Tag: Education

Technology as an integral part of education

What is technology?
Well according to the basic definition,Technology is the set of knowledge, skills, experience and techniques through which humans change, transform and use our environment in order to create tools, machines, products and services that meet our needs and desires.
That all put into simple words is using our smartphones,computers,laptops and basically anything that come in the category of machine is technology.

Today in this modern era technology has bought about a huge change in our lives and our day to day habits be it from recharging our phones to sending satellites in earth’s atmosphere anything and everything is somehow related to technology.But a huge amount of population is currently using technology at it’s best in order to learn and educate which has changed our present a lot from our past when education was not only just limited but that too not very easily accessible.

Let’s see how technology has changed the way of learning:
Education can be basically divided into three categories mainly primary,secondary and higher education.

PRIMARY EDUCATION:

Preschools and nursery education is considered to be the foundation of our education as it’s the first time we start to learn about new things and our environment.This is the time our brain is processed to think and analyze certain things and this process could be made creative using technology.At the preschool level, technology can be introduced in several ways at the most basic is the use of computers, tablets, and audio and video resources in classrooms.


SECONDARY EDUCATION:

There’s a transition of a student as he goes from primary to secondary school as his way of thinking changes,this is great time to get the student really into E -LEARNING ,as brain really process information really quickly and faster when information is in the form of visuals combined with audio.E-learning also has been rising as a supplement to the traditional classroom. Students with special talents or interests outside of the available curricula use e-learning to advance their skills or exceed grade restrictions.

HIGHER EDUCATION:

Online college course enrolment has seen a 29% increase in enrolment with nearly one third of all college students, or an estimated 6.7 million students are currently enrolled in online classes.Technology has helped a lot in spreading knowledge across the globe.Colleges like Harvard,MIT,Standford and many more put there online courses with best faculties on online learning platform like udemy,Coursera etc for a minimal price or free of cost.The gist is higher education is now easily and quickly accessible to a larger crowd and the credit goes to Technology.

Some other Ways in which technology is being used as a medium to educate:-

Flipped classroom:

This is an instructional strategy in which computer-assisted teaching is integrated with classroom instruction. Students are given basic essential instruction, such as lectures, before class instead of during class. Instructional content is delivered outside of the classroom, often online. The out-of-class delivery includes streaming video, reading materials, online chats, and other resources. This frees up classroom time for teachers to more actively engage with learners.

Virtual classrooms:

A virtual classroom provides the opportunity for students to receive direct instruction from a qualified teacher in an interactive environment. Learners can have direct and immediate access to their instructor for instant feedback and direction.For example: In India the biggest online learning platform is unacademy.

Augmented Reality:

Augmented reality (AR) provides students and teachers the opportunity to create layers of digital information, including both virtual world and real world elements, to interact with in real time.Augmented reality plays an important role in the future of classrooms.


Disadvantages :


“A coin always has two sides”

Here is a list of disadvantages from learning through technology:
1)It could be distracting
2)It disconnects students from a face to face relationship with teacher
3)It may not be all the time the source they are studying from is reliable
4)It can cause major heath issues if a student is exposed to blue light for a prolonged period of time.

UGC to bring norms for e-degree courses

The University Grants Commission is set to bring in regulations for online degree courses, officials familiar with the matter said.

The development has come after the ministry of human resource development asked the country’s top 100 universities to offer such courses amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of the commission, in a meeting on Friday, discussed the contours of the regulations which will be similar to those for open learning courses.

“It is likely that an integrated set of regulations for distance and online learning can soon be brought out by the UGC. There is a general agreement that courses which are high on practical content like engineering or others will not be offered through online education. However, courses where there is less of practical training are ideal for such teaching. Moreover, subjects like coding can also be taught,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

Even with integrated regulations, there may be clauses specifically for online courses, the official cited above said. The reason for bringing in regulations is mainly to address quality concerns related to such courses, he said.

The higher education regulator has already decided that it will lower the bar for varsities to offer online and distance learning courses from the earlier benchmark 3.26 score by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) at least for one academic year.

It is also likely that varsities will be given a free hand in offering diploma and certificate courses online, said another official.

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, the HRD ministry has been focusing on popularising the online mode of education as classroom teaching appears increasingly difficult.

In her budget speech earlier this year, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the country’s top 100 educational institutions will start offering full-fledged degree courses online. Sitharaman had again mentioned online courses while announcing the relief measures to alleviate the effect of the pandemic on the economy.

United Nations Award to Indian Army Officer Major Suman Gawani

Major Suman Gawani, an Indian Army officer who served as a women peacekeeper with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in 2019 is being awarded the prestigious “United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the year Award” on 29 May 2020. She will receive the award from the UN Secretary General Mr Antonio Guterres during an online ceremony being organised at the UN Headquarters, New York on the occasion of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.  Major Suman will be receiving this award alongwith a Brazilian Naval Officer Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo.

Major Suman served as a Military observer in UNMISS from November 2018 to December 2019. While at the mission, she was the principal focal point of contact for gender issues for Military Observers in the mission. The officer encouraged participation in joint military patrols to maintain gender balance, irrespective of the hardships under extreme field conditions. She visited various mission team sites across South Sudan to integrate gender perspective into the planning and military activity in the mission. The officer was selected to attend a specialised training on Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) at Nairobi and participated in various UN forums to demonstrate how a gender perspective can help in protecting civilians, especially from conflict related sexual violence. Apart from supporting the UNMISS Force initiatives, she also trained the South Sudan government forces on CRSV related aspects. The officer also commanded the UN Peacekeepers Day Parade organised at UNMISS, where she commanded twelve contingents of UNPOL, Military and Civilians.

Free online career skills training launched on National Career Service portal

The Ministry of Labour and Employment under its National Career Service (NCS) project has now started offering free online “Career Skills Training” in partnership with TCS ION for its registered job-seekers. This course on soft skills assists the learners in enhancing personality development with modules on corporate etiquette, improving inter personal skills, making impactful presentation including other necessary soft skills demanded by the industry today. The training module is available in Hindi and English on the NCS portal.

The Ministry is implementing the NCS Project for transformation of the National Employment Service to provide a variety of employment related services like job search, job matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, apprenticeship, internships etc through an on-line portal (www.ncs.gov.in). There are around 1 crore active job seekers and 54 thousand active employers registered on NCS and around 73 lakh vacancies have been mobilized through the portal so far. Around 1000 employment exchanges including 200 Model Career Centers across the country are integrated with NCS.

NCS has also taken a number of other initiatives to mitigate the challenges in the labour market due to COVID-19 and the consequent lockdown of the economy.

Online Job Fairs are being organized to bridge the gap between job aspirants and employers where the complete cycle from job posting to selection of candidate can be completed on the portal. Around 76 Online Job Fairs have been conducted by NCS during the lockdown Period.

A Special link for Work from Home Jobs and Online Trainings has been created on NCS portal Home Page to give direct access to job-seekers to such jobs.

NCS also offers the functionality of creation of video profiles for job-seekers in partnership with HIREMEE, a platform which provides online assessment and hiring services. Job-seekers can showcase their ability to recruiters using short video clips. All services on NCS are free.

Missile Park ‘Agneeprastha’ to be set up at INS Kalinga

Foundation Stone for a Missile Park “AGNEEPRASTHA” was laid at INS Kalinga by Cmde Rajesh Debnath,  Commanding Officer, in the presence of Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, FOC-in-C (East) on 28 May 20.  

        The Missile Park ‘AGNEEPRASTHA’ once completed will be dedicated to all the Officers, Sailors and Support Staff of INS Kalinga, who have served in this premier op-support Base of the ENC since its establishment in 1981. The Park also commemorates the award of the prestigious Unit Citation to INS Kalinga for the year 2018-19. 

        ‘AGNEEPRASTHA’ aims to capture glimpses of Missile History of INS Kalinga since 1981 till date.  The Missile Park has been set up with a replica of missiles and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) that showcase the evolution of missiles handled by the unit.  The exhibits have been created from scrap / obsolete inventory which have been reconditioned in-house. The main attraction is P-70 ‘Ametist’, an underwater launched anti-ship missile from the arsenal of the old ‘Chakra’ (Charlie-1 submarine) which was in service with IN during 1988-91.

      ‘AGNEEPRASTHA’ will also provide a one-stop arena for motivation and stimulation of inquisitive minds regarding the missiles and related technologies, from school children to Naval personnel and their families.  It is also intended to encourage a feeling of ownership and pride in the role of the Unit, and highlight the necessity of contribution of all personnel irrespective of rank/trade towards the overarching objective of ordnance availability, reliability and delivery on target, each and every time.

CGR/VM/MS

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme to be taken forward using innovative ways

It has been decided to take forward the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme of the Government by  using innovative ways in view of the prevailing conditions of COVID 19.

This was decided at a recent meeting of  Secretaries via videoconferencing ,  of partner ministries under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme  of the Government . The meeting was chairedby  Secretary, Higher Education, M/o HRD, Shri Amit Khare. M/o HRD  is the nodal ministry for the EBSB programme. The meeting was attended by Secretary, Tourism Shri Yogendra Tripathi; Secretary Culture, Shri Anand Kumar; Secretary Department of Youth Affairs, Smt Usha Sharma; Secretary, SE & L Smt Anita Karwal; CEO, MyGov Shri Abhishek Singh and senior officers of  ministries of I & B, Railways, Home , Defence , Parliamentary Affairs and department of Sports.

Welcoming the participants, Shri Amit Khare  briefed about the implementation of the programme so far, stressing on the need to have innovative ways to carry it forward in view of the prevailing conditions of COVID 19. Secretary D/o SEL, Smt. Anita Karwal also emphasized upon the need to show tangible outputs.

During the meeting a presentation was made on the progress of EBSB so far.

Speaking at the meeting, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Shri Yogendra Tripathi informed that institutions under Tourism ministry are organising webinars on various aspects of tourism. The ministry is doing a series of webinars under the series “Dekho Apna Desh”, being hosted on MyGov portal. These webinars are being attended by thousands of people.  He also suggested that such webinars can be organised for tourism stake holders of different states such as Tour Operators etc. Secretary, Higher Education suggested that the recordings of “Dekho Apna Desh” and other webinars can be displayed on the educational channels and in breaks during online classes.

Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Shri Anand Kumar stated that they are also organising various webinars. He suggested all webinars of different Ministries should be brought under a common platform of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. He further suggested that e- programmes can be prepared on various topics such as writing dramas, paintings , virtual tours of monuments, etc He further informed that the Culture Ministry proposes to develop  E- Heritagepedia and E- Artist pedia and also suggested that renowned artists can do virtual programme modules to teach their art. Secretary D/o SEL  welcomed the idea and said that schools would be very interested in classes on indigenous art like Worli and Madhubani paintings.

Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Smt. Usha Sharma appreciated the use of digital medium for conducting the EBSB programmes. She said with this, the reach of these programmes can be enhanced greatly.  She also suggested for sharing of digital material prepared by different departments. Secretary, HE suggested that the inputs may be collected from all the Ministries at a single platform. Secretary, D/O SEL suggested they could be hosted on a digital platform.      

CEO, My Gov.in, Shri Abhishek Singh said that they are developing a mobile App for learning 100 sentences in different languages. He also said that MyGov can host webinars of various departments and also disseminate information about their programmes.  

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Vikram Sahai suggested that apart from the information of various states being shared through TV, Radio and Print Media, good practices and success stories of each state may also be shared with the partner states. He also suggested all departments can pool in their digital resources and DD News can use their weekly EBSB programme to host destination based programmes. JS (ICC), Ms Neeta Prasad suggested that each Ministry should share their future monthly action plan in advance with Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for wider coverage.

 Executive Director, Ministry of Railways Smt. Vandana Bhatnagar,  briefed about the steps taken by them for providing concessions to the students participating in various EBSB programmes and on displaying the logo, Video display etc on railways property. She said that these activities will be up taken afresh once regular movement of  trains start.

The officers of  Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence,  Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Department of Sports briefed about the activities taken up prior to the lockdown period and activities proposed to be started.  

At the end of the meeting, Secretary, HE summarised important actionable points as follows:

  1. To move towards digital mediums for the carrying on the activities under EBSB by each participating Ministry/ Department.
  2. To organise webinars on Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat themes for their wide dissemination.
  3. To have a common repository for the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat digital resources that can be used by every Ministry. This repository may be hosted on a common portal.

iv        A revised communication plan needs to be made and Doordarshan’s 30 minute weekly programme on EBSB  should be destination based with inputs from all ministries

Higher Educational Institutions to take part in NAAC accreditation process

Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank  interacted with Heads of more than 45,000 Higher Educational Institutions across the country today through Webinar hosted by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bengaluru. The Minister addressed and Interacted with a Galaxy of Academicians comprising participation from Vice Chancellors / Registrars / Professors / IQAC heads / Principals / Faculty from across the Nation.

While lauding the initiatives taken by NAAC at this time of the Pandemic, Shri Pokhriyal called upon the HEIs in the country to treat the current situation as an opportunity to overcome limitations in the system. He called upon the educationists, students, parents to switch-over to the online method and make the most of the situation so that the academic session of the students and the HEIs are not interrupted. He said there is an urgent need to improve and enhance the Online ecosystem in India & educators should contribute to enhance the reach so that online education reaches even the rural areas.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1265938551075532802&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fpib.gov.in%2FPressReleasePage.aspx%3FPRID%3D1627487&theme=light&widgetsVersion=c4096c4b%3A1589303485003&width=500px

In the hour long interaction and address, the Union Minister reflected on various issues and concerns raised by educationists related to Academic Calendar, Online Education, examinations, Fees, Mental health of students, problems of students, fellowships, NEET, entrance examinations etc. He dwelt upon at length on the initiatives taken by the Government with regard to Swayam Prabha, Deeksharambh, Paramarsh and a host of other special initiatives taken during the pandemic period. He also urged all Higher Educational Institutions to take part in NAAC accreditation process. He reiterated that the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi is very concerned about the well being of Higher Educational Institutions and assured of all help in furthering the academic activities of student fraternity.

The Union Minister asked all Universities to constitute a special cell which will be empowered to address the issues of students related to academic calendar and examinations arising out of special circumstances due to Covid 19. He said that a task force has been created in UGC and NCERT to resolve the different issues of students. Shri Nishank assured that Ministry is committed to provide all assistance to students in the time of crisis. During the interaction the Union Minister highlighted the process of how the new session will be commenced, at the same time he specified that the priority will be given to the safety of the students. 

Shri Nishank called educational fraternity as Corona Warriors because in this extraordinary situation they are working round the clock to provide quality education to students.

The event was also graced by Chairman, UGC, Prof D P Singh, Prof Virander S Chauhan, Chairman, EC, NAAC. Prof S C Sharma, Director, NAAC spoke & coordinated the event.

*****

CIPET renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering &Technology

Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) has been renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), a premier national institution under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India.

The changed name has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 ( Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975)

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda has said  that now CIPET will be in a position to fully devote itself  for the growth of entire petrochemical sector with a focus on Academics, Skilling, Technology Support and Research. 

The primary objective of CIPET has been contributing towards the growth of the plastics industry through a combined program of education and research. The Institute has evolved through the years, creating closer ties with industries with the intent to create innovative plastic based solutions which are resource efficient and marketable.

Types of Internships for Communications Majors

With their ability to communicate effectively in almost any situation, communications majors are some of the most sought after candidates in all sorts of professional fields. With so many opportunities available, you might be wondering how to find a job that’s a good fit for you. The best way to do that is through an internship where you can get exposure to a specific field or position.

Here are some of the best internships for communications majors:

Marketing intern

As a marketing intern, you’ll assist the marketing team with projects and find out how marketers help brands connect with their audience. During your internship, you’ll be taking on a number of tasks such as collaborating on blog post ideas, developing social media strategy and writing email copy. As a result, you’ll be gaining lots of hands-on experience and also getting exposed to all of the different elements involved in crafting a successful marketing campaign.

Editorial intern

From sharpening your SEO skills to shadowing an editorial meeting, an editorial internship can be a great and enriching experience. Depending on the type of company you intern with, you could be writing blog or news articles, learning how to research and fact-check news stories, or learning the ins and outs of copy editing and AP style.

Public relations intern

As a public relations intern, you’ll assist the PR team with campaign strategy, pitches and handling client relationships. You’ll also likely get to attend publicity events including sporting events and product launches. Best of all, you’ll learn the basics of writing a press release and assisting in the development of a full-scale PR campaign.

Content marketing intern

Content marketing internships give you direct exposure to drafting content for the company website, as well as copy for ads and blog posts. In addition, you’re likely to also get hands-on experience with other things such as managing social media accounts. Best of all, you’ll get to sit in meetings where ideas for new content are developed.

Social media intern

As a social media intern, you’ll engage your company’s followers, commenters and readers, while also attempting to grow the community. From coming up with funny memes to post on Instagram to crafting a great Snapchat story, a social media internship is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about engagement and about how to use social media as a powerful tool for business.

Copywriting Intern

As a copywriting intern, you’ll be trained in researching, drafting and editing copy for all types of content including blog posts, news articles and email campaigns. You’ll also learn how to match your writing style to a specific brand and fine-tune your copywriting skills. This internship is a great opportunity to get a feel for what’s required to thrive as a full-time copywriter.

Broadcast intern

A broadcast internship is a wonderful opportunity to learn the ins and out of working for a TV or radio station. From shadowing staff to fact-checking, researching and assisting with different aspects of production, you’ll be getting exposure to the whole world of broadcasting. Best of all, internship experience in broadcasting is essential and valued when it comes to applying for full-time jobs in the field after graduation.

In addition to the critical skills communications majors develop during college, they also benefit from the more specialized hands-on experience that can only result from an internship. By taking on one or more internships during your time in college, you’ll be able to learn more about your options and find a career path that’s right for you.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What is a Communications Major and is it Right for Me? 

If you are looking for internship in above categories then Eduindex News will welcome you. Write mail to career@eduindex.org or visit job opening page at https://eduindexnews.com/tag/work-with-eduindex-news/

What is a Communications Major and is it Right for Me?

Do you enjoy talking to people and figuring out what makes them tick? Are you an outgoing person who is comfortable connecting with diverse groups of people and getting your message across effectively? If you answered yes to these questions, then being a communications major might just be for you.

The modern age and future in journalism and mass communication is about use of communication and information technology. With the digital onslaught suddenly the power has landed in the hands of a media person. The overall perception of a media person in a khadi kurta, black rimmed thick glasses and a loose bag with a pen has blown. Now emerges a person who is young, savvy, smart and up to date and has an access to a load of gadgets that will give an IT person a run for its money. 

What is a communications major?

A communications major is a major designed to teach you about effective communication and how to apply it to fields like media, law and business. Coursework for this major is very similar to coursework for related majors such as public relations, advertising and journalism. As a communications major, you’ll be taking a broad range of classes including marketing, sociology and business as well as more traditional communications classes like media studies and journalism.

Is it right for me?

Majoring in communications means having a broad understanding of how this field impacts others such as business and media. Here are some key questions to ask yourself before embarking on this major:

Do I feel confident in my writing and communication skills?
Do I like studying a broad range of subjects including sociology, psychology and media studies?
Am I able to handle and incorporate criticism and feedback from my professors and peers?
Am I good at multitasking and working on multiple projects and subjects at once?
Will I dedicate myself to getting internships and jobs through college that will further my level of experience?

What can I do with a communications major?

Since communications is a broad major with significant overlap to other majors, there are plenty of available career options. Some of the most common ones include:

  • public relations
  • journalism
  • law
  • marketing
  • copywriting
  • … and more

What do communications majors earn?

Salaries for communications majors are as varied as the career paths they take after graduation. While public relations specialists can expect to earn starting salaries between ₹40,000-₹45,000, entry-level salaries for attorneys start at ₹55,000-₹60,000 and quickly go up from there.

Quality Education and Educational infrastructure for students of the North –Eastern States

Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said that Government is committed to provide quality education and infrastructure improvement in educational institutions all over India and especiallyto the students of the North –Eastern States of the country. He informed that in this regard, the government has taken some major decisions this year. The government has granted permission for the establishment of permanent campus of Sikkim University (a Central University) at Yangyang at a cost of Rs. 986.47 crore. The government of Sikkim has allotted 300 acres of land at cost of Rs. 15 crore, out of which 265.94 acres of land has already been handed over to the University. The handing over of remaining land is under process.

The Minister also informed that Government has already sanctioned revised cost estimates of 6 NITs at Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Delhi and Puducherry at Rs. 4371.90 crore. With the approved Revised Cost Estimates, these NITs will be fully functional from their respective permanent campuses by 31st March, 2022. The overall student capacity in these campuses will be 6320.

We used to home school

After twenty-five years of service, the Salvageable Family Home School has closed its doors. That’s not bad news—we celebrate the high school graduation of our youngest child and the successful educational paths they all have chosen.

All have been accepted into colleges. All who are not currently enrolled have completed their Bachelor’s degrees in four years or less. They graduated with honors. Two went on to complete Master’s degrees. All of them are currently employed, even during the virus crisis.

Our decision to home school was not made lightly, but in a sense we were led into it. At the time, I was associated with a church that had a private school, and our children were aware of school children outside the house at various times. They were interested in school, and they were mentally ready, but their birthdays put them just past the starting age as set by the state. I knew that schools sometimes made exceptions regarding those dates, but the school leaders said, “If we make an exception for you, we have to make an exception for anyone else who asks.” They did offer a compromise—two years of half-day kindergarten meant for four-year-olds before entering the full day kindergarten meant for five-year-olds. We declined.

We knew a family in the neighborhood who homeschooled. Two of their daughters sometimes watched our children. They were doing well, and we took advice from them. We agreed that we would evaluate the situation year by year and not commit to home schooling all the way through high school. Little did we know that we would be educating our children for the next twenty-five years.

Starting with a book called Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, we began to assemble a home school library.  Saxon Math met our needs in that department, and we found other books that did the job. The summer after we started home schooling I had a job offer and we moved, so there was no pressure to put our children into the church’s school. From time to time we participated in home school cooperatives, but it often seemed that we could accomplish as much at home as we could gain from a cooperative.

One advantage of home schooling is being able to work at the child’s pace. Students who pick up a concept easily do not have to wait for their classmates before moving on to something new; students struggling with a concept can have extra explaining and practice before moving on without hampering anyone else’s education. Also, no time is consumed traveling to and from school or waiting for a bus; that gain in time allows more instruction, more leisure time, or more time to contribute to family chores. Life skills such as cooking and laundry become part of the educational plan. Interesting conversations at mealtime are part of home schooling, and field trips are easy to arrange with little or no planning required.

One concern some people have about home schooling is “socialization”: how will home schooled children learn to make friends among their peers? Home school cooperatives are one answer, church activities are another, and organized athletic events are a third. Several of my daughters took up Irish dancing and have reached the championship level. Moreover, not only in my family but in other home school families I have known, the children are more natural at socializing with people of different ages. They have not spent their days in a room with one adult and a couple dozen children their age.

Not every family should home school. Doing so requires a massive commitment of time as well as a financial investment. Public schools and private schools provide a valuable service for our communities. The irony has not escaped me that we finished home schooling at a time when many families are having their first experience of home schooling. Most will return their children to the public or private schools as soon as they open, but some families—including the students—may be finding value in home schooling. They may be considering continuing the home school experience even when schools reopen. For those in that position, I offer encouragement and best wishes. J.

More about my family

When I composed yesterday’s post, I got so excited sharing the history of my family that I forgot part of what I wanted to say. Here it is:

This month I have been posting historic family pictures on FaceBook each day. Sometimes it’s a single picture, sometimes it’s two or three pictures. I’ve been getting good reactions from family—including cousins I almost never see anymore—as well as from other friends.

Why am I doing this? Well, as a historian and an archivist, I want to promote the business. Especially those weeks that I had to work from home, trying to do the same things I would be doing at work, I knew that I had to do the full job of an archivist—not merely to preserve and to organize, but also to share. Archivists don’t digitize the entire collection and put it online—we digitize a small amount of material that is interesting or informative. Real researchers don’t stop at surfing the internet; when they find something of interest, they identify where it is located and come to that place to look at the rest of the collection.

Beyond that, I have gotten major fatigue scrolling through FaceBook and other social media. It feels like a game of dodgeball back in junior high school, trying to avoid all the mentions of disease and politics and the intersection of the two. So I thought I’d change the subject—give myself and other people something different to talk about and think about. And that has worked.

It has worked so well that my sister and some of my cousins commented over the weekend that I ought to take all this family information I’ve been gathering and write a book. I’ve handled books written by genealogists. They tend to be dry as dust—recording vital information, but often omitting the interesting and unusual family stories about these various individuals.

So I’m considering a book on the Salvageable family. The first question is: how much of the family do I want to cover? Am I writing for my children and their descendants—do I want to include my wife’s side of the family? Do I want to focus on me and my ancestors? Or do I want to stick to my mother’s side of the family, which contains most of the interesting stories that have come to light thus far. (And includes those cousins who are suggesting that I write a book.)

Even though that matter is not settled, I have made two other decisions. If I write this book, I will start each family line with the immigrant who came to the United States. Where I know names and dates for ancestors who remained in Europe, I might include them in an appendix or sidebar, but I want this to be an account of the Salvageables in America. Also, rather than focusing on one line at a time, with chapters relating to different streams that entered the river, I want to make the book chronological. I would like to write a chapter for each decade, describing where the various ancestors were during that decade and what they were doing.

Moreover, I want to include some historic context in each chapter. Think how much fun the 1860s will be—men fighting each other in the Civil War (and I have ancestors who fought for the Union and ancestors who fought for the Confederacy). Wouldn’t it be cool to find two great-great grandfathers involved in the same battle, shooting each other? (And, if either of them had been a better soldier, I would never have been born.)

I can only guess how long it will take to complete the family research and begin writing. This project likely will be years in the making. And it will not be lucrative—we’re not talking Roots here. I don’t care to dabble in historical fiction, creating conversations that may have happened. I want to include verifiable facts, along with family stories and mysteries.

And this is much more fun than slogging through the current international crisis and thinking only about it night and day. J.

Photographs and genealogy

Years ago, when I first saw this picture in the family collection, it puzzled me. I knew that the little girl to the left was my grandmother, and I suspected the other two children on the floor were her brother and sister. I assumed that the man to the left was her father and that the woman in back was her grandmother? But who is the other boy in the room? My family and I dubbed him Heathcliff, remembering that he joined the Earnshaw family by adoption when he was a young boy (Wuthering Heights).

This spring I’ve had the opportunity to go through family photographs and also to research my family tree. I deduced that this picture was taken Christmas 1905. The extra boy is a cousin to my grandmother. These same people were still in the same household at the 1910 census. The grandmother, by the way, is the mother of my grandmother’s mother, mother-in-law to the man in the picture.

Here’s another picture of the same family taken a few months earlier. The younger woman is my great-grandmother; she died in June of 1905. The man with the cigar is probably Heathcliff’s father, and the two additional girls are Heathcliff’s sisters.

Why are those sisters missing from the Christmas picture? According to the 1910 census, they were boarding at the Chicago Industrial School for Girls. Later records show that both grew up, had jobs as clerks, and got married.

Here’s Heathcliff and his sisters—possibly taken at their school. On the desk is a cube with the date: Wednesday December 27. Historians, archivists, and genealogists love clues like that hiding in photographs. (December 27, 1905, was a Wednesday.)

And what became of Heathcliff? He also got married. He and his wife had a son who lived only three months and a daughter who eventually grew up and married. In 1917, when Heathcliff registered for the Great War, he was a clerk supporting wife and mother (possibly mother-in-law). In 1920, he was living with his wife, in-laws, and infant son. In 1930, though, he was divorced and living alone in Chicago. October 1930 saw him incarcerated at Leavenworth, Kansas—I have no idea why. By 1942, when he registered because of the second World War, he was back in Chicago, working for Keller & Sons. He died in 1959, at the age of 63.

“Heathcliff’s” real first name was the same as his father and his grandfather. By coincidence, my wife and I chose the same name for our son. After skipping several generations, it’s nice to have the name return to the family, even though the previous holder of that name was a crook. J.


Years ago, when I first saw this picture in the family collection, it puzzled me. I knew that the little girl to the left was my grandmother, and I suspected the other two children on the floor were her brother and sister. I assumed that the man to the left was her father and that the woman in back was her grandmother? But who is the other boy in the room? My family and I dubbed him Heathcliff, remembering that he joined the Earnshaw family by adoption when he was a young boy (Wuthering Heights). This spring I’ve had the opportunity to go through family photographs and also to research my family tree. I deduced that this picture was taken Christmas 1905. The extra boy is a cousin to my grandmother. These same people were still in the same household at the 1910 census. The grandmother, by the way, is the mother of my grandmother’s mother, mother-in-law to the man in the picture.

Years ago, when I first saw this picture in the family collection, it puzzled me. I knew that the little girl to the left was my grandmother, and I suspected the other two children on the floor were her brother and sister. I assumed that the man to the left was her father and that the woman in back was her grandmother? But who is the other boy in the room? My family and I dubbed him Heathcliff, remembering that he joined the Earnshaw family by adoption when he was a young boy (Wuthering Heights). This spring I’ve had the opportunity to go through family photographs and also to research my family tree. I deduced that this picture was taken Christmas 1905. The extra boy is a cousin to my grandmother. These same people were still in the same household at the 1910 census. The grandmother, by the way, is the mother of my grandmother’s mother, mother-in-law to the man in the picture.

Here’s Heathcliff and his sisters—possibly taken at their school. On the desk is a cube with the date: Wednesday December 27. Historians, archivists, and genealogists love clues like that hiding in photographs. (December 27, 1905, was a Wednesday.) And what became of Heathcliff? He also got married. He and his wife had a son who lived only three months and a daughter who eventually grew up and married. In 1917, when Heathcliff registered for the Great War, he was a clerk supporting wife and mother (possibly mother-in-law). In 1920, he was living with his wife, in-laws, and infant son. In 1930, though, he was divorced and living alone in Chicago. October 1930 saw him incarcerated at Leavenworth, Kansas—I have no idea why. By 1942, when he registered because of the second World War, he was back in Chicago, working for Keller & Sons. He died in 1959, at the age of 63. “Heathcliff’s” real first name was the same as his father and his grandfather. By coincidence, my wife and I chose the same name for our son. After skipping several generations, it’s nice to have the name return to the family, even though the previous holder of that name was a crook. J.

Here’s Heathcliff and his sisters—possibly taken at their school. On the desk is a cube with the date: Wednesday December 27. Historians, archivists, and genealogists love clues like that hiding in photographs. (December 27, 1905, was a Wednesday.) And what became of Heathcliff? He also got married. He and his wife had a son who lived only three months and a daughter who eventually grew up and married. In 1917, when Heathcliff registered for the Great War, he was a clerk supporting wife and mother (possibly mother-in-law). In 1920, he was living with his wife, in-laws, and infant son. In 1930, though, he was divorced and living alone in Chicago. October 1930 saw him incarcerated at Leavenworth, Kansas—I have no idea why. By 1942, when he registered because of the second World War, he was back in Chicago, working for Keller & Sons. He died in 1959, at the age of 63. “Heathcliff’s” real first name was the same as his father and his grandfather. By coincidence, my wife and I chose the same name for our son. After skipping several generations, it’s nice to have the name return to the family, even though the previous holder of that name was a crook. J.

Here’s another picture of the same family taken a few months earlier. The younger woman is my great-grandmother; she died in June of 1905. The man with the cigar is probably Heathcliff’s father, and the two additional girls are Heathcliff’s sisters. Why are those sisters missing from the Christmas picture? According to the 1910 census, they were boarding at the Chicago Industrial School for Girls. Later records show that both grew up, had jobs as clerks, and got married.

Here’s another picture of the same family taken a few months earlier. The younger woman is my great-grandmother; she died in June of 1905. The man with the cigar is probably Heathcliff’s father, and the two additional girls are Heathcliff’s sisters. Why are those sisters missing from the Christmas picture? According to the 1910 census, they were boarding at the Chicago Industrial School for Girls. Later records show that both grew up, had jobs as clerks, and got married.

Student Story: IT Degree Leads to Career Reboot

Herzing alumni\’s IT degree put him in the running for some of the most in-demand jobs today and helped him launch a successful career.

As a systems engineer for one of the world’s leading health IT companies, Ronald Crayton supports and manages information solutions and software for healthcare clients around the world.
It’s pretty amazing, Crayton admits, given that he knew relatively little about computers several years ago.
Here’s how he got to where he is today:

Looking for a change

Six years ago, Crayton had just moved to Atlanta from New York and was working as a telemarketer. He didn’t know what he wanted to do in the long run, but he wanted a change.
\”I was sick and tired of my job,” he remembered. “I was working long hours for low pay. I just felt it was time to do something.\”
Crayton knew IT was a growing field, and that earning a college degree would help him unlock new career opportunities. He was right – his IT degree put him in the running for some of the most in-demand jobs today, and helped him launch a successful career at a multinational corporation.
“The more I looked into it, the more I felt that IT would be a good fit for me,” Crayton said. “I liked the idea of solving problems.”
Crayton began exploring IT programs at several universities in the Atlanta area, and soon decided to enroll at Herzing University.
“I knew Herzing was the school for me as soon as I walked through the doors,” Crayton said. “From the admission advisors to the faculty, everyone was very friendly and welcoming. It just felt right.”
An IT career is ideal for those who, like Crayton, are drawn to working with computers and technology and enjoy troubleshooting and resolving technical problems.
“I also really liked the fact that as a student I would have the chance to work with physical hardware and software that I was learning about,” Crayton said. “Working with routers and switches and getting to test all of the different parts of a system was a huge part of my learning experience and really helped solidify the concepts I learned in class.”

A fresh start

Crayton graduated from Herzing in just three years with his bachelor’s in information technology and a concentration in security technology. He also earned his CompTIA A+ certification, which, among other industry-recognized IT certifications, is becoming a valuable differentiator for new IT professionals entering the workforce.
Shortly thereafter, he began a career as a systems administrator for a medical center in Atlanta, serving as the organization’s main point of contact for IT support needs. It wasn’t long before he was contacted on LinkedIn for another job opportunity – this time for a position at a leading health information solutions provider.
The company liked Crayton so much, they even paid for him to relocate to Kansas.

New opportunities

IT graduates like Crayton have the opportunity to pursue careers in a variety of industry sectors and work in many different environments, from small businesses to government agencies.
Employment for IT and computer-related professions are projected to grow by as much as 13 percent between 2016 and 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and experts predict much of the future growth in IT will be driven by a greater emphasis on cloud computing, big data and cybersecurity.
In fact, a 2017 report from the Center for Cyber Safety and Education estimated there will be a shortage of 1.8 million skilled cybersecurity workers by 2022.
Cybersecurity is a major point of concern for industries that handle sensitive data, such as financial services organizations and healthcare providers. A breach in the security of patient data, for example, could have long-lasting effects on an organization’s reputation.
That’s why professionals like Crayton are so important. On a typical day, Crayton oversees 2,000-4,000 servers, troubleshoots system issues and ensures smooth operations for healthcare providers worldwide.
“Herzing really helped change my life,” Crayton said. “Completing my bachelor’s degree helped me become well-rounded IT professional. I feel that now I have the skills and the knowledge to really make a difference.”

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