Saturday 27 July 2013

Curiosity



Curiosity





Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X
Curiosity
“Curiosity”, as the old adage goes, “killed the cat” implying that curiosity is bad for our feline friends. This may or may not be true, but for human beings, especially children, curiosity is a very good thing.
A Curious Cat
All the great adventurers, discoverers and inventors in human history like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Marco Polo, Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Marie Curie or Isaac Newton were extremely curious about things around them. It was this curiosity that drove them to their great achievements.

Here are some reasons why curiosity is important.
  • Curiosity drives the learning cycle. Curiosity followed by exploration leads to the pleasure of discovery. New skills are developed by repeating this experience leading to an increase in confidence and Self-esteem. This confidence leads to curiosity about other things and the cycle continues.
The Learning Cycle

  • It keeps the mind active. Curious people constantly ask questions. Just as a muscle if exercised often grows stronger, so also the mind grows stronger when it is kept active.
  • It makes you open to new ideas and new possibilities. Being curious means that your mind is always thinking of new ideas. If an idea is not good, it is quickly improved upon. Curiosity also helps one to think “out of the box”. This uncovers possibilities which others would overlook.
  • It makes your life interesting and exciting. The joy that a person experiences on discovering for himself something new only leads to more curiosity and more learning. Curious people don’t ever find things dull.

Now that we know that curiosity is important can we do anything to develop it?
Here are some tips.
  1. Keep an open mind. The mind, it is said, is like a parachute. They both work best when they are open. To learn new things the mind should be open. Some of the things you may have learnt earlier may be wrong, so be prepared to change your mind and re-learn things.
  2. Never take things for granted. Always try to scratch the surface to find out what lies beneath.
  3. Keep questioning. Always ask “how”, “what”, “why”, “when”, “where”, “who”. You are sure to get interesting answers. It was Albert Einstein who said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning… Never lose a holy curiosity.”
  4. Learn things in different fields. Read or surf the net for information on varied topics from a wide range of sources. Even if the subject differs from your chosen one, continue reading. You will soon find a spark of interest that will lead to further learning.”
  5. Discover the fun of learning. One of the main problems with our education system today is that learning is confused with memorizing. Avoid ‘learning by heart’ and instead try to understand what you are trying to learn. This will make learning enjoyable.

All children are born curious. There are different ways that they may lose this curiosity.
  • Fear: Children who are afraid lose their sense of curiosity. The fear may come due to family problems or constant ill-health. In such a situation a child will feel insecure and therefore will not be willing to explore but instead will stick to what is familiar.
  • Disapproval: Very often parents and other elders curb a child’s curiosity. Don’t climb up. Don’t walk in the water. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Constant disapproval is a sure way to stifle the curious child.
  • Absence of a caring adult: A caring parent, teacher or other grown up nearby provides the child with a sense of security. The presence of an adult also ensures that the child has someone to share in his discovery, thereby increasing his joy.

Since curiosity is so important do we let children do whatever they want to satisfy this curiosity? Certainly not! Even as infants we protect the little ones from dangers they do not understand. We don’t let small children go near an open flame, steep stairs, or even climb high furniture.

As we see our children grow up into teenagers, we as parents and teachers are facing a great challenge. The children are now curious about other things. They are now concerned about feelings, relationships, love, and are now talking and acting as adults.

Do we use harsh methods to curb this natural curiosity? Surely this will not work. Do we simply ignore it and hope that their curiosity is satisfied by someone other than the teacher or parent? This would not be good for the child. The best way would be to talk to the child and answer all questions in a frank manner. The child should also be advised caution and educated about the dangers of growing up too fast.

George Ferrao
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Do fishes drink Water?



Do fishes Drink Water?





Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X

Do fishes drink water?

At first glance this might seem like a very strange question. As strange as asking “Do land animals breathe air?” However eating or drinking and breathing are two different things.

All living things need to take in water in order to survive. This is very obvious for all land animals. Fishes too need to have the amount of water in their bodies at appropriate levels. Too little or too much water in their bodies would cause problems.

The correct answer to this question would differ depending on whether the fish was a freshwater or saltwater one.
A Salmon Swimming Upriver
A freshwater fish lives in an environment which has a lower concentration as compared to the blood of the fish. Water from the surroundings would constantly move through the skin and gills of a freshwater fish and into its body. This process where water moves from an area of lower concentration to an area of higher concentration is known as Osmosis. Due to this the freshwater fish does not need to actively drink water. In fact its kidneys have to work constantly to remove the excess water otherwise the salt concentrations in the fish will drop dangerously low.

A saltwater fish on the other hand is faced with a situation which is quite the opposite. Now the salt concentration in its body is lower than its environment. The fish constantly loses water through its skin and must therefore actively drink water to ensure that its body has sufficient water. The kidneys now do not do much work and in certain types of saltwater fishes they are absent. However the fishes have other ways of removing the excess salt that has entered into their bodies due to their constant drinking of water.

The Dangerous Swim Upriver
The bodies of fishes have therefore adapted to their environment. Freshwater fishes will die if placed in saltwater and saltwater fishes will die if placed in fresh water.

How then do salmon do it?

A salmon is born in a freshwater environment usually high up in mountains where rivers originate. They swim down to the sea where they mature into adults. They then swim back up the river facing various dangers and overcoming many hurdles until they reach the place of their birth. Those fish that survive this journey reproduce and then die. These amazing fish have to adapt twice in their life cycle to changing environments. They do this by changing their bodies to adapt first to the saltwater and then back again to freshwater.


George Ferrao
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Articles



Articles on Science










Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X

Here are some of the articles that I have written.

 Click on any of the links below to read the article.
  1. Turning Dreams into Reality
  2. Do Fishes Drink Water?
  3. Space Pollution
  4. Curiosity
  5. ABCs of Good Writing
  6. Global Warming Causes Rising Land Levels


 Your suggestions, comments and criticism are welcome.

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Space Pollution



Space Pollution





Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X

Space Pollution

Space Pollution? How can this be possible? It was just around 56 years ago on October 4, 1957 when the first Satellite, Sputnik – 1 was launched into space. How could the vast emptiness of space get polluted so quickly?

While not all of space is polluted, wherever man has gone he has left his trail of pollution behind. As man continues to launch space stations, rockets, satellites, telescopes and probes into space the area around the earth is getting full of unwanted junk.
Visual depicting Space Junk
Old and damaged satellites, rocket boosters, cameras, lens covers, tools, astronauts’ gloves and assorted nuts and bolts continue to orbit around the earth at velocities of around 6 miles per second. At this great velocity even a small nut or piece of debris has enough force to cause great damage to an orbiting satellite.

Astronomers are worried that if such a collision were to occur, it would have disastrous consequences. If a satellite were to get damaged it would have a “Domino-effect”. This damaged satellite would go off-course and in turn crash into and destroy other satellites. Imagine a world without satellites. No Satellite TV, no mobiles phones, no weather forecasting, no quick data transfers across the world. A grim scenario indeed.
Artists impression of Space Debris Hitting a Satellite
In 2007 China launched an ASAT (Anti-Satellite) missile to destroy one of its old Fengyun 1C Satellites becoming one of only 3 countries with the ability to destroy a satellite from the earth. While this had severe long-term implications for all countries that have satellites, the immediate concern was how to avoid the estimated 3000 pieces of debris created by the destruction of the satellite.
Over the last 5 years, the International Space Station had to fire its rocket boosters several times in order to avoid damage to the space station from the pieces of the Chinese satellite.
In 2009, an Iridium Satellite used mainly for Communications was accidentally destroyed in a collision with a Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite. While the Russian satellite was old and not operational, this was the first case of two intact satellites crashing into each other. The resulting 2500 pieces of the satellite are now being tracked by NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office which watches a total of about 22,000 pieces of space junk and tries to safeguard their satellites.

George Ferrao

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The Potential of ICT



The Potential of ICT






Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X
The Potential of ICT
Q. 1
Define Information and Communication Technology.
Information and Communication Technology refers to different forms of technology that allow us to transmit, store, create, process and share information by electronic means.

This includes technologies such as radio, TV, Videos, Telephones, DVDs CDs, Computers, the related software and hardware, Satellite systems and all associated technologies.

In brief, exchanging information using communication technologies is known as ICT.

Q. 2
What are the important elements of ICT?
There are 6 important elements of ICT. They are: People, Information, Communication, Procedures, Hardware and Software.

Q. 3
Define Information Super Highway.
Today the information Super Highway is the Internet. The Information Super Highway is defined as the Global Information and Communication Network, which includes the Internet, Telephone Networks, Television and Satellite Communication Networks.

Q. 4
Define Knowledge Society.
Knowledge Society refers to a society where knowledge is the main resource instead of Capital and Labour.

In former times Industrial Production used to be the main source of Economic activities. With the rapid globalization this has changed and now Knowledge is the major source of productivity. A knowledge society creates, shares, and uses knowledge for the prosperity of its people.

Q. 5
Write two roles of educator to promote literacy.
Educators can improve literacy by performing various roles such as Learner, Planner, Teachers and Examiners.

Planner: Proper planning and execution is necessary in order that the maximum benefit of the latest technologies used in Information and Communication Technology is made available the students.

Teachers: Computer Aided Teaching is a very important part of Learning today. Using the latest ICT tools and software allows students a practical way to gain knowledge.

Q. 6
Explain the scope of ICT in education.
Education is an ongoing process and is not confined to schools universities and other traditional centers of education. ICT expands educational opportunities and promotes educational changes in the following ways.
  1. The WWW is a vast resource for knowledge for students and teachers. Anybody with access to the internet can search for information on a variety of topics.
  2. Open Universities, Distance Education and Online Education opportunities mean that even those who are employed can still pursue studies at a place and time of their convenience.
  3. Television is a great tool for communicating knowledge to students by showing difficult experiments, farmers by showing advanced agricultural techniques and also medical professionals can benefit by showing advanced surgical procedures on Television.
  4. Books, reference material and also tests can be made available on CDs, DVDs and other digital media for use of students from KG to PG (Postgraduate) level.
  5. Tests can be conducted Online thus reducing the need for trained examiners, invigilators, moderators and also minimizes the possibility of human errors.
Q. 7
Explain Knowledge society for ICT, education and development.
(Give definition of Knowledge Society from Q. 4 above)
Education is very important in a Knowledge Society.
  1. Education is the source of basic skills.
  2. It is the foundation for development of new knowledge and innovations.
  3. It also helps to promote socio-economic development.
Education thus stimulates development, economic growth and prosperity.

Q. 8
What are challenging skill requirements due to ICT?
Widespread computerization and Globalization have created new jobs for which new skills need to be developed. As Knowledge societies grow, the work force needs to be skilled in information and communication techniques. The skills that need to be developed can be broadly classified as Basic Skills and Advanced skills.

The Basic Skills include knowing how to read and write clearly and also mathematical ability. The use of computers involves the use of abstract models to carry out the job efficiently.

The Advanced skills include expert thinking and the ability to solve problems which cannot be solved using explicit rules based solutions.

Complex Communication skills involve social interactions and the ability to make effective verbal and written arguments.

Q. 9
Explain transformative impact of ICT in education.
Using ICT, education can be made available to students at any place or time. This has brought about a change in the traditional system of education.
  1. With classrooms getting overcrowded, schools are adopting a shift system. This allows children to spend some time in a traditional classroom and at other times may be required to watch educational programs or complete online lessons.
  2. ICT allows small rural or urban schools to offer courses that would usually require specialized teachers. This is especially true in the case of Mathematics, Science or learning of foreign languages.
  3. The use of Radio, Television and other multimedia programs allows sharing of resources between schools. All schools need not have full time teachers for all subjects.
  4. ICT techniques allows retired or part-time teachers who are experts in their chosen fields to teach online courses to students in distant areas.

George Ferrao
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Sunday 14 July 2013

ICT Standard X



Information and Communication Technology, Standard 10






Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X

Information and Communication Technology 
Standard X

The information provided in the links below is not intended to replace the information provided by the teacher in the class-room or the text books. This is just an attempt to simplify the subject matter and make things easy for the student.


Click on the links below for information about specific Topics

Posted by at

ICT Standard IX



Information and Communication Technology for Standard 9










Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X

Information and Communication Technology 
Standard IX

The information provided in the links below is not intended to replace the information provided by the teacher in the class-room or the text books. This is just an attempt to simplify the subject matter and make things easy for the student.

Click on the links below for information about specific Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts for MS Word 2007
ICT Soft Tools - Spreadsheet
ICT Soft Tools - Presentation
Introduction to the Internet
ICT in Languages, Social Sciences and Arts
Morals and Ethics
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Saturday 13 July 2013

ICT Tools



Information and Communication Technology Tools






Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X
ICT Tools
Q. 1     What are the uses of the Internet?
The main uses of the Internet are as follows.
·         Communication: E-mail, and Chat are one of the most important uses of the Internet. These methods are faster more reliable and free and therefore very popular.
·         Business: The Internet has helped businesses by bringing suppliers and manufacturers closer. Using the Internet businesses can directly interact with the consumer thus eliminating the need for costly infrastructure.
·         Social Networking and Personal: The internet has helped bring people across the globe closer. People who have lost contact with each other for several years have been able to re-establish their friendship using social networking sites. Using the Internet it is also possible to make new friends.
·         Entertainment: Besides e-books, tv programs, and music we can also find movies and various other forms of entertainment using the Internet.
·         Employment: In addition to creating several jobs in areas that were formerly not available, the Internet also helps employers and employees get in touch with each other in a cost effective manner.
·         Other services: With the help of the Internet, services such as Banking, Ticketing, Hotel Booking have all become easier.

Q. 2     What are the types of Televisions available?
The original Black and White Television was replaced by the color Televisions around 1980. These were made of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) and are now losing popularity as they are bulky. Liquid Crystal Display Televisions (LCDs) consume less power and occupy less space. The costlier and better TVs today are the Light Emitting Diode (LED) TVs and the Plasma TVs.

Q. 3     What are the differences between a Laptop and a Desktop?
Desktops
Laptops
1
Desktops are generally heavier and occupy more space as compared to Laptops.
Laptops are generally smaller and lighter as compared to Desktops.
2
Desktops are cheaper than Laptops.
Laptops are more expensive as all the components are more compact.
3
Desktops can be easily upgraded and customized for our use.
Laptops are not easy to upgrade.
4
We cannot use the Desktop anywhere as it needs an electrical power supply.
Laptops can be used anywhere as they operate on batteries.
5
Desktop computers are generally used in offices and homes.
Laptops are used by people who travel a lot and need to stay connected while on the move


Q. 4    What are the differences between a Laptop and a Tablet?
Tablets
Laptops
1
Tablets are smaller, weigh less and occupy less space
Laptops are generally bigger and heavier as compared to Tablets.
2
Tablets are more expensive than Laptops.
Laptops are cheaper than Tablets.
3
The main difference is that Tablets use the touch screen as the input device eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse.
The keyboard and track pad are standard features on laptops.
4
The OS in Tablets is installed at the time of manufacture and generally cannot be changed.
The OS can be changed or re-installed easily if required.
5
Tablets have a smaller memory and storage capacity as compared to Laptops.
Laptops have more memory and larger storage capacity than Tablets.

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Concepts and Necessity of ICT



Concepts and Necessity of ICT








Articles ICT Standard IX ICT Standard X
Concepts and Necessity of ICT
 Q.1      Explain the term ICT
ICT is the acronym for Information and Communication Technology. It covers the use of all communications devices, services and the associated hardware and software used in radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network systems, satellite systems. It also covers all applications related to communications like videoconferencing and online and distance learning.

Q.2      State the implications of ICT in education.
1)          Since the total amount of information doubles every four or five years, ICT is important in helping a person keep in touch with the latest developments otherwise his knowledge becomes obsolete very quickly.
2)          With ICT learning can be done at the person’s choice of place and time.
3)          ICT encourages self-learning.
4)          For advanced studies, ICT can help overcome geographical and physical boundaries and link up teachers and classrooms to students across the world.
5)          ICT promotes collaboration rather than competition between students.
6)          The use of the Internet allows students to connect with scientists across the world to discuss and collaborate with them.

Q.3    State the uses of ICT in day to day life.
Business: ICT is used in Business since it allows customers and suppliers to get in touch with each other. A buyer can easily compare products from different suppliers while suppliers cut down on costs which can be passed on to the buyers.
Industry: Products are increasingly designed and manufactured in industry using computers. Computers are also used in process control and inventory.
Home: In today’s busy world the Internet is used to carry out various functions like home banking, bill payments, shopping, learning as well as playing games.
Education and Training: Educational Software is today designed for all levels of learning from preschool right up to post-graduate students. The use of virtual reality technology allows simulators to be built which give the feeling of riding a motorbike, an airplane or even going down an active volcano.
Entertainment and Arts: Computer animation is widely used in the film industry. The use of computers in creating special effects increases the appeal of films. Music and Sound effects generated by computers are widely used. Computers are also used in diverse fields like painting, touching up photographs and even for learning dancing.
Science and Technology: Computer simulations provide a cheap and safe way for scientists to conduct their experiments. In situations where a large number of calculations have to be performed quickly, such as weather forecasting or studying genes, the use of computers is indispensable.

Q.4      State the role of ICT in Science and Technology
Computer simulations provide a cheap and safe way for scientists to conduct their experiments. Whether it is learning to fly an aircraft on a flight simulator, studying the effects of an explosion or even the internal organs of a human being, the use of computers provide a safe cheap and ethical way. In situations where a large number of calculations have to be performed quickly, such as weather forecasting or studying genes, the use of computers is indispensible. The Human Genome Project or the search for the Boson Higgs would be impossible without the extensive use of computers.

Q.5      State the advantages of ICT in education.
Expanding Educational Opportunities: The use of ICT overcomes geographical and social boundaries and allows us to reach isolated populations.
Increasing efficiency: The use of ICT allows students to learn with the help of study material prepared by experts.
Enhances quality of learning and teaching ICT improves the quality of teaching by making available to the teachers use of new technology and thus developing good teaching material. Students can learn at their own pace and at their own time.
Sustaining life-long learning. Learning is a continuous process and ICT helps one to learn even though one may not be attending a formal school or college. ICT fulfills the requirement of learning for all, anywhere and anytime.

Improving policy planning and management. Educational institutes use ICT at the time of admissions, administration and student and teachers assessment.

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