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The Knowledge Network is the brainchild of British Columbia’s Knowledge Network, which is an educational cable television network. It is operated by the Knowledge Network Corporation, a crown corporation of the Government of British Columbia and began broadcasting on January 12, 1981. The network supports lifelong learning for children, students and adults by providing quality, commercial-free programming through its broadcast channel, websites and apps. It also invests in documentaries and children’s programs produced by independent filmmakers and helps to develop skills within the independent production community.
The development of the knowledge network is an element of capacity building for education and research. It supports academic partnerships and promotes the university, college and school based knowledge network. Besides, it provides access to scientific data, forms a platform to share information, affords access to newly created statistics and facts, and presents knowledge projects and qualified materials.
The idea of launching Jammu and Kashmir Knowledge Network (JKKN) was promoted by the Former Education Minister Naem Akhtar during his tenure in 2015. and accordingly, JK Knowledge Network Hub and E-Lab was established at JKBOSE office Rehari campus Jammu by the Board authorities. And later, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Former Education Minister, inaugurated the JKKN on 20th February, 2018, at JK Board of School Education, Rehari campus Jammu. It is to mention that the (JKKN) is an initiative to connect school children of J&K to world of knowledge through internet. More than 200 schools have been already connected with internet and application for 2-way interactive lectures from across the world. The aim is to provide quality education to maximum number of students of all locations particularly of / at remote locations. The students are able to interact with other schools inside and outside the state with special focus on subject specific topics, career counseling, motivational Lectures, exposure to outside world Speakers and also learn from the learned and experienced scholars and teachers.
It would be appropriate to mention that under ICT Scheme, SAMAGRA has been providing Hardware equipments like Smart Boards, Projectors, Networking equipments -Laptops and Desktop computers etc to selected schools across the state. The introduction of ICT scheme has enhanced scope of education by facilitating mobile learning and inclusive education. It facilitates research and scholarly communication. Impact of ICT and its potential for the education field is manifold; it positively affects all the stakeholders of the education field. The ICT enables the transformation of teaching, research and learning processes at all levels. It empowers teachers and students to make significant contributions to the education fraternity It (ICT) plays role on three fundamental aspects of education: access, quality and cost. It has advanced knowledge by expanding and widening access to education, by improving the quality of education and reducing its cost while extending the education to the remote areas through Virtual, e Learning, online and distance learning.
Though JKBOSE has established Knowledge Network hub on its own but the programmes launched through it are successful only due to the active support of SAMAGRA in terms of the facilities, equipments and ICT components enabling the organization to arrange online lectures in these schools for enhancing the learning level of the students . The SAMAGRA with the help of Master trainers trained by JKKN, NIELIT and some other external agencies train the School Nodal Officers and teachers at ground level also. And the DIET’s have also started training of teachers for e-learning from the current year.
The JKNN aims at enhancing communication power among the younger generation in order to keep pace with Global Research, Development, activities and innovations which are becoming multidisciplinary and collaborative. It efforts to provide quality education to the students of J and K in subject specific areas and ensure Capacity Building potential among teachers. It arranges special sessions on Moral Education; Value based Education and Adolescence Education. It provides opportunity to the students to interact with the students around the world and watch, interact with the eminent personalities in and outside the State and country. It provides Quality education to the Students using latest Technology and enables students to get high quality study material for Learning. It enables students to get education regarding information Technology at school level and makes studies more attractive and communicative for students. The target users are primarily the students but sessions for teachers are also being organized. Although a conventional teaching learning mechanism exists in all the schools but to nourish them with wider band of knowledge, latest updates and better counseling, JKKN pioneers the platform. Moreover, various interactive sessions on advanced teaching, pedagogy and classroom environment are being organized for teacher group. The professional speakers, senior faculty and renowned academicians are being invited to deliver special lectures for better orientation of teachers.
Ever since the establishment of JKKN, the students of connected schools interacted with the students of Ukraine, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Philippines and with the different states of the country through this platform. The prominent personalities who interacted so far through this innovative podium with the students have been N. N. Vohra, Former Governor Jammu and Kashmir, Naem Akhtar Andrabi, Former Education Minister, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Former Education Minister, Padma Kairry (IFS) Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Shah Faisal, (IAS) Topper, Dr. Vikas Trivedi, Cambridge University U.K , Dr. Vikas Trivedi, Cambridge University U.K, Ms. Sheetal Nanda (IAS), Prof. Karthik Agarwal, Princeton University USA, Ms. Avantika Singh, USA, IAS Topper Mr. Fazl ul Haseeb, Bhagwan Chawale, Mountaineer, Pune, Dr. Ahsanulhaq Quereshi, Japan.