A website fuels Internet democracy debate
This frame grab image from classified U.S. military gun camera footage, shot from a U.S. army Apache helicopter, shows a group of men on a Baghdad street on July 12, 2007, just before the group was fired upon by the helicopter.
CHENNAI: Whistle-blowers and plain mischief-mongers, in equal measure, are divided on Wikileaks, which earlier this month published a classified U.S. military video of an Apache helicopter firing indiscriminately at civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
The website has become increasingly hard to ignore over the years. The impact of some of its ‘scoops’, according to some media watchers, far exceeds that of even established news organisations.
The ‘collateral murder’ video (available on http://www.collateralmurder.com) is not the first episode that has rankled the establishment. On earlier occasions, Wikileaks published ‘screenshots of U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s email account’, listed the names and addresses of members of the British Nationalist Party (denied by the party) and more recently even published a ‘U.S. intelligence document’ that cites the website as a “danger to internal security.”
The website allows anyone to make a secure submission of data. This data is scanned by a team of volunteers, including veteran journalists and staffers, for authenticity, according to information available in the public domain.
One of its directors, the elusive Julian Assange, who was accused of having been a big-time hacker in his teens, has been quoted in media as saying the site accepts classified, censored or otherwise restricted material of political, diplomatic or ethical significance. However, it does not take “rumour, opinion or other kinds of firsthand reporting or material that is already publicly available.”
The site is run entirely with donations. Shortly after posting the ‘collateral murder’ video, the site put up a notice which says it has launched a fundraising drive to run full strength. So far, it has raised just $3,70,000 against the target of $6,00,000. The Sunshine Press, the non-profit organisation that runs Wikileaks, also calls for other technical and legal support that its patrons could help with.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041853651500.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu and Wikileaks
Alternate Path for Teachers Gains Ground
Not long ago education schools had a virtual monopoly on the teaching profession. They dictated how and then people became teachers by offering coursework, arranging apprenticeships and granting master’s degrees.
But now those schools are feeling under siege. Officials in Washington, D.C., and New York State, where some of the best-known education schools are located, have stepped up criticisms that the schools are still too focused on theory and not enough on the craft of effective teaching.
In an ever-tightening job market, their graduates are competing with the products of alternative programs likeTeach for America, which puts recent college graduates into teaching jobs without previous teaching experience or education coursework.
And this week, the New York State Board of Regents could deliver the biggest blow. It will vote on whether to greatly expand the role of the alternative organizations by allowing them to create their own master’s degree programs. At the extreme, the proposal could make education schools extraneous.
“In a lot of respects, what the Regents have done is the ghost of Christmas future,” said Arthur Levine, a former president of Teachers College at Columbia University and now president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. “Education schools are on the verge of losing their franchise.”
While alternative programs now operate in most states, only a few, including Rhode Island and Louisiana, allow these programs to effectively certify their own teachers.
Arne Duncan, the United States secretary of education, is also trying to expand these programs. The 2011 federal education budget doubles the financing for teacher training through a $235 million fund that will go to both alternative and traditional preparation programs focused on high-needs schools and subjects. And in the Race to the Topcompetition, points are given to states that provide “high-quality pathways for aspiring teachers and principals” including “allowing alternative routes to certification.”
At an appearance at Teachers College last fall, Mr. Duncan highlighted some “shining examples” of education schools, including Teachers College. But he also fired a shot across the bow: “Many, if not most, of the nation’s 1,450 schools, colleges and departments of education are doing a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st-century classroom.”
David M. Steiner, who became commissioner of the New York State Department of Education last year, insists that as much as he wants to introduce “new actors” into the realm of teacher preparation, he also wants to encourage education schools to reform themselves. Dr. Steiner, who in 2003 published a paper critical of the required reading at 16 elite education schools, says that colleges still devote too much class time to abstract notions about “the role of school in democracy” and “the view by some that schools exist to perpetuate a social hierarchy.”
As dean of the Graduate School of Education at Hunter College, he sought to elevate the practical aspects of teaching: when to make eye contact, when to call on a student by name, when to wait for a fuller answer. He now urges the use of video, a tool he pioneered at Hunter, to help student teachers see what works and what doesn’t in the classroom (“Like taking apart a serve in tennis,” he says).
In New York, teachers can begin working without a master’s degree as long as they have had some education courses as undergraduates, but they must earn a professional certification within five years by receiving a master’s degree from a teaching school. New York is one of a dozen states that requires teachers to get a master’s degree. Alternative certification programs like Teach for America offer a quicker path for graduates who did not study education in college, allowing them to begin teaching from the outset while pursuing a master’s degree after hours.
Under the Regents’ proposal, which the board is expected to approve on Tuesday and does not need the approval of the State Legislature, Teach for America and similar groups could create their own master’s programs, and the Regents would award the master’s degree, two powers that are now the sole domain of academia.
The Regents are looking for academic programs that would be grounded in practical teaching skills and would require teachers to commit to working in a high-needs school for four years.
“Ten years ago, this would have been an incredibly tough sell,” Dr. Steiner said.
Education school deans say they are grateful that groups like Teach for America, which recruits heavily among recent college graduates, and N.Y.C. Teaching Fellows, which attracts young professionals seeking to change careers, have managed to rebrand teaching as both sexy and noble. Some in New York have formed partnerships with these programs.
But the deans also say that the charge that they are mired in theory is outdated. Geoffrey L. Brackett, provost of Pace University in Manhattan, pointed to Pace High School in Chinatown, which the university created in 2003 and functions as something of a laboratory for the university’s education school. “You have our students at the graduate level being placed in that high school, but you also have current teachers working with our faculty on best practices and innovation,” he said.
Susan H. Fuhrman, president of Teachers College, said she had another concern — the potential separation of teacher training from what she called an “explosion of new research” into how children learn. Teachers College has chosen not to team up with alternative programs, in part because of philosophical differences over the concept of anointing a neophyte to be the “teacher of record” — the one responsible for a classroom — from the first day of school.
“We’re at a huge frontier when it comes to understanding learning,” she said. “Divorcing teacher preparation from this research would suggest to me that you would prepare doctors with hands-on tools without their benefiting from medical research.”
La Toya C. K. Caton, 26, of Baldwin, N.Y., decided to become a teacher after she was laid off as a systems analyst. Last spring, she applied to Teach for America but withdrew at the last minute, enrolling at Teachers College instead. “During that time I was a substitute teacher in middle school and high school, and I felt that more training was necessary,” said Ms. Caton, who will complete her master’s in May.
“Teachers College really provides you with an amazing opportunity to learn from supportive teachers,” said Ms. Caton, now a student-teacher at Public School 180, the Hugo Newman School, in Harlem. “They really act as mentors. They’ve given me the space to become the teacher I want to be.”
Dr. Steiner said that the alternative groups would have to shape their own certification programs subject to Regents approval. While those programs would involve some theoretical classroom learning, he said, they would be “given some relief from the traditional constraints of course credits and hours.”
“We believe there are a few institutions that have earned their right to the table,” he said, although he declined to identify them. “They would be held to exactly the same performance assessment that the traditional schools of education would be held to.”
A spokeswoman for Teach for America, which has 800 new teachers enlisted in its two-year program in 300 schools in New York City, said the group would consider submitting a plan for a certification program.
Some education schools have already seen a drop in their application numbers as a result of the allure of alternative programs, though the effect has been blunted by the recession, which has helped fill up graduate schools in general. In a weak economy, alternative programs are especially attractive because participants can earn a regular starting salary from the outset while also receiving a discount on tuition for a master’s degree.
In contrast, annual tuition for a master’s degree program at a public university like City College of New York costs $7,360, while tuition at a prestigious private institution like Teachers College runs $26,040 for a full course load. (For a student living in a dormitory, Teachers College puts the total cost for nine months of study, including tuition, books, fees, room, board and other expenses, at $63,196.)
In Brooklyn, Dan Cosgrove, 24, is now in his second year with Teach for America, teaching fourth grade at Leadership Prep Bedford-Stuyvesant Charter School. He joined Teach for America after graduating from Trinity College, unsure which career path to follow but eager to right the social inequalities he had studied as a sociology major.
Despite a grueling schedule (teaching all week and pursuing a master’s degree on weekends and in the summer), Mr. Cosgrove is sold on teaching. At Leadership Prep, classrooms have co-teachers, which has helped him develop classroom-management skills.
“It’s incredibly challenging and difficult, but it’s also extremely rewarding,” he said. “I think the best way to learn is by watching people here and being in all kinds of situations.”
Reference Link : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/education/19regents.html?nl=nyregion&emc=ura1
Courtesy : The New York Times Company
Social issues find focus
T.D. Dasan Std. VI B
Director Mohan Raghavan’s debut T.D. Dasan Std. VI B is in the genre of a children’s film that draws attention to social issues through the tale of a little boy.
Nandakumar (Biju Menon), an ad filmmaker, who lives with his daughter Ammu (Teena Rose) and a relative, Madhavettan (Jagadish), in Bangalore receives a letter. Though the postal address is correct, it’s is addressed to one T.K. Divakaran. He does not read it. Nandakumar’s daughter Ammu comes across the letter, written by T.P. Dasan (Master Alex), a student of Std VI.B, in Chittur in Palakkad who wants to meet his father who left home years ago. On receiving a second letter, Ammu replies posing as the father. When Nandakumar learns of their correspondence, he visits Palakkad and is faced with new realities when he meets activists, including Dasan’s mother Chandrika (Swetha Menon), who are fighting groundwater exploitation by a cola factory in Plachimada.
Swetha Menon excels in portraying the indomitable courage of a woman who has single handedly brought up her son. Master Alex’s has performed his role well. So has Teena Rose. Jagathy Sreekumar sparkles in a cameo role. Jagadish, Suresh Krishna, Valsala Menon and Mala Aravindan have also put in good performance.
Rafeek Ahammed’s song Venjamarakatte, scored by Sreevalsan J. Menon, stands out. Arun Varma cranks the camera. It is edited by Vinod Sukumaran and scripted by the director. T.D. Dasan Std VI B is produced by Paul Vadukumcherry and Paul Valikodath for Presta de Lexa Moviedom.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041851240200.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Onboard housekeeping in trains
CHENNAI, India: The Chennai division of Southern Railway on Friday introduced onboard hygienic/housekeeping services on long-distance trains based at Chennai Egmore for train number 6127/6128 Chennai Egmore-Guruvayur-Chennai Egmore expresses.
A Southern Railway press release said that similar services on trains based at Chennai Central would be introduced on train number 2615 Chennai Central New Delhi Grand Trunk Express on Monday.
The service includes provision of the toiletries in the A.C. coaches and regular cleaning of toilets and passenger bays for all reserved coaches. The payment is linked to feedback from passengers and TTEs, the release said.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041856570500.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Make it Matter: Donating Wigs to Women in Need
The loss of her own hair inspired Mika Hill to make custom wigs.
At 30, Hill knows firsthand how a woman feels when she loses her hair. Her own hair fell out several years ago due to an iron deficiency after childbirth. “I cried when I washed it, cried when I combed it, and cried when I looked in the mirror,” she says. Then she bought a wig. “It was too small,” she says, “but my confidence went up dramatically.”
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But many of her clients with alopecia and cancer couldn’t afford to pay. And their insurance often didn’t cover the cost. Hill started giving the wigs away, eventually spending $10,000 of her own money on supplies and marketing. Last year, Hill and her friend Lita Warren set up Pink Barrette, a nonprofit that has donated about 60 wigs, worth $30,000.
Hill pays for the donations with profits from her custom line. But she and her husband, a real estate investor, have also dipped into their savings to keep the organization afloat.
Hill’s clients can’t thank her enough. Elyssa Montoya, a 34-year-old Georgia businesswoman with alopecia, was too embarrassed to be seen in public with badly thinning hair. “I didn’t feel I could best represent myself bald. Thanks to Mika, I now have beautiful curly hair. I feel good about myself again.”
“To see the women’s self-confidence soar after they try on their wigs,” says Hill, “brings tears to my eyes. This is a mission for me—a most rewarding one.”
Courtesy :
Reader’s Digest
Second Acts: Recession Success Stories
Laid low by a layoff? Worried about your prospects? Let this story inspire you.
Laughter is the Best Revenge
The Go-Getter: Dan Nainan, 48, marketing engineer turned comedian
Got Started in: New York City
The Goal: To make laughter his business
The Gain: Doubled his salary, learned to trust his instincts
When I was laid off from Intel Corporation in New York almost two years ago, I felt tremendous rejection. I’d been with the company since 1996 and had poured a lot into my technical work. I thought, I guess I’m not good enough now. But I also felt free, maybe even elated. I hadn’t really liked my job very much.
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Years earlier, I had taken a comedy class to conquer my fear of public speaking. I had a knack for stand-up. A lot of my material was biographical, as in, “When I applied for the job at Intel, they told me, ‘You’re half Indian, half Japanese? You don’t even have to interview!'” Like many other performers, I seemed shy in person, but after a show, people would say, “Hey, you’re amazing onstage.”
I thought, Okay, I’ll pursue comedy. It’ll pay starvation wages, but I’m not a big spender. I can eat Top Ramen noodles forever. I also had a fairly decent nest egg from all those years in the corporate world.
I composed jokes while riding the subway, walking around, and talking on the phone with buddies. I’d whip out my Treo and jot them down. I practiced relentlessly, promoted myself on the Internet, and performed when I had the chance. My new career took off. To date, I have done stand-up at corporate functions, charity galas, and birthday parties. This year, I’ll have flown 125,000 miles on Delta. I’m a frequent flier, and I get upgraded to first class on every flight.
Recently, I made the surreal sum of $12,500 in one night. I’m making more than double what I made at Intel. I’ll probably pull in about $275,000 this year, not counting the commercial I just shot for a computer company. I also have a role in a movie due out next summer, The Last Airbender, directed by M. Night Shyamalan and featuring one of the stars of Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel. In the Indian community, I’ve become pretty well known.
In this business, there is no greater thrill than thinking of a joke in the shower that makes you laugh out loud, practicing it for a small audience, and then performing it in a theater of 2,000 people—and bringing the house down. Getting laid off was the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Reference Link :
Courtesy :
Reader’s Digest
Australian grant to help eliminate child labour
JAIPUR, India: The Australian Government has announced an Rs.6 lakh grant to the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) to help eliminate child labour. Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese announced the grant on Saturday during a visit to the Bal Ashram, run by BBA in Viratnagar in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Australia’s cricketing legend Adam Gilchrist accompanied him on the visit.
Gilchrist, the captain of the Deccan Chargers IPL team, also launched a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, backed by an Australian company.
The grant, falling under the Human Rights Small Grants Scheme award of the Australian Government, is managed by the Australian Agency for International Development in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. BBA (Save Childhood Movement) has been awarded the grant against stiff competition from over 200 applicants from India. The AUD 149,000 (Rs.6 lakhs approximately) award would be disbursed over two years, a release from the Australian High Commission said.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Varghese applauded the work of the BBA. “The Bachpan Bachao Andolan movement is doing critical work in preventing children from working when they should be at school. I am impressed with the results they have produced in preventing child labour and trafficking. I have been particularly impressed by the long-term approach of BBA in gradually changing the culture and value systems of the communities to ensure that child rights are respected.”
Australian support for the project will raise the awareness of human rights in communities and assist them to improve local governance systems through the creation of 20 “Bal Mitra Grams” or child-friendly villages, in Rajasthan. The scheme has already established more than 250 BMGs in North India. In a BMG, all child labourers are withdrawn from work and enrolled in school. Cchildren also form a “Bal Panchayat” (an elected children’s village council), which is given recognition by the local gram panchayat ensuring that the two councils work together on issues related to children.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041857010900.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
Power generation using cow dung planned
PUDUCHERRY, India: The Puducherry Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union (PONLAIT) has submitted a project report for generating power using cow dung.
According to an official of PONLAIT, there are 30,000 cows in Puducherry and 450 tonnes of cow dung is generated every day. A total of 200 tonnes of the dung could be used every day for this project.
“Methane can be recovered from cow dung for generating power. We can generate one mega watt per hour through this project,” he said. PONLAIT has plans to set up a plant of this capacity in the future. “This initiative can help in reducing global warming,” he said.
Milk products of PONLAIT would soon be taken to the doorstep of people. Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy, who also holds the Co-operatives portfolio, on Saturday said that there were plans to launch vehicles to cover even rural areas.
“Ten vehicles are being arranged to take products of PONLAIT to the doorstep of people,” he said at a meeting with members of primary co-operative milk producers’ societies.
In a release, PONLAIT said that it had been operating on a loss of about Rs. 2.5 crore for two years – 2007-08 and 2008-09. However, it made profit to the tune of Rs. 46 lakh in 2009-2010.
In the Puducherry region, PONLAIT had established parlours in 31 places.
These parlours accounted for a monthly sale of Rs. 52 lakh in January 2009.
It has now increased to Rs. 150 lakh a month, translating to an approximate sale of milk products worth Rs. five lakh every day, the release said.
PONLAIT’s future plans include opening a modernised cafeteria on Mission Street, establishing 50 new parlours in rural areas for the sale of milk products and cold storage milk units at 10 villages, the release added.
Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041852050300.htm
Courtesy
The Hindu
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