Internet: A Reservoir of Resources

Internet ‘as the name suggests, is an interconnected network of assets for a variety of purposes for adults and children alike. The frequency of using internet now is more as compared to what it was two years ago. Pandemic has impacted the mode of research, manner of reading books and the way we discover information. The encyclopedias, guides, reference books, specimen books, magazines and newspapers were all out of bounds during the frequent lockdown periods. The old pattern of research work and the way we searched for the specific information was thrown out of gear in a jiffy due to Covid 19.

But the resilience of mankind shone once again! The will to learn and move on in the most adverse conditions brought us to the most engaging tool, the internet! Schools went online during the pandemic and, even primary school children started exploring the websites for their project work. ‘Parents’ who are ‘partners’ to schools too performed their role to guide the children to explore the right kind of websites to first fetch the material, sift through it and give due credit to the author of that work if they used their data/material for any purpose. The teachers browsed for hours to get the correct links which could be provided to the young children who were suddenly thrown open into the pool of resources. Had it not been for the internet, the learning and the learner would have been stranded during pandemic.

The world is anyway moving towards total digitalization. Young children in the age group of 5-10 years acquired skills to locate the needed matter in the best possible hands-on manner. The course books too were made available online for schools at nominal charges and this is still prevalent.

Newspapers were replaced by e-newspapers in schools as well as in our homes! The children’s magazines were available online and to lure the children to read, some publishers provided their magazines free of charge. This actually motivated to children to look up more resources to enhance their knowledge and occupy themselves constructively. The schools started building e-libraries where the e-storybooks, e-resource books, e-newspapers and e-encyclopedias were made available online.

The new generation of young learners is taking a turn towards learning via online quizzes, online educational games, online story makers, online Math activities, online Science investigation processes, origami, sketching, all this and more. This was and still is at the tap of a finger. Children were adapting, adjusting, creating, innovating with the help of the plethora of resources available online. YouTube links showing certain nature related videos are breathtaking for the learners and during the normal circumstances they would never have got a chance to explore the internet to that extent. Webinars across the world have brought the launch of books, cultural events, exchange of ideas at our doorstep .Parents and teachers did play a vital role during this shift of exploration process. Undoubtedly, the infinite sea of information is attractive for the young children who were earlier confined only to the mobile phones for their games as a hobby. Internet has now become the need of the hour. YouTube videos for educational purposes are flooded on the internet but the word of caution here is to coach the young learners to guard themselves before clicking on any website or a link when using internet. Fraudulent websites and weblinks must be blocked while the children surf for the resources online, which now is the most accessible way to seek information in the comfort of our homes. Material for learning is surely available online, but net etiquette needs to be taught to the children alongside. The journey is demanding, but this uphill task was an absolute success during pandemic as children learnt to take online competitions, competing with children of their own age group across the globe. Educational companies gave freebies, awards and certificates for their outstanding performances. Interschool events went online, all thanks to internet.

The world is anyway moving towards total digitalization. Young children in the age group of 5-10 years acquired skills to locate the needed matter in the best possible hands-on manner. The course books too were made available online for schools at nominal charges and this is still prevalent. The Education Sector has been transformed overnight to provide with the best to the learners.

Not only that, the confidence and life skills of children were upgraded as they went on online shopping sprees. Online food orders were also part of their experiential learning. One should not forget to mention here that many people /children in our country are without internet connectivity so this tool of internet might not able to serve all strata of our Indian society. The traditional tools of resources will continue to last but definitely upgradation in knowledge has happened for many through internet and this tool is here to stay, sway and flourish as the technology advances every minute. This will not leave anyone handicapped for information ever.

Internet is a precious tool and must be used with caution.

Let’s redefine the parental role towards our tech-savvy kids. Instead of resisting change, let’s welcome it and try to learn something new- this way, we can bridge the gap between us and them, while being able to ensure they don’t fall prey to the perils of social media and harmful content.

Ms Geeta Gujral, has been a part of the prestigious DPS family since 1992. She is currently the Supervisor at the Junior branch of DPS International, Saket, New Delhi. She is a good orator and her skills range fromcurriculum designing, lesson planning,innovative activity-based teaching to teacher training. She has always empowered her students to use technology and she herself has a passion for the digital technology. She loves to paint and write stories and poetry for the children. Community service is a significant part of her personality.