Unique learning experience for Coimbatore Corporation special school students

The students of the Corporation school for special children here are all set to take a major leap forward with the adoption of a new learning methodology in which information technology will play a major part and reverse the traditional roles of students and teachers.


With the establishment of a ‘tab lab’ at the Corporation School for the Deaf at R.S. Puram here, students will now be able to prepare ahead of their classes by viewing the subject in tablets, which will be issued to all the students and teachers.


This initiative will be launched next week by the Corporation.


The tablets will have video files of the school teachers explaining the subject curriculum in sign language. After going through these files, the students will be asked to explain some of the lessons during the class, American India Foundation Director (Digital Equaliser programme) J. Sundarakrishnan told The Hindu on Thursday over phone from New Delhi.


The video files will be prepared by the AIF personnel who will shoot and edit them. Each video file will have a duration of three to five minutes. This new methodology was developed by AIF and Carveniche Technologies to focus on outcome-based approaches, he said.


Teachers will be training in technology pedagogy (science of teaching) and learn how to prepare for their classes using the tablets. They will divide the class hours and allocate time for showing videos, solving problems and students interaction.


Mr. Sundarakrishnan said that the ‘flipped classrooms’ will help teachers focus on weaker students focus. The Foundation, which was implementing educational projects in several States, was introducing this concept of ‘flipped classroom’ first at Coimbatore. Following this, it will be introduced at a Government school in Bangalore, he added.


S. Tamil Selvi, Headmistress of the R.S. Puram School, said that students can view the video files any number of times till they comprehend the lesson completely. Visual representations will also make it easier for the students to learn.


The teachers were also conducting research online on how to prepare these files, she added.


The project was part of the ‘Digital Equaliser’ Programme for which the civic body had inked a three-year MoU (2012-15) with the AIF. It covers all the 10 high schools, 16 higher secondary schools, and one special school of Coimbatore Corporation, which had provided 464 computers for the project.

Coimbatore teens take up Clickty Click challenge

 Schools in Coimbatore are paying serious attention to extra-curricular activities such as photography, after realising the talents and skills of their students.

Last week, a local organisation that helps orphans, hosted a photography competition called “Clickty Click” that had over 26 city schools participating.

One of the participants, who has even competed internationally, displayed talent and skill beyond his young years.

It was Varun B. from Yuva Bharathi School who stood first in the competition, for his long exposure click around a U-turn that captured streaks of light from passing vehicles. Premier Vidyaa Vikash School had the most number of participants; they took home the 2nd and 3rd prizes.

School coordinator N. Raja Lakshmi shared the need to inculcate this form of creativity in children. “It paves the way for better growth, so we always encourage our students with talents apart from academics to pursue them. It motivates them, so when we come across such talents like Narendran A. and Prakash K., we encourage them.”

Also present at the event was a class 12 student from Chinamaya International residential school in Coimbatore who stood out the most.

Akash Ghai has won several accolades even internationally. “My mother's a social worker and landscape photographer, so I grew up seeing her work and accompanying her to various photography and art exhibitions.

She was the one who encouraged me to hold a solo photography exhibition at the Alliance Francaise gallery in Chandigarh when I was 17,” said Akash. On his style of photography, he said, “I am different from other photographers, I possess a unique perspective. A photographer's strength is how his style differs from others.”

Akash further shared his interests, “I like art photography, photojournalism, portraiture and a bit of wildlife.

I enjoy photographing people the most. International exposure at a young age for any photographer is essential as it boosts confidence and acquaints him with the quality of photographs he should be making.

I've been part of exhibitions in India, Australia, Russia, Senegal and New York, and it feels great to be part of a global photographic community.”