Tech tools to make learning fun,interactive

The initiative is aimes at maknig school children computer-literate,In all 2500 schools in the state will be covered all over the state through the scheme.

The state government on April 15 has come up with a resolution in this regard. “This is phase-II of the ‘ICT in Schools’ project and will be operated on BOOT (build,own,operate and transfer) principle,” says the GR.

In the first phase that started in 2008-09,500 schools across the state were covered under the scheme on experimental basis.

“The idea is to introduce ICT to the school students and simultaneously make use of ICT in teaching regular syllabus in more interactive manner,” said Bhalchandra Desle,director of directorate of secondary and higher secondary education headquartered in Pune.

“Students from class 5 to 12 will be taught the basics of computers. Simultaneously,five teachers in each school will also be trained every year. Teachers in turn are supposed to teach subjects such as science,mathematics or English using ICT tools to make teaching-learning process more interactive. For example,the teachers can make use of visuals to teach the subjects,” he said. Desle said systems would be installed in schools soon.

“The scheme will commence in these schools once the systems are installed,that is from the second quarter of the first term of the coming academic year (2010-11),” he said.

“Schools that will be covered in Pune district are all aided schools. A private agency has been given the work order to build computer labs in schools. Each lab will consist of ten computers,printer,scanner and LCD projector,said Shantaram Nigut,assistant director. The agency will have to provide Internet connection and is supposed to provide an instructor too,” he added.

As per the GR,the government will provide a fund of Rs 12.58 lakh per school in phased manner over five years for the scheme.

“Besides the cost of hardware,the agency will be given the money based on the performance of the students. No additional fee will be charged to students,” said Nigut. He said as the computer lab would be required to be open for 8 hours a day,the agency had been asked to provide a UPS of at least 4-hour back-up in case of non-availability of power.