The purpose of education is to nurture a love for learning among children and help them become successful and responsible citizens of the world. But the approach of teaching and learning has undergone a sea change. As a result of this, the students are not passive receptors of content, but are active participants. A Teacher is no longer a disseminator of information, she is a Facilitator. Children now have opportunities to learn, not by what is taught but also from their experiences. A Teacher is now a Mentor.
Technology as an innovation in pedagogical practice has been the major game changer towards this. The students develop their thinking process by engaging with technology rather than merely consuming it. That is why, from a very early age, children are used to algebraic thinking, algorithmic problem solving, iterative processes and higher order constructs which are all benefits of introduction of computer science to children at an early age. As a result of this, we see 8-year-olds writing their own computer programs using child-friendly programming, which was unheard of, a couple of years ago.
Technology has created a ‘Flat World’ by making the diminishing the physical boundaries. The focus is now on Collaborative Learning across geographical domains. This has been possible, due to the overreaching benefits of the internet, video-conferencing,
self -learning through online courses etc.
In such evolving dynamics, the value-addition of the International Curriculum has also integrated technology in learning. Children are now Global Citizens, interacting with their fellow students across the globe and gathering exposure on the latest happenings as well.
The role of educators and schools has thus become very critical in the success of children.
Educators across the globe are collaborating to find ways for effective learning. They use technology to connect with peers. The children are benefiting immensely as the Virtual and Flipped Classrooms are helping the classrooms become active spaces that encourage dialogue and learning.
At Oakridge, the entire focus is on using technology to developing creativity, thinking skills and problem-solving skills. Teachers have a passion for learning and they are always engaged in researching and finding out the latest in the field of technology that they can pick up and use in their classrooms. This approach creates lifelong learners in our students as well. The main focus is to ensure that the child takes charge of her/his own learning and technology is helping immensely in this regard.
At Oakridge, we are not using technology just to work with documents or worksheets, but as an effective pedagogical tool where our young Oakridgers use gaming platforms such as Kodu or software like Kahoot for analysis of responses, Scratch to engage with technology or Edmodo for collaboration. They are also constantly interacting with kids of other schools, over a Skype to enhance their learning on topics. The positive use of technology is surely creating a league of young learners at Oakridge, who are creating great work and are inspiring others to do the same.