by Sachin Murdeshwar

Mumbai : The Management, Principal and teachers (certified and professionally trained) of Arya Gurukul School (Nandivali, Kalyan East) will conduct FREE digital classroom training for teachers of schools in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai-MMR region on 11^th September 2020 starting 9:30 am onwards as part of the Knowledge L’avenir Conclave.  Knowledge Key foundation in association with Microsoft, Tech Avant-Garde, Lycee Corp, Efeeonline and Roshini Social Schooling has organised a 12-week education extravaganza called the “Knowledge L’avenir Conclave” starting 5^th September till November 2020. Arya Gurukul, Nandivali is a K-12 Microsoft Aspire School and has teachers who are MIEE (Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts). They conduct scholastic and co-scholastic events through remote learning facilities. A teacher can just click the Microsoft Teams link to participate – https://tinyurl.com/KLC-Curtain-Raiser

Black Friday event @Knowledge L’avenir Conclave features one school that makes a big impact through their presentations of new-age teaching skills and elaborate use of teaching tools. This week, Arya Gurukul, Nandivali has been chosen for a re- run on 11th September and will feature the presentations of the teachers that explained essential tools such as Microsoft Teams, One Note, Flipgrid, Padlet, Powerpoint and others that have improved the quality of their teaching and led to a holistic learning experience for students.

From the Management side, Mrs Neelam Malik, Chairman will speak about how quickly and efficiently the school transitioned to remote learning at the onset of the pandemic. “Universal Outlook and Collaboration are of prime importance and these have been facilitated because we harnessed on our teachnological skills at the appropriate time. Today, digitization is not an option, it is the only way forward”, shares Mrs. Neelam Malik at the conclave. “For new age edupreneurs, we strive to create delight for all our stakeholders- firstly for students by providing them with essential tools for an engaging learning experience. For our teachers, we equip them with appropriate training. Today we are proud that most of our teachers are MIE (Microsoft innovative Educators). Our staff members experience ease of operations with the help of various collaborative tools and our parents experience the smooth operations during admissions and fee payments”.

Mrs. Radhamani Iyer, Principal Arya Gurukul School (Kalyan) will elaborate on the significance of training and counselling for making organisation wide changes. The teachers of Arya Gurukul will share their digital transformational journey during the pandemic. Young leaders of the institution such as Mr Krishank Malik, CTO and Ms. Bhumika Ray, Design Director will speak about how 21st century learning skills prepares the youth for essential life skills and how functions of administration and HR are streamlined through the use of productivity suites.

Knowledge Key foundation in association with Microsoft, Tech Avant-Garde, Lycee Corp, Efeeonline and Roshini Social Schooling has organised a 12-week education extravaganza called the “Knowledge L’avenir Conclave” webinars. The event took off on 5^th September with the “Curtain Raiser” event on the auspicious day of Teacher’s Day. It featured many eminent speakers from the education and allied industries. They applauded the crucial efforts by teachers and educationists to ensure that continued learning is made possible and the rapid leap in technological advancement in educational institutions. The Knowledge L’avenir Conclave will have over 3000 teachers who have hands -on experience on various teaching tools, exhibit their digital teaching skills to over 150,000 teachers who will be trained. They will inspire over 72,000 schools to make Digital Transformation. Every presenting teacher will be certified as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer (MIE Trainer).

Under the above program, teachers have been trained in Gen Extra Muros – Knowledge Beyond Walls pedagogy. The teachers who are trained under this program are “Future Ready”. They are eligible to take part in Knowledge L’avenir Conclave to display their digital teaching skills. Each Knowledge L’avenir Conclave webinar will be a one-day event; in which teachers from one school will present topics of their choice, using technology-based teaching tools. In every webinar, an average of 20 teachers from 1,000 schools will get an invitation to attend and witness this digital teaching extravaganza. The attendees will get insight on digital teaching and would get inspired to enhance their teaching skills. Knowledge L’avenir Conclave participation is only by invitation – each invited school is allowed to enrol teachers to make a presentation in the webinar to exhibit their digital teaching skills.

Ali Sait’s dream of a Connected Learning Community is a simple yet powerful idea with even more relevance today than when he first introduced the concept in the year 2002. His vision is that the world is an enriched learning environment in which technology used well enhances and expands opportunities for learning while providing the practical technology experience needed in today’s society and workplaces. In the Connected Learning Community: Students, educators and parents have anytime, anyplace access to learning; Learning is relevant, individualized and personalized; Schools have information systems that support accountability and efficient management; Schools, campuses, homes, libraries, businesses and global resources are connected in a dynamic, collaborative learning environment. Yet for 21st century learning, technology alone is not sufficient. Schools, students, and teachers must have the vision and opportunity to experiment, innovate and create with technology as a learning tool. Ali wants to facilitate a New Era of Education in a growing number of schools and communities around the world. Technology has helped launch a new era of education that simultaneously fosters academic excellence and the practical experience needed to succeed in life and work in the growing knowledge economy. Nevertheless, communities have only begun to tap the potential of technology for learning.