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<p>Akshay, thanks for participating.<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 07/06/20 10:30 am, Akshay S Dinesh
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
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<div dir="auto">What do schools do with a chat app, any idea?
<div dir="auto">Do they send videos across? Or is it to
communicate things like time table? Or are they using two way
communication?</div>
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</blockquote>
They use it for virtually everything you can imagine. They'd even
figure out a way to teleport over WhatsApp! Now, speaking seriously,
they use it for staff-staff two way communication and
teacher-student two-way communication. Some stuff getting shared are
already available via other media like newspaper, TV and YouTube,
while other stuff are exclusive. Namely, they ask activities
(homework) to be sent to the teacher via WhatsApp. Kids are not
technically forced to use WhatsApp for this, but peer pressure does.
Teachers are however forced to use WhatsApp to collect these
activities, take counts, and share with superiors.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">There are several things which can be solved by
thinking ahead.</div>
<div dir="auto">For example, time tables shouldn't be announced
10 minutes before class.</div>
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</blockquote>
I didn't get this.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
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<div dir="auto"><br>
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<div dir="auto">Multi-way chats are probably unwanted. If at all
required, perhaps, a large discourse instance with private
areas are probably better for many reasons (including the
ability to use it via email).</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">There are people who don't know how to use email
but do know how to use Whatsapp. But this is no reason to
continue using Whatsapp for every damn problem. Like they say,
everything looks like a nail for a person with a hammer, every
problem gets solved through Whatsapp these days which is sad
considering how Whatsapp creates more problems than it solves
in many cases.</div>
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True.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto"><br>
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<div dir="auto">Hosting videos, again, is better managed through
a different solution where organizing content is more
effectively done.</div>
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</blockquote>
They use TV, YouTube and Samagra to host videos from the govt,
although content produced in schools are shared via WhatsApp.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto"><br>
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<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">I think, when we are suggesting a solution, we
may actually suggest solutions to the actual problems than
be drawn away by their attempted solution and offer
alternatives to that solution whether or not they solve the
original problem.</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">If, instead of jumping to a half-baked (or 10%
baked) solution like Whatsapp, the schools and department of
education take a week off and think about what they want to
do, this might be a brilliant opportunity to redefine the
education system itself.</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Exactly. It's like they think the whole education system would
collapse if schools get delayed by a couple of weeks. I really
appreciate their honest attempts, but if clear guidelines aren't
released, this is going to do more harm than good.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto"><br>
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<div dir="auto">What if there is one wiki where teachers of
Kerala co-create textbooks in Malayalam like <a
href="http://ck12.org" moz-do-not-send="true">ck12.org</a>
? We have the experience of running school wiki</div>
</div>
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</blockquote>
Thanks for bringing <a href="http://ck12.org">ck12.org</a> into
notice. <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://samagra.kite.kerala.gov.in/">https://samagra.kite.kerala.gov.in/</a> is meant to be a
collaborative platform.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAL=48C41ME7wcv8De5uK5V4vvtfunjWQsPP+AGyBSsdGK1ouLg@mail.gmail.com">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">When switching to internet, it is dumb to not
use the power of collaboration it offers. We have to tell
the education department to now think about becoming
futuristic (think edx, coursera, OCW, etc)</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
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<p>I think they should re-consider the role of ICT in primary
education. Although e-learning is the present and future in higher
education, ICT-based education outside classrooms won't work well
in primary schools, I think. Students use MOOC and other stuff in
colleges and universities because they're clear what they need. A
normal school kid need not be wise enough to guide himself through
the overwhelming e-resources (and potentially the bad stuff) that
the technology presents in front of him.</p>
<p>However, that was personal, and with this move happening in the
mailing list, I think our focus can be limited to proprietary and
privacy-killing apps and platforms.<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Nandakumar Edamana
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