1. Introduction Educator/Applicant Name PADMA SUNDARI School/College/University Name BISHOP COTTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL Project Name INSPIRE Email ID padmavaidhyam@yahoo.co.in 2

2. Name and website URL of your School/College/University BISHOP COTTON GIRLS’ SCHOOL Subject of the project i.e. science/history/maths etc. – if project is targeted to any specific academic subject INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY / COMPUTER SCIENCE Age/Grade of target group of learner 11 TH AND 12 TH GRADERS [ 15-17 YEEARS] Project Objectives: (not more than five bulleted sentences) Develop a keen interest in fast developing field of technology Develop a research bent of mind Make student-teacher partnerships through projects Build team spirit Bring in a lot of fun and enjoyment in learning Project Details – add one slide if required for info 7

3. Project Description Brief description of the project and the background. What are the stated objectives and learning outcomes? Is the learning activity long-term? Does it call on students to plan their work and assess their work over time? Please add background information files if needed. See how to embed documents in notes. “INSPIRE”, is an ongoing project that we started last year. This is basically an initiative by our School IT department to ensure that students appreciate and get exposed to existing and emerging technologies. We show case some of the wonderful innovations in IT field. One topic is chosen per term by the teacher.This term I showed innovation on “Sixth Sense” - student groups are asked to research on other new topics. Design of the Learning Environment A project plan or a unit plan. Examples of planning (e.g. pedagogic approach, links to resources used). Please highlight creativity and innovative teaching practices. Emphasize to what extent the planning for learning facilitates the development of different dimensions of 21st century skills e.g. knowledge building, use of ICT for learning, problem-solving and innovation, self-regulation, collaboration and skilled communicatio n. Our project plan cycle is as follows- Research  Relate  Create Students choose a topic,do extensive research and give a seminar on that topic. The seminar is a combination of video/audio, presentation along with their explanation. This aims at: Knowledge building Collaboration Brings out the unique creativity of each child Use of ICT for learning 8

4. Evidence of Learning Examples of products and outcomes created by the learners throughout the project – including use of ICT. What sort of ICT is used and how has it been used in the project. To what extent do students use ICT in ways that support knowledge building, collaboration, or learning beyond the classroom? Does ICT use enable new knowledge-building/collaboration/learning beyond the classroom opportunities that would not have been possible without it? Have digital tools been used in imaginative and ground-breaking ways to support learning processes? Please add files, videos etc. which documents clearly the learning process and evidence of students’ learning Student groups enthusiastically work on the project as it is multi-dimensional. They are not only acquiring knowledge based on the chosen topic but also focus on other areas like- Packaging the topic relevantly to their peers – This is where they seek and go after a lot of digital tools to achieve the end results Communication- They have to be effective in their seminar and hence focus on their oraterial skills Imaginative use of digital tools to support their work Creativity – which is unique to each group. Sample Project by our student on “Graphics and Animation” https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B97O- kxlvOKgaUo3YnpUY210NmM/edit?usp=drive_web Click on the box to listen to some of their experiences: 9

5. Knowledge Building & Critical Thinking Examples of how the learning activities require students to move beyond reproducing what they have learned to building knowledge through interpretation, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation. Here students research and relate it with what they have known about the topic so far. Then they delve deeper into the topic and comprehend it. They analyse and synthesise the content collected. Then they use their imagination and originality and introduce their topic to their friends. The whole focus is to simplify the process of learning rather than complicate it. Bring in the joy in learning. This is easy to achieve as students are the pilots here. They energize the whole process as they are active participants and not mute listeners. Extended Learning Beyond the Classroom If the learning experience is not bound by classroom walls, time-frame of conventional lessons, subject parameters – please show examples of this. If the project addresses real world issues (i.e. authentic situation and data from outside the classroom) or has meaningful impact on communities locally and / or globally please show examples of this. Some of the topics chosen by students like “Artificial Intelligence”, “Cyber Crime” etc involve – People opinions in the form of questionnaires Their real life testimonies. [These 2 topics are underway by students] 10

6. Collaboration Examples of how the students work with other people, sharing responsibility while making substantive decisions for developing a joint product, a design, or an answer to a complex question. Students may be collaborating with their peers in the classroom, or with students or adults outside the classroom Our students usually work in a group of 4. They are guided to work in a particular framework as follows- They have regular group discussions They sit together for initial part of the project Then depending on their convenience,they divide the work or sit together and proceed They have regular reviews with their teacher, which could be weekly once. Most often they identify their strengths and assign work. Example- students who are very good with technology take up the technical aspect, students who are creative use tools to bring out creativity and some work on language tools Cutting Edge Use of Technology for Learning The learning activity involves students’ use of ICT – whether or not the use of ICT helps students build knowledge/collaborate or learn beyond the classroom, and whether or not students could build the same knowledge/ collaborate or learn beyond the classroom in similar ways without using ICT In my opinion – Our GenNext is “ Creative, Seekers, Fast and Quick, Gadget geeks, Tech savvy “ and their hearts and minds are very much entangled with the E-world. It is as if they are inseparable from the E-World. And therefore, I strongly believe the present and the future educators have to use the Cutting Edge Tech tools to keep their interest in learning. ICT will definitely make learning dearer to students. 11

7. Educator as Innovator and Change Agent In environments where innovative teaching is challenging, have innovative teaching practices and ICT been used in instrumental ways to change how students learn. Does the educator demonstrate evidence of continuous improvement in their professional practice, model lifelong learning and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by supporting other educator’s development and understanding of the impact on learning of the effective use of digital technologies? Teaching today is not just about delivery of knowledge through chalk and board but much more challenging. We have to use a lot of innovative teaching tools without diminishing the imaginative skills of students. According to me this is the biggest challenge the present day educators are facing. We have to move and change with times. Infact, we at Cottons incorporate a lot of Computer Aided Learning as a recap to many of the topics learnt by children. There are continuous efforts from our side to see that it is done in the other subjects as well. We had many teacher development programmes on Innovative Teaching techniques. ICT is the way forward …. and since there is no end to realms of imagination, we do not know what other latest educating technologies emerge in future. 12

8. Happy Learning.. All the best!! Microsoft TEAM 25