Thank you for your reflections!

Hello again!

I wanted to also acknowledge, and thank you all for, the wonderful reflections that you have posted here on the readings that I gave you. I hope you enjoyed (the readings and) posting your thoughts here - as much as I enjoyed reading your musings on the articles.

Best,
Shuchi

Hello from Bangalore!

Hi everyone!

I hope your course is progressing smoothly and all is well with you all!

I just wanted to acknowledge that I have been receiving assignments - some redone, some fresh, over the last couple of weeks since I sent out feedback to you all. I wanted to let you know that while I will be sure to send out the feedback (maybe during the Diwali break) for those couple of you who I missed out in the first round, I will not be making any edits to the evaluation documents for the others. I have been swamped with work and will even be conducting a workshop the Monday & Tuesday after Diwali! I will see if I can take a look at your work and give you feedback independently, but I request you all to not send me any more versions of your work as I just don't have the time now to look at it. Instead, I would urge you to try and show it to each other and get some peer feedback, which is a wonderful form of assessment as well.

I'm sure you must all be gearing up for the big festival. A safe and happy Diwali and Eid to all!

Best regards,
Shuchi

Feedback/suggestion for ahmedabad trip

Hi Folks!
This is regarding our last discussion in class about the Ahmedabad trip. I have recieved only 5 feedbacks, those of Seema, Sumera, Savita, Parul, Archana and Neelima. I will greatly appreciate if the rest of you send me an e-mail on akabidi@hotmail.com. You may choose to respond to this on the blog itself, though it would be public knowledge then.
I had requested yor reply to the following four queries:

1. Are you ready to come now?

2. Is a budget of Rs. 4000/- affordable for you?

3. Do you support a two or a three day visit?

4. Are there any other concerns and suggestons you want to be communicated to the faculty?

Please feel free to give your opinions/suggestions. As Self Directed Learners and Awakeful Personal Leaders, this is tryly a good chance for us to put theory into practise. It doesn;t imply that going to Ahmedabad is the ultimate goal. We may choose not to go. But, lets try to do that in positive and democratic way.

I look forward to recieve responces from all students by Sunday eve (15th) so that i can communicate a collective picture to the faculty. Please do call or text each other and encourage.

Cheers!
Amir

LAUNCHING OUR E-CLUB

Hi there!
Announcing the launch of our very own E-Club . Ofcourse it is the Environment Friendly sort. I would request you all to post your contributions however small on our blog.
My beginning very miniscule is: Could we all use reusable glasses for drinking water? Let’s not use any more of those one-time-use plastic glasses! Ofcourse please drink 15 glasses of water(only from re-usable glasses) a day for a healthy skin(only the eco-friendly skins glow)! !!!
malini

Thinking through the Technology Puzzle

It is indeed a puzzle as to why so much talk and so much money invested has not been able to positively effect a change in the pedagogy and the student learning in schools today.

The basic problem lies in considering the technology as an entity that is disparate from the instructional subjects at schools. It is used for technology substitution and reward/ punishment.

Instead, focus should shift to the real thing that technology is to be used to do things better, whether it is for teaching or for learning. Technology is to be used for
v Questioning
v Exploration
v Discovery
v Analysis
v Understanding
v Application and communication
But, this does not undermine the role of the teacher. Having learnt the necessary skills, she is central to effectively integrating the technology puzzle into the routine learning process.

The hesitation of the teachers to learn technology from their student is also puzzling as this role reversal only adds to the prestige of the teacher.

Another puzzling aspect is that while most teachers do use technology for personal use, few ever use it in the class room. The answer lies in the complacency in acquisition of skills, without integrating technology in mainstream education.

It also remains a puzzle as to why technology remains confined to the computer labs, training of the various software and relegated to fixed time table periods; when it has been shown that technology needs to be brought to the classrooms with easy access to the teacher and the students.

Once the pieces of these jigsaws fit together, there is no reason why technological revolution will not take place in the teaching – learning process and resultant student enhancement.

How teachers learn technology best

When going through the article, I connected with how we as adult learners are trying to grapple with technology today.

The provision of the computers at the Resource Centre and at home was just not enough to get us started. The intermittent use of laptops and projectors by the faculty was not motivation enough. We viewed the submission of soft copies of the assignments as an unnecessary burden. Our perception was also that technology is a distinct subject to be learnt [and later taught] without trying to realize that technology is the delivery system for sound curriculum and student learning. The challenge lay here. The workshop persuaded us to embark on the highly personalized learning journeys to become responsible for our learning. After exposure we needed time to learn on our own. Team learning and support by the mentor provided the necessary environment that spurred us to move forward. Online learning and the resource support staff proved crucial. Therefore, it was not the provision of the physical infrastructure, but the enabling conditions that prove to be our Messiah.

Our own learning experience corroborates what the article talks about i.e. that it is adult learning strategies that help the teachers to learn, grow and accept technology as an integral part of the teaching-learning process.

ENABLING CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY

The article by Shuchi Grover on ‘Enabling Conditions’ to support effective technology in schools is a dilemma faced by most institutions today.
The questions are-
· How effective is the use of technology in our schools today?
· Is technology=computers?
· How do we manage technology?

Reality
There are multifold issues in the state of technology in Indian Schools today.
There are Air-conditioned Labs for computers which are normally used one day in a week by a batch of students. The machines are not maintained, upgraded. There is very little or no integration between subjects taught and computers. Technology input is limited to one lecture by the Computer teacher in a week. Moreover teachers are resistant to this alien ‘computer’.

An average child of today loves using the computer, but for What? Playing games, chatting, downloading music….???????
There is hardly any Learning from this intricate web of information.
A teacher personally probably uses the computer for e-mail.
The school uses it for accounting, maintaining data of students and staff.

Change in thought Process
The computer and other technology gadgets can be made more productive to bring about a sea of change in the way we learn, share and understand. It can become an effective mode of communication between the teacher and student, student with student, teacher with teacher and parents with the school. It can become a platform to develop group sharing skills in this world of single children. It can be used for more than just achievement of grades by students.

How do we make that change?
There should be integration of all subjects with technology.
Teachers should undergo training and become comfortable with the use and benefits of technology.
Technology should not be limited to the labs but be portable and become available at all times to the teacher.
Students should get free access to the computer labs.
Computers should be maintained by proficient staff.
Investment in gadgets like a projector, GPIS system etc will enhance the useability and portability of computers.
Small changes in the way we think of and use technology can bring about a Sea of Change- in acquiring skills of a different world altogether!!!

The Technology Puzzle

David Bowman’s article The Technology Puzzle is quite a maze in this so called technologically advancing 21st century. It is a sorry state of affairs where technology is being discarded because it has not been adopted and adapted in the most beneficial way.
Students are excited about the computer but to such limited uses as gaming and chatting.
Teachers have really not made an effort to unlearn and to learn the ways of the new age. They indulge in just
Technology education where time is taken away from subject areas to teach computers.
Teaching Substitution where there is no enhancement of learning but just learning the same thing in a different way that is there is no additional learning for the students.
Behaviour modification where computers are used to occupy or reward students!!!
Where is this leading us?
Are we preparing the Gen Next students for enhanced learning, visualized and realistic learning, sharing of ideas, increasing efficiency,saving time? In the same amount of time the advantages and enormous amount of extra learning has not been tapped at all.
What is to be done
Action needs to be taken and quick. Steps need to be taken to integrate learning to make topics and subjects come to life. This will enhance understanding and creativity in students.
To make this possible, teachers need to enjoy being with computers. A lot of effort will be required but then with sharing of ideas and help from the more proficient teachers in computers, a lot can be done to make this a journey worth taking.

Blogging

The article by Stephen Downes on Blogging was interesting. There were some serious doubts on the use and misuse of blogging, the effectiveness of learning from blogging and the use of blogs by students after they leave school.
A blog is a powerful tool of communication. It’s use is
-to ‘support’ learning in students
-as an archive to publish student’s works
-students learn from far-flung collaborators as well as peer
-it manages data created by members of a school.
Ofcourse one can’t doubt it’s ease in use and creation.
A Blog is different from a website or even a personal journal.
A website is not as dynamic and ‘trendy’ as a blog is. While a website gives information, a blog is a platform of discussion where anyone can post a comment. It is more personal and informative too. Links can be attached to give more creditability to the blog if necessary. In this way it is different from a personal journal too because though it is about your expression, it is much more than that. You can get feedback and also attach links to your journal.
A blogger is not necessarily a writer, infact even a ‘non-writer’ can express herself as comfortably as a writer would. Moreover, she may never write articles for a newspaper or even think of writing a book, but a weblog gives her that space to express herself without the fear of being judged. An article on a Blog has wider coverage and filters almost immediately in the ‘Blogosphere’.
For a teacher a blog is very helpful to
· Create a community of learners
· As a bookmarking tool to model her approach
· As a platform to give assignments and get feedback
For a student a blog is helpful to
· Promote reading, reflective and writing skills
· Helps in critical thinking
· Spread of informational literacy
· Group management and sharing skills
For the community it is helpful-
· To share news, views and opinions of each other
· Create a network of individuals who feel responsible for community development
· Make a database for their community as well as to share and learn from communities from around the world
As a criticism for blogging used as a medium of communication between students and teachers
· If blogging is done for grades, feedback from teachers, it is not blogging-only use of blogging software
· Students stop blogging as soon as they leave school
· When rules for blogging are imposed, posts are monitored, the benefits from blogging are limited.
· Assigned blogging is not blogging it is contrived

I’d like to sum up with that the advantages outnumber the disadvantages and Blogging can become the most powerful tool of learning and the platform for sharing of thoughts.

Thanks! You guys(!) are great...!

Hi everyone!

Just a quick note to thank you all for your reflections on the blog, your kind words about our short but "deep impact" interactions, as well as all the assignments that have been trickling in in my mailbox (it's been a steady trickle). I have been impressed by the quality of your work - and I know that I can take only so much credit. You represent the face of the future of education in India - and it certainly looks prettier and brighter than it is today.

For those of you who are having trouble zipping files or uploading your websites, just email me what you have (even a bunch of attachments will do) - I will make sense of it all at this end. What I do not want is for any of you to get bogged down (and disheartened) by the logistics of getting this stuff across to me. If you can, solicit help from each other, or the iDiscoveri 'help desk' (aka Rafiq), but remember that I do not expect you to go through hoops after you've technically completed the assignment.

All the best for your next course, and after...

Best,
Shuchi

ENABLING CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN SCHOOLS

This article talks about the prerequisites for the effective and integrated technology in schools. It has raised several important issues viz.
Ø The limitation of equating of schools with a couple of computer labs with schools that use technology. Technology is a more encompassing frontier. Currently the piecemeal efforts of the educational institutions are being passed off as the real thing.
Ø The fear and awe with which most adults/teachers view technology driven tools as opposed to the children
Ø The need to develop a comfortable, symbiotic relation between the teachers, students and technology
Ø To this end, all teachers [not just the computer teachers] need to be exposed, guided, encouraged and scaffolded to integrate technology in their personal and professional lives
Ø School leaders need to think about providing technology to the teachers and administration for their use. This involves
o Provision of infrastructure beyond computer labs
o Provision of guidance on teaching/ living with technology
o Provision of time to become comfortable with these aids
o Provision of a Helpdesk is crucial
This comfort level establishment and technology integration is essential for the teachers to
Ø Keep pace with the students and the world outside
Ø Facilitate the teaching and learning process
Ø Confidently share resources with the world
Ø Justify and sustain the initial extra expense involved in putting the infra structure in place.

The teacher themselves need to be motivated to incorporate technology in their lives. The need has to be perceived and expressed by the teachers to galvanize the education leaders to providing condition that enable them to integrate technology in mainstream education.