Unique learning experience for Coimbatore Corporation special school students

The students of the Corporation school for special children here are all set to take a major leap forward with the adoption of a new learning methodology in which information technology will play a major part and reverse the traditional roles of students and teachers.


With the establishment of a ‘tab lab’ at the Corporation School for the Deaf at R.S. Puram here, students will now be able to prepare ahead of their classes by viewing the subject in tablets, which will be issued to all the students and teachers.


This initiative will be launched next week by the Corporation.


The tablets will have video files of the school teachers explaining the subject curriculum in sign language. After going through these files, the students will be asked to explain some of the lessons during the class, American India Foundation Director (Digital Equaliser programme) J. Sundarakrishnan told The Hindu on Thursday over phone from New Delhi.


The video files will be prepared by the AIF personnel who will shoot and edit them. Each video file will have a duration of three to five minutes. This new methodology was developed by AIF and Carveniche Technologies to focus on outcome-based approaches, he said.


Teachers will be training in technology pedagogy (science of teaching) and learn how to prepare for their classes using the tablets. They will divide the class hours and allocate time for showing videos, solving problems and students interaction.


Mr. Sundarakrishnan said that the ‘flipped classrooms’ will help teachers focus on weaker students focus. The Foundation, which was implementing educational projects in several States, was introducing this concept of ‘flipped classroom’ first at Coimbatore. Following this, it will be introduced at a Government school in Bangalore, he added.


S. Tamil Selvi, Headmistress of the R.S. Puram School, said that students can view the video files any number of times till they comprehend the lesson completely. Visual representations will also make it easier for the students to learn.


The teachers were also conducting research online on how to prepare these files, she added.


The project was part of the ‘Digital Equaliser’ Programme for which the civic body had inked a three-year MoU (2012-15) with the AIF. It covers all the 10 high schools, 16 higher secondary schools, and one special school of Coimbatore Corporation, which had provided 464 computers for the project.

Computer-aided learning in five Coimbatore Corporation schools

Coimbatore Corporation has decided to introduce computer-aided learning in five Corporation schools. 

The civic body decided to extend the facility to the Corporation Girls’ High School, Selvapuram, Corporation Higher Secondary School, Udayampalayam, Corporation High School, P.N. Pudur, Corporation Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Oppanakara Street, and Corporation Higher Secondary School, Peelamedu. 

At present the Corporation has such a facility at its school in Maniakarampalayam.

The Corporation decided to do so at its Council meeting held on July 24, wherein it said that it had chosen one school a zone. There are five zones in the Corporation. 

Budget

 

To introduce the facility, promised in the Corporation Budget for 2013-14, the Corporation had formed a committee comprising Commissioner G. Latha, Deputy Commissioner S. Sivarasu, accounts officer, city engineer and 11 other people. 

It had also allotted Rs. 20 lakh a school and said that it would meet the expenses from its Education Fund. 

The Corporation had introduced the computer-aided learning facility in association with the American India Foundation and Dell under the ‘Dell Connected Class Room’ concept.

The project would benefit 370 students in the Selvapuram school, 578 students in the Udayampalayam school, 453 students in the P.N. Pudur school, 1,477 students in the Oppanakara Street school and 692 students in the Peelamedu school. 

Science Express train to visit Coimbatore on August 20

The Science Express – Bio-Diversity Special (SEBS) is finally coming to Coimbatore on August 20 and will be halting at Coimbatore Junction till August 23.

In the recent times, only two thematic expo trains visited Coimbatore, one was the Red Ribbon Express (to generate awareness relating to AIDS) and the second was Mother Theresa Express.

Schedule

Coimbatore never found a place in the schedule of Swami Vivekananda Express and after repeated representations by the Ramakrishna Mission it was routed via Coimbatore with a halt for two days on July 21 and 22 in 2012.

Last year, when the schedule of SEBS was announced, Coimbatore was missing in the route map in the fifth phase of its journey. Coimbatore Struggle Committee fighting for improvements in rail infrastructure for Coimbatore region, took up the issue with Railway Board, Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

Sixth phase

After all such efforts, now in the sixth phase, Coimbatore has been included in the tour.

Coimbatore region has the Nilgiris Bio Sphere Reserve (NBR) and it also hosts institutes such like Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Tamil Nadu Forest Academy – which is celebrating its centenary year, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON).

These institutions have a significant role in forestry and bio-diversity related studies and research.

Interestingly, only recently, western ghats that runs through this part of the country was declared a World Heritage Sight and now the train which has a special pavilion for Nilgiris Bio-Sphere Reserve is visiting Coimbatore.

The exhibition also showcases aspects of climate change, water, energy conservation, environment and the legacy of the Science Express.

The expo-on-wheels, a collaborative initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is an innovative and unique mobile exhibition mounted on a specially-designed 16-coach AC train travelling across India. The train gains significance as the decade 2011-2020 has been declared by the United Nations as the “Decade on Biodiversity” and by the United Nations as the “Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against Desertification”.

Aim

The exhibition aims to showcase the wide array of biodiversity in the country and the conservation measures adopted. The exhibition is open for all.

Siruthuli to train kids in eco-activities

COIMBATORE: Vanitha Mohan, managing trustee of Siruthuli, a city-based green NGO, inaugurated Sittukaludan Siruthuli, a project to involve schools in environment preservation activities, at Kikani School in the city.

A Balasubramaniyan, an associate professor at the department of tree breeding of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University ( TNAU), said pollution and global warming are increasing at an enormous rate. "Increasing pollution will not only raise the water levels subduing land, but will also create many new diseases. We must try hard to correct the situation," he said

Vanitha said the project is aimed at inculcating an awareness of nature among children. "Every Saturday, we will train 30 students from six different schools on environmental preservation. They will be taught how to take care of nature and how to pass on this knowledge to their schoolmates," she said. "From planting trees to avoiding plastic, students will be encouraged to participate in many simple activities," she said.

A model of the earth made with waste materials as a symbol of the polluted earth was handed over to the children. "This was to show them that they were inheriting a polluted earth, and have a huge responsibility to make it clean," said Anu Valenteena, a member of Siruthuli.

Coimbatore students make it to final round of Google contest

A few students from Coimbatore are eagerly waiting to know if their paintings would make it to the Google's homepage on November 14 to mark Children's Day. They are among the 45 school students who were picked up from among 1.5 lakh participants from across the country.

Four of the finalists from the city shared their excitement on being selected to the final list with The Hindu onThursday. Bhavika Dugar (Std. V), M.R. Lakshana (Std. VII) and Mahak Khemka (Std. VII) of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at R.S. Puram and R. Abhinav (Std. VI) of Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School are the young artists who made it to the final round.

The theme of the ‘Doodle 4 Google' competition was ‘India's gift to the world'. Various features of Indian culture like yoga, ayurveda, mathematical and scientific contributions made by the county, and various Indian art forms seemed to be the recurring themes in the finalists' paintings. Images of Gandhi and Buddha were also chosen by many. Bhavika Dugar's painting featured the cultural heritage and spirituality of India. Bhavika, who has won many prizes in painting competitions, is also a national-level swimming champion.

Mahak Khemka is a budding artist who has won prizes in many painting competitions. Her painting on the theme ‘Unity in diversity' portrays India as a democratic country where people who speak different languages and believe in different religions co-exist.

“I had heard the story about how God balances the planet on his index finger and wanted to portray that. I wanted to highlight how Indian culture is unique in the world,” said Lakshana.

Abhinav said that through images of Buddha and Taj Mahal, contributions in algebra, mountains and birds, he wanted to capture Indian life and the country's significance in the world.

Google had invited entries to the competition on October 15. Students from Standard 1 to XII from 350 schools had participated in the contest. The entries by 45 finalists were left open for public vote from October 24 to November 4. The winners would be declared on November 9 in New Delhi, the organisers said.

According to the organisers, the participants were categorised according to their age into three groups: Group 1 (Classes I to III), Group 2 (Classes IV to VI) and Group 3 (Classes VII to X).

The best entries would be chosen based on artistic merit considering the age, drawing skills and use of colours. Creative representation of the theme and use of Google logo were the other criteria. The supporting statement that explained the vision in the doodle would also be considered, the organisers said on their website.

“Google has sent two air tickets for each finalist to travel to New Delhi to attend the final award ceremony,” said Mahak's mother Minakshi Khemka.

According to the search engine's website, Google's Doodle designer Dennis Hwang would pick up the national winner. The first prize winner would get a technology starter package. His/ her school would be given a technology grant of Rs. 2 lakh, the organisers said. All finalists would receive a Doodle 4 Google certificate and a Google goodie bag, they said.

Entrepreneur organisation announces GSEA National Champion

Winner Sapan Kadakia will represent India in Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) World Finals in New York City, USA

Ahmedabad student Sapan Kadakia, MCO Marketing and a student of MICA won the Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award (GSEA 2011) India Finals held at PSG College of Technologies – Science & Technology Entrepreneurial Park, Coimbatore, overcoming challenge from 23 contestants from 9 different states in a tough competition organised by Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) Coimbatore Chapter on September 1, 2011.

The national winner will advance to the 2011 GSEA World Finals in NYSE, New York for the opportunity to engage with world class entrepreneurs, receive media exposure, win cash prize and share over $150,000 in donated business services.

30 National winners from around the world will compete for the title of Top Student Entrepreneur in the World at the New York Stock Exchange on November 17th 2011. To get there, the finalists have surpassed more than 1,800 nominees who participated in National finals in over 40 countries around the world.

“The EO - GSEA India finals is the first big scale event organised to recognise undergraduate student entrepreneurial spirit and help propel its growth”, Vikram Mohan, President of EO Coimbatore Chapter, which organised the premier event said. “The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards offers our student generation a tremendous opportunity to showcase not only their academic excellence but also their business insight. It represents the greatest hope for our economy and society. These students are leveraging their own creativity and innovation to bring new ideas into the marketplace and create new jobs.”

“We were overwhelmed to find hundreds of inspiring student entrepreneurship stories cutting across various sunrise sectors such as in Science, Technology /IT, Engineering, Media/Advertising, Sports Manufacturing, Finance and in Education/Consulting businesses vying for the top slot before we shortlisted and choose the winner from 30 finalists.” Vikram Mohan added.

Sapan Kadakia, MCO marketing, from Ahmedabad, Suraj Krishnan Mark & Make from Pune, Mohammad Asif, Jazaa Financial Advisory from Delhi, Durgesh Nandan, Automotion Ads, Lucknow, Animesh Sarangi, Amazing Youth from Orissa, emerged as top five student entrepreneurs by afternoon.

The top five had a tough round to show case their business potential. Along the winner Sapan, first runner up Durgesh Nandan of Automotion Ads, Lucknow and Second Runner up Animesh Sarangi of Amazing Youth, Orissa were also declared..

The judges were Anil Sivadas, Chairman Enventure Technology Services, Anupam Thareja, Founder and Managing Director of PHI Advisors, Ashok Bakthavathsalam Managing Director K G Informations Systems, Jayadev Galla, Co-Founder Amara Raja Group,Kavitha Varadaraj, Managing Director Primero Intimates & Sr VP FICCI Ladies Organisation, Manav Goyal, Executive Director, Adyar Gate Hotels, Padmaja Nair, GM FIBU (SBI), Vikram Ramakrishnan Managing Director, Thinking Palm, & Founder Linkstreet Learning.

In 2010, nearly 2000 students from 44 countries were nominated to the GSEA. Over the course of 5 months, the students participated in rigorous regional competitions that brought the field down to the top 30 “dorm room entrepreneurs.” These students converged at the GSEA Global Finals at the Kauffman Foundation during Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kansas City, MO last week. Spanning all industry sectors, these student-run companies earned annual revenues ranging from $20,000 to $3 million.

Coimbatore boy returns after five day training programme at NASA

COIMBATORE: Its not every day one gets to spend time in a real space flight simulator chamber in NASA, rub shoulders with outer space experts, sleep in a cylindrical space habitat or get a taste of actual astronaut food to be eaten during a space mission. City ninth grader B Vajresh was among the 16 member team that was selected for a five day training programme at NASA's Marshall Space Centre, Huntsville Alabama. He was also the team leader of the student group ATLAS at the space facility and they designed a lunar base which a team of experts adjudged as the best design at the space centre.

"It was a dream come true for me. We were given a detailed tour of the facility. It was an unforgettable experience for all of us," said B Vajresh. During the five day stay at the NASA facility, Vajresh got an opportunity to be in simulated environments where he did the moon walk, experienced under-water pressure and space ship travel simulations. He was also lodged in one of the space habitat facilities on the NASA campus.

"Five of us shared the space habitat. It was cylindrical in shape and it was a whole new experience for me to live with children from various parts of the globe. We have become good friends and maintain contact over internet," Vajresh added.

Vajresh was selected as part of the Annual Training Programme at the Huntsville held from May 15 to 20 earlier this year. Retired NASA Astronaut Story Musgrave honoured Vajresh and his team after they completed the training sessions. "We used to wake up every morning and were taken for seminars and sessions on space missions and life in space. We were also shown a number of documentaries about the various achievements of NASA in space research," said Vajresh.

However, he also added that the only sour part of the expedition was the food which he just did not like. However, he got an opportunity to taste an ice cream flavoured astronaut food item.

"My son was very much excited about the trip and still recounts his experience there," said S Balaji, Vajresh's father. Vajresh's teachers at Shri Nehru Vidyalaya claimed that he is one of their brightest students and was already interested in advance technologies including robotics. "He is very much interested in robotics and has also participated in a two day robotics workshop at NIT Trichy," said Punita Chandrasehar, Principal, Shri Nehru Vidyalaya.