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Line 6: − Infrastructure in the schools: Providing adequate infrastructure that will allow access to students and teachers to create and learn using ICT is necessary. Desktop computers or laptops1 are preferred hardware as these will support resources to be developed using many applications. Only FOSS applications should be used, in line with National ICT Policy and National ICT Curriculum of NCERT. + − − An ICT Lab needs to be seen as a part of the basic infrastructure of the school, to provide opportunities for teachers and students to integrate ICT for their learning. Line 58:
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A Professional Learning Community Approach for Teacher Development and OER creation - A toolkit/Establishing ICT infrastructure (view source)
Revision as of 10:11, 3 January 2018
, 10:11, 3 January 2018→Technology infrastructure in schools
=== Technology infrastructure in schools ===
=== Technology infrastructure in schools ===
An ICT Lab needs to be seen as a part of the basic infrastructure of the school, to provide opportunities for teachers and students to integrate ICT for their learning. Providing adequate infrastructure that will allow access to students and teachers to create and learn using ICT is necessary. Desktop computers or laptops are preferred hardware as these will support resources to be developed using many applications. Only FOSS applications should be used, in line with National ICT Policy and National ICT Curriculum of NCERT. This has been the case in both Karnataka and in Telangana. The advantages of a FOSS environment are listed separately.
The setting up of an ICT Lab in the school requires initial investment for creating the lab covering civil, electrical works and furniture. It is suggested to keep wiring to the minimum to reduce maintenance costs. Wireless LAN can be set-up to avoid traditional LAN with wiring. Wiring will be required for providing electricity to each lab. Dependable power supply is an important criterion for success of the program. Solar power costs are rapidly reducing and this should become a model to consider seriously and invest in. The scale of electrifying schools will allow further reduction of solar energy costs due to economies of scale.
The setting up of an ICT Lab in the school requires initial investment for creating the lab covering civil, electrical works and furniture. It is suggested to keep wiring to the minimum to reduce maintenance costs. Wireless LAN can be set-up to avoid traditional LAN with wiring. Wiring will be required for providing electricity to each lab. Dependable power supply is an important criterion for success of the program. Solar power costs are rapidly reducing and this should become a model to consider seriously and invest in. The scale of electrifying schools will allow further reduction of solar energy costs due to economies of scale.
In the area of ICT, the ‘private’ often becomes ‘proprietary’ by which the owner of the ICT becomes the sole arbiter for its design and use, constraining and limiting the role of teachers, learners and the education system, with legal and technological constraints. Use of software that cannot be shared freely, constrains its distribution and use, limiting the digital environment. Use of copyright content, constrains its free sharing and modification / enrichment. This can become inimical to the larger role of education.
In the area of ICT, the ‘private’ often becomes ‘proprietary’ by which the owner of the ICT becomes the sole arbiter for its design and use, constraining and limiting the role of teachers, learners and the education system, with legal and technological constraints. Use of software that cannot be shared freely, constrains its distribution and use, limiting the digital environment. Use of copyright content, constrains its free sharing and modification / enrichment. This can become inimical to the larger role of education.
The specific benefits of using FOSS platforms and applications in the PLC-OER program are listed below
# Since FOSS is '''freely shareable, it can be downloaded free of cost'''. It can be installed on all the computers in the ICT lab without restriction or needing to pay license fees to vendors. Teachers and students can take the software and install on their home computers, at no cost.
# The '''GNU/Linux FOSS operating system is virus-resistant'''. This avoids any need to procure anti-virus software and also avoids downtime when virus affected computers have to be formatted. This saves time and effort.
# A FOSS operating system like GNU/Linux allows 'custom distribution'. This means all the required software like Office suite, web browser, educational software applications can be bundled with the GNU/Linux operating system and '''can be installed on the computer at one time.''' On proprietary operating system, such as Microsoft Windows, each software has to be separately installed, which makes it cumbersome and complex.
# Ubuntu GNU/Linux used in both the Karnataka and Telangana programs is customised in Kannada, Telugu and many Indian languages. '''Ubuntu GNU/Linux has the IBUS software in-built which allows us to type in all major Indian languages, so it can be used in our schools for other languages also'''. Note that Ubuntu uses UNICODE standard for fonts, which is accepted internationally and also by Government of India policy
# There are numerous free and open '''vocational educational tools''' for '''desktop publishing, video editing, animation etc.'''
# Many states use FOSS applications in their school programs. The Kerala [[Mailto:IT@Schools|IT@Schools]] program, Subject Teachers Forum program of Karnataka and Telangana use FOSS platforms and tools.
# Teachers and students can study the software and customise additional software packages for their own use. They can also share the tools with others
# Government of India has issued the 'open standards in eGovernance' policy in November 2010, which requires government departments to use only open standards. The OpenOffice document standard (ODF) has been notified under this policy, while the MS Office format .doc is not open and hence not notified under thus policy
# FOSS is available in all subjects, which allows us to integrate computer into regular teaching learning. The table below provides some popular FOSS subject tools.
[[Category:A Professional Learning Community Approach for Teacher Development and OER creation - A toolkit]]
[[Category:A Professional Learning Community Approach for Teacher Development and OER creation - A toolkit]]