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One of the key drivers in the paradigm shift in education over the past few years has been the role of ‘Technology’. In the article below, Mr Satish Papnoi, CTO, Pathways Schools shares his views on the constantly changing education environment and the use of Technology in Teaching and Learning at Pathways

Technology in Teaching and Learning at Pathways Schools

Today, technology is a defining force in our lives.

Time has gone for traditional ‘chalk and talk’ when students used only pen, pencil and notebooks in the classrooms. In this digital age, projectors, laptops, tablets, smart phones and e-books have complemented traditional learning tools, hence classrooms have become interesting, interactive and almost paperless. Technology is no more a separate subject instead simply a tool to aid education and learning.

The classrooms are student-centered and teachers are coaches and guides. ‘Flipped Classroom or Reversed Teaching’ is a trend now days, which is a result of technology advancement. Today, teaching is no longer limited to the physical classroom. Students also learn online, in the form of audio, video and textual information. As a result, classrooms are becoming discussion forums to make learning more interactive. Technology facilitates teachers and students to collaborate, create communities and exchange ideas outside the classroom.

We are living in a digital age and technology has resulted in a 360 degree transformation in classroom teaching and learning. Students tend to learn visually and socially and expect to try things rather than hear about them. Technology has a significant impact on students’ cognitive functions.

Technology is a great learning tool if it is used in constructive ways for the right reasons and vision. But, at the same time one should also decide the appropriate use of technology. Internet has become a first hand information resource these days; children take online resources for granted to access various communities. They are conditioned to ‘click first and think later’, which can often jeopardize their personal statements in the present and future. Like any space the digital world also has its dangers. Online safety, online behavior, online etiquette or Netiquette, are some terms that define digital citizenship. Basically a good digital citizen must have the same social etiquette as he is expected to display in his personal everyday social interaction. A good global citizen is a good net citizen.

We at Pathways Schools provide ‘Anytime – Anywhere’ technology access to students. All our campuses are Wi-Fi enabled since inception. Students use i-Pads and laptops inside and outside the classrooms. High-resolution projectors are fitted in our classrooms to encourage audio-visual learning. Students make good use of the library, online encyclopedia and e-books Anytime – Anywhere. Students are given individual IDs to access email, internal learning resources and online content through an Internet web filtered server. Our Internet server has the capability of controlling and logging the activity of Internet traffic to ensure that right content is getting delivered to students, thus ensuring information access on need to know basis. Students and teachers are facilitated to collaborate and exchange online resources on real time basis. We have motivated faculty members who keep upgrading their methods of instruction and interaction. In our Schools, technology has its place in every curricular subject. Students from Grade 6 onward carry laptops while primary school students are enabled to use technology responsibly, with Laptop Labs, iPad Labs and mobile carts. Our school buses and vehicles are fitted with GPS systems to track and know the exact position of our fleet to ensure student safety while travelling.

Parents of students are empowered to access life cycle records of their children through our online Campus Management Server. They can also monitor the child’s current schedule and track their ongoing progress. In each school we have IT Helpdesk to facilitate day-to-day technical support to students, faculty and staff to deliver smooth and seamless learning.