SCERT rolls out training sessions to help teachers cope with digital education

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Haryana, has started online training sessions to help government school teachers adapt to the challenges

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Haryana, has started online training sessions to help government school teachers adapt to the challenges of tutoring students virtually.

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Aimed at capacity building, the sessions, which were rolled out last week, focus on digital transmission of lessons and ensure that the educators are familiarised with newer ways of teaching and assessment as classes take place remotely, said SCERT officials.

Manoj Kaushik, nodal coordinator, Diksha (SCERT Haryana) said that a team of subject experts had selected 13 teaching modules from the national Diksha portal and prepared subject-wise training sessions for state teachers. Diksha is a national initiative that offers a framework for equipping teachers with advanced digital technology.

Each module will be available for a week and teachers will be required to spare around three hours per week to complete each module. The second session will start from today (Monday). “Teachers only need to spare around 20 minutes a day to complete the training within a week. The sessions will focus on questioning skills and critical pedagogy. Various topics pertaining to teaching online or remotely will also be covered,” said Kaushik.

He said that unlike physical training sessions—where only some teachers could participate—the online training sessions will be attended by all teachers. The shift to online learning necessitated by the coronavirus disease pandemic required that all teachers are covered and were trained to cope up with the new challenges. “In view of the pandemic, teacher training, mentoring, and monitoring will all take place virtually. We are targeting all teachers, across all grades, in various subjects, through these training sessions now. Online capacity building of teachers is important since classes might continue to take place online in the coming days as well,” said Kaushik. Besides teachers, district-level officers will also have to undergo the training.

Government schools in the state have been holding online classes since the first week of April due to the pandemic.

SCERT director Kiranmayee said that besides training, the state would soon be extending support to teachers through mentors. “Keeping in view the circumstances created by Covid-19, we want to build the capacity of teachers for online classes. Through mentors, we will provide support to teachers and find out if they are facing any challenges in technological know-how or equipment availability. We are preparing mentors to address concerns of teachers that they might face throughout the year,” she said.