The software giant, Microsoft has awarded community groups to help people with learning disabilities use computers and improve their IT skills.
Microsoft has given
Microsoft awarded communities for helping people with learning disabilities
UNESCO launches teacher-training programme in Africa
UNESCO has launched a high-priority 'Initiative on Teacher Training' in sub-Saharan Africa. This initiative will assist the continent's 46 sub-Saharan countries in restructuring national teacher policies and teacher education. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The main of the training programme is to improve the quality of teaching across the continent. In this initiative, 17 countries are participating, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia. TTISSA will link and create synergies from the other core Initiatives, the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) and the Global Initiative on Education and HIV and AIDS (EDUCAIDS).
British Council launches training programme to implement ICT in UAE schools
British Council has launched the project, which is aimed to introduce effective use of ICT in schools in UAE. British Council is to bring together teachers and GGC & UK policymakers to introduce ICT. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The British Council has completed its first teacher-training programme for UAE national schools for vision impaired. The UAE Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Dubai Education Council and the British Council are collaborating on the project held at the Abu Dhabi Education Council's Emirates National Centre for Educational Development. British Council launched this training programme with the support of Ministries of Education. The British Council has collaborated with UK education consultants to provide training on ICT tools for education, including e-Languages and Global Gateway. The British Council is also working on the ICT in Schools project in co-operation with all the Education Zones in the UAE. The ICT training workshop is aimed to increase the skills of teachers in the use of ICT in the classroom and to develop the level of confidence in the use of online tools for international collaboration in education. All UK schools have broadband connections and the aim in the UK is to create e-confident schools, effectively using ICT in management, learning and communications to parents.
London e-Admission services impacts on UK citizens
In London, UK, the e-Admission service, the shared-service online schools admission system is benefiting local communities and enhancing local authority services.
London’s eAdmissions system allows the 33 London Boroughs to offer online school admissions. Pan London Coordinated School Admissions Programme has implemented the system, while Wandsworth Borough Council has led the programme and System Associates has developed and hosted the system. London eAdmissions comes under the eAdmissions National Project, which supports 150 local across the country in delivering and promoting online school admissions.
Parents can fill the online Primary and secondary school applications and parents can also access useful online services, reports and school prospectuses. System Associates has developed a system which allows to automatically translate the data taken from the online application form into the specific, compliant XML required for back-office administration.
C-DAC launches open source for SMBs in India
The Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has launched five new open source products, including a directory of open source projects, a network security tool, and a supply chain management solution for SMBs in India.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
C-DAC has launched these products at the Electronics and Information Technology Exposition (ELITEX) 2007 a two-day trade fair organised by the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India, New Delhi. C-DAC has launched one of the country's largest IT platforms, which will take its products to the market on the large scale. C-DAC five products are Bharat Operating Systems Solutions (BOSS), Network@Guard Enterprise Edition, Area Traffic Control System (ATCS), e-SAVYA and Bangla-Assamese-Manipuri Speech Corpora.
BOSS has been developed at the National Resource Centre for Free and Open Source Software (NRCFOSS) of C-DAC. It will develop the ecosystem for the Indian software industry to address the needs of a variety of users. BOSS Linux is an Indian distribution of GNU/Linux based on the Debian. It consists of the Linux operating system kernel, office application software suite BharateeyaOO, Internet access software and file sharing / converter and multimedia applications. The desktop environment and applications have been localized to enable the use of Indian languages. Initially the Linux distribution (distro) is targeted at the government users, kiosks, SMEs, and general users. Community Information centres (CIC's), and Internet cafes would also be able to take benefit from BOSS Linux as this software utilizes less power and it is affordable and easy to install, use and support.
C-DAC has also launched e-SAVYA or “e-Saral Vyapar Suvidha” as an “Affordable Supply Chain Management System for the SME Sector. It is web-based solution to facilitate the automation of processes in SME Industries to improve their operational efficiency. The C-DAC Area Traffic Control System (ATCS) is a fully adaptive road traffic control system that uses data from vehicle detectors and optimizes traffic signal settings in an area to reduce vehicle delays and stops. C-DAC is also working on other products like Telemedicine, Health, Information system, e-Solutions, wheel chairs for handicapped and Bio-Informatics portal.
NKC plans to connect 5000 educational hubs of India
< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has recommended for connecting at least 5000 educational hubs across the country through broadband in India.
The Centre Government has also recommended to connect all research centres Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Several telecom providers are excited to involve in this programme. The government will also use fibre optic to update, improve and upgrade knowledge sources.
Harbinger Group ties with GeoLearning to create content in India
Pune (India) based Harbinger Group has tied up with US based GeoLearning Inc. to provide unique technology for content creation.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Harbinger Group, a global provider of software products and services, has tied up GeoLearning Inc, a leading provider of managed learning services. This alliance will allow Harbinger to bundle up its unique technology for rapid and interactive content creation with GeoLearning's comprehensive learning and performance management offerings. The alliance with GeoLearning will allow Harbinger to build on the strengths of the Raptivity software. Harbinger also announced the launch of the latest Raptivity 4.0 version, which allows trainers to track the learner's progress during interaction. According to Vikas Joshi, the Chairman and Managing Director of Harbinger, GeoLearning can increase the reach and popularity of this software by approaching previously untapped opportunities for interactive e-Learning.
TCS ties with IIT Kanpur, India for tech course
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India to offer a Storage Computing Architecture' course for post graduate course.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
According to the agreement, this joint venture will research in storage computing and related technologies. TCS will sponsor students for the course and provide project work. TCS and IIT Knapur have together designed the content of the new, two-year M. Tech course. The software company will also establish a storage-computing laboratory at IIT Kanpur. This strategic partnership will develop young talents to make experience in storage for innovative applied research.
Indian States seeks to replicate Jawahar Knowledge Centres
The success of Jawahar Knowledge Centres (JKCs) has inspired many states to replicate its success in their states of India.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The Government's JKC initiative is managing some 50 centres and partnered with some 40 IT companies. The State Government is making an effort to promote technology sector and other industries, all efforts would be made to ensure that the necessary infrastructure, including power.
State Govt. promotes Mid-day-Meal scheme in schools of Orissa, India
The State Government is trying to keep their eye on Akshaya Patra model of mid-day meal (MDM) scheme in Orissa, India. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Bnagalore based voluntary organisation Akshaya Patra Foundation (APF) has started the programme in Puri, Orissa. The Orissa Government has decided to put the model of MDM programme in other districts also after the success of programme in Puri. APF is feeding about 2800 school children daily in 190 primary schools of Puri. The State Government has invited APF to partner with it in implementing the MDM programme. Now, Government is providing food to 500 children in Government schools.
