Flexibility, adaptation, new thinking and innovation are 21st century skills
Do schools kill creativity, asks Ken Robinson in the much-watched TED talk. I am inclined to say, they do. Of course, educational systems do notwork in a vacuum, but are a reflection of the society they function in.
India’s educational system is modelled on the mass education system that developed in the 19th century in Europe and later spread around the world. Tracing the roots of the movement, the goal is clear — to condition children as “good” citizens and productive workers. This suited the industrial age that needed the constant supply of a compliant workforce with a narrow set of capabilities. The educational environment even today resembles factories with bells, uniforms and batch-processing of learners. They are designed to get learners to conform.
From an economic standpoint, the environment today is very different. In a complex, volatile and globally interconnected world, new-age skill-sets are essential. Wired magazine estimated that 70 per cent of today’s occupations would become automated by the end of this century. What will be the role of humans in this new economy? Linear, routine thinking will have no advantage. It calls for flexibility, adaptation, new thinking, paradigm shifts, and innovation — and that is the language of creativity. Creativity is an essential 21st century skill.
So, how would an educational system built around creativity look like? I use the word creativity here in its broadest sense — the nurturing and igniting of a human being’s latent talent and abilities to the fullest potential. From a scientific perspective, creativity is an aptitude for new, original and imaginative thinking. Let us consider some key aspects of an educational system with creativity at its core.
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Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schools. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Monday, 8 February 2016
Schooling without learning
The Right to Education Act needs to be focussed back to its core intent instead of allowing the authorities to impose extraneous conditions on schools
Contrary to popular perception, the vast majority of the 3.3 lakh private unaided schools in India are low-fee establishments. Only about 16,000 of them are ‘elite’ high-fee schools affiliated to the Indian Council of Secondary Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education. According to the National Sample Survey 2014, the median fee in rural India was Rs. 300 per month and the median fee in urban India was Rs. 416 per month for all the high- and low-fee private unaided primary schools taken together. There are inter-State variations, however; in Uttar Pradesh, the median fee in rural and urban India was Rs. 117 and Rs. 250 per month, respectively.
By contrast, in government schools, per pupil expenditure on teacher salary alone is around Rs. 1,300 per month. At the same time, the achievement levels of children in the budget private schools are no worse (and maybe somewhat better) than those in government schools, after adjusting for family background.
Shutting down of schools
Despite giving far greater value for money (learning per unit of cost), thousands of low-fee private schools are being forced to shut down in India. According to media reports and Right to Information inquiries, by March 2014, about 4,355 private schools had been closed down and another 15,083 had received notices to close down, affecting the educational rights of nearly 39 lakh children.
The reason: the requirement of the Right to Education Act (RTE) that all private schools must mandatorily get government recognition by complying with the norms stipulated in the RTE Act and in State RTE Rules. For good measure, many additional conditions for ‘recognition’ have been added in States’ Government Orders (GO). For example, a GO of U.P. dated May 8, 2013 notifies about 40 different conditions a private school has to fulfil in order to obtain recognition.
Simultaneously with private school closures, many government schools are also shutting down because of a lack of demand for dysfunctional schools where teachers are often absent. Meanwhile, the population of children who are of school-going age is rising by 3.8 per cent per year, according to the Censuses of 2001 and 2011.
This situation where both private and government schools are shutting even as more children are going to school has created a national crisis. It has also created a paradox: an Act that vows to promote children’s right to education is itself potentially violating the same. It is also violating fee-paying children’s right to attend a school of their choice.
Read the article
Contrary to popular perception, the vast majority of the 3.3 lakh private unaided schools in India are low-fee establishments. Only about 16,000 of them are ‘elite’ high-fee schools affiliated to the Indian Council of Secondary Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education. According to the National Sample Survey 2014, the median fee in rural India was Rs. 300 per month and the median fee in urban India was Rs. 416 per month for all the high- and low-fee private unaided primary schools taken together. There are inter-State variations, however; in Uttar Pradesh, the median fee in rural and urban India was Rs. 117 and Rs. 250 per month, respectively.
By contrast, in government schools, per pupil expenditure on teacher salary alone is around Rs. 1,300 per month. At the same time, the achievement levels of children in the budget private schools are no worse (and maybe somewhat better) than those in government schools, after adjusting for family background.
Shutting down of schools
Despite giving far greater value for money (learning per unit of cost), thousands of low-fee private schools are being forced to shut down in India. According to media reports and Right to Information inquiries, by March 2014, about 4,355 private schools had been closed down and another 15,083 had received notices to close down, affecting the educational rights of nearly 39 lakh children.
The reason: the requirement of the Right to Education Act (RTE) that all private schools must mandatorily get government recognition by complying with the norms stipulated in the RTE Act and in State RTE Rules. For good measure, many additional conditions for ‘recognition’ have been added in States’ Government Orders (GO). For example, a GO of U.P. dated May 8, 2013 notifies about 40 different conditions a private school has to fulfil in order to obtain recognition.
Simultaneously with private school closures, many government schools are also shutting down because of a lack of demand for dysfunctional schools where teachers are often absent. Meanwhile, the population of children who are of school-going age is rising by 3.8 per cent per year, according to the Censuses of 2001 and 2011.
This situation where both private and government schools are shutting even as more children are going to school has created a national crisis. It has also created a paradox: an Act that vows to promote children’s right to education is itself potentially violating the same. It is also violating fee-paying children’s right to attend a school of their choice.
Read the article
Thursday, 2 July 2015
eBasta -- A Digital Library Of Downloadable School Books
In line with the government's Digital India initiative, this project has created a framework to make school books accessible in digital form as e-books to be read and used on tablets and laptops. The main idea is to bring various publishers (free as well as commercial) and schools together on one platform. In addition to the portal, a back-end framework to facilitate the organization and easy management of such resources has also been made, along with the web based applications that can be installed on tablets for navigating the framework.
The framework, implemented as a portal, brings together three categories of stakeholders: the publisher, the school and the student. It provides them with the following primary functionalities:
Students: Easy access to interactive and dynamic content augmented with text, charts, graphics, videos and auxiliary resource. eBastas are delivered through the internet no packaging no shipping and hence NO WAIT. eBasta’s are portable. Carry eBasta’s in any storage medium without worrying about their weight and start reading them ANY WHERE ANY TIME.
School/Teachers: The eBooks and other contents in the eBasta can be logically organised by the school / Teacher while creating the eBasta. Teachers can choose and bundle content according to their teaching methods. Access to variety of resources – text, simulation, animations, audio books, videos, etc – to choose from. Review, Comment, Rate on eContents. Help schools with lesser teaching resources to gain from the resources of better schools. Provide teachers who contribute content / generate more relevant collections nation-wide visibility.
Publishers:
Single point interface for reaching out to multiples of schools, across the country
Convenience to register, sell and distribute ebooks & related interactive econtents online
Overcome the logistical problems of book printing, transport and delivery, especially at remote locations
Significantly shortens the cycle of content editing /changes and facilitates faster release of updates
Support for DRM from the pioneers in the Industry wherever required
Get direct feedback from teachers and students regarding eContents
Visit the website
The framework, implemented as a portal, brings together three categories of stakeholders: the publisher, the school and the student. It provides them with the following primary functionalities:
Students: Easy access to interactive and dynamic content augmented with text, charts, graphics, videos and auxiliary resource. eBastas are delivered through the internet no packaging no shipping and hence NO WAIT. eBasta’s are portable. Carry eBasta’s in any storage medium without worrying about their weight and start reading them ANY WHERE ANY TIME.
School/Teachers: The eBooks and other contents in the eBasta can be logically organised by the school / Teacher while creating the eBasta. Teachers can choose and bundle content according to their teaching methods. Access to variety of resources – text, simulation, animations, audio books, videos, etc – to choose from. Review, Comment, Rate on eContents. Help schools with lesser teaching resources to gain from the resources of better schools. Provide teachers who contribute content / generate more relevant collections nation-wide visibility.
Publishers:
Single point interface for reaching out to multiples of schools, across the country
Convenience to register, sell and distribute ebooks & related interactive econtents online
Overcome the logistical problems of book printing, transport and delivery, especially at remote locations
Significantly shortens the cycle of content editing /changes and facilitates faster release of updates
Support for DRM from the pioneers in the Industry wherever required
Get direct feedback from teachers and students regarding eContents
Visit the website
Thursday, 11 June 2015
Innovate My School
Innovate My School is a community-driven website that keeps teachers informed about the latest ideas and trends in education. From exciting new products and services to alternative teaching and learning practices, Innovate My School empowers teachers to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead proactively and, most importantly, feel inspired.
Read latest inspiration articles - packed full of fresh ideas, innovative practices and personal insights from teachers and industry experts around the world.
Browse comprehensive online marketplace to discover, compare and get quotes for all the newest educational products and services.
Keep up to date with all the buzz surrounding new trends, disruptive products and case studies, from startups and leading brands, by following the innovation news page.
Book a FREE innovation speed date to bring the the latest edtech innovations to your next meeting!
Download free teaching resources, covering a range of key topics, produced by teachers and suppliers from around the web.
Read and subscribe to the free digital magazine for a range of exclusive articles designed to inspire, challenge and excite anyone that works in a school.
Visit the website
Read latest inspiration articles - packed full of fresh ideas, innovative practices and personal insights from teachers and industry experts around the world.
Browse comprehensive online marketplace to discover, compare and get quotes for all the newest educational products and services.
Keep up to date with all the buzz surrounding new trends, disruptive products and case studies, from startups and leading brands, by following the innovation news page.
Book a FREE innovation speed date to bring the the latest edtech innovations to your next meeting!
Download free teaching resources, covering a range of key topics, produced by teachers and suppliers from around the web.
Read and subscribe to the free digital magazine for a range of exclusive articles designed to inspire, challenge and excite anyone that works in a school.
Visit the website
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
How 'Hour of Code' sparked a movement that could teach 100 million people to code
How 'Hour of Code' sparked a movement that could teach 100 million people to code
It's Computer Science Education week, and Code.org wants to get 100 million people to do Hour of Code by the end of the year to raise more awareness about coding education in schools.
Code.org -- along with other organizations like Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code-- has sparked a movement to get more computer science education in schools, and to get more kids writing code.
This week, December 8 to 14, is Computer Science Education Week, and Code.org is pushing for even more awareness than last year with its popular Hour of Code learning event.
The organization's campaign Hour of Code teaches anyone -- from age six to 96 -- the basics of writing a computer program in just one hour by having them code a game. There are many free tutorials in several coding languages, and they're compatible with smartphones, tablets, and computers. The one-hour tutorials are available in more than 30 languages.
Full Story
It's Computer Science Education week, and Code.org wants to get 100 million people to do Hour of Code by the end of the year to raise more awareness about coding education in schools.
Code.org -- along with other organizations like Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code-- has sparked a movement to get more computer science education in schools, and to get more kids writing code.
This week, December 8 to 14, is Computer Science Education Week, and Code.org is pushing for even more awareness than last year with its popular Hour of Code learning event.
The organization's campaign Hour of Code teaches anyone -- from age six to 96 -- the basics of writing a computer program in just one hour by having them code a game. There are many free tutorials in several coding languages, and they're compatible with smartphones, tablets, and computers. The one-hour tutorials are available in more than 30 languages.
Full Story
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