BHU teachers get 'Saksham' training

VARANASI: The faculty of management studies, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), is conducting a 10-day teacher empowerment programme. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, under its initiative of the National Mission of Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) in association with Microsoft Corporation, has selected BHU to conduct the programme.The training has started from June 20.
According to dean and co-ordinator SK Singh, the empowerment programme for BHU teachers has been organised under the project 'Saksham', a Microsoft initiative to give impetus to the National Mission of Education through ICT of HRD with a common objective of building connectivity and knowledge network among and within institutions of higher learning in the country. Under this mission, a proper balance between content generation, research in critical areas relating to imparting of education and connectivity for integrating our knowledge with the advancements in other countries will also be attempted.
Abhijeet Singh, deputy co-ordinator informed that Saksham would enable teachers to navigate through new technologies and hone skills required to be an effective mentor and ICT champion. Saksham will empower the teacher to develop a critical mass of dedicated experts working in a networked manner.
Sandeep Tomar and Shaeen from Microsoft Corporation are imparting training at the programme. According to them, the programme comprises IT and soft skills training sessions, experiential learning, micro labs, group discussions, motivational team building and leadership enhancing games and activities that will enthuse and keep the teachers engaged as they learn how to integrate technology into education.
The main objectives of the NMEICT include development of knowledge modules having the right content to take care of the aspirations and to address the personalised needs of the learners, research in the field of pedagogy for development of efficient learning modules, standardisation and quality assurance of contents to make them world class, availability of e-knowledge contents, free of cost to Indians, spreading digital literacy for teacher empowerment, experimentation and field trial in the area of performance optimisation of low cost access/devices for use of ICT in education, providing support for the creation of virtual technological universities, identification and nurturing of talent, certification of competencies of the human resources acquired either through formal or non-formal means and the evolution of a legal framework for it, and developing and maintaining the database with the profiles of human resources.