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Showing posts from August, 2021

Technology in Education

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Do you want to learn data science? Go to Udemy. What about learning C++? Well, YouTube is where you go. Want to learn how to use a newly installed app on your computer? YouTube. Knowledge has been democratized to such an extent that anyone anywhere with a smartphone or a laptop can learn anything. Free content is flying everywhere in bits and bytes. And how has it become possible? Technology, cheap Internet and of course a few enterprising teachers who want to make a difference. In the past few years, there has been a major shift in the way education is imparted. Technology has greatly expanded access to education. It has greatly influenced the way we approach learning. Gone are the days when knowledge was the prerogative of the elite only. Nowadays, massive amounts of information (books, audio, images, videos) are available at one’s fingertips through the Internet, and opportunities for formal learning are available online worldwide.   Access to learning opportunities today ...

Feel Your Breath and Body and Stay Healthy

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We are experiencing a global pandemic, dramatic changes to how we conduct our daily lives, economic uncertainty, and political and social turmoil, as well as an array of natural disasters. Then there are personal traumas that people are also dealing with, such as the loss of a loved one, declining health, unemployment, divorce, violent crimes, or tragic accidents. For many of us, this is a time of unprecedented struggle and upheaval. Have you ever noticed how your body feels when you’re under stress? Your muscles become tense, especially the one in your face, neck, and shoulders, leaving you with back or neck pain, or painful headaches. You may feel a tightness in your chest, a pounding pulse, or muscle cramps. You may also experience problems such as insomnia, heartburn, stomachache, diarrhea, or frequent urination. The worry and discomfort of all these physical symptoms can in turn lead to even more stress, creating a vicious cycle. How do you counter the effects of stress? One eff...
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  Once there used to be a lake called the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. It was considered as the fourth largest lake with an area of 68,000 m2. But then it started shrinking in the 1960s and by 1997, it had shrunk to only 10% of its original size. Satellite images by NASA in 2014 revealed that it had completely dried up and what was once called a ‘sea’ is now called a ‘desert’, the Aralkum Desert , to be precise.   The sad scene out there will break your heart and you will wonder at the folly and greed of humans. You’ll see rusted boats and ships lying in the middle of the desert. They constantly remind you of the depressing reason they are there—human greed. In a bid to boost agriculture, the Soviet government diverted the lake’s water to farmland displacing people and killing animals and plants in the process. Example like this abounds in human history. But what can we do to stop our future generations commit crimes like this against nature? As educators and parents, and as an...