Education, Learning and Creativity

I am indeed very happy to participate in the 1st Computer Literacy Excellence Award for Schools 2002. My greetings to the organizers of this award particularly the Department of Communication and Information Technology. My greetings to all the State and National level award winners who have shown excellence in Computer Literacy and also to all the schools which are sincerely making their efforts to attain excellence in computer literacy.

Technology Dimensions

Technology has multiple dimensions. One leads to economic prosperity and the other creates the capability for national security. For the past 40 years, one way or other I have witnessed these multi dimensions of technology. For example, the developments in chemical engineering brought fertilizers for higher yield of crops while the same science led to chemical weapons. Likewise, rocket technology developed for atmospheric research led to the launching satellites for remote sensing and communication applications which are vital for the economic development. The same technology led to the development of missiles with specific defence needs that provides said security for the nation. The aviation technology development has led to fighter and bomber aircraft, and the same technology assisted in designing a passenger jet and also help operations requiring quick reach of support to people affected by disasters. When nuclear science was born in 1940s, with in two decades multiple applications like nuclear medicine, nuclear irradiation for preservation of agricultural products, nuclear power and later nuclear science led to weapons development and even deployment.

Computer science and mathematical science coupled with communication technology led the world to information technology . Using Information Technology, various fields of administration, commerce, health and education have transformed into e-governance, e-commerce, tele-medicine, and tele-education . One phenomenon which we have witnessed, particularly in India with demand for software development because of national and international requirement, the availability of elementary school, primary and secondary school teachers who love teaching reduced for the reasons that there were many opportunities in the other fields

Two way Teaching and Learning

The number of teachers, who love teaching as a GURU level, has to increase in large numbers. In view of the various demand pattern, shortage in this area may also be increasing. One side we saw prospective fields including Information Technology absorbing prospective good teachers. But now we have an opportunity to use same Information Technology with Communication Technology for entering into the era of tele-education by creating network of multiple class rooms located in various schools built on the quality teachers bi-directional teaching and learning in the national level.

The model I envisage is the following: Every state can identify x thousand number of excellent teachers of primary and secondary schools. Using these teachers as resource in tele-education using connectivity, with proper software and with bandwidth, the student strength can be increased from a normal strength of 40-60 students to more than 1000 students with multiple class room. Increased use of e-education will bring down the cost of operations. Simultaneously rural connectivity ( physical, electronic, knowledge and economic ) will assist quality teachers preferring teaching in rural schools.

Computers and teaching

On this important occasion, I was thinking what thoughts I can share with you. Every one of us have gone through the various phases of education from the childhood to profession. A scene appears in front of me where there is a child, a teenager, an adult and a leader. Let me narrate to you how each one reacts to one particular situation? The situation is: human need. The child asks, "what can you do for me"? The teenager says, "I want to do it alone". The young person proclaims, "let us do it together". The leader offers, "what can I do for you". So, the educational system have got a tremendous responsibility to transform a child into a leader - the transformation of 'what can you do for me' to 'what I can do for you'. That will demand a principal to be a visionary with an inspiring capability. Also the principals and teachers have to impart learning to the children in such a way to bring out the best in them, for this he or she has to be a good teacher himself. With the trends of recent reform efforts in mind, how does technology fit into the scheme of revolutionizing education? Computers provide ample assistance in accomplishing numerous reform goals. In terms of actual instruction, computers are an invaluable tool for providing active collaborative learning and assessment. While basic word-processing programs allow students to become independent publishers of ideas and opinions, e-mail provides opportunities for peer review and group editing. More sophisticated interactive multimedia packages offer true inquiry-based learning, where students must construct and demonstrate solutions to a variety of in-class projects. This is not to suggest that computers are used in reform to replace the role of the teacher; realistically that would be both undesirable and impractical. Instead, the computer must be recognized as an effective teaching tool which assists the educator. Software offer students individualized learning, so while some students progress on a subject at their own paces, those who begin to fall behind can receive proper interpersonal attention from the instructor. The computer assists the teacher to concentrate on interaction and individualized assistance.

Prime Learning: Education with Value

The best part of a young person is his or her childhood in school and the best time spent is 0800 Hrs to 1600 Hrs in the school. The prime learning environment is 5th to 16th years of age. The student spends approximately 20,000 hours in the school campus. Of course, at home, love and affection are imparted but again most of the time of the day is spent in preparing school's homework and study, eat, play and sleep. Hence the school hours for children are the best time for learning and need best of environment, mission oriented learning with value system. I still hear the echo from Bestolozzy, a great teacher's saying, "give me a child for seven years. Afterwards, let the God or devil take the child. They cannot change the child." For parents and teachers, school campus and home have to have an integrated mission: education with value system. Children have to be given value based education in the school so that government or society can establish a transparent society or a society with integrity. Principals and teachers are the gurus, the role model, the gurus can instill creativity. Computer becomes user friendly tool. The vision is indeed bigger than who have assembled here.

The teacher puts you, decades ahead

Another incident was at St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli. As a young student, we had the opportunity at St. Joseph's College witnessing a scene, a unique, divine looking personality walking through the college campus every morning teaching Mathematics BSc (Honours) and MA (Mathematics) students. Young students looked with awe and respect, a personality symbolizing our own culture. When he walked, knowledge radiated all around. The great personality was, Prof.T.Totadri Iyengar, the great teacher. At that time, 'Calculus Srinivasan' was my mathematics teacher. Calculus Srinivasan used to talk about Prof. Totadri Iyengar with deep respect. During those days, he and Prof. Totadri Iyengar had an understanding to have an integrated class by Prof. Totadri Iyengar for first year B.Sc. (Hons) and first year B.Sc. (Physics). I had the opportunity to attend his classes, particularly on the subjects of modern algebra, statistics and also once I heard him teaching complex variables. When we were in the BSc first year, Calculus Srinivasan used to select top ten students to the Mathematics Club of St. Joseph's to where Prof. Totadri Iyengar used to give lecture series. One day, in 1952, I still remember, he gave a one hour lecture on ancient mathematicians and astronomers of India and introduced four great mathematician and astronomers. For nearly one hour he spoke. The lecture is still ringing in my ears. I was introduced to the pride of the nation: pioneers in astronomy and mathematics (4th to 20th century) Aryabhata, Bhaskara and Ramanujam who gave to the world, the value of zero to number, orbit period of earth around sun and recently number theory. The two incident narrated have become the foundation for my education, learning with hope and value system. My teachers of primary, secondary and college education had put me few decades ahead. This is indeed the vision. Today's young dream transforming India into a knowledge society. I am sure the younger generation, with the amount of inputs and exposure they gain using various information technology tools, will be able to understand the technological developments and prepare themselves with competencies and courage to face the global competitive environment.

Knowledge society and education

A task team of Planning Commission has worked on the study on how India can be transformed into a knowledge society in a decade. India is a nation endowed with natural and competitive advantages as also certain distinctive competencies. But these are scattered in isolated pockets and the awareness on these is inadequate. During the last century the world has undergone a change from agriculture society, where natural labour was the critical factor, to industrial society where the management of technology, capital and labour provided the competitive advantage. In the 21st century, a new society is emerging where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilisation of this existing knowledge can create comprehensive wealth of the nation in the form of better health, education, infrastructure and other social indicators.

Such a knowledge society has two very important components driven by societal transformation and wealth generation. The societal transformation is on education, healthcare, agriculture and governance. These will lead to employment generation, high productivity and rural prosperity. How do we do that?

The wealth generation is a very important task for the nation, which has to be woven around national competencies. The task team has identified core areas that will spearhead our march towards knowledge society. The areas are: Information Technology, bio-technology, weather forecasting, disaster management, tele-medicine and tele-education, technologies to produce native knowledge products, service sector and Infotainment which is the emerging area resulting from convergence of Information and entertainment. The driving force for a knowledge society is the primary and secondary education. There is shortage of competent teachers who love teaching. Computer literacy will facilitate teaching competency and increase the scope of student audience to every good programs. have a network of good schools.

One solution is to adopt distance education as a means of bringing education to every eligible child, together with innovative schemes and incentives to attract all children to attend the school. One full satellite transponder gives adequate bandwidth to provide a full range of curriculum from pre-school and nursery to the 12th standard. Technology based learning has to become an important curriculum in schools.

While classroom learning is important, what the child learns by self-observation outside the classroom is equally important. A child must become an active participant in the process of learning through observation, field studies, experiments and discussions. A child's individuality and creativity needs to be given due importance in our education. Further, in addition to innovation in curriculum, priority needs to be given to the reorientation of the outlook of the teachers and more effective examination system so that it recognises and evaluates creativity and new thinking. The schools must move from becoming educational centers to knowledge and skill centers. I am sure that computers and vast information source available in the internet can assist the teachers and hence the schools

Conclusion

There is a national mission for universal primary education. Good teachers and parents select the schools for high academic standards, focus on teaching and learning, education philosophy with value system close to their own and above all innovative approaches in instruction. Of course, schools are sought where students are challenged to achieve higher levels.

In conclusion, the schools have a great mission to ignite the minds of the young. The ignited minds of the young are the most powerful resource on the earth, above the earth and under the earth. Thinking is progress. Our schools have to lead the education in which the creativity of the children blossom and the nation prospers. I wish all the award winner schools and other schools for their success in giving the nation empowered learned young with integrity. It is indeed a big mission.

My best wishes to you.