Technology enabled teacher training for low-literate, remote and rural multi-grade education centers

Abstract

In remote rural areas, the availability of trained and qualified teachers is poor. Rural teaching is teacher-centric instead of student-centric. A systematic monitoring system to ensure that teachers practice the methods they learn at pre- or in-service trainings is not yet in place. Plagued by such deficiencies, present day rural education in India lacks quality, and children read, write, and compute several levels below grade level. Our intervention comes from the premise that reform approach in rural education should be at the grassroots level, involving comprehensive change in teaching and learning attitudes, teaching methodology and subject matter expertise. Amrita Rural India Tablet Education Teacher Training Program is a technology-enabled training program for teachers that train them to be change-agents and influence both children and communities to bring about sustainable change in attitudes as well as education and learning outcomes. AmritaRITE utilizes cutting edge mobile learning technology in both teaching and monitoring, to improve quality and accountability, even in low-electricity and intermittent-connectivity areas. The comprehensive program trains teachers in tablet-supported teaching methodologies, multi-age classrooms, classroom management styles suited to specific environment, addressing different learning modalities, developing student critical thinking, identifying learning disabilities and overcoming social barriers such as educating girls and low literacy communities.