The Growth Of Social Networking - Etash Deb

Image courtesy https://chrisnwest.com, used by Etash Deb for representation only. 

 THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA: FROM SOCIALIZING TO MARKETING

Social media has come a long way since its early days as a place to chat with friends and to promote small-scale businesses. Now, it's evolved into a major marketing tool for businesses all around the world.

Back when social media started, sites like MySpace and Friendster were where you'd go to connect with friends and share updates about your life. But then, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter came along and changed everything.

Nowadays, these platforms aren't just for chatting with friends; they're where businesses go to connect with customers. Take Instagram, for instance. It used to be all about sharing cool photos with your followers. But now, businesses use it to showcase their products and connect with potential buyers. Influencers, who have lots of followers, play a big role too. When they endorse a product, it reaches a huge audience.

Twitter is another example. It started as a place to post short messages, but now businesses use it to interact with customers, share news, and even provide customer service.

The key to social media marketing is engagement. Businesses need to create content that people want to like, share, and comment on. That's how they build a following and reach new customers.

But it's not just about posting ads. Businesses also need to engage with their followers. That means responding to comments, answering questions, and being a part of the conversation.

Overall, like all things in life, change is inevitable. Social media has evolved from something insignificant for mankind to a vital development tool. It has evolved from simple networking platforms into powerful marketing tools. It's changed how businesses connect with customers and has been going strong for a while. Thus with the growing development of the world, the ever-growing expansion of social media is also inevitable.

Etash Deb

IX-B

Gyanshree School

Image Reference-

https://chrisnwest.com/social-media-strategically-2023/

Insights from "What Did You Ask At School Today" - Ritu Jain

 Unlocking the Keys to Motivation in Education

"Action isn’t just the effect of motivation, but also the cause of it".

We tend to think that we have to wait for inspiration or energy to hit us, and we get deflated when it doesn't come. We might think that we're doing something motivating or proactive when, in fact, we're not.

Motivation – a word that holds the power to drive us towards our goals, to fuel our aspirations, and to propel us through the challenges we face. Yet, despite its significance, understanding motivation, especially in the context of education, remains a complex endeavor. In the thought-provoking book "What Did You Ask At School Today: A Handbook Of Child Learning Book 1" by Kamala V. Mukunda," the essence of motivation is explored, shedding light on its intricacies and its pivotal role in the learning process.

The book begins with a chapter on how the human brain develops and learns from infancy. It 'peers into the brain', using insights from great scientific studies of the past as well as from modern technology, to explain neurogenesis and learning. 

"What makes us do the things we do? What motivates us to begin an activity, and keep it up until some goal is achieved, sometimes even in the face of great difficulty?" This fundamental question sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the dynamics of motivation. While the answer may vary from person to person and situation to situation, there exists a universal aspect to motivation – the inherent capacity within all human beings to be motivated.

The passage underscores an essential insight: the perception of someone as 'unmotivated' often stems from their deviation from the expectations of others. As educators, understanding this distinction is crucial, as it allows us to navigate the complexities of motivation in the classroom effectively. When students exhibit enthusiasm for learning, teaching transcends mere instruction; it becomes an enriching experience, characterized by mutual growth and fulfilment. Conversely, in the absence of motivation, even the most meticulously crafted lessons can seem futile, dissipating into a void of disinterest and frustration.

In essence, the heart of effective teaching lies in answering the pivotal question: "How do I motivate my students to learn?" This question encapsulates the essence of the educator's journey – a quest to unlock the keys to student engagement, curiosity, and intrinsic drive. It beckons us to delve into the myriad factors that influence motivation, from the allure of discovery to the impact of environment and personal agency.

At its core, motivation in education is not merely about coaxing compliance or incentivizing performance; it is about nurturing a genuine passion for learning, a thirst for knowledge that transcends the confines of the classroom. It requires fostering a supportive and empowering educational ecosystem where students feel valued, challenged, and inspired to embark on intellectual adventures.

In conclusion, "What Did You Ask At School Today: A Handbook Of Child Learning Book 1" by Kamala V. Mukunda" serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact of motivation on the educational experience. It beckons educators to embrace the challenge of nurturing motivation in their students, recognizing it as a cornerstone of meaningful learning and personal development. 

So let us embark on this transformative journey together, fueled by the belief in the boundless potential of motivated minds.

Ritu Jain
General Manager @My Good School 

Small Acts of Service - Divyanshu Agarwal

image courtesy -https://www.nusocia.com, used by Divyanshu Agarwal only

Small Acts of Service Help Change Lives

The small act of kindness reforms the lives of others who are not that capable of handling their daily needs. We are very much thankful to God that our parents are capable enough to provide us a happy life. Small acts of service can put a smile on the faces of underprivileged people. 

Acts of kindness make the earth a better place to live. We can donate money to charity. We can have scholarship schemes for children. We can donate our old books to the government schools Which don't have a good schooling facility. donate blood, so that those who don't have money can healthily live their lives. 

We should not discriminate or judge anyone based on their money or education status. Always try to bring a smile to the faces of others. Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness is a way to honour those needy individuals.

 

"There is no higher religion than human service to work for the common good is the greatest creed."      - Woodrow Wilson

 

Divyanshu Agarwal (XD)

Sunbeam Schools And Hostel Laharatra 

Pamela Atkinson - Mridul Maheshwari

image courtesy - https://www.deseret.com, used by Mridul Maheshwari for representation only

Pamela Atkinson

Today we saw a video about Pamela Atkinson related to her social work - serving others or helping the poor. Pamela believes that 'even small acts of service help change lives. Small things make a difference". 

Over the years, working with the poor, Pamela has learned that service doesn't always need to be huge, it can even be small.

Pamela said, "We should look for opportunities to make a difference in other people's lives-which in turn, make a difference in our own."

  -Mridul Maheshwari (IX)

                                                      Sunbeam School Lahartara

Treasured Moments - Arfa Khan

Grandparents- The gems of life

Grandparents are gems. They become our advocates whenever our parents are mad at us. They are our endless support system and advice centre, and we know how to deal with our challenges. They have been through life with a lot of obstacles and challenging situations. 

Their experience shows them the importance of understanding and empathy in a relationship, so we share our secrets with them, and they understand. They even share their wise side - their core values and stories of the world with us. Even if they were strict with their own children, grandparents always showered us with all their love. 

They enjoy being grandparents, too; they love our company. In their autumn days, we bring joy and drive into them - a change from their daily habits of sitting idle. Sadly, they don’t have forever to live; as the years pass, they will soon leave us. All good things don’t last forever, but we can make the best of them. Spending more time with them would be lovely; that would cheer them up, and we would also make memories. 

Let's utilize the time with our grandparents while we still have it and create meaningful and lasting memories to remember!

Arfa Khan
Grade 8
Ahlcon Public School

The True Success - Tenzin Nyesel

For me, Success means achieving a goal that you have set in your life. Even if it is just getting better marks in any subject.

Success is a feeling when you are well satisfied with what you have or got. Achieving success does not always mean becoming a topper in class or becoming a rich person. 

Sometimes it's just us who feel we have done better work that we couldn't do or attempt before.

Tenzin Nyesel
Class 10th,

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

The Way of Home - Ati Pema

PC- Ati Pema

The Way of Home

"A leopard never changes its spots."
- Anonymous

Far beyond the distant chains of ice, stone and snow in the land of the icey plateau lies my dwelling, enveloped by the stone and dust that gives me my livelihood. I have to hunt those devilishly quick prey that leaps away on cliffs and claws away on the ridges (Even when they have none!). 

Fearless they are so I too have to become such, though they are swift, they lack much awareness and are lost in their petty fights. I can creep up on them quickly, and with my colour, they rarely see me! But a lot has changed since my solitude; there are more mouths to feed than my own.

My hunting days are longer and more gruelling, and hunting itself has become more complicated than it once was. My prey left their grazing ground and now lives on the planes in numbers more prominent than I had ever seen. It would be good if those two-legged skin changers did not look over them. They, too, live in herds of hundreds in their own lands, where they carve the plateau to their liking. 

I would not be much concerned, but lately, the snow on the hill, which once shone white, has been painted grey with dust. I can no longer hide under my camouflage! 

I take my cubs wherever I go as now my own kind threatens them in these difficult times. 

What had changed in the time I grew? Where is the land I knew? The snow, the ice and those green pastures. What could be the cause? 

Yet there is no time to complain as even those two-legged beasts are now hunting us! Will my cubs ever see the world I saw? Will they never hear the silent breath they take as they go for their first hunt? I shan't throw away my hope. As times have gone and become such, it will change once more. 

Ati Pema

St. Thomas College

Two Girls One Mic Episode 9

Learning Forward Podcast

Season 12 and Episode 9 are here yet again! 

‘These will all be stories someday. And our pictures will become old photographs. We'll all become somebody's mom or dad. But right now, these moments are not stories. And in this moment, we are infinite.’

Isn’t it strange how quickly time flies? One moment, you are young and full of life, curious about everything and everyone. The littlest of things give you pleasure. Enter- the real world. We all tend to lose our quirkiness, love for life, and all the small things life offers. We work, and we run; we run as fast as we can to be the first, sometimes even losing ourselves on the way. Old age, however, gives us a second chance. It's a It's from nature. It allows us to revisit our childhood and experience human dependency at its best. 

Please listen to another mesmerising conversation shared by Simar and Oshi as they delve into the depths of childhood, old age, and life at their best. 

Feel free to leave comments as you join us in this hearty and engaging discussion. We would love to read them!

Hosts - Simar Kaur and Oshi Singh 

Listen to the most recent episode of our podcast: Two Girls One Mic Episode 9

The Book Highlight - Ayush Kashyap

The book Hidden Life of Trees highlights its intricate relationships and communication networks within forests, reminding us of the importance of fostering a deeper connection with the natural world. It encourages us to appreciate and respect the complexity of ecosystems.

Ayush Kashyap
Sunbeam School, Varuna

The Joy of Giving - Ahad Hashmi

The Joy of Giving is an enriching experience. It is a profound connection to our inherent generosity and empathy. When we give freely, whether it be our time, resources, or simply our presence, we ignite a spark of warmth and fulfilment within ourselves and others. 

The act of giving opens our hearts and purpose as we contribute to the well-being of those around us. In giving, we discover the truth that true abundance lies not in what we possess, but in what we are willing to share with others.

Ahad Hashmi
Sunbeam School, Varuna