Facilitating Online 2011

Got to know of Sarah Stewart' s course as an online course at wiki educator through Twitter. have joined this course and hope to learn about using online mentoring and training . I had subscribed to Dim Dim but had lot of issues. Besides was able to use it only for online interviews.

As Drona develops I expect to add the feature of mentoring and training online for learners. Hope to learn how to do this well.

saw the introduction session of 7th March recorded. Looked good and hope to get to the live session on 14th/15th march

the journey of Drona so far

Setup Drona Edutronics (thats education +Electronics) in Jan 2010. Started operations in April 2010 with funds from friends and family.

Now its close to year. Here is what I learnt

1. Free tools are too restrictive: Udutu was what e started off for creating courseware but quickly moved to Articulate and PowerPoint. Created several visually appealing and engaging courseware based on scenarios and learningthrough problem solving. Took care to have the scenarios close to industry practice. Also had some courseware with just specific knowledeg and tips to acquaint undergrads with terminology, conventions and choices in components.

2. had estimated 10 days for a course/module per developer. It was closer to a month and with much handholding

3. Team we had has all but vanished and wilted under the pressure to perform. have tried to alleviate by having Wed morning experience share meetings and Saturday afternoon movies which inspire. Mostky from TED or other such sites.

4. Creativity is needed for thinking out the how and the what. Got our tema to read atleast Chap 1 of Horton's Elearning by Design

5. Most industry experts are able to give a narrow view of the subject. This has to be tempered with a lot of research to round off the course

6. Story boarding is resisted by most developers. They would much rather launch straight into the concept

7. E learning development is by no means cheap if you want to do a good job of it. Perhaps like any other work!!

So Drona enters into its new year with many challenges.

Engineering and technical education

Engineering and tech education is always treated as being dull. I studied at a premier institution: IIT Delhi. The teachers were all very knowledgaeable and many of them emminent in their fields. But few could make the class interesting or give a holistic view or expose us to applications of what is being taught. The result: engineering was reduced to mathematical operations. The real world seemed far away.

The situation is worse now. Engineering colleges have mushroomed and faculty is scarce. To hope for a teacher who can make engineering look like romance is far fetched

I would like to make a difference. Can we use technology to make engineering interesting and engaging?

E learning

Gaming

Performing arts

Would like to put them to use

Auld lang syne at chicago

This Scottish melody I heard as a child played twice a year when my Pop was in the Indian military academy - at the passing out parade . Here are the Lyrics
Should old acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind ?Should old acquaintance be forgot,and old Lang Syne ?For auld lang syne, my dear,for auld lang syne,we'll take a cup of kindness yet,for auld lang syne. And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !and surely I’ll buy mine !And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,for auld lang syne We two have paddled in the stream,from morning sun till dine† ;But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.

And so it was that on an October Sunday afternoon several IITD ers got together at The Schaumburg convention centre. and it did seem like old times surd's shop sitting on charpoys and moodhas and gassing away.
It was wonderful to know what each was doing and to receive so many positive vibes on my new venture.

Musings in North america

This is what i experienced
Strangers are greeted with a how dy and a smile; really unusual for me. In india we are very formal about who to greet. Only someone you know. Of course in the US too this happens when you make eye contact.

Pedestrians have right of way particualrly on Zebra crossings. I tried this concept when I got back on the roads of Chandigarh,: On one instnace a woman carrying a load on her head refused to cross while I waited; she could'nt believe that a car would stop for her. at other places other drivers thought I had gone nuts or the car was stalling!!

The places and convenience for the handicapped. Places to park ;easy access for wheel chairs ;a difficult life made easy by human perception. I did spot a few differently abled persons negotiating on their own areas and situations which would have been impossible in India.

Availability of washrooms at virtually every nook. or floor. A rarity back home where one resorts to adding mild urea to the soil

this apart , my heart went out to an old man riding the transit bus with me to a hospital in Vancouver. he was calling up friends and relatives that he was going in for an operation . I could'nt catch; but looked serious. he was saying he thought he would get in touch with friends just so... here we would have him being accompanied by an entourage. That is something missed perhpas. there is a warmth in family which has been replaced with the desire/need/drive to be independent

Green with Envy?! The amount oif energy spent in keeping palces comfortable and warm must be stupendous. Huge Malls, subways and other such places must be expnding huge amouny=t of energy to keep the hoi polloi warm. Here is a suggestion : Keep it colder by 3deg c so it will be cool and when you step out it isnt such a contrats. Plus you save energy and perhaps earn carbon credits.

If they follow the frog boiling concept no one wil even feel the difference

Sunrise@canyon

The sun rises over the canyon bringing on another day. It was cold in the morning and i was shivering. Got quite a few blurred ones . The viewpoint is the Yavapai Observatory. made me sing "Morning has broken like the first morning

Mother of the Canyon

The Mighty colorado the primer carver of the canyon now meanders peaceful and rapid at times . This is the maker of this grandeur. And who is Her maker. teh One who make and beraks and looks joyfully at His play