICT in education?

Most of the schools are engaging in a big way to provide technology enabled teaching and learning in their facility. But a major challenge is the inability of our parents to provide a computer and/or Internet facility to their child at home.

What are the initiatives taken up by your school for integrating ICT in school education?

We have three computer labs with 20 computers each exclusively for the students. There are two K-12 labs exclusively for the teachers. Our Social Science, EVS and Math labs are equipped with interactive boards. Classes 6-8 also use an online Math programme from Educosoft, which is integrated with their curriculum. Classes 1-8 use the EZ Vidya Programme which amalgamates learning of soft skills with the curriculum.

These initiatives are all integrated into the class timetable, thus ensuring that every student is familiarised with the use of technology in learning. The Language lab has a complete Audio-Video system that facilitates exposure to speech, drama and other nuances of language. Every class also visits one of the two Audio

Building Knowledge Repositories Through R&D : Prof Krithi Ramamritham, Educomp, India

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January 5, 2009

Prof Krithi Ramamritham
Dean R&D, Industrial Research & Consultancy Centre (IRCC), IIT Mumbai

“IITs build the knowledge skills of students and we hope to empower a larger pool of people with these skills to take on new challenges of technology”

What role has ICT been playing at IIT Mumbai?

At our institution, ICT is used in two application areas of administrative functioning and as a research tool in R&D activities. Infact, majority of our administrative work has become paperless, which ensures its smooth functioning. We use IT in our internal management of research, finances, academics, management of grades, students registration, etc. The applications used are home-grown, comprising off-the-shelf open software, and we add some local customisation to it.

Please elaborate on the various research projects currently on in the field of ICT at IIT Mumbai.

When you look at emerging nations like India, you see a research gap between needs and the available technology. We have tried to bridge this gap in collaboration with the industry and academia. IIT Mumbai was one of the first labs of Media Lab Asia. We started functioning as part of Media Lab Asia five years ago and continue to develop ICT based solutions for developing countries. We have had several success stories and the most exciting of them is AQUA (Almost All Questions Answered), which has been active for the past 3-4 years with the support of World Bank. Through AQUA, we answer queries of farmers in rural areas on crops, weather pattern, etc.

For those areas in India which do not have Internet connectivity, we have mobile-enabled and voicemail services on forecasts that gives real-time forecasts, including crop specific disease alerts.

We have also done extensive work in the area of ICT for education, such as teaching the children of nomadic tribes through laptops using content created locally in villages; creating content in Marathi for schools in Maharashtra thus enabling them to use IT for education delivery. We were also behind the creation of a portal called Shiksha, which is a repository of educative content.

What are your plans for R&D efforts at the institute in the coming years?

We have a Developmental Informatics Lab where we work on technologies for development, carrying out customisations. We are developing a portal ‘Eklavya’ for mentoring engineering students and teachers to reap the benefit of IIT faculty expertise. We are waiting for government funding to take it to the next level. We are also working on an IT curriculum for primary education and have come out with a book for classes 1-5. We are in the process of implementing the integrated applications of IIT technologies at block level, called the Rahata Block Development Programme. The idea is to deploy technologies to empower people and make them self-sustaining in resources and finances and help them build entrepreneurship.

The centre has proposed establishment of new IITs under the mentoring of existing ones. Which new IIT centers are being supported by IIT Mumbai?

We are currently mentoring two new IITs at Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Our faculty visits these institutes and conducts lectures. In due course of time we hope to put in place a dedicated staff for teaching and administration at these places. Expanding IIT faculty is difficult so we have to make the best use of resources at hand. Hence, with the help of our distance education programme, which has the facility to transmit live lectures along with a question and answer session, we broadcast our courses live on EDUSAT.

IITs build the knowledge skills of students and we hope to empower a larger pool of people with these skills to take on new challenges of technology.

From Empowerment To Engagement : Dr Manmohan Sharma, Educo International, India

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January 5, 2009

Dr Manmohan Sharma
President, Educo International

“Our mission is to ’empower the teacher to engage students’ by capturing in digital media, well known presentation and assessment techniques”

Please tell us how Educosoft was conceptualised?

Educosoft has evolved from my own experiences as a teacher for more than 40 years, enriched with inputs from educators across the world through interactions at seminars, conferences, and research symposia. Based on these, we identified three critical areas where appropriate technologies can help improve quality of instructional outcomes:

To empower the teachers to be more effective as presenters and discussion leaders in classes,

To provide technology tools and question banks to teachers that can assist in periodic assessment
Technology tools must be easy to use and learn and help teachers save time

How effective is the Educosoft online learning system in enhancing the performance of students?

Our mission is to ’empower the teacher to engage students’ by capturing in digital media, well known presentation and assessment techniques. Educosoft provides class notes replete with graphics and animations, tools like online grade book, online homework and frequent self assessment, communication tools (announcements, e-mailing, and chatting), survey creation and administration, and features to add content or create custom courses, tutorials, varieties of tests with solutions, etc.

Educosoft turned out to be more effective than our expectations. Its effectiveness has been measured in several ways, including national surveys in the US; published PhD dissertations; results of student performance in state examinations; and comments from principals, teachers, and students exposed to this system.

What kind of feedback have you received for your product in India?

Educosoft was officially launched in India in April 2008 after piloting its use in some select schools in National Capital Region. In the last eight months, we have organised 34 seminars attended by 1357 teachers from 456 schools. After each seminar, we conducted half day training sessions for seminar participants. Almost all teachers exposed to Educosoft have endorsed this platform as unique and comprehensive than any other initiative. There are however, some implementation hurdles related to the lack of appropriate technology infrastructure in schools and resistance to the use of internet. To counter these, we have launched a new initiative by providing schools with Local Area Network (LAN) solution to deliver content.

What pattern does Educosoft follow for its assessments?

We follow a unique pattern as all assessments including home work, section quizzes, chapter tests, or comprehensive course tests are delivered in Free Response mode. Students have to work out the solution and enter the answer on screen, instead of clicking an option in multiple choice. If the answer is correct the system will grade it correctly. All assessments are recorded automatically and saved for review later. Homework assignments have built in tutorials and all tests provide instant feedback, with step-by-step solutions. Another very powerful feature is SMS messages or e-mails to keep parents informed about their ward’s progress.

Are there any plans to cater to other subjects apart from Math?

We will have science courses by the beginning of the new academic term in April 2009. For sciences we will be having additional component of actual simulated labs, along with the theory presented in the same format as in Math courses; embedded with illustrations through dynamic graphics and animations.

Grooming Children To Fit Into Zero Conflict Society : Nidhi Sirohi, Kothari International School, Noida

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January 5, 2009

Nidhi Sirohi
Principal, Kothari International School, Noida

“We first try and judge a child’s capability and interest and then build upon it to enhance their creativity and critical thinking”

What is your vision of quality education at Kothari International School?

Our philosophy is to groom the children in such a way that they are equipped to pursue a future of their choice once they are out of the school. The most important thing is to have balanced well groomed children who can fit into a zero conflict society.

Please tell us about the curriculum and pedagogy followed in your school.

Although we follow the Central Board of Secondary Education curriculum, we have an international child centric approach. Our classes are in tune with the modern pedagogical approaches, which involve a lot of group activities and research. We believe every child has an inherent talent, which needs to be identified. We first try and judge a child’s capability and interest and then build upon it to enhance their creativity and critical thinking.

What major hurdles or challenges did you encounter while integrating ICT in your school?

Today’s children are in sync with technology as they are constantly in touch with it at school or home. But as far as teachers are concerned, sometimes we encounter resistance to technology integration. So we make it a point to recruit those teachers who are familiar with IT. Initially when we introduced IT in our school, our teachers felt a little restricted. But once they got used to it, they realised its potential of enhancing the teaching and learning process. For example, its visual impact helps the students to assimilate concepts faster.

Of course, everything has a positive and negative side to it. With abundant information available in today’s world, a major challenge that we face is making the children use it in a constructive manner. Otherwise children mostly use computers for games or chatting or visiting social sites like Orkut, Facebook etc.

What initiatives have been taken up by your school for integrating ICT in your system?

We are a new school and this is our third year of running. Technology is an integral part of our entire curriculum and lesson plan. We use videoconferencing and LCD projectors for aiding our classes. In the course of next three months, IT will be completely integrated into our school system. Right from interactions between parents and teachers to making day to day lesson plans, all will be possible on this single software, which is in the design phase. For instance, if a child faces any difficulty at home with any assignments, she can immediately log onto the website with the help of a password and seek assistance. For this, we are developing our own software with professional help.

How do you build teachers capacity in rendering technology mediated education?

We have regular training programmes in our schools where our teachers are trained by professionals from the field. Teachers also share best practices among themselves. For example, a teacher shares her experience, which may have aided her teaching, with her peers. So training happens both horizontally and vertically.

Can a public/private partnership give a boost to technology integration school education?

A PPP model has its own pros and cons. A balance of public/private partnership is certainly beneficial. But then it is essential to keep in mind that the arrangement has to be flexible enough to allow room for customisation later to incorporate the needs of the class.

What are your future initiatives for integrating ICT in your School in the coming years?

We want to expose each and every child, starting from the primary classes to technology. For this we are in the process of equipping our school with smart boards, learning software and other technology tools.

Imparting Modern Education With Values And Awareness : N Dhiren Singh, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Khumbong, Imphal, Manipur

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January 5, 2009

N Dhiren Singh
Principal, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Khumbong, Imphal, Manipur

“It is mandatory for every teacher to use some element of ICT in classroom. A register is maintained to record the ICT based classes taken by teachers”

What is your vision for quality education in JNV Khumbong Imphal?

The vision of our school is to impart quality modern education along with inculcation of values, environment awareness, and physical education, to students predominantly from rural areas and to aid their physical, mental, and spiritual growth. Our JNVs also strive to serve as focal points in each district for improvement in quality of school education in general through sharing of experiences and facilities.

Please tell us about the curriculum and learning methodology followed in the school.

Our school follows the NCERT curriculum and is affiliated to CBSE. The learning activity of the Vidyalaya is highly integrated to ICT. Teachers use Power Point presentations, animated multimedia presentations, etc. to deliver their lectures. Internet is also used by teachers to retrieve various subject related topics. It is mandatory for every teacher to use some element of ICT in classroom. A register is maintained to record the ICT based classes taken by teachers.

Our students make their project work using Microsoft Word and Power Point, download various subject related topics, sample papers, fill online forms for many competitive examinations using Internet.

What are the initiatives taken up by your school for integrating ICT in education?

The school has provided enough infrastructure, procured various educational CDs, made arragement for conducting ICT classes in two different rooms with LCD projectors and computers. We also have the EDUSAT facilty for interacting with different educational institutes, organisations, experts, etc. Teachers make projects using Power Point presentations, make every teacher take class using ICT at least once/twice a week. Students are also allowed to use computers and Internet twice a week for every class i.e., from VI to XII.

What are the major challenges as far as integration of ICT?

Some of the challenges faced by our school while implementing the ICT programmes/projects are:

Frequent power cut and load shedding hampers smooth use of ICT. We try our best to solve the problem by using a generator of 25KVA and 15 KVA stand by generator.
Maintenance of hardware components like UPS, CPU Monitor, etc. is another problem as it is difficult to purchase such hardware components.
Misuse of technology by students is yet another challenge. Students want to use computers for entertainment rather than as a learning tool.

How do you build teachers` capacity in rendering technology mediated education?

Our school have given training to almost all the teachers through Microsoft programmes. Knowledge of the teachers is further enhanced with the use of Internet, as they can draw new concepts, ideas and detailed material on their topics, which enhance their teaching. This further helps them in their professional growth while producing good results in examinations.

How do you see Public- Private Partnership for enhancing proper use of technologies in school education?

Both the sectors need to be aware of the various uses of technology in school education and its importance, so that they in turn can venture to improve or enhance this field to give quality education to our students.

What are the future initiatives/plans for integrating ICT in school education?

For bringing about an effective integration of ICT in education, we should try and enhance the knowledge in the domain for both teachers and students by interacting with differents firms, organisations, experts, etc. There is also a need to update our ICT technologies as far as possible to improve teaching learning process.

Unleashing Unlimited Potential : Rajeev Katyal, Microsoft

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January 5, 2009

Rajeev Katyal
Director Education, Microsoft

“Microsoft`s vision for education in the 21st century is driven by the shared belief that the use of technology in education will help remove limitations, foster innovation, and enable students and teachers to achieve their fullest potential”

Please take us briefly through Microsoft`s engagement with the education community in India?

Microsoft has a long-term partnership with India which goes back to 1990 when we set up operations in the country. We believe that technology offers new educational possibilities that can help empower both teachers and students everywhere. Under the Unlimited Potential effort, Microsoft India is focused on long-term investments for facilitating relevant, affordable access to technology in areas which are aligned to India`s priorities

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