Life...... , a poem by Tejesh Dnyaneshwar Beldar, India

Life...... , a poem by Tejesh Dnyaneshwar Beldar

‘Taking Care for Professional and Personal Image in Social Media.’

Friends, we are all aware that the use of social media is omnipresent. It continues to grown-up and hence we must be aware of our professional and personal image which we want to present online/ on social media. Social media enables to engage with family, friends, relatives etc anytime, anywhere. It helps us connected with people. However, while creating the IMAGE, we must understand that the Internet has a long memory that preserves the professional and personal social media interactions. And in the long run, this may prove negative to our social image.

Hence, we must be familiar with the benefits and risks, pros and cons of the use of the Internet and social media. First of all, we must be able to distinguish between what has to be personal, professional and public and accordingly maintain the PRIVACY. Further, the apt care must be taken so that the issues regarding security risk, identity theft, cyber bullying, disclosure of information, data misuse, etc. should not happen.

Furthermore, we must understand the risk of following misleading (spread rumors or controversial) information and forwarding it blindly. We must learn to identify the worthy resources.  We do not know in what way our friends and relatives will take (react or response) something that we just stated innocently on the social media.

We must be aware of our professional and personal social media image. Please go through the chart, this will help us to create or retain our professional and personal social media image.

Particulars	Professional	Personal
Account name	Your name added with the  name of the workplace	Your name may be added with the  nick name
Images	Professional photos and videos	Personal photos and videos
Bio details	Professional Information	Personal information regarding interests and hobbies
Connections	Professional connections	Choose the people with whom you want to connect
Content/Information	Share information that connects with our professional interest and sustain our business	Share information that present your private life with the loved ones

Let’s understand that the social media too has positive and negative aspects. We can share our current locations along with their photographs on social media but the social media criminals can misuse the information. The risks such as identity theft (the deliberate use of someone else's identity) or data leakage (unauthorized transfer of data), fake requests from spam profiles, profile hacking (the process of obtaining the unauthorized access to other’s profile), malicious link (it disrupt computer operation and gain access to your account/PC) etc. can trouble the Personal as well as the Professional IMAGE.  So, it is better to stop something bad from happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened. Let’s remind ourselves ‘prevention is better than cure.’

Removing Digital Divide: Reflecting on the Employability of Open Educational Resources

The term, Open Educational Resources (OER) was first coined at UNESCO's 2002 Forum on Open Courseware as:

"teaching, learning and research materials in any medium, digital or otherwise, that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions. Open licensing is built within the existing framework of intellectual property rights as defined by relevant international conventions and respects the authorship of the work".

In short, OER in teaching, learning, and research permits their free use. OER full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge. OER can include both digital and non-digital resources.

In this regard, the 5R activities/permissions of OER were proposed by David Wiley (taken from https://opencontent.org/definition/), which include:

1.     Retain - the right to make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage)

2.      Reuse - the right to use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)

3.     Revise - the right to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language)

4.   Remix - the right to combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)

5.    Redistribute - the right to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of the content to a friend)

Users of OER are allowed to engage in any of these 5R activities, permitted by the use of an open license. Thus, due to these 5R OER has following advantages.  (The following discussion is taken from https://libraryguides.goucher.edu/c.php?g=242548&p=1612887 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources)

Advantages of using OERs include:

·     Expanded access to learning:  Students anywhere in the world can access OERs at any time, and they can access the material repeatedly.

·       Scalability. OERs are easy to distribute widely with little or no cost.

·   Augmentation of class materials. OERs can supplement textbooks and lectures where deficiencies in information are evident.

·    Enhancement of regular course content. For example, multimedia material such as videos can accompany text. Presenting information in multiple formats may help students to more easily learn the material being taught.

·   Quick circulation. Information may be disseminated rapidly and quick availability of material may increase the timeliness and/or relevance of the material being presented.

·        Less expense for students. The use of OERs can reduce the cost of course materials.

·    Showcasing of innovation and talent. A wide audience may learn of faculty research interests and expertise.  Potential students and donors may be impressed, and student and faculty recruitment efforts may be enhanced.

·   Ties for alumni. OERs provide an excellent way for alumni to stay connected to the institution and continue with a program of lifelong learning.

·     Continually improved resources. Unlike textbooks and other static sources of information, OERs can be improved quickly through direct editing by users.

In short, anywhere at any time access to learning is possible.  Further, the enhancement of course material – texts, images and videos can be used to support different learning styles. Furthermore, the rapid spreading of information is possible and it is cost effective as the study material is available online.

However, the restrictions in open licenses can make OER less open. Students may have difficulty accessing online resources. Further, the quality/reliability concerns need to answer in time. OER supports Anywhere, Anytime, but in India it has to support ANYONE by removing the digital divide.

The gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not may be widening. But, as it is observed in India, the use of ICT specially, the use of Mobile is amplified. Hence, the apt applicability of OER through the use of Mobile/Tabs will prove more useful in removing the digital divide in education and in overall development. In all the OER will cater the lifelong learning.

References:

https://opencontent.org/definition/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources

https://libraryguides.goucher.edu/c.php?g=242548&p=1612887

https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer

https://library.educause.edu/topics/teaching-and-learning/open-educational-resources-oer

Understanding the Net Lingo and Employing (e)Netiquettes

Understanding the Net Lingo and Employing (e)Netiquettes: Tejesh Beldar 

We have experienced that Net Lingo is influencing the online positively and otherwise. "Net lingo" is the "talk of the Internet", the "cyber speak," the new terms / concepts/ words/ abbreviations that have sprung out of the creation and community of the Internet. Most Net Lingo terms are words/acronyms that were developed by people who use the Internet to communicate.  The examples are:

r = are
u = you

ama = Ask Me Anything

paw =Parents Are Watching

omg = oh my god
wth = what the hell
ttyl = talk to you later
idk = i don't know
idc = i don't care 

Thus, for instant messaging/texting such words are used. But let’s ask a question_”Is this okay in a business setting/formal communication?” Well, the answer is - it depends on the factors such as, Age, Person (Role, Status), Relation, Place, Time, Topic/Subject, i.e. CONTEXT/SITUATION. Who the specific type of communication is written for? etc must be consider. In short, the use of slang may be okay depending on the type of communication and how it is delivered.

This also refers to Netiquettes. Netiquette, simply stated is “network etiquette” i.e. the etiquette of cyberspace. In general, "etiquette" means "the forms required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in social or official life." In short, Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. Netiquettes should be followed while writing an email, a formal letter, chatting with close friends, communicating with a professional group/network, or having a formal conversation on the social networks.

The following Core Rules of Netiquette are excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea and are available on http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

• Rule 1: Remember the Human

• Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life

• Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace

• Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth

• Rule 5: Make yourself look good online

• Rule 6: Share expert knowledge

• Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control

• Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy

• Rule 9: Don't abuse your power

• Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Net Etiquettes are the rules that have developed as people have begun to communicate and interact on the Internet. The following are some good net etiquette/rules to follow taken from http://www.wisekids.org.uk/netetiquette.htm:

“Before you join in a newsgroup or discussion board, always check that your questions are relevant to the group. See FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions list.

·         Never respond to rude or threatening messages whether in chat, newsgroups or message boards.

·         Always leave if the conversation makes you uncomfortable.

·         Never engage in a flame war. That is a shouting match (through text) conducted between 2 or more people.

·         Never send an email in capital letters. That is considered to be shouting on the Internet.

·         Never say nasty or untrue things about others especially in public forums, newsgroups, or chat. These remain in many archives and you could be charged with libel.

·         Never forward personal emails sent to you to others without checking with the original sender first.

·         Similarly, when forwarding an email to others, respect the privacy of your group of friends or family. Do not publicly broadcast all their email addresses. Learn to use the BCC command which keeps email addresses private.

·         When composing emails, use the subject field, as it helps the recipient to identify the email quicker.

·         Remember that the Internet is 'a real space', and email gives you quick and direct access to many people that you would not have similar access to before. People respond to using this space in different ways. It is always courteous and considerate to reply to emails, even if it is only to say that you will give a fuller response when you have more time.”

Further, the language can negatively affect the communication skills and make it difficult to communicate.  

And the negative communication can lead to issues including inefficiency, conflict and legal complaints.

Thus, the care has to be taken while sharing personal details, forwarding emails, texting messages or posting comments online. Also visit http://eetiquette.com/ for more details.

References:

1.      https://www.netlingo.com/press/about-netlingo.php

2.      http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

3.      http://eetiquette.com/

4.      http://www.wisekids.org.uk/netetiquette.htm

Have a Knack for New NAAC!

Friends, I was duly felicitated by the Nashik Shikshan Prasarak Mandal’s Late Bindu Ramrao Deshmukh Arts & Commerce Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Nashik Road, for my contribution as Joint Coordinator of IQAC and of NAAC. Proud to share that because of the commitment, continuous efforts, and dedication, the college has secured B+ (2.73 CGPA) grade in the III^rd Cycle of NAAC.

Within 20 years of its establishment the college has faced NAAC thrice. In the 1 st cycle C++, 2 nd cycle B and the 3 rd cycle with online and changed pattern of NAAC received B+.

The institute has acknowledged my major contribution and accomplishment in:

1.Online Registration of the college for New RAF: Revised Accreditation Framework

2.Drafting and uploading all the AQARs: Annual Quality Assurance Reports

3.Preparation, Submission and Clarifications of IIQA: Institutional Information for Quality Assessment

4.Preparation, Submission and Clarifications of SSR: Self Study Report

5.Preparation, Submission and Clarifications of Extended Profile, Executive Summary etc.

6.Preparing data and Setting System for SSS: Student Satisfaction Survey ( 24.31% ) in the Diwali holidays

7.Clarify and Manage DVV:  Data Validation  and Verification (Extended and Metric Level)

8.Preparation of all the departmental and central presentations (including IQAC) for PTV: Peer Team Visit

9.Making of Online Payments of IIQA, SSR, PTV logistics etc.

The work was really tremendous. But due to the punctuality, Sincerity, Clarity of Communication, Organizing ,Delegating, Facilitating Capacities and the Confident in the Team and Respectful to Team Members and Others etc has helped me to achieve the grade. The said role of the coordinator of the IQAC was crucial in ensuring the overall effective and timely functioning of all the criterion coordinators and the members. My knowledge about the computer, its various functions and usage for effective communication made the Online tasks easy. As an additional responsibility, the secretarial assistance was given. Yet I personally looked after each document to ensure quality. I must admit that, I have not enjoyed a single CL and other leaves in the online procedure of NAAC as the each step was time-bound activity. Further, I worked during the Winter and Summer Holidays.

Besides, MY TEAM MEMBERS were motivated and inspired. They always took the tasks with enthusiasm and further demonstrated self-initiative and drive. They always had clear, open and honest communication with each other. The treatment given to each other was fair and impartial. Each member showcased the source of positivity and enthusiasm. Each one was not only attentive and responsive but also responsible and accountable. Flexibility in conduct and the patient and understanding nature of each member made the NAAC process a SUCCESS!

All the office bearers of NSPM, Principal, IQAC Coordinator, Parents, Alumni, Students, Teaching and Non- teaching staff share great contribution in this success. The college is developing with the help of all stakeholders and demonstrated the motto “Sanhati Karya Sadhika” viz. let us join hands and work together.

I would be more than happy to share the online experience with those who are in process or going to face the NAAC.

Thank you!

NAAC Peer Team Visit......