Favourable atmosphere must for digital output

"Technology is not just a tool. It can give learners a voice that they may not have had before" –This remark of George Couros reflects the role of technology in the process of education. But in our country, the role of technology is still in an infant stage and not able to exert its impact in public sector schools across the country. Though the MHRD, India is trying hard to maintain pace with changing scenarios due to the technological interventions in education still it is far away from the objective. We are well aware of that the concept of technology in education has been introduced in 1971 during the Fifth five- year plan in the due course of time there is a sea change in the same with the introduction of ICT initiated by UNESCO of late.

Many programmes were designed by the education research institutions of the country such as Computer based system, Computer Aided learning (CAL),ICT for making our kids technically more brawny but still it is teasing as an unfulfilled dream. The schools of our country particularly public sector that are mainly accommodating underprivileged are yet to be transformed. The schools are lacking the infrastructural facilities and human resources for the realization of this objective. Further, the teachers' tribe is also cyber phobic and even in this digital era acclimatized for teacher centered methods. It is noticeable that all the initiatives that are introduced to promote computer aided teaching learning are unable to bring on sustainable impact on primary, secondary and on +2 levels. All these initiatives have been focused only on giving the trainings to the teachers instead providing infra facilities for practice to the learner.

Once, it was thought that the support of the computer in the process of education it will be very easy to realize the objectives of education and to achieve learning outcomes. But the recent surveys conducted an NGO Pratham reflects that the learning levels in the students are not up to the mark both in rural and urban areas. It is noticeable even in this digital era our public sector schools aren't having favorable atmosphere for computer based teaching and computer assisted learning. Interestingly the children are having the access to the gadgets that can provide learning experiences from certain apps. There is a dire need to bridge the gap between the academic needs and the class room infra facilities. Failure to provide those facilities will realize the remark of John Dewey "If we teach today as we taught yester day, we rob our children of tomorrow". For the percolation of computer aided education we should have to sincerely address various issues such as;

Providing more access: - It is noticeable that our country is in the grip of internet of things but our schools are yet to. It is perceptible without strengthening the primary and secondary educational institutions by providing more access to computer and internet of things it is not possible to produce technically sound younger generations. To exploit the demographic dividend it is an indispensable act.

Providing technically sound human resources: It is a worthy remark that 'teacher is the hub of the educational process' and if he is technically sound then the classroom product will also alike. But, today the initiatives of the government to promote computer aided instruction aren't paying rich dividend because of the cyber phobic teachers. So, it is essential to deploy technically sound human resources.

Strengtehning the teacher education:- Low quality teacher education has been identified as the weakest link in the area education. It is essential that the IIT's should have to design 'Teacher Education" and introduce to produce quality teachers in all fronts. The course should be four and half year course like all the professional courses in which computer and artificial intelligence are compulsory subjects.

Change of school schedule:- The school schedule or time table should be more flexible to allocate periods for providing hands on experience of computers. It should begin from the primary level and continued up to +2 levels. But, today in schools the children were made as only mute spectators in the name of digital classrooms. Our schools even in CCE mode allocating less time for activities that are tapping the creativity of the child.

Integration of curriculum with technology:- The aim of the curriculum to support the child as 'runway 'to achieve the academic objectives. Its integration with the technology certainly produces technically sound people in areas such as gaming, coding, artificial intelligence, robotics etc.

Work in home facility:- It is noticeable to avoid dislocation of work the IT companies allow their employees to work from home by providing gadgets and net access. The same facilities should be provided to the teachers and students to work on various subjects by providing gadgets with restricted browsing facility.

Qualitative learning apps :- The MHRD department should have to made a collaborative effort like "O-LABS"( produced by Government of India and Amrita University) from primary level to inter level and should develop artificial intelligence apps for science concepts.

More atl labs with instructors:- it a welcome move of NITI AYOG to establish ATL labs in the schools to produce more creative younger generation but they should enjoy the support of technically sound instructors and mentors. Further, they should have to invent low cost devices that will solve the local problems.

Qualitative teacher training programmes:- It is very good on the part of the MHRD that is focusing on promoting technical resilience among the teachers through in-service trainings. But they should not exert the pressure on the teachers' tribe those are cyber phobic and attract them in support of new trends by improving their technical caliber. It is better conduct summer crash computer courses for the teachers to acquire skills in computer aided instruction.

We are aware of that the technology is more dynamic and a constant updating is necessary to produce digitally strong generations. But, it seems in our country the primary, secondary and intermediate educations are still far flanging from digitalization. It is not correct to anticipate better fruits of education without strengthening of the roots the same. Is it not an apt remark made by the Rod Paige "Education is the only business still debating the usefulness of technology"