News
Tech entrepreneur feels schools should integrate robotics and practical science in school curriculum.
On one hand students are flocking to robotics and animation classes to pick up creativity and innovation, schools still continue to use the theory-online approach to teaching concepts in school. Tech entrepreneurs feel it’s best to integrate theory with practical learning.
The hallmark of good education is innovation and creativity. In a sign of good times, young Thaneites are gravitating towards these topics.
There are various hooks for learning innovation and creativity but youngsters are discovering newfound passion towards the world of technology, science and robotics. Children are finding their way to tech centers where they try their hand at building robots, conceptualizing zero waste machines and battery chargers that use kinetic energy.
However, it is sad that despite having a clear and rising demand for practical learning of scientific concepts and easily available raw material, schools are yet to pick the cue and embrace this concept.
In a recent interview to a leading publication, city based tech-entrepreneur and founder of Children's Tech Center, Purushottam Pachpande (30) who has mentored over 2,500 children over the years speaks about how schools need to include practical science with robotics in school curriculum itself. Here are the excerpts:
Q- Over the past 4 years your center has seen close to 3,000 students coming to learn robotics, innovative gadgets and basic science concepts. What is the reason behind this sudden passion?
A- Nowadays, youngsters have easy access to solar cells, batteries, circuits and other basic material required for science. Earlier, science experiments simply meant watching what the teacher did. The fact that they can try it on their own now has considerably increased their interest levels.
Q- What exactly do you teach in your class?
A- My class starts with basics such as electric current, how it passes through a circuit, how to make a circuit and so on. If a student wants to make a robot or 3D image we explore ways to do that. If they want to build a zero waste machine or safety alarm for their door, we brainstorm and create that.
Q- A lot of these theories are taught in school science textbooks. How does your teaching method stand out?
A- The problem with the teaching methods of many schools is that they still practice the traditional way where the student has to study theory and write it out during the exam. Some even have science projects, but the matter is lifted off the net. I start my class by giving the child a smoldering machine.
Q- Before starting your center you approached a number of schools to teach students there, but in vain. Why do you think schools are still hesitant to embrace this methodology in their curriculum?
A- I don't charge the students other than the basic material cost and let them take their gadget home. This model doesn't fit well with schools as they will have to incur a lot of cost. Every project requires batteries, cells, circuits, etc. Additionally they have new students every year. However, things are changing slowly. Some have tech and robotics hobby classes and workshops now.
Q- The TMC has planned to introduce e-learning, virtual classrooms and activity-based learning in its schools. Is this is a step in the right direction?
A- Definitely. The education system needs to grow and develop with the changing society and its needs. Innovation and technology seem to be the trend of the future and it is high time we used them well.
The above article originally appeared in www.timesofindia.com
Image used for representational purpose only