Coronavirus is a group of viruses that is zoonotic in
Nature, coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and peoples.In humans, the virus is known to cause respiratory infections that are typically mind. But
May become lethal as is happening in Wuhan.
Coronavirus disease (COVID19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
In December 2019,a novel coronavirus called SARS-COV-2 has resulted in the outbreak of a respiratory illness known as Covid 19
Coronaviruses (COV) are a large family of viruses that
Cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe disease such.as middle eat Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome.(SARS-COV)a novel corona virus (Ncov) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
The new corona virus is part of a family of viruses that affect the respiratory system
It is common in animals , but a few affect humans.
The current virus originated from WUHAN PROVINCE in CHINA
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
FEVER
COUGH
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
PERSISTENT PAIN OR CHEST PRESSURE
BLUISH LIPS OR FACE
PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT nCOV
Avoid touching your eyes ,nose ,and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who have possible symptoms
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue,then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Avoid animals (alive or dead) animal markets,and products that come from animals (such as uncooked meet)
TREATMENT
There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for 2019-COV infection. People infected with 2019-COV
Should receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
People who think they may have been exposed to 2019-cov should contact your healthcare provider immediately.
Coronavirus as a group of viruses that is zoonotic in
Nature, coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and peoples.In humans, the virus is known to cause respiratory infections that are typically mind. But
May become lethal as is happening in wuhan.
Coronavirus disease (COVID19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
In December 2019,a novel coronavirus called SARS-COV-2 has resulted in the outbreak of a respiratory illness known as Covid 19
Coronaviruses (COV) are a large family of viruses that
Cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe disease such.as middle eat Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome.(SARS-COV)a novel corona virus (Ncov) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
The new corona virus is part of a family of viruses that affect the respiratory system
It is common in animals , but a few affect humans.
The current virus originated from WUHAN PROVINCE in CHINA
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
FEVER
COUGH
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
PERSISTENT PAIN OR CHEST PRESSURE
BLUISH LIPS OR FACE
PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT nCOV
Avoid touching your eyes ,nose ,and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who have possible symptoms
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue,then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Avoid animals (alive or dead) animal markets,and products that come from animals (such as uncooked meet)
TREATMENT
There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for 2019-COV infection. People infected with 2019-COV
Should receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.
People who think they may have been exposed to 2019-cov should contact your healthcare provider immediately.
We all have our version of what a perfect person is. Psychologists often call it the ‘Ideal Self’. Sometimes this ideal self is someone who is the best at math. Sometimes it is someone who is their parents’ favorite child. Sometimes it is someone who knows everything about everything.
The point is that we all have a ‘perfect’ someone in our mind and we spend most of our life trying to stand up to those standards. Unfortunately, the most of us don’t succeed.
The thing is that from the very beginning of our life, we are influenced by our surroundings. Our family teaches us basic activities like walking, running and talking. As we grow, they teach us manners and social norms one must follow for the society to us as a part of it. Our school imparts basic education by teaching us how to read and write. Apart from that, educational institutes teach us how to form opinions and ideas about anything and everything. Even our peers and friends influence our lives in several ways. As a result, we continuously form ideas in our minds. We constantly contribute to the level of standards we ‘must’ follow. Even after doing a crazy amount of hard work we are unable to become that person. It is because we set unrealistic goals for ourselves and focus on all those things that we aren’t. We want to become someone else. Someone who is ‘perfect’ according to our ideals. So, where are we going wrong?
Why is it that the percentage of successful people is less? It is because they embrace their uniqueness. They accept themselves as they are. They know their strong points and put the same level of hard work into that and become successful in that area. They improve themselves not because the society expects them to. But because they want to. They don’t want to become perfect! They just want to become the best version of themselves. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all do the same thing? Yes, we won’t become perfect. But we will be happy and contempt with ourselves. It can take, weeks, months, even years! But when we do get there, it will be a thousand times better than that ‘perfect’!
“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”
The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic worldwide has affected every aspect of people’s life be it health(for those who are infected by the Corona virus) and employment and education for those who are under the lockdown restrictions. But apart from these, one that is least talked about is the detereoration of mental health of some people.
With social distancing being the new norm governing the people, those who are extrovert and loved to socialise with the people are forced to live in their houses away from their freinds and family members. When these people find no one to talk they are driven under depression and anxiety.
The prime reason as of why people are facing depression and anxiety in the pandemic outbreak is due to the financial crisis they are going through. For the elites, lockdown has provided them with leisure time to pursue a new hobby , spend time with family, cooking delicacies .But on the contrary, for the poor and middle class which contributes more than 50 percent of the Indian population, the pandemic led lockdown is a period of distress and hopelessness. These people face lack of resources to survive in this period which has rendered them unemployed.
The lockdown has excerbated the mental state of people who were already in depression in the pre- Corona time.Lockdown has provided them enough time at their disposal to think more and worry more .It is probable that these people see their future bleak in the post Covid world maybe because they are not able to perform well in their career. This is predominantly the problem of students and youth.
HOW TO TACKLE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN THIS PERIOD?
Minimise time spent online if you are suffering from depression. Everyday updates about the rising number of corona cases and the distress of red zones will make you hopeless thinking the condition will never improve. If you are away from your family and loved ones, do not use social media very frequently. This too has a reason. The posts by your friends and family members enjoying the lockdown period will aggravate your anxiety and you will feel as if left out. Instead, it is advisable to pursue your hobby, take up an online course which interests you, talk to your family and friends over phone or video calls etc. Do anything which makes you feel happy. This will surely help.
Students on the other hand should not see a bleak future for themselves rather they should hone their skills which will ultimately help them in their career. They should talk to their parents. Noone can understand a child better than his parents.
One of the most effective ways to tackle this is to call a therapist and ask for help. There is nothing wrong in that. Everyone has to go through ups and downs and the person you are talking to is trained to provide help in these circumstances. Talking to a therapist can be of great help if you are suffering from depression, anxiety or in the worst case having suicidal thoughts too.
Final word
Anxiety and depression are seen as a taboo in Indian society. Noone likes to talk about it. But everyone has gone through this in some or other time in their life. We need to understand that depression is just an illness- a mental illness! People do get ill and they get well too. There are tonnes of examples of people who were in depression at some stage of their life and came out of it and have done wonders. That is possible provided that the person gets utmost care and support. In certain cases, of course medical help is needed.
Water is a main component of saliva. Saliva also includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes. It’s essential for breaking down solid food and keeping your mouth healthy.
Your body generally produces enough saliva with regular fluid intake. However, your saliva production may decrease as a result of age or certain medications or therapies.
If your mouth is drier than usual and increasing your water intake isn’t helping, see your doctor.
Staying hydrated is crucial to maintaining your body temperature. Your body loses water through sweat during physical activity and in hot environments.
Your sweat keeps your body cool, but your body temperature will rise if you don’t replenish the water you lose. That’s because your body loses electrolytes and plasma when it’s dehydrated.
If you’re sweating more than usual, make sure you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Water consumption helps lubricate and cushion your joints, spinal cord, and tissues. This will help you enjoy physical activity and lessen discomfort caused by conditions like arthritis.
Your body uses water to sweat, urinate, and have bowel movements.
Sweat regulates body temperature when you’re exercising or in warm temperatures. You need water to replenish the lost fluid from sweat.
You also need enough water in your system to have healthy stool and avoid constipation.
Your kidneys are also important for filtering out waste through urination. Adequate water intake helps your kidneys work more efficiently and helps to prevent kidney stones.
Drinking plenty of water during physical activity is essential. Athletes may perspire up to 6 to 10 percentTrusted Source of body weight during physical activity.
Hydration also affects your strength, power, and endurance.
You may be more susceptible to the effects of dehydration if you’re participating in endurance training or high-intensity sports such as basketball.
Negative effects of exercise in the heat without enough water can include serious medical conditions, like decreased blood pressure and hyperthermia. Extreme dehydration can cause seizures and even death.
Eating fiber isn’t the only way to prevent constipation. It’s also important to maintain your water intake so your bowel movements contain enough water.
If you don’t consume enough water, magnesium, and fiber, you may be more likely to experience constipation.
If you’re already constipated, you may find that drinking carbonated waterTrusted Source as well as plain water can help ease your symptoms.
Contrary to what some believe, experts confirm drinking water before, during, and after a meal will help your body break down the food you eat more easily. This will help you digest food more effectively and get the most out of your meals.
Research showsTrusted Source the body adapts to changes in the consistency of food and stomach contents, whether more solid or more liquid.
In addition to helping with food breakdown, water also helps dissolve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from your food. It then delivers these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use.
Studies have linked body fat and weight loss with drinking water in both overweight girlsTrusted Source and women. Drinking more water while dieting and exercising may just help you lose extra pounds.
Water carries helpful nutrients and oxygen to your entire body. Reaching your daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health.
Drinking water may activate your metabolism. A boost in metabolism has been associated with a positive impact on energy level.
One study found that drinking 500 milliliters of water boosted the metabolic rate by 30 percent in both men and women. These effects appeared to last over an hour.
Proper hydration is key to staying in tip-top cognitive shape. ResearchTrusted Source indicates that not drinking enough water can negatively impact your focus, alertness, and short-term memory.
Adequate water intake will help keep your skin hydrated and may promote collagen production. However, water intake alone isn’t enough to reduce the effects of aging. This process is also connected to your genes and overall sun protection.
Dehydration is the result of your body not having enough water. And because water is imperative to so many bodily functions, dehydration can be very dangerous.
Severe dehydration can result in a number of severe complications, including:
swelling in your brain
kidney failure
seizures
Make sure you drink enough water to make up for what’s lost through sweat, urination, and bowel movements to avoid dehydration.
Being attentive to the amount of water you drink each day is important for optimal health. Most people drink when they’re thirsty, which helps regulate daily water intake.
about 15.5 cups of water (125 ounces) each day for men
about 11.5 cups (91 ounces) daily for women
People get about 20 percent of their daily water intake from food. The rest is dependent on drinking water and water-based beverages. So, ideally men would consume about 100 ounces (3.0 liters) of water from beverages, and women, about 73 ounces (2.12 liters) from beverages.
You’ll have to increase your water intake if you’re exercising or living in a hotter region to avoid dehydration.
Other ways to assess hydration include your thirst and the color of your urine. Feeling thirsty indicates your body is not receiving adequate hydration. Urine that is dark or colored indicates dehydration. Pale or non-colored urine typically indicates proper hydration.
Water is important to nearly every part of your body. Not only will hitting your daily recommended intake help you maintain your current state of being, it may even improve your overall health.
Here are some ideas for how you can be sure you drink enough:
Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. This way you can drink whenever the need strikes.
Keep track of your intake. Aim to take in optimum amounts every day, a minimum of half your body weight in ounces.
Pace yourself to approach half of your recommended consumption by midday. You can always finish about an hour before you plan to sleep.
An interesting idea has been in the works in Uttar Pradesh which is planning to use Doordarshan, All India Radio and community radio to promote audio-based learning among students.
The last few days have finally seen a flurry of activities by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) and various regulators including CBSE, NCERT etc. to find alternatives to ensure the continuation of education. While this may not be a good time to address the seriously low expenditure on education in India, the lack of seriousness towards the sector can be gauged from the fact that HRD was kept in Category C (the lowest category) for expenditure – i.e. the said department will have to restrict expenditure to within 15% of that budgeted for Q1, 2020-21.
Amidst this background, the department and regulators have started moving towards developing an online mode of education – as, hopefully, a stop-gap arrangement. NCERT has released an Alternative Academic Calendar for four weeks of home-based activities for different subjects. For example, activities like categorising objects including eraser, pencils, cloth, pulses etc. to teach the concepts of colours, shapes and sizes have been suggested for the students of Class I-IV.
For Class V students, teachers will be conducting classes through internet-based platforms, in the absence of which SMS and voice recordings can be sent. However, it has not been explained how voice recordings can be sent without the internet. Certain states including Uttar Pradesh are planning to launch high-quality ed-tech applications along with using e-resources suggested by the MHRD including e-pathshala etc.
However, amongst this whole discourse of moving education online, there has hardly been any discussion surrounding the practical issues of implementation, as well as various socio-economic factors which define the Indian education ecosystem.
Limited internet availability
The 75th report of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) for 2017-18 highlights some of the major issues that this new model would have to address. All India percentage of households having internet facilities stands at 23.8% with rural availability at 14.9% and urban at 42%.
The problem does not end there, as having a facility does not mean it would be used. The percentage of people who were able to use the internet (all-India) stood at 20.1% with rural at 13% and urban at 37.1%. Additionally, only 10.8% of people in India had used the internet in the last 30 days. It is important to note that these statistics vary vastly among different states across the country. For instance, Bihar stands at the lowest (9.1%) for individuals who have used the internet in 30 days, while Delhi has the highest number (49.1%) of such individuals with bigger states like Maharashtra (26%), Rajasthan (15.3%), Andhra Pradesh (14.8%) etc. being in the middle.
These statistics strike at the core rationale of using the internet as a mode to impart education, and highlight how a majority of the country would be left out of the quest to achieve basic education in the months to come.
Increased responsibility of parents to educate their wards
Another important pillar of the new model is the increased role that parents play in educating their wards. Take, for example, the NCERT guidelines which – surprisingly has progressive methods of teaching to improve the analytical, quantitative, and logical reasoning abilities of the students – all key factors which our regular model of teaching and learning does not have. However, the guidelines presume that the parents will have the academic intellect to impart education to their students. But statistics highlight otherwise.
The same NSSO survey, quoted above, highlights that 26.1% of the population above 15 years of age is ‘not literate’, while a further 18.9% have attended formal education up till primary school, 16.2% each have attended middle (Class V) and secondary (until Class VIII). This constitutes a whopping 77.4% of total India’s population – who may not have the adequate level of education needed to teach children in the house. The situation at the rural level is even more dire, with 69.6 % of the population being in the spectrum of ‘not-literate’ to ‘middle school’.
Loss of nutrition due to school closure
While the above factors touched upon the modality of the education, there is an even more basic issue at stake. The closure of schools has serious implications on the daily nutrition of students as the mid-day meal schemes have temporarily been shut. As of March 31, 2019, close to 12 crore students across the country were provided with food under with mid-day meal schemes.
This is close to 60% of the total students enrolled throughout K-12 education (the actual percentage is likely to be more, as mid-day meal only caters to students till Class VIII). Various studies have pointed out that mid-day meals are an important contributing factor for increased enrolment (~30%) in the schools.
These factors highlight a very dangerous scenario for the K-12 education sector in our country. Our learning outcomes in K-12 education do not inspire much confidence, in the first place, as has been pointed out repeatedly in various ASER reports by Pratham.
The loss of possibly half a year – if not the full academic year of 2020-21 – is going to further deteriorate the situation, as students would have difficulty in resuming schooling again after a huge gap. Additionally, the loss of income for a considerable population in India is going to further exacerbate the situation – CMIE’s data suggests that 11.9 crore people have lost employment in the two weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. Investment in education is not going to be a priority, amongst disadvantaged households, and we might see a dip in enrolment, when and if, schools are opened.
Possible solutions
While the damage to the sector is similar to the damage every sector across the world is facing, it is possible that with some careful planning, we might be able to limit the long-term consequences of this prolonged shutdown.
To begin with, the districts in the green zone should be allowed to open schools – after analysing them further over the next few days. So far, there are 318 districts such in the country – which will likely cover a majority of the school children. Eventually, 292 yellow zone districts – which may turn to the green zone in the next few days or weeks – should also allow schools to open.
Strict social distancing measures should be implemented, and to limit the number of students, classes may run in two four-hour shifts. While this strategy would not result in finishing the quarterly curriculum, this will at least reduce the gap in learning that students are likely to experience if schools continue to remain shut for long. This may also help in addressing the possible increase in drop-outs due to the long shutdown.
This leaves the government with 107 districts which are in red and orange zones. It might not be possible to open schools in these areas any time soon, thus, there is a need to deploy public funds to fix the internet gap and ensure that students continue to learn. Some state government have come up with ideas to address this concern.
The Delhi government had mooted an interesting idea to provide data packages to the students of Class X and XII. While this is likely to have certain implementation challenges – particularly the misuse of data for objectives other than learning – smart technology solutions can be found. Use of the internet can be restricted to specific applications prepared by the government. Similarly, another interesting idea has been in works in the state of Uttar Pradesh which is planning to use Doordarshan, All India Radio and community radio to promote audio-based learning among students who do not have access to the internet.
Additionally, there is a need to develop a financial stimulus for the education sector primarily targeting low cost private aided and unaided schools – which are likely to witness a reduction in fee collections, due to income losses. Various states, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have already announced that schools should not pressurise parents to pay fees.
However, a move like this is going to have a spillover impact on the incomes of teachers at such low-cost private schools. As of 2016-17, close to 28 lakh teachers were employed in private unaided schools, and further 8.3 lakh in government-aided schools. A more rational system could be to allow a reduced percentage of the fee in schools which are partially working (red and orange zone), with full fees for schools which would be fully functional (green and yellow).
Wherever relevant, a grant-in-aid could be issued for specific schools on a case-to-case basis to bridge income and expenditure. The powers for the same can be devolved to the district authorities to ensure a more localised approach.
While understandably, India as a developing country does not have unlimited resources, certain core sectors including education cannot simply be left as the last priority. Similar to other sectors, which are witnessing a staggered opening, the education sector – particularly the K-12 education system – needs to be opened in a staggered way.
These 12 years of education are crucial for every student and are the base years that will support the upward social and economic mobility of disadvantaged classes. A long and unplanned hiatus is likely to shatter the dreams of many and further harm the country in the long-term with a less-educated workforce. We need more talented and skilled individuals to get us out of the possible recession that the world is going to face and dropping the ball on education, is not going to help the cause.
Education is the best investment one can ever make in life. For a developing nation like India, every child should receive a quality education. It can not only change the health and livelihood of people, but also contribute to long term economic growth and social stability.
However, despite great progress in last few years, lakhs of children are still denied education. The lack of education is a big reason that transmits poverty from generation to generation. The society still doesn’t realize that right to education is a vital human right granted to every citizen.
Although it is true that not every individual without an education is living in extreme poverty, but most of the poor lack education. The ones living below poverty line keep their children out of school, which means their children will also have a greater chance to live in poverty.
Education is considered as a great equalizer which can open door to jobs, skills and resources that a family needs to thrive and survive. Access to good quality education and supporting child well being has been recognized as a solution to poverty. Not just this, it helps the communities to solve other issues that keeps them vulnerable. Not just this, it helps these communities to solve other issues as well that can keep them vulnerable.
Education is directly related to may solutions in terms of poverty, like:
Reduce income inequality
Economic growth
Reduce infant and maternal deaths
Reduce vulnerability to HIV & AIDS
Reduce stunting
Reduce violence at home and society
According to UNESCO, if all children in low-income nation just get basic reading skills, an estimated 171 million people could come out of poverty. And if all adults receive secondary education, the global poverty could be cut by more than half.
Children are the future of any nation.The children who receive quality education are empowered to grow into mature and skilled adults who are capable of picking employment. Education is the key under which several issues related to health, unemployment, population control and human rights can be solved.
Educated individuals are more likely to escape all troubles of life like ecconomic and social despair. On a larger scale, the rewards of individuals getting education also flow into the society, motivating other, thus can have an impact on the entire country. An educated country always flourishes and always progress far better as they can achieve better healthcare and economic independence. It will make people more independent.
There are many solutions to improve the situation between poverty and education. Teachers should be provided incentives for teaching in low-income zones. Better resources and funding should be provided in school for poor.
All this sums up enabling communities to come out from the state of poverty.
Limitation is the word which can be good if want to be average.Limitation is the word which put barrier in front of our imagination be it any kind of limitation,but do u want to be average? of course Not,right?
Those who dare to imagine the impossible,are the one’s who break all the human Limitations!!
Dr.Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
We need to expand the horizon of imagination.Never think that something will newer work ,just try go forward with it .It will definitely not as easy as it said but there is always barriers along the way there will be always the people who doubt you ,but this doesn’t matter if u believe in Ur ability to achieve something u dream of.Always remember No energy conversion from one form to another take place until there is some one to oppose the conversion.Let’s understand it by example when us stops its space shuttle program US was sending it’s astronauts to space station through Russian space shuttle .Once one Russian minister trolls America by saying that “If we do not help US to send astronauts to space they only has Trampoline do it “in short us cannot do it then their astronauts can left only jump on bubbles on earth.This triggered US people who can imagine impossible i am talking about ELION MUSK (space X) .He imagined impossible, someone doubting his country gives him motivation and now space X has sended two astronauts to space with total US made space ship.Isn’t it fascinating!
Every one who say’s u can’t is giving u motivation and fire needed to achieve great.Every hurdle or failure is opportunity to grow and improve.So Go ahead Imagine impossible and make it possible because U CAN!!
“Technology will not replace great teacher’s but technology in the hands of great teacher’s can be transformed”
Education is a form of learning where we can see the transmission of knowledge, skills from generation to generation. 21st century is also regarded as century of technology. Technology brings education to student’s doorstep.
Technology in education can be classified as:
Technology as learning tool.
Technology as teaching tool.
History:
It goes back to many years to know about technology in education. At the end of world war-II US started using projectors.Digitalized communications and networks in education started in mid 1980’s. In fall of 2015, more than 6 million students enrolled in atleast one online course and still the count is growing rapidly.
Role of ICT in Education:
Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a major key role for students today as it has a significant and good effect on student success and learning. ICT includes television, computers, internet etc. when used appropriately and in a good way it can strengthen and raise quality of education. This ICT includes databases, spreadsheets, statistical, and graphical programs, etc. It is also likely that science and technology teachers are better trained and equipped.
Advantages of technology in education:
Technology helps students in preparing in their future career either in academics and non academics.( online books, exams, course, etc.)
It helps students to learn there own interests which helps in developing their individuals.
Easily accessible to learning materials.
(As present world is running around internet it is very easy to a student to access materials)
Proper understanding of a subject by using record keeping.
Using audio and visual materials helps students to learn things interesting.
Accurate exam conducting and grade awarding.
Limitations of technology in education:
Distraction to some students.
(Inappropriate websites which distracts student from there respective work)
Students (programmer’s) involving in cyber crime.
Can be expensive to keep updated.
There are some health issues too when used over limit.
Some Ways to use technology in education:
Creating webpage includes writings, arts, quizes.
(Creating webpage helps students to learn things in creative way as it includes some writings, discussions, etc)
Video conferencing
Spread sheets
Creating class newspaper
(Newspaper gives us lot of information today if it’s a classroom newspaper it is really interesting to know things around a student in class)
Creative powerpoint presentation including picture, audio, videos.
(videos, pictures helps students to think in practical way, and it may some time leads to innovation).
Conclusion:
Technology has a very positive impact on education and should eliminate the drawbacks which are pulling back many students learning.And it’s time for every country to include more technologically equipped education for student’s future.
On a quiet visit to Ladakh designed to deliver a loud message to China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told soldiers posted along the Line of Actual Control that the courage they had demonstrated had sent a message to the entire world. Addressing soldiers deployed in Ladakh, PM Modi said tales about their valour were being spoken in every house across the country.
‘The enemy has seen your fire and fury as well,’ PM Modi told the soldiers in an address telecast live from Ladakh to the country. PM Modi also referred to the violent clash between soldiers of India and China at Galwan on 15 June and paid his tributes to soldiers who laid down their lives.
“From Leh, Ladakh to Siachen and Kargil…and Galwan’s icy waters…every mountain, every peak is witness to the valour of Indian soldiers,” PM Modi said. “You have given a befitting reply to people who attempted to conquer,” he told them before going on to deliver his direct message to China.
PM Modi underscored that India had always pursued the path of peace in the world but at the same time, those who are weak can never initiate steps for peace. “Bravery and courage is a prerequisite for peace,” he said.
“We are the same people who pray to the flute playing Lord Krishna but we are also the same people who idolise and follow the same Lord Krishna who carries the ‘Sudarshana Chakra,” the Prime Minister said.
Without naming Beijing that has been trying to encroach into Indian territory in Galwan valley and Pangong Tso and create new boundary disputes, PM Modi said times had changed and the era of expansionism was over. This is the time for development, not expansion, he said.
PM Modi stayed on target and continued hurling darts at China. The expansionist policies of some countries had affected world peace, he said, a clear reference to China that has disputes with 21 of its neighbours.
But history records that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back, PM Modi said, delivering his final shot before wrapping up his surprise visit. PM Modi’s office had finalised the day-trip to Ladakh late last evening but kept it a closely-guarded secret till the last moment.
News of the visit got out sometime after he landed at Leh’s airport, a height of over 11,000 feet with rarefied atmosphere, dry air and ultra-violet rays from the sun in the cold desert.
PM Modi, 69, headed straight for his briefing by top military commanders at the XIV Corps headquarters at Nimu outside Leh. He had had similar briefings back in Delhi also. This time, PM Modi could see the Zanskar and the mighty Karakorams that he had been spotting on the maps during the briefings. He also interacted with the soldiers to give them pep talks and hear their perspectives before he came around to delivering his speech.
His arrival in Leh had already delivered the first set of messages to Beijing. It also contrasts India’s approach to the standoffs along the Line of Actual Control to Chinese leadership’s efforts to signal a hands-off approach.
The PM’s visit is also a very strong message to President Xi Jinping that either he gets his aggressive Western Theatre Commander Zhao Zongqi to restore status quo ante or accept the inevitable consequences of PLA escalation. The Indian Army and Chinese PLA are locked up at four points on the LAC in East Ladakh with the latter consolidating on ground while mouthing peace overtures.
The location at Nimu where PM Modi addressed soldiers from the army, air force, ITBP and border road organisation resembled an active forward base. “There were artillery guns and other heavy equipment all under camouflage with soldiers wearing helmets and sitting in trenches and other kinds of dug out positions with a rare glint of courage on their faces,” a top military commander said.
Referring to some veterans who taunted that Nimu is a picnic spot, the commander said it was “a picnic spot for those who have treated their tenures as picnics instead of doing serious soldiering. For them even Kargil and Pangong Tso are picnic spots. If only they had treated these locations as future combat zones they would dare to comment,” he said.
After the introduction of online news, many news consumers are abandoning the traditional newspapers to access information online. Since most newspaper companies used to get revenues from printing news on print media, the changes have also made them follow the trend by uploading information online on their websites.
People prefer reading news from online sources to print media since the former is easy to access. Here are some of the devices that one can use to read news and information online anywhere and anytime, they include mobile phones, PDAs, laptops, personal computers. Without an internet connection, you cannot get access to news regardless of the time, therefore, to ensure that you stay up-to-date, you need to connect your devices to the internet. Unlike newspapers whose circulation is limited, online news can be accessed on any day, thereby allowing readers to get the information while traveling.
With online news and information, you do not have to pay a cent to access them. Unlike traditional newspapers and print magazine and journals where one has to pay for them before accessing the information, online news are free and doesn’t cost a dollar to access them.
Most of the online news companies tend to update their sites with new information every time. The fact that the news websites are updated with new information every now and then, readers can sit back and relax knowing that they can get the latest information of events. When you rely on newspapers and print magazines, you will have to wait until the following day before you can access the latest news.
The other beauty of online newspapers is that you can access various newspapers from a single platform. Newspapers readers tend to incur costs when they purchase a number of newspapers from different companies when they want to get detailed information. Besides, nowadays, most online news companies rely on websites that specialise in posting news from several companies under one platform to make their information reach the audience.
One of the features of online news that makes them better than print media is their ability to make articles more interactive. While reading news online, there are sections where you can view videos of the events being described. Adding videos to traditional newspapers are physically impossible.
People should read online news since they enable them to access many articles. When you buy a newspaper, you can only read the articles written in the paper.
In addition, with online news, readers can compare the news they receive from one online site with another one. The news company classify the information on their sites into different groups, these include politics, sports, education, fashion, among others. Based on the benefits discussed in this article, it is clear that online news are way too far better than traditional newspapers.
For over fifty years, Herzing University has committed to helping people overcome challenges in their pursuit of a better life. Founded by my parents Henry and Suzanne Herzing in 1965 as a family-held institution, Herzing has always been dedicated to providing a supportive educational environment that enables students to reach their personal and professional potential.
Today, as the president of Herzing University, now a nonprofit private institution, I strive to continue that legacy.
So many of our students come to us believing that earning a degree is impossible. At the same time, they know that it’s a necessity. Either they need to reenter the workforce, move beyond their hourly job, or advance in their current field. Career-focused education can make that possible, and we at Herzing have over 50 years of experience in helping people achieve their goals. It’s a commitment that goes beyond the classroom to support individual students’ needs, styles and passions.
I am writing this message today as my commitment to you that Herzing University will help you discover that there are ways to pursue your college education, seek financial assistance and graduate with a degree. You can see what our students say about us, which is often, “Herzing feels like family.”
Please continue to follow our blog, engage through social media, and most importantly, take the next step and reach out to us. I am confident that we can help you turn what might have seemed impossible into new possibilities.
Renée Herzing has been President of Herzing University since March 1, 2009. After attaining a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, she taught abroad in Scotland and Germany for nine years before completing her M.B.A. online. She has worked in various positions at Herzing at the campus level, including Registrar, Director of Admissions, and President of the Online Campus. Outside of work, she enjoys travel, music, and most of all, spending time with her husband and two children.
Most people would assume that veterans who have served our country would get credit – by employers and by educational institutions – for the remarkable training they’ve received in the military.
However, most educational institutions don’t take into account military medics’ credentials when they try to continue their education after serving our country. Few programs in the country honor military medics experience when they pursue a nursing degree. With the Vet2RN initiative at our Madison, WI, campus, I am proud to say Herzing University is one of those institutions.
Hands-on experience puts veterans in a unique position to make good use of their medical knowledge. In the healthcare field, more than half-a-million nursing jobs are expected to open up between 2012 and 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). What’s more, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) predicts that the national nursing shortage will only intensify as the “Baby Boomer” generation ages. This has created a nationwide demand for RN’s and healthcare professionals with related degrees.
Civilian life should not slow down the men and women who have served. Instead, by transferring military experience toward education, Herzing empowers veterans to use their medical background to build a rewarding career and continue helping the U.S. by fulfilling a nationwide demand for skilled healthcare workers. In fact, Herzing’s Madison campus has worked with the Department of Veteran Affairs and the National Governor’s Association and the to identify pathways for veterans to earn their nursing degrees and has received fantastic reviews for helping our country’s service members.
How does the Vet2RN initiative work?
Veterans military training and experience are evaluated through a review process through which credits may be applied toward becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Simply stated, Herzing applies military healthcare training into nursing credits. By translating military experience into college credit, veterans can earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) at an accelerated pace.
Most veterans in the are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX – RN) in one-year or less and become eligible from the NCLEX – PN in one to four months.
Veterans qualify for the Vet2RN initiative if they’ve received any of the following healthcare training:
Army 68W, Healthcare Specialist
Navy HM, Hospital Corpsman
Air Force 4N0X1, Aerospace Medical Service
Military medics can bring their experience to the nursing workforce. By making the process of getting a degree more efficient, Herzing proudly helps veterans complete their nursing school education and become part of the growing healthcare system in this country.
Bill Vinson is the Campus President at Herzing University in Madison, WI. Bill has been in higher education for almost 15 years and is passionate about giving back and helping others. He believes by taking this passion and combining it with the competitive spirit we can change our communities for the better.
Training and Internships are really important because trainings and internships helps one individual make him career more successful also makes the individual more relevant skilled and also better than the individuals who did not do an internship or had a training. Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees, but many employers in the current climate find development opportunities expensive. Employees attending training sessions also miss out on work time which may delay the completion of projects. However, despite these potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the individual and organisations as a whole with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment. The return on investment from training and development of employees is really a no brainer. Internships are known for giving students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real world environments. At the same time, they will also develop skills which will help them perform better at their jobs. Internships greatly increase the chances that a student will gain full time after graduation. In this article, we will look at internships, and how they can assist students in performing well at their jobs. One problem commonly cited by employers is that many graduates do not have the practical skills necessary to excel in the jobs. They also feel that the professionalism of students is less than it should be. Even though there are a large number of theories on how to encourage employees and increase profits, it is apparent that enhanced levels of education are not enough to prepare students for a real-world environment. Being able to improve these weaknesses will make graduates much more effective in their careers. We at Track2Training will help you in getting right training and internship.
In a big respite for Covid-19 patients which has ostensibly given them a good and genuine reason to smile is the recent, remarkable and righteous decision delivered by the Bombay High Court just recently on June 26, 2020 in Abdul Shoeb Shaikh and Ors. Vs. K.J. Somaiya Hospital and Research Center and Ors. in WP-LD-VC No. 54 of 2020 in exercise of its ordinary original civil jurisdiction and which was conducted in chamber – video conference observed categorically in no uncertain terms that a person suffering from Covid-19 who belongs to the economically weaker section of the society cannot be expected to produce documentary proof before seeking admission in a hospital for free treatment. It must be mentioned here that a Division Bench of Bombay High Court of Justice RD Dhanuka and Justice Madhav Jamdar were hearing via video conference a writ petition filed by seven residents of a slum rehabilitation building in Bandra who were charged Rs. 12.5 lakh by KJ Somaiya hospital for Covid-19 treatment in April. No wonder that the petitioners ultimately got the respite which they so desperately wanted from the Bombay High Court!
To start with, the ball is set rolling first and foremost in para 1 wherein it is observed that, “We have heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties at length. The undisputed position in the matter is that the Scheme prescribed under Section 41AA of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act empowering the Charity Commissioner and the State Government to issue directions in respect of hospitals to earmark certain beds for weaker sections of the people under Section 41AA(4)(c) and for indigent person under Section 41AA(4)(b) is applicable to the respondent no. 1 Trust. One of the question raised by the petitioners in this Writ Petition is that though the respondent no. 1 was required to reserve 10% beds for weaker section of the people and 10% beds for indigent persons out of the operational beds no such beds are provided. Out of 90 beds under those categories which were required to be reserved for the persons belonging to weaker section of the people and indigent persons in toto, all such beds had not been made available. The record indicates that only three patients were admitted by the respondent no. 1 in the month of March 2020 out of 90 beds earmarked for indigent persons and persons belonging to the weaker section of the people under Section 41AA(4)(c) and (b) respectively.”
Needless to say, para 2 of the judgment then notes that, “It is the case of the respondent no. 1 that the petitioners did not belong to any of these categories nor the petitioners produced any record to prove that the petitioners would fall under those categories. It is vehemently urged by Mr. Dwarkadas, senior counsel for the respondent no. 1 that it was for the petitioners to produce a certificate of income from the Tehsildar or a certificate from the Social Welfare Officer proving income of the petitioners. On the other hand, it is the case of the petitioners that the petitioners having suffered from a covid-19 and required immediate medical help were not required to produce such certificate at the threshold while seeking admission in the hospital.”
To be sure, it is then envisaged in para 3 that, “A perusal of the report submitted by the Joint Commissioner indicates that the report submitted is on the basis of documents called for and submitted by the respondent no. 1 and without visiting the premises and inspecting all the records. The affidavit in reply filed by the Charity Commissioner also clearly indicates that only three patients have been treated under the hospital scheme since lockdown till the end of May 2020. Petitioners claims to be staying in slums.”
While dwelling on the relevant questions for consideration here, it is then stipulated in para 4 that, “Whether it was the duty of the Management of respondent no. 1 to enquire whether the persons seeking admission in the respondent no. 1 hospital were falling under the category of Section 41AA(4)(b) and (c) or not or whether such patients were required to produce at the threshold the certificates of Tehsildar and Social Welfare Officer before seeking admission in the situation faced by the petitioners for patient of covid are some of the questions which require consideration in this matter.”
Most crucially, it is then very rightly underscored in para 5 that, “In our prima-facie view a person who is suffering from the disease like Covid-19 is not expected to produce a Tehsildar certificate or certificate from Social Welfare Officer before seeking admission in the hospital for seeking benefits under Section 41AA(4)(c) and (d). We are not inclined to accept the submission made by the learned senior counsel for the respondent no. 1 that unless such certificate is produced by the petitioners at the threshold, the respondent no. 1 is not liable to admit any such patient under those categories in the precarious situation prevailing at the date of admission of the petitioners.”
Going forward, it is then also pointed out in para 6 that, “We also noticed that the State Government was required to issue a Notification dated 21st May, 2020, providing the rates for treatment of such patients and for other diseases in view of the grievances regarding exorbitant amount of money charged by Healthcare providers causing hardship to public in general during Covid-19 pandemic. Government has also considered the provisions of Section 41AA of the B.P.T. Act in the said notification.”
Be it noted, para 8 then states that, “Considering the facts of this case, we are directing the respondent no. 1 to deposit a sum of Rs. 10,06,205/- in this Court within two weeks from today.”
Finally, it is then held in the last para 10 that, “This order will be digitally signed by the Personal Assistant of this Court. Associate of this Court is permitted to forward the parties copy of this order by e-mail. All concerned to act on digitally signed copy of this order.”
To sum up, the Bombay High Court has in a humanitarian gesture very rightly held in this latest, landmark and extremely laudable judgment that a person suffering from Covid-19 who belongs to the economically weaker section of the society cannot be expected to produce documentary proof before seeking admission in a hospital for free treatment. In such cases, they must be granted exemption from strict rules! This is imperative to ensure that they don’t suffer endlessly and end up getting more troubled for getting admitted in a hospital for free treatment!
Track2Training is a Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that play a significant role in today’s society. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) play a significant role in today’s society, typically picking up the government’s deficits in services and social protection for citizens via the philanthropy of donors and the socially awareNGOs general aim is to alleviate poverty through activities that promote capacity building and self-reliance.
One of the roles was that Track2Training NGO is to balance the social, economic and environmental factors in promoting sustainable development.
Your answers to four basic interview questions could make or break your chances of landing your dream job. Read on and learn how to flip your next interview from “flop” to “nailed it.”
1) Can you tell me a little about yourself?
Flop: “Well, I grew up in this city and have lived here my whole life. My house is on Cherry Street, and I live with my spouse, two kids and our pet cat. I love country music, bowling and hanging out with my friends.”
Nailed it: “I have a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Herzing University. To gain experience and develop professionally, I completed an internship in the marketing department at XYZ Company and currently volunteer for XYZ Organization managing their social media accounts. I’ve learned that my strengths are communication, creative thinking and multi-tasking.”
The trap many job seekers fall into is not considering this a “real” interview question. Remember that from the second you walk in the door, you are being interviewed. Set the tone for the rest of the interview by grasping this opportunity to highlight your qualifications. Impressing the hiring manager from the start is crucial. After all, first impressions are priceless.
2) Why are you looking for another job?
Flop: “I struggle to see eye-to-eye with my boss/coworkers, so I’m looking for a change.”
Nailed it: “My current job has been an excellent learning experience. Now I’m looking forward to further developing my career. I’m seeking new challenges and an opportunity to take on more responsibility.”
Speaking ill of your current boss, colleagues and company will never work in your favor. Remember that even tough employment situations help you develop and learn new skills. Dwell on the positive rather than the negative, and try to keep your response brief. This can help you move on from the topic quickly and get onto questions that let you highlight why you’re the best fit for the job.
3) What are your weaknesses?
Flop: “I don’t have any.”
Nailed it: “I tend to take on too much and – at times – can create extra stress, but it has also taught me to be an excellent multitasker. I’ve developed project management skills that have contributed to my team and our collective success.”
This question is a litmus test of how you react to a tough situation. The interviewer wants to see if you throw in the flag or rise up to the challenge. None of us perfect, right? But our mindset and work ethic can make all the difference in the world. Focus on that, and you’ll show the interviewer that you’re prepared to overcome any challenge.
4) Do you have any questions for me?
Flop: “No, I don’t have any questions right now. Thanks for your time!”
Nailed It: “Yes, I do have a few questions for you…”
It’s important that you ask at least three questions to show your genuine interest in the position and the company. Ask your interviewer to describe their favorite aspect of working for the company. Show that you’ve done your research about the company values. Did you see that they actively support a community service organization? If volunteering is important to you, ask how you could get involved.
The next time you interview, don’t let these fundamental questions be your stumbling blocks. Being prepared with focused and strong answers will help you walk out of an interview with confidence and hopefully, that new job.
Herzing University’s Career Development Team is your resource for all things career. We’re here to help you develop attention-grabbing resumes and cover letters, hone your networking and interviewing skills, and discover internship and job opportunities. If you’re a current student or alumni, we’re at your service. Let us help you land the career of your dreams! Contact us at careerdevelopment@herzing.edu.
After 9 great years of teaching science, Eduperk get to work with amazing educators in the world as we explore ways to increase the engagement, relationships and relevance of the learning throughout our district using the proper tool, only after we consider what is the goal of the event. Learn or Teach your favorite Courses by easy and fun way! Earn Money by sharing your notes! Simply find any notes with Hashtags! Make new friends with people studying similar courses nearby!
EDUPERK is an online higher education platform providing rigorous industry-relevant programs designed and delivered in collaboration with world-class faculty and industry. Merging the latest technology, pedagogy, and services, upGrad is creating an immersive learning experience – anytime and anywhere.
Mission of Eduperk
To provide opportunities to advance your professional journey through rigorous online programs that offer personalised support, developed in collaboration with best in class faculty and industry professionals.
With the conviction that in an ever-changing industry, professionals need to continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. Since then EDUPERK have always focused on building a great online learning experience by collaborating with the right universities and industry partners. We then steadily built a strong support system around our learners. Starting with our first program in Entrepreneurship, upGrad has created some of India’s largest online programs to help thousands of professionals achieve their career goals in the areas of data technology, and management.
If one knows how to read and write, then one should definitely read at least one newspaper everyday.
Newspaper reading is a good habit. People who frequently read newspapers are more likely to be reading other things in their life than non readers. Reading is good for you, I bet! It helps you move outside the narrow zone of your personal affairs. It helps you keep you adjust yourself according to the changing times and move with changing times easily. It keeps you updated and can provide a great sense of educational value. Not only it gives you information about economy, polity, trade, business, world affairs, international issues, sports, entertainment, but it also enhances your vocabulary and English language skills. (Same applies for other language newspapers) You are not only updated with current events of your own nation but also that of the world. It widens the scope of your knowledge and thus widens your outlook. It helps you become well informed. Thus, enabling you to take part in any sort of discussion and debates. Ultimately, helps in your personality development. They help you become part of a well evolved society. You can relate to other people’s views, understand their perspective. Most importantly, in today’s world, where Democracy is considered to be the ideal form of government, it is in the interest of each and every individual of the nation and the world ( I say world, because world is becoming a global village in this 21st century) to be aware of their own governments’ plans, programs and policies. How will these plans, programs and policies affect them?( After all, democracy is rule by the people, of the people and for the people. ) It is for their own benefit. People who read newspapers regularly are more likely to be active voters (good for democracy 🙂 ) Good for students. Students who use the newspaper in school read more sections of the newspaper and show significantly greater interest in local government, neighborhood events, current issues and foreign affairs. I would like to quote a research. Research by Dr. Dan Sullivan of the University of Minnesota examined programs in 22 cities across the country. The study compared test scores of students who had used the newspaper in class with those who had not. In all 22 cases, those student who used the newspaper scored better on standardized reading test than did those who did not. Minority students and those who were not native English speakers showed the greatest achievement. (2002, NAA Foundation.)
Newspapers help form you develop your opinion. They sharpen thinking skills in you. The Indian freedom struggle in itself is a great example how reading newspapers enlightened and educated the masses of their own civil, political and economic rights. These masses comprised mostly of people who weren’t able to read and write. So even if one person in the village or community knew how to read, people would encircle him to get their daily dose of the news. Thus, they got to know about the issues. Thus, the Indian freedom struggle became a mass struggle. Freedom of Press is a Fundamental Right in the Indian Constitution, thanks to the habit of newspaper reading (or hearing) by these masses. I have seen many people who are stalwarts in their own respective fields suggesting that one should not read or listen to news. It is a waste of time. The reason being that they bring pessimism around you. The news of bombings, killings, rape, murder etc. don’t let you sleep well and suck the positive energy in your life. True. I too feel sad reading about these news items. But avoiding them is not the solution, neither for your problem nor for the problems of the world around you.
But according to me turning your head away from reality of the world is not a wise act. Though awareness can remove the darkness in the society.
You have to choose high standards of journalism to avoid becoming part ofsensational journalism. I vouch for critical and independent readership. Derive wisdom from newspapers without getting involved in the sensationalism which they try to sell to increase their readerships.
You can save time and money when you apply what you already know to your college education. Makes sense, right? The truth is that many students underestimate the value of their own life experience and prior knowledge as they consider their degree program.
More students are entering college with a wealth of relevant skills already at their fingertips. Wondering if that’s you? Take a second to answer these simple questions:
Have you taken a class at an accredited post-secondary institution?
Have you taken advanced placement testing?
Have you completed formal on-the-job training?
Have you served in the military?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you might be eligible for transfer credit. Here are four tips to maximize the number of credits you transfer into Herzing University.
1) Submit all of your transcripts.
Send in all of your transcripts from previous coursework at any accredited post-secondary institution, no matter your cumulative GPA. You never know what will be accepted! In fact, Herzing University accepts transfer credits into any degree or diploma program. Check out Herzing’s complete credit transfer checklist to learn more.
2) Submit your advanced placement testing results.
Advanced placement testing is a great way to earn credit for what you already know. Herzing accepts credit for nationally recognized tests including:
Advanced Placement (AP) from the College Board
DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) from Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support (DANTES)
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) from the College Board
3) Don’t forget about military courses or on-the-job training.
Many military courses in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps have been evaluated for college credit by ACE, as documented on a Joint Service Transcript (JST). For more information on credit recommendations for military courses, see the ACE Military Guide. Also, Herzing University is one of two institutions in the U.S. to offer military medics credit toward becoming a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse.
Some private companies have also had their training courses or certification tests evaluated for award of college credit by ACE. For more information on credit recommendations for industry courses and tests, see the ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training.
4) Think outside of the box.
Not all college-level learning takes place in the classroom. Herzing University works with organizations like Learning Counts and the National College Credit Recommendation Service to recognize expertise gained from career, military, or volunteer service.
To discuss how your own life experience could maximize your transfer credit, talk to an admissions advisor today. Good luck!
Christy Juul Nyemeckis the Associate Director of Admissions at Herzing University’s Brookfield Campus. She has a BA in Communication with an emphasis in Peace Studies from UW-Milwaukee and an MBA from Herzing University. Favorite part about what she does? Seeing graduates update their LinkedIn Profile with a shiny new job that they got as a result of their education. When she’s not busy being a “closet nerd,” you can find Christy cheering on her favorite NBA team: OKC.
Students from the state of Wisconsin made quite a showing at this year’s Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference in Chicago, but none more so than Herzing’s own Daniel Pulliam, who won first place in the category of project management.
Out of the 18 Wisconsin students who attended, representing schools such as University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Milwaukee School of Engineering, Pulliam was the only one to take home the top prize in his category.
To top it off, Diane Sigler, academic advisor in charge of Herzing Kenosha’s Phi Beta Lambda chapter, won the 2015 Wisconsin Outstanding Chapter Adviser award as well.
Pulliam’s road to victory
Winning the national competition was no easy feat. Pulliam first had to qualify by beating out Wisconsin students from several other universities. When he traveled to Chicago, he and academic advisor Diane Sigler were introduced as the “Who’s Who” from the Badger State.
Pulliam took on students from across the country representing schools such as University of Pittsburgh, UCLA, University of Alabama, Rutgers, Penn State, Oklahoma State and the University of Nebraska.
The project management category challenged competitors to answer 100 questions in under one hour, with the student answering the most correctly walking home with the grand prize. Pulliam not only got to hoist the first-place trophy but also won a $700 cash prize.
Besides pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Business Management at Herzing, Pulliam also serves as an admissions advisor and president of the Phi Beta Lambda Herzing Kenosha chapter.
Four other students from Herzing’s Kenosha campus – Jessica Olle, Nicole Braun, Stephanie Dillon and Ben Sauceda – also competed in the event.
Jennifer Paughis the Campus President of Herzing University’s Kenosha and Brookfield Campuses. She brings 17 years of experience in higher education to her role, including experience in teaching, admissions and student services. In her free time, Jennifer and her partner, Rob, enjoy traveling and hiking with their three pups, Porter, Hudson and Etta.
In celebration of Herzing University’s 50 year anniversary, we asked 50 graduates to share their story. Some made us laugh, and some made us cry. But they all had a couple of things in common: resilience against the odds and an unwavering faith in the power of a college education.
One of our favorite questions to ask our alumni is, “What’s your advice to new graduates?” We loved the responses we received. Read on and be inspired!
1) Follow your passion
“If your career fills you to the brim and over with compassion, passion, a desire to help someone else, a sense of fulfillment, happiness and gratitude, then you’re in the right place…keep following your dream,” says Carla Harrison, Therapeutic Massage graduate and owner of The Massage Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
2) Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom
Amber Hill Reese, Legal Assisting graduate and Paralegal at Stewart, Seay & Felton Trial Attorneys, gives this raw (and real) advice: “Intern as much as possible and be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up!”
3) Find a company that aligns with your career goals
“Never stop looking for new opportunities,” says Dan Scrivner, Healthcare Management graduate and Inventory Specialist at Fairview Health Services. “Getting a degree is hard work, but executives and people successful in their chosen careers don’t achieve anything by being stagnant.” And, like the cherry on top of the ice cream: “Look for companies that will allow for healthy career advancement and won’t put a limit on your dreams.”
4) Have a winning mindset every day
Julie Glassmoyer, Surgical Technology graduate and Certified Surgical Technologist at the Toledo Hospital, says, “Treat each day as an interview. You never know who is around!”
5) Take advantage of university resources
Here’s a piece of advice that we like LOVE from Craig Harmel, Electronic & Computer Technology graduate and a Sr. Open Systems Analyst at WPS Health Insurance: “Take advantage of Herzing’s Career Development Department.”
6) Be proud of how far you’ve come
Natascha Long, Business Administration graduate and Service Delivery Analyst at Covance, inspires us with: “Be proud of your accomplishments, you’ve worked hard to get where you are today. Now empower yourself to get where you aspire to be. Don’t be afraid to embrace new challenges and change.”
7) Make finding your dream job a full-time job
“Be relentless with applications, follow-up letters, etc.,” says James Flagerdebenavente, Medical Assisting graduate and Certified Medical Assistant at the University of Toledo Medical Center. “Never forget that everyone you meet may one day become part of your professional circle and write a glowing letter of recommendation. Always wear your game face!”
To learn more from our amazing graduates, check out our 50 Years 50 Grads Project. If you’re a grad with a story to share, fill out our survey here.
Amy Chastek is the former Director of Graduate and Community Relations at Herzing University. You can reach the Career Development Team at careerdevelopment@herzing.edu
You may have seen ads for companies that promise student loan forgiveness or drastically lowered payments.
Do your homework before you click or call to learn more. Many third-party companies require a fee for their “services.” Know that paying a fee will not help you qualify for any of the Federal programs or speed up the process. Avoid scams and identity theft.
You may be eligible for FREE student loan assistance services through the Federal Student Loan Program, including loan consolidation, lower student loan payments, deferment or even loan forgiveness. You can also contact Herzing University’s Alumni Support center at alumnisupport@herzing.edu or by calling 1 (866) 508-0748 ext. 01353.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are increasingly becoming the front line for patient care by tackling many procedures formerly associated with physicians, according to recent research from USA Today.
The publication found that there was an increase in nurse practitioners providing psychotherapy, pelvic exams and other procedures. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) also received a 16 percent increase in Medicare payments in 2013, while general practice physician payments dropped 7.6 percent.
These findings exemplify a larger trend in the health care industry – the growing need for nurses who have numerous specialties and excel at providing patient care.
The growing need for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
Two forces are driving the healthcare industry’s growing need for specialized non-physicians:
An aging population requires and increasing level of primary and acute care.
With a shortage of physicians also expected in the coming years, APRNs will increasingly become the provider of first choice.
As primary and acute care providers, APRNs have more opportunities than ever before to provide patients with comfortable and positive health care experiences.
Herzing’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurse program
Herzing University offers two nursing masters programs online. The first is an APRN program: MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner program as well as a second non-APRN program: MSN – Nurse Educator. These programs are designed so that nurses can engage in coursework on a flexible schedule.
We relish the opportunity to help lead the next generation of nurse educators and nurse practitioners into the workforce. All while continuing to address the demand for nurses in the healthcare industry.
Catherine Kotecki, RN, PhD, APN, is a practicing advanced practice nurse with a specialty as a clinical nurse specialist in adult health. She serves as the Department Chair of Online Nursing at Herzing University. With over 30 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Kotecki’s driving passion is helping people get the education they need to advance their careers. She is married and has two grown sons. ________________________________________
You might be thinking about the start of the new semester and asking yourself, “Wait. Didn’t the last semester just end?”
Let’s face it; school isn’t easy. It takes time, dedication and grit. And you might be finding yourself running short on all three.
Don’t let new semester dread tangle you in its web. With a little reflection and organization, you’ll find yourself prepped for the new challenges ahead and one (big) step closer to graduation day.
1. Hit “refresh” on your focus
Remind yourself of why came here in the first place. Maybe you were you looking for a better career or a better life for your family. Chances are those reasons still as important as they were the day you decided to enroll.
2. Lean on your friends
You shouldn’t keep any worries about a new semester to yourself. Talk to your support circle. Sometimes all we need is to hear ourselves talk about our fears out loud and realize that they weren’t that scary after all.
3. Beat the clock
Don’t give into procrastination. Set your alarm to get to campus or log into class 15 minutes earlier than you normally would. You’ll leave yourself some buffer time in case you run into any minor setbacks. If you have extra time on your hands, great! Introduce yourself to new classmates or brush up on the syllabus.
4. Clear the clutter
Take some time to clean up. Delete old files, recycle old notebooks and let go of that giant 5-ring binder that you might use one of these semesters. Click here for more tips on cleaning up your study space.
5. Set SMART goals
Have you heard of the S.M.A.R.T method? It’s one of the most practical tools for creating realistic and achievable goals. The idea is only to set goals that are smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Avoid vague goals like, “I’m going to get better grades this semester.” Instead, try something along the lines of, “I’m going to finish the outline for my final paper by the Monday before midterms.”
6. Review your best work
It’s easy to hang onto failures and even easier to forget about the great work we’ve already accomplished. Pull out that awesome paper you wrote last semester and remind yourself that YOU ROCK.
7. Read success stories
You might still be looking for that extra boost of motivation. Check out success stories of graduates who already did what you’re doing today. Check out some of ourgraduate stories.
8. Log In
Take some time to catch up on your emails, reread your syllabus, make sure you submitted any pre-course assignments, and even get a head start on readings for week one. You’ll thank yourself later!
9. Stock your shelves
Take a trip to the grocery store and stock up on healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, nuts and even dark chocolate. Pack a snack in advance for that long class or study session. You’ll feel nourished and better able to concentrate.
10. Set a schedule
Is your old planner battered and bruised? Maybe it’s time to buy a new one. Or you can check out free online tools like Todoist or Google Calendar. Whichever tool you choose, be sure to set aside some time each day for studying and participating in class.
We hope these tips will help you kick-start the semester with a renewed sense of focus and ambition. If you’re still feeling that new semester dread, reach out to your student services advisor. We’re here to help. Always remember that each new challenge brings you one step closer to the end goal – walking across that stage!
Kristen Brady, M.S. Guidance and Counseling, is the Associate Director of Student Services for Herzing University – Online. Her favorite part of her job is helping students build a better life for themselves and their families. Other than helping students achieve their own, Kristen’s goals include visiting each national park throughout her lifetime.
YouTube thumbnails let viewers see a quick snapshot of your video as they’re browsing YouTube. Learn how to create an eye-catching YouTube thumbnail that boosts viewership and is good for YouTube SEO. Follow these YouTube Thumbnails best practices.
The YouTube thumbnail is a key factor to make your video stand out and get views!
In this guideline, you’ll learn everything you need to become an expert at making video thumbnails that pop. Ones that will immediately grab a person’s attention and make them eager to watch your video and hear whatever it is you have to say.
So let’s get started.
PART 1: Understanding YouTube Thumbnails
We start off by explaining the backgrounds of thumbnails:
What Is a YouTube Thumbnail?
Simply put…a YouTube thumbnail is a reduced size version of an image. This thumbnail is the first thing a person will see when they are browsing and trying to decide which content will give them the best solution or answer to whatever it is they’re looking for. So, to sum it all up, YouTube thumbnails are small clickable images that a viewer can click on to watch any given video of their choice. Thumbnails are like the cover of a book. Most people will literally judge a book by its cover and that cover is what makes them curious enough to consider and then ultimately purchase a book, or not.
A Little Thumbnail Background
Video thumbnails got their name because originally they were about the size of a person’s…yep, you guessed it—thumbnail. Thumbnails came about because they make it easier to show a variety of images in one space.
They are also a better use of space because a small picture is used to represent a larger video of the same image. And, that thumbnail picture can be clicked on to get to the full-size image. It was also discovered that thumbnails reduce bandwidth and download time, which is extremely important because people don’t like to (and won’t) wait for a video that takes too long to load.
Why Should I Use a Custom Thumbnail?
Thumbnails make it easier for a viewer to control what they want to see because the thumbnail will give them a quick overview of what the video is all about. Therefore, a top-quality custom video thumbnail is what will make your content stand out.
But do you really need a custom thumbnail for your video? Why not just grab any old snapshot and use that? Or, since YouTube provides you with suggested thumbnails by default, why not use one of those? Besides, you already have a killer headline right?
This is why…
90 percent of the best-performing videos on YouTube have custom thumbnails.YouTube Creator Academy
Think about how people browse through YouTube video posts in an effort to find one they want to watch. That process consists of two things—the attention-grabbing headline and the curiosity building thumbnail…right? Then, as you are finished watching that video, another thumbnail will catch your eye and the intrigue will have you clicking on another, and another, and another. Yep! That’s how it’s done—that’s how we all do it.
How many people do you know that actually read the verbiage first? Exactly! So…do you really need a custom video thumbnail?YES… YES, YOU DO!
So what’s the goal?
Of course, YouTube thumbnails are most commonly used to grab viewers’ attention and build curiosity. But video thumbnails are also specifically designed to:
Effectively relay the content of your video.
Be compelling enough to encourage the viewer to click and watch.
Differentiate your brand from others, causing them to stand out above the crowd.
Be easily viewed on any type of device, whether that be a desktop or mobile device.
Choosing Your YouTube Thumbnail Image
Your video thumbnail has the ability to make or break your brand in a split second. Why? Because many people will make an immediate decision about how they feel about your brand based solely on their first impression of your video, which initially is your thumbnail. So make it a good one. In addition, the thumbnail photo you choose is the one chance you have to grab a person’s attention and to make them curious enough to want to watch your video.
PART 2 (Hands-on): How to create thumbnails that stand out and get you more views
Think of your YouTube thumbnail as a headline. It has to be something that is eye-catching and something that builds enough curiosity to make a person eager to click and watch your video to the end. The 6 things you need to consider are:
Image selection: Use a strong, vibrant, clear image that looks good large and small. The image should closely relate to the information you want your video to convey. Check to see if your thumbnail stands out among other thumbnails.
YouTube’s Terms of Service: Take care that your images and texts don’t contain any type of copyright infringements and are age-appropriate for your audience
Image resolution: Use as high a resolution as possible (keep it under 2MB).
Photo composition: Apply the “rule of thirds” to compose interesting and dynamic images.
Text: Make sure none of the verbiages you used could be taken out of context in any way.
SafeSearch: Your thumbnail needs to be SafeSearch compliant
In the following, we explain to you how to handle this.
Tips to Make Your YouTube Thumbnail Stand Out
There are several different things you can do to make your YouTube video thumbnail stand out above all others.
1. Choose the Right Video Thumbnail Size Using the right YouTube video thumbnail size makes all the difference in the world. If you want the best picture quality on both desktop and mobile devices, it is best to use a 1280 x 720-pixel size (16:9 ratio). Save it as a .JPEG, .PNG, .GIF, or as a .BMP.
2. The Background Image Matters Use a background image that will complement the message you are trying to convey without it being so “busy” that it distracts from everything else.
3. Overlay Background Image with Text If you want to enhance your YouTube thumbnail background image overlay your images with branding and descriptive text, making sure you use a font and colors that are easy to read. You should also be sure your verbiage includes the title or select keywords as well.
4. Choose a Custom Font Anything you do that makes your video stand out will help increase its viewership. So using a custom font is just one more thing that will make yourvideo seem special, different than every other video on YouTube. You can find the best thumbnail fonts at the FontShop. You simply select the appropriate font category, scroll through the available fonts, select one then download it.
5. Use the Right Colors If you want your video thumbnail to be effective, the added verbiage has to be easy to read. So make sure you use colors that not only complement your video, but colors that are also easy to read. Once you have your custom font, colors, and verbiage added to your thumbnail, take some time to test it to see how it looks and how well it stands out when posted among other YouTube videos.
6. Select the Right Picture The picture you use needs to be something that will be memorable, grab attention, and something that will make someone want to click your video and watch it through to the end. Other tips for selecting the right picture include using a close-up of the subject (people are generally more drawn to pictures of people and direct eye contact), using extremely expressive faces, bright images, and the proper lighting. Also, don’t forget to split test your images and thumbnails to make sure you are always using the most effective one for any given message.
7. Make Your Brand Recognizable The most successful videos on YouTube use their branding or some other consistent character, icon, etc. throughout all their thumbnails so that when seen, a viewer immediately recognizes that the thumbnail they’re looking at belongs to your brand. This is how you develop a connection with your viewers. People like familiarity and the feeling as if they belong. So doing this will help you build your brand, as well a loyal following. Not to mention increasing your video’s potential for going viral. Just like a trusted friend.
YouTube Thumbnail Design Trends in 2020
Currently, there are several thumbnail design trends that make for successful thumbnail designs. Here are 4 of the most popular.
YouTube Thumbnails with Faces
Many YouTube creators choose to use a thumbnail of a face. This face is usually the face of the person that’s featured in the video or the person that the video is about. Your brain is hardwired to respond to faces. Read more here.
Emoji Thumbnails
Some people choose to use emoticons in their YouTube thumbnails designs. These recognizable cartoon images are understood immediately by anyone who has encountered emojis before, which means users can quickly understand what the video will be about.
YouTube Thumbnail Fonts
To catch YouTube users’ eyes, many people use clear bold, bright fonts in their YouTube thumbnail designs. These fonts feature the title or a description of the video. Typical Fonts that regularly show up in YouTube thumbnail designs include:
While all of the above thumbnail trends are popular choices to make for the cover of your video, there is one factor that leads to thumbnail success — but that is often overlooked: patterns. While many people don’t think to use patterns in their thumbnails, there are many reasons you should consider incorporating patterns when you create the thumbnails for the videos you publish.
Examples of YouTube Thumbnail Design for Brand Channels
To see some real-life examples patterns YouTube brand channels use effectively in their thumbnails, check out the following channels:
What are the reasons patterns improve the click rates of your videos especially with regard to YouTube’s Autoplay Feature?
1. Your brain looks for patterns.
Human brains are wired to look for patterns. In fact, our brain automatically seeks them out as we look around the world. So, use a thumbnail with a visual that a brain will seek out and then be drawn to, encouraging the user to click.
2. YouTube Neural Network Algorithm Looks for Patterns
Your own brain isn’t the only thing that seeks out patterns. YouTube’s own Neural Network algorithm is programmed to look for patterns since it knows that patterns are what human brains want to see. So, if you want your video to be suggested by YouTube more often, you can incorporate it into your thumbnail design.
3. Patterns Help Maintain Brand Consistency
You want to use YouTube to promote your brand, so your thumbnails and content should consistently align with your company’s aesthetic and products. If you use similar patterns in your thumbnails, you can help promote brand consistency and make your videos and identity more recognizable across the web.
4. Patterns are Easy to Create
Since patterns are just the same images repeated over and over, they are easy to create. A thumbnail that simply uses a pattern can be made with minimal time and effort with tools like
An easy way is to create a thumbnail template that you can apply as an overlay layer to a frame of your video.
5. It Helps Serve as an Interactive Billboard
When people embed your YouTube video on their own site or social media pages, your thumbnail can help serve as a billboard for your company. The video, once played, becomes an interactive advertisement, making for helpful brand promotion.
What Should Your Thumbnail Pattern Include?
If you want to create patterns that can serve as your YouTube video thumbnails, here are the key elements to include:
Your channel icon: your channel icon is the image that is immediately recognizable as associated with your brand. Incorporate the is into your thumbnail to promote brand consistency.
Your channel colors: choose colors that you use regularly on your YouTube channel, then incorporate those into your thumbnails. This also promotes brand cohesion.
Text: You can incorporate text into your thumbnails if you want to communicate more about the video’s contents, but it’s not necessary for every design.
The Top Six Thumbnail Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Sometimes the video thumbnail is the last creative step taken when producing a video. Therefore, people have a tendency to just grab any old video snapshot to use without giving it any further thought. But this is the worst thing you could do. You wouldn’t do that for your headline, so why would you do that for your video’s thumbnail? So—just don’t!Here are the top six thumbnail mistakes people make and how you can avoid them.1. Using Too Much Text One of the most common mistakes people make when designing a custom thumbnail is to put too much text on it. They are understandably trying to capture attention, build intrigue, and get their message across. However, having too much text will only distract from the thumbnail itself and ultimately have the opposite effect you were trying to create in the first place.
If users can’t read the text in one quick, sideways glance, it’s too much. You should never have more than a concise title, and, if absolutely necessary, a concise subtitle in smaller text beneath it.
2. Unflattering Facial Expressions As you know, it’s best to use a person’s face on your thumbnail. However, be mindful of the expression that’s captured when you take the snapshot. Some facial expressions are pleasant and flattering and some are not. You don’t want the expression you’ve captured to look bored, scared, in pain, or to have a fake smile, etc. It’s best to take as many snapshots as possible so you’ll have a wide variety to choose from.
3. Boring Thumbnails Try to avoid using a dull looking snapshot for your thumbnail. Things like charts and graphs that don’t have much color, etc. If possible, use a person’s face and give it a little character so people see something they feel like they can personally connect with.
4. Hard to Detect Play Button Sometimes the location of the play button as it’s seen on the thumbnail appears to be a part of the picture. This means it can be easily mistaken as part of the picture and not seen as the play button. Therefore, make sure you check this so you don’t lose weeks or even months worth of traffic while wondering why no one is watching your video. You can avoid this problem by using the small play button in conjunction with the play bar. This will make it clear that your thumbnail is a video and not just a picture.
5. Too Much Motion Having too much motion or action in your video can cause a thumbnail to be blurry. So try to limit your thumbnails to snapshots that aren’t action shots.
6. Play Button Face Always make sure the person’s face in your thumbnail isn’t covered up by the placement of the play button. You don’t want your viewers to see your subject’s face completely covered with a big arrow. The whole idea of using a human face is for the eye contact, so make sure your picture is taken in a way that the subject’s face can be clearly seen. If you publish and share content on YouTube, it’s important not only to think about the content you create but also your YouTube presence itself. YouTube allows you to create a profile for your company or business, and this profile should be a clear representation of your brand and what you do, including your aesthetics, value, message and more. One important part of your YouTube presence to customize is your thumbnail design. The thumbnails are the small images that serve as the sort of “cover” for each video that you create. Video thumbnails appear on your profile page, as well as in search result pages. The YouTube thumbnail is the first impression a YouTube user gets of your video, and they can help determine whether a user wants to watch your videos — or not.
How to Change a Thumbnail on YouTube
If you want to learn how to change thumbnail on YouTube…here’s how.
Sign-in to YouTube
Click on the channel icon
Go to “Creator Studio”
Click on “Video Manager”
Go to “Edit”
Select a thumbnail or click Custom Thumbnail
Select an image
Click “Open”
Click Save Changes
Yes, it really is that easy!
Helps you rank your YouTube videos higher in Google Search and YouTube
Assists with which title and tags to choose.
Provides a free YouTube keyword ranking service.
Gives you a free YouTube SEO analysis.
Gives you real-time content analysis.
Provides you with professional thumbnail templates that enable you to create professional looking thumbnails in seconds. In fact, these templates include patterns that are known to significantly increase your video views through YouTube Suggestions.
You went to the trouble of making a custom thumbnail, so why wouldn’t you take it one step further and enlist the help of some thumbnail software? This will help you see more significant results and see them much faster than if you were to try and build video views and rankings without it. So, what’s next? Before you go any further, you should take a few minutes to learn the most common thumbnail mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Create a thumbnail with Canva
1. First, you will need a background for your thumbnail. Google Images is a good place to start. You simply put this in the Google Images search: “1280 x 720” because this is the size you’ll want to use as it’s the size that is most suitable for both desktop and mobile viewing.
Under “Search tools you can filter the images by “Usage Rights”. This way you can find images that can be reused, reused for commercial purposes, modified, or reused and modified for commercial purposes. 2. Now choose the background that will best fit your message and copy it by hitting the right click button on your mouse then clicking on “copy image.” If your image editor doesn’t support copy-pasting you can save the image instead of copying it.
Open your image editor and paste the image you just copied. Now you will need to find a custom font to use.
3. You can find custom fonts on any custom font site, such as FontShop or Typekit. Just select the appropriate font category, scroll through the available fonts, select one then download it.
4. Open the custom font zip file you downloaded and install it.
5. Now go back to the image editor.
6. Type the verbiage you want to use over the background image. Now you’re ready to custom design your thumbnail.
7. To design a custom thumbnail, you can add any transparent clipart, pictures, etc. to your background image. Anything that will grab someone’s attention. Just make sure you are adhering to YouTube’s Terms of Service. And don’t add anything that could be misconstrued, is confusing, misleading, or inappropriate in any way.
Have fun with this step. Play around with different types of pictures and clip art until you find ones that pop.
8. Once you are finished customizing your thumbnail, you will need to save it. It’s best to save it as a .PNG if you want the best quality image possible. If your image file is more than 2MB then you will need to save it as a .JPEG or .JPG. However, YouTube limits its thumbnails to 2MB so keep that in mind when you will be using YouTube.
9. Now you can upload your customized thumbnail to the video by clicking on the “Custom thumbnail” option that’s provided below the random image selections you will see on the right-hand side of your video. NOTE: You have to have a verified account with YouTube if you want to use the custom thumbnail option. 10. Done! Wasn’t that easy?
YouTube’s Guidelines for Thumbnail Design
When designing thumbnails for YouTube you should also be aware of YouTube’s guidelines. Here’s a list of things that YouTube considers illegal in thumbnail design:
Images displaying violence primarily intended to be shocking
Copyrighted images
Illegal typefaces: Use default system fonts, free fonts or purchased fonts.
YouTube Thumbnails: The Bottom Line About How to Get More Views with YouTube Thumbnails
Let’s summarize what you’ve learned then we will go over all the steps that need to be taken to create a custom thumbnail, as well as a reminder of the things you need to look for if you want the most effective YouTube thumbnail possible. You learned why thumbnails are important and that 90 percent of the best performing videos on YouTube had custom thumbnails. So there’s no question that you should be using custom thumbnails if you want the best possible chance of success for your video message. Here is a quick summary of the steps for designing a custom thumbnail.
Select a background image.
Open your image editor and paste the background image.
Find a custom font.
Open the custom font zip file and install it.
Go back to the image editor.
Type verbiage you want to use over the background image.
Add transparent clipart, pictures, etc. to your background image.
Save your newly designed custom thumbnail.
Upload the thumbnail to your video.
Done!
You also learned how to pick a quality thumbnail image, seven tips for making your YouTube video thumbnail stand out, and how to change your YouTube thumbnail. We also discussed whether or not you need a YouTube thumbnail creator and gave you several popular ones from which you could choose. Additionally, we discussed the importance of using thumbnail software and how it could positively affect your SEO and rankings, as well as all the benefits that come from using thumbnail software. Lastly, we went over the most common thumbnail mistakes people make and how you can avoid them. If you implement everything you learned here, you should see a measurable difference in your YouTube video viewership and its related traffic. So…now…what is a custom YouTube thumbnail worth to you?
At the beginning of your online course it’s easy to feel like you’re ready to take on the world. You read the syllabus. You watched the first video lecture all the way through without checking Facebook once.
But then, out of the blue, you hit a slump.
Suddenly, all the coursework seems overwhelming and you begin to worry that you won’t keep up.
It’s true that succeeding in an online learning environment takes a little more self-discipline than going to traditional classes, but practice makes perfect. Try out these five tips to help you succeed as an online learner:
1. Pretend that you have a normal class schedule
One of the perks of online courses is flexibility, but don’t let the loose scheduling prevent you from dedicating as much time to studying as you should.
Make sure to schedule regular blocks of time throughout the week to contribute to discussions and study new materials. The less you have to frantically cram before a big test or pull an all-nighter to finish a paper, the better.
2. Write out important due dates
Online courses are often frontloaded with lots of information and materials to help provide more structure. Due dates are usually listed on the syllabus from the get-go, but can quickly be forgotten if you’re not paying attention. Using a planner and calendar to map out these important dates in advance will help you stay on top of your game.
3. Get involved
Sometimes it’s hard to remember you’re not the only one in the class when you’re sitting alone in front of a computer. Make a point of getting involved in discussions with your colleagues and form study groups to keep each other motivated. Ask your family and friends to check in and keep you accountable, too!
4. Ask for help
It can be intimidating to admit that you’re struggling with course material, but don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Your professor or student services advisor can help get you connected with the resources you need, like our free academic coaching services .
5. Give yourself the tools to succeed
Working in front of the television with a spotty Internet connection probably isn’t the best way to focus on your studies. Find a setting where you can remain comfortable and focused, whether it’s a coffeehouse with reliable Wi-Fi or a home office. The right setting and technological materials will make it easy to do your work as efficiently as possible.
Herzing University celebrated the beginning of the new school year by teaming up with organizations near some of our campus locations across the country to ensure young students have the materials they need to succeed. Multiple campuses conducted events during which they gave backpacks full of school supplies to students. For example:
Orlando Back to School Bash
At our Orlando campus, students and faculty partnered with Hope Now International to get back in the spirit of the school year at an event in Citrus Bowl Stadium. Nursing students led workshops about the importance of nutrition and exercise, as well as handwashing, to help ensure students stay healthy throughout the semester. Herzing nursing representatives also worked with Orange County Public Schools to provide more than 320 vision screenings.
Despite the heat, more than 24,000 people attended the eighth annual Back to School Bash and more than 10,000 backpacks were distributed to students in need. Check out the event photoshere.
[]
Toledo and Akron Back to School Bonanzas
Students and faculty and Herzing’s Toledo campus passed out 500 backpacks loaded full with school supplies to students in the community. Free haircuts were also available at the event so students could begin the year looking sharp.
Not to be outdone, Herzing’s Akron campus put on a similar event, matching the 500 backpack donation. These events allowed Herzing to help students of all ages, including adult learners pursuing GEDs, start the school year off right.
I believe that it’s so important to give back to the community and gain real-world clinical experience during your time in nursing school. That’s why I’m so excited about our recent partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to provide a free health clinic available to more than 500 residents across the Coalition’s facilities.
This is a win-win for residents and our students.
This commitment assures Coalition residents can get the care they need without having to worry about the cost. It’s also a fantastic way for students to practice their assessment skills and improve their therapeutic communication. Our services include pediatric care, basic first aid, health education, consultation and if needed, referrals to emergency care services.
Our students and faculty will serve two days per week at the Men’s Service Center and an additional day per week at The Center for Women and Families (CWF). I’m excited to say we will be doubling our time at the CWF at the beginning of the New Year, and we’ll even have a dedicated RN that will begin working at the Coalition full time.
The best part of all is knowing that we’re helping people in our community get through tough times.
Two of our students told me that they enjoyed when people come in just to talk. They want to share what is going well for them – if they’re making progress in school or toward securing a job or a home. “It’s so nice to be able to make a difference,” they said.
Pat Edwards, MN, EdD, RN, has served as the Dean of Nursing at Herzing University’s Orlando Campus for almost a decade. Her area of clinical specialty is in obstetrics and newborn care. Her favorite hobbies include seeing her students succeed and spending time with her 4.5 pound Yorkie, Miss Savannah.
October 22, 2015 by Dr. Michael Bankey Time and distance limitations shouldn’t prevent students with an associate degree from continuing their education. Working toward a bachelor’s degree should be a simple, straightforward process, but sometimes difficulties with transferring credits and commuting to a new school get in the way.
That’s why we started DEGREE UP. We’re working with community colleges, starting in Wisconsin and Ohio, to provide thousands of students a flexible path to achieve a bachelor’s degree from Herzing University. DEGREE UP allows students to maximize transfer credits from a partnering community college, and they can even remain on the campus where they earn their associate degree.
We have started partnerships with Mid-State Technical College, Gateway Technical College and Madison College in Wisconsin and Terra State College and Northwestern State College in northwestern Ohio. This is only the beginning. Herzing wants to bring accessible, student-centered education to as many students as possible.
Why DEGREE UP?
After applying for DEGREE UP, students can earn a bachelor’s degree from Herzing University using a blend of on-campus and online credits. Students may even earn credit toward a master’s degree. What’s more, students taking Herzing classes on a community college campus remain at that tuition rate.
In other words, graduates with an associate degree can continue their education while still enjoying small class sizes, a local campus and an environment in which they’re comfortable. The result is a bachelor’s degree in as little as four years.
DEGREE UP is designed to provide as much flexibility as possible for students, allowing them to succeed without uprooting their lives. DEGREE UP is a natural part of the evolution of higher education, giving students more efficient and accessible ways to get the education they deserve
With online courses, university collaborations and more flexibility than ever before, there’s no better time to go back to school. But for many adult learners, returning to the books means balancing academics on top of a full-time job and personal life.
With a full schedule of work and school, time management is essential. After all, there are only so many hours in the day.
Maintaining a work-school balance requires some serious self-discipline, and can be mastered with planning and the right mindset.
Check out these tips for balancing work and school.
Keep your employer, professors and family well informed. It may seem impossible to keep everyone happy, but communicating the rigors of your schedule can make a big difference. For example, many employers offer flex time or work-from-home policies that make it easier to keep a work-school-life balance. Likewise, you may be able to work out a hybrid class option or online solution with your professor if your work schedule doesn’t accommodate regular class hours.
Know your limitations. Don’t sell yourself short, but recognize that as a worker and student you’ll have to learn how many obligations you can handle at once. There’s simply not enough time to do everything, and you’re bound to make mistakes if you stretch yourself too thin. Learn your capabilities, prioritize what’s important and then optimize your time so that you can give your all to both work and school.
Give yourself a break. It’s natural to have lots of energy on the first day of class, but be careful not to sprint every day until you run out of gas. Throughout the semester, regularly schedule some time to relax and refuel. Over time, fatigue can negatively affect your job and academic performance. Make sure to schedule and stick to your break time the same as you would with any other obligation.
Plan far ahead. When it comes to your education, you’re in the driver seat. If you know you’re going to be swamped with big projects at work over the coming months, schedule a lighter academic load accordingly. The further out you can plan, the easier it will be to create a suitable schedule.
Kristen Brady, M.S. Guidance and Counseling, is the Associate Director of Student Services for Herzing University – Online. Her favorite part of her job is helping students build a better life for themselves and their families. Other than helping students achieve their own, Kristen’s goals include visiting each national park throughout her lifetime. You can contact Kristen at kbrady@herzing.edu or by calling (866) 508-0748 ext. 66326.
Information technology is a vital part of all kinds of companies, from innovative start-ups to long established corporations. Every organization needs assurance that it can efficiently communicate and connect with others, and those with information technology degrees are integral to keeping the world moving.
As technology continues to become more integrated into the workplace, defining the parameters of IT becomes more complex. One thing is for sure — the demand for tech-savvy workers is continuing to grow, and an information technology degree opens up a wide range of professional opportunities including becoming a software developer.
Check out five of the top perks you can expect when you enter the workforce with a degree in this field.
IT is a growing field: The IT job market as a whole is expected to continue growing in the coming years, with computer system designs and related services predicted to see annual growth of 3.2 percent until at least 2022, according to U.S. News & World Report. Since IT is necessary to so many industries, IT grads will likely continue to see a demand for their professional skills.
You can work in numerous industries: Whether you’re interested in research or retail, tech support or development, an IT degree allows you to enter the job market and specialize your skillset. For example, if you’re passionate about cyber security, you can set your sights on a career as an information security analyst.
Flexibility: If the workplace isn’t your thing, many IT jobs also come with the ability to work from home. For those who like the idea of working from the comfort of their living room, IT could be the perfect career choice.
Problem-solving: If you have the knowledge and skills to tackle computer problems, you can apply those skills to solve other day-to-day problems as well. Learning the ins and outs of IT will help you look at problems differently and apply those skills accordingly.
There’s always room to grow: Once you’ve entered the workforce with bachelor’s degree, there’s always the opportunity to go back to school and earn a graduate degree. Graduate degrees, such as an online MBA, can provide an even greater variety of employment options.
Chris LaBounty is an academic and technologist with more than 20 years of experience in higher education and technology. He has developed and managed programs in information technology, mobile applications, networking and software engineering. In addition to teaching and leading academic programs, Chris has worked as a certified field engineer and Java Enterprise developer. He lives in Minnesota with his family and enjoys the outdoors.
Thanks to the Internet, you’re one Google search away from feeling overwhelmed in your hunt for scholarships and grants. While it’s easy to type in “nursing scholarships” and hope for the best, a more strategic approach will help you find opportunities tailored to your academic and career goals.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t look for every opportunity, simply that you’ll want to spend your time and energy wisely. Finding the right scholarship opportunities is in many ways as important as putting together a stellar application.
As you begin to consider your academic financial aid options for 2016, consider these three tips for adding some precision to your search.
Start with opportunities at your school
Your college or university likely offers more scholarship options than you may be aware of, especially as new opportunities become available. Sitting down with an adviser is the best way to learn about your options, some of which will be specific to your school and thereby right in your wheelhouse.
At Herzing, we have nationalscholarships availableto students on all of our 11 campuses, but also are constantly working with local organizations to benefit students in our different communities. For example, in Kenosha, we recently partnered with the Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Fund to bring16 scholarships to local studentsand are continuing to work with the organization to host educational events in the area. These scholarships are only available to students around Kenosha and based on the goals of the Mahone Fund and our local campus.
Search locally
Local nonprofits, businesses,churchesand clubs are great places to look for scholarship opportunities. Don’t be afraid to tap your network and also make sure to scan through local newspapers and other regional publications.
Get granular
When you do broaden your search, especially if you use a scholarship database, include as many details as possible to refine your results. Otherwise, you may end up scrolling through dozens of scholarships and grants for which you’re not qualified or that have expired. It’s good to widen your net, just make sure not to wear yourself out on opportunities that may not be a good fit.
Jennifer Paugh is the Campus President of Herzing University’s Kenosha and Brookfield Campuses. She brings 17 years of experience in higher education to her role, including experience in teaching, admissions and student services. In her free time, Jennifer and her partner, Rob, enjoy traveling and hiking with their three pups, Porter, Hudson and Etta.
Ohio is one of three states – including California and Texas – with the largest gap and need for nurses and nursing students, according to the Health Workforce Information Center. Beyond the demand for more nurses, several research studies and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocate for better-educated nurses.
The IOM’s (2011) recommendations included, “Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.”
In an attempt to assist with supplying well-educated Registered Nurses (RNs) to the American workforce, Herzing University-Akron has added a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and will soon follow with a RN to BSN program. The first BSN class will be admitted in January 2016. The plan for the RN to BSN is for the first class to be admitted in January 2017. The addition of these in-demand programs will assist with meeting the need for more nurses who have the necessary education to deliver high quality patient care.
But, what is a nurse? Do nurses really matter?
As a child, I remember going to the doctor’s office and the nurse saying, “The doctor will be right in.” I thought that was what a nurse did – she went to get the doctor. As I grew up and started a family, I found out what nurses really did through various personal experiences. Nurses stayed with me when I was in labor with my first baby. In fact, I still remember my nurse’s name, Bonnie. She was with me the entire day. She assisted me in pushing and calmed me when I became frantic. She was the one health care professional that stayed in my room for hours helping me.
Move forward a few years and some great pediatric nurses taught me how to care for my child with a chronic illness. They taught me how to monitor her and how to give her nebulized medication. They taught me exactly how smart a nurse must be. They taught me how foolish I was when I believed all a nurse did was send in the doctor.
Nurses are a doctor’s eyes and ears. Nurses are the professionals who spends 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at a patient’s bedside. Nurses are the ones to see a change in a patient or a lab result that is concerning and notify the doctor. Nurses must be educated to the point of knowing what to expect from the doctor or what to ask the doctor for. Our health care system today could not function without well-educated nurses.
As our nation and the state of Ohio experience a nursing shortage that will continue to grow, Herzing University wants to assist by providing programs to educate the next generation of nursing professionals. We offer no wait list for both the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing and the BSN programs. If you are in the Akron area and are considering this remarkable profession, stop by and see us. We are happy to help you earn your nursing degree.
Dr. Christina Silva is nurse and nurse educator who is passionate about preparing the next generation of nurses. She is currently working as a perinatal staff nurse at Uniontown Hospital, Uniontown, PA 15401, and a nurse administrator at Herzing University’s Akron campus
Are you thinking about going back to school for your MBA degree? These degrees have been subject to a lot of chatter in recent years. Herzing University’s dean of graduate programs, Ron Kern, already explained on our blog why the MBA market is not flooded, despite some critics saying otherwise.
Online MBA programs are seeing especially good results with a quick return on investment for graduates. As Ron points out, more than 95 percent of Herzing’s 2014 MBA graduates found employment in their field of study within six months of graduating.
So what are the real advantages of an MBA? We’ve compiled a few of the top benefits.
Network with other motivated people
Meeting the right people can make all the difference in your career. One of the most valuable parts of an MBA program, whether online or on campus, is having the opportunity to talk with others advancing their careers. You’ll connect and learn from leaders in business and practice the skill of making meaningful connections. It’s not just that you’ll learn how to network more strategically, but also that you’re doing so with other ambitious people.
Increase your salary
Individuals who own master’s degrees yield an average of $400,000 more over a career span, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What’s more, many graduates see a return on tuition in as little as three to five years.
Learn the intangibles
It’s not easy to be a successful business leader. Learning how to manage teams, spur innovation, contribute to an organization’s culture and motivate colleagues requires both practical knowledge and critical thinking skills that are fostered in MBA programs. Mastering these skills will build your ability to lead.
Broaden your business knowledge
While it’s easy to see all the career advantages of an MBA, don’t forget the most important part. You’re there to learn. MBAs provide insights that are challenging to pull out of your day-to-day work, especially if you’ve been stuck in the nine-to-five routine for a while. You’ll gain knowledge of business operations across departments, which is invaluable to succeeding in leadership roles.
Dr. Jon Outland is the System Division Chair of Business and has over 20 years of experience helping businesses meet their strategic goals. He has been teaching online and on-campus classes for 18 years in the areas of management, e-commerce, project management and information systems.
If you are an entrepreneur, you are probably wondering what the best strategies to build an international brand are. Now that your business has made it at the local level, it will still succeed at the international level if you have a perfect approach. According to experienced business people, it is as simple as doing it all over again, but now in a different market setup overseas. But to make it clear for you, we will take you through the four important steps to help you succeed in building an international brand. Read on to learn more.
Look for a Market
The first step to succeeding in creating an international brand is to look for an appropriate market. The world is too small now that businesses can penetrate every corner, but one must identify the right market for their goods and services. What would be the point of rolling out an international brand that has no buyer? Market research is therefore crucial, especially when conducted by experts who understand international business in a better way. You can also focus on doing your own research online to identify this.
Prepare Your Product
You have no option other than to have a superior product that can compete with many others. Global businesses are numerous, and they’re more innovative than ever before. An excellent production team is what you need, whether you hire them locally or internationally. This means consistent product development research by talking to your consumers and checking what your competitors are offering. It is also crucial to consult experts so that they can give their opinion. In this case, speak to reliable consultants like those found on https://www.grsconsultants.com/. They will come in handy when preparing a product package for your market.
Create an Identity
Most companies and organizations already have a brand identity. Any person who sees the name of such an organization will instantly know what product they have on offer. Before hitting the global market, you can create a local identity through a website that is visible, providing superior products, and communicating with all of your customers. Customers like a differentiated product which will make them come back again and again. Being active in social activities in society will further make your identity clearer like Pen2Print, Eduindex and EduPub.
Market the Product
Marketing your products and brand name both locally and internationally is easy nowadays. All you need is to embrace digital marketing by starting a website and social media pages. The platform has no borders, which makes any business get noticed far and wide. You can customize SEO efforts to focus more on your targeted global market to increase your chances of visibility. With better marketing, your products will get buyers in the global market within no time.
Summary
Finally, I wish to mention that global brands are easy to create by following these four strategies. They have been tested by experts and are proven to work well for many businesses. You too can start implementing them today and make changes where necessary to suit your needs.
Much of the popularity attributed to the growth of talent management strategies in corporations can be attributed to the nature of technological growth which has eliminated most of our geographical boundaries, leading to a blend of cultures. As such, top organizations are able to access international job markets to scour the professionals most suited for specific roles within their hierarchy. This does not come easy however, as the following step to hiring the best, is ensuring they stay with you and also stay at the top. Potential leadership candidates and high impact employees must be given the adequate opportunity to express their capabilities and impact at the workplace.
This is for mutual growth so this move does not go amiss when considering organizational objectives. Helping management think past profit margins and output targets aligns them with the needs of the organization as a whole, and how specific employees can impact the efficiency and productivity of its various facets. We’re here to provide you clarity on exactly that- the need and importance of talent management. As such, here are some of the most compelling reasons you should implement and invest in a solid talent management system to empower your organization and its future-
You will ensure you have the ideal professional performing at the right roles. When you take a gander at relationship building talent and qualities, you’ll see a best fit for every job. Talent mapping utilized in talent management and it enables you to analyze and capitalize on the potential in and around your organization. This impacts in both expanded profit margins and overall employment fulfillment.
The strategy will enable and impassion your staff. On the off chance that you see staff essentially as a number, you do understand that they know this! Then again, if you value them, put resources into them and their future, they will work for more potential mutual benefit for the organization as opposed to simply their paycheck.
You’ll empower performance consistency from your staff (particularly important with the more youthful age). Individuals are more inclined to operate within established hierarchies when they understand where they are needed and where they might be headed. Not only does talent management provide this level of clarity, the procedure allows professionals to capitalize on the phenomenon- it helps the professional to look ahead and focus on performance and growth.
You’ll close hierarchical talent gaps by distinguishing them and making clear moves in altering the situation. The performance contrast between skilled individuals and those with less talent is immense with regard to results. Employees and how they are managed is the most vital wellspring of most productive and effective skills and qualities.
You will have a superior shot of retaining the top talent already present and recently hired as time goes on. Be careful with losing your best staff to your competitors! The emphasis ought to be on employee development projects and techniques to create and draw in high impact workers- and in the same vein, keeping quality professionals satisfied and effective.
There will be fewer hiring-related errors in the recruitment process. The nature of an organization is, basically, the nature of staff it has. Numerous talent programs perform and execute employing assessments as a major aspect of the hiring and selection process. Analysis of their experience, skills and potential through modern systems and how they might factor into the company’s hierarchy must be a critical step requiring comprehensive understanding of the situation.
Management will understand the workforce better than it did before. Employee reviews give extraordinary bits of knowledge about the professionals within the organizations. This aids in planning promotion structures as you will comprehend their requirements, profession goals and qualities and shortcomings of the potential candidates and how this might be remedied. By its nature, it is both diagnostic and curative in nature. Thus, it is able to effectively form a professional development program that fulfills the needs of the organization as well as aligning with the company’s long term vision.
Employees will begin to feel valued and along these lines be increasingly motivated at the workplace. Having a solid talent management culture determines how productive your workforce is and how invested they are in the business environments of your organization. There is no amount of decision making that can substitute this fundamental part of excellence and it gives organizations opportunities to make the most of exactly that.
The workforce will begin to build greater trust in your organization and its objectives. In the event that representatives are certain about talent management practices of the organization, they are bound to trust the vision of the organization. The outcome is a workforce that is locked in, dedicated and resolved to do what is best for your organization’s success. This fact makes it too important to look over, and having the right people under your wing can make all the difference in the world.
Leadership is an indispensable element of businesses that enables its people to identify their hidden potential and encourage them to work towards excellence.
The destiny of a firm is usually shaped by its people. The competency and dedication levels of the employees reflect in the organization’s year-end financial report. Therefore, nurturing the right talent is a prerequisite to success.
Organizations depend on their leaders to identify appropriate talent and develop it as per company requirements. However, no two leaders are the same and every company craves for a leadership that is aligned with its culture and values.
As a matter of fact, in the lack of good leadership, an organization is extremely prone to a negative employee turnover rate. As many studies in the recent past have proved that the style of leadership that thrives has a lot to with the satisfaction quotient of the employees. If the staff is not happy with how they are being led, it can have a huge effect on the employer brand of a firm and can make it seem unattractive for prospective candidates.
Thus, the leadership style that you foster in the workplace plays a gigantic role in your staff’s performance. A very common problem that most employers face in the present scenery is that their employees fail to take proud in their organization. And, the topmost reason contributing to this issue is leadership not being able to give a warm treatment to the worker. As a result of which, they tend to feel out of place and unfit for their organization.
HR Leader Role:
It is seen that the Human Resources department plays an eminent role in developing a company’s leadership. That being so, it is an essential duty on the shoulders of HR leaders to ensure that the organization is in the hands of good leadership that is not counterproductive.
To help accomplish this, the following points are important of HR leaders to consider:
The disparate leadership styles in a company and the way these styles find a place for themselves to compliment the firm’s overall leadership. Also, maintaining synergy between individual styles along with the overall style of leadership is crucial for ensuring harmony.
Each leadership style must compliment and should be aligned with the company’s culture. It’s also vital to see the wider picture together with thinking about the leadership styles that are required to craft the culture that you wish to maintain.
The exact leadership style which each team needs. The point is that every leadership style is different from the other and it’s critical to avoid situations where the style of leadership splits a team.
Business owners put a lot of faith in HR leaders who make the effort to link the company’s leadership to inclusivity. When all employees are provided with equal privileges, attention, and treatment, it helps them feel that they are in the right place and belong to the organization which apparently creates a sens
Training and growth are what primarily guide the career path of an HR professional as their role within organizations becomes progressively more specialized. The development of one’s skills is considered to be mandatory for long term success and this is most evident by the highest paid professionals within the industry. Most CHROs are distinguished by their scholastic wealth and professional excellence with many championing the initiative behind using certifications to augment your career with the qualifications and skills needed to cover leaps and bounds that take you higher up in the ladder by conquering and innovating with key business challenges and opportunities. Certificates also contribute in this fashion but they serve to fill in academic foundations that may be lacking, geared more toward research and learning than professional capability growth. As a matter of priority, it’s important to characterize exactly how these two choices contrast from each other and what precisely every one involves. While they might seem like related fields of expertise, they serve different purposes when it comes to their applicability and scope.
The Difference Between HR Certificates and Certifications
HR certificates are academic programs, provided to students who wish to learn about the industry, its theories, and its impact. They as a rule comprise of a bunch courses (five or six) and can be finished in as meager as one and a half months, or up to four months, contingent upon the specialization. Most programs highlight a specialization, with subjects including compensation systems, marketing and HR, and HR managements. A few programs like the certificate in HR designed by Cornell is a course that can be taken online with only a working internet connection. No prior academic experience is required to ensure you obtain an education from these programs, making them a decent alternative for the individuals who don’t have a four-year college education. It provides a smaller workload and depth of subject but ensures the candidate is able to broadly comprehend their topic in a logical and meaningful fashion.
Certification, on the other hand, function as a professional HR certification onlineand includes no academic experience. Like most other professional training programs, it is offered by privately owned businesses; in the field of HR. Diverse range of qualifications are up for offer depending upon your experience, interests and skillsets. They are accessible for both junior and senior employees, and eligibility is largely dependent on experience, above all else. Designed with practicality in mind, these specialized programs are what define the growth trajectory of a professional primarily within the private sector, although these programs exist in some form across multiple sectors. Filling in skill gaps and learning modern methodologies to future priorities is a dynamic approach to professional success that must be encouraged by the talent management departments within organizations. Recertification is also a part of this process where the candidate must take the course again, or a higher level course after a few years to keep their credential, and to stay updated with the latest skillsets and methodologies.
CareerBuilder recently announced that registered nurse is the hottest job of 2016. The rankings were based on the difference between jobs posted each month and new hires. For nurses, the popular job-hunting site found that there are nearly 200,000 more postings per month than nurses hired.
That’s a very promising number for nursing students entering the workforce. But when graduation is looming and the NCLEX is just around the corner, it’s easy to understand why some nursing students might feel anxious about putting together their first resume. No matter how hard you’ve hit the books, deftly relaying your skills on paper can be a monumental task.
It’s important to keep in mind that resumes aren’t a one-size-fits-all undertaking. Your resume should be much more than a filled-in template. However, following best practices and knowing what hiring managers want to see can go a long way.
Here are 5 tips for crafting your first nursing resume:
1) Be specific
Nurses entering the workforce may have a limited amount of professional experience, but detailing your clinical hours and simulation experience will show hiring managers the areas in which you’ve already had some hands-on training. For clinical rotations, Nursetogether.com recommends including unit, organization and dates. Also include the details of relevant volunteer experiences and internships.
2) Show off your computer knowledge
With the standardization of EHRs, comprehensive computer skills can make a big difference when you’re job hunting. List any medical software that you are familiar with, along with any other programs that will help you stand out among the competition.
3) Clean and update your social media and email address
When submitting online applications, there’s often an option to connect your app to LinkedIn and other social media profiles. Make sure your LinkedIn is up-to-date and is consistent with the information on your resume. When your profiles are tidy and professional, they can serve as a great supplementary resource to your resume and cover letter, especially if you’re active in groups and organizations connected to your field. Remember your email address should also reflect professionalism. There is a very different perception between bjames23@gmail.com and hotmomma@gmail.com.
4) Highlight all relevant licenses, certifications, awards, or special skills
When hiring managers are scanning your resume they need to get information as efficiently as possible. A certification or being bilingual may immediately differentiate you from the crowd and land you that desired job. Make sure the most important information is easy to locate on the page and that everything is up to date.
5) Showcase accomplishments rather than duties
While new grads will likely have limited field-relevant accomplishments in the working world, make sure the ones you do have stand out. Young professionals tend to list duties or job expectations, because they’re often easier to quantify. Use any academic, volunteer or professional duties as a starting point, and then expand those ideas to encapsulate larger successes.
Dr. Markham joined the Herzing University team in December 2011 after serving as nursing program director at Bryant & Stratton College, Milwaukee market and interim nursing program director at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, NC. Her previous experiences includes faculty positions at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE); Fayetteville State University and North Carolina Central University, as well as Duke University Medical Center. She has a background in nursing program planning and curriculum and program accreditation. She is active in the Wisconsin Nurses Association, Wisconsin Center for Nursing Board (WCN), and the Racine-Kenosha Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. As a nurse-educator she believes that learning is the act of gaining knowledge and skills that allow the person to effect social change and understand the impact of the actions of societal members on culture as a whole. Her role as a teacher is to facilitate and serve as a resource to promote the intrinsic search for knowledge inherent in all persons. She finds immense joy in seeing the accomplishments of her students and seeing the many “lumps of coal’ transformed into valuable “diamonds” who will contribute to the improvement of global healthcare and the enhancement of self and society.
Most organizations are powered by a diverse – and sometimes volatile – mix of personalities that don’t always mesh on a day-to-day basis. When you add in the reality of constant organizational change it’s no wonder some of us are frequently stressed out.
However, smart organizations find a way to preserve a strong corporate culture even in difficult times.
It is important that work expectations are aligned with the organization’s overall strategic plan. If that is done effectively, work performance will improve.
Some tips on how leaders can manage change during challenging times:
1) Have an open dialogue with staff to reconnect. This promotes a positive work environment among all staff members.
2) Remind people who are data-driven that they need to prioritize work synergy among all staff members. That might require them to take a more personal approach.
3) Promote a high sense of energy but don’t act anxious or angry. Be calm during difficult times.
4) Embrace organizational threats as an opportunity to improve work processes.
5) Neutralize all relentless people who promote a negative work environment.
Explain to them they are part of the organization and their cooperation is needed, especially during transitional phases.
By eliminating convoluted processes and focusing on a positive and straightforward company culture, organizations can better develop realistic goals and functional pathways to improvement.
Dr. Orlando Riverois a proven academic leader with strengths in developing students, faculty and community support. He serves as the Graduate Program Chair of Herzing University Online. During his tenure, additionally, Dr. Rivero is the Vice-President, JDT Management Consultants Inc. He serves as a Consultant for various enterprises in the U.S. and abroad, specializing in Human Resources Management, Strategic Management, Governmental Organization Administration, Latin American Industrial and Educational Management.
Dr. Rivero is a graduate of Argosy University where he completed his Doctoral degree in Business and completed his Master of Public Administration degree at Nova Southeastern University.
Before you accept the offer, make sure that the company culture is a good fit.
So, you’re a creative person, you’ve assembled a great design portfolio, and you’re ready to hit the job-hunting trail. Want to know how to find a great job that matches your values?
This article is about you and your specific needs as an artist, and your role in an organization.
Start by examining the big picture:
1. Do the company’s values align with yours? Would you feel proud to work there? Imagine yourself six months from now. You’re telling a friend about your job, and how it doesn’t even feel like work. You enjoy your job that much. Your friend asks about openings, and you tell her how to apply.
Tip: According to Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the best-selling book, What Color Is Your Parachute? asking friends is one of the best ways to find a job. Which technique ranks first? Doing homework on yourself, with emphasis on defining your values. Bolles’ 40-plus years of research shows an 86 percent success rate among job hunters who use this technique.
2. Is the company offering products or services that you believe in? For example, if you are against smoking and forbid it in your home, would you want to work at Philip Morris?
3. How big is the company? Do you want to work for a large corporation, an agency, or a boutique? What are the benefits of each? While a global company may offer the opportunity to work on a three-month project in the Shanghai office, you might be more comfortable in a locally-based boutique.
4. Corporations have very different political structures than agencies or boutiques. The work is very different as well. For example, will you be doing B2B work or do you want to be engaged in retail design? Or are you a more experienced designer who wants a seat at the CEO’s table? If you do, I recommend that you become familiar with Allen Samuels’ Design Thinking approach to problem solving.
5. Next, let’s consider the organizational culture. Is the company creative? Innovative? Team oriented? People oriented? Outcome oriented? What methods are used to produce new products and services? How does the business treat its employees? How does the culture align with your values?
After you’ve considered the big picture, think about your day-to-day life on the job. Here are six important questions:
1. How does the job align with your life? Do you need flexible hours? Can you work from home? If you’re responsible for the care of others – whether children, a spouse, or elders – these issues matter. What about travel? Some people like to hit the road. Others prefer to remain at home. And take a close look at the benefits package – the insurance, retirement plan, and time off for vacations, illness, and family leave. Would it work for you and your family?
2. Is there a career path? What is your starting role and where should you aspire to be in the company in five to 10 years?
3. What kind of inspiration and training will you be getting? Is the job in a large city or is it in the country? While some people feel inspired by the hustle and bustle of the city, others want to be surrounded by nature. And does the job have training or other opportunities to be inspired, such as lectures, workshops, mentorships, or group outings?
4. Who are your direct reports and what is the interaction like on a daily basis? What types of projects will you be working on, and with whom? Make sure that you understand the hierarchical structure of the organization.
5. Who has the final sign-off on assignments? Does each assignment come with an extensive list of people who must approve it? Or is one person in charge of approvals? One scenario isn’t better than the other. You need input from the right people to get your job done. This includes the person who makes the assignment – and knows what the client wants – and someone who okay’s the finished product.
6. What is the social environment like? Are there activities before, after, and during work? Would you want to be involved?
If you’re a creative person, company culture is of particular importance. We need a culture that inspires us to do our best work and align it to who we are as people. We want to know that we have improved other peoples’ lives with our work.
We also want to keep learning new things – and growing. So, make sure that you aren’t in a dead-end job. I see too many young people jumping ship for two reasons:
1. Their value system doesn’t align with their employer’s. 2. They’re bored at work and they’re stagnating.
Work can be so much more than just making a living. That’s why organizational behavior and company culture matters.
Christine Milot is an Adjunct Professor in the online Graphic Design Program at Herzing University. She has been a professional Graphic Designer for over 20 years and completed projects for clients such as Disney, Visa, Bankers Trust, Deloitte and Pepsi.
General education courses cover basic academic skills such as communication, abstract problem solving, and analysis. These skills are necessary to complete their major’s courses. At first one might think that a career in IT doesn’t require extensive writing (which we can debate in a future blog) but for school, an instructor might ask IT students to demonstrate their knowledge of current issues in network security by writing an essay. Another example, perhaps a career in criminal justice won’t require solving algebraic equations, but the quantitiative reasoning skills gained from an introductory algebra course will be necessary when reading and discussing the results of research studies about the impact of community policing. Learning these skills in Gen Ed classes prepares students for the coursework ahead.
Potential employees set themselves apart from other applicants by demonstrating their “soft skills.” In Gen Ed classes, students learn to write well, think critically and thrive in a diverse community, which are soft skills necessary for success in any profession. A report from business research consultant Hay Group reveals a disconnect between what recent graduates and employers value most. Researchers found that 70 percent of recent graduates believe technical skills are more important than people skills, but 90 percent of HR directors and business leaders believe employees with excellent soft skills have a stronger impact on the organization. Classes that address communication, critical thinking and diversity will set up students for success when they look for an internship and job.
#3 – Community participation and leadership
The impact of Herzing University graduates extend far beyond the workplace and into the community. In Gen Ed courses, students are empowered to make a difference. In social science courses, students see how they both shape and are shaped by the world we live in. In English classes, students practice leadership skills by using their voices effectively to advocate for important issues. Being engaged in Gen Ed courses helps students see how they can become leaders in their communities.
The good news is that Herzing University prepares students to excel in their careers after graduation by providing job-related knowledge. The great news is that’s not all. The reason Herzing University graduates are so successful is that they are well-prepared for anything they encounter in their academic, professional and civic lives. And it all starts with general education.
Tina Shanahan is Associate Professor of English at Herzing University and a doctoral student in the Language and Literacy program at Cardinal Stritch University. She feels grateful every day for the opportunity to work hard at a job she loves, fuel her passion for literacy through her doctoral studies, and raise two young boys.
By the time we’re more than a month into the New Year, many of us have forgotten – or just don’t want to follow through on our resolutions. In order to stay assertive with your goals for the year, I challenge you to break bad habits and minimize procrastination.
Breaking bad habits will provide you with more time to be productive. Sanyin Siang recently posted on LinkedIn that Mark Zuckerberg wears the same thing every day to minimize unnecessary decision-making, known as “decision fatigue,” in an effort to channel his effectiveness to key decision-making. For some, taking hours to decide on what to wear may be considered a bad habit, especially if it takes too much time.
Most of what we do throughout our lives is habitual. Habits, both good and bad, define who we are. I challenge you to drop one bad habit this year and replace it with a new, efficient habit to achieve the goals you set out to make throughout 2016.
Success does not always come overnight, therefore, try taking steps to improve your bad habits each week. Set measurable and attainable goals so that you can keep track of your progress. When you figure out how to change your habits, small efforts can create significant changes!
In closing, always remember that education is the K.E.Y. to success, so Keep Educating Yourself!
Theatis (Theo) Anderson, Jr is President of Herzing University – Atlanta Campus. Theo is a talented leader possessing 15 years of proven core strengths in the areas of operations and post-secondary education management coupled with expertise in strategic planning, leadership, and enhancing profitability. Since his transition into education, he has received various leadership awards and participated in various leadership academies. Most recent is Theo’s participation in Leadership DeKalb, a highly respected leadership development organization in DeKalb County, Georgia. He is a proud 2013 graduate of Leadership DeKalb. Theo was inducted into the 100 Black Men of America – DeKalb County chapter which will allow him to showcase his passion for helping youth achieve their educational and career goals throughout Metro Atlanta.
A physical therapist assistant (PTA) works under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. Together they work toward each patient’s goals using interventions such as therapeutic exercise, functional training, soft tissue massage, and various physical modalities. The PTA is an integral part of the team and communicates vital information to other team members, directly contributing to overall patient success. Due to the aging population, the demand for PTAs is expected to continue to grow. Is this career right for you?
Here are seven reasons you might make the perfect PTA:
You are a great communicator.PTAs work with patients and clients on a regular basis and often spend more time with them than many other providers. An important aspect of physical therapy is being able to effectively teach each patient, client, or family member how they can help care for themselves or their loved one.
You do not like sitting behind a desk.Physical therapists and PTAs work in fast-paced environments that keep both the mind and body active. As a profession that promotes mobility, function, and quality of life, PTAs live out these principles through their own work.
You love to inspire and motivate others. In the rehabilitation profession, the ultimate objective is to help people realize their goals. PTAs have the awesome responsibility of supporting people on their journey to reaching their potential, and that is the most rewarding component of physical therapy practice.
You want a flexible work schedule. Physical therapy can offer both part- or full-time schedules in a variety of settings. PTAs can work in hospitals, school systems, outpatient clinics, and skilled nursing facilities to name a few.
The human body fascinates you. PTAs need to be well-versed in how the human body works in order to effectively provide safe treatment. If your interest is piqued when flipping through the Discovery Channel or in a biology class, PTA might be a great step for you professionally.
You want to belong to a socially active profession. The APTA has a strong presence both nationally and in each state to help support PTs and PTAs. There are national and state conferences to connect with other professionals and to engage in continuing education both as a student and a licensed PTA.
You never want to stop learning. The world of medicine is ever-changing. It is an exciting field but also demands that those within it keep up with current research. At Herzing University, a student can earn their associate degree as a physical therapist assistant in 20 months, but the learning goes far beyond.
If you have a thirst for knowledge and a desire to use that learning to help others succeed, PTA may be the career path for you. Learn more about how to become a physical therapist assistant, including the education you need, information about certifications, and how much you can make as a PTA by state.
Kim DeChant is a physical therapist. She graduated from Marquette University with her doctorate in physical therapy in 2007 and earned her Neurologist Clinical Specialist Certification in 2010. Prior to working for Herzing University, she worked at the VA and is passionate about giving back to veterans. Her favorite part about her profession is having the opportunity to help both students and patients maximize their potential. She enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her three young children. When time allows, she experiments with new recipes.
When you sit down to study, are you the type of person who opens a book, then checks your phone, gets a snack, checks your phone again, talks with a study buddy and then finally starts reading just to repeat the entire process 10 minutes later?
Hitting the books or e-books can be tough, especially when your mind is racing in a dozen different directions. But the more you can concentrate on your work, the more time you’ll have to address all of your other obligations. For busy students, time management is key, and concentration is an integral component.
So, to help you make the most out of your study time, here are six tips to improve concentration:
1. Identify the best environment to help you concentrate Knowing where you are best able to concentrate is imperative to making the most of your time. If you need to be holed up at a desk in a quiet room, then make sure you have a dedicated study space and let your family or roommates know that you’re not to be disturbed. For others, a coffeehouse might be preferable, but keep in mind that public areas can quickly get crowded and noisy.
2. Minimize distractions Trying to study with the television and a dozen tabs open on your web browser is going to make it difficult to focus on your studies. Remove distractions, including your phone, from your workspace.
3. Write a to-do list It’s common to look at everything you need to get done and get overwhelmed. Breaking up your studying into smaller tasks will make easier to manage your time and provide a sense of accomplishment. This process also makes your goals more straightforward, so it’ll be harder to get lost in your workload.
4. Schedule study time Rather than scramble to meet deadlines, set aside time in your weekly schedule to study. In the long run, you’ll get used to studying at a certain time each day, and avoid the unnecessary stress caused by cramming sessions or all-nighters.
5. Make healthy snack choices Don’t let food drag you down. Choose snacks that will give you energy rather than ones that will make you lethargic. Again, this is where planning your study time can make a big difference. For example, if you’re going straight to class or the library from work, pack a healthy snack to help you push through rather than rely on the vending machine or fast food.
6. Take breaks Our brains aren’t meant to study for hours on end without any type of break. Instead, focus on a project for a 30- to 45-minute sprint, then break for a few minutes before moving to the next item on your list.
Phone interviews are a common way for companies to screen applicants, so make sure you leave a good impression or else you might not get in for a face-to-face meeting. Even though your interviewer can’t see you, he or she can learn pretty quickly whether you’re prepared or not. Here are some recommendations to help you ace this first step:
Prepare for the phone call like you would for a face-to-face interview Get up, get moving, shower, dress well and warm up your voice before the phone call the same way you would for a physical meeting. Your appearance will give you an extra boost of confidence. This can even improve how your voice sounds over the phone and will ensure that you don’t sound like you just got out of bed.
It can help to sit in front of a mirror. You’ll notice your facial queues, which translate over the phone via your voice. You will also have someone to interact with visually during the phone interview. It might seem awkward but you will want to let your personality show through the phone.
Answer the phone sitting up straight or standing. Laying down or getting to comfortable will constrict your air flow and change the tone of your voice. It can also lead you to be less professional in your conversation.
Be sure to find a quiet area (no pets) where you can have your materials laid out in front of you. While the latest smart phones and earpieces can block out a lot of background noises, barking dogs and kids can distract you from the task at-hand. It is also difficult to layout your resume, portfolio and laptop without worrying about someone spilling their coffee on you, a gust of wind blowing your papers around or running out of battery power.
Have a copy of your resume (make sure that it is the one you submitted for the job), a copy of the job posting and the job description printed; with your notes – highlight the points in the job description that align to your resume and the ones that you want to address. You can even have resources such as the company’s website up and notes for anticipated questions in front of you, since the other person won’t be able to see. Remember that hiring managers and recruiters expect you to be prepared for a phone interview, so make sure to do thorough research beforehand.
Minimize disruptions Don’t assume your interviewer only wants a few minutes of your time. Make sure you have set aside ample time before and after the set interview. Inform those that communicate with you often (significant others, family, friends) of your interview schedule so they don’t disrupt the call. To be safe, U.S. News & World Report recommends disabling distracting phone alerts and using a landline whenever possible to minimize the chance of losing the signal.
If you live with others, make sure they are aware of when you are interviewing over the phone so that they won’t be disruptive. If you have to get out of the house to do your interview, sit in your car or see if your local library or college has private study rooms that you can borrow.
Follow up! No matter how many times you’ve heard it, remember it’s always best practice to send a thank-you note. After a phone interview, emailing a quick thank you and summary of the conversation to the person or people to which you were talking makes a big impact. Follow up as soon as possible. Send an email within an hour or two, and if you’re sending a handwritten note, make sure it gets in the mail by the end of the day.
While on the road recently, I sat next to a fellow traveler. Once we got to talking, we realized our shared profession: nursing. I am a relatively new nurse of 14 years and she was a veteran with far more than 13 years of experience.
Though we’re in the same profession our career paths are very different. I work in perinatal nursing, where life begins, and she works as a hospice nurse, where life ends. Regardless of our different specialties, we share a common bond and thought process: once a nurse, always a nurse. We assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate everything. On our shared trip, we laughed about the things we had in common while we swapped stories.
As we approach National Nurses Week, it’s a good time to look at what nursing was, what nursing is, and what nursing will be. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2016), there are expected to be 1.5 million job openings for nurses in 2025. A contributing factor is the percentage of nurses who are likely to retire.
A recent survey shows that 55 percent of the current nursing workforce is 50 years of age or older (AACN, 2016). This means that many of these nurses will retire in the next 10 to 15 years. For National Nurses Week, let’s take the time to remember this segment of the nursing workforce that will soon retire and say “thank you.”
How nursing has changed
Many nurses approaching retirement started as “diploma nurses.” The diploma schools were tough. Students lived in school-provided housing and had a strict curfew. Clinical hours took place around the clock and could range from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 to 11 p.m. or 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Students were not granted the privilege of selecting their hours, and many were used to help staff hospital wards. They could be expected to work anytime.
These diploma nurses also received very little orientation after graduating. A new nurse on a perinatal unit would get three days of orientation. After the orientation period, the nurse was put in the labor room by his or herself and expected to take care of everything. This meant multiple deliveries, outpatients, and anything else that happened to come through the doors.
Today, new staff nurses receive at least eight weeks of orientation, if not more. After this orientation, the new nurse will be paired with a more seasoned nurse.
Another difference between then and now is charting. Back then, all charting was done on paper. A nurse did an assessment or implemented an intervention, or performed an evaluation of an intervention and wrote a progress or nurse’s note. Today, the majority of charting is done via computer. The chart, and even the medication record, is on the computer.
For those that started with only paper, changing to this new way of charting was disconcerting. For some, it was not worth the effort and they retired. For others, they figured it out with the younger staff and remained working.
On the flip side, the younger staff have a hard time completing a nurse’s note that is not computerized. The handwritten nurse’s note is a lost art! Yet computerized charting is here to stay, and the handwritten nurse’s note is slowly being retired.
These changes, big and small, help make nursing an exciting field to train for and be in. Who knows what challenges nurses will face in the future? Yet given the passion I see in both new nurses and nursing students, I have no doubt they will rise to the occasion and be very successful.
Thank you, nurses!
During this Nurses’ Week, we say “thank you” to all nurses, whether you have only days of experience or many years. Thank you to those who are ready to retire after a long career of service. Thank you to those who continue to care for your patients, regardless of specialty. Thank you to those who are newly licensed or training to become nurses.
To all nurses, we appreciate your service.
Interested in learning more about Herzing’s nursing programs? Learn more here.
Dr. Christina Silva is nurse and nurse educator who is passionate about preparing the next generation of nurses. She worked as a perinatal staff nurse at Uniontown Hospital, Uniontown, PA 15401, and is a nurse administrator at Herzing University’s Akron campus.
Police officers’ uniforms have come a long way. In Milwaukee, our law enforcement officers are dressed and equipped based on what we have learned from our involvement in previous events and incidents. We base our uniform on police culture from our past to present day. You could even say our police vehicles (squad cars) have evolved to meet new expectations both from law enforcement and the citizens we serve.
The way we dress is important because it must convey a message of teamwork, unity, organization and power. The police officer’s uniform is a form of non-verbal communication. When an officer arrives on scene, his or her uniform is meant to grab your attention, command respect and demonstrate consistency, strength and competence.
So let’s examine how police officers can dress in a way that is functional and effective. Over the last few years, our basic uniform material has changed from fabrics that were not comfortable or conducive to harsh weather and scene conditions to lightweight, safer materials that provide better protection and more ease of movement. Older uniforms were too hot and heavy in summer months and unsafe at fire scenes, because the fabric could melt and cause additional burns to your body. In addition, there have been several recent studies conducted regarding uniform color and the individual message each color conveys.
The equipment that we currently carry has also changed over the years based on societal needs, lessons learned and advancements in technology. When I first walked the street more than 16 years ago, the equipment issued was a semi-automatic handgun, pepper spray, a metal whistle, a call box key (which was slowly becoming obsolete), an expandable baton, a wooden baton, one set of handcuffs and a Sam Browne belt containing storage pouches and a gun holster.
To meet the ever-changing demands of our fast-paced world and to provide safety for our law enforcement and the public it protects, our equipment has evolved to add the following: tasers, body cameras and multiple sets of handcuffs. Even our flashlights have become more effective by being streamlined, smaller in size and more light weight with extremely powerful luminosity. Patches that have long been sewed into uniforms in some law enforcement agencies and divisions have also been updated due to negative connotations represented in some of the insignias. They have now been altered to send out a more positive reflection of the communities and towns they represent and serve.
“When an officer arrives on scene, his or her uniform is meant to grab your attention, command respect and demonstrate consistency, strength and competence.”
Our police vehicles (squads) have gone through a similar evolution for many of the same reasons. Some examples would be from blue and white squads to all black or black and white squads, depending on the jurisdiction. The equipment housed inside and outside of our vehicles has also changed from a very basic emergency lighting, the traditional “gumball” on the roof, to high tech LED lights that are more visible for longer distances. The radio communication system has advanced from an analog system to a digital system so that it is more secure, private and identifiable. It also allows for multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency forces to work together, providing Emergency Management, Police, Fire, and EMS full communication with one another.
These constant updates in equipment, as well as in the rules and expectations to use new equipment, are one of the reasons criminal justice education is so important. We need police officers that have strong knowledge of every piece of gear they are issued. Police officers must not only understand how to use these tools, but also the appropriate protocols for complex situations. A police officer’s uniform must be used to help create safe environments for the people he or she serves.
A police officer’s look is dictated by the history in which policing has evolved and the needs and wants of the society and community in which he or she serves. Crime is like electronics. It’s always changing and advancing. In order to keep up, police officers must adapt.
Mitch Ross started with the Milwaukee Police Department in 2000. He has been assigned to Milwaukee Police Districts #3 and #6 as a Patrol Officer and Field Training Officer, as well as assigned to the Anti-Gang Unit Squads at both districts. He has also worked in the Department’s Sensitive Crimes Division, which handles crimes against children and elderly. He is a member of the Milwaukee Police Major Incident Response Team. Mitch is an adjunct instructor at the Milwaukee Police Training Academy in the following unified tactics: CPR, DAAT, Firearms, Vehicle Contacts, Professional Communications /Tactical Communications, and Leadership in Police Organization. He is currently assigned to the Milwaukee Police Department’s lntelligence Fusion Center, Southeastern Threat Analysis Center Division.
Track2Training NGO has started 90 days tailoring & embroidery course so that women can become self-reliant and earn a sustained living.
Selection criteria
• Beneficiaries are selected through various methods like identification of the target families during field visits, enquiry within the local community and direct requests from potential beneficiaries. • Beneficiaries are then shortlisted based on their attitude and approach, education levels, learning capabilities, personal verification and by collecting data on the beneficiary’s socio-economical conditions.
Details of training
• Students are taught cutting, stitching and machine maintenance. • Both theory and practical sessions are conducted.
Post training
• Certificates are given to successful candidates. • Machines are distributed on 50% subsidy to ensure that they continue with the vocation.
The Faculty Development Program (FDP) conducted by Track2Training from June 10 to June 20, 2020, was a comprehensive and immersive online event designed to enhance the skills and competencies of educators in various aspects of teaching and learning. Here is a detailed overview of the program:
Overview
Event: Faculty Development Program Dates: June 10 – June 20, 2020 Mode: Online Organizer: Track2Training Objective: To equip faculty members with modern teaching methodologies, technological tools, and innovative strategies to improve educational delivery and student engagement.
Key Components
Curriculum and Content:
The program covered a broad range of topics relevant to contemporary educational practices.
Sessions included pedagogical innovations, assessment and evaluation techniques, curriculum design, and integration of technology in teaching.
Schedule and Structure:
The FDP was structured over 10 days, with daily sessions divided into lectures, workshops, and interactive discussions.
Each day consisted of multiple sessions, including keynotes from industry experts, hands-on training, and Q&A segments.
Learning Management System:
The program was facilitated through a robust online learning management system (LMS) that provided seamless access to resources, recorded sessions, and interactive tools.
Participants had access to a dashboard for tracking progress, submitting assignments, and engaging with peers and instructors.
Expert Speakers and Facilitators:
The FDP featured a lineup of distinguished speakers and facilitators from academia and industry.
Experts shared insights on various educational trends, technological advancements, and best practices in teaching.
Interactive and Practical Approach:
The sessions emphasized active learning through case studies, group activities, and role-playing exercises.
Participants were encouraged to share their experiences and apply new strategies in simulated classroom environments.
Assessment and Feedback:
Participants underwent periodic assessments to gauge their understanding and application of the content.
Feedback mechanisms were in place to provide constructive criticism and guide improvement.
Detailed Session Breakdown
Day 1-2: Introduction to Modern Pedagogy
Overview of current trends in education.
Understanding student-centered learning.
Techniques for fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Day 3-4: Technology Integration in Teaching
Utilizing digital tools for effective teaching.
Introduction to e-learning platforms and virtual classrooms.
Best practices for creating engaging multimedia content.
Day 5-6: Curriculum Development and Assessment
Principles of curriculum design and alignment with learning outcomes.
Innovative assessment techniques for measuring student performance.
Designing effective rubrics and feedback mechanisms.
Day 7-8: Enhancing Student Engagement
Strategies for motivating and engaging students.
Incorporating gamification and interactive elements in lessons.
Understanding diverse learning styles and adapting teaching methods.
Day 9: Research and Innovation in Education
Encouraging research-based teaching practices.
Exploring opportunities for educational research and publication.
Introduction to grant writing and research funding.
Day 10: Reflection and Future Directions
Reflecting on learning outcomes and personal growth.
Developing action plans for implementing new strategies.
Networking and collaboration opportunities with fellow educators.
Outcomes and Benefits
Enhanced Skill Set: Participants gained practical skills in curriculum development, technology integration, and student engagement.
Professional Development: The program contributed to participants’ professional growth, enhancing their teaching effectiveness and career prospects.
Networking Opportunities: Attendees connected with peers, experts, and industry leaders, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Certification: Participants received a certificate of completion, validating their participation and newly acquired competencies.
The Faculty Development Program organized by Track2Training from June 10 to June 20, 2020, was a highly impactful initiative that equipped educators with essential skills and knowledge to navigate the evolving landscape of education. Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications, the program successfully addressed the challenges faced by modern educators and provided a platform for continuous learning and professional advancement.
उम्र के लिहाज से ज्यादा प्रतिभावान, दोनों हाथों से रैकेट पकड़कर बैक हैंड शाॅट लगाने वाली, विश्व टेनिस में सबसे तेजी से रैकिंग सुधारने वाली 18 वर्षीय यह बाला भारत में हैदराबाद शहर में जन्मी और बढ़ी। मात्र 18 वर्ष की इस बाला ने अपने खेल से विश्व टेनिस में सनसनी फैला दी है। इस बाला के पास जज्बा है, महत्वकांक्षा है और ऐसी दमखम वाली कलाई है जिसने विशेषज्ञों को भी हैरत में डाल दिया है। उसका जोश टेनिस कोर्ट पर बिजली की चमक पैदा कर देता है। वह रमेश कृष्णन के बाद दुनिया के चोटी के 50 टेनिस खिलाड़ियों में पहुंचने वाली पहली भारतीय है। वह टेनिस की ऐसी उभरती खिलाड़ी है। जो डब्ल्यू. टी. ए. रैकिंग सूची में तेजी से ऊपर चढ़ रही है। पिछले 18 माह में ही वह आश्चर्यजनक ढंग से 264 अंक ऊपर आ गई है।
बेहद कम उ्र्रम और कम समय में एक के बाद एक कामयाबी, कोर्ट में उतरने के समय हर बार दर्शकों के बीच भारी हलचल, दुनिया भर के स्टेडियमों में उनकी हौसला अफजाई के लिए मौजूद उनके ऐसे प्रशंसकों की बढ़ती फौैज, डब्ल्यू. टी. ए. की वेबसाइट के मुताबिक यह तथ्य कि वे यू.एस. ओपन में तीसरी ऐसी महिला खिलाड़ी थीं, जिनकी सबसे ज्यादा तस्वीरें खींची गईं। जिन्दगी तथा टेनिस के प्रति एकदम नया नजरिया, नाक तथा कान की बालियों का शौक और जोरदार संदेश वाली टी-शर्ट सानिया मिर्जा की खास पहचान है। उनके प्रदर्शन से ज्यादा महत्त्वपूर्ण उनका रवैया है, ंजैसा कि टेनिस स्टार लिएंडर पेस कहते हैं- ’’उनके खेल का एक दिलचस्प पहलू उनकी यह सोच है कि किसी भी खिलाड़ी को हराया जा सकता है।’’
सानिया के चमत्कारिक उत्थान की एक वजह यह है कि उनके पास हमेशा साथ सफर करने वाले कोच जाॅन फैरिंगटन हैं, जो टेनिस के दिग्गज हैं और पिछले दो दशक से कोच हैं, वे अपने शार्गिद को चोटी की 10 खिलाड़ियों में लाने के लिए जद्दोजहद कर रहे हैं।
सानिया मिर्जा ने फरवरी 2004 में अपने गृह नगर हैदराबाद के दर्शकों के सामने अपना पहला डब्ल्यू. टी. ए. खिताब जीता – युगल का ताज। फ्रेंच ओपन में उन्होंने सीधे ग्रैण्ड स्लैम में प्रवैश लेने वाली पहली भारतीय महिला बनकर इतिहास रच दिया। सानिया ने अपना पहला टूर्नामेेंट भारत में 2002 में आइ. टी. एफ. वुमन सर्किट में खेला- वे तब मात्र 14 साल की थीं। उन्होंने नौ मैचों में उस समय 6 में जीत दर्ज की।
सानिया ने छः साल की उम्र में तब टेनिस खेलना शुरू किया था जब उनके माता-पिता प्रिंटिग प्रेस चलाते थे। वे गर्मी की छुट्टियों के दौरान उन्हें टेनिस सिखाने ले जाते थे। सानिया ने एक साल से भी कम समय में अपने कौशल को निखार लिया। जब वे 12 साल की थीं तो उन्होंने अंडर-14 और अंडर-16 की राष्ट्रीय चैम्पियनशिप जीतीं। तभी उन्होंने टेनिस को अपना करिअर बनाने का फैसला कर लिया। जब वे मात्र 11 साल की जूनियर खिलाड़ी थीं तभी जी. वी. के. गु्रप ने उनकी प्रतिभा को पहचान लिया और वह उनका पहला प्रायोजक बन गया। प्रोमोटर जी. वी. कृष्ण रेड्डी, जो खुद टेनिस खिलाड़ी हैं, कहते हैं – ’’हममें से कुछ लोगों ने उनका खेल देखा और उन्हें समर्थन देने का फैसला कर लिया।’’
सानिया ने उम्र के लिहाज से कहीं ऊंची प्रतिभा का परिचय दिया है लेकिन अंततः उनके भविष्य का फैसला इस आधार पर होगा कि अपनी शोहरत, दबाव, खामियों और वरीयता क्रम में अपने से ऊपर के खिलाड़ियों से मैदान में कैसे निपटती हैं। फिलहाल, दुनिया भारतीय खेल जगत की इस सनसनी का दिल खोलकर स्वागत कर रही है।
गाीता में भगवान श्रीकृष्ण कहते हैं- ’चातुर्वण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्म विभागशः।’ अर्थात चार वर्ण-बा्रहाण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य, शूद्र-गुण एवं कर्म के आधार पर मेरे द्वारा रचित हैं। भगवान बुद्ध और महावीर ने भी कहा है- ’मनुष्य जन्म से नहीें, वरन कर्म से बा्रहाण या शुद्र होता है।’ पहले बा्रहाण का पुत्र व्यवसाय करता था, तो वह वैश्य हो जाता था। सभी आपस में मिलजुल रहते थे। पर, कुछ कट्टर जातिवादियों ने इसके मूल स्वरूप में परिवर्तन ला दिया। धीरे-धीरे यह विभाजन कर्म के अनुसार न होकर जन्म के आधार पर होने लगा। शूद्र पुत्र को क्षत्रिय का कार्य करने की प्रवृत्ति रखने पर भी शूद्र का ही कार्य करना पड़ता था। जाति के बाहर विवाह करना या अन्य जाति वालो के साथ रहन-सहन करना धर्म-विरूद्ध घोषित कर दिया गया, जिससे समाज में भाईचारे का सम्बन्ध खत्म हो गया और जातिवादी झगड़े होने लगे। यहीं से जातिवाद की गलत परम्परा चह पड़ी। मध्यकालीन भारत में यह जातिवाद सुरसा की तरह मुंह फैलाए हुए था।
जातिवाद देश के विकास में सबसे बड़ा बाधक है। इसके सहारे जहां एक ओर प्रतिभाहीन व्यक्ति ऊंचे-ऊंचे पदों को सुशोभित कर रहे हैं, वहीं दूसरी ओर प्रतिभावान दर-दर की ठोकरें खाते-फिरते हैं। इससे राष्ट्रीय क्षमता का हृास होता है। देश अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय स्पद्धाओं में पिछड़ जाता है। सामाजिक एकता के स्थान पर समाज खण्ड-खण्ड हो जाता है। देश की आजादी खतरे में पड़ जाती है। राष्ट्र कवि दिनकर ने जाति व्यवस्था पर कटाक्ष करते हुए लिखा है- भारत को सुखी और शक्तिशाली राष्ट्र बनाने के लिए जातिवाद का समूल विनाश आवश्यक है। इसके लिए चलचित्र, साहित्य, प्रेस, अखबार, टेलिविजन आदि प्रचार-साधनों के द्वारा जाति विरोधी प्रचार करना आवश्यक है। अन्तर्जातीय विवाहों को प्रोत्साहित किया जाना चाहिए। सरकार द्वारा अस्पृश्यता एवं छूआछूत को राष्ट्रीय अपराध घोषित किया जाना चाहिए। अगर सरकारी नीति ऐसी है भी तो व्यवहार में यह कहीे दिखता नहीं है, बल्कि सरकार में शामिल नेता जातिवाद को और प्रश्रय देते हैं। वे जातिवाद को अपनी राजनीतिक सफलता के लिए हथकण्डा बनाते हैं। अभी वर्तमान में जो स्थिति है उससे तो यही मालूम पड़ता है कि भारत से जातिवाद कभी विदा नहीे हो सकता । अब भी बहुत से ऐसे मंदिर हैं, जहां हरिजनों का प्रवेश वर्जित है। बहुत-सी ऐसी जातियां हैं जिसकी छाया से भी उच्च वर्ग के लोग परहेज करते हैं। आज के परिवेश में वे नेता कितने निर्लज्ज हैं जो जातीय सम्मेलन आयोजित करते हैं। इसके समापन के लिए सभी राजनीतिक दलों, समाज-सुधारकों, धार्मिक संस्थाओं एवं स्वयंसेवी एवं सामाजिक संस्थाओं को कारगर प्रयास करना चाहिए। राजा राममोहन राय, स्वामी दयानन्द, महात्मा गांधी, विनोबा भावे के बताए मार्ग पर चलकर ही इस लक्ष्य को प्राप्त किया जा सकता है। आम चुनावों में नेताओं द्वारा जात-पात का नारा दिया जाता है। सरकार को इसे कानूनी रूप से रोकना चाहिए। पंÛ जवाहर लाल नेहरू के शब्दों में-’’भारत में जाति-पाति प्राचीन काल में चाहे कितनी भी उपयोगी क्यों न रही हो, परन्तु इस समय सब प्रकार की उन्नति के मार्ग में भारी बाधा और रूकावट बन रही है। हमें इसे जड़ से उखाड़कर अपनी सामाजिक रचना दूसरे ही ढंग से करनी चाहिए।’’
सारांशतः जातिवाद भारत के माथे पर कलंक है। इसे मिटाकर ही इस अखण्ड एवं शक्तिशाली भारत की कल्पना कर सकते हैं। सुमित्रानंदन पंत की इन पंक्तियों से भी यही भाव उजागर होता है-
सेतुसमुद्रम नौवहन परियोजना ;ैमजनेंउनकतंउ ैीपच ब्ंदंस च्तवरमबज.ैैब्च्) भारत और श्रीलंका के बीच एक परियोजना है। भारत और श्रीलंका के बीच समुद्र की गहराई बढ़ाकर इस मार्ग को नौवहन योग्य बनाने की परियोजना के तहत तमिलनाडु में कोडैकनाल के तट से 45 कि.मी. दूर खाड़ी में खुदाई का काम प्रारम्भ हो चुका है।
लगभग 100 साल पुरानी सेतुसमुद्रम परियोजना को केन्द्र सरकार की मंजूरी मिलने के बाद ही यह काम शुरू हो सका। इस पर 2427.40 करोड़ रुपये खर्च होने का अनुमान है। इस परियोजना के तहत भारत और श्रीलंका के बीच स्थित पाक-जलडमरूमध्य से होकर चैनल की खुदाई की योजना है जिससे भारत के पूर्वी एवं पश्चिमी तटों में आने-जाने वाले जलपोतों को श्रीलंका का चक्कर लगाकर नहीं जाना पडे़गा बल्कि वे सीधे जा सकेंगे। इससे जलपोतों को 424 नाॅटिकल मील (780 कि.मी.) दूरी की बचत के साथ-साथ यात्रा के दरम्यान लगभग 30 घंटे समय की बचत भी होगी। सुरक्षा के दृष्टिकोण से भी यह परियोजना काफी लाभदायक सिद्ध होगी। नौ सैनिक तथा सीमा सुरक्षा गार्ड अब श्रीलंका का चक्कर लगाकर जाने की बजाय सीधे गश्त लगा सकेंगे।
इस परियोजना के तहत बंगाल की खाडी़ (ठंल व िठमदहंस) और मन्नार की खाड़ी (ळनस िव िडंददंत) के मध्य भारत के विशिष्ट आर्थिक क्षेत्र में समुद्र के भीतर चट्टानों को काटकर जल की गहराई बढ़ाकर नौवहन योग्य चैनल का निर्माण किया जाना है। स्वेज नहर और पनामा नहर की तर्ज पर बनाए जाने वाले इस नौवहलनीय जलमार्ग का निर्माण पूर्ण होने पर भारत के पूर्वी व पश्चिमी तटों के बीच नौवहन के लिए पोतों को श्रीलंका का चक्कर नहीं लगाना पडे़गा।
वास्तविकता यह है कि इस परियोजना की परिकल्पना सौ साल से अधिक पहले इंडियन मैरींस के कमाण्डर ए.डी. टेलर ने सन् 1860 में की थी। अनुमान है कि इस परियोजना को पूरा होने में तीन साल का समय लगेगा। यों तो यह आर्थिक रूप से फायदे वाली परियोजना का चैतरफा विरोध हो रहा है। विरोध में जो मुद्दे सामने आए हैं, वे इस प्रकार हैं-
– क्या परियोजना में मन्नार की खाड़ी के नाजुक जैव क्षेत्र के बारे में दी गई पर्यावरणविदों की चेतावनी पर ध्यान दिया जा रहा है?
– क्या केन्द्र सरकार ने समुद्री जीवन पर परियोजना के पड़ने वाले प्रभाव का अध्ययन किया है जिससे यह हमेशा के लिए बर्बाद हो सकता है?
– क्या परियोजना में जीवित मूंगे की खूबसूरत चादर और मैन्ग्रोव ईकोसिस्टम पर ध्यान दिया गया है?
– क्या मछुआरों के विस्थापित होने की स्थिति पर विचार किया गया है ?
इस परियोजना का विरोध कर रहे संगठनों का कहना है कि इस परियोजना से मन्नार की खाडी़ का समुद्री पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र बिगड़ जाएगा। जैव विविधता भी स्थायी रूप से प्रभावित होगी और परंपरागत मछुआरों के लिए रोजी-रोटी के लाले पड़ जाएंगे। वास्तव में मन्नार की खाडी़ जीवित वैज्ञानिक प्रयोगशाला का काम करती है, जिसका राष्ट्रीय और अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय महत्व है। सागर विज्ञानियों के मुताबिक अगर यह मान भी लिया जाए कि परियोजना मेंक सभी बातों का ध्यान रखा जाएगा और खुदाई की गतिविधियों से पर्यावरण को नुकसार नहीं पहुंचेगा तो भी जहाजों की आवाजाही में वृद्धि होने से नाजुक पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र नष्ट हो जाएगा। समुद्री अध्ययन विज्ञानी डाॅ. अरण्यचलम कहते हैं-’’सबसे अधिक चिंता की बात यह है कि जहाज बंदरगाह में प्रवेश करने से पहले गंदा पानी छोड़ता है जिसमें विदेशी प्रजाति के जीव और अंडे होते हैं। ये जीव मन्नार की खाडी़ में भी आ सकते हैं और यहां के पौधे, प्राणियों और दूसरी चीजों को नुकसान पहुंचा सकते हैं।’’
इन विरोधों के मद्देनजर केन्द्र सरकार ने हाल में परियोजना के पर्यावरणीय प्रभावों के अध्ययन के लिए आठ सदस्यीय समिमि का गठन किया है। यह समिति समय-समय पर संबंधित संस्थाओं को परियोजना के प्रतिकूल प्रभावों के बारे में जानकारी देगी।
पर्यावरणवादियों की आपŸिायां दर्ज कराई हैं। उनका विरोध इन बातों पर है-
– सुखा सहित जलवायु में बदलाव की आशंका
– पŸानों में बाढ़ की संभावना
– समुद्र के अपरदन की आशंका
चूंकि मन्नार की खाड़ी एवं बंगाल की खाडी़ में जलस्तर भिन्न है और परियोजना के पूरा होने के बाद धारा प्रवाह में बदलाव आएगा, इसी से श्रीलंकाई तटीय भूमि पर बाढ़ की संभावना बनी रहेगी। पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र प्रभावित होने के कारण जलवायु भी परिवर्तित होगी और परियोजना से कोलंबो पŸान के अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय परिवहन पर प्रतिकूल प्रभाव पडे़गा।
एक होने के भाव को ‘एकता’ कहते हैं। किसी काम को करते समय हाथ की पांचों उंगलियों का एक होना, तिनकों को मिलाकर रस्सी का निर्माण, ईंटों के संयोग से दीवार का निर्माण, कुछ व्यक्तियों के मेल से परिवार का निर्माण एवं छोटे-छोटे राज्यों के संयोग से एक शक्तिशाली राष्ट्र का निर्माण इत्यादि एकता के कुछ दृष्टान्त हैं। यदि मानव परस्पर पृथक-पृथ्क होकर विचार एवं कार्य करे तो उसकी प्रगति असम्भव है एवं उसका पालन धु्रव सत्य है। अतः व्यक्ति को मन, वचन और कर्म से एक होकर कार्य करना चाहिए। यही एकता है।
एकता के महत्व से सम्बन्धित अनेक लोकोक्तियां प्रचलित है। यथा- संघे शक्तिः कलौयुगे; दस की लाठी एक का बोझ; अकेला चना भाड़ नहीं फोड़ सकता, इत्यादि। एक तिनके की क्या हस्ती लेकिन जब वही तिनका संगठित होकर रस्सी बन जाता है। तब इससे बलशाली हाथी भी बंध जाता है। एक ईट की क्या बिसात लेकिन, जब यही ईट मिलकर दीवार बनती है, तब उसे तोड़ना मुश्किल हो जाता है। एक बूंद जल का क्या अस्तित्व लेकिन जब इन्हीं बूंदों के मेल से सागर का निर्माण होता है तो उसे लांघना दुष्कर हो जाता है। एक चीटीं की क्या औकात। लेकिन जब यही चीटीं एकजुट हो जाती है तब अपने से बड़े आकार के जीवों को चट कर जाती है।एकता के महत्व से सम्बन्धित एक किसान, उसके बच्चे और लकड़ी के टुकड़ों की कथा प्रचलित है। लकड़ी के टुकड़े जब अलग-अलग रहते हैं।, तब बच्चों द्वारा वे आसानी से तोड़ दिए जाते हैं। परन्तु वे ही टुकड़े जब संगठित होकर गट्ठर बन जाते हैं। तब बच्चे उसे तोड़ नहीं पाते हैं, इन दृष्टान्तों से स्पष्ट है कि एकता में ही बल है।ेे
अ्रंगेजी में एक कहावत है- संगठित होने पर हम खड़े होंगे और असंगठित होने पर बिखर जाएंगे। इतिहास साक्षी है- जब-जब हमारी एकता विखण्डित हुई है, तब-तब हम पराधीन हुए हैं और जब-जब हम संगठित हुए हैं, दुश्मन को भागना पड़ा है। कौरवों और पाण्डवों की आपसी फूट के कारण इतना बड़ा महाभारत हुआ। विभीषण की एक फूट के कारण ही रावण जैसे शक्तिशाली राजा का विनाश हुआ। पृथ्वीराज और जयचन्द की फूट के कारण ही हमारा देश विदेशियों का गुलाम बना। ठीक दूसरी ओर एकताबद्ध भारत ने चन्द्रगुप्त और चाणक्य के नेतृत्व में विश्व विजयी सिकंदर का मान-मर्दन किया। नेपोलियन के नेतृत्व में संगठित फ्रांस ने यूरोप पर कब्जा जमाया। द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध में पराजित अणु बमों से ध्वस्त जापान एकता के कारण ही आज विश्व की एक शक्ति है। गांधी जी के नेतृत्व में जब सारा हिन्दुस्तान एक हो गया, तब अंग्रेजों को भागना पड़ा और हमें स्वतंत्रता मिली।
लेकिन आज जातीयता, साम्प्रदायिकता एवं क्षेत्रीयता हमारी एकता की नींव को भीतर ही भीतर खोखली करती जा रही है। आज जगह-जगह जातीय हिंसा एवं अगड़े-पिछड़े के बीच दंगों से हमारी शक्ति बिखर रही है। राष्ट्रीय एकता की लौ मद्धिम पड़ती जा रही है। इसी फूट के कारण एक दिन विदेशी हमारे शासक बन बैठे थे। हम पुनः गुलाम न बन जाएं, इसके लिए हमें पहले से ही सचेष्ट रहना चाहिए। यह तभी सभ्भव है, जब हम भारतवासी क्षुद्र स्वार्थपरक राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर घर की फूट को रोकें।
ज्ञातव्य है कि भारतीय फिल्म उद्योग दुनिया में सबसे बड़ा है। सांस्कृतिक क्षेत्र में फिल्म निर्माण एवं प्रदर्शन का स्थान महत्त्वपूर्ण है। क्योंकि जनतंत्र में यह सर्वाधिक प्रशंसित विधा है। जनता के राय-निर्माण और उन्हें जानकारियां उपलब्ध कराने मंे, उनके जीवन और परंपराओं को समझने में फिल्मों की उल्लेखनीय भूमिका होती है। लोगों के विचारांे और सोच को प्रभावित करने की क्षमता जितनी फिल्मों में है उतनी अन्य किसी माध्यम में नहीं। वस्तुतः फिल्में भारतीय जीवन का एक अभिन्न अंग बन गई हैं। भारत में प्रेस स्वतंत्र है और यही स्वतंत्रता फिल्मों को भी हासिल है। यह सरकारी नियंत्रण से मुक्त स्वतंत्र उद्यम है। सिनेमा अथवा प्रेस को संविधान में अलग से सूचीबद्ध नहीं किया गया है। प्रेस और सिनेमा संविधान के मौलिक अधिकारों में शामिल हैं। जिनमें बोलने और अभिव्यक्ति (अनुच्छेद 10 (1) (क) में वर्णित) की स्वतंत्रता को शामिल किया गया है। अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता का अर्थ है अपने विचारों को वाणी, लेखन, चित्रकला अथवा फिल्म सहित किसी अन्य तरीके से व्यक्त करने की स्वतंत्रता।
मीडिया हमारे देश में आजाद है लेकिन फिल्म के संदर्भ में यह आवश्यक समझा गया कि बाजार में प्रदर्शित किए जाने से पूर्व एक बार उनकी जांच कर ली जाए। ऐसा इसलिए कि दृश्य-श्रव्य (।नकपव.टपेनंस) माध्यम होने के कारण इसका प्रभाव मुद्रित सामग्री की बनिस्बत काफी अधिक होता है। फिल्म विचारों और गतिविधियों को प्रेरित करती है तथा अधिक ध्यान आकर्षित करती हैं। हमारे देखने और सूनने की इंद्रियों को इसका प्रभाव एक साथ उद्वेलित करता है। पर्दे पर तीव्र प्रकाश का केंद्रण तथा तथ्यांे और विचारों की नाटकीय प्रस्तुति उन्हें अधिक प्रभावशाली बनाती है। सिनेमाघर के धुंधलके में अभिनय और आवाज, दृश्य और ध्वनि का संगम एकाग्रता भंग करने वाले सभी कारकों को नष्ट करते हुए दर्शकों के मस्तिष्क पर स्पष्ट प्रभाव डालता है। इसलिए कहा जा सकता है कि फिल्मों में भावनाओं को आहत करने की जितनी क्षमता है उतनी ही बुरा करने की भी। इन्हीं विशेषताआंे के आलोक में, खासकर इस तथ्य के मद्देनजर कि आमतौर पर दर्शक सिनेमा की अंतर्वस्तु के चयन को लेकर सतर्क नहीं होते, इस माध्यम की तुलना अन्य माध्यमों से नहीं की जा सकती। इसीलिए, समाचार-पत्रों और पत्रिकाओं की तरह इसे स्वच्छंद रूप से प्रदर्शित नहीं किया जा सकता और उनकी सेंसरशिप न केवल अपेक्षित, बल्कि अनिवार्य हो जाती हैं।
भारत में फिल्मों का प्रदर्शन केन्द्रीय फिल्म प्रमाणन बोर्ड द्वारा उन्हंे प्रमाणित करने के बाद ही किया जा सकता है। बेरोक-टोक सभी वर्ग के दर्शकों को दिखाई जाने योग्य फिल्मों को ‘यू’ प्रमाणपत्र दिया जाता है। जिन फिल्मों को 12 वर्ष से कम उम्र के बच्चों को न दिखाने योग्य माना जाता है, उन्हें ‘यू/ए’ प्रमाणपत्र जारी किया जाता है। केवल वयस्कों को दिखाई जा सकने वाली फिल्मों को ‘ए’ प्रमाणपत्र जारी किया जाता है। सार्वजनिक प्रदर्शन के लिए अनुपयुक्त फिल्मों को प्रमाणपत्र जारी नहीं किया जाता है।
केन्द्रीय फिल्म प्रमाणन बोर्ड का गठन 1952 के अधिनियम तथा सिनेमेटोग्राफ (प्रमाणन) विनियम 1993 के अनुरूप किया गया। वर्तमान समय में मुंबई, कोलकाता, चेन्नई, हैदराबाद, बंगलोर, गुवाहाटी, तिरूवनन्तपुरम, कटक तथा नई दिल्ली में नौ क्षेत्रीय कार्यालय हैं जो फिल्म निर्माण के केन्द्रीय तथा उदयमान केन्द्रों की आवश्यकताओं की पूर्ति करते हैं। इस तरह बोर्ड पूरी तरह से एक विकेन्द्रीकृत संस्था है जो भारत जैसे देश की विविधता के अनुरूप है। प्रत्येक क्षेत्रीय कार्यालय की परामर्शदात्री समिति के सदस्य भी विभिन्न विधाओं का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं ताकि समाज मंे व्याप्त विभिन्न दृष्टिकोणों और विचारों का फिल्म प्रमाणन के क्रम में प्रतिनिधित्व कर सकें।
बोर्ड में फिल्मों की जांच और संशोधन की दो अलग-अलग समितियां होती हैं। इनसे फिल्म प्रमाणन की प्रक्रिया द्विस्तरीय हो जाती हैं। जांच समिति में विचार-मतभेद होने की स्थिति में अथवा उनके निर्णय से आवेदक के असंतुष्ट होने की हालत मेें फिल्म को संशोधन समिति के पास भेजा जाता है। बोर्ड के निर्णय के खिलाफ फिल्म प्रमाणन अपीलीय ट्रिब्यूनल मंे अपील की जा सकती है, जिसके उध्यक्ष उच्च न्यायालय के आवकाश प्राप्त न्यायाधीश होते हैं। प्रमाणन संबंधी नियम विदेशी फिल्मों, डब की गई फिल्मों तथा वीडियों फिल्मों का प्रमाणन नहीं होता, क्योंकि दूरदर्शन स्वयं फिल्मों की जांच करता है।
बदलते हुए सामाजिक परिदृश्य में सेक्स तथा हिंसा के प्रदर्शन को रोकने हेतु निम्नांकित उपाय किए गए हैं-
– दूरदर्शन पर दिखाए जाने वाली भारतीय फिल्मों के टेªलर और गानों को अब प्री-सेंसरशिप के लिए भेजा जाता है।
– यह सुनिश्चित किया गया है कि प्रत्येक जांच समिति/संशोधन समिति की कम से कम 50 प्रतिशत सदस्य महिलाएं हों।
– बोर्ड तथा परामर्शदात्री समिति के सदस्यों को दिशा-निर्देशों का कठोरतापूर्वक पालन करने के लिए कहा गया है।
– जिन दिशा-निर्देशों का बार-बार उल्लंघन किया जाता है, उनके बारे में स्पष्टीकरण जारी किए गए हैं।
– किसी फिल्म के सार्वजनिक प्रदर्शन की अनुशंसा करने वाली जांच समिति/संशोधन समिति/फिल्म प्रमाणन अपीलीय ट्रिब्यूनल के सदस्यांे के नाम उसके प्रमाणपत्र पर दिखाए जाते हैं।
इधर सिनेमा संस्कृति की पांरपरिक दृष्टि में बदलाव आ रहा है और अधिक बोल्ड तथा लीक से हटकर विषयों पर फिल्में बनाई जा रही हैं। नागरिक अधिकार संगठन भी काफी सक्रिय हो उठे हैं और फिल्मकारों से बच्चों के साथ दुव्र्यवहार, महिलाओं की घिसी-पिटी छवि की प्रस्तुति, पशुओं के प्रति क्रूरता आदि जैसे विषयों पर निरंतर संवाद कर रहे हैं। इन सब कारणों से सेंसरशिप का कार्य और अधिक चुनौतीपूर्ण हो गया है। हर वक्त तेजी से परिवर्तनशील समाज की नब्ज पर ध्यान रखना जरूरी हो गया है। लेकिन यह सवाल अभी भी बना हुआ है कि दर्शकों के लिए क्या उपयुक्त है और क्या नहीं, इसका निर्णय कौन करे? इस सवाल का उत्तर आसान नहीं है। हां, यह जरूर कहा जा सकता है कि संेसरशिप को समाज के प्रति जवाबदेह होना चाहिए। इसका मकसद मनमाने तरीके से कैंची चलाकर खेल खराब करना न हो, बल्कि फिल्मों की इस तरह जांच करना हो कि दर्शकों की संवेदनाएं आहत न होने पाएं, यही सबसे बड़ी चुनौती है।
विश्व के 8 प्रमुख औद्योगिक लोकतंात्रिक देशों का समूह G 8 के नाम से जाना जाता है। इसके सदस्य देश हैं- अमेरिका, ब्रिटेन, जापान, इटली, फ्रांस, जर्मनी, कनाडा, व रूस। इसके गठन की शुरूआत 1975 में संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका, ब्रिटेन, जापान, जर्मनी व फ्रांस ने न्यूयाॅर्क में G5 से की। कुछ दिनों बाद इटली के शामिल होने से यह G6 हो गया। 1976 में कनाडा और रूस (जो पहले सिर्फ डायलाॅग पार्टनर थे) इसमें शामिल नहीं थे, 1998 में इसमें शामिल हो गये और G6 पुनः G 8 हो गया। इस समूह की वार्षिक बैठक होती है, जिसमें सदस्य देश पारस्परिक हितों, अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय राजनीति व अर्थव्यवस्था, तृतीय विश्व के देशों की समस्याएं, विश्व शांति एवं सुरक्षा तथा विज्ञान और तकनीकी प्रसार जैसे विषयों पर विचार विमर्श करते हैं तथा इनसे संबंधित कार्यक्रमों को लागू करने की योजना बनाते हैं। 2000 में जापान में नागो-ओकीनावा में सम्पन्न इस समूह की बैठक में गरीब देशों के ऋण को माफ करने का निर्णय किया गया। 2005 में स्काॅटलैंड के ग्लेनिंगलन में आयोजित शिखर सम्मेलन में पांच प्रमुख विकासशाील देशों को बैठक में भाग लेने क लिए आमंत्रित किया गया। ये देश थे- भारत, चीन, ब्राजील, दक्षिण अफ्रीका और मैक्सिको।
8-10 जुलाई 2005 को विश्व के आठ सर्वाधिक औद्योगीकृत एवं समृद्ध देशों का शिखर सम्मलेन स्काॅटलैंड के ग्लेनिंगलन में सम्पन्न हुआ। इस सम्मेलन में 5 आमंत्रित देशों के सदस्यों के अलावा अंतर्राष्ट्रीय ऊर्जा एजेंसी, अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष, संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघ, विश्व बैंक तथा विश्व व्यापार संगठन के प्रमुखों ने भी हिस्सा लिया।
इस शिखर बैठक में वैसे तो बातचीत के मुख्य मुद्दे अफ्रीकी देशों में छाई व्यापक गरीबी, स्वच्छ ऊर्जा का विकास, सतत विकास और ग्लोबल वाॅर्मिंग का मुद्दा प्रमुख था, लेकिन लंदन में हुए आतंकवादी हमले के बाद आतंकवाद का मुद्दा इस सूची में सबसे ऊपर आ गया। इस विशेष परिस्थिति में सबसे अधिक फायदा अमेरिका के राष्ट्रपति जाॅर्ज बुश को हुआ जिनकी इच्छा के मुताबिक ग्लोबल वाॅर्मिंग का मुद्दा दब गया। आतंकवादी हमले की ओट में उन्होंने ग्लोबल वाॅर्मिंग को सामान्य मुद्दा बना दिया।
पारम्परिक तौर पर G 8 का मेजबान देश समझौते के लिए एजेंडा तय करता है, जिस पर सम्मेलन के अंत में सहमति के आधार पर संयुक्त बयान जारी किया जाता है। लेकन 2005 के शिखर सम्मेलन के लिए ब्रिटिश सरकार ने प्राथमिकताओं को तय किया, जिसमें अफ्रीका के आर्थिक विकास को (गरीब देशांे का ऋण माफ करने तथा सहायता राशि बढ़ाकर) तथा ग्लोबल वाॅर्मिंग को उच्च प्राथमिकता दी गई। ब्रिटिश प्रधानमंत्री टोनी ब्लेयर ने क्योटो प्रोटोकाॅल से भी आगे बढ़कर एक योजना तैयार की थी, जिसके अन्तर्गत कुछ चुने हुए विकासशील देशों को शामिल न करके उनको ग्रीन आउस गैसों को कम करने के बदले में स्वच्छ ऊर्जा टेक्नोलाॅजी स्थानांतरित करने के बात थी। लेकिन 7 जुलाई को लंदन में हुए बम धमाकों से प्राथमिकता पर आतंकवाद आ गया।इस शिखर सम्मेलन में समझौते के मुख्य बिन्दु इस प्रकार थे-
2010 तक विकासशील देशों के लिए 50 बिलियन अमेरिकी डाॅलर की सहायता जिसमंे 25 बिलियन अमेरिकी डाॅलर अफ्रीका को दिए जाएंगे। 2010 तक अफ्रीका में एंटी-एचआईवी दवाओं तक सामान्य लोगों की पहुंच कायम करना। अफ्रीका के लिए 20,000 शांति सैनिकांे को प्रशिक्षण देना। बदले में अफ्रीका अच्छे शासन तथा प्रजातंत्र के लिए वचनबद्धता दिखाएगा। G 8 के सदस्य देश 2010 तक जीडीपी का 0.56 प्रतिशत तथा 2010 तक जीडीपी का 0.7 प्रतिशत विदेशी सहायता के रूप में देंगे। व्यापार में बाधा पहंुचाने वाले टैरिफ तथा सब्सिडी को कम किया जाएगा। फिलिस्तीन को आधारभूत ढांचा खड़ा करने के लिए 3 बिलियन अमेरिकी डाॅलर की सहायता।
ब्रिटेन की पहल पर G 8 देशों ने वर्षों से गरीबी झेल रहे अफ्रीकी देशों के लिए 40 बिलियन डाॅलर के कर्ज माफ कर देने की बात पर सहमति व्यक्त की गई यह भी तय किया गया कि अफ्रीका को दी जाने वाली सहायता को 2010 तक दुगुना कर दिया जाए। यह भी तय हुआ कि सहायता में की जाने वाली वृद्धि 2004 के स्तर के आधार पर मापी जाएगी। साथ ही अफ्रीकी शांति सैनिकों को संघर्ष रोकने के अतिरिक्त संसाधन उपलब्ध कराए जाएंगे।
सम्मेलन के दौरान जलवायु परिवर्तन से जुडे़ ग्लोबल वाॅर्मिंग के मुद्दे पर अमेरिका के अन्य देशों के साथ मतभेद खुलकर सामने आ गए। सम्मेलन के अंत मंे कोई ठोस प्रस्ताव पारित नहीं किया जा सका। विश्व में भारत को अब आर्थिक शक्ति के रूप में पहचन मिलने लगी है तथा इसी वजह से आज भारत के साथ आर्थिक संबंधांे को प्रगाढ़ करने का प्रयास लगभग सभी आर्थिक शक्तियों, देशों तथा क्षेत्रीय-संगठनों द्वारा किया जा रहा है। G 8 भी भारतीय बाजार तक अपनी पहुंच बढ़ाना चाहता है। G 8 देशों के साथ भारत के व्यापार की स्थिति इस प्रकार है-
भारत और G 8 देशों के बीच व्यापार में वर्ष 2004-05 के दौरान 17 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि दर्ज की गई है। भारत और G 8 देशों के बीच 2004-05 के दौरान 48 बिलियन डाॅलर का व्यपार किया गया। विश्व के साथ किए जाने वाले कुल व्यापार का 25 प्रतिशत व्यापार भारत G 8 देशों के साथ करता है। G 8 के देशों को वर्ष 2004-05 में भारत द्वारा अपने कुल निर्यात का 33.6 प्रतिशत निर्यात किया गया। लेकिन इन देशों में किए जाने वाले आयात की मात्रा वर्ष 2003-04 के 22.5 प्रतिशत से घटकर 2004-05 में 20 प्रतिशत रह गई।
इसी तरह अगर देखा जाए तो भारत तथा G 8 देशों के बीच आपसी व्यापार तथा सहयोग की अपार सम्भावनाएं मौजूद हैं, जिन्हें तलाशने और भुनाने की जरूरत है।
जिसे अंग्रेजी भाषा में इंडस्ट्रियलाइजेशन कहा जाता है, उसे ही हिन्दी में उद्योगीकरण कहा जाता है। इसका आशय यह है कि किसी भी देश में वहां के आर्थिक विकास के लिए वैज्ञानिक आधारों पर और विशाल पैमाने पर उद्योग का विकास हो। कारण, आज केवल ग्रामीण अद्योग-धन्धे ही इसके लिए पर्याप्त नहीं कहे जा सकते हैं। कारखानों से उत्पादन भी हो और उत्पादित वस्तुओं को खपाने के लिए बाजार भी हो। तब लाभ यह होगा कि वस्तुओं की मांग बढ़ने से अधिकाधिक उत्पादन हो सकेगा। तब परिणाम यह होगा कि बेकारी की समस्या बहुत हद तक दूर हो सकेगी। पूंजी किसी व्यक्ति विशेष के हाथ में नहीं रहकर कुछ तो कारखानों में व्यय होगी और कुछ पर सरकार का नियंत्रण रहेगा। इससे मजदूरों के शोषण की बात समाप्त होगी। सब लोग अधिक परिश्रम करेंगे और देश उन्नति की ओर अग्रसर होगा। आज भारत में उपर्युक्त कारणों से उद्योगीकरण की अपेक्षा है।
अंग्रेजों के भारत आगमन से पूर्व यहां कच्चे माल का उत्पादन बहुत होता था और फिर दैनिक उपयोग के लिए वस्तुएं भी तैयार होती थीं। लेकिन वैज्ञानिक साधनों को यहां अभाव था और पश्चिमी राष्ट्र इन साधनों को अपनाकर धनी होते जा रहे थे। जब अंग्रेज भारत में आए तब उनका उद्योग केवल इंग्लैण्ड द्वारा निर्मित माल को यहां खपाना था। ग्रामीण उद्योगों की अपेक्षा यह सस्ता भी था और चमकदार भी। अतः अधिकांश व्यक्तियों का ध्यान उधर आकृष्ट होना स्वाभाविक था। लेकिन भारतीय माल पर टैक्स बढ़ा दिया गया, फलतः उनका निर्यात भी रूक गया और अपने देश में भी महंगा होने के कारण कम प्रयुक्त होने लगा। अंग्रेजी शिक्षा तथा रहन-सहन का प्रसार होने के कारण भारतीय भारतीयता को भूलने लगे। भारतीय आत्मा पर विदेशी आवरण चढ़ने लगा। इंग्लैण्ड निर्मित वस्तुएं भारत में खूब बिकने लगीं। लेकिन अंग्रेजों ने हमारे यहां (भारत में) अपने वैज्ञानिक साधनों का प्रयोग नहीं किया। भारत में ग्रामीण उद्योग धीरे-धीरे समाप्त हाने लगे तथा भारत अंग्रेजी माल की मण्डी बन गया। हमें अपनी दैनिक आवश्यकताओं की पूर्ति के लिए प्रतिपल विदेशी माल की शरण लेनी पड़ी। लेकिन हर्ष का विषय यही है कि आज हम स्वतंत्र है और भारत सरकार उद्योगीकरण के लिए सतत प्रयत्नशील है।
आज औद्योगिक विकास के लिए अनेक साधन उपलब्ध हैं। हम जिस रूप में चाहें उनका प्रयोग कर लाभान्वित हो सकते हैं। सर्वप्रथम इनके लिए कच्चे माल की अपेक्षा है। लोहे-कोयले के प्रचुर भंडार भारत में हैं। अतः कारखानों के चलाने में कोई परेशानी नहीं हो सकती। इसके बाद वैज्ञानिक साधनों के प्रयोग का प्रश्न उठता है। इस सम्बन्ध में अभी हमें अन्य देशों पर निर्भर रहना पड़ता है। लेकिन यदि इन मशाीनों को मंगाकर यहां काम में लाया जाए तो उत्पादन बढ़ सकता है। अनेक स्थानों पर इस साधनों का अधिकाधिक प्रयोग किया जा रहा है। साथ ही सीमेंट, लोहा-इस्पात, सूती-उद्योग, मशीनों के छोटे-छोटे पुर्जे, हवाई जहाज, बिजली के अनेक सामान भी इन्हीं आधारों पर बनने लगे हैं। इनके अतिरिक्त इसके लिए कुशल मजदूरों की आवश्यकता है और यह तभी सम्भव है जबकि यहां औद्योगिक-शिक्षा का पर्याप्त प्रचार हो। शैशव से ही बच्चे की रूचि-अनुकूल क्षेत्र में विकास के लिए साधन जुटाए जाएं। वैज्ञानिक-साधनों के साथ उनके प्रयोबों की विधियों से भी अवगत होना जरूरी है। जिससे परिस्थिनिवश मशीनादि में कोई त्रुटि होने पर पुनः विदेश दौड़ना न पड़े अन्यथा देश का धन इन्हीं खात्राओं में समाप्त हो जाएगा। देश ने पूंजीपतियों का भी इस ओर (उद्योगीकरण की दिशा में) प्रेरित किया जाना चाहिए। छोटे व्यापार से अधिक लाभ उठाने की उनकी प्रवृŸिा को कम किया जाए। ऐसे बाजारों की भी व्यवस्था की जाए जहां निर्मित माल को बेचा भी जा सके। हमाराी पंचवर्षीय योजनाओं का इसमें बहुत अधिक हाथ है। इन साधनों की व्यवस्था और प्रयोग से जहां हम दैनिक जीवन की अपेक्षित वस्तुओं का प्राप्त कर सकेंगे वहां सैनिक-दृष्टि से भी उद्योगीकरण में सफल हो सकेंगे, क्योंकि गोली-बारूद एवं आयुध आदि वस्तुओं का निर्माण भी देश-रक्षा के लिए आज के युग में आवश्यक है।
भारत सरकार का कर्तव्य है िकवह व्यापारियों का मूलभूत सुविधाएं प्रदान करे। उन्हें उद्योग-विकास की ओर बढ़ने की प्रेरणा दे। शिक्षा का विशेष प्रबन्ध हो और इस प्रकार तैयार माल को देश के कोने-कोने में पहुंचाने का कार्य भी सरकार द्वारा पूरा हो। फलतः हमारा पैसा हमारे ही पास रहेगा तथा हमारी आवश्यकताओं की भी सहज ही पूति हो सकेगी। उद्योगीकरण ही भारत के भावी विकास में सर्वाधिक उपयोगी है।
स्थानीय बोली में स्थानीय सांस्कृतिक परम्पराओं से सम्बन्धित ढेर सारे कार्यक्रम अब श्रोताओं तक प्रसारित किए जा सकेंगे जिसका प्रसारण-माध्यम होगा-एफ.एम.रेडियो। पहले की भांति अब समय सीमा की वजह से रेडियो तरंगों से स्थानीय सामग्री और संदर्भ वाले कार्यक्रमों का हटाया नहीं जा सकेगा। निजी एफ.एम. (फ्रीक्वेंसी माॅड्यूलेशन) रेडियो स्टेशनों के दूसरे चरण की सरकार की नीति लागू होते ही यह हकीकत सामने आ गई।
नौवीं पंचवर्षीय योजना में सरकार का रेडियो के बारे में नीतिगत लक्ष्य विषय वस्तु की विविधता तथा तकनीकी गुणवत्ता बढ़ाना था। तकनीकी मोर्चे पर जोर मीडियम वेव से हटकर एफ.एम. पर आ गया। कार्यक्रम में सुधार, तकनीकी विशिष्टता के बढ़ाने, पुराने और बेकार उपकरणों के नवीनीकरण और रेडियो स्टेशनों पर नवीन सुविधाएं उपलब्ध कराने पर मुख्य जोर था।उदारीकरण और सुधारों की नीति के अनुरूप सरकार ने लाइसेंस शुल्क आधार पर पूर्ण भारतीय स्वामित्व वाले एफ.एम. रेडियो केंद्र स्थापित करने की अनुमति प्रदान कर दी है। मई 2005 में सरकार ने देश के 40 नगरों में एफ.एम. की 40 फ्रीक्वेंसियों की खुली बोली के द्वारा नीलामी की। सरकार द्वारा निजी भागीदारी के लिए फ्रीक्वेंसियों को खोलने के मुख्य अभिप्रेत थे-एफ.एम. रेडियो नेटवर्क का विस्तार, उच्च गुणवत्ता वाले रेडियो कार्यक्रम उपलब्ध कराना, स्थानीय प्रतिभा को प्रोत्साहन देना तथा रोजगार बढ़ाना और आकाशवाणी की सेवाओं की सहायता करना एवं भारतवासियों के लाभार्थ देश में प्रसरण नेटवर्क के त्वरित विस्तार को बढ़ावा देना।
जुलाई 2003 में सरकार ने एफ.एम. प्रसारण के उदारीकरण के दूसरे चरण के लए रेडियो प्रसारण नीति समिति का गठन किया। इस समिति ने पहले चरण से हासिल सीखें, दूरसंचार क्षेत्र से सम्बद्ध अनुभवों तथा वैश्विक अनुभवों का अध्ययन करने के उपरांत कई सुझाव दिए। इनमें प्राथमिक रूप से प्रसारण क्षेत्र में प्रवेश करने और छोड़ने की प्रविधि, लाइसेंस शुल्क की संरचना, सेवाओं का क्षेत्र बढ़ने और मौजूदा लाइसेंसधारियों के दूसरे चरण में जाने की विधि सम्बन्धी अनुशंसाएं हैं।
दुनिया भर में रेडियो प्रसारणों का पसंदीदा माध्यम एफ.एम. ही है। इसकी वजह इसकी उक्त गुणवŸाा वाली स्टीरियोफोनिक आवाज है। इसलिए दसवीं योजना में मीडियम वेव प्रसारण नेटवर्क को, जिसकी पहुंच 99 प्रतिशत आबादी तक है, समन्वित करने के साथ-साथ एफ.एम. की कवरेज को दोगुना करने पर जोर दिया गया। एफ.एम. की कवरेज देश की आबादी के 30 प्रतिशत तक थी। यह सारा का सारा कवरेज तब तक आकाशवाणी के द्वारा किया जा रहा था। इसे दोगुना कर 60 प्रतिशत आबादी का एफ.एम. प्रसारण की कवरेज के दायरे में लाने का लक्ष्य रखा गया। इसके लिए निजी भागीदारी को प्रोत्साहित करने तथा लाइसेंस की नीलामी की मौजूदा प्रणाली क स्थान पर प्रविधि लाने पर जोर दिया गया। अन्य मुख्य क्षेत्र इस प्रकार रखे गए-20 किलोवाट तक की क्षमता वाले सभी एफ.एम. एवं मीडियम वेव ट्रांसमीटरों को स्वचालित बनाना, सिक्किम सहित सभी पूर्वोŸार राज्यों तथा द्वीप-समूहों में रेडियो की पहुंच का विस्तार और उसे मजबूती देना तथा एफ.एम. के बेहतर प्रसारण और साफ आवाज के कारण उपयोग साक्षरता के प्रसार के लिए करना।
पहले चरण में 108 फ्रीक्वेंशियों का चालू किया गया था और दो को चालू किया गया ’मान’ लिया था। 40 शहरों के 108 फ्रीक्वेंसियों के लिए सरकार को कुल 101 बोलियां प्राप्त हुई। पहले भाग में वे फ्रीक्वेंशियां शामिल हैं जिन्हें पहले चरण में कवर किए गए नगरों की अन्य फ्रीक्वेंसियां भी शामिल हैं। दूसरे भाग में नए नगरों की फ्रीक्वेंसियों को शामिल किया गया है, जिन्हें अब तक कवर नहीं किया जा सका है।
नई नीति के तहत देश के 90 नगरों में 336 अतिरिक्त निजी एफ.एम. रेडियो चैनल उपलब्ध होंगे। इन नगरों को ।़ए ।ए ठए ब्ए क् वर्गों में रखा गया है। इसके अतिरिक्त इग्नू के 36 चैनल तथा 51 अन्य चैनलों को भी शैक्षिक उदेश्यों के लिए रखा गया है। लेकिन समाचार प्रसारण एफ.एम. रेडियो के दायरे से बाहर बना रहोगा। पूर्वोŸार के आठ शहरों का इस कार्यक्रम के तहत कवर किया जाएगा। इनमें 40 चैनल होंगे, जिनमें से 32 चैनल निजी प्रचालकों द्वारा संचालित किए जाएंगे तथा आठ शैक्षिक उदेश्यों को समर्पित होंगे। इसी तरह, जम्मू-कश्मीर के लिए नौ चैनलों की योजना बनाई गई है, जिनमें से सात पर निजी प्रसारण होंगे तथा दो पर शैक्षिक प्रसारण। ये सभी चैनल श्रीनगर तथा जम्मू में स्थित होंगे।
नवीन नीति के प्रावधानों के अन्तर्गत इस बात का ख्याल रखा गया है कि कोई एक बड़ा समूह वायु तरंगों पर एकाधिकार न कर ले। कोई भी समूह एक नगर में एक से अधिक एफ.एम. रेडियो स्टेशनों का स्वामित्व नहीं हासिल कर सकता। एक समूह को देश के कुल वायु तरंगों के 15 प्रतिशत से अधिक का स्वामित्व हासिल करने की अनुमति नहीं होगी।
’ग’ और ’घ’ वर्ग में आने वाले छोटे शहरों में अधिकाधिक प्रचालकों को आकर्षित करने के मकसद से यहां कार्यरत प्रचालाकों को अपने कार्यक्रम की नेटवर्किंग करने की अनुमति होगी। व उच्च वर्ग के शहरों में स्थित रेडियो स्टेशनों पर अपना विज्ञापन दे सकेंगे तथा उनके कार्यक्रमों का उपयोग कर सकेंगे।
शैक्षिक महत्व की सामग्री का सही-सही निर्धारण कठिन होने के बावजूद उम्मीद है कि इग्नू के 36 चैनलों सहित कुल 87 चैनल शैक्षिक उ६ेश्य की पूर्ति के लिए प्रसारण करेंगे। वे निचले स्तर पर अनौपचारिक तथा औपचारिक शिक्षा के प्रसार में अपना योगदान देंगे। कुछ लोगों को आशंका है कि ये निजी चैनल आकाशवाणी के साथ स्पद्र्धा करेंगे तथा उनके राजस्व का एक हिस्सा ले जाएंगे। लेकिन इससे श्रोताओं का बेहतर गुणवŸाा वाले कार्यक्रम मिल पाएंगे। वित्तिय हानि यदि हुई भी तो समय के साथ-साथ उसकी भरपाई कर ली जाएगी। इससे स्थानीय प्रतिभा के लिए रोजगार के अवसर भी पैदा होंगे।
इन दिशा-निर्देशों के साथ सरकार ने देश में एफ.एम. रेडियो के विकास का वातावरण तैयार करने का गंभीर प्रयास किया है। समय के साथ-साथ इसके वास्तविक विकास का स्वरूप निजी उद्यम पर निर्भर करेगा।
Track2Training 
You must be logged in to post a comment.