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Vipralhou Kesiezie explaining a concept during the launch of a set of digital, educational tools about information and communication technology for classes VIII-X students, on Saturday, July 4, in Kohima town.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, JULY 4
Coinciding with the ongoing Digital India Week, a textbook, a set of tools about information and communication technology (ICT) for classes VIII-X students was released on Saturday, July 4, by the State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT).
Director of the SCERT, Vipralhou Kesiezie released the digi-tool at a function that was conducted in Hotel Vivor in capital town Kohima.
The textbook, developed by Eastern Computer Agencies Nagaland and approved by the SCERT, will be used in 16 government schools across the state. They will implement the ICT as a scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The scheme aims to provide opportunities to secondary-stage students to build their capacity on ICT skills and make them learn through computer-aided learning process.Speaking during the occasion, Vipralhou Kesiezie said that the ICT was being implemented in Nagaland since 2005 but now it was ‘subsumed’ in the RMSA, resulting in slow progress as the entire scheme had to move along with the RMSA programmes. Nevertheless, he said, the SCERT of Nagaland has recently reset its policy in the implementation of ICT by introducing new software and programming tools for schools.
He pointed out that SCERT had initially introduced some readymade books on computer education. However, rapid upgrade of technology made the prior materials outdated and irrelevant in the present context.
He informed that the decision to develop a textbook for ICT schools in the state was an offshoot of a series of consultations and discussions with the ECA, the authorized vendor and implementing agency of ICT for schools in Nagaland.
While recalling that in the past it was hard to imagine the teaching-learning process without books, notes from teachers, or blackboards, he marveled that things imagined as impossible were now being completely revolutionized by technology.
“The modern world is now moving towards digitalized e-learning, virtual classroom and teachers, digitalized textbooks and depending lesser on printed materials which were considered most important in the past,” Kesiezie said, adding that technology had brought a complete transformation in and outside the classroom.
The official also mentioned the recent announcement made by the Prime Minister of India that the country will now provide internet/wi-fi facilities in panchayats and schools. Thus adopting the technology for daily activities is inevitable, he said, without which it would be difficult to move along with the rest of the world.
“Although the usage of technology has immense advantages, care needs to be taken to avoid misuse as it could create irreparable damage to the individual as well as the society,” he said and cautioned about cyber crimes, hacking information, addiction to internet etc which are serious concern for the society and need proper monitoring.
He expressed hope that the teachers of the ICT schools identified by SCERT will exert ‘sincere efforts’ in transacting knowledge with the students.
Eastern Computer Agencies’s ICT training project manager, Visazo Teroh highlighted the objectives and function of the ECA. He said ECA was a private venture that was set up in 2004 and has, over the years, strived to provide opportunities in technical, social and employment, and now in the sphere of education. He hoped that the ICT tools as well as the ongoing observation of Digital India Week will go a long way in increasing the scope of information technology in Nagaland.
It was informed that two-months ICT course in the 16 government high schools identified by SCERT will commence from July 16 and continue till September 16.
An orientation on ICT training was conducted for computer teachers for the 16 selected government high schools. State College of Teacher Education’s assistant professor, Runi Nakro and ECA IT advisor, Khrieketoulie Rupreo, were the resource persons for the orientation program.