New Delhi, 18 September 2024: The second day of the face-to-face workshop on “Digital Education Training using AI Tools for SCERTs/ CTEs/ DIETs and IASEs Faculty” took place today at CIET-NCERT, New Delhi. This interactive event, aimed at equipping faculty members with modern AI tools for digital education, was packed with insightful sessions led by renowned experts.
The day began at 9:30 AM with a session by Ms. Hema Sagar, from Google Group offering engaging insights on emerging digital education trends. Following a brief tea break, the participants delved into Session II at 11:30 AM, focusing on "Exploring Digital Initiatives in India." The session, led by Associate Professor Dr. Rajesh D, from DICT, highlighted cutting-edge digital initiatives shaping the future of education in India.
Dr. Rajesh provided a detailed overview of the major digital tools and platforms developed by CIET-NCERT, which are designed to support educators in enhancing their teaching methods and engaging students more effectively. He emphasized the importance of popularizing these initiatives at the grassroots level, especially in remote and under-served regions. Dr Rajesh also highlighted the Prashast App for Divyang kids as developed by Imran Khan in association with CIET-NCERT.
Key highlights of the session included:
ePathshala: An innovative digital platform providing open access to educational resources in multiple languages for students and teachers. Dr. Rajesh urged resource persons to make this a cornerstone of digital teaching strategies.
DIKSHA Portal: Dr. Rajesh explained how DIKSHA is empowering teachers across India by providing access to teaching materials, lesson plans, and assessments. He emphasized the portal’s role in professional development through its teacher training modules.
PMeVidya: The importance of utilizing 200 PMeVidya channels as allocated 5 to each state, which offers an array of multimedia educational resources, to enrich educators to contribute to and explore these resources to enrich classroom experiences and learning at the local level environment.
Emerging Technologies: Dr. Rajesh also highlighted the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Virtual and Augmented Reality in education. He pointed out how these technologies can be leveraged to create immersive learning experiences, making education more interactive and personalized.
Dr. Rajesh urged all resource persons present to actively promote and train teachers across their respective states on these platforms and technologies. He stressed the importance of digital literacy for educators to successfully integrate these tools into their classrooms and meet the demands of the 21st-century learner. The session underscored the need for a collaborative effort to ensure that the latest advancements in educational technology reach every corner of India, enabling a digital transformation in schools.
The session concluded with a lively discussion on the practical challenges of implementing these digital tools, and strategies were shared on how to overcome them. Dr. Rajesh reiterated the role of SCERTs, CTEs, DIETs, and IASEs in ensuring these initiatives are effectively delivered to the classroom level, thus making digital learning accessible to all students.
After a lunch break from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, the afternoon session started with Mr. Sunil Prabhakar, a digital media professional, presenting "Demystifying AI & ML: A Beginner’s Guide for Educators." This session simplified the complex concepts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), offering educators practical tools to integrate them into their teaching strategies.
Post-tea break at 3:30 PM, Mr. Prabhakar returned with another fascinating session, "AI as Your Co-Pilot: Revolutionizing Learning with Generative AI." This presentation demonstrated how educators can utilize generative AI tools to enhance the learning experience, empowering both teachers and students in the digital era.
The workshop, organized by CIET-NCERT, is part of a broader initiative to bolster the digital literacy of educational professionals across India. The goal is to ensure that faculty members of SCERTs, CTEs, DIETs, and IASEs can effectively leverage AI-driven tools to foster a transformative learning environment.