“The most important thing Schools can do is not to use more of Technology, but to use it more effectively”
At SchoolPad we have been working with Schools since more than a year now and during the course, we have helped Teachers focus more on Teaching and Learning rather than on administrative and support tasks.
We strongly believe that it’s not just about technology but useful technology used in the right proportion and with the right training that can enhance the teaching capabilities of a teacher and make School education super effective for students.
We keep sharing our leanings and experiences that come out of our interactions with various Schools through our blog and as a part of this, we are today rolling out a series called Growing Your School With Technology where we will be interviewing Schools to understand how they use Technology to progress better.
Maxton Strong School, located in Uttarakhand, is a School that runs under the Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission (indianorphanage.com). Its sole purpose is to help and encourage orphans coming from different parts of the country get all the basic necessities which include good food, clothing, shelter and most importantly good education. Their purpose is what makes them so special to the whole world and us and we feel really proud to be associated with them and their mission.
We caught up with Mr. Clifton Shipway, President, School Managing Committee at Maxton Strong School and talked to him about his School and how technology plays an important role for him and his staff to progress better.
Here’s the interview:
Briefly Introduce Maxton Strong School to our audience
The Maxton Strong School is a Kinder to Secondary school operated by the Good Shepherd Agricultural Mission orphanage. The school is run not as a profit-making endeavor but rather to educate and equip the orphan children of the GSAM and children of the surrounding community.
Describe an average day at Maxton Strong School?
Each morning our children meet for morning assembly, as a school we try to use this time not just as a ritualistic event but rather to engage and encourage our students. We invite guest speakers to share 3–5 messages of encouragement, motivation or teaching for our children. We ensure that none of our classes have more than 30–35 children to ensure that a positive atmosphere is possible in each room. Free remedial classes for study times are provided for students to ensure that they are not left behind in the event of any struggle to understand. Outside of the classroom children are given large open spaces to play, games are regularly organized during interval or after school to promote unity and companionship.
Describe Maxton Strong School’s vision and ways in which you are trying to achieve it?
At Maxton Strong School we aim to do what is best for the holistic development of our children; not just following the standards or completing the minimum standard. This is done by assessment of the actions, events and undertakings of our school at regular intervals by our School Managing Committee -if we find that something is not quite as beneficial as it could be then changes are made to maximize our kid’s development.
If I ask you to share the one best thing about Maxton Strong School, what would it be?
Our staff is the core of our school, each one specifically selected not just because of any academic qualifications but also rather because of their passion for teaching and their love for children.
Do you see Technology as an enabler for Maxton Strong School’s growth?
Absolutely, as this world turns more and more towards technology we too must reflect that: both for our teachers, parents and students. A short time ago many of our parents were unable to operate mobile phones, now many of them are able to check their children’s timetables, fee details and more direct from their home.
Can you please share with us some of the useful technology tools or services that are being used at Maxton Strong School?
Other than the obvious (SchoolPad) we have also found that the computer program Clean Slate (http://www.fortresgrand.com/) is extremely useful for our students. This program allows us the freedom to not have to lock down our computer lab computers with Group Policies to limit students access to a computer; instead Clean Slate simply restores the computer back to a set state every time the machine is restarted. Combined with mapped drives for network storage this has reduced our computer down time by more than 300%.
One tip or suggestion about the use of technology in school education that you would like to share with our audience?
It starts with the leaders. Your teachers must be fully trained in the use of technology before you can expect your children to be. After school Personal Development courses are a great way to do this and if done right can be a unifying experience for the staff body as a whole.
A big thanks to Mr. Clifton Shipway for taking the time out to answer these questions! To know more about Maxton Strong School you can check out their website www.maxtonstrong.com
