All about ICT Tools Used in Classroom Teaching as per the Samagra Shiksha Scheme
While ICT tools have been present in classrooms for a decade, their usage has been a significant concern. Computer-based ICT labs, once considered essential, have often been underutilized due to complex hardware, internet dependency, and unreliable electricity. This is particularly a situation of government schools located in rural areas. In these schools, teachers struggle to integrate computer based ICT labs into regular teaching because interconnected hardware failures, such as a faulty keyboard or mouse. This lead to underutilization of entire ICT Lab setup. Further, getting or enabling regular technical support to remote locations to resolve these issue is again a concern. Consequently, these labs were primarily used for dedicated computer classes, limiting the integration of ICT tools in classroom teaching and learning across the curriculum.
Considering these challenges, the Ministry of Human Resources and Development organized a Think Tank on ICT Policy in 2017
This marked the beginning of a new chapter in ICT integration in education. We are happy to share that the Ministry of Human Resources and Development recognized our efforts and invited us to participate in a Think Tank on ICT Policy. We were honored to present our findings to the Honorable Education Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar Ji.
You can listen to Puneet, Co-Founder of iDream Education. In the video below, he shares his thoughts and recommendations for creating a roadmap for Digital Learning for Students in Government Schools.
What were the revisions laid in ICT Scheme Under Samagra Shiksha to streamline the ICT Lab setup?
In 2019, the Ministry of Education introduced a new form of technology for classrooms, including
- ICT equipment with devices like tablets, laptops, notebooks, and PCs, Integrated Teaching Learning Devices, Digital Boards with Content Management Systems/solutions (CMS)/Learning Management Systems (LMS), Free and Open Source Software, etc.
- The revised ICT@Samagra Shiksha scheme also emphasized enabling digital resources, e-content, internet access, and financial assistance for ICT instructors.
- Tablets to the Teachers of Primary Schools
“We were happy to see the provision for government schools to consider buying tablets, notebooks, and laptops for ICT labs”, said Rohit Prakash – Co-Founder of iDream Education.
With this background in mind, let’s explore how schools can leverage the ICT tools outlined in the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.
ICT Tools Used in Classroom Teaching have started to enhance learning outcomes and strengthen the digital infrastructure of schools. All this is possible because of its easy-to-set-up, manage, and use nature. Know More:
ICT Lab
ICT Labs also known as digital library solutions. These Labs are designed to strengthen the digital infrastructure of any school without requiring extra furniture, wiring, or space. As outlined in SSA guidelines, this flexible ICT setup utilizes devices like notebooks, tablets, or Chromebooks, paired with a charging and storage rack.
Key Advantages:
- Scalability: Accommodate 10 to 40+ devices, customized to your needs.
- Efficient Charging: All devices charge simultaneously with a single power plug, providing 7-8 hours of use after 2-3 hours of charging. This reduces electricity dependence, making it suitable for schools in areas that face frequent electricity outages.
- Preloaded Content: Devices are given with preinstalled educational software and digital content in Hindi, English, and local languages, catering to K-12 school education.
- Customization: Tailored to state-level government projects and social sector education initiatives.
- Beyond infrastructure: We emphasize the effective use of ICT tools in classrooms through experiential teacher training and ongoing support. We monitor usage through a dashboard that tracks individual students’ involvement in learning. The usage reports can also be accessed on centralized project dashboards of government officials and project partners to help achieve data-driven learning outcomes.
We have been actively implementing ICT Labs through government and social sector partnerships in diverse configurations. We have used hardware such as tablets, Primebooks, and Chromebooks equipped with our comprehensive K-12 learning platform, iPrep. Teachers and students have embraced ICT Labs with enthusiasm, creating timetables to ensure equitable access to devices. Through this, they are able to facilitate personalized learning experiences for each student. This strategic implementation of technology not only enhances the learning environment but also empowers teachers to tailor instruction to individual needs, fostering a more engaging and effective educational journey for all students.
- Smart Classrooms
Smart Classrooms also known as digital classroom solutions. It is one of the ICT Tools Used in Classroom Teaching, enhancing the digital infrastructure without the need for additional furniture, wiring, or space. This flexible ICT setup utilizes interactive flat panels, digital boards, interactive boards, or smart TVs, and can be set up on any wall of the classroom.
Key Advantages:
- Versatility: Multiple hardware options to choose from based on budget and educational requirements (interactive flat panels, digital boards, smart TVs).
- Device Compatibility: Runs on widely-used operating systems like Android, Windows, and Linux for easy integration with existing school infrastructure.
- Preloaded Content: Devices come pre-installed with educational software and digital content in Hindi, English, and local languages, specifically designed for K-12 school education.
- Customization: We can customize our smart classroom solutions as per the specifications of any government-led education projects and CSR initiatives. For example, we can give comomplete solution including Hardware+ smart classroom LMS or just smart classroom LMS.
- Scalability: The number of smart classrooms in a school can be adjusted on the basis of education project specifications.
- Beyond infrastructure: We emphasize the effective use of smart classroom LMS through experiential teacher training, ongoing support, and reporting which gives insights into their usage. Further, smart classroom centralized dashboards empower government officials and social sector people to take data-driven decisions on an ongoing basis on how actively teachers are using it to teach and drive improvement in learning outcomes.
We have been actively implementing smart Classrooms through government and social sector CSR and hardware partnerships in diverse configurations. We have set up hardware such as a smart TV, projector, and interactive panel preinstalled with our comprehensive K-12 learning platform, iPrep. Teachers have adopted smart classrooms very naturally as it aligns with their natural psychology of using TV/smartphones. Some schools have defined smart class timetables to ensure every teacher has access to digital teaching resources. This strategic implementation of technology not only enhances the learning environment but also empowers teachers to make classrooms interactive spaces for learning.
Tablet to Teachers
While providing teachers with tablets is a step towards integrating ICT Tools for classroom teaching, we must equip them with the tools and resources to maximize their potential. iPrep Coach, a comprehensive platform, transforms tablets into powerful teaching solutions and addresses the gap between hardware and effective utilization.
Key Advantages:
- Curriculum-Aligned Digital Content: iPrep Coach comes preinstalled on teacher tablets and pre-loaded with a vast library of digital content that aligns with the curriculum. This give access to multi-category teaching resources at the fingertips of teachers.
- Lesson Planning Made Easy: The platform enables teachers to seamlessly combine personalized notes, videos, images, and other resources into comprehensive lesson plans.
- Personalized and Flexible Teaching: Teachers can record live lectures and screencasts on smart screens, providing personalized instruction even when absent. Students can also use these recordings for revision/recap.
- Custom Assessments: iPrep Coach on teacher tablets empowers teachers to create tailored assessments for their classes, facilitating personalized learning experiences.
- Versatility and Accessibility: The app can be easily integrated on tablet of any brand. This makes it suitable for specification of various government education projects and CSR initiatives.
- Continuous reporting and monitoring: Principals, school administrators, project managers, and government officials can monitor and approve teacher-created content, ensuring high-quality content is being created and used for improving learning experiences.
iPrep Coach is more than just an app. It is a holistic approach to empowering teachers with technology. iPrep Coach combines hardware with user-friendly software and a wealth of resources to be a comprehensive teacher companion. It inspires and empower teachers to create personalized digital content. They can further use it to teach in many ways, and make a lasting impact on education.
The integration of ICT tools in classroom teaching, as envisioned by the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, is not merely a technological upgrade. It is a step to improve adoption of digital learning in government schools
The three tools highlighted in this article, all seamlessly integrated with an LMS for Schools, exemplify this paradigm shift. Their scalability, versatility, accountability, inclusivity, and data-driven monitoring capabilities pave the way for personalized learning experiences.
The benefits of SSA-aligned ICT tools designed and developed by iDream Education extend beyond the classroom. This is because it empowers stakeholders in government and social sectors with efficient setup, management, and ongoing usage monitoring. All this is designed and developed to help them achieve learning outcomes.
We look forward to collaborating with ecosystem partners to accelerate the implementation and adoption of digital in government schools with accountability through usage reporting and data-driven monitoring of learning outcomes. For more information, you can contact us at +91 7678265039 or write to us at [email protected]. You can also share your details here.