COPYING OR COLLABORATION – What is it to you as an Educator?

Ever wondered what the difference between collaboration and cheating/copying is? A few days ago, I sat through a master class on entrepreneurship education and we made an attempt to assess how the entrepreneurial mindset could be taught!!! You know, it is one thing to teach entrepreneurship but, mindset - that is on a totally different level. Then a discussion ensued amongst the participants on the difference between the environments created in schools and the real world environment. In school you are judged on an individual level but taught with a standardized text, while in the real world you are given individualized job descriptions and assessed on how well you perform as part of the organization (systems perspective). In the case where you deviate from the classroom environment by seeking assistance from a colleague to get an understanding of the concepts it is cheating but in the real world it is collaboration. Then I decided to see what the biggest school in existence (Internet) says and I came up with these two illustrations;

·         The first illustration I read was of two students who collaborated on their research paper which by the way was the same topic but they successfully came up with these two reports that were totally dissimilar but had 1 similar quote and other similar references[1].

Reality: When I was in high school if something similar happened the students would be penalized for copying and changing some things in the work. However, the truth is we are putting the cart before the house, first our educational systems need to address individual needs of students and address each student through personalized teaching methods.

Personal Opinion: We would have less to worry about if we didn’t see the tests, exams as a way to judge individual understanding but focused more on assessments that show each individual’s strength whilst working in a group.

·      Second illustration: On the Harvard university website the fourth paragraph on plagiarism and collaboration stipulates that “The amount of collaboration with others that is permitted in the completion of assignments can vary, depending upon the policy set by the head of the course. Students must assume that collaboration in the completion of assignments is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by the instructor. Students must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted work[2]”.

Reality: Are we pitting students against each other and are we fostering healthy competition or just fulfilling some standard.

Personal Opinion: Transforming cheating into collaboration should be the role of every educator. In the real world there are group challenges given during assessments for job interviews, when a student is educated in an environment that is individualized (for assessment), they would not comprehend the output of group works. This enhances the “I” mentality even when in a group. However, most innovative and transformative initiatives such as Facebook, Airbnb were developed by team effort and collaboration.

This article is not aimed at disputing the need for individual strengths but it is an attempt to shed some light on the important factors in the ever changing requirements, learning experiences and to adapt the methods and environment as quickly.

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[1] http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/3644-collaboration-or-cheating-where-is-the-line-

[2] http://static.fas.harvard.edu/registrar/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/plagiarism.html

Stay true to yourself and dare to dream!

It feels like ages here, well that’s because I am at home snoozing and unwinding. I need a stricter publishing schedule – say 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of every month, let us work with that.  I can’t believe I wrote this piece weeks ago and I am just publishing it, I actually started feeling down again and my editor referred me to my last blog (not knowing I had not published it). Today’s post is not a call to action as usual but kind of still on the same path. I just find it hard to talk about something that doesn’t come from within. There are times when I have questioned the paths I take and pondered deeply on the justification of some of my actions. I am pretty sure I am not alone in this. There are moments when things don’t seem to add up - like you give a particular goal your best but in the end your efforts don’t yield the desired result. But that is life, for we are not defined by how many times we fall but rather the number of times we get up. Whatever happens, wherever you are, you should never stop trying. The moment we stop trying we start dying, hope is the only thing we have to hold on to and I am an advocate of keeping hope alive. Hope is that bird which sings in the night before dawn, it is the shining star that leads you to a place harder than a rock but you still find courage to smile, HOPE is everything. Staying positive and hopeful keeps you on track and allows you look forward to better things even when the silver lining is as dark as the cloud.

It sometimes gets more difficult but staying true to your cause is not something that comes easy, it is laced with many distractions and damaging emotions but who knows, may be without it life wouldn’t be what it is. And we all know smooth seas don’t make better sailors! The feeling of not putting in enough effort, not trying hard enough, not measuring up……. but then why cry over spilt milk when you don’t know for a fact what the next day holds. It is possible that others might appear to have had it easy but you don’t know how many times they tried and even if it was easy for them on what basis are you comparing your journey with theirs. You do not stem from the same roots except when you are twins and even if you are, you cannot bear the exact same fruit. Each individual is unique in their struggle, life experience and everyone will tell a different success story. We tend to complicate life by judging our success by the success of others which shouldn’t be. In actual sense we are supposed to draw motivation from their stories that will enable us stay on track.

You probably will not easily spot the light at the end of the tunnel but believe me there is no such thing as a smooth mountain.  A lot of people have found themselves in the same position you are in now but they rolled their sleeves up and continued striving.  I am writing from personal experience, I find it funny but  I just see every challenge as a bend in the road and if I can’t straighten the bend, I find a way around it but most importantly I don’t stop trying. A few people can attest to that, I believe in holding on to the tiniest bit of hope while staying on course. It works and you should try it too. If you don’t make it once or twice or may be thrice, just keep going. It does not mean that you are a failure, unlucky or something, it just did not work out, and that is it. You have to keep on keeping on for that is what life is.  So, next time you find yourself in such a situation, just know, you are not alone, think of the reason why you are who you are and the life journeys you have travelled. Think of the very many things that did not work out but still you emerged victorious. Think of the young girl/boy moving on the city streets in search for something to eat hoping that may be one Good Samaritan will show up and rescue the situation. Think of the moments that you were happy, draw back the memories and that will surely keep you on track.

Help motivate someone by sharing your experience here, How do you keep yourself pushing on even when things seem not be working out?     

One Human Race

The United Nations celebrates the World Humanitarian day every 19^th of August, but when I reflect on the activities of the world in the last couple of years, I question man’s humanity. Questions such as; Are we still humans?  Do we still have any humanity left in us? What exactly apart from our physical and biological features differentiates us from animals? These thoughts, which are constantly tossed around in my head do not come as a surprise to me. They are the brain’s interpretation of what my eyes see every day around me and on television, what my ears hear from people’s testimonies. The world we live in is gradually losing its essence.

The concept of humanitarianism is a moral of kindness, benevolence and sympathy extended to all human beings. However, I am afraid this concept is lost in this generation where the death toll keeps rising. These deaths do not arise from the spread of infectious diseases or natural causes but from man taking up arms against a fellow man. From people who wake up and decide that a particular day is meant for taking lives to people who decide to engage in actions of suicide bombing. How else can we explain the killings in Nigeria by the Boko haram sect, or the killings in Syria? Then I hear they are fighting for a cause, what cause exactly? A cause that leads to the displacement of thousands from their homes, a cause that leaves children orphaned and impoverished. That is no cause!!! It is a manifestation of our loss of humanity. Deep inside we all have one cause, happiness! How can harming another person be the source of happiness to one? 

The examples above may seem distant from those who haven’t experienced armed conflict or street cross fires but again there are other ways we have lost touch with humanity in our little comfort boxes. The UN estimates that a total of 130 million people are living in crisis and are faced with impossible decisions every day, what steps are we taking to alleviate their situation. You don’t have to join the UNV (but if you can please do), you can start by finding a solution to the source of conflict in your neighbourhood, by going an extra mile to ensure you support the activities of humanitarian organisations, by ensuring that child abuse is eradicated, by lending a hand to your neighbour, by showing love to the aged, the list is endless but take your pick and start somewhere. This should be done out of empathy and not in a bid to get recognition, this is not a political game! Do not be like people that respect their own  but scream and intimidate people of other races, making them feel like they are weevils in beans, humans are better than that. The human race has managed to survive for many years because of organisation and working together. We’re not dinosaurs!! We’re humans and that’s what we should show in our actions.  

In any case I would sign off by reflecting on the actions of the great Nigerian doctor- Late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh, whose humanitarian acts prevented the wide spread of Ebola in Nigeria.  I am inspired by her actions, which were truly humanitarian because it cost her life. She showed us that she still believes in this world, that there is still hope for humanity. This human race is still worth fighting for, #takeactiontoday.

Hush Hush!!! No One Can Help You…

This being my first post and all, I was initially considering a political satire but I guess that will have to come later. This post was inspired by an experience some days back and I thought to myself a number of ladies must be faced with the same problems every day.  My experience was in a public transport means to be precise a long distance travelling “matatu”. Being a woman of colour in an Arab country already distinguished me, I so happened to be the only young lady in the taxi seated at the extreme end with two other male travellers. To cut the long story short, I discovered that when I texted or looked at my phone the guy next to me kept looking at me and peeping at my phone screen. He began infringing on my personal space, coupled with the use of sexually explicit language! I had to use my stuffed laptop bag to create some space between us. After sending signals to declare the interaction was unwanted he decided to swap seats. At a point I felt helpless because I could not communicate and describe what was transpiring between the male traveller and I to others and the driver. It took constant territorial bounds declaration on my part to get him to stay clear, but I could tell the message wasn’t fully understood. I kept at it until my ride ended, and of course I didn’t have a joyful ride! 

During my trip it occurred to me that I probably wasn’t the only one faced with such a challenge, but the voices are being suppressed. Have you ever walked down the streets and felt unwelcome? Rather than have a peaceful stroll in the neighbourhood you are greeted constantly with comments on how hot your body looks and how enticing you are. These inciting remarks and more of such challenges like catcalling are what women all over the world hear and are faced with while trying to get around the hustles and bustles of life.

Street Harassment can be described as unwanted interactions in public spaces between strangers that are motivated by a person’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, or gender expression and make the harassed feel annoyed, angry, humiliated, or scared. What makes it even more dangerous is that unlike other forms of harassment it is between strangers, hence there is little or no legal recourse. We are left to defend ourselves, how do you sue the guy on the street for screaming about your shape and embarrassing you or for stalking you to the extent that you are almost hit by a bus. Who do you go to? how do you communicate these little drops of water filling the mighty ocean that is slowly drowning you? To think that some cultures still see women as the lesser sex is strong enough foundation for such a hostile environment.

According to a survey conducted in USA by Stop Street Harassment (SSH) approximately 65% of women had experienced some form of street harassment. 23% of the women had been sexually touched, 20% had been followed. In another survey of 811 women, an alarming 99% had experienced street harassment including leering, honking, whistling, sexist comments, vulgar gestures, sexually explicit comments and kissing noises. These stats only give a tip of the iceberg, the street sexual harassment is deep rooted in most societies and this is because it is treated as a non-issue. It has been allowed to grow into a multi-headed hydra.

Some victims of such verbal abuse tend to fend it off as mere annoying remarks while others who are exposed to such hostility and abuse daily, without strong social structures or the ability to handle the situation could fall into depression. Why in the first place should you have to deal with these? Why are there no local channels of expressing such verbal abuses? It is time to take a stand to stop street harassment we need to create the awareness!!! LEND YOUR VOICE, SHARE YOUR STORY AND SPREAD THE WORD.