School Leaders’ Concern in Introducing Technology in their Schools
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here are no two ways about technology contributing very effectively to the creation of a lively learning environment in the classroom, inclusive of learning. Technology has become an indispensable aid to teaching today. Technology has also helped to streamline school management systems, leading to greater efficiency in the administrative set-up. Communication networks within the school community and with parents have greatly improved with the introduction of advanced technological programmes in schools. Security issues in educational institutions too have been successfully addressed with the help of cutting-edge technology. However, certain concerns remain, especially about the injudicious use of technology in the classroom. The immense potentialities of this very exciting medium of instruction should not lead to over-dependence on it, killing the initiative and creativity of both the teacher and the taught. “With so many companies vying with each other to sell more and more attractive pre-formatted multimedia lessons to schools, the ingenuity and innovative skills of the teacher are minimised and this may adversely affect the dynamics of the classroom. Similarly it is important, I feel, for the school leader to guard against the institution becoming reduced to a mere market for the latest technological inventions that are often peddled as pedagogy,� says Ms. Kaveri Dutt, Principal of Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata.