Mai ek bhawraan
Digital Education:CounterOpinion
There must not be any gainsayer that investing or spreading in EDUCATION is crucial in reducing the inequalities that fuel desperate violence ,ignorance and discrimination ,but can somebody explain me how making digital technology more widely available should help much?
The Core:
We may be proud of fully wired,computer controlled-smart class rooms that have projectors,microphones,speakers and video cameras to accommodate every kind of audio and visual presentations and distance learning initiative .
Neverthless ,we find that the most engaging lectures are still Talk and Chalk presentations by cursy old souls who have contagious passion for their subjects (how can we produce them now),interestingly some of whom consider “MULTIMEDIA” to consist of using more than one color of chalk:)
The Dilemma:
I have yet to see a smart classroom enrich the learning experience to a degree that comes close to matching the expense of the equipment it contains..Although many of the professors are eager to embrace new technology,their best efforts at powerpoint fails to surpass the impact of traditional lectures from their low tech colleagues(May be their efforts/energy is wasted in preparing powerpoint and animations in lectures and when the time comes they are already enervated).
..Worse still:
As often as not the technology gets in the way of malfunctioning .I expect that most of the reader have more than once watched a presenter stand sweating in front of a blank projector screen while his laptop reboots -again .
The Need:
Rather than emphasising “globally and cheaply available” digital technology we should gain more —
By investing in simple equipments like chalk boards and books,
By sending teachers in training from poor educational systems to places with selected lecture rooms around the country to explore them to really lucid and passionate teaching..
To send expert educators from those select institutions of learning to poor educational systems as an exchange for some time..
Conclusion:
As with other skilled art , it is the tradition of pedgogy that has to be passed on by personal examples and digital education is of scant help here..
The Tail:
As a support of digital education ,I have read and heared many people saying that chalk takes up the talking time .I must say that the chalk’s taking the time is all about the re-energising .The presentor has to give some time for his ideas to express on its own pace ,to think too -when he plays with the chalk and to search for the best method and media to express his thoughts so that those synchronise and harmonise with the spectators and audience.
Friend,chalking is not wasting his/her time ,it’s kind of meditation the teacher is involved into.
Music is not just about music
My riyaaz is doing good for the last few days and the music season in South is gearing up .Especially in Tamilnadu/Andhra/Karnataka/Kerala ; the gaan sabhas and thyagaraja aradhana mahotsavas will be in full swing.
After I got back from Udaipur and Jaisalmer,never knew if I can regain the speed and clarity on my instrument but now everything is settled ; just need to increase playing by a few more hours(!) and it’ll all be done.
It was a soothing feeling when I was introduced to a few colleageus of mine as musicians.Interestingly -Venkatachalam is a very good flute player(Carnatic Classical) and Ramya is a decent singer (Indian Classical) .Hope we could jam some time.
Looking forward for ‘Gaaja Baaja’ at Pune during February and meeting with Guruji for a taalim during 24-26th January in Mumbai.It has been really a long time I went to Pune.
Just going through Deepak dada’s (Deepak Raja-whoes book titled –Khayal Vocalism: Continuity within Change) was published recently and below few lines/translations are taken from his blog.Its about -“Music is not just about music…”.
“The knowledge of music becomes an effective means of attaining one-ness with Lord Shiva; for by the knowledge of music, one attains to a state of absorption and it is by attaining such a state that one-ness with Shiva could be obtained… One ought not to indulge, out of delusion, in worldly songs…”
Skanda Purana, Suta Samhita. 4.2.3.114-16
“To the yogin whose spirit attains a unified state in the uniform bliss engendered by delectation of objects like music, there occurs an absorption and anchoring of the mind in that bliss. Where there is a continuous and long flow of sounds from stringed instruments, one becomes freed of other objects of cognition and becomes merged in that ultimate and verily of the form of that Supreme Being.”
Vijnanabhairava Tantra
“We adore the Supreme Being of the form of sound (Nada Bramha) which is the one bliss without a second, and the light of consciousness in all beings that has manifested itself in the form of the universe. By the adoration of sound (Nada) are also adored God Bramha, Vishnu, and Maheshwara, for they are the embodiment of sound.”
Sharangadeva in Sangeet Ratnakara, 1.3.1-2
“One attains the Supreme Being by practicing continuously the chanting of the Samans (the sacred Vedic mantras set to music) in the prescribed manner and with mental concentration. The singing of the songs Aparanta, Ullopya etc… the songs composed by Daksha and Bramha, constitutes indeed liberation. One who knows the correct playing of the lute, has mastered the subtle semitones, and understands the rhythms, attains the path of liberation without any strain.”
Yajnavalkya Smriti, 3.4.112-15
“O Mind! The knowledge of the science and art of music bestows on a person the bliss of oneness with the Supreme Being. Music such as is accompanied by the blissful oceanlike stories of the Lord which are the essence of love and all the other sentiments blesses a person with oneness with the Lord. Music such as that cultivated by the discerning Thyagaraja bestows on a person affection (for fellow beings), devotion (to God), attachment to good men, the Lord’s Grace, austere life, mental concentration, fame, and wealth.”
Sangitajnanamu in raga Salagabhairavi by Thyagaraja
“O Mind! Drink and revel in the ambrosia of melody; it gives one the fruit of sacrifices and contemplation, renunciation, as well as enjoyment; Thyagaraja knows that they who are proficient in sound, the mysic syllable OM, and the music notes – which are all of the form of the Lord Himself – are liberated souls.”.
Ragasudharasa in raga Andolika by Thyagaraja
“Two Bramhana lutists are singing to the lute; this thing, the lute, is verily the embodiment of beauty and prosperity; and these musicians of the lute do verily endow him (the patron) with prosperity.”
Taittiriya Bramhana, 3.9.14
“These that sing to the lute indeed sing of Him (the Supreme Being) only; hence it is that they attain riches.”
Chandogya Upanishad 1.7.6.
“Whatever poetic utterances there are, and the songs in all their entirety, are aspects of Lord Vishnu, in his sonant form.”
Vishnu Purana. 1.22.84