What is the core element of a smart school?

A school that has ICT labs, classrooms with interactive boards, and where teachers use multimedia tools for teaching is ideally considered a smart school. But does just having access to technology inside a classroom make it smart? The key indicator of a smart classroom is the level of student engagement while using various tools. Technology, when effectively used in a classroom makes it a place that stimulates critical thinking, discussions, collaboration and peer learning. In such classrooms, the learning is flipped with the teacher becoming a facilitator. When used across the whole school, technology serves as a data mine of information on students that can help the school plot learning levels, learning styles, behavioural patterns and also connect all stakeholders. Thus, technology is a very powerful tool that a school can harness.

In the post-pandemic situation, technology in schools will become an essential feature. Classroom learning will have to be balanced with some amount of online activities. For schools with an exposure to technology, who manage to run online classrooms today, will need to re-think their use of technology within the classroom, when schools re-open. For others, they will need to embrace technology and make way for it into their schools and classrooms.

For a school to become a smart school it is not about what technology or tools they use but how effectively they use it to make their classrooms a more engaging, inclusive, participative space and thus improving student learning.

Whether it is pre-Covid or post-pandemic times, some elements that will always be key to schools becoming smart are:

Environment:

Every single child walking through the gates of a school must feel happy to come in. They need to see the school as a safe place to learn and grow into their full potential. The school leader or principal plays a key role in creating and sustaining this positive, encouraging and unbiased culture across the school. They are not just administrative leaders but leaders of teaching and learning, playing an active role in the progress of students and professional development of teachers and every member of staff of the school.

This environment of acceptance and inclusivity becomes more important post the pandemic. Children have not just been away from school and their classmates but have gone through a long period of anxiety and uncertainty. The school must offer forums for students and teachers to share their experiences and allow sufficient time for everyone to ease into the new normal.

Collaboration:

A smart school is the one where all stakeholders are equally invested in the learning and progress of students. In such a school, teachers, students, parents and support staff alike have a voice and actively participate in its day-to-day functioning. It does take a community to educate a child and it is not the role of teachers alone.

When schools re-open post the pandemic, all stakeholders must collaborate to welcome and help the students settle into the new routine. Teachers and teacher leaders need to work together to ensure that new curriculum takes into account all the post-pandemic restrictions but still provide ample opportunities for holistic learning. The school support staff and parents must align with the efforts of the school for a smooth transition of children into newer ways of schooling.

Technology:

Technology is the cornerstone of a smart school especially in times like today. The use of technology is not just restricted to having smart boards or TVs inside a classroom but also extends to adaptive assessments for students, a feedback mechanism for teachers, improving communication with parents and reducing or automating mundane administrative tasks. Technology, in any form, needs to be child centric and teacher friendly. For it to be adapted and used effectively, it needs to be intuitive and fit in seamlessly with the existing classroom routine and infrastructure.

As schools begin to prepare to re-open, they need to think of ways of introducing or integrating technology into their day-to-day teaching and practices. Here, the external stakeholders like the government, corporates, civil society organisations and Ed-tech companies need to join hands to ensure that all schools feel capacitated to adopt technology. The government and corporates must work to build the necessary infrastructure where required and provide subsidies, grants or funds. The civil societies should work along with the government and schools to ensure ground level implementation, support and training for continued use. And most importantly, it becomes the responsibility of EdTechs to ensure that they collaboratively build technology that is affordable and adaptable so that it can be implemented and effectively used in every school across the country.

In conclusion, smart schools will become the new norm and technology will play a very big role in transforming a regular school into a smart one; but without a conducive environment and collaborative approach, no technology can bring about the desired results.

(The author is the founder of a tech company)