TOI’s Principal Conclave held in association with Toppscholars for innovative learning

In association with Times of India, Toppscholars recently conducted a Principals Conclave at Sahara Star, Mumbai on 26^th July to discuss innovations in education and give students the lead in learning. The panel members consisted of some noteworthy academic experts from across the country.

The first-panel session started with a discussion on the changing responsibilities of the teachers and the key focus on their curriculum framework. Francis Joseph, head of development and strategy, Maharashtra International Education Board, who was one of the panel members, said, “Professional development is not a workshop, it’s a mind-set. Before setting the professional development plan, correct the mind-set and school culture.”

The other panelists for the session were Pramod Mahajan, Principal, Shajah Indian School, UAE, Mythili Ramchand, Prof of Centre for Education, Innovation and Action Research, TATA Institute of Social Sciences, Swaroop Sampat Rawal, educationist and Mayank Vahia, Dean of School of Mathematical Sciences, NMIMS. They discussed about collaborative based learning and suggested the reforms on students’ curriculum to prioritize their interest first and let them take the lead in learning.

Each discussion was held after a series of Q&A session and expert talks. Among the panel members of the second-panel discussions were Pratibha Jain, founder, Eduaboard and Sanjay Salunkhe, CEO of the smart learning app, Toppscholars. The discussion was mainly focused on creating an environment on collaborative and inquiry-based learning to enable students to become independent thinkers and achieve academic success in the 21^st century.

The third panel was centered around one of the most critical issues of today. The subject of discussion was child safety and security and their psychological and emotional needs. Dr Harish Shetty, Clinical psychologist, Rakshanda Inam, Child Centre Division, CRY- Child Rights and You, Sonali Patankar, AHAAN Foundation, were among the panel members. Talking about how bullying issues can be tackled, Imam said that children should be provided life skill training to boost confidence in them and mentally prepare them for panicky situations.

The event, held by TOI in association with the student learning app, Toppscholars, ended on a good note. It was also graced by the presence of Ashish Shelar and Indu Shahani, founding dean of ISME.