Page 49 - EducationWorld September 2020

a powerful, fundamental tool for next generation
learning. Microsoft has deeply invested in the digital
transformation of the education eco-system in India 21st CENTURY requires
over a decade long association. Our aim is to provide the redefining of education methodology;
education leadership, government decision makers, the brick and mortar infrastructure of
teachers and most importantly 350 million+ learners the past must give way to the technology
with the tools and skills to achieve the ambitious changes enriched infrastructure in the future,
envisaged by the NEP and that many schools seek, by learning must be from any place and on
thoughtfully integrating technology in powerful and any device”
productive ways, aligned to realities at the grass-root”

The Government’s National Education Policy
announced during the lockdown has also given a boost Cluster Public-Private Schools to take digital learning to
to making India a world leader in digitally imparted underprivileged and remote students; and spending on
school education by 2020 – the 75th platinum jubilee digitization instead of brick and mortar classrooms are
year of Indian independence. In fact, academicians and revolutionary. If implemented in the right spirit, then India
ed-tech players are very happy that NEP follows the will become a global leader in education. NEP will also help
UNESCO model of 21st century-ready classrooms and ed-tech companies to raise funds required for transforming
digital devices as textbooks. The ideas of Open Schools, 18 lakh schools across India.

KLC MAKES TEACHER THE FOCAL POINT

The NEP 2020 makes the depended on effective teachers. In
teacher the focal point and the age of technology empowered
points out that the empowered education, the teacher remains
teacher is one common factor the critical link to learning. The
that can turn the tide and lead integration of technology does
the Indian education system however create a more sophisticated
towards a progressive, flexible, and robust role for teachers during Increasingly, teachers are equipped
multidisciplinary, technology and teaching. with communication tools including
skill focussed education system phones, laptops, desktops; Microsoft
that will have the capability to Teachers in a technology-rich Teams, Lycee, communication and
produce competent, creative, environment continue to provide collaboration tools and the Internet,
skilled, employable and ethical information and academic facts. In that can be accessed from school or
learners. The NEP 2020 exhorts, addition, on an unprecedented scale, home. Using these tools, teachers
‘Teachers truly shape the future teachers help students understand the become better connected to students,
of our children – and, therefore, learning process. They guide students parents, the community and to each
the future of our nation’ thereby as they learn to find information, other to share best practices and
implying that teachers play the determine whether and when it is resources.
most important role in nation- appropriate, and understand how
building by creating high quality to apply it to answer questions Technology provides a unique
of human resource in their and develop solutions to complex opportunity to make professional
classrooms. problems. development more affordable and
accessible than ever. The range of
As Connected Learning Technology opens new doors to curricular options and the degree to
Communities, continue to evolve assessing, evaluating, and monitoring which individual learning paths can
during COVID 19 situation, so do student learning, empowering be constructed enables teachers to
teacher roles, responsibilities, teachers to help students capitalize make more informed judgments about
capabilities, and expectations. on academic strengths and improve a child’s learning needs and the best
Effective learning has always academic weaknesses. tools to address them.

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