What isn’t Innovation?

Decoding ideas, creativity and innovation with Dr. Nivedita Agarwal, Assistant Professor at the Chair of Technology Management at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany

5th QtPi Student Ambassador – A Live Coding Session

As rightly said by John Bingham, “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” Lets start on 1 Nov with our student ambassador, Namit Shrivastava to build “Car Race Game”.

Date/Day/Time: 01 Nov, 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟒 𝐩𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬.

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 – https://tinyurl.com/QtPiLive
𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠! 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑢𝑝!

Right Brand Name

I was traveling to Delhi airport after a TEDx talk with a wonderful person Ms. Nabomita Mazumdar. She is one of the Top 100 Women Achievers winner from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, India. During our interaction she said, “whoever has identified the name QtPi, it’s amazing”. Perhaps this wasn’t the first time I had heard. People have smiled on hearing the name “QtPi” (www.qtpi.in). Nabomita’s words were reaffirmation of having the right name! Any branding strategist would agree that the right name is timeless like a workhorse and a brand asset.

Do share your such experience!

EdTech to bring inclusivity for less developed countries

This article is in continuation to the : Decoding Parents Asks versus Product offers in EdTech (click here to read). EdTech companies are relatively new to India and elsewhere. EdTech companies have brought in inclusivity and affordability from the traditional brick and mortar environment. Though the earlier generation would prefer brick and mortar or sandwiched models, part online and part in classroom learning. The present generation will eventually move to online and might look for brick and mortar for hands-on activities like maker space. Some readers might not agree to me, that’s absolutely fine. Kindly bear on my thinking till the end!

As I mentioned EdTech companies have brought inclusivity in learning otherwise one relied heavily on competitive exams, cut off marks, limited seats for a course, unaffordable fees, location constrains are some of the reasons to younger generations who are exploring affordability, time saver, hassle free process and goal-oriented. These are evident in less developed countries where there is a larger percentage of the young population. These young people understand the challenges per se in education, job opportunities and career. The internet presents social dynamics among their peers for the young generation. The argument is not to replace the brick and mortar experience but make it inclusive. As inclusiveness is not about being similar; it is about having similar experience despite differences.

I think consumers must help EdTech through constructive feedback, collaboration and their ask to narrow down the differences that were caused because of exclusivity. I assume we learn to fight out the curiosity. It’s a feeling of deprivation that comes from what we know and what we want to know. Humans are constantly looking for ways out to fill this gap.

At the moment the need is all about board exams either it be 10th and 12th, though it holds true in higher education as well. Hence the curiosity level is low. In other words parents, education institutions have little or no expectations at all. As exams do not have an element of curiosity. They are measures of already taught and known. There is no exploration! This also could be a strong reason that in most Parent Teachers Meeting (PTM) the discussion revolves around academics. I am not against exams completely but it’s always 1/3rd for me. The 2/3rd has elements of physical and mental stimulus. The board exams strong expectation from parents makes children avoid finding truth and therefore have low curiosity.

Santosh Avvannavar, Education Journalist at QtSTEAM, www.youtube.com/QtSTEAM

FB Live Coding event with QtPi student ambassador

Join 𝐅𝐁 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 with our 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫

Lets talk about your joys by coding and building an app – “Talk to Me” led by QtPi Student Ambassador, Ms 𝐀𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐣, Grade 7, Shishya 𝐁𝐄𝐌𝐋 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐮

Date/Day/Time: 𝟐𝟓 𝐎𝐜𝐭, 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟒 𝐩𝐦 𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬.

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 – https://lnkd.in/gD7VcxN

𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑠! 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑢𝑝!

Episode 3 Baaton ka Bharta – The Parenting Lessons that I have learnt | Santosh Avvannavar

Episode 3 – “Baaton Ka Bharta” translate loosely as “Talker” in English. The series aims on important parenting lessons one could have learnt from personal experiences or observations.

Media partner – Aliska-News and Supported by Amrita Foundation

My School Best School Gopalan International School Ep 3

Listen from the wonderful team of Gopalan International School Whitefield campus Bengaluru why do they think their school is best school on www.youtube.com/QtSTEAM

Media partner Aliska-News and Supported by Amrita Foundation

Decoding: Parents Asks versus Product Offers in EdTech

I have more questions than answers in this article. How do you view money? Small or Big? I see money is often viewed as big and small rather than affordable and costly. Today I read a write-up from a parent on a platform about an education product. Initially I thought it was pros and cons of the product. Then I see several threads intertwined. I shall try to decode the same.

Firstly the parent think – “my child didn’t like the product and its lying on the table as it is since some days.” The thread unfolds to help me to understand that it was a self-learning module. The question that continues to linger is – isn’t it choice of a parent? Any good product developers would develop for a larger application. I felt the issue wasn’t with the product but on the generalisation by the vendor and secondly the buyer on buying the idea that’s applicable for their child. Did the parent try a trail session? Or a smaller session? If the answer is yes, then the first and future points are more repentance of choice than the product itself. I believe that the parent has to understand that everyone’s (not just kids but adults as well) learning processes are different. Once the problem is understood fixation is required than asking the same offer to do wonders. It’s like asking Margherita Pizza to have all toppings! I am all in for deliberations to choose a product over ranting and raging.

Secondly the parents talk about school work load, tuition work load, busy and occupied parents and so on. According to me the conclusions were drawn of the product mostly relying on these arguments. Unending questions were popping out – Is an ambitious and career orientated parent doesn’t have time for their own child? Does the parent expect the self-learning module to do wonder by itself? Unlike in the past, today parents might have one or two children. Is parenting one child so difficult? Or priorities are misplaced?

I smiled ear to ear on reading the closing remarks – “let your children naturally blossom.” Perhaps this was only a point that resonated to me though with caution. I am not sure if the parent meant what Author Tim Harford shares about the slow-motion multitask in his TED Talk (click here) and Adam Grant shares about the habits on original thinkers in his TED Talk (click here) . Though, I doubt the parents meant the same!

Parent rant and rage is understandable if the promises are broken from the vendor. I am not sure what the vendor promised. I can only assume from the bit and piece from the write-up. I think anyone must read articles & ads as : “Nothing said in general to be read for specific and nothing said in specific to be read for general. Both cases aren’t wrong!” I think it’s also a good case for the vendor to revisit such a request from parents and promises to offer in the future. How do parents see such ads? I have a piece to read – click here

Let us revisit on my first thought – How do you view money? Small or Big? I see money is often viewed as big and small rather than affordable and costly. Let’s assume as a parent you are with your child in a supermarket. I am sure a child wouldn’t leave you till one favourite thing is bought. Let say you pick up a toy in order to give you peace of mind to shop for household needs. As you move with your child from one row to another row the child is occupied and busy with the toy. You have won and the child has won! Isn’t it? As you move to the counter to pay and you notice the toy is broken into pieces. You still pay for it either being a happy parent of a child utilised the toy to the maximum or regret handling behaviour. Lets extend with another possibility, the toy is intact. You pay and walk out and the child hands it over to you at the exit door and says, “I don’t want it”. Would you go back to return it? Would you blame the vendor? Would you blame the supermarket for stocking toys? Would you blame the child? Would you blame yourself? Would you pacify yourself with a pat thinking it was affordable? Would you go on a platform and rant about the toy?I warned you in the beginning I have more questions to seek answers over answers to them.

However this could happen with any product or service. My original intention of the article is firstly, for individuals to revisit on understanding the way we see and think about money. As I think every coin or banknote has a face value (a true story – click here). Secondly, ways to see ads and have deliberations and take a test ride before buying. Thirdly, not all services and products appeal; it could be aesthetic, value, promises or so on. Fourthly, don’t worry about failing an experiment and it’s going to help your child make an early better decision than repenting in mid-career. This would be very difficult to reverse. Several people would nod with the fourth point atleast if not all!

Santosh Avvannavar, Education Journalist at QtSTEAM, www.youtube.com/QtSTEAM

My world My everything

Santa Santosh Avvannavar in conversation with 14 year old Ela Chakravarthy who is multifaceted personality interested in umpteen activities like music, recitation of shlokas, quiz competition and helping the community. Ela formed a concept of “Swasth Shaala” to help students during pandemic. This concept is through her Future Leaders Programme. She is a student of Daffodils Foundation for Learning, Bengaluru.

Media partner – Aliska-News and supported by Amrita Foundation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A2_yjiOb6Y