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“Our school has followed a traditional teaching method for the past 20 years, so introducing technology has been a priority,” says Swetha Balakrishnan, Secretary, Excel Matric HR Sec School in an interview with Pratik Ghosh, Content Writer, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2023’ #ELSAChennai #ELSATamilNadu How are you feeling to witness this new normal education Leadership Summit and awards? Well, I was looking forward to the summit for a long time. Ever since the new education policy was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was very interested to know more about the policy and its key features. Even though there is a 66-page document available in the public domain, there are certain terms and concepts that need further explanation, such as constructivist learning and contextualization. So, I was excited about attending a summit like this, where educators from schools to higher education institutions come together to exchange ideas. I think it’s a valuable opportunity, and I want to thank ArdorComm Media for organizing such an event. How are you implementing the initiatives mentioned in the NEP (National Education Policy) in your institution? To be honest, we are at the initial stage of implementing NEP 2020 in our institution. The first step is to understand the 66-page document thoroughly. Our school has followed a traditional teaching method for the past 20 years, so introducing technology has been a priority. Thanks to the COVID-19 situation, the introduction of smart classes has been accelerated in our school. As for the implementation of NEP, we are currently at level one. We are working with NABET (National Accreditation Board for Education and Training), which is a wing of the Quality Council of India. They are supporting us with a 50-parameter list, and we are gradually implementing these parameters with their guidance. We have also established a partnership with a nearby school, TI School, which has already been benchmarked in 2008. We are seeking guidance from them as well. The implementation of NEP is a step-by-step process, and we aim to reach level five within three to four years. As you can see in this kind of forums where we have the presence of the academician, EdTech leaders as well as the government, how does this kind of forum benefit the education sector? The Academy-Industry collaboration emphasized in NEP is crucial, not only at the college level but also at the school level. Many colleges require students to take the initiative to approach industries based on their own interests and skill sets. However, students may not always be aware of their own skill sets or the skills needed for future employment. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry at the school level, students can gain insights into the courses and skills required for higher education and employment. Forums like this summit provide an excellent platform for educators, industry professionals, and government representatives to interact and share ideas. Additionally, such events showcase innovative approaches to education, such as the use of technology to make learning more engaging. For example, I had an interaction with a company called Matific, which has transformed mathematics education into an interactive video game. It’s a fun way for students to learn while also addressing the issue of excessive screen time. Overall, these forums serve as a major catalyst for progress in education, and I personally have learned a lot from this summit. Any message for ArdorComm Media Group? I don’t have any specific message for ArdorComm Media Group, but I would like to mention that the summit was well-organized. The only suggestion I have is to ensure better time management to avoid overlapping sessions. Other than that, I want to express my gratitude for providing this wonderful opportunity.

“Nowadays, we associate math with fear and phobia, so our program is unique and meant to remove math phobia,” says Sudindra Rao, Director- Finance, Chrysaalis I-Maths India Pvt Ltd in an interview with Pratik Ghosh, Content Writer, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2023’ #ELSAChennai #ELSATamilNadu How are you feeling about witnessing the New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards in Chennai? It has been very good, actually. So many heads of schools and educators have come and visited our stall. They have appreciated it. I find it a very good opportunity to showcase my business and put it across to many people there. Could you explain what services your company offers? We basically offer a math program called Intelligent Mathematics. This program is meant for children in the age group of four years to eight years. Primarily, we are targeting children from preschool and pre-primary school sections. The program is aimed at removing math phobia among children and making them enjoy the subject. Nowadays, we associate math with fear and phobia, so our program is unique and meant to remove math phobia. We are a 17-year-old company and so far, more than one lakh children have benefited from this program. What is the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of your company? The USP is the actual, literal, practical removing of math phobia and enabling children to excel in math Olympiad competitions. We have first standard children who have won gold and silver medals in the math Olympiad competitions conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation. First standard children winning gold medals in math Olympiads is something great. That is the best part of our program. As you can see in this kind of forum where we bring together industry experts, education leaders, and the government, how does this kind of amalgamation benefit the education sector? It enables holistic and joint ventures to happen. Through coordination and collaboration, we can give more benefit to society and children. Bringing together industry experts, education leaders, and the government allows for better coordination and helps in benefiting the education sector as a whole. Any message you want to share for ArdorComm Media Group? It has been a fantastic program. I would like to thank ArdorComm Media for organizing such an event. I am a regular fan of your media company, and wherever you organize such programs, I will definitely be participating. I look forward to more coordination and help from your team.

“Teaching and learning methods are transforming into new dimensions, says Dr. K. Porkumaran, Principal, Sri Sairam Engineering College in an interview with Pratik Ghosh, Content Writer, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2023’ #ELSAChennai #ELSATamilNadu How are you feeling to witness the New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards in Chennai? It’s a great event, a wonderful gathering connecting corporates to campuses. As the principal of Sri Sairam Engineering College and the Chairman of IEEE Madras Section, I believe that these types of events enhance connectivity and allow us to stay updated on the recent trends and advancements in higher education reforms. Especially, we get insights into the modern pedagogical methodologies being used by teaching faculty. Instead of just thinking about what to learn and what to teach, we are now focusing on how to learn and how to teach. This shift brings new innovative teaching methodologies into the system, particularly the creation of a participative and collaborative learning environment. In the past, the student-faculty relationship relied solely on the expertise of the faculty as the primary resource. However, now there are many resources available, including teaching aids, tools, and methodologies. Teaching and learning methods are transforming into new dimensions. For example, when we talk about outcome-based education, there are three important metrics: knowledge, skill, and attitude. Knowledge is based on conventional teaching and learning methods, while skill is developed through hands-on experiences and industry exposure. This holistic education system ensures that students gain educational experiences and learning that they will remember for a lifetime. It equips them with problem-solving abilities and the capacity to develop innovative products with creativity, affordability, and societal impact. To foster industry collaborations, many organizations are establishing industry-powered innovative campuses. At Sairam Institutions, we have several industry-powered centers of excellence and research laboratories. These facilities provide hands-on training for students and involve industry experts in the board. LinkedIn has become a prominent platform for professional networking and knowledge sharing. Previously, it mainly consisted of professionals, but now students are actively involved. In my campus alone, all 1,500+ students are actively using LinkedIn to professionally share content and connect with educational leaders, vice-chancellors, deans, directors, and industry experts. Such interactions provide new insights into the higher education system, aligned with the National Education Policy of the government. This connection with industry and educational leaders helps us incorporate an industry-driven curriculum into the campus. The curriculum becomes adaptive, converting industry experiences into knowledge, following the theory-to-practice approach. This transformation is facilitating the implementation of industry-based curriculum and innovative teaching practices. At Sairam, we have established the Sai Ram Innovation Ecosystem, which is now part of the curriculum. It includes the Sai Ram Techno Incubator Foundation, supporting startups and entrepreneurship. We have successfully created 100+ entrepreneurs and incubated 85+ startups. Our achievements include winning the AICTE Smart India Hackathon and Defense Innovation Hackathon Startup Challenge. We are collaborating with the Indian Navy on various projects involving faculty and students. The entire transformation is focused on shifting from conventional teaching to technology-enabled teaching and learning practices. This approach has resulted in numerous products and innovations benefiting the community. Moreover, we are actively connected to society