• Dell Technologies Partners With UNESCO to Organize Its Second PolicyHack for Teachers in Pune
• Dell PolicyHack provides platform for teachers to address their day-to-day challenges and explore how technology can help enable their success
Pune, India, September 1, 2019 : Dell, as a part of its four-city PolicyHack series hosted the second interactive hackathon in Pune, where teachers shared insights on how they are adapting to technology enabled teaching module. Dell has partnered with UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), to create a platform where teachers, school representatives and a cross-sectional group of education experts can hack solutions to enhance learning outcomes in the age of fast paced innovations.
The PolicyHackTM was conducted at two levels, over 90 schools pan-India shared their statements of purpose. Basis the evaluation parameters, top 10 shortlisted schools presented their ideas to the jury, which comprised of Vishal Solanki, Education Commissioner, Government of Maharashtra, Narendra Mehrotra, Senior Consultant, UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, Vinita Gera, Senior Director, Center of Excellence, Dell Technologies and Ajay Kaul, Director and GM, Head Government Business, Dell Technologies.
Dell Technologies plans to conduct two more PolicyHacks in other regions of the country in coming months, with an endeavour to foster and cultivate innovative ideas on how teachers can leverage technology for themselves and benefit their students. PolicyHackTM is a global forum of Public Policy discussions, curated under the umbrella of Realizing 2030 – where teachers take the center-stage in discussing how their profession has evolved in wake of the paradigm shift technology has created. PolicyHack provides a platform where teachers not only share the challenges they have faced, but also present recommendations, ideas and solutions on how to overcome these challenges.
The objective of the PolicyHack is to enable an ecosystem-wide understanding of key problems that impact the learning journey of a teacher. The Pune hackathon for teachers was won by Vidya Pratishthan’s New English School, who presented the most promising and innovative ideas and solutions. The runners up teams are ‘Sadhna School’ and ‘HDFC School’.
Vishal Solanki, Education Commissioner, Government of Maharashtra said, “As a nation, we are rapidly getting more digitized and connected. Maharashtra is among the front runners in making technology accessible to teachers and students. It is also a reality that a teacher’s environment changes much faster when technological interventions are introduced, and that they are still the key facilitators of learning in the classroom. This initiative by Dell Technologies is a useful platform for teachers and school representatives to share best practices, discuss challenges, and suggest solutions on how policy, administration, and society can help teachers become more successful. We are happy to be associated with Dell to take a step forward in this journey.”
Speaking about the hackathon, Ajay Kaul, Director and GM, Head Government Business, Dell EMC said, “Policy and implementation, especially in an era when digital technology is becoming an intrinsic part of education to create new possibilities for students. Dell PolicyHackTM aims to address the disruptions, which are caused by the advent of evolving technology. The hackathon allows teachers and academicians to come together, understand the rationale behind the challenges, and work together towards developing solutions. At Dell, we are focused on transforming education, and our efforts with Atal Innovation Mission, EduVision and Dell Aarambh are testimony to that. We are truly thrilled to partner with UNESCO-MGIEP in bringing this PolicyHack for Teachers – and we hope it makes a difference.”
Speaking on the partnership, Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director, UNESCO MGIEP said, “Earlier this year, Dell partnered with us to organize its first hackathon for teachers from over 20 schools to create a platform where teachers, school representatives and a cross-sectional group experts related to education can interact with each other. The larger aim is to steer away from the present assessment-obsessed competitive system to a structure that rewards collaboration, empathy and compassion for the social good and for nurturing students. Digital pedagogies can help educators develop content that is fun, engaging, interactive and immersive for the user, and reach out to a large pool of students. Both teachers and students need to work together for using technology to enhance problem solving by focusing on creative thinking”.
Above Photo Caption : Vishal Solanki, Education Commissioner, Government of Maharashtra, Narendra Mehrotra, Senior Cnsultant, UNESCO MGIEP, Vinita Gera, Senior Director, Center of Excellence, Dell Technologies and Ajay Kaul, Director and GM, Head Government Business, Dell Technologies along with winning teams.
