IT@School Project
Encyclopedia
The IT @ School Project, is an Information Technology
project under the Department of General Education, Government of Kerala
in India
. Launched in 2001, the Project has remodeled conventional teaching methodologies in classrooms through the use of IT. The project, is being implemented in over 12,000 schools in the State of Kerala
, and also in schools [Mahé, India|Mahé]] and Lakshadweep
, and the Middle East
which follow the State syllabus.
The Project is now been implemented from 5th to 12th Standards in the State covering as many as 12000 schools. An estimated 50 lakhs students and 2 lakhs teachers are now part of this project. it has a network of 160 Master Trainers and 5600 School IT Co-ordinators statewide, who are school teachers themselves.The project also conducts specialized training for visually challenged teachers in the State. The Project functions on Free Software platform.
, Gimp
, OpenShot Video Editor
and Audacity
.
alternative to each and every computer application that an average user requires on a daily basis.
All High Schools in the state include their educational contents and other details in their allotted space. Each school would be able to enter details such as basic elementary data, their historical references, statistics, infrastructure details, details of alumni, school websites and blogs, various clubs and forums, class magazines, supporting images and videos. Apart from these contents, analytical language projects such as “Pradeshika patram – [School Newsletter]”, “Nadodi Vijnanakoshan – [Local Encylcopedia]” and “Ente Nadu- [My Village]”, which are part of learning Malayalam language, would also be entrusted to all students in Std 8, 9 and 10 respectively, which, under the guidance of language teachers, would be completed and the reports and findings would enrich the knowledge base of Schoolwiki. Schoolwiki, also feature an “ICT Learning Corner”, which include the various contents prepared by schools for all subjects in ICT enabled education. By facilitating the students with easy access and modification of all contents in Schoolwiki, this project also ensure the participation of general public including school Alumni
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
project under the Department of General Education, Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Launched in 2001, the Project has remodeled conventional teaching methodologies in classrooms through the use of IT. The project, is being implemented in over 12,000 schools in the State of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, and also in schools [Mahé, India|Mahé]] and Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
which follow the State syllabus.
The Project is now been implemented from 5th to 12th Standards in the State covering as many as 12000 schools. An estimated 50 lakhs students and 2 lakhs teachers are now part of this project. it has a network of 160 Master Trainers and 5600 School IT Co-ordinators statewide, who are school teachers themselves.The project also conducts specialized training for visually challenged teachers in the State. The Project functions on Free Software platform.
ViCTERS
IT@School is the nodal agency for implementing EDUSAT network and runs an exclusive channel for education called ViCTERS (Virtual Classroom Technology on Edusat for Rural Schools), which is now aired for 17 hours a day- from 6am to 11pm.India's epoch making first broadband network on EDUSAT for schools ViCTERS (Virtual Classroom Technology on Edusat for Rural Schools) - inaugurated by A P J Abdul Kalam the President of India on 28th July, 2005 in Thiruvananthapuram. ViCTERS offers interactive virtual classrooms that enable the school students as well as the teachers to directly communicate with the subject experts and educationists. It also ensures the dissemination of high quality education to the students and teachers from the original source. Various programmes telecast through ViCTERS are as follows;- Padanakauthukam, Shastrakauthukam educational programmes
- Examination oriented programme for SSLC and Plus 2 level
- Shasthramuthukal (Science programmes).
- Vazhikaatti ( produced by State Institute of Educational Technology)
- Ormayile Malayalam ( Specific datewise regional programme)
- Kerala Sree ( Produced by Department of Information & Public Relations, GOK
- Deutsche Welle Time ( DW Programme)
- Pusthakangalkkoppam ( Introducing various Books)
- Haritha Vidhyalayam (Educational reality show for schools)
- Kadhaparayum Neram (Story telling time)
- Mozhimuthukal ( Detailing famous quotes)
- Drishya paadam ( produced by State Open School)
- Naadavismayam ( Introducing Musical instruments and symphonies)
- Innalekalile Innu ( Yesterday - Today)
- IT for All ( Technology outlook programme for students and public)
- Tomorrow Today (DW Programme)
- Beyond the text ( text based programme)
- Global Three Thousand (DW Programme)
- Magic fingers ( tricks and plays on magic)
ANTS(Animation training for students
The Project also engaged in giving training in Animation movie making skills entirely based on Free and Open Source Software such as KToonKToon
KTooN is a software application for the design and creation of 2D animation. This tool, inspired by and for animators, is being developed by an open community...
, Gimp
Gimp
Gimp may refer to:* GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program* Gimp , a type of sexual submissive in BDSM who may wear a bondage suit* Gimp , an ornamental trim used in sewing or embroidery...
, OpenShot Video Editor
OpenShot Video Editor
OpenShot Video Editor is open-source, video editing software package for Linux, built with Python, GTK, and the MLT Framework. The project was started in August 2008 by Jonathan Thomas, with the objective to provide a stable, free, and friendly to use video editor.-OpenShot features:* Support for...
and Audacity
Audacity
Audacity is a free software, cross-platform digital audio editor and recording application. It is available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and BSD.Audacity was created by Dominic Mazzoni while he was a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University...
.
other training programmes
- ICT training: Training given to familirise the basics of Operating Systems and office packages and other application software.
- Hardware Training: 3 day training programme on hardware maintenance and basic support.
- Internet Training: This 20 hour training programme was given to all SITCs and interested school teachers. The trained SITC then trained all High School teachers in their school. Government has also issued strict instructions that every student in Std X in the school should get atleast 10 hours of internet exposure per year.
- IT Training for the Visually challenged: In association with Insight scheme of Kerala State IT Mission, the Project has successfully imparted IT training using free software for teachers of special schools for visually challenged, by exclusively using free software based screen reading software named ORCA.
- Camera handling training: Two day training on camera handling was given to the teachers, enabling them to create educational videos which could be beneficial in implementing ICT enabled education.
- Training on ICT enabled content: Specific training on ICT enabled content was provided to teachers so as to enable them to use ICT enabled content in all subjects in order to equal teachers in classroom transaction.
FOSS initiatives
Some of the free software applications developed or customized by the Project include the following.- Application softwares like Open officeOpen officeOpen office may refer to:* OpenOffice.org, a free and open source suite of office productivity programs .* OpenOffice.org XML, a deprecated international file format used by earlier versions of OpenOffice.org....
, GIMPGIMPGIMP is a free software raster graphics editor. It is primarily employed as an image retouching and editing tool and is freely available in versions tailored for most popular operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, and Linux.In addition to detailed image retouching and...
, Dr. Geo, RasmolRasMolRasMol is a computer program written for molecular graphics visualization intended and used primarily for the depiction and exploration of biological macromolecule structures, such as those found in the Protein Data Bank...
, KEducaKEducaKEduca is GPL , educational software included with the KDE desktop environment. It includes a module for constructing and saving new tests, and a module for loading and running the tests...
, Klab etc. - Examination software –to conduct IT practical examination to more than16 lakh students
- Handbook for GNU\LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
– prepared as a user manual for working in IT@School GNU\Linux - Training modules in GNU\Linux – to train teachers in open source
- Textbook for standard 8th 9th and 10th – Prepared in association with SCERT
Public Awareness programme
The project also engaged in organizing State-wide awareness campaign,exposing the everyday computer user to the possibilities and advantages of using Linux-based software.Resource persons of the IT@School Project in these sessions, demonstrate how there is a free softwareFree software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
alternative to each and every computer application that an average user requires on a daily basis.
Schoolwiki
‘School Wiki’—modelled on the Wikipedia—attempts to foster the culture of collaborative learning in Kerala’s schools.The portal named www.schoolwiki.in provides a comprehensive knowledge database of all schools in the state. The innovative portal include the learning outcomes of students derived from group activities as well as various educational contents prepared by the teacher groups.This collaborative website is completely Prepared in MalayalamAll High Schools in the state include their educational contents and other details in their allotted space. Each school would be able to enter details such as basic elementary data, their historical references, statistics, infrastructure details, details of alumni, school websites and blogs, various clubs and forums, class magazines, supporting images and videos. Apart from these contents, analytical language projects such as “Pradeshika patram – [School Newsletter]”, “Nadodi Vijnanakoshan – [Local Encylcopedia]” and “Ente Nadu- [My Village]”, which are part of learning Malayalam language, would also be entrusted to all students in Std 8, 9 and 10 respectively, which, under the guidance of language teachers, would be completed and the reports and findings would enrich the knowledge base of Schoolwiki. Schoolwiki, also feature an “ICT Learning Corner”, which include the various contents prepared by schools for all subjects in ICT enabled education. By facilitating the students with easy access and modification of all contents in Schoolwiki, this project also ensure the participation of general public including school Alumni
Awards
- National e-governance Award for the Best Project in 2005
- E-India award - 2008
- World is Open Award 2008
- Open Document Format (ODF) Alliance Award 2009
- Kerala State E-Governance Award 2010
- Stockhold Challenge Awards 2010- Honorable Mention in the Education category