Sunday, 27 June 2021

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Teaching in Schools

If there is one thing that the Covid-19 Pandemic has taught all school teachers, it is to prepare for the unexpected. But, if perhaps, one were to analyse its impact on teaching, one would realise that the focus has shifted almost entirely from subject competence to IT competence. The shift from physical teaching to online teaching has forced teachers to adapt to new learning platforms, LMS modules, ERP platforms and various other third-party solutions. 

While most operating systems provide good enough platforms for online learning, some of the more discerning schools like to explore various other tailormade applications software that requires constant upskilling in teachers. The demand on teachers to constantly upskill themselves to use newer application software to run their online classes has added to their stress levels.

An unfortunate impact of the pressure to learn to use newer application software has resulted in teachers now focussing more on IT skills than on their subject matter. The same is true for students who are forced to keep adapting to newer software applications has added to their anxiety levels. It is surprising that some of the software applications meant to help run online classes are not compatible with smartphones. In a world that is steadily moving away from desktop and laptop computers in favour of smartphones, this comes as a big surprise indeed.

A large number of the third-party software solutions being offered for the conduct of online classes are, unfortunately, beta versions, still in their trial phase. When new software applications are launched in schools they often end up causing more chaos and confusion than one might expect. Often, addressing the problems thrown up by such software applications takes a lot of time, forcing teachers to spend more time on polishing their IT skill thus taking away from the time that could have been spent on developing lesson plans and other materials.

In a twist of fate, teachers today are spending more time as data entry operators than as actual teachers. The roles of IT experts and Subject experts have merged so much that one wonders if subject teachers have not become less attentive to the subject areas they had been appointed for.

The unfortunate fact is that most teachers are left grappling with new software solutions each month which leaves them perplexed and confused. One wonders if the expectations from teachers is more about their IT skills or their expertise in their subject areas. If teaching is only about IT skills, then I guess there is no reason to work on subject areas. The world is skewed in its perception of what makes a good teacher. It is high time we needed to reflect on the minimum basic skills to cater to the industry. While no doubt basic IT skills are a requirement of the teaching industry, it is equally important to understand that most teachers, while adept in their subject areas might not be skilled enough in handling the expectations required to constantly upskill themselves as IT experts.

It is a fallacy to expect all good teachers to be experts in IT solutions for the very fact that their expertise differs in terms of their subject areas. It is unfortunate for IT experts to impose their suggestions on all teachers believing that they will be able to use their innate skills in the use of third party software solutions. The least that school heads can do is to give teachers at least a year to switch over to a new E-Learning platform. Not all teachers are IT experts and not all IT experts are teachers.

What we need to ask ourselves is whether we want teachers who are experts in their subject areas or teachers who are mediocre in their subject areas but are skilled in using information technology. Teachers today are challenged by the demands of the day. Expertise in IT skills cannot, however, replace teachers who are purportedly experts in their subject areas.

We cannot and should not allow teachers and students to act as guinea pigs for each software solution that needs to be tested. Good teachers who are experts in their fields need to be given time to adjust to the learning platforms that have been offered to them. Too many changes in the use of new learning platforms or IT solutions will only add to a sense of confusion.

Administrators in all educational institutions should not impose too many demands on their teachers to keep adopting new IT platforms even before they have become used to the existing ones. Too many changes in the learning IT platforms can only add to the confusion in the system of education that exists today.

We need to draw a line between what we believe to be good teachers and what we believe to be IT experts. We cannot expect all teachers to have superior IT skills and yet be experts in their subject areas. IT experts keep introducing new IT platforms in a span of a few months and what they don;t realise is that it takes a lot of time and mental skills to keep adapting to new IT platforms.

Thursday, 27 May 2021

Three tips for Photographing Dragonflies in Flight

One of the greatest joys in wildlife macro photography is that of photographing insects in flight. Dragonflies and butterflies make for interesting subjects to photograph. While no doubt it is easier to photograph them while they are still, perched on a twig or a leaf, it is however a very difficult task photographing these insects while they are on the move! 



The greatest challenge lies in tracking Dragonflies and Butterflies while they flying around. In most cases, you need to sort of predict their flight patterns. The narrow field of vision of a zoom lens (as opposed to a wide-angle lens) will restrict the amount of area you can see through the lens. In any case, you would need a zoom lens to photograph moving insects. I use a 55-250 mm and a 70-300 mm lens to do this.



The second greatest challenge is, of course, the amount of ambient light. An excess of light will give you washed out photographs while too little light will give you rather dark ones. The best time, for me to photograph these flying insects is usually in the mornings from 7:30 a.m. to about 9:00 a.m. My favourite shutter speed setting would be anything above 1/2000th of a second and above till about 1/4000th of a second. I generally prefer an ISO setting of 400 to 800 and an f-stop number varying from f-6.3 to f-8. A zoom lens with a focal length varying from 200mm to 300mm should work fine.


The third greatest challenge while photographing flying Dragonflies and Butterflies lies in getting the focus right. I prefer the centre focusing zone out of all the focusing zones. I often use a mix of manual focussing and autofocusing zones. Since these are particularly small insects, compared to birds, it is always a good idea to have solid backdrop to the subjects you are photographing. Having a solid backdrop helps you focus on the insects. By backdrop I mean, probably having a thick screen of reeds or other thick vegetation will help your camera focus better on the Dragonfly. Similarly, it is a good idea to pre-focus on an object that you deem will be closest to the Dragonfly's flight path and then switch over to manual focus to fine-tune the sharpness. In some cases, if the dragonfly is flying too fast, then I try to focus on a leaf or twig closest to the insect's flight path.

Choices-A Poem

 

Choices,

Are like the winds of change,

Capricious temptations that pull you either way!

While one pulls you North, the other pulls you South.

Both loaded with possibilities and hidden risks, sweetened

With the promise of prosperity and success, fame, power and 

A fan following. Family, children, peace of mind, and health

Might for others be for another day according to some.

They tell me, they'd rather have the money and power,

Family, children and peace might wait a while.

But who'll tell which to choose?

Power,

Peace, fame, family, money or children, what 

Would to choose? That, none might tell, for choices are one's

Own and none can tell which to choose. The sages will advise wise

 Choices and luck thrown in, for success depends on what one chooses.

They might lead to corridors of power, but who'd see through layers of

Illusion? Wisdom, alas, comes so late. Till then, family and peace can

Wait as fame and wealth stand knocking on the door. Certainly, you'd

Need a lot of wealth to sit back end enjoy life? Choices. alas, are

Flirting geese, that call  out to each other, only to

One on a wild-goose chase!

Luck,

They say, favours the few, and silver spoons are

Hard to find. As for me, I'd rather slog than wait for favours few

And silver spoons. I'll wait for my moment to choose and let luck's

Choices wait a while. Gladly will I choose the path I wish and if luck

Does favour, then a good choice will make. If not then wait a moment!

Should luck be a caprice, then a tango we'll dance, till I get my chance.

If silver spoons that drop from skies are rare enough, I'd rather slog

Than wait for one moment of choice, gladly choosing the path I

Like. If luck does favour, then a good choice I'll make,

If not then wait for another day.

Destiny's

A beggar's choice, for lazy minds to rot! The

 Great flirt with games of dice while gamblers surrender peace 

Family and wealth. Some blame poor choice, loaded dice and 

Destiny. They do nothing but surrender all, blaming the willfulness of

Fate for their loss. The great do flirt with destiny's dice making their own

Game, as fools play a  game of blame. They curse a fate written in style.

Blaming misfortune on fate. They drown in a morass of grief and pity,

While others wander in a fog of grief (having stopped making choices).

They blame destiny's loaded dice for failure, an excuse to quit striving.

All this while the great make their own destiny with verve.


 









Saturday, 15 May 2021

Humanity in Times of Crisis - A Poem


The footsteps of a homeless man ring loudly on  empty streets,

Even as  all humanity retreats in fear, to its homes,

 Deserted shops and malls, restaurants and bars, bear a haunted look!

Once bustling cities and towns fall finally silent.

 

The wailing sirens of  ambulance rent the air

Carrying lone passengers gasping for a breath of fresh air.

Once proud and boastful about health and wealth, now brought

Down in one fell swoop, bragging turned into whimpers!

 

Cowering before a scourge of tiny organisms, proud mankind

Before a pestilence bows its head! If only a lesson of some kind

He would learn, Alas! His lessons he soon forgets. To destroy

Nature be his want, as he pollutes his water and poisons the air.

 

The once crystal clear stream now muddied does flow,

The once scented sweet air now pungent does blow!

The greedy profit as bottled water and canned air are sold.

Foolish man, to have preferred the bottle and the can over the real.

 

The hiss of air and beep of monitors sound loudly in the room

Where he lies gasping for breath, lonely and helpless in the room,

Son and daughter refusing to come, lest they from him, catch the bug.

Self protection and greed rule their lives till it cost one so dear.

 

So all now wear face masks and stay at home, those who partied late

At night, refusing a hug, embrace or shaking of hands, wiser of late,

But, alas, a bit too late. Those that of health and wealth did boast,

Now, before a pestilence cower and quake, sporting a smile so grim.

 

And as humanity settles into its new normal, staying

At home, waving greetings from far instead of shaking

Hands, pollution levels drop, trees turn greener and birds

Chirrup as nature celebrates life. Oh! The harm we did to Nature.

 

A greater pandemic before mankind is the pandemic of insensitivity,

The pestilence of arrogance and the illness of egotistical greedy

Minds. Unfortunately, has man fallen prey to divisiveness and

Deviousness, letting a pestilence rampage a world of possibilities.

 

The world is now a lonely place, each one in silence suffering the

Grief of loss. And sad eyes greet one another, each carrying the

Guilt of shame. A stitch in time would have saved a dozen,

But very little did they heed the advice of the wise!



 


Thursday, 13 May 2021

NGOs. like the Hemkunt Foundation serving Humanity in times of crisis



During these difficult times of the Pandemic, help comes from unexpected quarters. While Doctors Nurses and Paramedics contribute their share, NGOs like the Hemkunt Foundation offer free Oxygen refilling, free Oxygen Cylinders, and beds equipped with Oxygen supply via Oxygen Cylinders and Oxygen concentrators in situ. The organisation offers 'seva' or free service in keeping with their philosophy of serving mankind.



For those living in Gurgaon, the services are offered at the Covid Camp located on Golf -Course extension road near Pratiksha Hospital close to sector 62. Their Covid-19 24X7 helpline number for residents of Gurgaon is 9990691313.

Today when I visited the Camp to get some Oxygen for my mother who will be under post-Covid treatment at home after being discharged from the hospital, I was able to tour the place. I was also able to talk to the volunteers who have been at the centre for days. Fortunately,  enough, today was a lean day in terms of patients at the centre signs, probably a sign of the dwindling number of cases of those affected by the virus.


Besides providing Oxygen refilling services, the Hemkunt organisation has a large number of ambulances at their disposal. These ambulances are on standby and are offered to patients affected by the Covid virus.



I am sharing some of the phone numbers of the Covid care centres in Delhi NCR as under:

Gurudwara Rakabganj- Delhi 011-23712581

Sardar Patel Covid Care Camp- Radha Soami Satsang Beas Delhi- 011-2665547-48,49

Burari Sant Nirankari Ashram Delhi - 011-47660200

Noida Stadium, Noida - 9625676944, 9354835239

Ramlila Maidan Opposite Guru Tej Bahadur Delhi- 9625900725

Yamuna Sports Complex Delhi - 8287311222