Joint/Shared Classroom learning – Need of the Hour
Ranjitsinh Disale a primary teacher from Khandwi in Solapur, Maharashtra has won the hearts of thousands of tech-savvy teachers from over 143 countries across the globe by introducing the unique QR code technology in Balbharati textbooks and bringing the children from different countries face to face on computer screens in classrooms to facilitate easy communication between them on various educational topics. Through his online education system, this proud winner of the Global Teacher Award worth Rs 7 crore has shown the world how promising the future path of the Indian education system is. On the other hand, the question arises if the online teaching method which became the only inevitable option during the Covid times will replace the traditional classroom teaching method.
On the other hand, the question arises if the online teaching method which became the only inevitable option during the Covid times will replace the traditional classroom teaching method.
Availability of good internet facilities and adequate knowledge of technology have facilitated learning and teaching to a great extent. Hundreds of people from all corners of the world are able to get free or affordable education at one time for many hours, and they are able to attend school meetings, government training, conferences, seminars and lectures sitting in the comfort of their own homes. Considering these positive aspects, will today’s online technology replace the traditional set-up of buzzing classrooms and chalk & board method of teaching in the future? Several such questions are being raised and discussed frequently in the teaching fraternity in the current Covid scenario. It is agreed that the technology should be used wherever necessary to make students understand a complex concept or content easily and in a better way, to make the process of learning more fun without being monotonous and to develop the interest of the students in the subject. However, the presence of human communication in teaching is not expected to be minimised by entrusting everything to the technology.
It is agreed that the technology should be used wherever necessary to make students understand a complex concept or content easily and in a better way, to make the process of learning more fun without being monotonous and to develop the interest of the students in the subject.
Human beings are social animals, their overall progress, growth and development as a human being depend on the exchange that takes place within the society. In that sense, school and classroom are a replica of a society. ‘Teacher’ is a concept that has been around since time immemorial, conveying the sense of security, kindness, trust, and belongingness to a larger family outside your home. Student comprehension and its reinforcement takes place in different ways, viz., visual, auditory and audio-visual. They apply the acquired knowledge to various social situations. Their emotional, cognitive, functional growth and development takes place through different senses of touch, smell, experimenting, imagination, action, participation, cooperation, adjustment and activities while being a functional member of the society. Therefore, there can be no substitute for actual-physical class interactions and that precisely is the biggest limitation of the online learning system.
‘Teacher’ is a concept that has been around since time immemorial, conveying the sense of security, kindness, trust, and belongingness to a larger family outside your home.
With the changing times, every teacher must have experienced how rapidly and easily today’s students are becoming technically savvy. Some teachers frankly admit that students’ ability to adapt to technology is far better than their own. But the role and presence of a teacher in imbibing knowledge and cultivating skills is undeniable. Having said that, going forward, teachers must be equipped well to get on the bandwagon of educational technology before their teaching methods become obsolete. And for that, the government should train the teachers to be more business-oriented and technology-friendly. The Covid pandemic is a wake-up call for the government and the teachers to realise the need for making a wise choice to combine the best of both worlds of teaching – the sustainable old and the futuristic new.
Covid has brought in radical changes in the nature of businesses worldwide, people’s lifestyles, their expectations from life and the way of thinking. Teachers and the education sector are no exception. Teachers should welcome these changes with open arms while keeping their foresight intact. The real lesson that Covid has taught us is realising the need for teachers to be prepared first to deal with the next generation competently.
About the author
Jaywant Kulkarni is a Teacher and an Educational Counselor at Gandhi Bal Mandir High School, Kurla.
Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha
