The first Virtual IPSC Teachers’ Conclave 2021 was organised by Mayo College Ajmer from 05 to 07 July 2021. 49 IPSC schools participated in this annual meet. VDJS staff, Ms. Shraiya Gupta and Ms. Shriya Bhalla attended the event. The conclave served as a conduit to the educators in apprising and preparing them for what was the theme of the meet- Society 5.0 for Sustainable Development Goals- a model Japan has been working towards since 2016.
The keynote speakers at the event, Mr. Deep Kapuria, Chairman Hi-Tech Group of Companies, Mr. R. Shriram, Principal of The Mann School, Dr. Urvashi Aneja, founding director of Tandem Research, through their talks and presentations, accentuated that how obligatory it was to move from a technology-centered society to a human-centered society that is aided by technology- the cardinal principle for the big societal transformation from Industry 4.0 to Society 5.0 that the world is heading towards. They further emphasised the paramount role of the educators in accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals with the help of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things at the school level. Since AI and IoT would exponentially affect the privacy and freedom of citizens at large, the consortium acknowledged that the onus lies on the educators to nurture socially responsible future generations. Teachers discussed and explored the numerous innovative methods and tools that Artificial Intelligence can offer to make the pedagogy effective in promoting collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and storytelling among children. They also discussed the need for ‘connection with the children before curriculum’ in order to have socially responsible scientists, researchers and citizens who would be the catalyst in shaping Society 5.0 and promoting health and happiness for sustainable development worldwide.
The conclave ended with an insight that the Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved in the education world only when no student, as well as no teacher, is left behind in the process of upskilling for the Utopian Society- Society 5.0.
