ScooNews April 2017 by ScooNews

Volume 1

Issue 9

April 2017 IGNITING MINDS

STRAIGHT TALK

Dr Sanjay Parva

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt. Ltd

Editor Dr Sanjay Parva Assistant Editor Anjana Deepak Reporter Ashima Sharma, Anuj Kr. Website Team Vaibhav Ramchandani, Pranav Sharma, Ojas Godatwar, Gaurang Mandhana Art Direction Rexsu Cherry Design CP Sharma Editorial Advisor Shobhita Rajgopal, Meenakshi Uberoi, Neeta Bali Pics Pressfoto - Freepik, Shutterstock

Founder & CEO Ravi Santlani Vice President Operations Vinay K Singh Vice President PR Vanya Bhandari Manager-Sales & Marketing Virendra Kashyap Asst. Manager Business Development Abhishek Tomar Asst Manager Back Office Jaspreet Kaur

GESF and Us!

o other education event could get as magnanimous as this one. Anywhere you went, in all probabilities you would end up rubbing shoulders with the who's who of education, political dignitaries from all over the world and those popular faces that invade your drawing rooms every other day through the LED screens perched on your walls. H.E. Liborio Stellino, Ambassador, Embassy of Italy; Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD; Sadhguru J. Vasudev , Founder, Isha Foundation; H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nayhan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Social - United Arab Emirates; Thomas L. Friedman, journalist, author, and three time Pulitzer Prize winner; Harry Patrinos, Manager , World Bank Education; Irene Tinagli, Member of Parliament, Italian Parliament and more, plus the brilliant teachers, who were the top ten finalists for the coveted $1 million Global Teacher Prize. And us! So to say, the only education media covering the event; blow by blow and minute by minute at the beautiful Atlantis, The Palm - either jostling with acclaimed world media, finalists, delegates (around 2000 accomplished men and women from the field of education) or just plainly wondering whether or not you could have a tête-à-tête with those 28 bottlenose dolphins that they had got from Solomon Islands as part of their aquarium exhibit. It has been a wonderful experience to cover an event which is widely referred to as the Davos of Education, until, finally, when the Best Teacher Prize gets announced from the International Space Station, you actually know why they call it Oscars of Education. That is the crescendo of this masterful symphony!

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd PRINTED AT Jaipur Printers Pvt Ltd, MI Road, Jaipur 302001, Rajasthan, India and PUBLISHED AT EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Published for the month of April 2017 Total number of pages 104, including Covers

FIND US ON

April 2017

CONTENTS

14 Cover story

Meet the Global Teacher Prize Winner of 2017: Maggie MacDonnell “I think as a teacher in a small Arctic community, your day never ends. The school doors may close but the relationship with your students is continuous as you share the community with them”.

35 EVENT: Estrade Singapore recognises leaders in Indian Education Sector

FEATURED STORY: Holiday Homework: Does it really make sense?

The very meaning of holidays is defeated when schools burden children with lots of homework during every holiday. Majority of homework expected of children once holidays are over is generally......

38 TECH FOCUS

education in the clouds Education has always been an integral part in the development process... EVENT WRAPUP: Education for building ‘real’ global citizens Global Education and Skills Forum 2017 witnessed...

PRINCIPALS ON BOARD Dear principals, your views matter to us. Do write in. School system is dynamically changing and principals are at the center of this change. You are the ones who steer the change and we the ones who report it. Write to us on issues that you feel need to be debated. You can send 150-200 word responses to editor@scoonews.com, along with your photographs, mentioning name, school, address and contact details.

April 2017

YOURS TRULY MY STRESSED CHILD Your story ‘How To Banish Exam Stress’ has come as a saviour to me and my daughter in 8th grade. She gets very anxious during exams and this year was no different, until your magazine dropped in. I persuaded her to read the same. “Stress is not what you get, stress is what you take”, this line worked magic on her and for the first time I saw her appearing in her exam happy and smiling. One word: ScooNews is awesome. Alaknanda Munde, Bangalore

A REAL HERO Read the story ‘The Man Under The Bridge’ in your recent issue. For a moment it is hard to believe that such people exist – people whose personal aspirations didn’t get fulfilled and they want to see the same being fulfilled by passing on the light of education which they were deprived of. It is strange that even though I being a Delhite, I was not aware of this noble man called Rajesh Kumar Sharma. More of such encouraging stuff is expected from you and hope you would not disappoint. I am your fan. Ritika Dhawan, Delhi

school heads do not voice their concerns could be because they are not sure who could provide a solution and how. You have shown a way. Thank you. Suman Malekhar, Maharashtra

SHIKSHANTAR Your story on Shikshantar makes an interesting read. More importantly it shows your social responsibility by highlighting people and institutions that are not usually talked about. I am sure there are hundreds of schools, big and small, like this one doing a wonderful job. Hope to see more such coverage from you in your forthcoming issues. Manjusha Vaghela, Gujarat

DIFFERENTLY ABLED CHILDREN I have been reading your magazine since the last 5 months and I am hooked. But I also have a complaint. Your focus seems to be mainstream private schools, assumedly because a chunk of students are enrolled in the same and you want to reach them with the inspiring stories that you carry. But allow me to draw your attention to another group of children who, thanks to weak government policies, are a neglected lot. I am talking about differently abled children, who account for a huge population among Indian children. Please be kind to them also. They have a right to education too and they are Mother India’s children too. Savita Dhule, Pune

DISRUPTION 2017 Am totally floored by your March cover story, Disruption 2017. You have separated wheat from chaff and actually linked educators, startups and students in a thoughtful way. The listing provided is insightful and I as a school head have been able to identify the gaps in my school and how a few of the companies listed could be of help. Schools have their own sets of problems and one reason why the

(Editor: Savita Dhule, we appreciate your suggestion and promise to carry a series on the same.) TALK TO US

SEND AN EMAIL: yourstruly@scoonews.com Please do not send attachments

SEND A LETTER: Letters to the Editor must include writer’s full name, address and home telephone, may be edited for purposes of clarity or space, and should be addressed to the nearest office:

JAIPUR: EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor Jaipur 302004 India

April 2017

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts and samples before recycling

TRENDING Cabinet approves proposal to open 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for opening 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under the Civil/Defence Sector in the country, keeping in view the high demand for these schools for their quality of education and excellent results. The total project cost based on Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) norms for the proposed 50 new KVs is Rs 1160 crore. New KVs will be opened from classes I to V for which 650 regular posts shall be created in all the 50 schools. The schools will grow every year with addition of one more higher class and when the school grows up to class XII and becomes a full-fledged school with two sections in each class, there shall be a requirement of about 4000 regular posts of various categories i.e., about 2900 teaching

posts and about 1100 non-teaching posts. These new KVs, when fully functional, will provide quality education to approximately 50,000 students in addition to the approximately 12 lakh students already

Mother, father and son appear for class XII exams together

Biplab Mondal who is a student of Class XII, at Arongghata Hajrapur School in West Bengal's Ranaghat, appeared for the higher secondary examination with his parents. Biplab's father is a farmer and mother is a homemaker. Over the past three years, the family has been preparing for the exams where Biplab plays teacher to his parents. As per reports, Biplab's parents have cleared the Madhyamik exams in 2014 and 2015 respectively, before enrolling in the school. It wasn't easy for them, because of their age many schools refused to admit them.

April 2017

studying in the existing KVs. There are at present 1142 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas under the KVS, including three abroad at Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran.

Junk food not to be sold within 200 M of school: NBSE The Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) Kohima has directed all schools in the state to ensure that no junk food is sold within a radius of 200 meters of the school compound. Consumption of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), popularly known as junk food, is associated with increased risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation and hyperinsulinemia with a risk of cardiovascular diseases in later life, stated NBSE Chairman Asano Sekhose in an official notification. These diseases and childhood obesity have been reportedly found to affect the cognitive and physical development of children adversely causing an irreparable loss to the society, it said.

Pratyasha Nath is India's spelling champ of Spell Bee Season 9 Classmate, a leading Notebook Brand by ITC and Radio Mirchi’s spelling contest Classmate Spell Bee Season 9 culminated with an exhilarating finish as Soha Ali Khan announced Pratyasha Nath of Shri Shkishayatan School, Kolkata as the National Champion of India’s largest spelling competition. Aaman Ahmed of St. Michael’s School, Siliguri was the first runner up. The theme for the contest this year was ‘Every child is unique and so is every word’. The competition this year was conducted across India and engaged with more than 3 lac students across 1000 schools in 30 cities by testing their mettle in English spellings. In the initial phase, an on-ground exercise in schools received massive participation. The top 15 spellers from each school then competed in the online city finals round. The top performers from the city finals then competed in the Semi Final stage of the competition. From there only the top 16 students from across India went on to battle it out in the televised National Finals.

Dubai Theme Park turns its ground into a classroom In a bid to support school curriculums, Dubai Parks and Resorts' (DPR) is turning its grounds into a classroom by launching an educational school programme that takes learning to the next level and brings education to life beyond the classroom. These highly experiential programmes will take place in the information-rich setting of Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Legoland Dubai, to give students and their teachers a hands-on, educational adventure. DPR’s packages include fun and engaging challenges and workshops to expand students' knowledge and skills on various aspects of the theme park, and the entertainment and edutainment industry. The collection of guided field studies spans the fields of arts, entertainment and science, designed to reinforce lessons learnt in the classroom. Students of all ages are given a chance to practice teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills as their groups participate in one-of-a-kind experiences.

Australian man fights to keep India’s girls in schools During his first visit to Mumbai in 2012, Australian businessman Mark Balla was taken to Dharavi by two of his Indian friends, Faheem Vohra and Tauseef Siddiqui. That was a turning point in Mark Balla’s life. Lack of toilets for girls in schools has been a serious problem in India, and a major cause for girls dropping out. Lack of proper sanitation facilities for girls often resulted in unsafe situations for them, as they had to defecate in the open and often became victims of violence. Overall enrolment of girls from classes 1 to 5 came down to 48.20% in 2014, compared to 48.36% in 2013. The statistics highlighted the plight of girls going to school and the premature dropout rates, which affected Balla greatly. He started interacting at various platforms to sort this out and offer a solution. It was at New English School, Vihitgaon, in Maharashtra’s Nashik that Balla’s dream and tenuous hard work finally paid off, as the construction of fifteen toilets was completed in 2014. Girls who would not come to school frequently had started to come back, as they now had access to hygienic and functioning toilets. After the first project, there was no looking back. Since 2014, Balla’s charitable organisation has built over 100 toilets in 7 schools in Nashik and is on course to build 100 more by the end of 2017.

April 2017

TRENDING

Australian cricket team visits Yuwa sport school for girls in India AUSTRALIA’S men’s cricket team saw first-hand the role sport can play in the lives of young women when they visited Yuwa, an NGO based in Ranchi, Jharkhand during their tour of India this week. Yuwa works to empower girls by combating child marriage, illiteracy and human trafficking in Jharkhand, where six out of 10 girls drop out of school and become child brides. More than nine out of 10 families

in rural areas lack access to a toilet. Yuwa uses sport as a platform for these girls to change their future. Australian player Stephen O’Keefe said visiting the school showed him just how lucky we are in Australia. “At times you can get caught up playing cricket thinking it’s the be all and end all and not making runs is the most important thing,” he said.

Long Lost Indian Moon Probe Found by EarthBased NASA Radar

“Being able to have these experiences out here, listening to their stories and being able to share some of your stories it shows that cricket is more than a game. It transcends ages, genders and cultures. “It’s important for us as Australian cricketers to do that and continue to do that into the future. We’ll get more well-rounded cricketers on and off the field.”

A powerful radar beamed from Earth has found a tiny Indian moon probe that last contacted its handlers more than seven years ago. Scientists used the radar to spot India's 5-foot-wide (1.5 meters) Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter, which studied the moon from October 2008 through August 2009. Despite the potential influence of mountains and other "mass concentrations," which can shift a probe's path, Chandrayaan-1 was more or less where team members expected it to be — in a polar orbit about 125 miles (200 kilometers) above the lunar surface. The $504 million LRO mission was launched in June 2009. The probe worked for about a year as a scout, gathering data that may be useful for future crewed journeys to the moon; it shifted to more of a pure-science mode in September 2010. The Chandrayaan-1 also included an impactor, which was released from the orbiter in November 2008. The impactor's violent arrival on the moon in November 2008 revealed evidence of water ice on the lunar surface. India aims to launch its second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, in early 2018. The mission will consist of an orbiter, lander and rover.

April 2017

OUT OF BOX

“How To Banish Exam Stress?”, ScooNews wrote “Why Not Banish Exam Itself?”, Sadhguru asked us

t couldn't have been a better day than that or a better lesson. ScooNews CEO, Ravi Santlani’s interaction with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev was a complete paradigm shift. When our previous month's cover story, How To Banish Exam Stress, caught his attention, he smiled and covered the word stress with his hand on the cover. "Now read", he said. "How To Banish Exam"! Just like that, instantly and simply he conveyed a new meaning of a thought probably never con-

ceived before. It takes Sadhguru no time to mesmerise you. He is right, and you suddenly wonder why rest of the world is so wrong. In another interaction, he clears all of your remaining doubts too. “We have got it fundamentally wrong”, he says, when he is informed that in 2015, 18,000 children committed suicide in India. He said: “When I came to know that in 2015 about 18,000 children committed suicide in India; I felt this is really tragic because a child is fresh life. When this new life which should be exuberant

and joyful, wants to take its own life, we must understand that we are doing something fundamentally wrong. When our children commit suicide, we should know that we are handling life in a completely wrong way”. “If you do not pass an examination that is not the end of life. I did not even go to examination, and I am fine. So you should do well in your education of the children, but if you don’t, that is not the end of the world. There are many others ways of making life”.

April 2017

COVER STORY

April 2017

Meet the Global Teacher Prize Winner of 2017:

Maggie MacDonnell Grown up in Nova Scotia, Maggie MacDonnell volunteered in Sub Saharan Africa in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention before she used her innovative skills on students moulding them from a problem into a solution. April 2017

COVER STORY Dr Sanjay Parva editor@scoonews.com

n a special congratulatory video message broadcasted into the ceremony hall, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “Maggie MacDonnell – on behalf of all Canadians – from one teacher to another - congratulations on winning the Global Teacher Prize 2017.” “I’d like to say thank you to every teacher out there. Teachers owe responsibilities to many people – students, parents, the community, and the school board. But in the end, as all great teachers know – they are ultimately responsible for something far greater. They are responsible for the future – and for the world that will be shaped by the children they teach.” Speaking on the stage after being presented the award, Maggie MacDonnell said, “The nomination process created a means for more than 20,000 teachers to feel valued and revitalized and to have their professional commitment validated.

“On a personal note I would like to invite my students to share in this award, as I have won this not for them but with them.” Maggie MacDonnell is a native of Nova Scotia village, Canada. After completing her graduation, she volunteered and worked for the prevention of AIDS amongst the general masses in Sub- Saharan Africa. Post her Master’s degree, she realised her countrymen were being assaulted by environmental destruction and massive social and economic inequality. She saw this as an opportunity to tackle the issue by teaching indigenous Canadian communities in a small Inuit village called Salluit, nestled in the Canadian Arctic, surrounded by snow and ice and home to a pint-sized community of 1,300 people. Life at Salluit was not easy; temperatures dropping below minus 25 degrees resulted in high rates of teacher turnover. Many left their posts midway and others applied for a stress leave; a significant barrier to education at the Arctic. Her current school has no

April 2017

Principal who left after six weeks of stress leave. Moreover, gender issues, teenage pregnancies, high rates of sexual abuse, drinking, smoking and increasing suicides among youth are a common sight in the village. Working against odds, Maggie was determined to help her country people and turned her students from problems to solutions through her acts of kindness and designing a Life Skills program for the purpose. The program engages the students in projects of their interest – from cookery to mechanics and gives them a new positive platform to stand upon while contributing something positive to the community, thus boosting their self-confidence. Specific examples of her Life Skills Program include creating a fitness centre, running a community kitchen, and managing a second-hand store. Diabetes and obesity-related diseases are on the rise among the Inuit population, so the fitness centre has provided enormous health benefits to the entire com-

munity and not just Maggie’s students. Additionally, the students have managed to raise funds of nearly $40,000 for prevention of Diabetes in the community. A number of local people gather at the community kitchen to eat meals prepared by the students. They also take the meals on the road to distribute amongst the vulnerable and needy. The project has not only developed cooking skills among the students but has also helped in the equal distribution of food resources in the population. In an area where the cost of living is exceptionally high, Maggie’s students opened a store by gathering donated items and selling them at reasonable prices. This way they learned a variety of skills associated with running a shop – entrepreneurship, dealing with cash, and customer service, while the community benefitted from affordable second-hand goods. She also created a life skills program, especially for girls. Her labour has paid fruits with a 500% increase in registration of girls in programs previously dominated by the boys. Moreover, attendance at her school has dramatically improved with students getting involved in running a community kitchen, attending suicide prevention training and hiking through national parks to understand environmental stewardship. Maggie has also been a temporary foster parent to some in her community including few of her students and served as their lifesaver. “I think as a teacher in a small Arctic community, your day never ends. The school doors may close but the relationship with your students is continuous as you share the community with them”, says Maggie. Maggie MacDonnell has made an outstanding contribution to the lives of her students and everyone in Salluit and is a deserving winner of the $1 million Global Teacher Prize for 2017 – money she proposes to use for setting up an NGO.

Exclusive with Maggie MacDonnell How does it feel now? It feels absolutely fantastic and wonderful. I feel humbled by the honour. I am happy for my students who have visited here in Dubai and for my community people there in Inuit region. I am generally overwhelmed and a bit speechless on being recognised this way. My sincere apologies for that! What do you hope the award will bring for the citizens of Canada? I just hope the award brings attention to the indigenous communities of Canada, for the people of Salluit and it’s not momentary. Hope they are treated with the dignity they deserve. What will you do with $1 million prize? As mentioned before, I plan to work with my students to establish an environmental stewardship program that would help the youth reconnect with their diverse cultural traditions. I will be consulting the Varkey Foundation which is so experienced in managing incredible projects and looking forward to how I will inculcate these steps in my community. What would be your first step as a winner? Laughter! Probably to get away from all these cameras those seem to be encroaching upon me. Why do you feel it’s important to shine the light of global citizenship? Global citizenship is important because we are facing so many incredible issues in the world today and we need to cultivate critical thinking, compassionate behaviour and creative solutions in our youth, so that they are ready to tackle all the complicated challenges we have created and they are inheriting.

April 2017

FEATURED STORY

HOMEWORK Does it really make sense? The very meaning of holidays is defeated when schools burden children with lots of homework during every holiday. Majority of homework expected of children once holidays are over is generally copy-paste stuff –jot down in notebooks what is written in the books. It results in two things. One, it consumes children's time and mars the charm of their holidays and two it leads to no learning. The very act of homework becomes irrelevant. What is the purpose of asking the child to do such exercises all over again which have already been done in the schools. Schools are seldom seen asking students to indulge in tasks at home which they miss at school otherwise. No holiday homework has ever been seen as an attempt to enhance a child's learning capability, or

delve deep into his psyche and explore what it is that he is best at doing. This is an issue, which parents acknowledge but schools shy away from accepting. We took this issue seriously and tried to reach out to a cross-section of parents to see what they feel about it. In this endeavour we even reached school heads and attempted to find whether or not they are for or against it. The response was amazing. If you read through this whole story, you may even be surprised to see where your own opinion fits in. Parents want to speak up; even school heads want to speak up but since no one has ever attempted to raise this issue; ours is being seen as a small but significant step in this direction. And to give the concept a practical shape, we were fortu-

April 2017

nate to enter an agreement with Scholastic India, publishers and distributors of children's books, which most schools and students are already aware of. Scholastic will provide 5000 books (fiction and biographies) to classes 1 to 5 in schools interested to bring about a paradigm shift in how homework has been seen since decades. Schools interested in giving children “reading a book” as homework can borrow the same, pass on to the children, and post-holidays each child will write a remark on the book as to how the book was. The same book, when returned to Scholastic India, will pass on through many more children during holidays in other locations. Scholastic India will be conducting an in-school program post holidays to assess the efficacy of the idea.

Dr Sanjay Parva editor@scoonews.com

crapbooks, inputs of which are just copied from the internet, are left at the mercy of paper worms in school cupboards and nobody cares to look at them again. Sketch pens which are just bought once are then kept locked in similar cupboards. And scenes where students make multiple trips to cyber cafes and printout shops during holidays are very common place.

school term starts. However, too much of the homework hampers their growth as an individual by leaving little time for participation in fun activities and spending with their families. Are schools putting children to the right task every holiday season? A ‘no’ shouldn’t be taken as an offence please. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy – the proverb clearly highlights the importance of leisure activities in the overall development of a child, particularly his intellectual development.

their stress and anxiety; even though they have better access to the internet services, the massive nature of the homework assigned only frustrates them. And when this frustration reaches its limits, there are always these small ‘companies’ that have ready-made projects to offer; meeting teachers’ expectations of a “good” student more than a hundred percent. Whom are we cheating? Certainly our own children!

A survey conducted by the University of Michigan reveals Unfortunately, not much has high levels of stress and deprivachanged over the years. But, The schools nowadays claim that tion of sleep amongst 2,900 stuincreasing pressure dents who spend more on the students, than 3 hours on packed activity homework durschedules, and ing their vacaan alarming tions. Just focus Holiday and homework are indeed two contradictory terms. Holiday increase in your attention child obesity on the word means an extended period of recreation and leisure while homework has provoked “burden”. Why means schoolwork which is required to be done at home. If we are some saner should holiday going to give homework, when will the child get to enjoy the recreminds to homework feel reconsider like a burden for ational activities? In today's world of technology, students are learntheir stand on children? After ing all the time from each and every activity they do. Learning doesthe subject. all, it is aimed at n't happen only in the class or by doing homework. A planned improving the The debate child’s learning academic year is enough for such learning. Once on vacation, kids around holiday capacity and conshould be exposed to new versions of learning over and above homework is not tribute to his acaacademics. Travelling, playing games, interacting with family recent. It has demic progress. raged for years and friends, etc are all teaching the kids some or the other valaffecting the teachNevertheless, this ues which may be missed out in academic sessions. ers, students, and goal is accomAccording to me, as educators, we should allow kids to parents alike – it is plished only when just that the debate the type and amount explore the world and spend their vacations in the best was never taken so of homework are calpossible recreational activities. seriously as it should ibrated according to have been. the interests of the students. In reality, the The majority are of the amount of homework and its Nirali Dagli, Principal, opinion that holiday homework quality doesn’t cater to the needs of Aga Khan School, Ahmedabad helps cultivate a disposition the students; rather convert them towards learning in students. into machines by school authoriHoliday homework acts as the best ties. Moreover, students do not feedback mechanism to grade the receive any benefit from learning child’s mastery of his concepts and or writing the lessons assigned skills. Point noted. But which type during the holidays. Such an of homework? How can parents assignment is only regarded as a and students be sure that they are the students of the 21st century are part of the continuing school edudoing just the right thing during more exposed to resources like the cation. Students do not actively holidays; if at all it is necessary for internet and social media which take interest in such activities and them to do the same? Wasn’t play help them to complete their assignthe lessons are forgotten after a or creative arts or simply reading ments and also learn simultanewhile. Any activity that is taken up enough during holidays? ously. without real interest amounts to rote learning and cramming and Holiday assignments provide an But to deal with the increasing not actual learning. opportunity to the students to “burden” of homework assigned sharpen their learning skills and during vacations, students end up Not surprisingly, a student wrote prepare themselves for the next working to complete their projects on his Facebook page, “Why do stage of learning when the new up to the last minute, adding to teachers give us homework for the

April 2017

FEATURED STORY holidays?” The title is self-explanatory about the reluctance of the students to work during the holidays; they too deserve a mental breather from the daily school activities. In addition, the school authorities claim that children can perform well and score better grades provided the parents actively participate in completing their homework, but, what sort of participation?

easy and less time-consuming. A news article in the leading newspaper of the country, shared a surprising trend on the part of the parents; they outsource the holiday homework to professionals. Thanks to such parents; professionals of leading companies like TCS, IBM, and Accenture earn lakhs every month by just doing the holiday homework of the kids.

For parents, participating in homework ought to mean helping their child with his projects and assignments and not do the work themselves. What purpose does holiday homework serve if parents have to complete their kid’s assignments without involving children in the activity of learning?

drop the idea of the trip or has to sit until the last day completing his assignments. Shalini Nambiar, deputy director of GEMS Education India, which runs several schools, however, feels that outsourcing of holiday homework is an unhealthy trend. The basic purpose of giving such projects is to help a student think more creatively, which is not possible when the homework is outsourced to the professionals.

Home work means some work that you do at home. Do we expect students to be idle during their vacations? Or should we allow them to spend their time as couch potatoes in front of screens (mobile, computer or TV) whole day? Holiday Homework may not be repetition of class work or scholastic work that is supposed to be done in school. It can be subjective and depends on what the child likes to do. Home work can be creative projects depending on interest of the student. Vacation homework can be taking up a short course in anything from cooking to storytelling to sports activities and writing a report on that. NCERT offers many activities for children during vacation. Attending those activities can be considered as holiday homework. It can be taking a trip and writing a project on that. Whatever it is, the school should have a policy for holiday homework aligned with the curriculum but it should not be rigid and never burden a student or bother the parJust like it’s unfair for ents and the student. teachers to place undue pressure on the students in school, similarly, it’s futile if parents take complete charge of the child’s holiday homework and he doesn’t learn an inch from the project. A lady in order to become a good cook needs to try the recipes on her own; just watching the cookery shows won’t serve her purpose. Correspondingly, if a child doesn’t engage himself in doing his projects, he won’t learn any new concept or master an old concept; which is the basic objective of assigning the holiday homework in the first place. The reason behind such behaviour from students is partly due to the cumbersome nature of the homework assigned and partly their reluctance to work during the vacation time. Parents also nowadays are much smarter, they have found out an alternate route to make their task

Aditi Basu Roy, Principal, Sardar Patel School, Gautam Buddha Nagar

Parents too proudly boast of such an activity claiming that it reduces their burden of completing their kid’s homework and provide them with a sense of satisfaction with the quality of work offered by these service providers. Completing loads of paperwork during vacation is a burden, not only for children but also their parents. Families usually plan a trip to meet distant relatives or out of town to spend their vacations. But, all goes waste due to the enormous assignments given to the child. The schools and teachers are to be blamed for this. It’s ultimately the child who suffers; either he has to

April 2017

She further gives her opinion that holiday homework shouldn't be given at all; rather we must inculcate reading and writing habits in children. For example, ask students to click pictures when they go for a vacation or write about their experience of the trip.

Homework, which is meant to consolidate the learning skills of a student and provide an opportunity to work on his weaker subjects actually demotivates him from learning and lays an extra burden on him due to its voluminous nature. Writing numerous essays, solving enormous mathematical equations and sticking variety of pictures comprise a routine homework assigned during vacations. How do they contribute to the learning and enhancement of knowledge in students is questionable. Because to complete these assignments on time, students either resort to copying them from their peers or delegating the responsibility to their parents, who then hire professionals to accomplish the same. In both the cases, the main aim behind assigning the homework is not fulfilled. “My dog ate my homework” or “It was torn by my younger sister”

and so on are the common excuses given by students on returning from vacations. Besides, vacations or holidays are meant for rejuvenating young minds from the hardworking months at school. But, to their astonishment schools have made it worse by assigning loads of homework to be completed during vacations.

Holiday homework I feel should not be burdened on the students as well as the parents. A vacation should be a break from studies for the students to be able to enjoy their childhood. Instead, they should be encouraged to learn a sport, dance form, Art or musical instrument based on the interest of the child or simply enjoy a travel adventure with family. Travel experiences can teach a child new learnings as well. Children have to All their zeal and excitement of vacations goes down the drain. develop their co curricular skills too! Leave alone the enjoyment and relaxation, students are engrossed in finishing their projects and assignments till the last day of their vacation and end up with sickness and tired minds on the first day of school after a supposed break. Such instances and excuses given by the students for incomplete homework themselves are evidence of the irrelevance of holiday homework.

Just think “Holiday Homework”. Aren’t these two terms contradictory? As soon as you hear the term “holiday”, the first thing that strikes your mind is to plan a trip abroad with your family or get enrolled into dance, painting and other fun classes or utilise the vacations to subscribe to your passions.

Tamsin Islam Ahmed, I/C Junior School, Springdale High School, Bangaluru

ing holiday homework is to keep the students engaged in the mode of continuous learning, even outside the school premises. This happens when students are given appropriate opportunities to engage and share their knowledge with peers and teachers alike during the school hours, as John Walmsley claims. Such students are constantly encouraged and determined to advance their learning even outside the school and without any massive holiday homework.

In the real sense, a holiday is He justifies the purpose of assignmeant for such leisure activities ing projects during vacations but only. In ancient times, holidays were referred to some special religious days for conferring religious duties by a human being like visitHoliday Homework makes sure that the stuing a pilgrimage and othdents are connected to their studies during ers. However, with advancvacations and do not feel completely new to ing years the meaning of a topics when they come back from vacaholiday has shifted to a spetions. This also enables teachers to track cial day for rest and relaxation as opposed to a normal their progress during the vacation. I feel day and away from work or that if the holiday homework is fun and school. Asserting this fact, John Walmsley, the principal of UWC Atlantic College, UK feels that holidays are a time for family, friends and relaxation of the mind. If schools do their job of teaching and engaging students correctly, the majority of homework would be irrelevant. The main purpose behind assign-

innovative, then the students will not think of it as a task and enjoy doing the same along while learning.

Dipali Agarwal, Associate, Centre for Teacher Accreditation, Bangaluru

condemns the approach followed by the current schools and teachers, who believe in the philosophy of “more the homework, better it is for the students.” This belief has branched from the current education system that lays an undue stress over scores and grades rather than learning by the student. Learning doesn’t happen only by cramming lessons from the books; you learn from the real world experiences as well. Each activity you indulge in; reading books, playing games or spending time with friends and family teaches you something valuable in your life. Moreover, what do we want our future generations to learn? Do we want them to learn how to solve a particular mathematical equation or how to write an essay on a particular topic? What purpose will such learning serve? This is just clustering their minds with bookish knowledge and not learning in the real sense. Real learning is to adopt a particular piece of knowledge and know how to adapt it to a variety of changing circumstances. The following story helps to understand the concept of learning in a better way. Once a guy appeared for an interview in a reputed company for the post of a manager. He had a sharp mind and an excellent academic record during his school and college years. So, he was selected for the final round of the interview to be taken by the Director of the company. On the day of the final interview, the Director posed him just a single question, “How his father earns his bread and butter?” The candidate replied, “By washing other people’s clothes.” He was nervous that he would lose this job as he was not from an affluent family. However, the Director assigned him the task of helping his father

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FEATURED STORY and spending some time with him after he returned home. The boy did exactly what the Director had asked him to do and learnt a valuable lesson of his life.

the value being provided to the student’s personal education goals and the benefit to their individual learning skills before assigning holiday homework.

He acknowledged the efforts his father had put in his education, how much pain he had tolerated for his success and the real value of education. This was what his Director wanted to see in his future manager, a person who empathises with other’s pain, who works for the betterment of the company and society; not just for his monetary gains.

The purpose of the homework assigned is not to overburden the students with work, but to encourage independent thinking in them which is possible only by a fair balance between studies, playing and spending quality time with their family.

This lesson could only be learnt by spending time with his father, no book, no school could teach it. They could only give him the educational qualification required for the job profile, not the skills for excelling in his field. This narration is not an endeavour to oppose the education system but to open the eyes of schools towards the real meaning of learning; prepare them to serve as the real centres of learning and not just factories for producing students with higher and higher grades. Being amiable with this belief, John Walmsley is right when he says that schools must think about

Homework during holidays or as we say in the literate world holiday - homework does not really make sense. Why work if you are on a holiday? Due importance should be laid on development of hobbies which will eventually lead to skill development and open a plethora of alternate career opportunities later in life. Visiting historical places, exploring tourist destinations, participating in adventure sports or going for a personality development course will help a child develop while keeping him interested rather than a written homework. Ranjeet Kaur

Not only the homework, but the objective of the entire education system is to instil self-directed learning amongst the students and for this to become a reality, the schools must ponder over the relevance of assignments they give during the vacations. Joining hands in the discussion, the educators Etta Kralovec and John Buell have condemned the practice of holiday homework in American schools in their book “The End of Homework: How homework disrupts families, overburdens children, and limits learning.” They suggest that homework during vacations is an intrusion on the child’s family life and may result in increased drop-outs in high school. The increasing load of homework makes the child neglect his family priorities, music lessons, and religious teachings. To back their claim, they have

If holiday homework is planned well, it does help students to be in touch with the portion they have done before holidays and when they come back they do not feel blank. Sadhana Malik, Principal, Bodhitaru International School, Greater Noida

highlighted a review of the studies conducted by Duke University to establish a link between the amount of homework assigned during the holidays and the aca-

April 2017

demic achievement of the child. However, in the real world, there is a weak link between the child’s academic achievement and homework at both elementary and middle school level, as revealed by these studies. Considering these, the US government posed a ban on the holiday homework in some cities in 1901. Heating up the argument against the necessity of the holiday homework is the result of a survey conducted amongst the students of Guwahati, Assam. All the students stood united on the fact that too much of a holiday homework spoils their zeal associated with the vacation time. 40% students agree that excessive homework stands as a barrier in pursuing their interests during holidays, 25% agree that it leaves no time for them to spend with their family and 35% students believe it hampers their engagement in socio-recreational activities. Comparing the performance of students in various countries, a Stanford study affirms an outstanding performance of the students in countries like Japan, Denmark, and the Czech Republic who prefer to assign little homework in accordance with the child’s interests. Keeping in accordance with the interests and holistic development of a child, countries like Japan have instituted no homework policy in elementary classes to allow students a family time and an opportunity to pursue their personal interests. The academics in Japan believe that holiday homework has a negative influence over the early learning experience of a child. Instead, they prefer to make their students take up any physical activity like ice-skating and sledging during the vacations. The decision is also based on the observation of increasing obesity amongst children around the globe. Daily school hours and homework don’t leave sufficient time for the students to engage in

outdoor activities. Therefore, holidays provide an ample time for students to enrol themselves in a physical activity of their choice. However, not everyone is of the opinion of giving a break from the holiday homework. They argue that complete absence of homework during the holidays will make the child lazy, ignore his studies and lose touch with the syllabus covered so far. To cope up with the situation, the schools in Japan follow the trend of giving minimal homework to their students over the vacations. But, kids there have the privilege to choose the project of their choice; studying the growth of the plants, reading the history of their community or writing compositions on the books they read. The approach liberates the child from the burden of unnecessary paperwork and also keeps him in touch with his regular studies. The famous American novelist, Wallace Stegner quotes, “A teacher can enlarge the person in all sorts of ways besides just his subject matter.” So, how can a teacher expect his student to grow if he pertains to assign loads of assignments on his own subject? This is not limited to only one teacher, but every teacher strives to give homework in his/her subject and expects the student to excel in all; a weird and next to impossible expectation. Yes, it’s necessary to study all the subjects in primary and middle school before you narrow down your choice of subjects in higher class. However, each child is unique and gifted with talent. Every student has a knack for a particular skill which needs to be nurtured by the teacher. This nurturing and upbringing of the student’s talent is the role of every teacher; not just giving the lecture in a class and work assignments for home. They must encourage students to seek and learn from their real world. Following the footsteps of Japan, Finland, the national leader in

I think holiday homework is not necessary for Top and average category students but its implementation for poor students is necessary. Dr. Gopal Singh Kachhawaha, Managing Director, Pipar Teacher Training College, Jodhpur

international tests, has limited the number of hours required for completing the homework to not more than half an hour a day. These policies were formulated when the academics in the countries observed little or no benefit to the student’s learning capacity on assigning packets of worksheets for the vacations. Moreover, it was an added burden on them to check and grade such meaningless paperwork. In fact, they found a much better way to engage students in the act of learning and have fun simultaneously. This is possible when you approach an activity with a spirit of a holiday and not assigning a task to the students. During regular school days, children are busy with their daily homework, revising lessons, and giving weekly or monthly tests at school. This leaves them drained

My view on holiday homework is that it makes sense only as long as the homework is project based and allows the child to explore / research and do something with her own hands. If it is of a repetitive or monotonous nature, it should rather not be given! The idea of holiday homework should not be to have a schoollike environment during the time of the year when there is no school. Ranjan Goyal, Chief Executive Officer, Aga Khan Education Services, Rajkot

Holiday is meant for taking a break from usual activity... should be more physical activity... games... free from written activity as usually... completely free to enjoy time and do creative activities, hobbies as per interest of individual children... every children is different... lets them enjoying whatever their interest... it's their time/interest. Sanjesh Sindhu, Rohtak

Is it really holiday homework? Seems more of tasks to be done by parents. Jayant Bhalla, Amritsar

and completely exhausted. What could be a better way to rejuvenate them than recommending children books and holiday stories for the vacation? The regular school hours don’t permit them to read such books. Holidays are a great time for reviving a reader in them and making them learn in an exciting way. Learning not only happens from the course books, you also learn from the books other than the school textbooks. For example, the book “The Day I became a Bird” by Ingrid Chabert is an interesting illustration to explain the importance of relationships in a person’s life, an endeavour that provokes a child to express his feelings in the most truthful manner. Such books impart impeccable and valuable lessons important for your child’s development as an individual. Plus, reading in itself is fun and improves the vocabulary of the child. Sharing her experience, Kari Louhivuori, a veteran teacher and principal of Kirkkojarvi Comprehensive School in Espoo, Finland says that

April 2017

FEATURED STORY they prepare the kids for life at the school; something which they do every day. One of her school’s sixth-grade students, Besart had drifted far apart from learning despite the efforts of every teacher at the school. The team of special educators convinced her that his failure to learn was not due to his laziness.

Netherlands.

I am on the fence about it. I have 2 kids n they are like night and day (like most siblings) but luckily both can engage themselves in free play reading n generally do things themselves and as a RULE they do their homework / craft /art ON THEIR OWN even when they say their class mates work looked so good it got displayed mine didn't ?? I say to them I will display it in my studio - u do your own work ! Period ! That said for my kids home work if it's like writing a review or a nature study album (go for a walk collect fallen leaves etc ) is golden but pages and pages of math and science and what not - I am not for that at all . Vacation is a time to chill for both me and kids can't have this ‘talwar’ over our heads - home work needs finishing. so 70 – nah, 30 - yah.

Kari then decided to provide tuition to the boy herself in her office. When Besart was not attending lectures in his class, he was assigned the task of reading books from her office shelf one by one. The books were not the regular textbooks, but different from the school’s syllabus. By the end of the year, Besart had mastered the country’s vowel-rich language and proved that he had a capacity to learn; justifying the fact that learning is much beyond reading and memorising lessons from the textbooks. Moreover, formal schooling in Finland starts at the age of seven. Yes, you heard it right, seven! Commenting on the trend, Kari

I am certainly not in favour of holiday homework because children study the entire year and vacation is a time that needs to be spent with family and friends. I think it is important for us to understand that vacation time is also character and personality development time for a child and parents needs to take time off to make sure we spend quality time with our children. Make vacation time a fun and loving time let kids enjoy because these days will never come back.

Manavi Chakravarthy, Gurugram

Louhivuori says that they believe in allowing their children to be children, to help them learn through playing and exploring rather than sitting locked up in a classroom. The kids must start schooling when they are actually developmentally ready to learn and focus; why to stress them out? Finland’s school system accomplishes some interesting feats; their high school graduation rate is 93% as compared to 78% in Canada and 75% in US, about 2 in 3 students go to the college and their test results are better off than other countries like Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, and

Holiday homework should be limited, simple and easy.... which kids can do themselves. ....in short homework baacho k liye ho, na ki parents k liye ...woh bhi limit mai ....so kids can enjoy their vacations too. ... n do it easily without any pressure. Gurugram

Vinish Wilson

Ashima Badhan,

April 2017

So what is the reason behind the success of Finland students? The reason is not very big, but simply because there is no holiday homework in Finland schools until the child reaches his teens. Still, the amount of homework and standardised tests in schools is only minute, thus, allowing kids to be their own.

Seeing the example of Finland, districts like New Jersey have begun to follow a homework-free policy since the last academic year. They realise the fact that students need time to relax and recover from the stress of the school, just like an athlete needs rest after a workout. Presenting his opinion on the subject, Steve Cochrane, the principal of Princeton School, New Jersey has claimed, “Breaks are the time to relax, a time for family and pleasure, to play, and to visit museums and concerts.” However, many teachers worry about the wastage of time in revising the old lessons after a break if they do not assign homework during the vacations. But, their argument is put to rest by the students who claim that if they are given a break during the holidays, they are ready to work harder after the break. This assurance by the students and observing the graduation rates in other successful countries must make the schools realise the importance of holidays and the relevance of the assignments they hand over to the students. School professionals think that assigning holiday homework is a part of the disciplinary action taken for the benefit of the students. However, what they don’t realise is that discipline can’t be taught, it comes from within.

You can’t teach a child to follow the rules and regulations by giving him instructions and scolding for his disobedience. This way the child might follow your instructions, but, you also instil in him fear and disrespect for yourself. He will follow your words in front of you, but, behind your back he may not value the importance of your words and of being disciplined.

In my view summer holidays homework should be totally removed. Winter holidays homework can be given to a reasonable level. This homework system was not there when we were students. Summer holidays were of full 2 months. Now a days, summer holidays are barely of one month with lot of homework. Else it should be renamed as HOMEWORK HOLIDAYS. We are actually curbing the creativity of our kids by burdening the, with our or school choices with this. Where is leisurely time for today's kids? Mostly all the parents are talking valid points. Answer can't be in No or YES. Maybe for some kids it's good to get engaged in something to avoid distraction, on the other hand many kids and their environment at home is more disciplined. Then lot of parents take their kids to vacation or to the relatives. Poor kids and parent’s fun goes for a toss worrying about completing the homework while on the vacation. I am absolutely against holiday homework but seeing distractions these days, nominal homework can be a solution.

Children need not be taught discipline, but, the importance of it. Why they need to do a particular thing and what benefit they gain from obeying it? Once they grasp the importance of discipline, they will follow it on their own.

Shalini Jettley,

Remember the famous dialogue from the Bollywood film, 3 idiots; even a lion learns to jump from the fear of the hunter shown by his trainer. However, such a lion is designated as well-trained and not a well-educated lion. Likewise, a student who just crams his lessons and writes pages of notes is not a learned student, but, an ordinary person with memories of some passages from a variety of textbooks. Is this what you want to make your student learn?

work makes it easier for families to have time together. A family time is extremely important to the child’s achievement and behaviour. Studies have been conducted on family meals and suggest that students who have dinner with their family have better academic scores and behavioural outcomes.

Before assigning any holiday homework, every teacher must ask one question to himself, “What will the student gain from this homework?” Your answer itself is the clue to framing the homework for your students. You can recommend great story books to read during the break. Start by reading out the introductory chapter in the class and leave the students intrigued to discover on their own, the remaining part of the story. The activity instils a reading habit in children, will help them to concentrate and keep them engaged in a meaningful exercise.

your child’s development right from the time he is a toddler.

Why do doctors recommend spending quality time with your baby; giving him a massage, bathing him, talking to him, reading out books and so on? Because these activities provide a sense of comfort and security to your child, it helps to relieve his stress and ultimately grow up physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Gurugram

Perhaps this is only a correlation, but family time is undeniably important to the child’s development. Not only at school age, but family time plays a crucial role in

No no no....completely no for holidays homework. It’s just a burden on parents. Sometimes we have to get the projects made from outside which costs the parents a lot. Kids come and say...mumma holidays homework for you. Kanchan Banga Arora, New Delhi

Besides academic achievement and good behaviour, family meals are important for a couple of reasons. Kids eating regularly with their families are less likely to munch on unhealthy snacks and junk food. Moreover, such children have fewer chances of falling prey to smoking, drinking, and other drug addictions due to low levels of stress in them. The documentary “The Family Meal” clearly highlights the link between the child’s health and the number of meals he has with his family. It’s actually not the meals, but the bonding within the family members that makes a difference; meals just provide an opportunity for the same. Everyone will agree that high levels of stress and emotional disturbance poses a hindrance to the child’s academic performance and his growth in general. Then why do school authorities shut their eyes when it comes to the matter of holiday homework? Aren’t they able to feel the pressure they lay on their students by assigning loads of home assignments? This can be observed by listening to the grievances of the students from various schools frustrated from the atrocity of holiday homework.

All the more, assigning less home-

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FEATURED STORY

Why should we replace HOLIDAY HOMEWORK with READING?

Neeraj Jain, Scholastic India

Educators would agree that children learn and retain a lot more when they are enjoying. And when we talk about maintaining a certain routine of learning, yet one that the child enjoys, one feels that reading might be one way to bring the two together seamlessly.

April 2017

Holiday homework – those two dreaded words for every schoolgoing child, and possibly even for teachers who must set it. Holiday homework, across subjects, is set to prevent the ‘Summer Slide’. But the question that one would like to ask today is – are you really able to arrest the loss in achievement gains using the traditional model of homework? T r a d i t i o n a l l y, homework consists of some set reading, practice assignments or review of previously taught material in preparation for assessments to be carried out after the break. However, as every teacher will know, barring a handful of students, most of them will be spending the largest portion of their holidays not studying, and then cram all the holiday homework into the last one week. Also, more often than not, children view holiday homework as a chore, and how much they learn from it is questionable. Summer is an especially important time to encourage children to read what they like and to spend time reading just for fun.

their favourite books are the ones that pick themselves. Books serve to develop literacy, but they can also contribute to a child’s general knowledge, imagination and creativity, as well as their knowledge of the other subjects that they learn in school. In fact, contrary to popular belief, reading can also aid in development of mathematical skills.

So, why don’t we make an effort to replace giving traditional holiday homework with providing children with a range of engaging and infor mative books to read? In addition, children should be allowed the autonomy to make their own selections. Reading different books for different purposes keeps their brain sharp. What they read over a summer is sure to enhance and reinforce what they have learnt thus far, and create the right conditions for them to continue learning beyond the holiday. Students with strong reading and writing skills are much more likely to have success in school and life. Summer is a great time to read!

April 2017

FEATURED STORY

Good News for Progressive Schools Scholastic India in association with ScooNews is giving away 5000 books free to schools interested in giving reading as homework to students from Grade 1 to 5 these vacations If you are a progressive school willing to embrace this change, kindly write to us at editor@scoonews.com with number of students you would like to enroll for this pilot, and we will supply you the books FREE. For more details on how it would work, please read the intro on this Holiday Homework cover story.

April 2017

Rabustat Kaur, a class 10 student at St. Stephen’s School puts forth his agony by recommending schools to set a limit to the amount of projects and assignments given during the vacations. With the current scenario, he has to spend 5-6 hours per day to complete his assignments, leaving no time for playing and going out with his family.

The homework we get is disproportionate as per the children capacity. Here we get homework and there the messages start from the outsource vendors. Though I strongly oppose both, outsourcing the homework and disproportionate HomeWork. The home work should be project based and include some learning work. Like what you did in holidays? where you went? and what did you learn? Instead giving tables and spellings to learn and big unrealistic projects which ultimately becomes HomeWork for moms. Well I believe kids have full right to get break. Some HomeWork as I suggested like writing a project Ananya Mahi, a Class 8 stuetc would be most welcome from my end. dent of Smart Wonders School, SAS Nagar on the other hand, feels that holidays are meant to be enjoyed so that she returns fresh for the new term. A little revision of the current syllabus or research on an interesting topic would suffice for holiday homework rather than lots of written work.

Twinkle Bhayana, Delhi

voluminous nature of the assignments doesn’t leave any option other than copying from the internet or dole out the project to the professionals. Seeing the negative effects of enormous holiday homework and the necessity of keeping the students in touch with their curriculum, an Italian teacher, Cesare Cata who teaches in secondary school at Le Marche region has wandered from the usual setting of holiday homework.

He urges his students to read extensively and use all the new terms learned therein in their writings to maintain their touch with the curriculum. He believes that more they write, more they can think, and more freedom they will gain.

lum. She further adds that the Though complete abandonment assignments given to the students of holiday homework might not should be fun and involve brainbe feasible for the school authoristorming and research in the real Besides, he encourages them to ties, they should at least take into sense; not just copying and pasting see the rising sun, go for a walk at consideration the interests and from the internet.” What knowlthe sea-shore and think about the plans of the students for their edge will the child gain if he just things they love in their life. Such vacations and design assignments copy-pastes the project from the encouragement on the part of a accordingly. Even parents don’t internet? His learning is not school teacher has received hunfind it comfortable if their child enhanced in any way by such activdreds of positive comments and returns home without any homeity. But, they are also helpless. The more than 3000 shares on the work. They feel that holiFacebook. day homework is a conYet, another point of structive way to spend debate regarding the the vacations rather There is absolutely no sense in any holiday homeholiday homework is beicompletely out of work. Kids need a break desperately after their the pace of learning touch with the school by a student. Each stucurriculum. exams and before the gruelling schedule begins dent is different, havagain in July and mostly schools have the first UT ing his own field of Surinder Kaur as soon as school opens. Anyways the kids need interest and pace of Ahluwalia, a mother to to study for the UT so what is the need of this learning. Assigning the a 15-year old girl comsame amount and pletely opposes the presholiday home work which adds to the burden. nature of homework to sure laid by the school Can schools for heaven sake leave the summer every student doesn’t authorities in giving holivacation which is the only long vacation they cater to the individual day homework, yet, feels get? The whole purpose becomes submission needs of every person. that little is necessary to at school and the mother and kids end up While framing the holiavoid children sitting idle day homework, teachers at home. being stressed out completely and do a can assign the task to a rush rush job before schools open. particular group of stuBesides parents, even teachdents with a common interers hold the same opinion est. For example, students about the holiday homework Ekta Rana, interested in literature can be assigned nowadays. Anuradha, a Bangaluru assigned the task of reading a set science teacher at the Delhi Public of books during the vacations. School, says that holiday homeThey can even share the books work is a way to work on your amongst themselves. Such an knowledge and understanding of activity will be readily taken up by topics outside the school curricu-

April 2017

FEATURED STORY

Holidays homework for elementary classes does not make sense at all...for middle classes it should be uncomplicated...more research based than those models/projects which like my fellow parents say are outsourced mostly...defeat the purpose of homework...I belong to the camp who support homework. Shilpa Ajay Kalra, Gurugram

interested students, instil a feeling of co-operation amongst them and set their minds free to think creatively. Besides, they must be encouraged to attend a particular event related to your classroom like if reading on Shakespeare; they can attend a related play or a ballet. Similarly, students interested in cooking can be encouraged to visit a local restaurant or help their mothers with cooking and cutting vegetables in the kitchen. Such exercises promise to take care of the interests of the students and relieve them from the burden of unnecessary paperwork.

Though the National Education Association formulated the guidelines for assigning homework to the students; as per these guidelines, no student should be assigned homework more than 10 minutes per grade level per night. However, the reality is far from these guidelines. Have you ever heard of a child getting sick because of homework? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true! William Crain, a professor of psychology at City College of New York and the author of Reclaiming Childhood has observed increasing number of kids developing school-related stomach aches, headaches, sleep problems, and depression. The average student spends almost seven hours a day at his desk and adding two to four hours of homework each night, they work for 45 to 55 hours a week! The United States has been the most homework-intensive country but observing the performance of the countries like Japan, Finland, Italy, Denmark and others who follow minimum homework policy, it has begun to reconsider its stance on the subject. With others imitating these trends, the traditional homework is bound to become obsolete in the coming years.

I'm totally in for the holiday homework, as it keeps kid engaged and they learn many new things while doing it... but yes I totally agree that homework should be child centric, (not for parents) and it should be creative for the child to enjoy doing it and should not take it as burden... Isha Vibhor, Gurugram

Holiday home works should always be child centric or else children can enhance their reading skills & vocabulary, mind games to build up critical & creative thinking skills. Children should also be taught not to live in imaginary & fictional life by minimising the use of mobile phones otherwise most of their vacations will be spent on social media which is the biggest source of distraction in growing children. Bhupinder Uppal, Patiala

Absolutely NO holiday home work - child centric or not. Plus, it wouldn't be required if things are taught well. Ekta Eccleston, Gurugram

Primary classes shouldn't have to bother with homework. For older children activities such as age-based recommended reading, learning a new word a day or volunteering at an NGO with parents makes more sense. Homework ends up being more for the parent than for the child. How do you expect my three-year-old to do art and craft that even I find difficult? Nehaa Singh Kamboj, Gurugram

Homework should be child centric. But most of the schools give homework which is not related to either children's age or class. Homework must be something that the child enjoys and does him/ herself. Kusum Yadav, Gurugram

April 2017

EVENT

Estrade Singapore recognises LEADERS in INDIAN Education Sector SCOONEWS DESK editor@scoonews.com

Technology is the main disrupter of our educational institutions to reach out to a large section of our youth to impart education, especially to those areas that have poor connectivity and students who cannot afford to travel to a college or vocational institute. For this, TNOU has successfully developed an app which is easily accessible on all smart phones. Dr. Bhaskaran Muthusamy, Vice Chancellor- Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU)

ingapore’s Estrade Media Pte. Ltd. successfully hosted the Estrade Education Conclave & Awards, 2017 on 25th March, 2017 at Sofitel- BKC, Mumbai. The forum’s main focus was Education and Skill Development, titled – “Augmenting the future of Education and Skill Development”.

Estrade Education Conclave & Awards, 2017 provided an international thought-leadership platform to bring on board various stakeholders associated with imparting Education and Skill Development that created a learning ecosystem for the exchange of ideas and best practices. Furthermore, the Conclave discussed issues and challenges faced by the Indian education sector and connected with educationists to create more opportunities for students and aspiring leaders. It also aimed at recognizing those corporate entities, educational establishments and individuals who are at the forefront of arming the next generation of Indian professionals through ground-breaking learning methodologies in Education and Skill Development. According to a Government of India report, by 2022, approximately 119 million additional skilled work force will be required in 24 sectors viz. Real Estate, Commercial Property, Infrastructure Development, Retail, Transportation Logistics, Automobiles, Textiles, etc. India being the world’s fastest growing

April 2017

EVENT Winners of Estrade Education Conclave & Awards 2017 Institution Awardees •

(L to R) Vishwasjeet Singh, Editor-in-Chief – Estrade.in as the Moderator, Dr. Bhaskaran Muthusamy- Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), Shubika Bilkha- Real Estate Management Institute (REMI), Robin BanerjeeAuthor and CEO-MD, Caprihans India, Ratish Tagde - Founder of Insync Channel, Ashok Kumar- MD – Gennex Partners India.

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economy has a huge demand for skill-ready educated professionals in all industries, be it traditional or high-tech. This is an un-missable opportunity for all companies and professionals engaged in the Education sector. Estrade Education Conclave & Awards, 2017 hosted a panel discussion which focused on the Education and Skill Development sectors. This was Estrade’s first conclave on education which brought together stakeholders from government-owned institutions and privately-owned institutions on a common platform. The panel comprised of Robin Banerjee- Author and CEO-MD, Caprihans India, Ratish TagdeFounder of Insync Channel, Shubika Bilkha- Real Estate Management Institute (REMI), Dr. Bhaskaran Muthusamy- Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), Ashok KumarMD – Gennex Partners India and Vishwasjeet Singh, Editor-in-Chief – Estrade.in as the Moderator. The discussion brought in the most interesting facts about the education industry such as the viewpoints of leading professionals from various sectors with education and work experience in India, USA, Singapore and other countries. During the panel discussion, everyone agreed on the disparity in the imparting of education in India, the huge potential of the Indian youth, incentivizing the teachers, revamping the curriculum for teacher’s training and incentivizing the new research and creativity amongst the students.

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Making our youth skill-ready is only a part of the solution. In fact, inculcating qualities of entrepreneurship, character and ethical behavior are the most important parts of imparting education. We do not lack in IQ, but in the imparting of EQ- Emotional Quotient.

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Robin Banerjee, Author and CEO-MD, Caprihans

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Our educational institutions are yet to tap the full potential of the Education and Skill Development of India’s growing economy. This will have to be an industry-wide effort for not only students, but also teachers who are vital stakeholders when it comes to imparting of education. India has the best of everything. We only require proper planning with a concerted effort.

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Individual Awardees •

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Vishwasjeet Singh, Editor-in-Chief, Estrade.in

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Our education policy framework must include education of Art, especially Music, which is and has been the core of our educational setup since time immemorial. Such holistic education helps to build students character.

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Ratish Tagde,

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Founder, Insync Channel

Global Indian International School, Singapore Innovation in Early Learning Sandip Institute of Engineering & Management, Nashik - Best Higher Education Institute of the Year Tamil Nadu Open University, Chennai - Innovative Use of ICT in Distance Education VIT University, Vellore - Best Private University of the Year Smartkidz Educare India Pvt. Ltd., Secunderabad - Early Child Playschool Chain Bankedge Training Academy, Mumbai - Best Placement Institute in Banking Padmabhushan Vasantdada Patil Pratishtan’s College of Engineering (PVPPCOE), Mumbai- Best Engineering College of the Year Mind Ventures International, Pune - Best Innovative After School Model NIIS Institute of Business Administration, Bhubaneshwar - Pioneer Management Institute of Odisha 2017 Scoo News, Jaipur - Best Education Media House of India.

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Dr. Mallikarjun G Hiremath, Belgaum - Educational Leadership Dr Nripen Kumar Dutta, Guwahati - Educational Entrepreneur of the Year Seethakutty.S, Trichy - Iconic Principal Ajay Dahyabhai Shah, Ahmedabad - Educational Consultant of the Year Dr. Zuleika Homavazir, Mumbai - Female Educationist of the Year Dr. Kapil Arora, Jaipur Special Educator Award Adv. Appasaheb Desai, Mumbai - Lifetime Achievement Award

April 2017

TECH FOCUS

education in the clouds

With the advancement of technology the learning field has been levelled, helping the masses to access learning like never before. Today it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter which part of the world you are sitting in, you will still find that with just an internet connection, education can be brought to your homes or anywhere you choose and at anytime, as long as you have the hunger to learn

April 2017

Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

ducation has always been an integral part in the development process of humans. It has made a long journey to where it is now. Everything in today’s world is technology driven and plays a vital role in the education sector. In the bygone era education was accessible only to a certain group who could pay to learn or to those who had accessibility to a school or tutor. With the advancement of technology the learning field has been levelled, helping the masses to access learning like never before. Today it doesn’t matter which part of the world you are sitting in, whether you have access to schools in your area, or whether you don’t have a particular time slot for studying, you will still find that with just an internet connection, education can be brought to your homes or anywhere you choose and at anytime, as long as you have the hunger to learn. The concept of distance learning was initially through correspondence where a student applying for a course was sent study material through the post and in- turn would complete coursework and examinations, return them to school where it would be reviewed and graded before receiving the next lesson. With the internet there came about a change which reduced the mail transit time (the biggest drawback of the correspondence course) and allowed students to interact not only with the instructor but also with other students in the class in real time. There came modernised versions of this mode of study over the

years with the furtherance of technology.

WHAT IS MOOC? Massive Open Online Course (MOOC or called as Mu Ke in China) is an online course that aims to attract unlimited students to learn through the web. It provides the usual traditional classroom material in the form of filmed lectures, readings, problem sets and also provides an interactive forum where students, teaching assistants and professors can communicate. MOOC was a term that was coined by Dave Cormier of the University of Prince Edward Island. MOOC’s are fairly recent, as it was introduced in 2008 and gained momentum as a popular mode of learning in 2012. Massive Open Online Course (MOOC or called as Mu Ke in China) was a term that was coined by Dave Cormier in 2008.

MOOC’S AROUND THE WORLD The industry has an unusual structure, consisting of linked groups including MOOC providers, the larger non-profit sector, universities, related companies and venture capitalists. Though traditional college courses cannot be replaced completely by MOOC’s, they will co-exist just as Twitter feeds, websites and magazines has found ways to co-exist in the media ecosystem. The key market factors considered going for MOOC are low cost certification, use of various technologies such as smartphone,

tablet and laptops, cost reduction for training, and others. Bill Gates said in 2010, “in the next five years, you will be able to find the best lectures online, and these lectures are better than that of any university.” MOOC providers like Coursera, Udacity, edX, and FutureLearn keep churning out courses at an astonishing pace. Hosted by such illustrious institutions as Stanford, MIT, Yale, Harvard, and world-renowned international universities like Heidelberg, the Indian Institute of Technology, the Sorbonne and other universities, the number of massive open online courses has exploded in recent years. Ideally the first MOOC’s were free where in the providers reached a large audience but that concept is now changing. “The Big 3” MOOC providers, Coursera, Udacity, and edX are shedding their free and open roots one-by-one and are charging a small fee for certain courses as learners are demanding credit for the work they put into their courses. A move that is slowly redefining MOOCs’ role in the global marketplace of online education. Hosted by such illustrious institutions as Stanford, MIT, Yale, Harvard, and world-renowned international universities like Heidelberg, the Indian Institute of Technology, the Sorbonne and other universities. MOOC providers realized that they could offer more for less by marketing courses from top-tier schools much cheaper than universities could market a tradi-

The aim of education should be to teach us how to think, than what to think — rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men. Bill Beattie

April 2017

TECH FOCUS

tional college degree. Getting more private access to teachers, local cohorts, and more verified testing environments that also included anti-cheating measures and identity verification to ensure class quality was also provided. Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX at a Ted Talk said â&#x20AC;&#x153;At edX, we are trying to transform education through online technologies. Given education has been calcified for 500 years, we really cannot think about reengineering it, micromanaging it. We really have to completely reimagine it. It's like going from ox carts to the airplane. Even the infrastructure has to change. Everything has to change. We need to go from lectures on the blackboard to online exercises, online videos. We have to go to interactive virtual laboratories and gamification. We have to go to completely online grading and peer interaction and discussion boards. Everything really has to change.â&#x20AC;?

provide top notch courses accredited by elite universities around the world are: edX: Created in 2012 by The Massachusetts Institute of Technolo g y and Harvard University it is a massive MOOC provider and different from other providers as it is a non-profit organization and runs on the Open edX open-source software. It has over 7 million students taking over 700 different online courses. Coursera: A for profit educational technology company that provide MOOCs. They work with universities and organisations to provide courses in physics, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital marketing, data science, mathematics, business, social sciences, among others.

MOOC PROVIDERS

Udacity: founded by Sebastian Thrun, David Stavens, and Mike Sokolsky and is a for profit organization offering MOOCs. Originally focused on offering university style courses but now focuses on vocational courses for professionals.

The top 6 MOOC providers that

FutureLearn:

April 2017

launched

and

wholly owned by The Open University in Milton Keynes, England was founded in December 2012. As on January 2017 it has 109 UK and international partners and also includes non-university partners such as the British Museum, European Space Agency, the British C o u n c i l , U C A S , U N E S C O, Cancer Research UK, the National Film and Television School. NovoEd: founded by Stanford University professor Amin Saberi and PhD student Farnaz Ronaghi, it partners with universities, foundations, and corporations to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) as well as small private online courses (SPOCS). It is a, for profit educational technology company and was originally known as Venture Lab. It rebranded itself to its present name in 2013. Iversity: A European online education platform that provides free courses for anyone to enrol and participate. It has ties with individual professors as well as many European universities and conducts many of their courses in English, German and many

other languages. It has its branch offices in Bernau bei Berlin, Germany and Berlin. Canvas: Instructure entered the MOOC market in November 2012 by launching the Canvas Network. Instructure's approach to MOOC has been to facilitate experimentation with pedagogy and new ways to use multimedia environments to change cognition and enhance the learning process. One example is "Gender Through Comic Books," a MOOC taught by Ball State University's Christina Blanch on Canvas Network that used lessons from pop culture to explore evolving social norms and other anthropological ideals.

Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Computation will be provided by UC Berkeley, introduction to programming and thermodynamics will be provided by IIT Bombay. The Government of India also has another project called the ‘National E- Library’ a digital library that is accessible to every learner with an internet access and has the best resources from the nation’s top universities.

MOOC IN INDIA

SWAYAM is not only for enrolled students but for professionals and dropouts as well. With quality content, best online lectures, great discussions, knowledgeable assessment quizzes, SWAYAM will provide great opportunities for Indian students to learn without the fear of failure.

India introduced ‘SWAYAM’, short for Study Webs of Activelearning for Young Aspiring Minds through the human resource development ministry. It is a web portal where MOOCs will be available on various subjects. MOOC’s in India will reach learners in any corner of the country as long as they have an internet connection. It has access to the top universities educational content that will help learners get quality education free of cost.

India’s leading E–learning protagonist Prof MM Pant, who is also a disruptive education technology enthusiast, did a weeklong course on MOOCs learning. The course was taken by 145 educationists, educational professionals and scholars including from Sweden, UK, Bangladesh was perhaps first of its kind learning course using Whatsapp in India. The best outcome of this ‘disruptive’ and very useful course is a book on MOOCs.

Statistics from major MOOC providers says that India has the second largest audience for MOOCS after US. This goes to show there is a huge requirement for quality education and MOOC is the best platform for providing this to a country that has billions in population.

Advantages of MOOC which the traditional classroom teaching does not have

There are presently 3 courses that are provided under ‘SWAYAM’, one from UC Berkeley’s Umesh Vazarani’s and two from IIT Bombay. The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore has joined edX and will soon start their online courses. ‘SWAYAM’ was launched by the human resource development ministry of India, a web portal where MOOCs will be available on various subjects.

MOOC’s online learning mode allows students not to sit in the classroom while learning basic theoretical concepts. This poses challenges to the traditional classroom teaching and the teacher’s classroom teaching content and quality. Interaction and sharing is the essence of MOOC. As the old saying goes, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. MOOC allows learners to acquire knowledge which interests them the most through a network of independent learning, and apply the knowledge. Traditional teachers should adapt and learn in this wave of

MOOC, change from “teaching based” to “learning-based”. With MOOC students will take the initiative to learn, to read, to think, to communicate, and to compare, which will also change the traditional way of classroom teaching, making teachers reexamine what they should teach the students, how to teach, and how to meet their individual needs so as to ultimately improve the teaching quality. Interaction and sharing is the essence of MOOC. Due to students’ different qualifications, the required time to accept knowledge is not the same, which gives students more freedom, and their learning will be more efficient. For the students who have spare learning capacity, they are free to choose and can better arrange their own learning. Though MOOC can never replace getting a traditional degree, it can enhance the education experience and ensure that, as a society, we are continuing to push the bounds of knowledge. Not only will students enjoy flexibility, but corporations will as well. Increasingly, partnerships between industry and higher education are offering benefits to both. Companies get a happier, more educated workforce, and institutions get access to more students. MOOCs are a low-commitment, low-cost way for institutions to offer specific courses to industry partners. As a culture, we need to stop thinking of education as a “one and done” deal. Currently, we go to school, earn a degree and our education is complete. But with online education students from all walks of life now have equal opportunities to learn. No more excuses can be made to not gain an education. MOOCs are here to stay and have taken education to a whole new level for people of any class, any age by exposing them to the curriculum from the most elite universities from around the globe.

April 2017

Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

Education for building â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;realâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; global citizens Global Education and Skills Forum 2017 witnessed a healthy debate over what should be taught to our children in schools: national or global values. If global values are to be taught, what should the approach be; the opportunities and challenges that lay within. April 2017

Mass education is one of the most divisive things humans have ever done. This type of education will smother human genius. Nothing new and wonderful will happen. We are only teaching our children to exploit everything. Sadhguru

Dr Sanjay Parva editor@scoonews.com

lobal Education and Skills Forum, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation is a platform for bringing the world leaders from public, private, and social sectors together to seek solutions for achieving education, equity, and employment for all. The 5th annual GESF took place in Dubai, UAE on 18th and 19th March 2017 with over 2000 delegates in attendance and 250 media delegates covering the conference, as revealed by the CEO of Varkey Foundation, Vikas Pota. Leaders like Sunny Varkey, Founder of Varkey Foundation, Sadhguru Vasudev, Founder of Isha Foundation, Andreas Schleicher, Director of Education and Skills, OECD and others greeted the delegates with their opening plenary speech. Sunny Varkey inaugurated the forum by emphasising the importance of education as an answer to every question in this world. “The current generation of

young people is very special, they are born as truly global citizens” pronounced Varkey. The spiritual leader and one of the India’s 50 most influential people, Sadhguru Vasudev openly condemned the traditional education system currently being followed in our schools. Speaking of the purpose of education, he said is to expand the horizons of each individual, but is actually not happening right now. “Mass education is one of the most divisive things humans have ever done. This type of education will smother human genius. Nothing new and wonderful will happen. We are only teaching our children to exploit everything.” said Sadhguru. He advocates and asked for the future of education to become more inclusive. This means every child under the age of 10 should experience as many cultures, nations and religions as possible to help foster greater inclusiveness.

“In addition, at least 50% of the school curricula around the world must be made up of common, global education, alongside more nationally driven educational content” suggested Sadhguru. Supporting his views on education, Andreas Schleicher propagated five ways our schools need to change in order to make our children global citizens. “Our children need to become global citizens and we need to transform the way we teach in order to properly prepare them for the world.” “The most successful societies are often the most creative ones. The more diverse our children’s interests and experiences, the more they are encouraged to work with their peers to address problems in new ways, the better prepared they will be for the new digital age” said Andreas. To spice up the issues voiced at the forum, a debating chamber was formed. On one hand, where we had a group of eminent leaders

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP talking on the ways to improve education for building global citizens, another group of speakers like Lutfey Siddiqui, visiting Professor-in-Practice, London School of Economics and Ms Emiliana Vegas, Chief of Education Division, InterAmerican Development Bank supported the teaching of national values in the debating chamber. Yet, another debate worth watching was the role of technology in redefining education. While many sing praises of IT in classroom, leaders like Dino Varkey, CEO of GEMS foundation, James Cantenera, CEO, TULA, and Antony Jenkins, former CEO Barclays strongly opposed the motion. “We need to invest in fundamentals before education technology becomes the watchword”, said all the leaders equivocally. Besides, a series of short and powerful educational talks were delivered by special guest speakers sharing their views and real life experiences on matters like bridging the education gap and how to prepare our youth to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The leaders of educational organisations and Education Ministers of various countries shared their journey towards successfully contributing towards bringing a change in the education sector and thus to the lives of their countrymen. One contribution worth mentioning is the education reforms in the UK from 2010-2015. UK Schools Minister Nick Gibb talked about the reforms conducted by the British Government in the last seven years, what worked, what didn’t and how these influenced other countries. “People can visit the new academy schools in the country to see the effects of the reforms made and how teachers are able to better control the destiny of their schools”, said Nick. Italy became the first ever Country Partner of the forum with the Italian ambassador, Liberrio Stellino announcing an investment of 120 million into global citizenship education in

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

April 2017

every Italian school. Argentina was announced as the first Latin American Country partner for the annual Global Education and Skills Forum. Proclaiming the fact, Sunny Varkey said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Argentina has been at the forefront of pioneering innovative education reforms in Latin America and we are delighted that they are to become a country partner for GESF, which is dedicated to debating new ways of how education can transform our world.â&#x20AC;? No idea or innovation in education is complete unless it finds an audience amongst the leading education ministers and business leaders. After all, they are the ones responsible for incorporating ideas into educational policies. The Global Education and Skills Forum provides this platform to a group of selected delegates to pitch their ideas on scalable education in front of the panel of education Ministers via short and focused presentations. The presentations were made on improving early reading skills in children, ways to build a pipeline of talented teachers developing leadership and peace-building skills in the youth, addressing their mental health issues and encouraging equity in education to all. Concerned over the mental health issues in children, Varkey Foundation announced a fund release of $20,000 to train every teacher in UK for supporting such students. Grants for supporting education projects in Uganda, Slovakia, and Middle East were also announced. Leading practitioners across the globe shared their solutions to the current challenges and experiences they gained during their implementation during detailed briefing sessions held at the forum. The eye-catching briefing sessions were the ones on technology in classrooms and ways on delivering education in emergencies. The world of education in current times is witnessing an increase in complexity as a result of the introduction of and the possibilities created by technological innovations like Artificial Intelligence,

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP Big Data, and adaptive learning. “How do these innovations affect the various stakeholders within the education landscape?” a briefing presented by UCL Institute of Education. Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO in association with a panel of global leaders and teachers shared an overview of the current global situation regarding education and emergencies, and the urgency of maintaining education systems in times of conflict and natural disasters. The session discussed the power of systems, stories, students and solutions that enable young people to continue to learn and thrive in challenging environments. It was a dream come true for the delegates at the Forum when they had an opportunity to connect directly with some of the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders, ask questions and learn from their experiences on current educational thinking. A journalist, an author, and three times Pulitzer Prize winner, Thomas Friedman gave a valuable statement on future of education “If you’re not educating children for the jobs that don’t exist yet, then you’re not educating them at all”. The second day of the Forum witnessed a ‘Meet the Mentor’ session with the former Prime Minister of Australia and Chair of the Board of the Global Partnership for Education, Julia Gillard. Speaking at the session, Gillard pointed at the global shortage of teachers, access to education and the funding needed to bridge the gap for future generations. “We want to see every child in school and every child educated. Looking globally, the world currently spends around 1.3 trillion dollars on school education, but we need to be spending 3 trillion dollars annually by the year 2030.” A major barrier to progress in global education is the shortage of quality teachers across the globe, and we need to address the issue with perseverance, said Gillard. She particularly pointed out that developments in education require patience, “We need to invest in

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP patience… Education is a patient investment in a rather impatient world.” A new expert group, “Atlantis” comprising of 20 former Education Ministers and Heads of State, was launched at the Global Education & Skills Forum (GESF) 2017. The group comprising of the members like Arne Duncan, former US Secretary of Education, Michael Gove, former UK Education secretary and other such former Education ministers would serve as an advisory board to the governments for issues on global education. Further head-turners at the Forum were the artistic presentation of global citizenship by renowned artist Sacha Jafri and a 30-minute session with each of the top ten finalists for the Global Teacher Prize. The Global Teacher Prize worth $1 million is the largest prize of its kind, and was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in our society. The top ten finalists were selected and announced from a large number of talented and dedicated teachers across the globe. However, there could be just one winner whose name was announced on the second day of the Forum. Following in the footsteps of UAE, countries like Albania, Algeria, Chile, Iraq, Japan and others also announced the launch of their unique National Teacher Prize for acknowledgment of the teaching

profession. As the Forum headed towards its end, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, highlighted UAE’s experience as a role model for building Global Citizenship. He outlined eight key points on the UAE experience:, Educating the youth to help them confidently engage with the world, building a knowledge society, creating a fearless environment, encouraging dialogue across all the sections of the society, rewarding the talents of the entire community, and promoting universal moral values,” adding that “these will go a long way in making global citizens.” Addressing the delegates, Hanan Al Hroub from Palestine who won the Global Teacher Prize last year announced the launch of the ‘Teachers for Peace’, an initiative to be financed by Varkey Foundation and Interpeace with the goal of providing education in emergency situations and to serve as a centre for exchanging best practices. Finally, the Forum came to its end with the announcement of the winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2017, Ms Maggie MacDonnell of Canada. The Prize distribution was nothing less than extraordinary. Announcement of the winner’s name from an International Space Station, TV adventurer Bear Grylls jumping from the helicopter to bring the trophy and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handing over the prize left all the delegates breathless.

April 2017

10 Sadhguru MANTRAS on Global EDUCATION

Global Education and Skills Forum 2017 held in Dubai was fortuitous to be graced by the presence and a plenary speech by the visionary spiritual leader Sadhguru Vasudev. He has been conferred the “Padma Vibhushan” award for the year 2017 by the Indian government and is the founder of the Isha foundation, a nonprofitable organisation that works towards creating an inclusive culture of global harmony and progress. Here are some excerpts from the spiritual leader’s views on global education shared by him at the GESF 2017 1. Education is not a production line. It is an organic happening. You cannot create an education system independent of the society in which we exist. 2. Every child on the planet must have access to the highlights of different cultures.

If you deaden the brain with too much information, the possibility of intelligence is definitely lost. What we accumulate and who we are should remain separate. Education should be about helping children to live life expressively and to always be curious. Education has to be about every human being becoming a ‘seeker’. The purpose of education is to expand the horizons of individual human beings. When we talk about people, we don’t refer to them as humans. We refer to them as Indians, Americans, Emiratis or whatever else. We need to overcome limited identities by experiencing other people as part of ourselves. Don’t mistake intellect for intelli-

gence. Intellect functions only with the backing of your memory whereas intelligence doesn’t need the support of your memory. If education systems do not focus on activating these dimensions of intelligence, you will create a workforce but no geniuses. 8. What a child needs is inspiration, not just information. We need to completely take away the idea of instruction from the teaching process. Instead of instruction, we need to empower teachers to inspire and transmit what really matters to them. 9. Decondition the intelligence, so that it becomes active, adapting to situations and doing what is appropriate. 10. A human being is here to enhance life in a way that no other creature can.

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

April 2017

GLOBAL EDUCATION SUPPLIES & SOLUTIONS 2017 #GESSDUBAI

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

April 2017

The very successful education conference and expo was held for the 10th consecutive year that saw cutting edge technology and innovation in education being showcased Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

he 10th edition of Global Education supplies and Solutions (GESS) was held in Dubai at the World Trade Centre. It was a 3 day event between 14th and 16th March with over 10,000 education professionals from around the world in attendance. Organised by F&E Education, GESS Dubai is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and supported by

His Excellency Hussein Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, United Arab Emirates. It is the biggest conference and exhibition that is held in the Middle East and saw over 550 companies showcase latest technology and innovations in the field of education. The expo had over 130 experts on leadership management, education, technology and renowned speakers on motivation and wellness to share their insights on improving the quality of education and teacher - student performance. “We are privileged to have been a

part of the growth of the education sector in the Middle East, helping schools and other type of academic institutions to be progressive and keep in step with changing technology and curriculum advancements,” said Matt Thompson, Project Director, F&E Education, organisers of GESS Dubai. Among the most anticipated workshops included sessions on Computer Science Technologies, Engineering for Kids, Google Apps for Education, as well as developing apps and creating simple robots from scratch. NLP presentations and Leadership Workshops from the world’s lead-

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

April 2017

ing experts were also a favourite among teachers because of the practical insights and tips offered for improving teacher performance and enhancing student learning abilities. Many countries took part in the expo- U.K, U.S.A, Germany, Korea and China were a few of them. The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), which today represents more than 400 UK-based education suppliers with combined revenues totalling £2.2 billion, was accompanied by over 70 British companies along with the UK Department for International Trade at the exhibition. Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA said, “BESA is delighted to be attending GESS 2017 and this year we are excited to celebrate 10 years of the show. BESA and F&E’s alliance has made GESS the premier focused, professional event of its kind in the region and whether you are a teacher, government official or from the educational business community, you are sure to receive a warm welcome from our exhibitors and from

the BESA information stand.” In the 10th year, GESS Dubai and GEF have adopted the theme “Educate…Inspire…Build the Future” to reflect its long-standing commitment to be a platform for change and growth for the education sector in the Middle East.

THE THREE DAY EVENT Companies like Microsoft brought the empowered classrooms to GESS 2017. They demonstrated the power of Surface Pro 4 and Surface Hub to transform teaching experiences. Microsoft also entered into a collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Education to conduct trainings for educators to create new ways of teaching. Graham Brown Martin, founder of Learning Without Frontiers spoke about the macro title that looked at the future of learning. He was trying to get his audience to think about the purpose as to why we send our kids to school and what the purpose of education was. He says that he’s been wondering the

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

same for the last 10 or so years and hasn’t received a very good answer as yet, as there is no clear answer to it. “The children who are either entering the school system today or are already in the system will, in their lifetime, witness the greatest challenges that our species has ever faced. Climate change, population, antibiotic resistance, diversity, an ageing population and ideological conflict are just a few of the significant challenges of the 21st century. Our children will need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to reimagine society. There has been much talk in education circles about “21st century skills” and yet without placing these skills within a context they are meaningless,” he added. Ilona Boniwell, positivity expert and CEO at Positran; another keynote speaker spoke about Building children’s resilience and emotional wellbeing using insights from positive education that brings together the findings of positive psychology and education to equip students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to become more resilient and productive. Dr Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Assistant

We are privileged to have been a part of the growth of the education sector in the Middle East, helping schools and other type of academic institutions to be progressive and keep in step with changing technology and curriculum advancements. Matt Thompson, Project Director, F&E Education, organisers of GESS Dubai

Professor at the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, Faculty of Education, UAE University delivered three presentations, including Schools without Thinking, which looked at mistakes schools make in teaching their students how to think; as well as the Extinction of the Teacher, which hopes to inspire teachers to keep in step with the evolving education landscape, to make them more relevant and their profession more responsive to the needs of schools and students in today’s rapidly changing world. The 2nd day witnessed twice the numbers of visitors compared to

April 2017

EVENT WRAPUP

day 1. Exhibitors passionately explaining their products to visitors was a common sight, some exhibitors even had designated meeting rooms to discuss and seal deals. The event was a smorgasbord of different technologies, ideas, ethnicities, workshops, sessions, interactions and B2B networking. The sheer number of visitors thronging the massive fourtiered venue made even the sprawling halls seem small. The attention to detail was impressive with catering staff strolling with handcarts full of cookies, snacks, coffee, etc to be partaken by exhibitors as moving out from their stands could mean a potential loss of clients. The Edutech and ExtraMarks stands saw some serious buzz through the day, with stern looking men holed up in their glass walled meeting rooms with visitors. The Edutech stand offered pretty much everything a 21st century school would need, from Virtual Reality tools to STEM Solutions to Digital and mobile learning solutions and more, It was a one stop shop for all

BESA is delighted to be attending GESS 2017 and this year we are excited to celebrate 10 years of the show. BESA and F&E’s alliance has made GESS the premier focused, professional event of its kind in the region and whether you are a teacher, government official or from the educational business community, you are sure to receive a warm welcome from our exhibitors and from the BESA information stand. Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA

school needs. Indeed the most beautiful and not to be missed stand was that of LEGO where one could spot a lot of students trying their hands on Blocks,

April 2017

Robotics, Aerial Selfie, etc There was huge wall built with just their trademark blocks that surely caught everyone’s attention, one could pick up a variety of blocks and make anything they wished to. TES Global stand was right in the middle of the Hall and a smiling Man called Mark welcomed me and explained how TES Global has been supporting educators worldwide for over 100 years and is the world’s largest online community of teachers, with over 8 million registered users. Byju’s, India’s most rated and talked about Star Start-up was also present at GESS. They were sharing their ideas on Online learning which means no boundaries and barriers in today’s digital world. Arpit Badjatya, CEO & MD, Serosoft Solutions who was also a speaker at GESS Dubai 2017 shared his insights on the ERP business and how it is not the need but the necessity of any education institution today across the world.

FROM DUBAI TO THE WORLD Olli Vallo, Co-founder of Kokoa Education Standard, Finland made sense when he said that there is a urgent demand of independent Quality certification in the education field when the market is overflowing with products of varying educational quality. Kokoa Education Standard is a detailed Edtech quality verification based on Finnish pedagogical knowledge. Edtech industry stakeholders around the world trust Kokoa to ensure solutions are independently certified in line with high-level quality standard. The last stop for the day was at eTeach International, eTeach is globally the leading specialist provider of education recruitment solutions. Jonathan Price, Managing Director, eTeach told us that the education recruitment landscape is changing and finding the best candidates is becoming increasingly difficult as the competition for talent grows and candidates become ever more sophisticated in how they choose their next job. eTeach works with over 11,000

GESS Dubai has since ventured beyond the Gulf ’s borders to expand to emerging education markets in Mexico and Indonesia. This year, the show will launch its 3rd country edition in Turkey, scheduled on October 19 to 21, 2017 in Istanbul. “Education has been a key pillar of development for many first world nations, and is the key factor for the growth of emerging markets. Our expertise in the education sector and contacts with education stakeholders from all over the world led us to explore the potential of the show to contribute to the advancement of education in key emerging nations and to hopefully assist them in their development agendas,” continued Thompson. For 10 years now, GESS Dubai has been the leading platform for suppliers of educational products and solutions to showcase their wares, including some of the most cutting-edge innovations that are critical to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning across schools in the Middle East.

schools and colleges and last year advertised more than 70,000 jobs to their 1.3 million registered candidates, who made 5 million job searches. As Brad Currie once said “Networking is the most overlooked and important part of attending educational events. Informal conversations matter!"

with a variety of people with various interests. Husam Hussan Project Manager, Leader Healthcare spoke about their technology ‘Sectra’ for medical students where they can interact with technology to increase learnings. This marked the final day of the successful GESS 2017.

Day 3 was to network and connect

April 2017

CONTENTS

12 COVER

Courses for Average Students with 100% Job Guarantee

JOURNEY: What Kind of a student was Sunder Pichai and what groomed him to be Google’s CEO

Exams are neither the end of the world nor the only yardstick to measure success and intelligence. Gone are the days when a 99.9% in 12th used to guarantee a good college education and job.

6 Trendsetter: Bus driver gets kids to read on their ride

SHOWCASE: 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL Schools in INDIA

24 RESILIENCE THE RIGHT TO LIFE: A heartfelt story of 3 women and their bravery to face life, to make the most of it...

TECH IT OUT: 11 Must Have Apps for Students

“Success in life is not about luck, it is about managed thoughts, focused attention and deliberate action” this is the story of his journey to immense success.

April 2017

Volume 1

Issue 9

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think

April 2017 IGNITING MINDS

Margaret Mead

STRAIGHT TALK

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt. Ltd

EDITORIAL OFFICE EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Email: editor@scoonews.com FOR ALL SALES QUERIES Virendra Kashyap +91-9953219439 Abhishek Tomar +91-9811756705 sales@scoonews.com FOR SUBSCRIPTION +91-9784447860 subscribe@scoonews.com PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd PRINTED AT Jaipur Printers Pvt Ltd, MI Road, Jaipur 302001, Rajasthan, India and PUBLISHED AT EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India

Dr Sanjay Parva

That you have a 'C' doesn't mean you can’t 'B'

teve Jobs! Oh, no, not again. Guys, you know more than I do that he was a school dropout and still made it big. In other words, he must have been a 'C' student, who finally ended up being A++++. That is how it generally is, but the problem is many students, not falling in the A category, do not know it. It is because they have been made to believe that hell will break loose if they fall down from A. Frankly, I haven't seen hell breaking loose anywhere simply because someone got a C than an A. Not all from a single class can be a class apart. It is as good as expecting all Bollywood or Hollywood heroes to be Bond 007. Is that possible? Well, I leave that to you. Back to Steve Jobs. No, not back to him again. We quoted him enough. Let’s come up with some more C students who, despite their Cs, went beyond As. Ever heard of John D. Rockefeller? No? OK, he is known as one of America's most powerful oil industry magnates, modern history's richest person and the wealthiest American of all time. In his time, he had dropped out of high school in the proverbial nick of time – two months before his graduation. This is when he started Standard Oil, a company that saw him touch the skies and reach the pinnacles of success and glory. If you want more names, I have many – Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Frank Lloyd Wright and James Cameron. But what would you do with more names. If you are one of the C students, you become one of these names. Simple! Isn't that too much of an encouragement? But this shouldn't be taken as an indication that dropping out can be the best and the easiest way out. Fine, a C mark in their report card couldn't enable them show their potential in academia, but it never restricted them to fight it out in real life. That you have a 'C' doesn't mean you can’t 'B'. In fact you can be anything. I am not a great Shah Rukh Khan fan, but agree with him on one thing. His father had told him once and he often repeats it, jo log kuch nahin karte hain, woh sab kuch karte hain – those who don't do anything, do everything! C graders have that potential too, but the straight talk is that until they realise it, they can do nothing. The choice is yours!

Published for the month of April 2017 Total number of pages 104, including Covers

FIND US ON

April 2017

TRENDSETTER

Bus driver

gets kids

read on their ride to

Credit -Brian Wallace,

Penn Manor School District

When Tracy Musser was growing up, she didn’t like to read and was horrified when asked to read aloud in school. Now an avid reader with two children of her own, Musser doesn’t want other youngsters to experience the difficulties she endured. So every day, she gives students riding bus No. 274 a choice of books to read, both during the bus ride and in their

April 2017

leisure time at home. “In school, kids often are told what to read, and they may not like the subject,” Musser said. “If I can get them to try out a book that they want to read, that interests them, that’s great.” Musser, who drives No. 274 for Penn Manor, has transformed the bus into a library with bins capable of carrying up to 200 books. She loans them to Central Manor students in kindergarten through

grade six, no questions asked. Nearly three-quarters of the 60 youngsters who ride her bus participate, and the program has been so successful, Musser is hoping to expand it to all Penn Manor students.

any assigned reading,” Musser tells the students. She wants them to read strictly for pleasure, after their homework is done.

Wroten, said one of her favourites is “Ghost,” a graphic novel she discovered in the Bus 274 library. “I get to read a lot, and it’s fun,” she said. “And that’s why I like the program.”

Musser started the lending library in fall, inspired by Central Manor’s “Comet Cash” program, which rewards students for doing good things in school. She thought: Why not reward kids for reading books on their own?

Musser gets book recommendations from Central Manor library aide Teresa Reisinger and the students themselves, who give her book lists. She buys used paperbacks at thrift stores for as little as a quarter apiece, but the newer, more popular titles are harder to come by. They can cost $7 to $15 or more.

“In school, kids often are told what to read, and they may not like the subject,” Musser said. “If I can get them to try out a book that they want to read, that interests them, that’s great.”

Books are loaned to students on the honour system, and so far, Musser had no losses.

But the main reason she provides the books, Musser says, is to get children hooked on reading.

Central Manor fifth-grader Brooklynn Ayala is a frequent book borrower and particularly enjoys the “Dog Man” and “Babysitter Chronicles” series of books.

“As a kid, I really struggled with reading, and I didn’t want to read aloud. I noticed some kids on my bus having problems in school, and I thought this would help,” she said. “If this gets one child to not be afraid to read, whether silently or aloud, I’m doing my job.”

The removable book bins are secured under the front two seats of the school bus. Kids can only look through them before or after the bus run, and no one may leave his or her seat when the bus is moving. The book distribution follows a strict schedule, with two grades each day picking out or returning titles. Reading the books “should not interfere whatsoever with their schoolwork, including

“I like that it gives us something to read while we’re on the bus if we don’t have anything to do and it gives us more opportunities to read because you can’t always get the books you want from the library,” Brooklynn said. Another

fifth-grader,

Aubrey

Musser is always on the lookout for new titles. “I have kids asking me all the time if they can get new books,” she said. “The enthusiasm of these kids, especially when I’ve purchased new titles, is just amazing.”

Musser has established a Facebook page, “PM Bus Library” for the project. She also can be reached at: tmusser1998@gmail.com.

April 2017

JOURNEY

What Kind of a STUDENT was

SUNDER PICHAI and what groomed him to be

GOOGLE’S CEO

“Success in life is not about luck, it is about managed thoughts, focused attention and deliberate action” this is the story of his journey to immense success.

April 2017

Mom and dad did what a lot of parents would do at that time. They sacrificed many things in life and their disposal income to make sure that their children were educated. Sunder Pichai

Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

he love for our country has no bounds. The minute we see one of our own on the world map we feel a sense of pride. One such person is none other than Google Inc. CEO Sunder Pichai. Pichai joined the Google bandwagon years ago as a product manager. He started to rise rapidly through the ranks and was made CEO of the company. His journey to success is one with a lot of hardwork and dedication to his craft. In this article weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be looking at his journey that led him to be the CEO of a prestigious firm. Pichai Sundararajan was born on July 12th 1972 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He was from a middle class family. His father was an electrical engineer for the British conglomerate GEC and mother used to be a stenographer before having children. He has one brother. Hailing from a humble background, Pichai was always interested in the work his father did and had long conversations about it even as a young boy.

April 2017

JOURNEY His educational journey began from Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan. He moved to Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School in Ashok Nagar where teachers said that he was a wellbehaved, academically sound and an unassuming student. Pichai then moved to Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School, a school inside the IITMadras campus to pursue his Plus Two under the Tamil Nadu State board syllabus.

Another schoolmate of Pichai, who too was his senior by two years, said he had heard a lot about Pichai over the years. “A devoted son to his parents, Pichai has done them and everyone of us proud”.

He was the topper of his class from the very beginning and also won the Institute Silver Medal for excellence in academics.

Murugavel Selvan, entrepreneur in the IT space

Pattu Subramanian, who was two years senior to Pichai in school, remembers him as a quiet worker, studious and a bookish type. “He used to have a smile on his face and (was) kind of a bookworm. Once I had the occasion to meet him in Pennsylvania. But I had never thought this shy boy would one day become so big,” he said. After excelling academically in school, he went on to join IIT Kharagpur and joined the metallurgical department. He was the topper of his class from the very beginning and also won the Institute Silver Medal for excellence in academics. Though he was a student of metallurgy he pursued his interest in electronics as IIT provided him with that flexibility. Pichai was considered the brightest in his batch. His professor Sanat Kumar Roy who taught at the IIT Kharagpur for 44years remembers him being very well mannered and soft spoken. "He was doing work in the field of electronics at a time when no separate course on electronics existed in our curriculum. His thesis dealt with implanting molecules of other elements in silicon wafers to alter its properties. It was very clear from the beginning that he was enthused about electronics and materials," said Prof Roy. His friend Prashant Tripathy, director and CEO of Max Life Insurance, a close friend of Pichai who stayed in the same wing of

Heading a global corporation is something very big and it is a matter of great honour and pride for us that someone from our backyard has become the global head of a huge corporation. Subramanian, head of logistics at the BMW Plant in Chennai

the hostel Nehru Hall during their IIT days says “I found him sharp and articulate. When discussions took place within our group, he usually took centre stage." Tripathy recalls Pichai’s passion for cricket and movies and how discussions about them led to many late nights. To complete his BTech Thesis he worked closely with two professors Prof D N Bose, nephew of the legendary freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose and the man who founded a material sciences lab in the institute, and Prof Indranil Manna, who is now director of IIT Kanpur. Pichai was close to Prof Indranil Mann and spoke to him of his future plans. He told the professor that he wanted to do an MS and

April 2017

then a Phd from the US. The problem that Pichai faced was funding as his father could not afford to send him abroad. Prof Indranil being impressed with all that Pichai had achieved wrote a recommendation letter to Stanford urging them to give Pichai an admission and scholarship. The recommendation from a senior IIT professor, financial help from his father and his academic credentials were more than enough for Stanford to accept Pichai. “Mom and dad did what a lot of parents would do at that time. They sacrificed many things in life and their disposal income to make sure that their children were educated” says Sunder Pichai. Being accepted in Stanford, Pichai

Chief and became second in command to Larry Page the CEO of Google and over saw the day-to-day operations for all of Google's major products including maps, search, and advertising. From there the rest is history. A new entity called Alphabet was created by Google's co-founders, where Page takes over as CEO and Brin the president. Google, on the other hand, becomes a whollyowned subsidiary. Pichai was made CEO of Google and was considered to be one of the most versatile executives in the tech industry. With a shrewd instinct for the product, coupled with business savvy, under Pichai, Google launched the Android One programme in India and other emerging markets. Chrome OS was conceived as an OS for lowcost computers that are tethered to the internet, something Pichai believes to be the future of computing in emerging markets. He was the perfect person to lead Google's internet products.

took up an MS in Material Sciences and Engineering from Stanford. He is trained to deal with the building blocks of computers – density, molecular mechanics, semiconductors, and, crucially, materials that might make good semiconductors. It’s the kind of knowledge Google would go on to make ground breaking use of. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page both have degrees in computer science, which tends toward software; Pichai understands hardware. He worked as an engineer in Silicon Valley for a while that funded his MBA at Wharton. He graduated from Wharton two years later as a Siebel scholar, a distinction given to the top 5% of Wharton’s graduates.

“I just remember him being a super nice, personable guy. He was very friendly, very down-to-earth and obviously just an incredibly smart guy,” Duncan Young, who also graduated from Wharton in 2002 as a Siebel scholar. Sunder Pichai had a brief stint with McKinsey & Company and left it to join Google as a product manager. He worked on the Google toolbar and then led the launch of the market-beating Chrome browser in 2008. He rose quickly through the ranks becoming the Vice President, then Senior Vice President, and ultimately was charged with supervising all Google apps including Gmail and Google Drive and finally given control of Android itself.

Pichai most eloquently outlined this mission when he said, “For me, it matters that we drive technology as an equalising force, as an enabler for everyone around the world. Which is why I do want Google to see, push, and invest more in making sure computing is more accessible, connectivity is more accessible.” Sunder Pichai is married to his high school sweetheart Anjali Pichai, a chemical engineer from the same year as Sunder Pichai at IIT Kharagpur. They got married and have two beautiful children and live a luxurious life in a home designed by Robert Swatt of Swatt Miers at Los Altos Hills. Pichai is said to be worth a staggering $150 million. The man who grew up with humble beginnings is now a big honcho at Google Inc. His friends and colleagues find him an exceptional human being. Sunder Pichai has set a huge example for us showing that with dedication and hardwork nothing is impossible.

He was then promoted as Product

April 2017

COVER STORY

Courses for Average Students with 100% Job Guarantee

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid". Albert Einstein.

Exams are neither the end of the world nor the only yardstick to measure success and intelligence. Gone are The scenario can the days when a 99.9% be viewed in two in 12th used to guaranperspectives. tee a good college education and job. In this Case 2: This is widely Case 1: This addresses 21st century, there are seen in the Indian subthe people in the lower continent, prevalent in strata of society, the a plethora of avenues 80 million households, 29.1% of Indians accordand opportunities availthe middle class populaing to the World Bank tion of our country. It is data who cannot afford able for students who in this stratum that there to even satisfy their basic could otherwise not is no clarity of future for needs. In this scenario, a average scorer. money is the problem reach the top rung of where the parent cannot the ladder. Not everyafford to give a better educational platform to one is born to be a toptheir children. In this case per. Majority of the only government, NGOs, people with a big purse world is made up of string or kind hearted averages and it is the people can bring about a change in their condiaverages that make the tions. difference in the world when provided with the right opportunity.

April 2017

Dr Sanjay Parva editor@scoonews.com

nder these two scenarios there are close to 30% to 70% of youngsters who run from pillar to post, not receiving proper guidance to the question "what should I do to secure my future" or "I'm an average scorer and getting into the top class institutions is next to impossible. Does this means that I cannot imagine of a job or career?" or " I don't have much money but I want a course that guarantees 100% job placement" or " Are there genuine courses available ,where I'm ready to pay and learn but it should be of

short term with a guarantee of 100% job placement. It's time for us to wake up to the fact that there is life beyond BEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, MBBS and MBA's. Traditionally the advice offered to the average performers in 12th who couldn't or didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to go to college was to join the army, navy, air force and forest department where intensive training would be given for them to make them tailor fit for the role. However, not everyone is cut for this job and only less than 5% people choose this as their career choice.

Out here there are lakhs of people who are confused and scared by the big question, "What is life after class 12th if college is not the choice?" This write up is a small step to explore other available options that could possible guarantee a job and successful career. Some of the success stories splashed across social media and print media of people, "who achieved the best by choosing what they felt was right for them" eggs us to take a peek in the whole new world of 100% job guaranteed courses.

April 2017

COVER STORY

A few snippets This is the story of Kiran, an achiever in the true sense. He actually took five attempts to clear his PU course, and by then his friends had already completed their engineering course. But Kiran's story had just begun. After this he felt too insulted to join the college. Kiran has come a long way from an unsuccessful PU candidate to a successful entrepreneur. He instead took a 6 months course of data informatics course way back in 2005 which had started to emerge then. Immediately after completing the course he got placed in Karnataka Government's e-governance center and grew from strength to strength from there. Now this Bangalorean's name features in the team that developed the Human Protein Reference Database by John Hopkins University. The database contains entries on the 3,000 most-studied human proteins and their roles in diseases and is supposed to be the standard of developing a database internationally. Kiran has come a long way from an unsuccessful PU candidate to a successful entrepreneur."I

don't believe the school system is the only route to success. It gives you an automated path to a career. Otherwise, you can make your own path." was his advice to the youngster on success. Karthik was labeled a poor student in school who disliked mathematics. Throughout his school days he was bullied for his repeated low scores in examinations. He said the mantra to be successful in life doesn't lie in Class X or Class XII grades and proceeded with a one year computer course. Now he runs a successful company that boasts of an elite client base." Life is what you make of it. If you fail, laugh at it and move on. Never lose hope" he advices. Akshar, a successful businessman, says, probably he might be one of the very few students to have failed in Class 1. It's been a rollercoaster journey so far for Akshar, who says that , "Studying is not the end of life. Today, I am who I wanted to be all along and it has nothing to do with a formal education".

April 2017

COVER STORY INDIAN TRADITIONAL COURSES SCENARIO AFTER 12th, THE PATH MOST WALKED... 1

Medical

BCA

Engineering

The engineering course is a highly job oriented course. The demand for engineers is increasing day by day. There are many branches in engineering, after successful completion of which, the student can enter the sectors of their specialisation, and also the Management, Civil Services etc. This demands a basic knowledge and aptitude for maths and physics to clear the entrance.

The demand of Charted Accountant is higher than its supply. This is one of the dream targets for students who have chosen commerce in their 12th stream as their subject. Chartered Accountancy (CA) course is available in two parts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I.e. (A) Professional Education (PE Course I) and (B) Professional Education (PE Course II). PE Course I is compulsory for students joining after 10+2. There is no restriction of age or marks secured in Senior Secondary Examination or subjects studied.

Medical is the most respected course. It's one course which guarantees 100% job for all candidates. No student can remain jobless after this course. Students of MBBS start earning from the study period. Every doctor has multiple choices to earn money. A doctor can earn more than a crore per year by genuine way. If any doctor does MD then he becomes specialist for any one subject as heart, stomach, orthopaedic, eye, etc. This degree is offered by both government and private medical colleges.

Bachelor in Computer Application (BCA) is a 100% job guaranteed course if engineering college is impenetrable for some reasons. The BCA is choice of the hour and a BCA from recognized institute guarantees 100% job assurance. This will land the student in lucrative jobs in software companies.

April 2017

Diplomas, Hands on Training and Life Skill Oriented Jobs

Diploma in Office Management: This trains manpower with knowledge and skills for handling general responsibilities of an office for the effective management and administration of staff and resources, the career options includes assistant to Executive level positions. Diploma in Taxation: This course focuses mainly on Income Tax, VAT, Service Tax and Central Excise, Sales Tax and trains the manpower to deal with Income tax matters with confidence. This training helps find better job opportunities or become tax consultants and start their own tax consultancy. Diploma in Retail Management: This course imparts the knowledge to understand the dynamics of Retail Management, the new age flavour. Diploma in Export-Import Management: This course imparts a comprehensive knowledge about

Export - Import Policy, Documentation, Procedures and Practices, basic management principles, etc., providing opportunities for the candidate to work as an Export-Import Assistant Coordinator. Diploma in Interior Design: Diploma in Interior Design covers in-depth the fundamentals of interior design, styling, preparing the individuals for a career in the interior design industry. Diploma in Footware Design & Technology: There is a very high earning scope in the footwear industry. A diploma holder in Footwear Design & Technology earns more than a software engineer. The demand for candidates is higher than the supply. It is one course that many are unaware of regarding its rewarding potential. Diploma in a Foreign Language: Diploma in a foreign language can open many doors in leading multinational companies. Most of MNCs

search for candidates who can communicate with foreign clients in their language. This is again an untapped arena that offers one of the top most packages for deserving candidates. The salary of a fresher with a foreign language diploma starts from Rs. 25,000 in any type of industry. Diploma holder of foreign language can opt to work from any part of the world with the salary package they deem worthy. Degree/Diploma in Painting and Crafting: A career in painting and crafting is most attractive. A painter or crafter can become an entrepreneur without even searching for jobs and can earn in lakhs after completing their diploma in painting and crafting. Every artist earns more than a doctor. There is a high demand for these artists in film and television industry for set designing and so forth.

April 2017

COVER STORY

THESE ARE JUST A FEW SAMPLES OF DIPLOMA COURSES THAT ARE OFFERED 1. Sofcon India Pvt. Ltd

The CCIE Security and Integrated offers 100% placement guarantee with salaries starting from 5-6 lakhs per annum (10 to 12 month)

Sofcon India Private Limited is a Industrial training institute run by technocrats that, in collaboration with NSDC (National Skills Development Corporation of India), Ministry of Skill development & Entrepreneurship, a Govt of India Enterprises provides Hands-On practical training with 100% job and guaranteed placement assistance. The company has set itself a target of 100,000 placements till 2020. Sofcon offers 100% Job oriented 2 months Technical training programs for 10th or 12th pass students. It tries to bridge the gap between Industrial requirements and lack of skilled manpower. It has its centres in Noida, Delhi, Gurgaon, Lucknow, Allahabad, Jaipur, Bhopal, Vadadora and Pune. The training offered in this institute includes, • Automation Training • Embedded Training • Building Automation • Mechanical Training • HVAC Design and Drafting • VLSI Training • MATLAB Training • Autodesk Training Center Technician Course - Electrical Assembly operator (This course provides exposure in assembling and maintenance of Electrical Systems, wiring Schema and Networking in industrial premises as per the requirement), Wire man control panel training, Site Engineer control panelling training, Access control electrician installation technician training ,CCTV installation Technician course etc.

The Multi- Vendor Technology expert programme too offers 100% job placement with a starting package of 5-6 lakhs per annum. (10 to 12 month)

"GET HIRED,

NOT JUST CERTIFIED”

100% JOB GUARANTEED COURSES

These courses might be of 3 to 6 months duration or weeks training.

2. Network Bulls

Network Bull specializes in job oriented training in the IT background and guarantees 100% job placement. The CCIE R&S Integrated offers 100% placement guarantee with salaries starting from 4-5 lakhs per annum (6 months course)

April 2017

Their USP is to provide the candidates with adequate training and bring in as many interviews before the last month of the course. They have placed their candidates in many prestigious companies like IBM, Accenture, TCS, Wipro, Tech-Mahindra, with location ranging from India to USA to Australia. They are able to achieve this by incorporating more training methods in real devices. Once their candidates acquire sufficient knowledge through training, they are asked to perform practical at World's Largest CISCO Labs on real devices and not on simulators. They thus train their candidate with practical training and Knowledge. Apart from technical training, Network bull also offers various trainings on Personality development, spoken English classes, group discussion classes and other soft skill classes before the commencement of interview.

3. BIGBOXX

The Bigboxx academy provides computer courses for class 12th pass outs. They offer Degree, Diploma and professional courses that aim to enhance the job skills along with 100% placement offers. They mainly concentrate on the IT sector where they promise 100%placements .Their candidates are

placed in MNC's and command salaries upto 10 lakhs.

They offer simulation of working environment and conducive training methodology.

The courses offered include, • Diploma in Animation and VFX • Graphic Designing • 3d Animation and Visual Effects • Web Designing (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and Bootstrap) • PHP Web Development (Core PHP and Advance PHP) • Android Application Development • C and C++ • JAVA • Web Graphics • Web Animation • Motion Graphics • Photography • Auto CAD • Digital Fashion /Fashion CAD • Responsive Web Designing • Internet Marketing • Photoshop • Corel Draw • Interior Architect • Digital Marketing

4. JetKing

Jetking offers quality training and prepares candidates for a successful entry into the IT industry. They even provide guidance for resume making and mock interviews. They have tie ups with many top ranking MNC's that guarantees 100% job placement. They offer many career courses as CCNA, CCNA security, Exchange server, Laptop specialist, Networking essentials and hacking managements. They have their centre in Mumbai.

5. Jawed Habib Academy

It is an academy that offers an impetus in the field of hair styling in India. It offers Scientific and systematic training in the science of cosmetology. The Academy offers total training for the candidate including academic skills, communication, client handling etc.

This ensures that the students are immediately absorbed in the field once they complete the course. The best of talent is absorbed by the Habib's itself.

6. Caba Innovatives

This Delhi based institute offer 5 months Diploma in Interior Designing. After completion of the course they offer 100% placement in leading companies in this field. Apart from technical training they offer communication and soft skill training that makes their students competent to face any interviews. So confident are they about themselves that they offer a scheme of 100% job placement or cash back. They offer up-to-date knowledge and handson training in the Interior technologies. Their clients are Vertical Architects, Architectural firms, Hotel and Health resorts, Design studios etc. With not much players in the field this course guarantees jobs for students interested in the field.

7. UNNATI

It is a vocational training and empowerment program that stands tall and aims at rural youth empowerment and employment. They offer the program at a subsidized rate for the under privileged. Prestigious employers associated with them are Asian Paints, Bata, Croma, Godrej, JP Morgan, Levi's, Puma, Trent etc. Though they have their training centre in Bangalore, they hold batches across India. They aim at providing a bright career and future for the students below the Poverty line.

8. I-Medita

They are Pune's biggest CISCO Networking Labs with 24*7 access to the lab. The I-Medita’s Job oriented Courses are designed after deep discussions with industry experts, HR

Directors, Placement Officers, Technical Heads and much more. Their courses are designed as per industry needs and are planned in such a way that students get a job after successful completion of the training. These courses cover rigorous hands-on practicals, resume writing sessions, mock tests, exams, interviews along with 100% job guarantee offers.

9. MSP concepts

MSP concepts offers core training in Web development, Application Development, Web Development, Application Development, MVC3 – MVC4 Development, WPF development and Web API Development. Their training center is located at Ahmedabad, Gujarat and they charge fees close to Rs. 16000 for a 4 month course. Other training courses include Word press training, iPhone training and Android training and QA training.

10. CRB Training

CRB Tech is one of the best training institutes in Pune to provide 100% guaranteed placement in various kinds of fields including Java, .Net, CAD CAM, Clinical Research and DBA. They stand out in their category as they offer 100% job guarantee on legal bond paper. They provide extensive training and excellent practical lab facilities along with a 100% job guarantee. CRB tech provides courses on • Java • DBA • CAD CAM • Testing • SEO • Clinical Research • Hardware & Networking At the time of admission they provide a letter of Intent promising a guaranteed job. They deliver on their promise because of high quality campus drives, liaisons with companies, training in

April 2017

COVER STORY Foreign Language, training in making business presentation, Innovative infrastructure and Life-time assistance in case of experience placements. Apart from working on candidate’s technical skills, CRB Tech Solutions works on interview skills, communication skills, and other soft skills. They have a tie-up with 300 odd companies like Accenture, Cybage, Syntel, Cognizant, Buzz Factory, Nielsoft, Tetra Pak India, Mold Tek, Design Tech Systems, Quality Kiosk, Quick Heal, Enzigma, Apotex, Transparency etc.

11. NIFM

National Institute for Finance management offers beginners and advanced level courses in financial management including as Advanced Diploma in Marketing and finance, Equity Research certification, Course on Trading strategies, Investments etc. This course comes with 100% job placement courses in Finance sector. They have branches in Delhi, Punjab and Ludhiana.

12. Magneto training Academy

Magneto Training Academy uses the latest technologies and improved study tools to prepare students for any career in IT related field. The 100% job placement assistance for successful candidates makes the academy one of the most preferred among candidates. Magneto Training Academy specializes in offering industry-oriented programs in mobile applications, cloud computing, hadoop, web technology and business Analysis.

13. BRIDGE by Bosch

BRIDGE (Bosch’s Response to India’s Development and Growth through Employability Enhancement) is a pioneering Bosch CSR program that helps fulfilling the growing need for skilled manpower across sectors in India. It ensures employability of underprivileged drop-outs. It is a 3-month shortterm program with a focus on employability and life skills for underprivileged youth through BRIDGE Centers across India. The Bosch program reaches out to school dropout youth from underprivileged backgrounds in the age bracket of 18 and 25. The objective of this joboriented program is to utilize Bosch’s already established skills development competence to deliver a unique vocational training model and making underprivileged children employable, thereby providing a pool of high quali-

ty skilled manpower, mainly to the services industry. BRIDGE students receive job skills training in all the key elements needed to find gainful employment in the organised or semi-organised sector. The program prepares students to find their first job and includes industry demand-driven modules: • Soft skills (for 5 weeks) • Industry-specific and Job skills (for 2 weeks) • Social Skills (for 1 week) • On-the-Job Training (for 4 weeks) and an one hour coaching on Spoken English, Basic Computers (with handson experience) and Value Education. After completion of the BRIDGE program, Bosch provides 100% job placement assistance to the candidates in finding a job in semi-organized or organized sectors. The placement sectors include Automotive Dealerships, Telecommunications, Hospitality, Retail Outlets, ITES/BPO etc. As of July 2016, more than 4,500 students (school dropout youth) have been trained and placed by BRIDGE. A record 100% of BRIDGE students receive job placement offers. Most of them are first-generation employees who get into the formal job sector, where the remuneration and working conditions are far more organised and reasonable. Thus, BRIDGE offers a foundation for young school dropouts to enter into decent jobs and build their life and career from thereon.

14. The Children of World India

CWI is established by the ARTYZAN Community College in 2005 to provide industry oriented high quality vocational education to youth from marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society. The training period varies from 3 months to a year and it runs from Pondicherry. The course aims to train youth to meet the emerging industrial needs. Some of the popular programs of the academy include apparel design and production technology, accessories design and manufacturing technology, graphic design technology, hotel management and catering technology etc. Apart from the chosen vocational skill training, all students are trained in basic computer application, English language and personality development. Over the past 4 years, the academy has trained and secured

April 2017

100% placement for more than 850 students. At present training is offered in the following areas • Garment Technology • Leather goods Technology • Embroidery • Graphic Design & DTP • Foods and Beverage - Production & Service • Hand stitching • Pattern making - Textile and Leather goods. Upon successful completion of the program, the students are given employment offers by the sponsors of the program. They can choose between being employed or starting their own units for which the academy offers links to financial institutions.

15. Talent ++

Talent ++ is a Gurgaon based company that assures 100% job placement in Technical fields. Their strong point is that it is run by trained working professionals. Generally in IT field 3/4 th of the vacancy is filled by internal references and many a times outsiders are unaware of vacancy. When working professionals runs the course they get inside information and ensures job availability. They offer both classroom and online training. The courses include • Software Testing • Soft Skill And Personality Development • QTP Automation • Selenium with Java • Appium Training • Online Selenium Training • Dot Net Course • Java J2EE • PL/SQL Training • Oracle Apps Technical • Oracle Apps SCM – Functional • Android Development • Search Engine Optimization • Linux Training • Microsoft Excel Training • ISTQB Foundation Level • SAP BODS Training • Soft Skills & Personality Development Training

16. Freshers India

It is an exclusive PHP training institute placed in Kolkata. They offer 100% job guaranteed PHP certification in India. Apart from PHP, they offer many advanced web development courses. They have another Maximum vacancy course that includes SQL, Apache, Paypal etc. The course in this category

sets on to fill the void in networking and web programming in PHP/My SQL Domain. Their list of placement companies includes Zend, IBM, Adobe, Oracle etc.

17. MG career park

MG Career Park is an government approved vocational training centre under PMKVY scheme- PRADHAN MANTRI KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA. PMKVY is the flagship outcome-based skill training scheme of the new Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). This skill certification and reward scheme aims to enable and mobilize a large number of Indian youth to take up skill training and become employable and earn their livelihood. Under the scheme, monetary reward would be provided to trainees who are successfully trained, assessed and certified in skill courses run by affiliated training providers. This will boost the productivity of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workforce by enabling them to acquire high quality skill training across a range of sectors. It will also bring about a paradigm shift from input-based to outcome-based skill training in the country. National Skill Development Corporation of India (NSDC), is a Public Private Partnership set up as part of the National Skill Development Mission to fulfil the growing need in India for skilled manpower, and upgrade skills to International Standards The institution fully adheres to the requirements of improved curricula, enhanced monitoring and assessment standards, mentorship support and evaluation. They currently enter the 8 th year of vocational training and have taught over 10,000 young men and women across the country in over 25 centres across India. A robust placement programme complements this expertise and infrastructure, ensuring a thorough and all round development of the candidates with additional soft skills training. The objective of this Scheme is to encourage skill development for youth by providing monetary rewards upon successful completion of approved training programs. The various fields under which training is given includes, Electronic sector, logistic sector, Automotive Skill development Council, Indian plumbing Sector, Apparel, Makeup and interior

designing, Construction Development skill, Gems and Jewellery, life skill Development, Life science Sector and Retail Sector. The key feature of this is, students are given stipend during training if found worthy and are given 100% job placement. They have their offices in many places like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra and West Bengal

18. SLIEM Skills

It also works under the PMKVY. They offer courses like Bank management and operation, retail Management, Plumbing, electrician training, C++, Autocad and SAS. Professionally they offer IT Training, Industrial Automation Training and corporate training. They are in the field for past 25 years and have successfully trained close to 20,000 students.

19. National Institute of Open Schooling National Institute of Open Schooling in association with Apparel Made-ups & Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council and National Skill Development Corporation has launched an unique training programme with ZERO fees, 100% Guaranteed Job Placement and Sector Skill Council Certification for NIOS students. NIOS mainly caters to the educational needs of the out-of-school children in general and those belonging to school drop-outs and socially and economically backward section of the learner population. The Academic Department and the Vocational Education Department can be said to be the two most important departments of the NIOS. These two departments develop education programmes and courses to give an opportunity to the learners to pursue the course of learning of their choice. Both the departments collaborate with each other to develop functional and need based courses to benefit the learners. One of the objectives of the Vocational Education Programme of NIOS is to meet the need for skilled and middle-level manpower for the growing sectors of economy, both the organized and the unorganized. The range of Vocational Education courses has been expanding over the years depending upon needs of learners and market demands.

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has launched the Open Basic Education (OBE) Programme, as an alternative educational programme, equivalent to the Elementary Education Programme of the formal education system. The OBE Programme explores and makes use of the potentialities of Distance Education Mode (DEM) for reaching the unreached. The Foundation Course of NIOS has been subsumed into the Open Basic Education (OBE) Programme. The NIOS has branches pan India in places like Allahabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Patna, Pune, Dehradun, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Gandhinagar, Raipur, Chennai, Ranchi, Dhramshala and Vishakapatnam (Sub Regional Centre as Darbhanga).

20. World Class Skill Centre

The WCSC is located in Delhi and was formed in collaboration with Singapore to enhance the employability of youth. This centre, which is now 4 years old, operates from its own building and caters to the 12th pass out. They offer Hospitality operation, retail operation, Software testing assistance, Finance executive, IT skills. These are one year courses with a nominal fee. After training they place their candidates in excellent institutions.

21. ACMA Mobtech

ACMA Mobtech is an institution that provides professional training in the field of mobile and laptop repair. They offer chip level training, mobile unlocking, Cell phone repair/ laptop or desktop repair. It offers 100% placement assistance for its candidates and has a fully functional placement cell for providing placement assistance to all successful students. Regular industry interaction and feedback by placement cell plays an important role in devising course curriculum.

22. Genesis tally

It is an institution that offers job guarantee in the Accounting sector. They offer excellent training in Tally, Taxation and Accounting. This might turn to be a beacon for the 12th pass outs who have chosen commerce as their main stream. It offers 100% job assistance and placements.

23. Blend InfoTech

Blend InfoTech provides training in the software field with 100% job guar-

April 2017

COVER STORY antee. They offer Net developer, PHP Developer, Software testing, Android testing and IT Marketing. They are all 6 months to 1 year courses that offer 100% job guarantee after completion.

24. DS (Dotsquares) Academy

Advance Placement Program is a special endeavour by Dotsquares to offer Unique Onshore Recruitment Oriented Programs for Professionals. The program is meant to develop professional through Internship program that is being taught by Real Time Industry Experts having 8 – 10 Years of Work Experience. APP aims to nurture fresh talent to transform them into high quality developers. DS Academy seeks highly motivated students, who are interested in experiencing of learning and research with them. The academy is into In-house Trainings, CRT (Campus Recruitment Training) with placements and provides trainings to BCA, MCA, MSC(IT), B.TECH(CS IT ), M.TECH Students. Their training fee varies from course to course. Below are the details:-

B.Tech Summer Internship Duration – 60 days with Project Fees – 6000/Technology – Android, Php, .net, Java, IOS

MCA Industrial Training with Placement Assistance. Duration – 6 Months with Live Project Fees – 10,000/Technology – Android, Php, .net, Java, IOS

Training on-floor with developers on Live Project Duration – 2 months Fees – 15,000/Technology – Android, PHP, .net, Java, IOS Eligibility – Those who need only 1-2 months on-floor training 100% placement Guarantee Course

B.Tech / MCA/ M.TECH completed Duration – 4 Months Fees – 35,000/Technology – Android, Php, .net, Java, IOS

Long – Term Courses for non- technical students or BCA Pursuing students Duration – 1.5 Year Fees – 1 Lac Technology- Android, PHP, .net,

Java, IOS, web Designing Benefits – 3 semesters of intensive course content including basic C , C++ , Operating system, Networking, Installation, Database, etc, specialization in 1 (one) Technology with 100% placement. This course is specially designed for undergraduate students, they can start earning before completing the graduation. Packages after placement start from 2.40 Lac per annum. Designation – Software Developer, Junior Software Developer 150+ Students are placed till today.

Highlights • Project based Training. • Industrial visit. • Certified Training. • Real time Industry experience. • Sessions with Experts. • PD & Grooming Classes on weekly basis. • 100% Placement Guarantee. • Technologies: Android, PHP, .net, Java, IOS

Word of Caution

Off late, many sites have started offering 100% Job guarantee courses over the internet. We need to check the authenticity before falling into the trap of such websites. Never submit or handover any educational certificates (or any original documents) unless it is a very good company and its mandatory for all employees working there. In case of submission of the documents it is better to make sure that they give you a written proof that they have taken them. Before joining, thoroughly check if the company has any bond requirement. Also enquire from the students who studied there about the training experience and job placements. There is a subtle difference between 'Placement Assistance' and 'Placement Guarantee'. The former means that they will help you get a job, but there is no guarantee. It is better to read the fine print for clauses before getting into any of these courses.

Editor: Content at Scoonews is reader-driven and we take suggestions coming very seriously. This story, for example, was inspired by Karuna Yadav, Principal, Kapil Gyanpeeth, Jaipur, who wrote in saying she is pained by when she looks at these average students running around aimlessly

April 2017

RESILIENCE

THE RIGHT TO LIFE

Two girls who were being abducted by Boko Haram escaped and shared their story about the ordeal and asks global leaders to intervene to bring back the rest of the girls still held in captivity with the terrorist group. Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

he recently held Global Skills and Education Forum in Dubai saw two brave women come forward to talk about their nightmarish experience with BOKO HARAM, an Islamic extremist group based in north eastern Nigeria, also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. Mohammed Yusuf founded the sect that became known as Boko Haram in 2002 in Maiduguri, the capital of the north-eastern state of Borno. He established a religious complex and school that attracted poor Muslim families from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The terrorist group abducted more than 270 girls from the town of Chibok in north eastern Nigeria. 21 of these girls were released from captivity last October by Boko Haram fighters. One of the girls even had a little baby. Two girls who were being abducted escaped and shared their story about the ordeal and asks global leaders to intervene to bring back the rest of the girls still held in captivity with the terrorist group.

Their Story Still fearful for their safety and that of their family these two girl’s whose names have been changed to Sa’a and Rachel protecting their

identity, were present at the press conference on the side lines of the two-day Global Education and Skills Forum. “We have to share our story and tell the world about it,’ said the student, using Sa’a as a pseudonym to protect her identity. The girl Rachel lost her father and three younger brothers at the hands of the terrorist group and says that it’s a horrific experience that the world should not forget. Sa’a escaped the clutches of abduction when she jumped out of a moving truck when the group attacked and burnt her school in Borno state in April 2014. “My dream is to be a medical doctor in the future and inspire others and go back to my home country and help those kids to go back to school and assist others get the education they deserve,” Sa’a says. “The only thing we need to do is to ask the world leaders to bring back the girls. We cannot do anything other than speak out,” said Sa’a. “Every child needs to be educated and to go to school,” Sa’a said. “We must never forget this until all the girls are safely back. Next month it will not be three days but three years and they are not back. It is painful.” She currently studies in the United States and has moved out from

April 2017

Nigeria. Since January this year Sa’a has started college under a project by the Education Must Continue Initiative, a charity which has helped about 3000 other internally-displaced children go to school. She now has an ambition to study science and medicine. As she talks about her experience she says that they were abducted and forced into trucks at gunpoint, but she decided to jump out of the moving truck with a friend. Both of them sustained injuries and were helped by a shepherd and made their way to safety. Emmanuel Ogebe, a human rights lawyer and director of the Education Must Continue Initiative, assists child victims and IDPs from conflicts, primary Boko Haram. Most of the victims are in Nigeria and a handful in the United States. “Most venerable targets of Boko Haram have been educational institutions and religious institutions. Pastors have been killed in thousands and over 600 teachers have been killed by Boko Haram and we see vulnerability in both areas,” Ogebe told IPS. “It is a painful situation, what happened to the girls because we understand that there were early warnings that the terrorists were going to strike and supported by the fact that teachers escaped and left the girls. The sense of failure to protect is very sorry in addition to the fact that the government did not protect the girls at school even when they were warned.”

April 2017

RESILIENCE

Hopes and Dreams “My dream is to be a medical doctor in the future and inspire others and go back to my home country and help those kids to go back to school and assist others get the education they deserve,” Sa’a says. Rachel is back in Nigeria and continues her education. She aspired to be a medical doctor but now wants to be a top ranking military officer after what happened to her father and brothers. Vikas Pota, Chief Execuive of the Varkey Foundation, the hosts of the Global Education & Skills Forum, said the Boko Haram question is wider than simply the question of the girls, and is related to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and elsewhere. He said collective action was needed to make the world more inclusive thereby creating an environment to provide education to all. “I think it is ridiculous in today’s

age and with all the human intelligence that exists that we do not know where these girls are. It shows we do not care,” Pota told IPS, adding that,” As a father, how can we tolerate this situation? I think the government not – just the Nigerian one but governments around the world – should help and make sure this situation is resolved.” The cruelty of this terrorist group not only extends to these girls but to thousands who have faced death and the wrath of Boko Haram. Another incident that spoke volumes about social stigmas was about the young 17-year-old girl Zara. She was kidnapped by the same group but was later rescued by the army; she sometimes wishes that she was back in the forest where she had a better life in captivity than coming back home. She was given the choice of marriage to one of the terrorist’s or being their slave, she decided the

April 2017

former. Though the choice had little difference she soon realised that she was pregnant. Her uncle Mohamed Umaru, said "The women in our family realised she was three months pregnant. In our family it happens that some of us are Christians and some are Muslims. She was a Christian before she was kidnapped but the Boko Haram who married her turned her into a Muslim.” There was a split decision in her family, whether she should abort or have the baby. The majority prevailed and she gave birth to a boy. She named the boy Usman after her husband’s father. The insults then began. "People call me a Boko Haram wife and called me a criminal. They didn't want me near. They didn't like me," Zara said as a tear slowly slipped down her cheek. She confines herself with her child within the compound of her house as neighbourhood children hurl messages of hate learned from

their parents. "They didn't like my child. When he fell sick nobody would look after him," she said. The child was killed by a snake as mother and son slept outside in their compound due to the heat. He was nine months old. "People call me a Boko Haram wife and called me a criminal. They didn't want me near. They didn't like me." "Some were happy that he died," Zara said. "They were happy the blood of Boko Haram had gone from the family." "They said thank God that the kid is dead, that God has answered their prayers," Mohamed explained. "Sometimes she says she wants to go to school and become a doctor and help society, but sometimes, when people insult her, she says she wants to go back to the Sambisa Forest.

"She always talks about her husband who happens to be a Boko Haram commander. She says the guy is nice to her and that he wants to start a new life with her." Listening to Zara's story, told quietly with eyes fixed on the ground, it is hard to imagine anyone going through what she has gone though, let alone a 17-year-old girl. Mohamed said Zara's life had become so intolerably hard that on one occasion she had said she wanted to "go on a suicide mission". "You are creating a more dangerous thing than Boko Haram if you grow up not welcomed by society and with nobody wanting to help you. My prayer is for the government to do something. They should come to their aid and reintegrate them and show them love." But there is so much confusion in her face and in her answers - she is not a killer, she is just a child.â&#x20AC;?

"You are creating a more dangerous thing than Boko Haram if you grow up not welcomed by society and with nobody wanting to help you. My prayer is for the government to do something. They should come to their aid and reintegrate them and show them love." These are the stories of just 3 young girls who have faced more misery than one can imagine. But there are thousands just like them who are subject to pain from the society once released from captivity and yet continue to hope and dream for a better life. Humans have lost their compassion where it is most importanttowards our fellow human beings. These people never wished or asked for the situations they were put in. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not enough for a handful of people to fight for a cause but it is the responsibility and duty of all global citizens to ensure all of us have an equal standing in our society and to wipe away any stigma.

April 2017

SHOWCASE

MOST BEAUTIFUL Schools in INDIA At ScooNews we picked out the top ten schools that we thought were the most beautiful

Anjana Deepak writeback@scoonews.com

e at ScooNews decided to showcase schools that we found to be the most beautiful from around the country. Be it in the North, South, East or West these schools have been architecturally built to please the eye. It beckons us to want to be a part of the institute.

April 2017

THE DOON SCHOOL Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India is an all-boys boarding school admitting pupils between the ages of 12-18 yrs. It was established in 1935 and boasts of a seventy acre campus with plush flora and fauna.

WELHAM GIRLS SCHOOL Named after a Welsh village â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Welhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was started in 1957 by an English lady Miss H.S. Oliphant who desired to create an equal educational platform for young Indian women. This school is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun and has a 12 acre campus.

MAYO COLLEGE One of the oldest boarding schools located in Ajmer Rajasthan, India. It was founded in 1875 and located at the foothills of Madar with an area of 187 acres. A boys-only independent boarding school, Mayo has 12 boarding houses, 3 dining halls and modern classrooms.

April 2017

SHOWCASE RISHI VALLEY SCHOOL The school was founded in the year 1926 by the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. It follows a holistic approach to education. The campus is spread over 360 acres and is located in Madanapalle, Chitoor District of Andhra Pradesh. Rishi Valley is set in a remarkable atmosphere of peace and serenity surrounded by ancient granite hills with striking rock formations.

MONTFORT SCHOOL A Co-ed school run by the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel in the town of Yercaud, near Salem, Tamil Nadu. The school was founded in the year 1917.

April 2017

ST. MARY’S HIGH SCHOOL The school opened its doors in 1887 as Mount Abu Railway School. In 1929 it was taken over by the Christian Brothers and renamed as St. Mary’s. It is situated close to the Lower Kodhra dam and is surrounded by jungle in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan.

GOETHALS MEMORIAL SCHOOL, KURSEONG Set at an altitude of 1674 meters (5500 feet) in a forest 5 Kms from Kurseong between Siliguri and Darjeeling. It was founded in 1907. The land for the school was donated by the Maharaja of Bardhaman and was named after Jesuit Archbishop of Kolkata Paul Goethals.

April 2017

SHOWCASE BLUE MOUNTAINS SCHOOL Located in the small beautiful town of Ooty, a large cottage known as the Dilkush Mahal houses the school is both a heritage structure and holds historically significance. It was established in 1961 by F.G. Pearce who initially rented and later bought it from the heirs of the Maharani Vidyavathi Devi of Vizianagaram.

April 2017

UNISON WORLD SCHOOL Located in the beautiful locale of Kirsali Greens, nestled in the laps of the Shiwalik ranges. It is an all girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residential school from the 5th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12th grade.

DRUK WHITE LOTUS SCHOOL Locally known as the Druk Padma Karpo School is located in Shey, Ladakh. The school was started on the request of the people of Ladakh and is based on Tibetan Buddhism while equipping its students for a life in the 21st century. It opened in 2001 and featured in the movie 3 Idiots.

These are just some of the beautiful schools in India. These schools also have high educational standards. Most of us would dream to be enrolled in one such school surrounded by so much beauty. So which one do you think you want to go to?

April 2017

DID YOU KNOW

There’s a giant limestone wall in Bolivia that has over 5,000 dinosaur footprints on it. The 462 tracks were made by 8 species over 68 million years ago, before tectonic activity pushed the ground up into a 300-foot wall.

5-year-olds Jax and Reddy are BFFs. When Jax’s mom told him his hair was too long, he said he wanted to get it cut like Reddy’s so they could trick their teacher, because he thought if his hair was short, nobody would be able to tell them apart. His mom posted the photo as proof that hatred and prejudice are learned behaviors, and it immediately went viral.

Computer programmer Mike Senna, known for his handmade, remote control R2D2, spent 2 years working 25 hours a week to build a working, life-size WALL-E. Because actual materials, decals, and parts from WALL-E don’t exist, the entire thing had to be built from scratch. He takes his creations out for appearances at schools, conventions, libraries, office parties, and charity events.

April 2017

When Katherine Johnson was little, she loved to count things. By the age of 10, she was in high school. In 1961, she calculated the trajectory of NASA’S first trip into space. She was so consistently accurate that when NASA began to use computers, they had her check the calculations to make sure they were accurate. Mary Somerville is the reason for the word ‘scientist.’ A self-taught mathematician, astronomer, and physicist, she was a master of connecting the physical sciences. In 1834, she’d impressed a historian who found himself unable to publicly praise her because the only common description for that sort of scholar was ‘man of science.’ He then coined the term ‘scientist’- but it wasn’t intended to be a gender-neutral noun, it was specifically a reference to Mary Somerville’s expertise.

Octopuses are older than dinosaurs

There’s a 230foot-long sea organ on the coast of Croatia. The organ, designed by Architect Nikola Basic, has 35 tubes that make music whenever the waves crash into them.

April 2017

DID YOU KNOW Elementary teacher Barry White, Jr, has a secret handshake for all his students. A girl who was often late to class for visiting his room every morning to get her handshake made him realize how powerful something so simple could be, so he decided to do it for all the kids in one of his classes. He then thought, ‘Ok, if I can do 20, I can do 20 more,’ and he came up with handshakes for all his students, and now even has them for teachers, volunteers, and students in other grades.

In the 1960s, a power company accidentally created Fly Geyser by drilling into a geothermic pocket that let loose a stream of oil, water, and calcium deposits. Now it’s a vibrant living sculpture that’s always evolving due to the colorful algae in the water.

For the first time in history, NASA’s new class of astronauts is 50% women. Each of them is eligible for the first mission to Mars.

April 2017

There’s a device that fits on to your car’s exhaust pipe, absorbs pollution, and turns it into ink. You see exhaust fumes contain the same material that ink is made up of, so a company called Air Ink decided to take the carbon emissions collected from tailpipes, make their own earthfriendly inks and markers, and simultaneously reduce pollution from both car exhaust and from the ink-making process.

READ

Living Sunlight

Middle School: Escape to Australia Rafe isn't exactly considered a winner in Hills Village Middle School to say the least, but everything's about to change: he's won a school-wide art competition, and the fabulous prize is getting to jet-set off to Australia for a whirlwind adventure! But Rafe soon finds that living in the Land Down Under is harder than he could've ever imagined--his host-siblings are anything but welcoming, the burning temperatures are torturous, and poisonous critters are ready to sting or eat him at every step. So with the help of some new misfit friends, Rafe sets out to show everyone what he does best: create utter mayhem!

An incredible depiction of the journey that light makes as it leaves the sun to nourish living beings on Earth. A collaboration between acclaimed author/illustrator Molly Bang and MIT professor Penny Chisholm, this book leaves readers in awe of the complexity that is life.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The Composition Originally published in Venezuela, this all-too-realistic story of a 9year-old boy growing up under a dictatorship provides excellent perspective on childhoods unfamiliar to many of us. Loaded with drama and tension, balanced by a touch of humor, this is a distinct read that will open up powerful discussions.

A set textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander’s masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the wizarding world. Scamander’s years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books – the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail...Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents…

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon In this nimble fusion of Chinese folk-inspired characters and original tales, Minli firmly believes that she can alter her family's fortune—if only she can gain an audience with the fabled Old Man of the Moon. Her doubting mother must have faith that her daughter will return.

April 2017

TAKE2

WATCH

BORN FREE Married couple George Adamson and Joy Adamson have long lived in northern Kenya for George's work as the senior game warden of the region. One of George's primary responsibilities is to deal with dangerous animals that may be chronically threatening to humans, livestock and/or crops. It is in this vein that George and his staff end up killing a man eating lion and its lioness, resulting in their three young female cubs being orphaned. Although difficult to begin, George and Joy are able to wean and take care of the three cubs, who they adopt as pets. But soon, they know they have to provide a more suitable environment for the cubs, namely sending them to Rotterdam Zoo... that is except for the smallest, who they have named Elsa and to who Joy in particular has become attached as the emotional fighter among the three. As Elsa grows into lioness maturity, George and Joy provide her with greater freedom away from their property, which may get her into trouble as a largely tame animal. Ultimately, John Kendall, George's boss, directs them to send Elsa to a zoo like they did with her sisters, especially as with anyone in George's job he is soon being reassigned. Joy cannot bear the thought of Elsa being locked up for the rest of her life, believing that they can reintegrate her back into the wild instead, something that had never been done with a tame lion. John gives them three months to accomplish this task, which most specifically involves getting Elsa to be able to kill for food, other creatures which up to this point she has seen only as fellow playthings, and to be accepted by other lions, most specifically mate with and provide food for a male partner while standing up successfully to female competitors.

POWER RANGERS High school outcasts stumble upon an old alien ship, where they acquire superpowers and are dubbed the Power Rangers. Learning that an old enemy of the previous generation has returned to exact vengeance, the group must harness their powers and use them to work together and save the world.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" is a live-action re-telling of the studio's animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. "Beauty and the Beast" is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.

April 2017

LIFE

Burn YOUR Maps After developing an inexplicable fascination with Mongolia, a young boy (Jacob Tremblay) and his befuddled but supportive parents (Vera Farmiga and Marton Csokas) make a journey there, despite the cracks in their marriage and their disagreements about how to weather their son's obsession.

Spark: A Space Tail' Trailer (2017) Spark (Jace Norman) is a wisecracking, teenage monkey who lives on an abandoned planet with his friends Chunk and Vix (Jessica Biel). Thirteen years ago, power-hungry Zhong seized control of their planet Beta, wiping out Spark's family and sending him into hiding. Now, Zhong plans to use the deadly space Kraken to destroy the entire universe, and no one but Spark can stop him.

Six astronauts aboard the space station study a sample collected from Mars that could provide evidence for extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet. The crew determines that the sample contains a large, single-celled organism - the first example of life beyond Earth. But things aren't always what they seem. As the crew begins to conduct research, and their methods end up having unintended consequences, the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.

The Black Stallion The Black Stallion is a 1979 American film based on the 1941 classic children's novel The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, who is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a wild Arabian stallion whom he befriends. After being rescued, they are set on entering a race challenging two champion horses.

April 2017

TECH IT OUT

MUST HAVE APPS FOR STUDENTS

Evernote

OneDrive

Photomath

My Study Life

The Evernote app allows students to create a "note" which can be a piece of formatted text, a full webpage or webpage excerpt, a photograph, a voice memo, or a handwritten "ink" note. Notes can also have file attachments. Notebooks can be added to a stack while notes can be sorted into a notebook, tagged, annotated, edited, given comments, searched, and exported as part of a notebook. Available on: iOS, Android, Windows and as web based tool

Microsoft OneDrive is a digital locker that allows students (and other users) to seamlessly back up and share digital files with other students – pdfs, images, .docs, ppts, etc. You can also collaborate on files, create unique sharing terms and more with the support of the best word processor and productivity suite in the world - Microsoft Office. (Microsoft has made it’s Office Online suite available free as browser based tools.) It also can back up your personal photos, files, and more so that it’s all seamlessly available to you on any device at any time. Available on: iOS, Android, Windows and as web based tool

Students need to simply point their camera toward a math problem and Photomath will magically show the result with detailed step-by-step instructions. Photomath supports arithmetic, integers, fractions, decimal numbers, roots, algebraic expressions, linear equations/inequations, quadratic equations/inequations, absolute equations/inequations, systems of equations, logarithms, trigonometry, exponential and logarithmic functions, derivatives and integrals. Available on: iOS and Android

Students can now say goodbye to a paper planner. My Study Life is everything your paper planner is and more. Organise your classes, tasks and exams and never forget a lecture or assignment again. My Study Life remains focused on ensuring that all students have a simple, easy to use solution to organise all of their classes, tasks and exams as well as adding new functionality for teachers and schools. Available on: iOS, Android, Windows and as web based tool

April 2017

Microsoft Office Mobile Microsoft Office Mobile is the Office companion for phones running Android OS prior to v4.4. and available separately as Excel, PowerPoint and Word for Android 5 and above. You can access, view and edit your Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from virtually anywhere. Documents look like the originals, thanks to support for charts, animations, SmartArt graphics and shapes. When you make quick edits or add comments to a document, the formatting and content remain intact. Available on: iOS, Android, Windows and as web based tool

As per a 2015 study conducted by McGraw-Hill Education, 77% of students reported that using tablets and smartphones has helped improve their grades, and 62% said that tech helps them feel more prepared for class. Improve your productivity through mobile phones with this handy selection of apps and tools for students. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s making notes more efficiently, making sure you stick to your assignment deadlines, sources for cross-referencing or collaborating, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an app that can help you.

Quizlet

Pocket

Quizlet provides free study tools for students, teachers, and learners of all ages that can be used in and out of the classroom, on your own or with friends, and on the go. Quizlet offers offline access as well as six different study modes which can be used to study any subject. Available on: iOS and Android

Pocket is one of the most popular programs for saving and reading web content on your mobile device. If students are to use the Internet to gather, evaluate, and use information, a tool such as Pocket is indispensable for keeping that content organized and available as needed. Just think of it as the new age scrap-book where you can bookmark and save your research items for offline reference and reading. Available on: iOS, Android and as web based tool

Tiny Scanner

Focus Booster

Tiny Scanner is a mobile scanner app that turns your handheld device into a portable document scanner and scan everything as images or PDFs. With this mobile app you can scan documents, photos, receipts, reports, or just about anything. This pdfAoptimal use on both phone and tablet. Available on: iOS and Android

Students can use Focus Booster to apply the pomodoro technique, overcome distractions, maintain focus, stay fresh and finish work on time. It allows you to time sessions and breaks, consecutively. It can track all the sessions you complete. It will automatically create timesheets and reports, allowing you to monitor your productivity. It is simple to set up. Available on: As web based tool and desktop apps for Windows and Mac

Tinycards

Mindly

Millions of students use flashcards every day to memorize things. Tinycards from Duolingo has turned memorizing into a game where you have fun unlocking new levels. Tinycards uses spaced repetition and other smart learning techniques to help you remember new material. Create your own decks and share them with friends, or pick from a variety of ready-made collections by experts. Available on: iOS

Mindly was created to provide an effective tool to capture, organize and develop your ideas. The key focus is to allow the user to easily use the mind mapping technique or visual note taking. The tools is easy to use and does not require lot of typing, formatting or adjusting details. Available on: iOS, Android and Mac

April 2017

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