Shuchita Gupta, Academic Director, International Delhi Public School, Kathua, J&K: Students must plan lockdown wisely

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March 30, 2020

With more than 1,050 Covid-19 cases in India, the government has called for a total lockdown for 21 days in all over the country. No doubt it is important to slow down public movement and break the chain of the Coronavirus spread, social distancing is a must. It becomes crucial for us to stay home for this time period and stop the coronavirus from spreading further. Moreover, it has affected the careers of students. Many students have not appeared in their final exams, however they have been promoted to next classes on basis of average of previous exams.

However, just because they are sitting at home, it doesn’t mean they cannot get any work done or learn anything new. Children become lethargic and do not listen to the parents. In order to keep children busy ,fit, and bring out their creativity, being an educationist, I have made groups of classes and shared some ideas with parents as to how to keep children busy.

Here are some ideas children can explore to remain productive during the Coronavirus lockdown:

1. Let’s do yoga and detox

Exercising improves strength, flexibility, agility, and mobility and most importantly it can help build your immunity during this Coronavirus pandemic and relax your soul. This will also inculcate a lot of energy and boost your stamina.

2. Spend time with your family

The best time spent is the time spent with our loved ones. Since we cannot go out during the Coronavirus lockdown, let’s make this an opportunity to spend time with children. Readout a book to your grandparents who find difficulty while doing the same, or help your parents in cleaning the car or in cooking meals. This way you will learn new life skills as well which will help you in the future.

3. Start painting or other hobby

Best way to make best out of waste.

4. Participate in competitions

There are some companies organizing online competitions for improvement of presentation skills .I have contacted them, got the link and shared with parents.

5. Watch the top movies and educational TV series

There is a long list of TV series that will educate you on various topics. The National Geographic documentaries are a way fun way to learn. Pick the genre of your choice and go watch them online

6. Lose yourself in good books

Read motivational storybooks

7. Play old-school games

Many houses will have a chessboard or a ludo board or both! Sharpen your mental skills with chess and beat your siblings while you play and for some family fun, indulge in some ludo, and snakes and ladders!

Since ludo needs four players, it can fully engage all your family members while you all are together during the coronavirus lockdown.

8. Read about future goals

Read books, magazines, online websites on career planning and life goals and plan your targets in life. List down what you want to be 10 years from now and start working on your goals during the Covid-19 lockdown

9. At last, I conclude by how to focus on their academics

I have guided my teachers to make notes of one chapter of all subjects, make videos while explaining and upload in your groups. Children will understand. Then send them exercises.

In this way they will not lack in their academics, thus both scholastic and co-scholastic will be covered.

K Damaris, Army Public School Ramakrishnapuram, Secunderabad: E-learning a boon in crisis

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March 30, 2020

When life gets tough, The tough gets going

This is what comes to my mind seeing the present conditions which are prevailing all over the globe. Covid 19, brought life to a complete standstill.

But this is an eye opener for all of us who took life for granted. Literally life is unpredictable.

We at Army public school Ramakrishnapuram, have planned a novel way to engage our students through online classes and digital learning which are going on in full swing. The students are given a structured timetable and the syllabus is taught systematically by our tech-savvy faculty.

Worksheets and assignments are sent and self analysis is done. Also we are encouraging, Open Book system concept and parents are finding it very easy to monitor and are happy to see their kids engaged productively for five hours a day.

The Google Augumanted Reality kits are also incorporated in active learning classes to make the concepts very clear.

The teachers were given online training by our IT department and now they are able to utilize it to the maximum, for the benefit of our students.

Every week a comprehensive review is done and accordingly, we are planning and going ahead. This is very effective and students are finding it very useful.

Even counselling session and motivational messages are also sent to make the students understand that whatever is happening around will pass away very soon and normalcy will set in. E-books ate also recommended for their weekends along with few Art and Craft worksheets.

Our Physical education teacher is also able to guide them in their physical activities to build their stamina and make them strong.

As Principal I’m regularly sending messages to the parents to keep their children safe and make them emotionally strong, mentally stable and physically alert.

So though the students are at home we are empowering them holistically by educating them in all fields through Online.

Praying that this will end soon and normalcy sets in soon. Till then,

Let’s stay strong, stay safe and stay blessed.

PSEB to declare Punjab 8th Results 2020 soon

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March 30, 2020

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is expected to declare Punjab 8th Results 2020 soon. The PSEB is set to declare result on its official site- pseb.ac.in. The board has not hinted towards any specific date for the PSEB 8th Class Result 2020 declaration.

To ensure easy accessibility of results, the board will publish the result data both name-wise and roll-number wise. Due to pandemic, the central government has imposed 21-day lockdown in the country. The major exams are cancelled or postponed till further notice.

Steps to check results:

-Visit official exam site i.e. pseb.ac.in

-Click on link for Punjab 8th Result 2020

-Add all the details i.e. roll number and other information

-Submit the details on the website

-Punjab 8th Class Result will be displayed on the screen

Arpan Stephen, E-Learning Specialist College of Medicine and Medical Sciences Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain: Crisis always brings out something good

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March 30, 2020

Amidst corona virus outbreak, good being the move towards the inevitable “futuristic teaching models”.

All educational institutions around the world have closed doors and cancelled classes amid COVID-19 concerns. This has opened doors to virtual classroom that was earlier only limited to distance Learning courses. But this today is the need of the hour. Everyone is compelled to move towards remote teaching and learning models.

This has also led to the implementation of Omni-Choice Learning pathways where students get the option to get lessons anytime and anywhere.

The time that we are currently in has also emphasized the importance of technology In education especially when this is the only thing that aids teachers and students at the moment who are distance apart.

To talk about Arabian Gulf University, a GCC regional university located in the Kingdom of Bahrain, it has proven beneficial catering to students from all GCC countries. Remote classes here don’t mean localities, but countries.

This coronavirus pandemic hasn’t given much time to prepare for online virtual learning, but the management at AGU sensed the need early and started preparation in full swing.

To start a virtual classroom environment (VLE), is easier said than done. It is not just enabling technology and infrastructure, but involves trials, testing, Faculty and student training, coordinating and preparation of Online courses that involve Audio-Video Conferencing.

While many Educational institutions have moved to simple Audio-Video Conferencing solutions to take Live classes. Colleges in Arabian Gulf University, The college of Medicine and Medical Sciences and College of Graduate Studies for their undergraduate and Postgraduate programs have a different approach. While solutions like ZOOM, Webex, Go to Meeting, Hangouts provide audio-video conferencing solution, they do not provide any evidence of classes taken after class which at a later stage could create issues. Another challenge with these solutions is the probable server crash because of a network overload on the cloud servers hosting these solutions since the entire world is using these at the moment.

This is the reason why, AGU after a lot of research and testing, created a State-of-the-art solution. A solution that can share the entire coursework, engage teachers and students in a live audio-video class, auto record the whole class session along with the course notes, video, audio with any whiteboarding or annotations and make it available to students after the class. The System also auto tracks the attendance and generates a course activity report of each participant as evidence. Assignments, evaluations, Resource sharing add to the live class setup.

AGU’s able Management and Efficient dedicated E-learning and IT staff members made this solution possible in a very short span of time.

We have been able to get everyone onboard and already have virtual classes running live successfully. Our written feedback both from faculty and students are exceptionally positive and this endeavor has made AGU reach even further heights in using technology effectively in an educational setup.

Kajal Chhatija, Principal, Global Talent International School, Pune calls to empower for future

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March 30, 2020

We teachers are meant for being true role models for our students and we need to be ready to cater alpa generation.

Sharing certain ways of being organised and being busy during these days at home🙋.

You might have got your subjects and classes for the new session

#So start planning for the new session with full energy.

#Try different ways of preparing lessons – Flip, Co-operative, Role plays, Journey, Through questioning, making puzzles, add a little coding and decoding games or assign tasks to students to prepare games on the given topic.(Make worksheets)

#Lesson-wise be ready with at least two hands-on-activities and two e-learning- videos and plus research work as home fun to ensure deep learning. (✒ Pen it down)

#Be ready with two Morning assembly plan along with songs and prayers.

#Keep your year’s diary handy, start writing quotes in it which can go at the top of your classroom board.

#Start making proxy worksheets for your students to keep them engaged in your absence.

#Read two new stories a day which you can share during your substitution class.

#Make short term and long term goals for yourself and set target deadlines for them.

#Utilise this time in a more constructive way, set an example for your students, inspire and motivate them as well.

#Make short videos for students to clear their concepts and share those with parents do that our children can access them easily.

Remember teachers that learning should stop, be lifelong learners and live to learn and teach. 👍

NATA exam 2020 postpones, registration deadline extended

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March 30, 2020

Amid coronavirus spread across the country, Council of Architecture has postponed the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) 2020. The first exam was scheduled for April 19. The Central government has imposed 21-Day lockdown to prevent the further spread of epidemic.

The registration deadline for NATA 2020 has been extended from March 16 to April 15. Candidates who have not yet registered for NATA 2020 can apply on its official site www.nata.in.

The second exam of NATA is scheduled for May 31, 2020, which is also in limbo.

The revised date sheet of NATA 2020 registration:

Image Upload last date : April 19

Fee payment (last date): April 19

Confirmation page printing available till- April 22

Candidate correction window- April 20 to 22

Dr (Col) A Garg, Director, KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad calls for best possible practices

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March 30, 2020

The outbreak of the pandemic Covid-19 has precipitately brought a halt to the lives of all humans across the world. It is critically impacting every sector including education system of the country. The schools, colleges and all educational institutions have been padlocked, resulting into stressful situation for students, parents &academicians as they are highly concerned about the academic loss of their children. Nevertheless we all understand that this is not the time to panic for studies rather it is a medical emergency that pushes us to analyze and understand that the need of the hour is to take various psychological measures that can support each & everyone in balancing their mental as well as emotional health along with physical.

In response to school closures caused by COVID-19, UNESCO recommends the use of distance learning programs and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely and limit the disruption of education. Thereby, taking it to be its responsibility, the education system needs to contribute in its own way to ensure that the children, sitting at home, are safeguarded from all kinds of stressful situations by engaging the students in activities that keep them active & academically connected.

There are various steps & practices that can be undertaken in this regard. KIET Group of Institutions has even taken a few steps to ensure that the students may remain intact with their academics and also stay cognitively stimulated and mentally occupied by involving in some activities that may divert them from the reiterating news of the disease on social media as well as news channels.

The institution has endeavored to keep its students into their study routine by timely switching into digital & distance learning models. Since, the institute got informed about home quarantine of all, they started working more rigorously on the YouTube based video lectures for the students at home. They adopted the following steps to ensure that the students get the maximum food for thought so that they can utilize this extra time in developing their skills as well as learning their lessons and be a bit occupied:

-Online classes are being conducted, by the respective subject teachers, using various video conferencing apps

-Continuously sending Unit wise lecture notes in PDF or PPT format

-Sharing their self-recorded YouTube lectures related to their subjects

-Sharing video links including NPTEL and eBooks related to their subjects

-Software labs are being conducted online

-LMS & Moodle are being used to share assignments and even evaluate the performance of the students

The institute is trying to involve its students in a few tasks and projects that would surely help them hone new skills and utilize the time during their home quarantine and social distancing positively:

1. Koders Korner Practice Contests: The hobby club at KIET, Koders Korner, has endeavored to assist students make the best use of this time by polishing their competitive programming skills. So, they are conducting online practice coding contest series, based on educational rounds of Code forces.

2. Brainwriting: We know a lot about brainstorming, but have you tried brain writing? In this approach, students begin by coming up with their own ideas, either on paper or using visual collaboration software, shared by their departments. Building in time individual reflection by the students leads to better ideas and less group think.

3. Jigsaw: Help students build accountability by teaching each other. Start, by dividing them into “home groups” (each of 5 or 10 students). Assign each person in the group a different topic to explore – they’ll regroup to work with all the students from the other groups who are exploring the same idea. Once they’ve mastered the concept, students return to their home group and everyone shares newfound expertise and submit the report.

4. Quescussion: A few questions/statements are shared with batches of students and they are asked to discuss & then after write down the consensus. It is a sort of online group discussion.

The director of KIET, Dr A Garg, states, “The crisis is quite challenging for one and all. We understand that during this time when all are going through emotional turbulence, it’s quite difficult to concentrate and focus on studies, but we truly appreciate our teachers and academicians who are making these extra efforts, from their homes, just to keep their students connected more with them then studies. Hopefully these can keep the students diverted from getting into depressive states due to information overloading about the disease. I wish for good health of all, Best wishes!”

The Institution is further planning to conduct its class tests online. The students will receive their test papers through Whatsapp/e-mail and after writing their answers on the sheet available at their homes, the students will click/scan their answer sheets and mail them back to their respective subject teachers for evaluation. Moreover all essential works and meetings among leads & HoDs and the faculty members are being conducted through video conferencing, thereby smoothening & ensuring that work from remains hurdle free.

KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad is one of the premier destinations for young minds, offering courses in Engineering, management and pharmacy. It continuously strives for the welfare of its students providing them with best opportunities both on the national and international platforms.

Measures taken by Aakash to ensure continuity in studies through Online Live Platforms

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March 30, 2020

The COVID 19 outbreak has brought the world to its knees. Its outbreak and the resultant uncertainty has impacted students, schools and educational institutes across India. Rising to the occasion, Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) has adopted various measures to mitigate the impact that institute closures may have on students’ learning process.

Here are a few measures through which AESL is ensuring continuity in study schedule of the students from the safety of students’ homes.

Aakash Live: A Revolutionary Live Classes Program – The faculty at Aakash is well connected with students across the country through Aakash Live, a live teaching module offered by AESL. Below are the reasons which ensures that ‘Aakash Live’ is the great choice for the students:

• Aakash live, disseminates teaching via virtual classrooms that offer affordable solutions and quality teaching, wherein students can also clarify their doubts live sitting miles away.
• Teachers use interactive methods to make learning at home easy and engaging. Daily assignments and tests are sent to students for regular practise. Recorded videos are also shared with students to help them understand better.

AakashiTutor – All NEET and JEE aspirants for 2020 get the advantage of getting access to pre-recorded lectures on AakashiTutor. Quick doubt resolution through ‘Ask an Expert’ feature and regular online practice tests further help in strengthening the preparation of NEET and JEE aspirants.

Live Online Crash Courses for NEET/JEE exams – Aakash has also launched Live Online Crash Courses for students to help them prepare for medical and engineering entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE (Main & Advanced). These online crash courses will help in boosting the last-minute preparation of students.

Resolving problems through WhatsApp Groups – Teachers continue to address all kinds of doubts raised by students and resolve them online via mails, and through WhatsApp Groups. Different WhatsApp groups have been formed per class wherein the students can ask questions and get instant handy solutions.

Aakash Faculty ensures that even in times of lockdown, learning never stops and students prepare for the examinations without any interruption. The faculty even apprise the student on what to study and what not to study so that the student does not get into a panic mode.

Apart from studies, teachers at Aakash pay attention to boosting the confidence of students as staying at home and reading about dismal news can affect a student’s morale. They even keep reminding them of the safety measures they need to take during the COVID-19 outbreak to stay safe and healthy.

Introduction of the Online instant Admission-Cum-Scholarship Test (iACST) – Aakashhas launched a unique new instant scholarship — the online instant Admission Cum Scholarship Test Exam (iACST) — to be conducted daily. The details of the exam are as follows:

• The test will allow students to take the exam online and provide them with details of the scholarship earned immediately
• Students can even take instant admission and prepare under the expert guidance of Aakash Faculty
• Students studying in Class VIII to XII are eligible to sit for the exam. Online iACST enables deserving students to earn up-to 75% scholarship

Meritnation – Announces Free Online Live Classes for students amidst COVID-19 Shutdown – Meritnation, a subsidiary of AESL, is providing special free live classes for students from Class 1st to Class 12th and those appearing for special exams like JEE/ NEET etc. to help mitigate the impact that school & institute closures may have on students’ learning process.

(The writer is Director and CEO of Aakash Educational Services Limited)

Anuradha Krishnan, Principal, Primus Public School, Bangalore: Time to learn new things

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March 30, 2020

We are all living in such a bizarre and unprecedented time. Almost the entire world is on lockdown, brought to a halt by the dreaded covid-19! We recognize that the only way to protect ourselves is to isolate ourselves and maintain hygiene.

However, we will overcome this and there is life to be savoured on the other side. Each of us have to use this pause in our lives to prepare ourselves for what the world may hold for us. This may be by learning a new skill or language, reading, specializing, getting fit, spending time with family, playing games and so much more.

All this is true for children too. However, children will go back to school and continue their studies after this. This means they must stay in touch with everything they have learnt so far so they are able to tackle the academic rigour that will be required of them in the next academic year. Most schools across the globe have embraced technology-based solutions to engage with children and keep them abreast of their prescribed lessons.

Large corporations have come to the aid of parents and children by offering for free a lot of their content meant for children; whether it is e-books, games, educational software for Math, Science or languages, virtual views of museums and e-courses to teach them music or yoga. In addition, there are a lot of DIY options for kids. The internet is a treasure trove of ideas for parents and even show them how to get it done.

At our school also, we went digital. Luckily for us, the lockdown began only after the teaching for the year was done. The children had only the annual assessment remaining. Our Board Exams were done. As per government rule, all children are promoted by default until grade 8, so we called off the annual assessment and sent the children a series of worksheets on all subjects to maintain the academic continuity. They were also given lists of books to read for pleasure during vacations.

For senior grades, we conducted online classes with teachers and students interacting and sharing videos, presentations and assignments. They even had live interactive classes. This was very effective, and we were able to get a lot done. It was done from the comfort of home with a schedule that wasn’t too heavy. We also used flipped classes that helped children get more time with the teacher to clarify any ambiguity.

Nothing can replace the human relationships and interactions of a physical classroom session. In a country like ours, we also have to deal with the vagaries of electricity and connectivity. I strongly believe that learning is best achieved when a student is involved in open and happy interactions with the teacher which is much easier in a physical classroom. We should get back to that as soon as possible. Nevertheless, I am extremely grateful to technology for the opportunity to continue to connect with our students online!

COVID 19: GlobalGyan offers free access to Mobile Learning Platform: Mr. Srinivasa Addepalli- Founder & CEO, GGA

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March 30, 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak has created an unwanted crisis in India. All the schools and universities are closed. The firms were asked to adapt the new ‘home office. ’

Country’s leading Edtech firm, GlobalGyan Academy of Management Education, announces a series of free Master Classes on managing themselves and their teams in these uncertain times. GlobalGyan is offering Indian firms free access to its Mobile Learning Platform for their employees.

Srinivasa Addepalli, CEO & Founder of GlobalGyan Academy said, “For learning to be valuable and outcome oriented, it cannot be sporadic. All organisations must adopt digital in their learning and development agenda, more so at times like these. We want to encourage Indian companies to adopt digital learning, without having to make huge upfront investment.”

Addepalli said, “The GlobalGyan learning platform will allow firm to offer their digital content in the form of learning capsules that can be accessed by their employees on the GlobalGyan mobile and web apps. This managed service that includes support in the creation of learning journeys and a tracking and reporting portal, would help organisations make their first foray into digital learning.”

GlobalGyan’s learning content, aimed at entry and mid-level managers’ covers skills such as critical thinking, creativity and complex problem-solving to navigate through unforeseen challenges in the ever-changing business environment.

GlobalGyan has been working with India’s leading corporates such as Tata Communications, Godrej Industries, Future Supply Chain, Ginger Hotels and ITC with digital learning programs for their managers.

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