Mumbai: The annual Teacher's Day on September 5 has been an occasion to celebrate the teaching profession and the stellar role played by teachers in shaping young minds. However, with the internet offering a variety of tailor-made learning resources and digital equipment and tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), as called into question the traditional student-teacher relationship. Even as teachers in the city embrace technology for educational purposes, they remain vary of its shortcomings and dangers, insisting that it's far from replacing human intervention.
Akshata Shetty, a science teacher at The Somaiya School, Vidyavihar, cites a recent example of how traditional sources of knowledge and technological advancement can be married for a better learning experience. "I came up with an assignment where I asked my students to make a crossword on a certain topic. I made the kids prepare the questions and hints using available resources near them such as books or discussions among classmates, but also allowed them to use an AI tool to create the crossword. The usage of technology and creativity can go hand in hand according to me," she said.
"We are not against students using the technological advances out there but we as teachers want to make sure it doesn't make them very dependent on it," she added.
However, seasoned educators believe that while technology can aid the learning process, the role of teachers hasn't diminished. In fact, they think the teachers will now have to become even more proactive to provide an emotional and human touch to students.
"When schools shifted online during Covid-19, most of the students got bored of digital classrooms. The students would tell me how they missed us. Many of them went into depression," said Anjana Prakash, former Principal of Hansraj Morarji Public School in Andheri, who had a long experience as an educator.
She added that the teachers need not be insecure about students, especially those from affluent families, relying on digital resources for learning. "The students don't think that teachers are any less important. You have to be a role model for them," said Prakash, who now works as a counsellor for children as well as adults.
However, the teachers also highlight technology and web resources have the potential to do more harm than good if the students are not properly guided and monitored by their teachers and parents. "The students trying to learn on their own using technology are prone to hazards and victimization. Many web gaming and gambling companies often advertise on learning platforms to lure students. These students don't complete a structured syllabus and there's no proper construction of knowledge on these platforms," said Syed Habib, a teacher at Alfalah High School, Malad.
Habib points out that the usage data of tablets given to students at his school shows that very few of them are using them for educational purposes and that too for a small amount of time. However, there are some students who used these tabs to complete the foundational course for medical and engineering entrance exams. "This shows that tech tools can only be useful if properly monitored by parents at home," he said.
Simmi Juneja, Principal of DAV Public School, added, “All these changes, be it technological shift or the National Education Policy (NEP), nothing can hinder the bond between teachers and their students. It's upskilling the entire generation."
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