Education Reshaped through Smart Class

The education world, the way it was has now turned upside down. The education system has become one of the biggest casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic Schools have been forced to close to prevent the spread of the virus and this has made way to online classrooms which is a very new concept in India, even for the most sophisticated schools. Introducing this system doesn’t mean that the doors of education are shut because it has impacted over 91% of the world’s student population.

 

Platforms Used:

The school administration and the teachers are told to continue with the basic duties using the online training apps. Unfortunately, this is in the reach of a few in India and not all. Students who are from the rural districts of India and belong to the lower sections of the society do not have the privilege of using the internet. It is now the government’s duty to fulfill the need of the hour. There should be a way by which the students who don’t have all the luxuries are also being taught the same way and are given equal treatment. The schools and teachers are putting extra effort to engage students in classes by rebuild timetables, discussing online, taking feedback from parents and monitoring students constantly. There are some who are doing the bare minimum and using WhatsApp to stay connected with students while some have moved to tools like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams. But, there are still some who haven’t taken any initiative and struggling to get online.  Teachers do miss the blackboard sessions and the network connectivity issue hampers the flow of classes. The teachers are forced to learn and adapt to the new technologies and help themselves while troubleshooting technical issues.

 

What is in store at a greater perspective?

The integration of smart classes is much more than using technology for the sake of it to make classrooms a holistic and interactive environment. By introducing newer ways of accessing and exchanging ideas, there are new ways to keep engaged and create dialogues in the classroom. Different mediums of information sharing are leading to different learning methods. Both teachers and students are exposed to a variety of processes, perspectives, and ideas. It is enabling the sharing of knowledge on a far deeper level than the traditional techniques. This millennial approach to education removes the uncomfortable experience of speaking in front of the whole class which is a fear of all students of rendering the wrong answer in class. Idea sharing doesn’t have to be scary anymore. It is as simple as expressing your ideas by writing in your device and sharing it with the class as all of them do. Any technology that removes fear from class participation and encourages openness and sharing ideas is as crucial as itself. 

Pros and Cons

Smart classes not only have the capability to those to connect inside it but also bring in instructors and experts from across the globe to connect instantly. We are now able to do away with travel and logistics and simply preserve the link regardless of place, time or distance. With smart classrooms, we get the real interactive sessions carried out with the same benefit as that of a physical instructor. The world is working towards the ecosystem that captures and displays information that would have otherwise lost in a traditional classroom. With the current trend, we are heading towards a truly exciting future in education. With the backing of technology, we are changing the way we learn and teach and are looking at a brighter future than ever before.

There are other concerns too. Our education system requires children to write exams and it is difficult to monitor actual writing in a virtual mode. Challenge is in rural areas where they do not have a suitable device at home or lack a good internet connection. Also, too much screen time can be hazardous. Prolonged online sessions can be overwhelming and can lead to problems related to vision, body posture and sleep disorders. The sudden change in the learning mode in India has proved that the education system isn’t upto the mark and requires a lot of improvement. The children section that was relying on meeting and greeting friends, sharing and caring has now taken a sudden halt which also takes a toll on the overall development of a child.

Figuring and adjusting to the new normal

There is a need for the right infrastructure and mentality so that the whole country can move together at par with global competition and not just with a particular section of the society. Administrations are being vigilant so as to not miss any practices due to the COVID reason and keep the learning going. There is absolutely no denying that for now this e-learning is a new experience and normal for all.