Breeding Confidence!
We techies at CLIx (Satej, Rachana, Kedar and I) decided to be Santas to the researchers and give them Sirohi data as their Christmas present. We visited 15 CLIx schools in Sirohi district from 11–15 December as observers. Wearing the spectator’s hat, we enjoyed the intricacies of a CLIx classroom. As first-time observers, we keenly noticed the behaviour in the various CLIx classrooms.
Checking password
Techforce (as we call them) is a group of 2–3 students who volunteer the FT (Field Technologists) for lab readiness. They come into the lab a few minutes earlier, switch on the CLIx server, turn on the machines and ready the screens with the CLIx platform for their peers. We were happy to conclude that students overall followed a similar pattern.
Organizing their seats
- Login ID and password printouts on the walls is their first attraction.
- Organizing their seats next to their saathi (buddy) in front of the computer screens is their second ritual.
- Exploring and observing the colours of the platform and initiating a few clicks is next.
After platform exploration, students accessed the Basic Astronomy module and took a few assessments. It was an absolute delight to speak to the students. Adults had thought that memorising login IDs and passwords, typing notes in Hindi, ‘rating’ their colleagues’ work, taking assessments, connecting splitters or viewing analytics would make students hesitant in using the platform. But it was a cakewalk for them. They faced difficulties in enrolling for a course, navigating within the platform, which we noted in our to-do lists.
Ritual ID login
This visit was the first time that the developers met the actual clients, the users. Students are quick to grasp new things. They grasp from their observation of their neighbours’ screens; they grasp from the write-ups and posters on the wall; they learn and co-learn. We were the happiest to see that the essentials of digital literacy were being absorbed by the students.
Using charts to type
The students outshone us when they collaborated to write stories. We failed to notice that we had unknowingly inculcated the skill of teamwork. The idea that none will mock their work made them confident.
Learning to draw Turtle Logo
They took risks together in taking assessments, clicking on a few modules that were not on their schedule, connecting splitters to only make their headphones work, all of which made them confident. It gave them a sense of working together.
Jean Piaget says, “The principal goal of education in schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have been doing.”
I am glad that CLIx is exposing students to new things and that they have started to explore the world of digital content. The change has been initiated!
Prachi Bhatia, Senior Software Engineer, Technology Team, CLIx
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