Prayagraj: Experts from Bureau of Psychology will be training teachers to help keep students away from smartphones, computers, tablets, TV, and social media and enhance their potential and performance.
A guidebook is being prepared with the help of eminent teachers for digital detox (exercise of staying off mobile, laptop, etc, for a fixed time) for students aged 14 to 18 years. After preparing the guide pertaining to four sets of activities, the bureau will train teachers on how to help detox students. Teachers will inspire creativity in children through various classroom activities. Four activities, of 35-40 minutes each, have been designed to serve the purpose.
According to director of the bureau, Usha Chandra, “One activity will aim to bring students closer to the environment. Spanning 40 minutes, the teacher will take students on a tour of the school ground so that they can feel close to nature. They will be asked to plant saplings in pots, form teams and given a project to take care of a certain number of plants throughout the year. Children who take good care of the plants can be given certificates as incentive.”
In another set of activities of 40 minutes each, aimed at enhancing concentration of students, the teacher will first write names of scissors, glue, paper, string, cardboard, and colour on the blackboard. Students will be asked to close their eyes, concentrate and think about craft items they can make using these tools. They will then be given the material and asked to display what they can create. As part of the activity, they will learn to appreciate the things made by others and themselves.
In another activity titled ‘Let’s Read a Book’ (40-45 minutes), students will be taken to the library and asked to choose a book, magazine, or newspaper of interest and motivated to read at least one story or article carefully. The next day, they would be asked to narrate what they read. The teacher will motivate students to read newspaper daily.
Likewise, in another activity (30-35 minutes), students will be asked to sit eyes closed for some time. After that, they will be asked to write down how much time they spend on screens and social media every day. Their non-digital hobbies or interests will also be demonstrated in the class and they will be asked how they felt doing their favourite work.