Collaborative Hearts And Minds Help Kids Cope

Source: ASIDE 2015

With the increasing questions we received from our sixth graders about the abhorrent news this past week, we realized they needed to do something to make them feel they were sending a positive message to help the world be a more peaceful place. Eleven- and twelve-year-olds hear the news, and most have far more access to content than their parents realize. Their questions abound and need an outlet. As middle school educators, we know this.

Source: ASIDE 2015

So with our friend and colleague, Francine Wisnewski (@fwisnewski), we decided to bring hearts and minds together to let the kids create a message to share on social media and with the school community. We asked them that each finished design somehow include a heart, map, and peace sign. That’s it. How they incorporated the criteria and with whom they worked, or not, was up to them.

We cherish the flexibility in our curricula that allows us to stop everything to promote mindfulness with our learners. It does not matter that the schedule listed math and history; we pulled the kids together to address their concerns about world conflict and violence.

Source: ASIDE 2015

We continually try to build the hearts and minds of our young learners to be peace builders, peacemakers, and peacekeepers. As adults, we understand the turmoil in the world, and sometimes we just have to stop to help them cope. It’s worth every minute. If we don’t, we lose the power of positive thinking that the world so much needs.

For other resources, please see:

Creating Logos With Students – Understanding Visual Metaphor And Symbolic Meaning

Source: DesignMantic (click for full-size image)

Logos are short-hand, visual cues that companies use to evoke their brands. Effective logos represent automatic associations between a corporation and a customer. They connect a unique icon with an emotional reaction.

This type of tidy pictorial design can also be employed to winning effect in the classroom. Students can use logos to study visual metaphors and symbolic meanings. They can experiment with thesis and synthesis, in boiling down a range of meanings into a concise, original image.

Source: ASIDE 2015

History students, for example, can sketch logos to embody specific presidents or time periods. We had our U.S. history classes brainstorm logos for the era of the Great Depression. The designs featured in this post range from a juxtaposition of the Empire State Building going up while the stock market goes down, to a financial Dust Bowl of lost dollars.

In studying literature, learners can similarly design logos to accompany a book or a character. It’s no surprise that the Hunger Games mockingjay pin became so popular among fans. Science students can draft logos for key principles or elements, or global thinkers can draw emblems to capture current events.

Source: ASIDE 2015

By translating their understanding into self-created icons, students can climb a level in their comprehension, from decoding to encoding. They can capture the essential significance or recurring tropes via clever designs that will in turn help educate their peers.

Steps for creating logos with students:

Begin by having learners identify logos and brands from current media. We use these sheets of letters and symbols as games to get students excited and to introduce the range of possibilities.
Invite students to rank their favorite logos and explain why some stand out in their minds. For example, we had children rate the logos of presidential candidates in 2012.
Introduce some tips for contemporary design. DesignMantic has a helpful infographic of the “10 Commandments Of Logo Design.” FastPrint also offers a terrific infographic about “How To Design The Perfect Logo.”
Ask them to brainstorm the key characters, themes, or takeaways that they would want a logo to evoke.
Finally, give them a range of tools to use, from hands-on pen and paper to visual apps like Pencil by FiftyThree.

Source: FastPrint

Above all, a logo should present a clear, somewhat unexpected relationship between picture and subject. The video below, “49 Years Of Super Bowl Logos,” reveals how images can evolve with the times to add layers of significance.

For further ideas, we recommend:

Heart-Shaped Maps – Valentine Primary Sources

Source: Wikipedia – Oronce Fine, 1531

It wasn’t until our students started making heart-shaped worlds as part of a way to promote peace that we wondered if there were any historical references. To our surprise, there were plenty. One of the earliest heart-shaped (cordiform) map projections by Oronce Fine, a French mathematician and cartographer, was created in the sixteenth century. According to Wikipedia, this might have been his most famous illustration and one that influenced other cartographers, such as Peter Apian and Gerardus Mercator.

We love when something our learners do triggers a curiosity in us. Instead of showing our students the many infographics we’ve collected about Valentine’s Day that tabulate the amount of money spent by men and women on items such as flowers, chocolate, and jewelry, we chose to show these beautiful heart-shaped maps that so wholly connected to their designs. As expected, our students delighted in seeing the connection to their creations, especially since they had no idea of their connections to history.

We uncovered other examples of cordiform map projections that obviously take their influence from Oronce Fine’s beautiful cartographic design. The maps below, illustrated by Giovanni Cimerlino and Pierre Moulart Sanson, were done more than a century apart.

Source: Rare Maps (Left) and Britain (Right)

Two more recent uses of the heart-shaped map appeared on stamps issued in the United States (1991) and Venezuela (1972). We wonder if the graphic artists knew of Oronce Fine’s hand-drawn map of 1531.

Source: Dan’s Topical Stamps

The “Love” stamp from the United States does not necessarily represent a cordiform projection, whereas the stamp from Venezuela celebrating World Health Day more closely resembles the heart-shaped designs from the fifteenth century.

Source: Biographile

As we probed the Internet for other examples, we discovered a heart-shaped map of Seattle from 1905 and one of the New York City subway system from 2008.

These maps clearly illustrate the change in design from one era to another. The map of Seattle represents a more typical illustration at the turn of the twentieth century, whereas the subway map, completed more than a century later, closely follows the style of a modern visual illustration or infographic.

Source: Zero Per Zero

Sometimes it’s the innocence of children that triggers inquiry in adults. We attribute our curiosity to them. Finding other models based on their creativity led to the discovery of historical references. Connecting history through primary sources reinforced their global view of the world.

With the continued onslaught of violence and terrorism in the news, we could all use a little more heart.

Design Principles For Students As They Create Visual Projects And Digital Stories

Source: DesignMantic (click for full-size image)

Students are producing more projects than ever before. The proliferation of visual apps and the access to easy tech tools have allowed learners to create all sorts of digital stories and custom graphics. Yet, as Marvel Comics teaches us, with great power comes great responsibility.

It is tempting to assume that because children are growing up in a visual world, they automatically know how to decode and encode optical inputs. This proficiency is known as graphicacy, which is the key to visual thinking in a differentiated classroom. If educators are going to ask students to design posters and slideshows, then they also need to guide young learners in the skills of effective design. Any teacher who has seen children layer neon pink fonts on top of vertiginous purple backgrounds knows that kids don’t innately grasp the keys to clean layouts.

Source: DesignMantic (click for full-size image)

The logo design firm DesignMantic has published a series of extremely helpful infographics to help budding artists generate successful visuals. Even though these placards are intended for marketing and business purposes, they perfectly suit the needs of teachers looking for classroom resources.

DesignMantic‘s graphic of the “15 Golden Principles Of Visual Hierarchy” marches through a framework for art and imagination. As the firm notes:

“Visual hierarchy … offers to your eyes visual assistance, suggesting to them, what information to linger on to, as your vision glides through it. It lays down a path for the data to flow in, to get absorbed into the brain smoothly. It guides the human eye from one element of the data to the next, like an invisible pointer moving through the data, to keep the reader free of any visual fatigue.”

Source: DesignMantic (click for full-size image)

The company also offers a primer in “The 10 Commandments Of Visual Communication.” Much like its tenets for quality logos, these guidelines range from line and font choices to arrangement and sizing tips. In essence, it provides “a layperson’s handbook of visual communication.” It reminds us of similar advice from “The Design Of Project-Based Learning – Color Theory For Web 3.0.”

If Parents Can Work From Home, Why Can’t Students? A Snow Day Doesn’t Have To Be A “No” Day

Source: ASIDE 2015

We have another snow day today. The relentless snow this winter has forced many schools into crisis mode. Teachers are panicking about missed curriculum and make-up days. But with today’s access to mobile technology, shouldn’t there be a middle ground between all or nothing learning? Genuine remote learning should be a regular practice, not just a prediction. Even amid record-breaking blizzards, a snow day shouldn’t have to be a “no” day.

Students frequently get sick and miss school. Consider, too, how many times you’ve seen a kid in your classroom who really shouldn’t be there. He has his head down, or has bags under his eyes, or has his mind clearly elsewhere. How many times have you noticed a student who truly needs a break? She’s been burning the candle at both ends, or has been bearing the weight of a bully, or has been negotiating a tough family situation.

Source: ASIDE 2015

A kid sometimes needs a personal day. It used to be that a student’s absence meant a day of missed learning. Today, this not only seems strange, it seems unforgivable.

For parents, “working from home” is a common occurrence. Many companies have no problem with their employees telecommuting at a distance, staying in contact via phone, email, and instant message. With all of the dynamic digital tools available to schools today, why can’t students work from home? Many teachers post all of their assignments online anyway.

Source: ASIDE 2015

Video conferencing and social media and collaborative documents all offer easy avenues to engage a class of home-bound learners. Many teachers use these resources daily inside of the classroom. Why can’t these tools also be tapped to coordinate a corps of kids, either in real-time or at the students’ own paces?

Backchanneling, for example, has emerged as a valuable way to invite feedback and questions during an in-class lesson. If we can turn backchannels into forechannels, then we can transform these supplemental tools into primary vehicles for distance education.

Tools for remote learning:

Sources: Company Logos

TodaysMeet – The leading real-time channel, TodaysMeet creates discussion groups for instant message communication.
Twitter – The ultimate social media tool for education, Twitter mimics the classroom environment with chats, text, links, images, and videos.
Croak.it – Both teachers and students can create a 30-second audio file with a url that can be embedded in a backchannel, website, or tweet.
Remind – This free way for teachers to text students protects everyone’s privacy and instantly reaches kids on their phones.
Cel.ly – Cel.ly creates individual social networks via its texting feature that can be moderated directly from a smartphone.

Sources: Company Logos

Verso – Flipped learning with Verso can include videos, images, or links in self-contained classes with rich commenting features.
eduCanon – This site collects videos from across the web and allows teachers to add flipped learning elements.
EDpuzzle – Teachers can crop videos and add questions and explanations to fit any age group.
Zaption – Zaption makes videos interactive by adding assessments.
audioBoom – Teachers can record podcasts to pass lessons on to students, and kids can capture their own answers, readings, or projects.

Sources: Company Logos

Nearpod – The teacher guides the presentation, and students on their own devices see the slides progress as they interact from anywhere with polls and assessments.
Issuu – Intended to publish webzines, Issuu turns any .pdf into a scrolling web document for students to read and save at their leisure.
iBooks Author – The ability to publish customized content on iBooks is becoming easier and easier.
Wikispaces – Still one of the most flexible platforms for a class website, Wikispaces accepts any media and any embedded content.

Sources: Company Logos

Skype – Teachers can broadcast themselves in full video and audio to reach students in their homes.
Facetime – As more and more schools opt for iPads and Apple TVs, Facetime provides an easy way to videoconference.
Google+ Hangouts – Multiple participants from any device can come together in a live-streaming video chat.

Sources: Company Logos

Google Docs – Google Drive keeps getting better and better, and the real-time collaboration is still the industry standard for essays, presentations, and spreadsheets.
Padlet – Padlet is an infinitely customizable public space with customized urls to post text, links, images, videos, and student projects.
Dropbox – The larger storage capacity of Dropbox makes it ideal for file-sharing.
Email – When in doubt, simple email can allow students and teachers to swap instructions, questions, and assignments.

SXSWEdu 2015: The Boy Who Beeps – Who Can Speak The Language Of EdTech?

Source: SXSWEdu

Now in its fifth year, the 2015 SXSWEdu rally in the Texas midland is more inclusive than ever. The panelpicker judges eschewed trendy topics like flipped learning and Big Data in favor of deeper discussions about Social Emotional Learning and Gamification. Major themes that ran through the first day included programming in schools, authentic PBL, and contemporary professional development.

A major highlight of the day was hearing about the impressive Coded Curriculum implemented by Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The school has embraced a “launch / test / refine” approach to incorporate coding into every academic discipline. The faculty actively seeks to “make excellent mistakes” as they teach children the “New Basics” of open-ended problem solving, non-linear thinking, and collaboration.

Source: Sunni Brown

Another centerpiece of the sessions was Sunni Brown‘s mesmerizing workshop about “how to stay curious.” A guru of visual thinking and a doctor of doodling, Brown reminded the crowd that visual language is a river native to cultures across the world that instills a powerful cognitive awareness.

The spirit of sharing was genuine today at SXSWEdu. Every attendee was universally open and eager to connect. Yet a question kept trickling through the meandering hallways like the incessant drip of Austin’s rain: How many actual classroom teachers were present at the conference? When Brown asked how many classroom educators were in the room, fewer than ten percent among the hundreds raised their hands.

Source: ASIDE 2015

Throughout the day, we met: an online charter school principal, a start-up edupreneur, an NAACP coordinator, a not-for-profit founder, an NEA staffer, a Museum and Library Services researcher, a corporate communications director, a Learning Sciences professor, a former math instructor in Ethiopia, and a doctoral candidate who moonlights at Khan Academy. We met other interesting people, too, but we did not meet one classroom teacher.

We know they were there. But they seemed few and far between. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe it signals that SXSWEdu is not for everyday teachers. Maybe the passionate attendees perceive a sea change in education that is more galvanizing than “regular” teachers can see. Or maybe not.

Either way, it speaks to a road diverging in a not-yet-understood wood. If start-ups and online outlets are careening onto their own edtech on-ramp, what happens to the students and teachers driving in the HOV lane?

For example, after participating in one session about a full-scale coding curriculum pushed across all disciplines, we attended a completely different panel about whether edtech really offers any solution at all. It feels strange that this question is still being asked: Is edtech a panacea or a distraction?

Source: General Electric

The nuanced nature of this tacit tech tug-of-war reminded us of a General Electric ad from September 2014 called “The Boy Who Beeps.” The touching ad follows the birth of a baby who can speak the language of technology. The commercial intends to tout GE’s omnipresence in electronics, but to us it highlighted the children today who are always plugged in, always wired.

Kids are born who can seemingly speak to machines, communicate with the digital world, control their own access to e-learning. What happens, though, when their days become disconnected? Can they muster the skills to navigate a tangible, interpersonal world? Or better yet, can they make things, create their own machines? Are they controlled by the very machines they rely on? And what about children who don’t have machines?

Source: General Electric

In the edtech learning space, are there start-ups who talk only to machines – and not to educators? And what about the teachers who cannot (or will not) talk to machines, who can’t negotiate the apps and iPads filling their classes?

By the end of today, we were encouraged. We decided that educators are indeed emerging as a potent force in the digital economy. American Federation Of Teachers President Randi Weingarten noted a change since last year’s SXSWEdu. She now hears tech companies asking, “How can we get teachers involved in the process?” She emphasized that with the onslaught of shiny edtech tools, the best advice is to know how to teach first, and to learn to use technology second. Brown echoed the same, saying that digital tools are great, but they’re not worth much if we can’t use them. The learning is the key.

SXSWEdu 2015: Education For All – How Far Have We Come?

Source: TES Global

An important and undeniable thrust of the 2015 SXSWEdu conference has been the attempt to reconcile the nation’s educational inequalities. Marquee panels and sofa conversations alike have centered on this notion of access – access to college, to technology, to careers, to mentors, to professional development, to contemporary learning tools.

Last night’s reception at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library made this theme immediate in bringing together historians and educators to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.

Source: LBJ Presidential Library, ASIDE 2015

This morning, Second Lady Of The United States Dr. Jill Biden kept this dialogue moving forward in leading a summit by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation about redesigning higher education to fuel student success. Dr. Biden noted that education is the great equalizer, the basis for a better life. For this reason, she stressed, “Teaching is not what I do. It’s who I am.”

A panel discussion later with Jamie Casap, Timothy Jones, and Isis Stephanie Cerda focused more intently on the need for diversity within educational technology. Similar messages emerged in workshops on “Equal Opportunity For Deeper Learning,” “My Brother’s Keeper: One Year Later,” and “Teaching A New Narrative For Black Male Achievement.”

Source: ASIDE 2015

An equally critical thread appeared in the number of talks about empowering girls and women in technology and entrepreneurship. For example, EdTechWomen was named this year’s official SXSWEdu Change Maker. Other titles included: “Women Disruptors 2.0,” “Paying It Forward: Leveraging Today’s Female Voice,” “Empowering Girls And Women To Lead,” “Digital Diversity: Minority Women In EdTech,” and “EdTech For Educational Inclusion.”

Another highlight of the day was Kristin Ziemke’s and Cheryl Boes’ presentation of innovative project examples to engage young learners with voice, choice, and audience. Their use of easy apps and elementary blogging revealed the many avenues that let children demonstrate understanding in exciting, authentic ways.

A later workshop featured a panel of thought leaders who promoted creativity in schools. They championed “less talking and more doing.” The speakers paraded both theoretical and tangible ways to inspire kids as imaginative thinkers. As Jonathan Plucker, Professor at the University Of Connecticut, noted, “creativity is about constraints.” A teacher’s task, therefore, is to help students identify constraints and then decide which ones to get rid of, which ones to ignore, and which ones to live with.

Ultimately, after a day of education and introspection, of creativity and contemplation, we recalled John Ashbery’s lines from Three Poems, which speak to the impossibility of certainty and the elusiveness of knowing:

“The term ignorant is indeed perhaps an overstatement, implying as it does that something is known somewhere, whereas in reality we are not even sure of this: we in fact cannot aver with any degree of certainty that we are ignorant. Yet this is not so bad; we have at any rate kept our open-mindedness — that, at least, we may be sure that we have — and are not in any danger, or so it seems, of freezing into the pious attitudes of those true spiritual bigots whose faces are turned toward eternity and who therefore can see nothing.”

Most College Athletes Are Failures — Learning From March Madness

Source: NCAA

Cheer for the stumbles

The he-shoulda-had-thats

And the tears that linger

For in those moments

Greatness lies

There you will find

The provoked

The determined

The unified

It’s in those moments

That champions are born

Most NCAA athletes are failures. They don’t win the championship. They don’t enter the pros. They don’t take home a trophy at the end of the season. Only a handful of elite programs reap the acclaim and hardware that accompanies major spectacles like the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. Most Division I, II, and III competitors are well-rounded college students giving a tremendous amount of effort for the love of their sport and their college.

Just watching one game of the March Madness media blitz is enough to make even a non-fan sympathetic to the kids with their heads hung low after a devastating loss. Anyone in an office pool knows that their bracket will be busted after the first weekend. There are no trophies for participation.

Yet these are the moments that turn kids into adults, that enforce life lessons of diligence and duty, grit and grace. That’s why the March Madness tournament offers a great chance to talk to students about failure, about perseverance, and about process over product.

Ad agency Leo Burnett produced an award-winning TV spot for the NCAA last year called “Cheer.” Since then, its aired over 850 times, and it’s in heavy rotation again this week. It’s easy to see why.

The ad is a brief masterpiece of narration and language to encourage everyone — athletes, kids, and adults — to relish the stumbles of life and the tears of as-yet-unmet goals. As the transcript reads, these moments turn disappointed players into “the provoked, the determined, the unified.”

Source: NCAA

Teachers talk a lot about failure with their students, about the unreachable expectation of perfection and the inescapable necessity of hard work. This ad is a perfect companion for homeroom discussions, circle time, advisory conferences, or recess pick-me-ups.

For more ideas about teaching with the NCAA tournament, check out: “March Madness In The Classroom — Teaching With Tournament Graphics.”

eFest Day One

Here we all are at the first day of eFest. The feeling is relaxed and friendly and it looks like the emphasis is going to be on round table conversations – well the set up of the room has set the scene. Lots of familiar faces and it is good to have time to catch up with old friends and eLearning colleagues.

Presentation from NorthTec introduced by the CEO and several staff – They have six campuses and lots of Learning Centres scattered around Northland. They use Moodle and have set up wireless and computing and video conferencing in all the LC. Also have a staff portal to provide information management, ICT access which is the same for all staff – RSS, document sharing, web space. They have Mobile programmes – f2f courses delivered in communities including on marae – horticulture, forestry, environmental studies, construction, sport and recreation.

Case studies
1. Bachelor of Nursing – five semester development, e-capability eCDF funding, team approach. Supported by senior management and evaluated by action research – Dr Nancy George. Video interview with a nursing student illustrated how important it is for a woman with children and a part-time job to be able to study flexibly.

2. Certificate in eLearning Design and Development (eCDF) – video clips of students talking about what they got out of the programme.

3. Mobile programmes teach skills as part of a community project. For example, gardening in schools.

4. Learning support – eTech support, online counselling, online learning objects. also reconfiguring technologies and buildings around the flexible approach.

Nursing communication scenarios using actors – example in palliative care – appropriate and non-appropriate.

Also have a student portal – blogs, portfolios. also have virtual classrooms.
Staff development in staff and student portals.

Polytechnics and universites are going to be connecting to KAREN (advanced research network) – ultra fast Internet connection.

Presentation by Murray Brown from Ministry of Educationjoined the dots about what has been happening – funding, eLearning advisory etc.

Barry Ogilvie from Tertiary Education Commission speaking about eLearning project updateThey have four projects under discussion. Looking for a vision for network capability. Also flexible and distance learning options. Looking for a range of methodologies for assessing capabilities across ITP sector – e.g. maturity model.

District Health Boards – Wintec and Northgate – nursing education – use mentoring, reflection, innovation. Staff want to have fun when learning. Mandatory training – national online campus, generic material with local contexts. Liked Moodle.

NorthTec nursing programmeDevelopment and action research of Bachelor of Nursing programme. using a blended model as they do not want to lose face-to-face component. Have students who can study even though they live in isolated areas in Northland. Gave away online discussion as not popular with students.

Contextualisation of multimedia resourcesDeveloped communication modules. Read information and choose correct answers. simple to change text. Originally created by WELTEC – not available in a repository and not sure abut IP issues. Have Grammar online. have a lesson and go through and choose options. Read information and do a test – so they changed it. Flash object with xml file at the back – replace text here and leave the codes. Could be easy to delete code if staff are unaware. Design perspective given and then pedagogical perspective given. How does it affect the learner?

Flowering Plant Endemism of Northern Western Ghats

Scientists at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology have come up with plant data of the Northern Western Ghats which indicates that plateaus, in addition to the forests, should be prioritized for conservation of the Northern Western Ghats.

It is the plateaus and the cliffs that harbour most of the endemic species, thus increasing their importance in conservation plans.

ARI team led by Dr. Mandar Datar and Dr. Ritesh Kumar Choudhary has published a paper in the international journal Phytotaxa after thoroughly investigating the Northern Western Ghats to produce an updated checklist of 181 local endemic plant species, including four monospecific genera.

They have found that a majority of the endemic species are therophytes, which complete their life cycle in a short period during monsoon.

The Western Ghats of India

The Western Ghats of India is one of the global biodiversity hotspots owing to the endemism that is sheltered by a chain of mountains. The northern part of this biodiversity hotspot, along with the Konkan region, is considerably different from its southern and central counterparts on account of lesser precipitation and extended dry season.

A notable geographical feature of the Northern Western Ghats is the presence of plateaus and cliffs that display maximum endemic species, unlike forests. Forests of the Northern Western Ghats harbour many species which are not endemic.

Figure 1: Abutilon ranadei, a Critically Endangered endemic species from the northern Western Ghats

Although the Northern Western Ghats region has been floristically surveyed well, the local endemism of the flowering plants in the area is not much explored. Scientists have various estimates about the species that are endemic to the region, and the understanding of habitats, seasons, and plant distribution is limited.

The study conducted by the ARI team suggested that the Northern Western Ghats is the region of rapid diversification of specific herbaceous endemic genera like Ceropegia, Glyphochloa, Dipcadi, and Eriocaulon.

Dr. Mandar Datar stated, “To project the Northern Western Ghats prominently on the world vegetation map, it is absolutely necessary to complete the IUCN threat status assessment on priority, which is underrepresented for the region.”

The team firmly believes that the published data can be used as a proxy for conservation planning and effective protection measures of the Northern Western Ghats.

[For further details, Dr. Mandar Datar (mndatar@aripune.org, 020-25325057), Scientist, Biodiversity and Palaeobiology Group, and Dr. PK Dhakephalkar, Director (Officiating), ARI, Pune, (director@aripune.org, pkdhakephalkar@aripune.org, 020-25325002) can be contacted.

Publication:

Bhushan K. Shigwan, Aboli Kulkarni, Smrithy Vijayan, Ritesh Kumar Choudhary & Mandar N. Datar. 2020. An assessment of the local endemism of flowering plants in the Northern Western Ghats and Konkan regions of India: checklist, habitat characteristics, distribution, and conservation. Phytotaxa, 440 (1): 025–054

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.440.1.2]

Integrated Cold Chain Network

The Cold Chain Infrastructure provides backbone support by storing the perishables and ensuring the availability of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, said Union FPI Minister Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal. During a video conference with promoters of MoFPI supported cold chain projects today, Union Minister emphasized the importance of Food processing enterprises, especially the Integrated Cold Chain Network, in the present uncertain and evolving circumstances in view of COVID pandemic. It saves the farmers from uncertain circumstances and also facilitates stabilization of market prices. The Food Processing Industry has the potential to absorb the excess farm produce thereby benefiting the farmers and at the same time, convert the harvest into a value added processed product that can meet the domestic as well as the global demand.

Sh. Rameswar Teli, MoS, MoFPI was also present in the video conference with the promoters of completed Integrated Cold Chain Projects supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in the States of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan. This was the second such interaction (in a series of web meetings) of Union FPI Minister, with the promoters of MoFPI supported projects to facilitate seamless operations of FPIs.

The promoters of 38 cold chain projects, across 5 states, participated in the Video Conference. The promoters interacted with the Union Minister and shared their experience gained/ problems faced in completing the projects. Further, the promoters also shared the hardships and problems faced in running the cold chain projects during the lockdown period.

The promoters expressed their concerns on the decision of the local Government authorities to limit the hours of operations of Mandis to avoid overcrowding. They said that the limited hours of operations have slowed down the procurement process – leading to large waiting queues for farmers who wait to bring their produce to Mandis. They further shared that delay affects the quality of perishable food products and significantly reduces their price while leading to wastage in certain cases. They pitched for 24*7 operations of the Mandis to ensure seamless supply of recently harvested fruits and vegetables.

The promoters involved in export of processed food items expressed their concerns on the rising prices of (sea/air) freight which is rendering their product less competitive in the global arena. They said that the freight charges have gone up by 30 %. They requested the authorities to provide in-land as well as destination freight subsidies in order to support domestic industries to compete globally.

Citing the low domestic demand amidst the COVID Pandemic, the industry representatives from the Cold Chain sector, unanimously pitched for subsidy in the power tariffs. They urged that a Cold store needs to function 24*7 and the plant compressors cannot be shut at any point of time. They said that movement of perishables to and from cold stores has reduced in the past few days. The promoters further shared that they are experiencing a liquidity crunch due to obligation for the wages and salaries of employees and labourers, and urged for subsidy on power tariffs along with interest subvention on loans.

Apart from the above, following issues were discussed by Union Minister in the Video Conference:

1. Raw material availability and its high cost

2. Impact of Lockdown on operations

3. Labour and Logistics issues

4. High inventory costs

5. Liquidity crisis as payments have to be made to farmers

Dekho Apna Desh Logo Design Contest

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India today launched the ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ logo design contest on the MyGov platform. The objective of this contest is to have a logo for ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ campaign coming out of creative ideas of the citizens of the country.

DekhoApnaDesh is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism which was launched by Union Minister for Tourism (IC) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel at Konark, Odisha on 24th January 2020 by releasing the content of the pledge during a function on Mygov platform. This initiative of the Ministry of Tourism is in line with the appeal of the Honorable Prime Minister made from the ramparts of Red Fort on 15th August 2019 in his speech asking every citizen to visit at least 15 destinations by the year 2022, to promote domestic tourism in India which is intended to enhance tourist footfalls in places of tourist interest so as to help develop the local economy.

Post lockdown and as the control over the spread of pandemic is achieved, it is widely agreed fact that domestic tourism will recover faster than international tourism. Focussing on domestic tourism potential, encouraging fellow countrymen to explore their own country, taking a much-needed break within their own borders will be a winning strategy for India.

During the lockdown period, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as part of its ongoing engagement with industry and its audiences is organising webinars on the overall theme of ‘DekhoApnaDesh’ . The objective of this webinar series is to create awareness about and promote various tourism destinations of India – including the lesser known destinations and lesser known facets of popular destinations.

DekhoApnaDesh” Logo design Contest activity is live on My Gov, and the link is :

https://www.mygov.in/task/dekho-apna-desh-logo-design-contest/

The winner of the DekhoApnaDesh Logo contest will get a 5 nights 6 days all expenses covered holiday package for 2 to any destination in India from their residence in India . The contest terms and conditions are available on MyGov.in

Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam 2020, scheduled on 31 May, deferred

New Delhi, 07 May 2020: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) held a special meeting today to review the situation after the second phase of the nation-wide lockdown due to COVID-19. Taking notice of the extension of restrictions, the Commission decided that it will not be possible to resume examinations and interviews for the present.

The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2020, scheduled to be held on 31 May 2020, therefore stands deferred. Since this examination also serves as the screening test for the Indian Forest Service Examination, the schedule for the Indian Forest Service Examination is also deferred. The situation will be reviewed again on May 20, 2020 and fresh dates for these examinations shall be notified on the UPSC website in due course.

The Commission has already deferred the following: (a) Personality test for remaining candidates for the Civil Services Examination, 2019; (b) Notification for the Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination, 2020; (c) Notification for the Combined Medical Services Examination, 2020; (d) Notification for the Central Armed Police Forces Examination, 2020 and (e) the NDA & Naval Academy Examination, 2020.

As and when dates are decided for the deferred tests/examinations, it will be ensured that candidates are given a notice of at least 30 days.

Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) is hiring

New Delhi: Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) has released recruitment notification to fill up various teaching positions and non-teaching positions. There 20 faculty posts available for five departments: Information Technology (IT); Computer Science & Engineering (CSE); Mechanical and Automation Engineering (MAE); Basic and Applied Science(BAS); and Architecture and Planning (AP).

The other posts notified for recruitment are as followed: Pro-Vice Chancellor; Controller of Examinations; Deputy Controller of Examinations; System Analyst; Medical Officer (Part-Time on Contact).

List of Faculty positions with vacant posts

Department	Name of the Post	Total Positions (Subject to change)
Department of Information Technology (IT)	Assistant Professor	8
Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)	Assistant Professor	4
Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering (MAE)	Assistant Professor	2
Department of Basic and Applied Sciences (BAS)	Assistant Professor	3
Department of Architecture and Planning (AP)	Assistant Professor	3

List of other posts

Department/Name of the Post	Total Positions
Pro-Vice Chancellor	1
Professor (TPO)	1
Controller of Examinations (On Deputation	1
Deputy Controller of Examinations (On Deputation/Direct)	1
System Analyst	1
Medical Officer (Part-Time on contract)***	1

For exact qualification, how to apply and other details, interested candidates should refer the official Recruitment Notification, uploaded on the official website of Delhi Technological University (DTU).

http://www.igdtuw.ac.in/

About the University: The Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) has been established in May 2013 vide Delhi State Legislature Act 9 of 2012, as a Non-Affiliating Teaching and Research University in Delhi to work in emerging areas of professional education among women, with focus on engineering, technology, applied sciences, management and its allied areas with the objective to achieve excellence in these and related fields.

eFest Day One

2. Certificate in eLearning Design and Development (eCDF) – video clips of students talking about what they got out of the programme.

3. Mobile programmes teach skills as part of a community project. For example, gardening in schools.

4. Learning support – eTech support, online counselling, online learning objects. also reconfiguring technologies and buildings around the flexible approach.

Nursing communication scenarios using actors – example in palliative care – appropriate and non-appropriate.

Also have a student portal – blogs, portfolios. also have virtual classrooms.
Staff development in staff and student portals.

Polytechnics and universites are going to be connecting to KAREN (advanced research network) – ultra fast Internet connection.

Presentation by Murray Brown from Ministry of Educationjoined the dots about what has been happening – funding, eLearning advisory etc.

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Tools for remote learning:

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The Western Ghats of India

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