Need Of Hour: Balance Education, Technology With Core Skills
Technology has become a part and parcel of modern day education today. But how much of it should be deployed and how much of free-hand must be given to the modern day student. Diverse views came to the fore as this topic invoked wide reactions among the esteemed panel members, mostly heads of their reputed schools spread across India.
Participating in the discussion, Shashi Banerjee, Principal, Shiv Nadar School, Noida, stressed upon the need to be focused on “design and programming”. “Everything can be simplified to lowest common denominator that is ‘curriculum’. You need a design – have tool-kits to data mine, to collaborate and co-create,” Banerjee said. Agreeing with this point was Vinesh Menon, CEO, Education & Skilling, Government Services, Vibgyor Group of Schools who was also conducting the panel discussion. He pointed to the fact that technology was making it’s mark in every aspect of education today and it needs to be absorbed fully.
Giving a holistic perspective, Vasavdutta Sarkar, Principal, Vega Schools, said that knowledge was beyond books and his school encourage students to go out, connect with the world and to do research. “We have open learning spaces, movable chairs, and shiftable walls – anything required to make schools better,” he said.
Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, addressed the challenges amidst technological developments, “There is much more than delivery of lessons that goes into a classroom. Equal importance is to be given to soft skills and mental toughness along with technology.” “We as an educator have to be very careful when we walk the path of technological revolution,” he added.
These education experts were presenting at the BW Education School Leaders Enclave.