chennai with snazzy visuals that help make learning more fun the computer looks set to replace the blackboard in schools you realise the impact that technology can make when you see the difference in the way 10yearolds understand a concept such as the splitting of an atom now with animation and in colour says sita umamaheswaran principal psbb millennium school where children from prekg to class ix are exposed to the smart classroom technology educationists say that the lively audiovisual aids are engaging and provide several opportunities for students to interact with their classmates and teachers they inculcate a genuine interest in academics in the child teachers say in these classes the term backbenchers has no meaning as all the children are involved in whats going on you should see the way children view the depiction of ashokas conquest of kalinga says ambika harindran who teaches both history and civicsthe children find it a very exciting medium it also helps the teacher move forward and backward between topics seamlessly if he or she wants to help older students brush up on basic concepts or help younger pupils get a more indepth knowledge of the concept says sita it is a much nicer way to learn it helps us understand the concept quicker and retain it longer says shivani gupta a class x student of lady andal schoolthose teachers who have a mental block towards technology should hear out yg parthasarathy dean and director padma seshadri group of schools i dont know the abc of computers so i ask the children to man the technology for me she saysadds shivani some teachers who feel overwhelmed by the thought of having to use the various devices get the help of their computer science counterpart teachers are given inservice training throughout the year to handle the technology involved by firms such as educomp solutions and everonn that provide the resourceseducationists rule out the possibility of technology overshadowing the teacher in the classroom the teacher uses the technology according to his or her discretion so the children dont get to spend every period in front of the computer it is only a tool in the hands of the teacher a very useful one says geetha mani who teaches in sherwood hall at lady andal school the children are first explained the concept and then given an epaatshala session in the libraryit has also changed the way students are being evaluated after every such smart class or epaatshala the students are given a multiplechoice question paper and tested about their understanding of the idea there is no place for rote memorisation here say teachers at the psbb millennium school the children are encouraged to make their own presentations on the topic which the teachers insist cannot be done unless the child has understood the concept thoroughly nevertheless in most schools cycle tests and the quarterly halfyearly and annual examinations are conducted regularlyall said and done smart classrooms are here to stay as sita puts it