Change EduAware

Silent Conversation

I was sitting on my chair in my room along with my laptop, and it was connected with the internet and I was logged in to Gtalk and Twitter. On Gtalk I was getting IM from one of my senior and I was replying, and on twitter I was in touch of the whole world.

CNN: President Obama is in Afghanistan

Kjohar25: Sat all day wondering about what film I should direct next!!! Maybe I am just thinking too much… self-pressure defeats creativity

TOITopStories: Who Paid David Headley's Credit Card Bill

CNNbrk: Michigan State returns to final Four with 70-69 win over Tennessee.

These were nothing but the updates from twitter and I was in touch of the whole world.

Suddenly my sister came online and I started chatting with her and I spent half an hour from my precious time while talking to my sister.

"Hiii"

"Hello"

"How are you"

"Fine, as usual"

"…………………………………." And the meaningless conversation kept going on for next half an hour.

My mother entered my room and she find me busy with my laptop and she thought that I am studying as the room was full of silence, but it was silent conversation and she was unaware of it. I was not studying but was chatting and interacting with the world without saying anything with any one.

I realized that the world has become silent and we have become deaf and dumb. It was the moment when I realized that everything has been changed. There was time when Tongue and ear were most important organs for live conversation but now we were doing live conversation without mouth and ears, but with Eyes and Fingers. During whole process I was silent but talking with the world.

My fingers were replacing my mouth and my eyes were replacing my ears. And it seemed to be an era of change. Have you ever thought these kinds of silly things, never, but start thinking and try to find how the things are getting changed. You will find it interesting and will realize how we are becoming slaves of machines. We need to think on that that how we are changing the rules of nature. We are breaking all the rules of nature. Now in The Next Education System we are trying to change the old styles of education and are trying to make the whole education digital and online. We will get live updates of what is happening in the world, flow of information is going to be very fast. We will not have to study outdated topics, we will not have to cram the theories and write it in the exams, but we will try to practice the theories like a lawyer, we will have arguments and counter arguments too. Everything is going to be change, the styles, the methods, the techniques, technologies and even the outdated syllabuses. And it will be interesting and challenging too to enter the changed world with The Next Education System.

Illiteracy EduAware

Illiteracy Everywhere

Literacy, as defined in Census operations, is the ability to read and write with understanding in any language. A person who can merely read but cannot write is not classified as literate. Any formal education or minimum educational standard is not necessary to be considered literate. Adopting these definitions, the literacy level of the country as a whole was only 29.45 per cent with male literacy at 39.45 per cent and female literacy at 18.69 per cent. As per the latest Census estimates (2001), the All-India figure has gone up to 65.38 per cent; About three-fourths of our menfolk (75.85 %) are literate whereas over half of our womenfolk (54.16 %) are also literate.

The problems of illiteracy are not confined to India, but are also in developed countries too. Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, devoted the Spring 1990 issue to study the problem of Literacy in America. The Journal quotes Joseph Murphy, Chancellor, City University of New York who stated: "There are as many as 60 million illiterate and semi-literate adults in America today, because poverty and illiteracy go hand in hand."

A leading German magazine 'Stern' point out that even in the United Kingdom, "One out of five adults in the land of William Shakespeare and Harry Potter is practically illiterate or has problems counting money in the purse." According to Daniel A. Wagner, Director, Literacy Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania, over one billion individuals worldwide, nearly 25% of today's youth and adults, can't read. Even fewer comprehend numeracy and far fewer have access to electronic superhighway. "Achieving a literate society in which adults can fully participate in the workplace, community, and family will be a major challenge for the world in the coming millennium".

Illiteracy is one of the major problems faced by the developing world, specially Africa and South-East Asia and has been identified as the major cause of socio-economic and ethnic conflicts that frequently surface in the region. With the limited definition of 'literacy' being adopted for enumeration purposes, there has been concern on the content of a Mass Literacy program. As per the definition stated in constitution, 99.9% are literate in Kerela, and everyone knows to read and write in Kerela. This is the census data. But as per a recent annual survey, ASER conducted by Pratham NGO 1.1% in Rural Kerala can't read anything in their own language, 4.9% can't read anything in English, 30% cannot even recognize numbers up to 99. The ASER states much clear picture of education status of India. Even in Kerala there are many students who cannot Read and Write, can't do easy calculations.

There is a need for a core curriculum to bring nearly all pupils above a certain threshold of learning, for thereafter all subsequent learning is made easier. But then, there is also the concern for democratization of primary education. As a UNESCO publication puts it: "A primary school that fails to achieve certain minimum and useful objectives, that fails to meet the people's needs, which fails to interest either the children or their parents, will inevitably end up by losing in one way or the other".

Tech EduAware

Education for Intellects

We are living in the world of Software and Technologies where we have software for everything. We have the software for accounting, for Database handling, for notes making, for error checking and now for Health Care Information too. Yes, now Microsoft has introduced a new Health Solution that is Connecting Hospitals with Patients and Referring Physicians to Improve Coordination of Care. Microsoft Corp. announced Microsoft HealthVault Community Connect, a new software solution for hospitals designed to help them improve care coordination and engage patients and their families in managing their own health. HealthVault Community Connect enables hospitals to give patients and referring physicians' access, after discharge, to electronic copies of the patient's personal health data generated at the hospital. The product also lets patients preregister for hospital appointments online using their electronic personal health information to populate hospital forms in advance. The product will be available in the third quarter of 2010.

Here we need to understand the need of keeping ourselves updated and TechSavy. But unfortunately our education structure doesn't fulfill this criterion. Where we are using Windows 7 but still in text books we are reading about Windows XP. Where we have excellent Operating Systems based on Graphic User Interface, we are still taught MS DOS. Where the world is using Blue Ray Discs, we in the text books are still reading about Floppy Discs, and Magnetic Tapes. We all know that we are the exporters of Best IT minds but we lack knowledge to the grass-root level. Whatever the best IT minds are produced, these are not produced in schools and colleges but in Private Institutions or coaching Centre i.e. by their personal efforts.

Our syllabuses are outdated but our youth are not. They are putting their own efforts to learn new Gadgets or soft-wares but on their own cost. Teachers are teaching whatever is written in books, and books are theoretical enough and outdated too. Board doesn't bother to make it updated timely. Why the board is stickled to the out-dated syllabus? The answer here is that the system is bulky enough that it takes time to bring the change, so, they resist change and the teachers even don't want to learn new things as they are busy enough solving their Household issues. And the result is that, on some new invention Authorities have to call meetings to decide whether to change the syllabus in next session or not.

Some of the private are really putting efforts in this direction and they providing updated material. These institutions are not following the traditional systems but are using latest minds and technologies. They are providing e-classes, video conferencing, education with new and interesting techniques, vocational trainings etc. Some organizations working in this field are Educomp Solutions Ltd, IGNOU and many more. These organizations are adopting Audio Visual Methods of Studies, which are more appealing, as what we see with eyes is more appealing than what we hear with ears. Private companies like Educomp. Now the studies are more practical. When some chapter on science is to be taught, it is taught on projector by the use of videos and students do experiments in labs. Students are studying at their homes, by way of online classes.

In the same direction recently Microsoft launched an e-book which teaches the ways of digital story telling. A story is made on a particular subject and then the story is presented by joining relevant pictures and audios into videos. Everyone is trying to make the education interesting and worthy. We need the same sort of efforts from our government so that the base of education could be strong, students can get updated knowledge and we can develop Intellectual India.

Child EduAware

Education need to be Outdoor

Today, however, Children are losing touch with the land, water, and wildlife that sets our nation apart. They spend most of their time in indoor activities. And the pressure of studies doesn't let them to enjoy outdoor world. Children spend half as much time outside as their parents did. That means less time playing and fighting, fishing and swimming, hunting and hiking, camping and exploring, hiding and seeking. This trend is one that we can and must reverse by helping Youth get outdoors and reconnect with the places that make our country so special.

We need to create enthusiasm among the Nation's young people about protecting our natural and cultural heritage. We need to run Programmes throughout the Nation to offer opportunities for youth to learn about lands, our waters, and our cultural Heritage. We hope that these programmes can turn Interior lands into outdoor laboratories where students and teachers can experience first-hand the science lessons they learn in the classroom.

Unhealthy Eating and TV Viewing

If you're concerned about your child developing unhealthy eating habits, becoming lethargic or gaining excess weight, it might be time to put them on a diet. A television diet, that is.

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour conducted by UC Davis examined the commercials running on 12 networks during the weekday afternoon and Saturday morning hours, the times when children would be most likely to be watching. Out of 5,724 commercials recorded, 1,162 were food-related. And of those, 70% were advertisements for fast-food, junk food and soda; 34% were for places that sell or products that are considered ''food on the run."

What can parents do to curb the amount of junk food messaging their child sees every day? Completely eliminating television may not be the answer for every family, but limiting television viewing can have a profoundly positive effect on your child's health and well-being. Here are some TV diet tricks to try, Play videos, Take your kids grocery shopping,Keep your TV viewing in check too, let them play Cricket or Football, etc.

Educate them to Play and Enjoy Outdoor and restrict them to TV ads until and unless they are matured enough.