Shift Key To Assignment

Of course, homework is easier and more fun with the internet. But worries remain

IT BRINGS THE WORLD WIDE open at the touch of a key. The internet has changed the way we live, work and look at the world. And also the way we complete our school work. Of course, the babus at the HRD Ministry haven8217;t heard about that. That8217;s why they8217;ve nixed the ambitious One Laptop Per Child scheme8212;envisaging distribution of laptop computers among schoolchildren8212;with baf-fling comments like 8220;prolonged use of laptops in the age group of six to 12 years can result in disembodied brains, isolationist tendencies and exacerbate health problems8221;. Disembod-ied brains? Ask real parents, real teachers and real children. For a start, hear what 12-year-old Delhiite Namrata Singh says proudly: 8220;My re-cent history and biology projects were a suc-cess only because internet allowed me to en-hance the text with graphics and pictures.8221;

Agrees Devesh Mohindroo, Namrata8217;s class-mate at Bloom Public School: 8220;I can log on, conduct a quick search and copy and paste material.8221; Kids today don8217;t need libraries that stock books that can help them. They have ac-cess to the largest library ever in human his-tory: The net. Denying a child the means to ac-cess it, is, in effect, denying a child right of entry to a world of knowledge.

Gayatri Sehgal, mother of four-year-old Di-vyamshu, exposed her son to the net at the age of two, using it to make him identify fruits and shapes. 8220;Anythig in excess is bad,8221; she says, 8220;but it will be detrimental for the child if you prohibit him from accessing the varied infor-mation that is available. An early beginning with restricted hours on the net is the best course.8221; This view gets support from educa-tionists too. Says Madhavi Kapur, principal of Pune8217;s Rewachand Bhojwani Academy: 8220;Bar-ring children from making use of the net is no solution, the tricks lies in wise usage.8221;

To make sure that his daughter is not left behind, Manoj Palwe started Mrudakshee off on computers when she was three. Palwe says: 8220;I began by familiarising her with the keys and teaching her how to connect the broadband. Now I sit with her when she ac-cesses the net.8221; And the St Helena8217;s School student, now 10 years old, enjoys it: 8220;I virtually study on the net and use it for all my school projects. Books are boring.8221;

Which should make us all pause a bit. Are textbooks becoming archaic? 8220;Books are still very much a part of the curriculum. Only, they need to be supplemented with internet sites,8221; assures Kapur. Says Birjis Raza, principal of Lit-tle Ones Public School, one of the few Delhi private schools that didn8217;t have a net connec-tion till recently: 8220;Due to financial constraints and security hassles, we were managing with-out the net. But for holistic education, we have to use the internet along with books.8221;

Some experts, though, are beginning to have doubts. 8220;The net kills the practice of self-study and hard work as children get used to readymade information,8221; points out Nilima Apte, psychologist and councellor at Pune8217;s Jnana Prabodhini Institute. She also believes that it inhibits the ability to work in groups, 8220;as children surf on the computer and don8217;t in-dulge in practices like exchange of notes.8221;

Yet, the information and knowledge that re-sides on the net can be a wonderland for the child. The net empowers the child, and it8217;s the parents8217; and teachers8217; responsibility to make sure that that power does not corrupt.

NET IMPACT POSITIVES

8226; Is visually more appealing to children

8226; Can be effectively used to supplement textbook-learning

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8226; Exposes children to a plethora of infor-mation and teaches them how to cull relevant data

8226; An early beginning assures that they are computer savvy at a later age

NEGATIVES

8226; Children get used to readymade study material without having to search for it

8226; Discourages the habit of reading

8226; Leads to isolationist tendencies

8226; May affect leadership qualities

8226; Gives easy access to adult sites