Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Internet of Things: To extend learning beyond classrooms
Excerpts from article by Nishant Rajawat, published in Your Story
Internet of Things (IoT) turns classrooms into smarter learning environments by connecting the classroom devices with cloud and apps, redefining the ways of interaction among students, teachers, and administrators, measuring the educational outcomes, and providing ways to improve them at a reduced cost.
With the proliferation of advanced sensors and connected devices, IoT in education brings the capabilities of a blended learning, a method that combines the best of in-person and remote teaching with digital devices to everyone.
IoT eliminates the limitation of physical presence by expanding access through the internet. It brings a new paradigm by connecting people, digitising and simplifying teaching, and making learning accessible from anywhere, anytime, on any device.
Changes in classrooms with IoT devices
1. Creativity and engagement
Smart and interactive whiteboards make learning interesting with student-engagement tools, optimise the method of instruction, and improve learning outcomes. The instructors have flexibility to access the content anytime on any device. Using content like videos, images and texts, teachers can create beautiful and engaging lessons.
For every published lesson, students receive a push notification that helps them access the resources anytime. Students can also collaborate with their peers and teachers for any project.
2. Self-learning
The self-learning apps assist students with independent educational resources, in different forms of content that encourage them to learn from home, especially when they can’t continue their classes due to school closures.
The IoT devices in the smart classroom help teachers to record the lesson and share it with students, to learn from home or anywhere. Sharing the resources beforehand enables teachers to utilise class time to discuss problems, new ideas and encourage group collaboration.
3. Right information to right person
The IoT devices in the classroom capture attentiveness, interest, happiness, IQ level, analysing different aspects such as eye-blink, sitting posture, speech, gesture, etc. The teaching effectiveness can also be determined. As the data gets stored on the cloud, tracking it becomes possible at every step, irrespective of the student’s presence in a face-to-face classroom or remote session. If a student needs help in a particular subject, the teacher concerned will get notified about it and offer more attention in the class.
4. Assistive environment
The intelligent sensors fitted in the classroom devices are capable of sensing the environment, human gestures, their actions and voice, and even temperature, helping them to quickly respond to the environment.
5. Connects stakeholders
The cloud connected devices with app-based access allow multiple stakeholders to perform their tasks at their convenience. The administrator of the institution gets to know about everything in the form of a report, and parents receive a push notification about their child’s performance, attendance and marks.
6. Eliminates limitation of physical presence
In places where access to learning is limited by factors such as economic status, low number of schools, outdated learning resources and insufficient number of teachers, IoT devices remove the constraint of time and location – making education available for all.
Career
Warning: 8 signs your job isn’t working out
Excerpts from article by Brandon Osgood , published in clearancejobs.com
My mentor once told me working for a company is like dating. Things may be great at first, but if it becomes sour, it might be time to take a step back and reassess. The truth is, sometimes, a job just doesn’t work out. Maybe the role you applied for isn’t what they led you to believe, or the company’s culture has become toxic after a few years.
No matter the situation, it may be time to look for your next opportunity. Here are 8 warning signs:
1. You’re feeling overly negative about work
It’s normal to have negative feelings sometimes about your employer. Things may not always go as planned, or someone else may have dropped the ball on your big project. Any relationship – including one with your employer – will have its hills and valleys. But it’s not normal if every day feels like a record low for you. Plus, constantly feeling negative about work can harm your body and can lead to chronic stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or digestive disorders. If you’re unable to get out of it then it may be time to find a new role.
2. You’re not being challenged at work
Although there’s nothing wrong with settling into a comfortable routine at work, it’s easy to fall into a rut that causes boredom or even frustration. If you feel like this situation has caused you to become pigeon-holed or passed over for promotions, it might be time to shake things up. Seeking a new employer can help you gain new skills or advance your career.
3. There are no value alignments
What are the values you care about the most throughout your professional career? Do they include things like freedom, creativity, flexibility or diversity? While our values may differ from one another, it’s important to find a career path that’s closely aligned to your professional fulfillment. If your current position doesn’t allow you to experience the things that matter to you the most, it’s probably time to search for alternatives.
4. Your job is creating destructive habits
If you engage in bad habits because of your job, it may be time to re-prioritise. This can take many forms. You might experience new eating habits, where you’re consuming too much or too little food or drinking too much alcohol. Maybe you’re having trouble falling asleep at night or waking up early stressing about the next day. Perhaps you’re often irritable and are lashing out at loved ones. No matter the situation, destructive habits can be harmful to your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
5. Your work environment is toxic
The chances are probably high that you have experienced minor issues or gripes with at least one coworker or boss. The problem comes when the entire workforce seems to be full of relational issues or is experiencing a toxic system of behaviour. This can be employees in leadership positions who deal with issues by screaming or putting people down, peers who excessively engage in workplace gossip or uncomfortable conversations, or even witnessing unethical or illegal business practices. If these experiences are negatively affecting your performance and your concerns have been ignored, it’s time to find a company that values your wellbeing.
6. There are no opportunities for growth
When there are no longer opportunities for growth in your organisation, it is usually time to move on. This doesn’t just mean opportunities for promotions or vertical advances in an organisation. It also can include not receiving mentorship from a senior leader or not working on a new project. Before deciding that it’s time to leave, engage your manager and request new opportunities to grow. If the organisation doesn’t show any interest, you should begin your job search.
7. The company is failing
If there are obvious signs that the organisation you work for is failing, pay attention to them. Whether it is staff layoffs or prolonged salary freezes, it may be time to start job-hunting even if you’re not ready. It’s common for companies to experience cycles of highs and lows, but if the bad times never seem to end, your organisation is probably in a dire situation, is dysfunctional and needs to make significant changes. It’s important to remember that you’re not acting selfishly by wanting to get out before you’re forced out.
8. You can’t create a work-life balance
Striking that perfect balance between your career and your personal life can often be a challenge. Having a positive work-life balance involves successfully juggling workplace stresses with the daily demands of family, friends and self. Unfortunately, the pressure of work can often turn this into chaos if you are expected to go beyond the 40-hour work week. You shouldn’t jump ship the first time you have to work a few hours extra on a Tuesday to hit a deadline. However, if you’re consistently spending your entire day working and cannot find time to enjoy the things that matter to you the most, look for an organisation that values your ability to recharge.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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