K12 Digest – May 2022 – India Edition – Back to School - Challenges in School Education Special

JANUARY SPECIAL CHALLENGES IN SCHOOL EDUCATION SPECIAL

INDIAN INDIA EDITION

www.k12digest.com

MAY 2022

K12 Digest May 2022

1

2

K12 Digest May 2022

K12 Digest May 2022

3

May - 2022

Vol - 3 Issue - 5

Challenges in School Education Special Head of Advisory Board Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Komal Banchhor Joseph Alex

Anuja Mulmule Roshni Rajagopal Emma James

Enquiry: admin@k12digest.com

Art and Design

Ajay K Das Manjunath R Rohith Poojary

Sales & Marketing

Jennifer Anderson Rachel Roy Priyanka Pandewar

Monica Davis Anna Elza Reshma A

Enquiry: admin@k12digest.com

Subscription

www.k12digest.com

International Representation Americas Connecta Global LLC 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, DE 19958, USA

GET THE MOBILE ISSUE

Europe Connecta Global Ltd. 27, Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, UK Middle East Focus Innovation Technologies FZE P.O. Box 48299, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, UAE Asia-Pacific Connecta Innovation Pvt. Ltd. Ramanashree Arcade, 18 MG Road, Bangalore – 560001, India

4

K12 Digest May May-June March 20222019 2020

K12 Digest is a digital magazine published by Connecta Innovation Private Limited. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed in the content and pictures provided are those of the authors.

They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Connecta Innovation Private Limited or any of its members and we do not assume any responsibility. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the advertisements, its content, pictures, and all representation of warranties made in such advertisements are those of the advertisers and not of the publisher. K12 Digest is a Free Subscription digital magazine strictly not for sale and has to be strictly for internal private use only. Publisher does not assume any responsibility arising out of anyone printing copy of this digital magazine in any format and in any country and all matters related to that.

MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Finding Opportunities in Adversity

L

et’s divide school education into two eras- PreCOVID and Post-COVID times. Before the pandemic, the K12 Education systems worldwide were not a stark change from how they were conducted in the 20th or even 19th centuries. The use of technology was a mere tool for smoothening administrative tasks. A smartphone was a distraction for students. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything upside down. Digital schooling was the logical way to continue learning for children during the pandemic.

However, countries like India, where a large number of people have limited opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs), have a widening inequality between the digital haves and have-nots.

A study by the Azim Premji Foundation showed that almost 60 per cent of school children in India cannot

access online learning opportunities. Among the students who had internet access, only a few could access live classes. Undoubtedly, technology is a formidable tool for augmenting learning methodologies. Yet, we should be increasingly concerned that a shift to remote online learning will exacerbate inequalities.

To understand more about looming concern over the changes in education post-pandemic, we have come up with a special issue that features expert insights and ideas from teachers, industry leaders and academic administrators. To calibrate and adjust to the new learning methods after the pandemic, students will need tailored and sustained support.

We hope our efforts to collate the latest information on K12 Education will help schools prepare to provide that support and meet the enormous challenges of the months ahead.

Enjoy reading.

Sarath Shyam

K12 Digest May 2022

5

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Chris Wright

Maarit Rossi

Former International School Principal, Former Group Project Director at a World Class Learning Group, Education Consultant - Wright Solutions, United Kingdom

Founder & CEO - Paths to Math Ltd, Former Mathematics Teacher and Principal, Global Teacher Prize Finalist, Finland

Dr. Stuart Grant Colesky Principal, Rundle College, South Africa

Zeljana Radojicic Lukic Exceptional Educator from Serbia, Founder of Association of the Best Teachers of the Former Yugoslavia, Founder of Magical Intercultural Friendship Network, Founder of Creative Magic - Children’s International Festival, Founder of Magic Village, Serbia

Asst. Prof. Dr. Poonsri Vate-U-Lan Assistant Professor in Education, Ph.D. Supervisor and Researcher, Thailand

Stephen Cox

Elena Shramkova

Chief Education Officer, New Nordic School, Finland

Liljana Luani

Senior Teacher ‘Pashko Vasa’ school Shkodra, Exceptional Volunteer, Albania

English and Literature teacher, Owner of “The Smart Teens Studio of English” in Belgorod, Russia

Ralph Valenzisi Chief of Digital Learning and Development, Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut, United States

Hatem Slimane

Servatius (Servee) Palmans Former Director School Administration & Business Operations (Large Education Group), Chief Operating Officer - BBD Education, Dr. Lilian Bacich Netherlands & UAE Senior Educationist, Author, Keynote Speaker, Co-founder Tríade Educacional, Brazil

6

K12 Digest May 2022

Founder & National President - ATAST, General director of IFEST² the international projects competition in Tunisia, General secretary of MILSET Africa, BRISECC member, Tunisia

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU, Thailand & India

Hidekazu Shoto

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto

Angus Duthie

Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer, Philippines

Former Vice President Security (Large Education Group), Former British Army Officer (Airborne Forces), Senior Advisor – Resilience and Crisis Management (Emerald Solutions Group), United Kingdom & UAE

Innovative English and ICT Teacher, Author, Japan

Ian Deakin

Deputy Head and Dean of Faculty, Dalton Academy, Beijing, China

Shady Elkassas Rania Lampou

Global Teacher Prize Finalist 2019, 15 International Awards on STEM, STEM Instructor, Educator, Neuroscience Researcher, Trainer & Author, Greece

Director of Innovation Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Fethy Letaief Distinguished Senior EFL Teacher, ISA Coordinator with the British Council, Motivational Speaker, Tunisia

Herwin Hamid

Ha Nga

Revolutionary English Educator, Globally Connected English Studio - Hanoi, Vietnam

EdTech Specialist, Speaker and Teacher Trainer, Innovative ICT Educator, ICT learning multimedia developer, Indonesia

Juan Manuel Pico Co-founder & Managing Partner, Education Soul, Colombia

Dr. Leonilo Basas Capulso Master Teacher, Speaker and Researcher, Philippines

Kihyun Park Innovative Educator of Online Classroom, Pungsaeng Middle School, South Korea

Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D Mr. Ngô Thành Nam

Technology Academy Manager, Microsoft Learning Consultant, Global Trainer, Vietnam

Senior Director – Global Partnerships, Advisory & Consulting – Connecta® | Head of Advisory Board – Higher Education Digest® & K12 Digest® | Adjunct Faculty – Assumption University | Former CIO – Athena Education | Former Global Director Technology – GEMS Education

K12 Digest May 2022

7

CO N T EN T S CO NTE NTS

BEST PRACTICES

20

TRAIN THEM FOR THE ‘CHANGE’ Deepika Venkatesh, CAS Coordinator, Subject Lead & Senior School Educator

36

20

A NIGHTMARE OR A THRILLER! WHAT’S YOUR CHOICE?

ACADEMIC VIEW

24 8

K12 Digest May 2022

36

Anand Jeyasingh, Student Counsellor, Career Guidance Cell, Yuvabharathi Public School

WORKING TOWARDS A HYBRID LEARNING FUTURE Dr. Vanita Bhoola, Assistant Dean & Associate Professor – Executive MBA & Executive Education, SP Jain School of Global Management

24

INDUSTRY VIEW

16

CAN A HUMANITIES STUDENT ASPIRE FOR THE IVY LEAGUES AND A SUCCESSFUL CAREER? ​Rahul Subramaniam, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Athena Education

LEARN GREEN IN ORDER TO GO GREEN: INDIA’S STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS NEED SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION

32

P Gopalakrishnan, Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Middle East, GBCI

44

32

WORKING TOWARDS FUTURISTIC LEARNING Divya Jain, Founder & Director, The Class of One

16 44 K12 Digest May 2022

9

CO N T E N TS CO NTE NTS

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

12

28

10

K12 Digest May 2022

Bonny Bhansali, Principal, The Green Acres Academy

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE - THE VALUE OF AN INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL DEGREE

12

28

Dr. Marios Loukas, Dean -School of Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada

40

48

HOW CAN SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS MAKE “BACK TO SCHOOL” TRANSITION SMOOTH FOR CHILDREN

SOCIAL MEDIA BINGE-WATCH AND INTERNET SURFING CRIMPING STUDENTS’ CONCENTRATION POWERS Pallavi Upadhyaya, Principal, DPS RNE

5 REASONS, WHY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION NEEDS TRANSFORMATION? Ritesh Rawal, Founder, Dudes & Dolls World, Adhyay School, & Ritesh Rawal Foundation

48

40

75

Amazing Opportunity for Teachers and School Leaders to enhance their knowledge through FREE Teachers Academy masterclasses from international education experts !!!

For more details and registration www.teachersacademy.com

K12 Digest Higher Education Digest May 2022 November 2021

11

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

How can Schools and Teachers Make “Back to School” Transition Smooth for Children Bonny Bhansali, Principal, The Green Acres Academy

W

ith almost two years of empty classrooms, silent playgrounds and deserted corridors, schools are set to welcome students back to the campus. This is a good time to reflect on how we can make this transition as smooth as possible for our students.

All children might have had different experiences during the lockdown, and they may react quite differently to the reopening of physical schools. Some will readily return to school, while others will struggle and experience anxiety or apprehension about moving out of the comfort of their homes. Teachers must be prepared to deal with this and devise a transition plan that benefits everyone and allows for a smooth return to school. It might make sense to reopen in a phased manner. Fewer school hours for the first few days might be the best way to go as it will help students make the gradual transition from online school to physical school.

Some basic guidelines that can help educational institutes and teachers to make this smoother for children, include:

12

K12 Digest May 2022

Creating a virtual tour so that new parents can see the infrastructure and classrooms and understand what it would be like for their child to attend school will definitely be very useful

Ms. Bonny Bhansali has more than 17 years of experience in the field of education.

She holds a Master’s degree in History and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Mumbai University. She began her teaching career with Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School, a renowned ICSE school in Thane in 2003.

From 2005 to 2019 she was associated with the New Horizon Group of Schools, a chain of reputed CBSE schools across Thane and Navi Mumbai. She worked as the Secondary Coordinator and Head of the Social Science department in New Horizon Public School and subsequently as the Vice- Principal in New Horizon Scholars School. She was also appointed as the Examiner and Coordinator for AISSE and Assistant Centre Superintendent for UGC-NET, NEET and JEE several times.

K12 Digest May 2022

13

1. Focus on safety protocols: As schools reopen, everyone’s emphasis will be on safety protocols, especially because children are not vaccinated. Parents may be wary and have reservations about sending their child to school. Try to put the parents’ mind at ease by informing them of all safety guidelines that are in place in the school. Creating a virtual tour so that new parents can see the infrastructure and classrooms and understand what it would be like for their child to attend school will definitely be very useful. Additionally, schools can organise virtual parent orientations to debrief parents about everything they need to know and prepare for before school starts 2. Need for structures and routines: An important thing for teachers to focus on would be how can he/she create a classroom environment that welcomes children back to school after the long hiatus?

Creating a daily schedule will help children know what to expect. This schedule can be shared before the school reopens to give students time to understand it and come well prepared on the first day of school.

Having a physical copy put up in the classroom might also prove beneficial. Setting up classroom routines will be extremely important as students have not seen a normal school day for a long time. The online routines and structures were significantly different so teachers will need to spend time to set up the in-person classroom routines so that students know what to look forward to each day.

3. Balanced school day: It will take time for students to adjust to a full school day, so interspersing co-scholastic and sports activities will keep the students meaningfully engaged and help them stay focused and calm. Giving adequate breaks in between will provide a breather and some respite from academics.

4. Flexible seating: Teachers can also provide the option of flexible seating as it will give students a voice to choose a place that is most comfortable for them and will make the classroom seem more inviting.

5. Group work opportunities: Devising learning plans that provide more opportunities for authentic group work will enable students to build connections and forge new relationships with their classmates and also ease them back into in-person learning.

14

K12 Digest May 2022

Devising learning plans that provide more opportunities for authentic group work will enable students to build connections and forge new relationships with their classmates and also ease them back into in-person learning

6. Class identity: Another way in which teachers can help students develop a common class identity would be by asking students to choose a class mascot or by thinking of a unique name for their class. This might help them develop a sense of connectedness and kinship.

7. Socio-emotional well-being: Teachers, especially homeroom/class teachers might need to help students understand the importance of identifying and managing their emotions. It is vital to let students know that their teachers are always available and they can ask for help whenever needed. Having a “calming corner,” or a quiet spot in the classroom where children may go in case they are feeling overwhelmed, is an excellent way to help learners adjust to a full school day. This will relieve anxiety, allowing students to return to their task when they are ready for it.

8. School-parent communication: Teachers will also need to stay connected with the parents and keep the lines of communication open informing them about their child’s academic and social progress.

9. Staff enrichment and well-being: School leaders will also have an essential role to play in preparing their teachers for success in dealing with the challenges of this transition. They must provide opportunities for professional development and support for teachers. They must review and enhance resources for staff health and well-being and make sure that teachers have access to mental health support It’s not going to be an easy transition to make. Setting a positive tone for return to physical school will require thinking out of the box and adapting quickly to changes. But there’s nothing that you can’t achieve with some strategic planning, flexible approach and a positive mindset.

K12 Digest May 2022

15

INDUSTRY VIEW

Can A Humanities Student Aspire For The Ivy Leagues And A Successful Career? ​Rahul Subramaniam, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Athena Education

Rahul is an education coach and a Start-up co-founder devoted to building creative organizations that impact and uplift societies. His primary venture, Athena Education, helps students become the best versions of themselves and receive admission to top universities around the world. Rahul went to high school in Fremont, California. He received perfect SAT scores and got into every Ivy-League college he applied to, finally choosing Princeton over Harvard. At Princeton, he studied Politics with a certificate in Political Economy. Post his graduation, Rahul served as a Director of College Counselling at a prestigious college counseling and test prep company in California.

16

K12 Digest May 2022

The humanities are a delightful pursuit anywhere, and immersing oneself in the majesty of our heritage at an Ivy-League or any other reputed institution around the world can be transformative for the mind, heart, and spirit

L

et’s face it: if an Indian teenager wants to study the humanities, their extended family will have a lot to say. “But what will you do in life, Beta?” “If you study engineering, you’ll go places. Just look at Didi.” “Trust our experience; we know what’s best for you.” Such reactions are invariably fueled by concerns regarding the prestige and practicality of the humanities. But are they justified?

To be fair, STEM paths do take you to lands with a richer harvest of jobs. But if you’re inherently right-brained, and you love curling up with a book or binging historical documentaries, then spending decades debugging code may not be the wisest idea. And if that nosy uncle of yours persists, you can always politely inform him that Barack Obama majored in political science and Justin Trudeau in English literature.

The humanities are a delightful pursuit anywhere, and immersing oneself in the majesty of our heritage at an IvyLeague or any other reputed institution around the world can be transformative for the mind, heart, and spirit. Countless peers of mine, having investigated the intricacies of Plato and Shakespeare, have graduated to six-figure-dollar salaries.

There’s also Sobhit, a former student who pursued Modern

Culture at Brown, and is now working at a major Hollywood agency, collaborating with writers, directors, actors—the whole shebang.

But how do we balance these two perspectives? How can we grasp that elusive synthesis of “successful, and fulfilling” in our own lives?

Perhaps the best first step is the sublime Japanese concept of Ikigai, which loosely translates to “purpose” or “calling”.

Specifically, your Ikigai lies at the intersection of four circles: (1) Aptitude – what you’re good at (2) Passion – what you love (3) Money – what you can make a living doing (4) Society – what the world needs Everyone must strive to optimize for all four circles. If you can’t, do three. So put your head and heart into listing items in each category, and start looking for overlaps. Who knows, this one exercise may remove much of the haze from your decision-making. It certainly did for me!

Coming back to our discussion regarding the humanities, the reason families are wary is Point 3, the economic angle.

So allow me to unravel a whole array of established and often lucrative careers in this space. Take political science,

K12 Digest May 2022

17

for example. The 2019 US News and World Report lists “political scientist” as one of the 25 best-paying jobs in the US. With a nuanced appreciation of how governments operate within and without, you can provide powerful insights to a political party seeking election or a think tank re-imagining institutional structures. And of course, how can I forget lawyers and public policymakers, who spearhead countless initiatives seeking justice and wealth in both the public and private sectors. And of course, you can pivot to other policy areas, from labor to the environment.

There are other ripe offerings in the basket. You can specialize in development and work with the United Nations or Gates Foundation, or participate in international affairs to diffuse tensions in the world’s most pressing conflict regions.

Beyond that, you can join a multinational corporation wishing to expand into new regions, and if you’re familiar with different languages and cultures, you can be extremely useful in facilitating ties between offices across different countries. Moreover, with media and entertainment becoming increasingly democratized, the opportunities for creatives with strong organizational skills abound. Sobhit, the student mentioned above, is a prime example!

Let’s take another subject—psychology—which can lay the foundation for a vocation in psychotherapy, helping others tackle unresolved experiences and emotions and putting their own pieces of the universe in order. There is also a growing demand in workplaces for experts in “industrial/ organizational psychology,” who enable companies to optimize their productivity, welfare, and impact.

And wait, let’s not forget that an undergraduate degree isn’t the end. The Creativity + Management combination is deadly, so you can always overlay an MBA on top of a humanities degree, providing you with an even more diverse toolkit with which to envision new products, solve complex problems, and inspire others to unearth their own Ikigais!

Furthermore, the humanities can also be combined with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), which have produced some fantastic developments across fields. For example, literature and computer science (CS) converge in natural-language processing. Psychology and CS? Artificial intelligence! Technology + art = graphic design— ubiquitous on every screen of our phones, tablets, and computers. Fintech, at the cusp of technology and economics, is another blossoming field, as every bitcoin fan will tell you.

American universities have a concept of “minors,” so you can mix and match by majoring in philosophy and minoring in math, or something to that effect, which will make your mind a veritable force to be reckoned with!

OK, I’ve made my point. Essentially, an Ivy-League degree in the humanities, if you approach it correctly, will give a solid bump to both your career and life.

18

K12 Digest May 2022

There is a growing demand in workplaces for experts in “industrial/ organizational psychology,” who enable companies to optimize their productivity, welfare, and impact

I’d recommend that if it appeals to you, go for it! Top US universities are constantly looking for intellectual diversity in their batches, and they’ve seen plenty of students applying for engineering or economics. Harvard wouldn’t be Harvard if literally every single incoming student were googly-eyed about machine learning. So if you have an aptitude and passion for Dostoyevsky or the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, showcase those unique elements in your application, and everywhere for that matter!

Here’s another secret: MIT and Caltech, two hardcore tech schools, require every applicant to provide a humanities recommendation. They understand that technological breakthroughs come through combinations of technology and other disciplines. They clearly love the humanities. And so should you, even if you’re a tech student!

So go forth, young sailors, and explore new seas and lands! But don’t forget to seek your Ikigai! Be idealistic, be practical, take wisdom from every source, and then make your own decisions. Godspeed.

K12 Digest May 2022

19

BEST PRACTICES

Train them for the ‘Change’ Deepika Venkatesh, CAS Coordinator, Subject Lead & Senior School Educator

Deepika is currently working as a CAS Coordinator, subject lead and senior school educator at an International School in Bengaluru. She switched careers from being a Senior Risk and Regulatory Affairs Analyst at Deloitte to the field of education with an aim of magnifying sustainable education.

She also holds hands-on experience in the field of Business valuation, Capital Markets Division under one of the professors at ISB, Hyderabad. Being a Digitally Certified educator by organizations like National Geographic, UNESCO MGIEP, PMI, Google, Apple and many more, she believes in encompassing progressive teaching and learning techniques in classrooms for sustainable education.

20

K12 Digest May 2022

It is always a good practice for us educators to decipher the challenges around and train our learners

T

he world today has seen an immense change in terms of technology. The digital space has taken a new shape with increase in usage of smartphones, daily applications, social media and now ‘Metaverse’. I still remember my series of interviews for a few of the top companies at my campus placements. They were filled with rounds which mainly focused on change management, digital tests and many other skill based assessments. Well, that is it out there, not just the score grades but something to think beyond those text books and report cards.

The field of profession has always been constantly challenged with the digitisation and rapid changes.

Around 93% of recruiters look at social media profiles, 51% of hiring managers didn’t hire a candidate based on what they found online. Surprisingly true. Our digital footprint is becoming very important. Well, my question now is, how many of them out there are able to adapt to these changes and mold accordingly? Digging down a

little deep, here comes our area, the area of education.

Are we preparing and training our learners on future challenges? For the world outside? Something to give a serious thought right?

I will keep this simple and short. All we have to do is build approaches to educate rather than just teach.

These approaches to education should have the ability to contribute in every session, irrespective of the topic being covered from the syllabus. It is always a good practice for us educators to decipher the challenges around and train our learners. Let me take you through few examples of what I do in my classrooms to encourage skills like grit, determination, digital literacy, pragmatism, etc. and help enforce the right mindset in learners to become self-reliant resources for the society.

- I typically begin the academic year by taking an interactive session, introducing them to a structured thought process through brain training exercises. I start off with a simulation based activity and then move forward

K12 Digest May 2022

21

Conducting short sessions on digital literacy and building conversations on online etiquettes, safety and security, privacy, digital rights, equal access is helping learners to understand the role of technology in their career

by giving them facts about how our brain is ‘soft wired’ and contains the ability to expand irrespective of age. This will make them realize the importance of learning new things, moving out of comfort zones, creating new pathways in their brain and developing positive habits.

- Conducting short sessions on digital literacy and building conversations on online etiquettes, safety and security, privacy, digital rights, equal access is helping learners to understand the role of technology in their career.

Being tech-savvy is as important as learning the definition of photosynthesis from the book.

- If it is, say, a 50 minute session, I don’t take the entire time-slot to teach a concept from the book. I curate sessions in such a way that they give a holistic learning experience. It either includes an open discussion on the current happenings or related to the topic being explained, showing them videos or sharing real time

22

K12 Digest May 2022

scenarios explaining why we are studying a particular concept, questioning them on new terms and encouraging them to answer even if it is completely wrong. This will ensure to build confidence, zeal to learn, acceptance and a critical-thinking mindset.

- Observing every learner, understanding their interests and once in a while discussing topics where they feel excited, where they can provide insights and persuading them to present thosetopics even if they are out of syllabus, will make them communicate and build determination.

After-all, not everyone is communicative right?

In conclusion, change is everywhere. It is not something which happens only to one living being, but sometimes the change is huge. As of now, the need for being a digital citizen looks brighter in the field of education. Let us light this emphasis and create stalwarts of the society. Happy Teaching and Learning!

K12 Digest May 2022

23

ACADEMIC VIEW

Working Towards A Hybrid Learning Future Dr. Vanita Bhoola, Assistant Dean & Associate Professor – Executive MBA & Executive Education, SP Jain School of Global Management

Dr. Vanita Bhoola is an accomplished Senior Management Professional with Academia and Management Consulting. She is heading the department for EMBA and Executive Education for SP Jain School of Global Management and is used to managing P&L and has engaged with several top clients like BOSCH, CIPLA, Bank Of America, Pidilite, Tata housing, TCS, Brigade Group, KEC International Kalaptaru Power, CGI India, Ernst and Young, Quality Kiosk and others. She has more than 24 years of experience in consulting and teaching. She has got published in reputed journals and article. She was the only women representative who was interviewed from India amongst 21 women from 17 countries for the Book published Perspectives of Women in Project Management. Her areas of expertise are Project Management, Business Statistics, Negotiation Skills, Critical Thinking & Emotional Intelligence, Spreadsheet Modelling & Analytics.

24

K12 Digest May 2022

Hybrid learning is the way forward, it has disrupted the future of learning, and Institutions are streaming live classes in parallel with face-to-face

F

or the past decade with the advancement and convergence of several telecom and digital technologies, online learning has come on its own, for self-paced, low-cost learning. Academic institutes had also engaged in limited tie-ups with several such online learning initiatives to test the waters.

The black swan event-triggered academic institutions to accelerate the adoption of online learning. The initial steps were to conduct the physical classroom online via virtual sessions to fulfil the obligatory academic mandates for the year. However, due to the disruption due to the prolongation of the pandemic, the model had to evolve to replicate the entire physical ecosystem, training, and student management, including proctored examinations and virtual campuses for students and teacher engagement. Liberalized educational policies allowing virtual classrooms and examinations contributed to the hybrid model stay for the foreseeable future.

Hybrid learning is the way forward, it has disrupted the future of learning, and Institutions are streaming live classes in parallel with face-to-face. The hybrid model has opened up an opportunity for students with special needs or care to benefit from easy to access a virtual environment. The

same is true with corporate executives, residing in different geographical locations for work, who wish to enrol for formal education on domestic or foreign campuses which is as impactful as face-to-face experience. The hybrid model of learning opens up opportunities to enrol for distant campuses and opt for quality trainers and learning which may span continents, beyond just certificate programs.

There are strong benefits of physical teachers and classrooms, like individual engagement and peer networking which cannot be easily replaced by virtual campuses. These two elements need to be addressed when creating virtual education spaces.

For virtualizing the first aspect, student-trainer and student peer to peer engagement need to be evolved in a virtual classroom to levels wherein it is not mere video streaming of live or recorded classes. In a virtual classroom, digital collaboration tools are employed for effective individual student engagement. Students’ use of virtual whiteboards, notice boards, time-bound assignment calendars, and other collaboration activities is essential.

One-on-one student-teacher engagement during a real-time class can be via closed captions, views can be expressed through classroom chats and speech.

K12 Digest May 2022

25

The key is to develop a mature engagement model using tools to encourage student connection and camaraderie.

Addressing the second aspect of inter-personal engagement, traditional ice-breaker activities conducted in person will need to be revamped to develop connections with in-person and virtual students. Educators can create social channels, and groups for students to get to know each other. Establishing routines and rituals in the classroom gives students something to anticipate and motivates them to participate throughout the course.

Strict protocols need to be followed for practising cyber safety and following digital citizenship rules.

Anonymity is not desirable in a classroom environment for a student to take ownership of one’s conduct and ownership for engaging.

Students must understand that their primary goal is to protect themselves, be courteous of others, and respect the ideas and work of others.

Instructors have to use various strategies to keep the students engaged as active participants. Students can be assigned to different break-out rooms for group discussions, problem-solving, and preparing collaborative project work which can be monitored to understand individual student’s participation and contribution to the subject matter and assignments.

These break-out groups can be a mix of in-class and virtual students.

Lab work can be done by preparing hands-on activities to practice or visualise concepts using common daily objects. Virtual students can assimilate the learning with the same set of day-to-day objects available in their home to participate equally in the class activity. A list of such readily available items can be indicated at the start of such sessions so that students can be prepared.

Use of online tools needs to be encouraged, like canva.com for presentations, Ed lives for diagramming, mind maps, and flow charts which will make both inclass and virtual students be at par in contributing to projects and presentations.

Strategies that quickly evaluate students’ comprehension and engagement during such hybrid sessions will need to be evolved. Strategies include the use of smart symbols in the collaboration tools to indicate their level of comprehension and involvement. They can raise thumbs, hands, or question marks to indicate their level of understanding or request need for help. Encourage sing online presentation portals in groups to illustrate concepts and showcase their understanding in the classroom in front of other groups.

Instructors will need to be retrained in the art of content delivery for both physical as well as virtual classrooms.

The levels of engagement in a 3-D classroom environment are much richer due to the proximity and exclusivity of the space to a classroom, a strategy will be needed for the instructor to engage the students in a virtual space that is felt to be exclusive for the group and inclusive at individual attention level.

Many modern AI engines are mature for emotion analysis. In a classroom session, it is easy for a trained eye of the instructor to make out the comprehension levels and engagement levels of the students and where there is a need to fill in. In a virtual environment, this can prove difficult. AI engines or emotion detectors can be deployed to give the instructor a read of the class sentiment based on the facial expressions of the individual students which can be exclusively visible only to the instructor, who can take cues from the readings and focus on students who are deemed to be falling behind.

To summarize, the hybrid model may have evolved during the pandemic to fill a necessity to continue academics of students bottled up at home, however, it has now become a new accepted standard to enhance the traditional campus and classroom model for the best of both worlds. Hybrid learning tools allow much greater collaboration, engagement, and sharing, and develop a student’s skills that are similar to those prevailing in the corporate world. It opens up the global education big names to be accessible in the palm of your hand without ever leaving the home or workplace.

Students must understand that their primary goal is to protect themselves, be courteous of others, and respect the ideas and work of others

26

K12 Digest May 2022

7

12 Digest Higher EducationKDigest 2022 OctoberMay 2020

27

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

International Exposure - The Value of an International Medical Degree Dr. Marios Loukas, Dean -School of Medicine, St. George’s University, Grenada

E

ducational institutions have to prepare their medical students to face the realities of their professional world. Universities that are well equipped to offer global perspectives play a vital role in helping students achieve their fullest potential in terms of academic excellence and transferable skills such as communication and teamwork.

The exposure to diverse faculty and peers in the setting of an international university shapes the cognitive and interpersonal skills of students and breaks down the barriers that would otherwise exist in a less diverse setting. A culturally diverse learning environment is essential for teaching, learning, and research, and the educational environment is enhanced and enriched by a true blend of voices and experiences from across all cultures.

When studying in an international environment, medical students become exposed and comfortable with powerful multicultural experiences that change preconceived perspectives and build maturity. These students are equipped with the assets, tools, and flexibility to provide better patient care by thinking outside of the box, an important skill in the ever-changing medical field. Students attending an international medical school abroad will also become more familiar with the

28

K12 Digest May 2022

Students attending an international medical school abroad will become more familiar with the local health concerns, which may differ significantly from the ones they are used to seeing

After receiving a MD in 2000 from the Warsaw University Medical School, Warsaw, Poland, Dr. Marios Loukas earned a PhD, Pathology, in 2003 from the Institute of Rheumatology, Department of Pathology, Warsaw, Poland. Dr Loukas completed a postdoctoral fellowship position at University Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, Ulm, Germany during 2001-2003. Dr. Loukas joined St. George’s University, School of Medicine, Department of Anatomical Sciences, in 2005 and is currently the Dean of the School of Medicine at St. George’s University . He has published well over 500 peer reviewed publications and more than 10 books.

K12 Digest May 2022

29

The job of a doctor is not only to treat people but to help make society a better place with an understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion

local health concerns, which may differ significantly from the ones they are used to seeing.

Like St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine, has done since 1976, it is essential that institutions believe and extend a global outlook towards medical education. SGU also provides an opportunity for students to start their studies in Grenada, the UK, or India, and can complete clinical rotations at one of over 70 affiliated hospitals in the US and UK. Working and learning in these different healthcare systems provides a unique perspective on conventional problems being faced in medicine nowadays.

By creating an inclusive support network—with international students and faculty being the majority, not the minority—universities instill these international beliefs and offer an invaluable sense of comfort to their students. The process of moving abroad to study can be more relaxed when

30

K12 Digest May 2022

students are sharing the experience with peers in the same position and are supported by faculty that are also away from home. As each new cohort of future doctors starts at St. George’s University, they are surrounded by likeminded individuals who have chosen to broaden their horizons with an international medical education. These students will set the precedent for our future generations of doctors and join our network of graduates who have practiced in more than 50 countries, making them perfectly poised veterans in this rapidly changing world.

The job of a doctor is not only to treat people but to help make society a better place with an understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. International medical schools that fully embrace a global approach to health and education empower students to strive for this throughout their careers. This attitude enables students to be better students, and ultimately, doctors to be better doctors.

Want to Sell or find Investor for your Business?

K12 Digest May 2022

31

INDUSTRY VIEW

Learn Green in Order to Go Green: India’s Students and Professionals Need Sustainability Education P Gopalakrishnan, Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Middle East, GBCI

P. Gopalakrishnan is the Managing Director — APAC and Middle East, GBCI India. He manages business and market development of LEED and other GBCI rating systems for the AsiaPacific and Middle East regions. His expertise includes corporate strategy, international market expansion, branding, and business unit creation. An alumnus of College of Engineering, Guindy and IIM Kolkata, he has more than 20 years of corporate experience in Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.

32

K12 Digest May 2022

The heads of schools in India will probably be among the first ones to acknowledge that there is little practical exercise involved in environmental education other than making posters, slogans and class projects for occasions such as Earth Day

I

n recent years, the effects of climate change and the depletion of natural resources worldwide have underlined the need for sustainability in every sphere of life. The masses – not just the working class, but everyone – should be aware of the effect their actions have on the very ecosystem that supports their life and their livelihood. What people need is a set of guidelines that they can follow on a daily basis, all the time – at home, at work, or outside. Students and working professionals have always sought to acquire in-demand skills that will help their career, and, in today’s business environment, there are few things in greater demand than the knowledge of how to achieve sustainability.

The Covid-19 pandemic got organizations thinking anew about how their “green” initiatives would benefit their people, their stakeholders, and the communities they operated in. To help the industry move towards carbon neutrality and net zero, both students and working professionals need to deep-dive into these areas through formal learning. Educational universities and certain organizations can offer such specialized learning programs.

An approach to green education in schools Environmental education is compulsory in formal education in India. However, although the learning methodology followed in primary and secondary education covers climate-and-environment-related laws and regulations, it does not always dwell on real-world happenings such as the damage to lives and livelihoods, the destruction of ecologies and natural ecosystems, the danger signs for the very survival of life forms on Earth, and the challenges that businesses and governments face – the knowledge of which is equally important. Nor does it focus strongly enough on hands-on experience and on-field work.

The heads of schools in India will probably be among the first ones to acknowledge that there is little practical exercise involved in environmental education other than making posters, slogans and class projects for occasions such as Earth Day. There is a need to go beyond this “pen and paper” mode; students must be taught to act purposefully on a daily basis towards creating healthier, cleaner surroundings for themselves and for others. Even simple things like replacing plastic with paper or jute alternatives can be important initial steps in the journey towards a sustainable lifestyle.

K12 Digest May 2022

33

The case for experiential, region-focused environmental education Today’s students are the leaders and consumers of tomorrow, and, so, educators must encourage young learners to try and address environmental issues through actions such as saving water and electricity at home, using bicycles or walking for short-distance travel, planting trees wherever allowed, and thinking of simple, workable solutions to the world’s biggest environmental problems.

Experiential learning, always a good idea, is particularly effective in an area like sustainability.

Green buildings or complexes can become centres for experiential sustainability learning, where the participants – students, experts, professionals, and the common man alike – can observe, understand, and discuss how green solutions work. Initiatives such as rainwater harvesting, paper recycling, vertical gardening, and creating usable objects from waste can be undertaken on the very campus itself, creating an environment of collective responsibility, cooperation, ideating, and idea-sharing. Learners must be encouraged to implement the four Rs of conservation — reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle – wherever possible.

India has great geographic, climatic, and ecological diversity. Every region needs a different kind of solution.

It makes good sense, therefore, to make environmental education region-specific. Ladakh and Rajasthan both suffer from water shortage during summer but the solution for addressing this problem will have to be based on the resources available and the on-ground realities in both these regions.

The importance of “green” from business and ESG standpoints More and more business schools across the country are including sustainability in their teaching and research. For instance, as a part of the sustainable management degree offered by IIM Lucknow, students learn about village life and the socioeconomic and environmental challenges faced by rural India. Many of the other top business schools in the country, including XLRI Jamshedpur, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Delhi, and Goa Institute of Management, have included elements of social and ecological responsibility in their management programmes. These are efforts in the right direction because the world needs business managers who look beyond short-term gains and focus on long-term, sustainable growth.

The leading business schools are also grooming their students in subjects related to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) parameters. This is important because

34

K12 Digest May 2022

carbon emissions, sustainability programmes, diversity and inclusion, and ethical business practices have become integral elements of the business environment. Employees, investors, and regulators alike have begun taking a close look at the ESG performance of companies. From this financial year onward, the top 1000 listed companies in India need to report their sustainability-related plans, investments, programmes, impact, and stakeholder relationships as per a new framework called Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR). Unsurprisingly, almost every firm today needs business managers who can understand ESG in the context of their business and integrate it within business goals and strategies.

College students seeking jobs as well as professionals seeking career progression can benefit from becoming LEED Green Associates. The Green Associate credential can be earned by passing a 100-question exam administered by the Green Business Certification Inc. Those who pass the exam can choose to apply for the next level of certification – LEED Accredited Professional.

While the former credential signifies core competency in green building principles, the latter denotes expertise in green building and LEED rating systems. LEED Lab is yet another course that “green” career aspirants can aim for. It is a multidisciplinary immersion course that uses projectbased learning and the built environment to help students become green building leaders and sustainability-focused citizens. In the course, students assess the performance of existing facilities on campus and choose a building where they will facilitate the LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) process with the goal of certifying the facility. LEED-certified professionals are in high demand across industries.

LEED’s online Education platform offers all the content needed by Students and Working professionals to access the content for knowledge about sustainability and also to pass the LEED GA and AP exams. The rich content including videos are also being accessed by nontechnical students like the MBA schools. The platform is also being used by leadership organizations to offer a basic sustainability Education to all their employees.

The need for “green” education has never been more pronounced than it is today. These are early days; there is still a long way to go in making sustainability a sizeable and meaningful part of the curriculums of primary, secondary, and higher education in India. India has made strong climate commitments that it must fulfilled in coming decades. This should provide the required urgency and help in directing efforts the right way.

K12 Digest May 2022

35

BEST PRACTICES

A Nightmare or a Thriller!

What’s your choice?

Anand Jeyasingh, Student Counsellor, Career Guidance Cell, Yuvabharathi Public School

Mr. Anand Jeyasingh is a Student Counsellor and the head of the department of Mass Media Studies at Yuvabharathi Public School, Coimbatore. He holds a Master’s Degree in Technology and is an IC3 certified Career and College Counsellor. He has been the Teacher in charge of the school’s Atal Tinkering Lab since 2017 and got featured on the ATL Wall of Fame in September 2020 for his efforts in encouraging students to build a surveillance system. The school’s Career Guidance cell organizes/conducts periodical in-person /virtual information sessions, workshops, edufairs, webinars, in-house sessions and the like to disseminate the information about the diversity of available courses, admissions processes, and scholarship/financial assistance available at various Indian Universities and Universities abroad.

36

K12 Digest May 2022

When there’s a challenge that blows like a storm, just hold on to the strengths that you possess for which you need to identify them in the first place

R

emembering one of those days when I was like 12, I had a dream in which I was standing in the middle of a street where no one was around and it was dark. Far away in a distance, I could sense a hungry Alsatian walking slowly towards me.

What do you think I did after that? Yes. I RAN. The very sight of the wolfy dog sent shivers down my spine as I was stuck in a narrow way with nowhere to escape. I tried climbing a dump and then onto a wall and jumped and I was on the floor in my bedroom for real and the dream ended. What a whimsical ending!

Nightmares can create a very unsettling feeling for that moment and an elevated heart rate. What scares you at the moment could be a challenging future, a relative who is intimidating, a friend who is mean or a rival from the workplace or being alone. Sometimes what could scare you is an exam or a competitive atmosphere. Other times it could be what others think or opine about you. Has any of those fears become a nightmare to you?

Do you feel anxious sometimes? And how much listening to music has played a role in bringing your spirits down more than uplifting your mood. Have you ever thought of these things? I hope you are with me when I say some songs can break you to pieces and leave you depressed. How much the internet feels like a friend when you feel left out by your peers and reduces your appetite.

How much does it hurt when your parents or a friend says something mean even when they did not intend to. There could be so many things that make us imagine adverse things that could happen and make us stay fearful about it.

What are we going to do when no one around understands or even gets to the crux of the fear that you are carrying.

Beware all! What’s there inside of us can be deeper than what you even feel about yourself and around you, which makes it worse for others to judge who you are.

When you feel every element around you is only judging you and not understanding you, the solution to come out of the feeling is definitely not to switch to the internet

K12 Digest May 2022

37

or be sleepless all night watching motivational videos or listen to music and cry all day. It takes more than that.

When there’s a challenge that blows like a storm, just hold on to the strengths that you possess for which you need to identify them in the first place. Travel places where you would find newness in yourself. Whether you

Boost your confidence by identifying what you are good at and improvising them. Be your own guardian before seeking help from others

are a silent person or not, choose to speak up and be open to sharing the happenings of your life with a friend or a sibling.

It’s like how sometimes at the gym, you get support from your companions while lifting heavy weights along with you, although it is YOU who is actually lifting it. You are

38

K12 Digest May 2022

still a self-made person even if you seek someone to listen to you occasionally.

Listen to music or motivational videos on the internet only if it makes you a better person, sometimes they could be deceptive and depressive. Crying out loud at times or breaking down on a particular day might deliver you from a pain that’s been holding on to, but crying for every little challenge might make you weak. Try to interpret the small messages that life gives you at various instances and only get up and move on like how you would slip and fall and get up on a road for instance without someone lifting you up.

It could be intimidating when you see your friends around you being bold and that you are running out of motivation or skills. Let not your WhatsApp story be a sad chronicle.

Instead spread positivity and your smile alone.

IT’S TIME to rule out your fears that chase you away from what you really want to be or do. Let me narrate a real incident with you about what happened in my life months after I got the wolfy dog dream. I was visiting a sugarcane farm, and I was walking down a street in a village in the Northern parts of Uttar Pradesh. As deserted as the street was, terrified I found myself confronted by the so-called man’s best friend. I immediately chose to run and reached the end of the road. To my surprise, All I could do was turn around and stand on my feet, face my opponent and stop running as the scope for running away was absolutely nil.

It was an unnerving experience as I also witnessed a fear in my opponent right at that moment. I felt like I was creating a fright in my enemy when I STOPPED running and FACED it. And that’s it. I took advantage and moved forward and the dog fled before I could even threaten it.

Yes. Strength doesn’t come from around us. It comes from within us. So more than binge-watching inspirational videos on the internet or listening to depressing songs, let your confidence grow as you are determined to defeat your negativity by being who you are. I personally could tell from my experience, Faith can destroy all Fears.

Boost your confidence by identifying what you are good at and improvising them. Be your own guardian before seeking help from others. Be stubborn when you have to, even when no one approves of your uniqueness. Appreciate yourself for every small good thing you do even if nobody recognises it. Stop complaining and move on, even if there are plenty of issues with people around or the place where you live. Above all, Have courage and also choose to be kind, for even kindness takes a lot of courage and forgiveness is a foretaste of heaven. Cheer up my friend, hit some ‘Man of steel’ or ‘Avengers’ soundtrack aloud and feel like a hero for who you are and not for what others want you to be.

There’s no need to be anxious. Turn your every Nightmare into a Thriller! Just enjoy it. There’s always HOPE!

Improving students learning with Luca The microlearning educational platform with key learnings and official lessons available to everyone.

Benefits of studying with Luca educational platform Students can use Luca to reinforce what they’ve learned in school, do homework, review, study for tests and learn new concepts for the first time.

Improves student and academic performance.

Increases participation in classes, improves study habits and increases the learning routine.

Educational platform available 24/7. Luca is always present in the study routine and allows access from anywhere and at any time.

Increases the level of attention in class.

Luca helps students by providing learning tools that allow them to be attentive in classes.

Now operating in LATAM and developed by experts in pedagogy, with previous experience in leading educational publishers such as Santillana, and tech companies such as Crehana, Netflix and Uber.

To know more about Luca, follow us on social media /Lucaeducacion

/Lucaeducacion

/Lucaeducacion

www.lucaedu.com

K12 Digest May 2022

39

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

Social Media Binge-Watch And Internet Surfing Crimping Students’ Concentration Powers Pallavi Upadhyaya, Principal, DPS RNE

T

he ushering of the digital era has opened the floodgates of many social media channels and mediums. It is a well known fact that the students are getting addicted to social media, binge-watching, and internet surfing.

These activities are insidiously crimping their concentration levels.

Reckless and unbridled use of social media and the internet have reduced students’ attention spans alarmingly. It has also put an end to the reading culture which is considered to be the most important aspect of their overall development and vocabulary skills.

There are many studies that have constantly reported eccentric behavioural patterns among students who use social media excessively. They also tend to exhibit narcissistic tendencies and much worse develop anti-social behaviour. Social media also has adverse ramifications on students’ mental health, with many being susceptible to anxiety-related issues and depression. Students have an unrelenting urge to constantly check their social media updates and compare their lives to others. It inadvertently causes them to feel depressed.

At an age where they should be concerned with creating a composite, eclectically tolerant approach to life, they are brooding over issues of self-doubt and compare-

40

K12 Digest May 2022

Apart from fomenting a comparatist attitude, social media has set a barrage of unrealistic expectations humanly impossible to meet

Mrs. Pallavi Upadhyaya is the Principal of Delhi Public School – Raj Nagar Extension, Ghaziabad. A postgraduate in Zoology, Upadhyaya has more than 20 years of experience in the Teaching and administrative department. Before the Principal of DPS – Raj Nagar Extension, she has worked as the Principal, Delhi Public School, Civil Lines Aligarh from April 2013 to September 2014, and continued as the Principal, Delhi Public School, Aligarh from October 2014 till June 2017.

She was also appointed as a Member of the Inspection Committee to many schools and was a City Coordinator to Conduct the UGC NET from 2015 to 2017.

K12 Digest May 2022

41

The educationlife is the one that requires patience, determination, and mountain-sized will, whereas social media makes the students lose their focus and attention span

critique thought that implodes within them. As a result, their academic performances and results suffer.

Apart from fomenting a comparatist attitude, social media has set a barrage of unrealistic expectations humanly impossible to meet. It also affects child psychology and spells out gloom and disenchantment in case of any failure or error. Instant gratification has become a new achievable standard, so chance disappointments are taken way too seriously.

While social media has also championed many humanistic movements and brought a revolution in the information-technology sector, it has nevertheless become a pithole of hate, negativity and trolling. The students’ minds are impressionable, they either get embroiled in

42

K12 Digest May 2022

negativity or get bogged down by it, facing self-esteem issues. Social media has a manipulating power to engross people in self-made individualistic bubbles which they do not want to burst. So there are high chances of them becoming vain and self-absorbed.

Students are not mature enough to handle the whizzing social media trails. It has an indirect impact on their subconscious mind and moulds them towards pessimistic patterns of thinking. They also develop an attention deficit mindset that drifts them to attentionseeking behaviour.

They become more sensitive and less rational which has a direct bearing on their academic life. Many students are found to be suffering from body image and self-tarnishing issues that override their rational behaviour.

Social media also slips students into an unhealthy sleep pattern with late-night binge-watches, unstoppable scrolling, and video marathons. It takes a toll on the cognitive abilities of students, making them even more indolent and lazy. Concentration abilities get hugely reduced by irregular sleep cycles.

The education-life is the one that requires patience, determination, and mountain-sized will, whereas social media makes the students lose their focus and attention span. It ultimately impairs their growth and downgrades their performance.

It is not to say that social media does not have any benefits but it needs to be used with restraints so that the negatives do not outweigh the positives. The lax parenting style is also culpable for the ongoing social media hysteria and students’ fixation with it. There needs to be a balanced approach with a peaceful coexistence. Nobody is untouched by the social media hype and there needs to be restraint with more focus on career and academics.

Overexposure to social media platforms has deeply obtused students’ productivity and output vehemently. If it goes unchecked, it will cause inexorable long-standing problems. It is an urgent need to cultivate a feeling of positivity in the student community and motivate them to not see things as black and white, which social media portrays them to be.

The virtual world has the appeal of entrapment that makes it seem like a reality, so there needs to be a certain level of disengagement practiced by the students to keep themselves sane and grounded instead of being relegated to online slavery. The best gift to ourselves for our glorious future is to practice restraint when it comes to social media and it would be great if we could practice abstinence from social media at least for some time to wean ourselves away from its clutches.

K12 Digest May 2022

43

INDUSTRY VIEW

Working Towards Futuristic Learning Divya Jain, Founder & Director, The Class of One

Divya Jain, a commerce graduate from the Delhi University is presently running two schools in Noida successfully. She is full of ideologies, enthusiasm, indepth knowledge and intellect. A woman of few words who lets her work ethics and professional discipline speak on her behalf. She is well known for her integrity, humility and matured sense of discretion coupled with strokes of motivation and confidence. She is assiduous in whatever she does and her commitment to good governance, people management was honoured with “Design Thinking Leaders Award” by Education World Grand Jury.

44

K12 Digest May 2022

Digital videos, exercises and playing games leave a great impact on a child’s brain and also increase their capacity to study and learn more

T

he concept of imparting education, teaching patterns, modes of teaching, subject matter, course curriculums and ways of teaching are always in a state of evolution.

This means that all these components of education are constantly changing and adapting to newer times and improved technologies. In the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, the virtual mode of teaching and online classes became a reality. The conventional school system of offline classes underwent some major changes and adopted the methods of online education, to cope up with the times. This development paced the idea of futuristic learning, where continuous steps are implemented to achieve greater levels of critical and creative thinking and insights in an academically co-operative and conducive environment.

The first element of working towards futuristic learning is embracing and endorsing the idea of a skill-based learning process. Skill-based learning is the process of acquiring practical knowledge and developing individual skill sets by executing and doing things on your own. The formative years of a child’s education are very crucial and skill-based learning promotes and enhances a child’s logical thinking,

rationality, intelligence quotient and aptitudes. Skill-based learning boosts a child’s creativity, communication and social skills, and independent thinking. It has often been observed in various studies that a child learns much more from the practical implementation of concepts rather than theoretical and rote learning.

Incorporating technological advancements into children’s learning process is also a good measure to aid futuristic learning. Digital videos, exercises and playing games leave a great impact on a child’s brain and also increase their capacity to study and learn more. Promoting the visual medium of studying piques children’s interest in classes and also shoots up their retention capacity, according to academicians.

Inclusion of technology will also welcome new fundamental principles of learning like internet research, digital literacy, online documentation, and advanced data management. In the new era of educational learning, the internet and digital connection will play a humongous role in making children acquainted with the norms of a fast-changing world.

The cornerstone of futuristic learning is also espousing the idea of flexible learning patterns. Each child has his or her

K12 Digest May 2022

45

Adoption of a wholesome curriculum and giving the right to children to choose from various subjects strengthen the idea of futuristic education

46

K12 Digest May 2022

own understanding and learning capabilities, strong points, and drawbacks. Through the advocacy of flexible learning, a child’s individuality is respected and they are encouraged to learn things at their own pace and not denigrated for their weaknesses. The teachers identify the student’s problem and suggest ways to eliminate the hurdle. The students are not forced to follow a single learning method and are encouraged to go with their own, which opens the arena of innovations and new ideas.

There is also a growing shift, in relation to broadening the aspects and parameters of assessment of children’ performance. The mainstay of futuristic learning is outcomebased learning, and to give prominence to that, it is important to assess a child’s development not on just one yardstick of classroom performance, but also inculcating the value of overall performance, going beyond the areas of traditional schooling system and evaluating a child’s learning activities based on their interests and likings.

Adoption of a wholesome curriculum and giving the right to children to choose from various subjects strengthen the idea of futuristic education. A wholesome curriculum should include activities and subjects like arts and craft, music, dance, language subjects, robotics and coding so that children can develop and hone their creative and technical abilities. They should have a curriculum where they can see opportunities to increase their capabilities in all kinds of departments, leading to coherent development of a child’s mind. Outcome-based learning is student-centric, where teachers make efforts to empower a child’s strengths and make them fast learners so that they are able to withstand the pressures of the contemporary world.

Working towards futuristic learning will focus on the personality development of a child. In the conventional schooling system, somehow the idea of developing a child’s personality and emotional intelligence took a backseat. In a world where many people struggle to manage and control their emotions and suffer from personality development issues, it is important to take note of such things and do everything possible to build a strong EQ of a child so that he or she can better able to express, manage and control their emotional reactions and responses to external happenings and show their personality in a way that can captivate others.

Making efforts to achieve the goals of futuristic learning are not unattainable these days, especially after a series of technological, educational and intellectual debates and discussions that have already taken place in the sphere.

Whether it’s diversification of the course curriculums, inclusion of creative and new technical subjects, or ubiquitous changes in the teaching patterns or models of teaching, the changes are already set in place. It would no longer be a farfetched dream but a distant reality.

K12 Digest May 2022

47

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

5 Reasons, Why Early Childhood Education Needs Transformation?

Ritesh Rawal, Founder, Dudes & Dolls World, Adhyay School, & Ritesh Rawal Foundation

E

arly childhood education is the most significant part of the entire education system, from the point of a student and its really ironic that the transformation related intervention started in this area very recently.

If we look at the positive aspects that have taken place in the last couple of years one of the most significant one is the introduction of a formal policy level framework and recognition to the early childhood education, so Government being a major stakeholder the transformation of early childhood education has done its part.

Now, the ball is in the court of the other stakeholder such as educators, founders of early childhood education institutes, parents to take this journey ahead.

Before we jump into conclusions and start highlighting the initiatives that needs to be taken in this area, we need to understand “deeply” Why early childhood education needs transformation ● Change in the environment: World is witnessing change in the overall environment, be it social, business, entrepreneurial, technology. This leads us towards a new dimension which includes change in overall thinking while designing

48

K12 Digest May 2022

Parents of today’s era are very well aware about the role of education in shaping the childhood, they have access to the globe on their figure tips

As Ritesh Rawal is famous for his innovations and unique concept of learning in the field of education, there are no any philosophy was made from more than a decade but Mr. Rawal refuted this ideology after his extensive research and delayering various aspects of education, he came up with world’s 6th Education Philosophy called “Manifestism.” Not only this, his innovations are bringing a revolution in the world of preschooling education today. Mr. Rawal is also the Founder of Dudes & Dolls World, Adhyay School, and Ritesh Rawal Foundations, and many successful projects he is running, like; In Sync With Ritesh Rawal, Gullies of India, etc.

K12 Digest May 2022

49

the development methods, process related to care giving, interaction with the parents etc. ● Change in the expectations: Parents of todays’ era are very well aware about the role of education in shaping the childhood, they have access to the globe on their figure tips. They want to provide nothing less than the best in class experience to their children, so gone are those days where parents will settle for anything less than excellent in any aspect. This expectation must be catered in every aspect such as overall approach, development methods, teachers role, support staff’s involvement, activities that can be planned. ● Future needs: The buzz word “ Future Ready” impacts early childhood education to an extent what it means that, earlier, if not goal but the general understanding of early childhood education was either to engage a child in a “play” or prepare for the primary school because it was considered that early childhood education starts from primary, now the understanding about what needs to be developed in early childhood days has been very well clarified both at the policy level and at the same time at the level of parents this understanding is very clear. ● Change in focus: Earlier the focus of early childhood education was not very formally defined in any way, and therefore this segment of education remained unorganised

50

K12 Digest May 2022

for a very long time, now this segment has become very focused and with the introduction of blended development methodologies, this sector has gained a lot of focus. ● Availability of the Quality early childhood developer/ educators: Due to policy level introduction and other related aspects there is a huge demand of specialised professionals in this field, however the process of development of such professionals also needs to be transformed accordingly. There is a need to develop a specific curriculum not just for the educators, care givers but for everyone who is involved in the entire process, because at the early childhood education level it is about providing the experience to the children in everything that they encounter right from the point they step out of their home for the first time.

In the end I would like to conclude that people who are really passionate about early childhood education should come forward and inspire others by taking initiatives and establishing early childhood education as a very specialised segment of education.

If people who are really passionate for this cause come forward it will not only improve the quality of education but it will have a larger impact of the overall quality of the education system, because in the chain of education system early childhood education is the starting point and I am glad today we are talking, and taking action to strengthen it.

K12 Digest May 2022

51

68

52

K12 Digest Higher Education Digest May 2022 2020 October