A ‘Video-conference’ was held on 11th January’18, on the topic, 'Essentials of Dialogue, Influences and Power' at IST 1:30 p.m. at Podar World School, Sherkhi, with a partner school of Dubai and Bawa Public School, Punjab. This was an initiative which enabled the teachers to transport their classes across the world in a single afternoon. Online and through video conferences, students interact directly with their peers around the world, engaging in meaningful dialogues around the issues of culture, beliefs, values etc. The interactive session which lasted for 2 hours was quite successful and indeed a great learning experience as each one interacted differently and quite confidently in their own ways adding their personal experiences and influences. Some even narrated anecdotes to add clarity to their point. The V.C. started with a student of Podar World School, Sherkhi extending greetings and gesturing ‘Podar Pranam’ and even explaining the implication of the gesture which is that they pay their obeisance to the God in him or her to whom they have extended their pranam. He then introduced himself and responded to the questions as parents being his biggest influence. This was followed by seven to eight students adding responses like grand-parents, friends, books, teachers etc, Other schools too responded in the same manner with responses besides parents, friends, neighbours Narendra Modi, Malala Yusufzai, Helen Keller etc and at times there were counter questions asked between the schools. To the question asked by the facilitator, ‘How has the influences empowered them?’The students of Podar World School, Sherkhi responded that they felt empowered to carry out campaigns for social causes such as ‘Child Labour’, ‘Save water and water will save you,’’ Campaign to create awareness among the students to curtail the ill effect of demonetization by education the mass in rural areas on the use of various Apps such as Paytm, Mobidik etc. There was a lot of questions posed by the schools to one another throughout the interactive session that hardly five minutes was left for the ‘Reflections on the V.C by the participating schools. Students of PWS shared that the session has been enlightening as it helped them to know the mind set and attitude of students from other part of India and abroad, besides the conversations helped them to build their confidence and to some extent shed off the inhibitions they faced and above all to know the fact that children around the world think, perceive, feel and act alike. Thanks to the Chairman Shri Raghav Podar and Principal, Ms Preeta Pillai for taking such initiatives which can have far reaching progressive benefits in the long run especially in minimizing cases of racial discriminations that Indian students face as they get to know the perceptions of their peers abroad through such interactive sessions.
