Tech For Young

SENSITIZATION OF YOUNG MINDS THRU SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY : FACE-2-FACE WITH REAL LIFE PROBLEMS

Dr V C Goyal

Director

[email protected]

Dr. Usha Dixit

Scientist-C

[email protected]

Science & Society DivisionDepartment of Science & Technology (Govt. of India)

OBJECTIVE

•Prepare wise and capable future citizens with ignited minds

•Should not have only bookish information but also practical knowledge

•Sensitize students with utility of S&T in handling practical/real life situations

Existing Education & Learning Scenario in Science

• Course material including laboratory experiments.

• Outdoor extracurricular activities, quiz programmes & occasional visits to museums/few labs, science exhibitions.

• Limited exposure to students thru vocational training under SUPW.

• Occasional visits of medical practioners for routine health check ups.

• Yoga.

Drawbacks/Bottlenecks

• More focus more on academics, less on practical

• Least co-relation with real life problems.• View science and technology topics as

something that only happens in a classroom and may not understand that science describes the world around them.

• Limited access to information on technologies.• Lack of motivated teachers.• Under supported staff.• Lack of time for planning and reflection.

Science &Technology

• Central to success in education and careers.• Advancement of innovation, preservation of

economic competitiveness, and protection of environment.

• Enable young generation with regard to their grasp on real life issues and information.

• Facilitates and empowers users for gainful, efficient and sustainable use of technology.

• Study of neighborhood environments in less-formal settings

Ex: on line monitoring of lake water, air pollution, solar aquatics

Floating Solar Fountain

Wastewater Recycling thru Solar Aquatics

Intervention Areas

WATER

ENERGY

SANITATIONLIVELIHOOD

CLOTHING

WASTE MANAGEMENT

FOOD

TRANSPORT

The Need• Learn ITK & its relevance in modern

context• Relate modern S&T with socio-cultural

milieu of people• Need to learn and practice science,

develop scientific ways of thinking, • Harness children own skills and

enhance their learning through self-tuition and hands on experiences.

• Develop interface b/w students and common people handling real life problems (villagers, artisans, laborers, scientists, engineers, etc)

How it can be incorporated in present education system?

• Curricular adaptations.• Modification in SUPW.• Improved and innovative teaching procedures to

meet the need of the youngsters. • Visit to field labs, operational sites.• Building partnership with NGOs in providing

quality education through exposure to real life situations.

• Objective evaluation procedures and incentives for innovations & participation in extra-curricular activities.

SHARING A NEW EXPERIENCE

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) Concept

Active participation of students and teachers of JNV in action projects for village development using S&T based solutions.

Objective•Development of a selected area near the JNV, using S&T based tools, technologies and approaches, leading to income generation and livelihood improvement for the local community.

•Development of an equipment/machine or a process by students and/or teachers having innovative ideas, with support from nearby research/academic organizations and experts.

• Navodaya Vidyalayas are residential, located in rural settings, and students have rural background.

• Provide a good setup for implementing S&T projects with involvement of local community.

• Projects are expected to be a good working model for involvement of young students in solving real life problems in rural areas, and are designed as partnership effort among students, teachers and villagers.

• Encourage young people to ask questions, explore new ideas, and make sense of the world around them.

• Can explore the natural world thru partnerships with scientists & engineers and research institutes to see how technologies extend scientific capacity.

• Can conduct environmental surveys in their communities and advocate for healthier and safer conditions based on the data they collect.

IDENTIFIED INTERVENTIONS

Drinking water

Drainage & sanitation

Vermi-composting

Fishery

Horticulture

WH through Khaties

WH through irrigation tank

Med plant cultivation

Mushroom cultivation

Soil erosion mitigation

Flood water drainage

Solar based LED lighting

Food processing

Bamboo products

Pearl production

Farm ponds for livelihood

Brick/block making using fly ash

Examples

LEARNINGS & WAY AHEAD • Science and technology activities promote inquiry, innovation and exploration.

• Recognition of young people’s technological expertise and innovation by involving them in actual development and

implementation.

• Such exposures gives young students the confidence to implement/develop technologies, and use them in ways that are locally relevant.

• Variety of effective models can be adapted or replicated and will

enhance and augment in-school learning, along with open ended learning experiences.

• Map professional development organizations and trainers that could be mobilized.

• Develop appropriate assessment and evaluation measures.