Employer Use of Contact Tracing Apps: The Good, the Bad, and the Regulatory – JD Supra

Employers struggle with COVID-19 for any number of reasons. However, perhaps one of the main challenges they face is how to keep employees safe, even when one of them tests positive for or is exposed to COVID-19. They are looking for innovative ways to stay a step ahead of the curve. One of the innovations employers are currently considering are contact tracing apps.

In general, a contact tracingapp is downloaded to a Bluetooth/Wi-Fi enabled device and allows users to be aware of potential exposure to COVID-19 and enable them to self-quarantine for the incubation period or seek medical diagnosis. Is an employers implementation of a contact tracing app in the workplace a good or bad idea? Are there any legal requirements in play one way or the other? This post will discuss some of the various considerations employers should remember.

At the end of the day, employers may decide to utilize contact tracing apps to augment their own safety protocols and procedures to maintain a healthy work environment amidst the pandemic. However, it is important to remember that there are risks and limitations associated with the use of these apps.

First things first. There are currently no specific federal- or state-level laws specifically prohibiting employers use of contact tracing apps. As the EEOC has noted, COVID-19 constitutes a direct threat under the ADA, so employers may make more robust medical inquiries than would normally be allowed. Certain state-level laws might impact employers use of the apps, though, such as Californias general prohibition of electronic tracking devices, requirement that employers reimburse employees for necessary expenditures and losses, and prohibition of employer requests for access to personal social media accounts of employees. State-level laws are varied and, of course, rapidly developing, so employers are well-served to monitor relevant jurisdictions closely and consult with their legal counsel before requiring employees to use contract-tracing technology. Generally, however, employers in the United States are, as of this post, permitted to use these sorts of apps, provided they follow various rules and best practices to manage the associated risksnamely, privacy risks.

With that in mind, why would an employer want to take the risks associated with contact tracing apps?

Simply put, employers are struggling to find an efficient path to protect employees, while remaining open for business. Employers are generally required, under OSHAs General Duty Clause, to provide workers a work environment free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA has expressed that COVID-19 fits this bill, such that employers must affirmatively act to reduce and manage COVID-19-related hazards in the workplace. As weve reported previously, OSHA suggests employers implement some combination of (among other things) personal protective equipment (PPE), cloth face coverings (which OSHA is clear are not PPE), administrative controls, and engineering controls, depending on the level of employee exposure risk involved. Local public health authorities may also impose an added layer of workplace precautions and protections.

In light of this guidance, perhaps one of the most persuasive reasons to utilize contact tracing apps to reduce and manage COVID-19-related hazards in the workplace is in the arguably flexible and efficient technology itself. After installation on a Bluetooth and/or WiFi enabled device, contact tracing apps transmit (usually) anonymous user identification numbers to other app-installed devices within range using the devices Bluetooth or WiFi features. If a user reports a positive COVID-19 test, the technology alerts other app users who received the identification number of the positive user due to proximity. Some apps may have a geolocation feature that creates maps of impacted areas or otherwise only tracks contacts within a particular geographic location (e.g., a workplace). That said, Google and Apple do not use location tracking in their joint Exposure Notifications System (which allows contact tracing apps to notify users who have likely been exposed to COVID-19). Certainly, the apps may have other features that employers may want as well, such as pre-shift COVID-19 symptom reporting.

For these reasons, contact tracing apps may provide a flexible and efficient method to augment employers current workplace safety protocols. Use of the apps and an exposure notifications system would, arguably, be quicker and more efficient than traditional contact tracing investigations at identifying exposed individuals in the workplace and isolating them before they can infect others. In this way, employers hope to reduce, or even avoid, the COVID-19 curve in their workplaces.

As with any enhancement tied to technology, there are risks and limitations. Further, just as the technology itself provides the most persuasive reason to implement the use of the apps, it also ironically supplies the biggest limitation. That is, the reliability and accuracy of the technology is only as good as its user.

Consider the reality of the modern workplace, be it a factory, office, or other setting, as well as the modern employee in any of those settings. Employees may choose (or be required) to leave phones in their lockers or private workspaces before going to the factory floor, production yard, or conference room. Employees may choose (or be required) to turn their phones off during meetings, or may experience weak WiFi or cellular signals in some workplaces. Or they may forget to charge their phones or even lend them to colleagues or family members. Employees may also be lax or inaccurate in their own manual input of information pertaining to exposure and/or positive COVID-19 tests. In any of these instances, the employees actual exposure and contacts (or lack thereof) would not be accurately and reliably recorded in the app.

The obvious risk with this is the potentially dangerous false sense of security the apps could inadvertently provide where all of an infected employees actual contacts are not notified of exposureor conversely, the false alarm and unnecessary business disruption they could create, if someone is notified of exposure when not really exposed. Keep in mind that most of the apps in the marketplace and being developed would create random identification numbers for users, so there is no reliable way to verify accuracy without an independent investigation. Regardless, employers would generally be relying on employees truthful uploading of information about testing positive.

Of course, verification of reliability and accuracy is only part of the risk. Privacy is, frankly, the bigger consideration.

It is worth mentioning that employers often ask about HIPAA when they consider employee medical information. But, in reality, HIPAA only applies to Covered Entities (i.e., health plan, health care clearinghouse, or health care provider transmitting health information in electronic form with a covered transaction) and Business Associates (i.e., health information organization transmitting PHI to covered entities; person offering personal health records to individuals on behalf of a covered entity; or a subcontractor creating, receiving, maintaining, or transmitting PHI on behalf of another Business Associate). Most employers would not fit the definitions of either of these phrases.

Nevertheless, the EEOC has cautioned that, while employers may ask employees about whether they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and take employee temperatures upon entering the workplace, they must maintain the confidentiality of any information collected regarding employee illnesses and keep any related records for certain periods of time. In the employment context, this means keeping the medical records and information separately from other personnel records and information and limiting access to the same.

In addition to federal EEOC guidance, certain states may have applicable privacy laws as well. For example, California has the Consumer Privacy Act (CPA), for which the California Attorney General just submitted final proposed regulations on June 1, 2020. Under Californias CPA, consumers have various rights pertaining to personal information collected by a business, including a right to disclosure of the information to be collected, deletion (upon request) of the information collected, and to be free from discrimination for exercising these rights. Similarly, the Illinois Biometric Information Protection Act (BIPA) may impose notice and record retention obligations on employees or the app developers themselves. Employers with employees in these and other states with similar laws should therefore ensure these rights are communicated to and permitted to be exercised by employees. Employers should consult their own legal counsel prior to endorsing contract-tracing app use and seek to work with the app developer, where possible, to ensure laws like these are accounted for in the app technology through disclosures, disclaimers, acknowledgments, and consents.

Lastly, and relatedly, a lot of individuals, companies, and governments are racing to develop contact tracing apps. So, employers may have to make a difficult decision on which app by which developer is most appropriate. With this decision comes the consideration of the risk of choosing incorrectly and inadvertently opening employee information to data mining or scams.

In light of these risks and the current lack of federal law pertaining to the apps, there is some effort in Congress to manage the use. In early June, several Senators introduced a bipartisan bill, called the Exposure Notification Privacy Act, that would regulate the use of contact tracing apps. Among other things, the bill makes participation in the exposure notification systems voluntary, limits the categories of information collected, limits the use of the same, and contains various enforcement provisions. The full text of the bill can be viewed here, and a one-pager summarizing the bill can be viewed here.

Other partisan groups of Senators have introduced related legislation as well, including the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act (Republican) and the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act (Democrat). There are significant differences between the three bills in terms of consent, use, and enforcement, and the bipartisan Exposure Notification Privacy Act is certainly narrower in its approach to these issues. However, it is currently unclear how or whether those differences will be resolved. Employers should therefore monitor this sort of federal legislation in addition to staying on top of local and state requirements as well.

For its part, the CDC has published some general guidance on digital contact tracing tools. The CDC suggests that the tools should, among other things, ensure data is secure and confidential, be able to receive input from public health authorities, facilitate identification of known contacts, and be able to send notifications of exposure in multiple electronic formats. While these guidelines currently appear to be geared towards use of digital tools by public health departments, the tenets outlined are worth noting and considering because they are generally consistent with best practices for employers using the apps.

In light of the above considerations, if an employer implements a contact tracing app in the workplace, the employer should do at least the following:

In this way, employers will be best suited to manage the various risks associated with the use of contact tracing apps.

[View source.]

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Employer Use of Contact Tracing Apps: The Good, the Bad, and the Regulatory - JD Supra

People In Melb’s Locked Towers Are Sharing Their Situation On TikTok – Pedestrian TV

Dekas North Melbourne apartment block was shut down without warning last Saturday. The 17-year-old was at work when her phone suddenly blew up with missed calls from friends and family.

Her building was one of the nine towers locked down by police due to a surge in coronavirus cases. After finally getting home, making TikToks was the last thing on her mind, but when when she saw what narrative was being painted by outsiders, she started uploading.

I thought, you know what, let me just say what Ive got to say, Deka told PEDESTRIAN.TV.

TikTok has a way of getting things out to people compared to other social media platforms.

Being stuck at home all day, her videos cover everything from from showing how rough her situation is, to answering peoples questions on camera, and even just making memes out of all the chaos.

While plenty of residents, as well as their friends and family, have been posting updates about the massive police presence and lack of essential goods on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, many of these posts havent gained too much traction outside of their immediate circles.

Thats not the case on TikTok, where the mysterious algorithms of the For You page spread new and interesting videos like wildfire.

Watching the news is something different to what Im actually experiencing, she added.

By making the TikToks, Im controlling what I post so I get to show what Im actually experiencing.

The response has been massive. In the space of a few says, Deka has gotten thousands of likes and followers, and even had to disable comments because she was getting too many notifications.

Theres been a lot of support but theres also been a lot of hate, but the hate doesnt even get to me I just use it for new TikTok ideas, she said.

Shes not the only one, either. Other TikTokers trapped inside the towers have gotten as much as 400,000 views on their videos explaining the situation.

Just because we have less privilege does not mean we have no human rights, one user said in a video.

The main point Deka and many others want to drive home is the shitty food situation. She said her family has received nothing from the DHHS and was only able to get donated food from local volunteer group AMSSA after waiting for two days.

While the community has stepped up massively with food donations, police initially stopped volunteers from entering the buildings with the food. One volunteer was even arrested earlier in the week.

In response to one person asking where they could donate to in the comments, Deka made a video explaining that while the foods important, she and many others are way more concerned about being able to leave their own building.

I wanted these TikToks to show that we want an opportunity to go shopping for ourselves, because its hard calling other people, she told P.TV.

Id prefer to go to the shops myself and get the stuff I need.

Now that the rest of Melbourne has gone back into Stage 3 lockdown, videos like this are more important than ever to show how different communities are still being treated by the state government.

A lot of people also have been commenting on my videos like, were all going into lockdown today anyway, so why are you complaining?' Deka said.

But its not the same lockdown because they can go out for essentials, they can go an exercise, they can work and study.

They also had a day to prepare.

Nobodys certain when residents will be able to leave the towers again. Until then, Deka says shell keep making TikToks to show what things are really like.

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People In Melb's Locked Towers Are Sharing Their Situation On TikTok - Pedestrian TV

Exclusive: Lachy Wiggle and James Harkness Dish On The Wiggles World – Moms

Finding new stuff to keep our little ones entertained is getting harder the longer we're home. Many of us parents are relying more heavily on screentime to get us through, but even then, trying to find new stuff can be a challenge. Thankfully, we have The Wiggles and their stream of constant content. If you're looking for something new, they're uploading clips from their latest show The Wiggles World to their YouTube channel for us.

The show, which was available previously only in Australia, is a new creation of the super group. Filmed back in 2019, it's a completely new series that introduces some new faces but still has the same Wiggles flavor. Moms.com was lucky enough to talk to Lachlan Gillespie (aka Lachy Wiggle) and the star of their new segment 'Le James Cafe,' James Harkness about the flair of this new world they've created.

"There's so much color there's so much singing and dancing and it's a really nice statement," Lachy says of The Wiggles World.

In The Wiggles World, kids get to get to visit 'Le James Cafe' along with The Wiggles to learn about new foods and cultures through their signature blend of song and dance.

"James's cafe segments are a different food each day," Lachy explains. "So the child has to go through that with one Wiggle sitting at the cafe and work out the clues for what food you're going to be served up. What's the meal of the day."

Like much of their content, this was all the brainchild of the blue Wiggle himself, Anthony Feld. Anthony is the founding member of the group, who have been ground for almost 30 years! Educating kids is the driving force of their content, and it's a passion for Anthony.

"I think it's one of the great strengths of Anthony. His big thing is letting children have an experience with in so many different cultures and languages," Lachy explained.

One of the easiest ways to expand kids' world is to introduce new people. The Wiggles have created quite a little universe in itself, but this new series introduces us to new people like James, Australian ballet dancer Paul Knobloch, who plays the cafe's waiter, Shirley Shaun the Unicorn and the cartoon Wiggles!

Lachy was really excited about the addition of the new folks, but especially getting to work with James on the cafe segments' music and vision. "It's just a really, really great experience to work with someone talented like that," he says.

But who is the proprietor of 'Le James Cafe'? James Harkness is an American stage actor, known for his performances on Broadway. In the fall of 2018 while on a tour stop in Toronto, The Wiggles caught a performance of Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Time of The Temptations, in which James stars as Paul Williams. Anthony Field was so inspired by the performance, he began a friendship with James via Instagram.

"I didn't know who The Wiggles were," he explains. "But I was like, well, this is actually really cool. And it's educational."

As Anthony was developing the idea for The Wiggles World, he knew that James would fit perfectly into this new world. James posts a variety of things on his Instagram, including his love of music, dance and food.

"[Anthony says] 'I see, I know you love food, and I have this idea. Would you be interested in coming to Australia?'" James explained.

RELATED:EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Wiggle Talks All Things Potty With 'The Toilet Song'

A veteran of the entertainment business, James was aware that sometimes things don't play out the way they seem. So his excitement at the prospect of working with The Wiggles was tempered with the reality that it might not actually happen.

But then he explained that a few days after their initial conversation, Anthony called back to set up James's trip. Because of his Broadway work schedule, they had to cram two weeks' worth of work into five days. But he was up for the challenge.

"I was actually really nervous about it because they're a big entity. And I'm like 'you are, you are putting a lot of faith in someone you don't know'," James said.

But Anthony knows what he's doing. The process creating the 'Le James Cafe' segments were incredibly collaborative, giving James the chance to share his songwriting skills and offer them to the group.

"I would say,' hey, do you think' and each time he would go, 'hey, yeah, that's great.' And the third time, there was a little bit more of a in his voice to let me know, I trust you. This is a collaboration. You do your thing, and we are going to come to the table and create something that is going to be really cool. And that was an incredible things in experience."

With The Wiggles World, Anthony knew that he wanted to expand on the normal Wiggles crew. His inclusion of James was intentional, and not just for his overwhelming talent, which would have been more than enough. Inclusion was at the front of his mind too.

"He was like, 'I want kids, not only in my country, but in other countries to see other skin types, and to know that they can look at the TV screen and go: Hey, that guy looks like me'," James explained.

In the first 'James Cafe' segment posted on YouTube, you can see that inclusion is important to The Wiggles. There are dancers of various races, showcasing different styles of dance. Anthony and The Wiggles have always been great about presenting kids with that diversity, but it's nice to see, especially as the conversation about diversity is really taking front and center.

"He wants, kids across the world that are Wiggles fans to see that there is a lot more out there in the world," James says.

Right now The Wiggles World is only available in full in Australia, but they'll be adding new video clips to their YouTube channel in the coming weeks, so keep checking back.

READ NEXT:EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Wiggle Talks His Three Year Health Battle, And The Wiggles' Upcoming US Tour

Raven-Symon On Her Struggles Of Coming Out In The Entertainment Industry

Sa'iyda Shabazz is a mom and freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles. She is a pop culture fanatic who loves to cook and bake in her spare time. She is also a writer for Scary Mommy, and has had written for sites including, HelloGiggles, The New York Times and the Washington Post. She graduated with a degree in Theatre Studies before deciding that she wanted to trade the stage for the page. Find her on Twitter:@xoxsai or on Facebook: Sa'iyda Shabazz, Writer.

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Exclusive: Lachy Wiggle and James Harkness Dish On The Wiggles World - Moms

Photos of runaway couple a distraction: High Court – The Tribune India

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 15

Photographs of runaway couple distract the courts mind and have the potential of inviting needless comments from the Bench and waste its time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asserted. Describing it as a diversion that can bring cases to momentary standstill, Justice Rajiv Narain Raina also directed the High Court Registry not to insist on photographs along with the protection petitions filed by the runaway couples.

Dubbing the task of hearing such matters as childlike, Justice Raina also suggested that an alternative system was required to be put in place for reducing the burden on the courts. Justice Raina asserted dealing with these petitions at the financial expense of runaway couples, actually believing that they would get a marriage certificate from the High Court, was no pleasure.

Making it clear that the practice deserved to be curtailed, Justice Raina asserted it was a big burden on the staff and drained the High Court resources from the filing stage to uploading the order.

The High Court was not built or meant for dealing with the parasitical non-litigation, Justice Raina asserted. I believe it to be the most demeaning childlike work High Court judges have been forcibly tasked with by a creation of the ingenious Bar. A solution needs to be devised to cast the burden on some other alternative mechanism of redress, including amending the law and conferring such power on the subordinate judiciary etc.

In its detailed order, Justice Raina asserted the court had no interest in looking at the pictures of the runaway couples, except curiosity. It needlessly brought the case to a brief halt even though a simple direction was sought and mechanically issued by the Bench based upon Article 21 of the Constitution. It was for saving from distress young couples apprehending physical harm from angry parents and families opposing the marriage. The truth of it was impossible to reach.

Justice Raina added a cottage industry had grown around these petitions over the years and time had come to trim them. The runaways may have little resources in their pocket. The money spent abundantly on the thriving industry could well last the couple their necessities for quite a long time or at least till they live on love and fresh air, Justice Raina asserted.

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Photos of runaway couple a distraction: High Court - The Tribune India

Effectiveness of RCMP body cameras will depend on clear goals, policies, say experts – Nunatsiaq News

No piece of technology is going to solve deep-seated trust issues in a community with the police

After a significant increase in calls for its officers to be equipped with body-worn cameras, the RCMP announced last week, on June 8, that it would begin work on a broad deployment of the devices nationwide.

But experts who study these devices say their potential benefits will depend on what plans and policies are adopted by the RCMP for their use.

A common mistake when adopting body cameras is rushing into them, said Aili Malm, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at California State University Long Beach.

Malm provides technical assistance and training for police departments on body-worn cameras throughout the United States, where the devices have been used for longer and are more widespread.

One of the first things we ask departments is, why do you want to do this? What are your goals? she said.

If you dont have clear goals, you dont have a good policy. Youre just implementing technology and no technology is a panacea to all the problems were seeing in policing right now.

When David Qamaniq, Nunavuts MLA for Tununiq, raised the issue of body-worn cameras earlier this year during the winter sitting of the legislature, he did so in favour of methods and technologies which can safeguard us against acts of violence.

Concerns have been raised about violent interactions between police and Nunavummiut. We have read about it in newspapers and seen video clips posted on social media. The concerns are real, he said.

Less than a week later there was an RCMP-involved shooting in Kinngait.

Including that incident, there have been three RCMP-involved shootings in Nunavut since Qamaniq spoke.

Two were fatal and all involved Inuit.

Since then, others have joined the call for cameras, including Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson and MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq.

On June 2, the same day that Iqaluit Mayor Kenny Bell expressed his interest in equipping the RCMP with body-worn cameras, a video surfaced on social media that showed a Kinngait RCMP officer knocking down an Inuk man with a vehicle door.

The incident made national news at a time when widespread protests against police brutality had begun in the United States and Canada.

Following that, Amanda Jones, chief superintendent of the Nunavut RCMP, also lent her support for the cameras.

I think we are all on the same page that we would like to bring in the body cams, she said.

On June 8, less than a week later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after speaking with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki about the issue, also voiced his support.

It is something that is, in my opinion, what we need to move forward with, he said.

Im committing to raising this with the provinces this week, so we can move forward as quickly as possible.

Later that day the RCMP responded with a statement: The commissioner has confirmed that the RCMP will engage in work and discussion with policing partners and the NPF [the RCMP union] on a broader rollout of body-worn cameras.

One of the recurring hopes expressed by those in support of the cameras is an increase in trust.

But for Malm, thats problematic.

No piece of technology is going to solve deep-seated trust issues in a community with the police, she said.

That being said, it can be an important piece of the puzzle, if implemented correctly.

Prior to the RCMPs commitment to roll out the cameras nationally, the obstacles in the territory repeatedly flagged by Jones and by Nunavuts minister of justice, Jeannie Ehaloak, were the durability of the devices, their cost and the logistics of video storage.

When Qamaniq first asked about the implementation of body-worn cameras in the legislature during the fall sitting last October, one of the answers he received was a concern about the durability of the devices themselves.

We know that in the wintertime, if you have a camera, because of the harsh climate, we dont know how these cameras will withstand within the weather or in the vehicles, but we are checking into it, responded Ehaloak.

The City of Iqaluit bylaw enforcement has been using body-worn cameras in some capacity for roughly five years, first as a trial and now all four bylaw officers are equipped with one.

According to Rod Mugford, the citys chief enforcement officer, the weather isnt an issue.

They dont freeze up. They dont go dead, he said.

The cold doesnt affect them.

Mugford also said that the devices arent even prone to fogging when transitioning from cold environments to warm ones or vice versa.

Another concern about the cameras was their price.

According to Malm, that concern is shared by many police departments. Its a huge cost.

Often, its not the devices themselves, but the file storage thats expensive.

Most of the large vendors will offer the cameras for free as long as you sign a contract for their storage, said Malm.

The City of Iqaluit uses a vendor called Axon, which uses its own proprietary cloud-based storage system called Evidence.com.

While this requires a reliable internet connection, Mugford said that using the Axon cameras and uploading videos to their storage system hasnt been an issue, particularly given the citys policy of uploading all videos at the end of each shift.

With the logistical obstacles cleared, the question for many departments then becomes whether or not the cost is worth it.

Its a really complicated question, said Malm.

Despite the growing number of studies done into the effectiveness of body-worn cameras, Malm says there havent been many that have done a cost-benefit analysis.

In cities like Las Vegas, the cost-benefit of body-worn cameras comes in the form of reduced litigation against the police, says Malm.

But in Nunavut and across Canada, that wouldnt be the case.

You dont have legal suits against the police that they do down here, so your [financial] benefit is likely to be reduced, said Malm.

The other challenge around the cost-benefit analysis of the cameras is putting a dollar amount on goals.

How much value does the department of the community put on increasing trust in police and how do you accomplish that? asked Malm.

Is it always worth it? No. Should all departments implement body-worn cameras? No, but you should carefully consider what the issues are and if body-worn cameras could help.

When Qamaniq brought up the topic of body-worn cameras again during the winter sitting of the legislature, Ehaloak advised him that although the RCMP and the Department of Justice at this time will not be looking at those options, the Kativik Regional Police Force in Nunavik are doing a pilot project in their territory.

Once that pilot projects results are received, we will be looking at their results and the research, and the pilot project itself, and we will be reviewing our [options], she said.

In May, the KRPF said that the pilot project has seen some success.

KRPF Chief Jean-Pierre Larose reported that the six cameras worn by different officers during the pilot project have recorded video footage from 48 police interventions, with 15 of those videos later used as evidence in criminal files.

Most recently, on June 12, KRPF officers equipped with body-worn cameras arrested an intoxicated man outside the Kuujjuaq hospital for obstruction of a peace officer and for resisting arrest after he refused to cooperate with the officers instructions to leave, and was putting his cell phone near the officers face, said a KRPF news release.

Ive viewed the body-camera footage and the actions of the police officer are appropriate and within our policies, said Capt. Maxime Mercier in the release.

The recording shows that the individual was waving his camera within inches of the officers face, even though the officer repeatedly told the person to stay at a reasonable distance.

The release also states that the recording of the incident has been submitted as evidence to a Crown attorney.

While this may satisfy one of the KRPFs goals of the pilot project, providing additional evidence to the court, it may be harmful to others, said Erick Laming, a Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation Ph.D. candidate in criminology at the University of Toronto.

The other goals of the KRPF body-worn camera pilot project include increasing police accountability, transparency, public trust, confidence and the efficiency of resolution of complaints against police officers while reducing use of force incidents by and against the police.

Most of the research [on body-worn cameras] suggests that complaints against officers do decrease [when theyre used], said Laming.

But theres a problem with that, because we have no way of knowing if thats a change in officer behaviour, citizen reporting behaviour, or something else.

In his experience researching police use of force and oversight, Laming has asked Indigenous community members if they would be willing to file a complaint against the police after body camera implementation. They said no way.

While this cant be generalized, Laming said that part of the reason behind that may be because theyre already targeted to begin with.

Now if they put in a complaint, everything is going to be captured in the camera. The police have that. Its a little bit more power. Its more surveillance for the police. So that person is going to feel even more vulnerable, especially if it comes back and its found that the police are investigating, said Laming.

So thats not going to really increase any trust. It actually pushes those people away from reporting.

Laming also ties this issue to transparency.

If somebody doesnt want to make a complaint or theyre fearful or they distrust the system to begin with, and its captured on video, are we ever going to know whatever happened if the RCMP dont release it? he asked.

The issue also extends to policies governing the use of the cameras and disciplinary actions if those policies arent adhered to.

In Calgary theyve had cameras for over a year on all officers and we cant even get access to that policy publicly, wed have to go through an FOI [freedom of information request], said Laming.

So if we dont even know what the policy says publicly, how can we trust whats going on?

The KRPF policy regarding camera use is also not publicly available, though when asked via email, Mercier stated, police officers wearing the body cameras must record every intervention involving violence, impaired driving and any other extraordinary circumstances. The goal, as the project progresses, is to eventually record every intervention.

Mercier also noted that Failing to respect the internal procedure on body cameras can result in disciplinary sanctions going from a warning to a dismissal.

For both Laming and Malm, community involvement in the creation of body-worn camera policy is critical.

It cant be just the police department sitting down and saying this is going to be our body-worn camera policy because the policy deals with a lot of different things: How often is footage going to be reviewed? [H]ow are we going to release it to the public? How are we going to deal with instances of abuse when we see it on camera? said Malm.

If you dont get the perspective and the voice of the community in those policies and if the policies arent being enforced, if the department isnt accountable to those policies, then youre going to see much less effect on trust and accountability and transparency.

Despite both being police forces in Inuit Nunangat, what works for the KPRF in Nunavik may not work for the Nunavut RCMP, a national police force operating under a 20-year contract in the territory.

Context is everything. We see such dramatically different [body camera] results in different departments, said Malm.

The Arctic is much different than the City of Montreal or the City of Vancouver and those two cities are different from one another as well, and thats really, really important to keep in mind.

Despite this, the policy for body-worn cameras for the RCMP will be used across the country.

Its something that we have to address on a national level, said Jones.

With that said, Malm, who began her policing career in Canada before moving to the United States, does see the advantages of a national police force and a national body-worn camera policy.

The United States has 18,000 police departments that are all independent from one another, and there are no national guidelines for these police departments, says Malm.

I think the RCMP could be a nice uniting force with the understanding that every jurisdiction is going to have its own challenges and should be able to refine that national policy to suit their needs and their problems, she said.

For Laming, the issue isnt so much with a national RCMP policy on body-worn cameras, its with the inconsistencies within and surrounding the RCMP.

You have specific communities in Nunavut that are wildly different from a municipality in B.C., where the RCMP [also] deliver policing but theyre run under the territorial and provincial governments so they have to abide by the policies in those jurisdictions. But at the same time, the RCMP has its own legislation and policies, so it could conflict in a lot of ways.

This is most apparent in police oversight, says Laming.

If the RCMP shoots and kills somebody in B.C. you have the IIO [Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia] who investigates. If an RCMP officer shoots and kills somebody in Nunavut, another police service investigates, he said.

So you have these inequities and that, from my experience and from talking to a lot of residents, doesnt build trust, if you dont even have a consistent way of dealing with police abuse or serious major incidents.

According to Ehaloak, a new model for civilian oversight of the RCMP in Nunavut could be announced at the legislative assemblys fall sitting.

For Laming, this is something that needs to come before the cameras.

If you implement body cameras without a proper civilian oversight agency, its counterproductive because its still the police investigating the police when it comes to reviewing the footage, he said.

Laming also believes that any proper oversight agency needs to consist of members of the community, leaders and Indigenous leaders that investigate all use of force cases from the video evidence, not just those that resulted in injuries or deaths.

That way we have that independence that can come in and say, Yeah, they were justified or theyre werent justified, heres why and heres what we would recommend for disciplinary mechanisms, said Laming.

Thats the only way we can really, truly, at least improve accountability.

Read the rest here:

Effectiveness of RCMP body cameras will depend on clear goals, policies, say experts - Nunatsiaq News

From paying tribute to speaking her mind, here is what Kangana Ranaut was upto this week – Republic World – Republic World

Kangana Ranaut is constantly in the news in recent days. After the tragic event of Sushant Singh Rajputs death, Kangana Ranaut took to her social media and released a video in which she slammed nepotism in Bollywood. She then went on to pay tribute to martyred soldiers in India-China faceoff at Galwanvalley. Here is what Kangana Ranaut has been up to this week from June 14 to June 20, 2020.

After Sushant Singh Rajputs death, Kangana Ranaut uploaded a two-minute long video on her social media in which she talked about nepotism in Bollywood. In her video, she questioned about Sushant Singh Rajputs movies being ignored in award shows. He also praised his movie Chhichhore.

Also Read |Kangana Ranaut Slams Nepotism Over Sushant Singh's Death, Asks 'why Didn't He Get Awards?'

Kangana Ranaut took to her Twitter and shared the list of martyred jawans who lost their lives in violent clashes at India China border. It was reported that 20 Indian Army personnel lost their lives while 43 casualties were reported on the Chinese side. In her tweet, she saluted the brave hearts and said that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Also Read |India-China Faceoff: Kangana Ranaut Pays Tribute To Martyred Soldiers

Kangana Ranaut took to her Twitter and shared a post about Rani Laxmibai on her death anniversary. She remembered the brave queen of Jhansi and said that people have grown up learning to stories Manikarnikas bravery. She also added that her courageous story must be passed on to future generations as a role model.

Also Read |Kangana Ranaut Remembers Rani Of Jhansi On Death Anniversary, Shares Story Of Her Valour

Kangana Ranaut stirred up a storm on social media when she uploaded another video to talk about Sushant Singh Rajputs death. In the latest video by the actor, she called out the blind items that were written on Sushant Singh Rajput in the past and also referred to his death as a murder. She further questioned that why such blind pieces which are intended to defame a certain celebrity are never written on nepo kids?

Also Read |Kangana Ranaut Calls Out Blind Items On Sushant, Asks 'Why Are They Never For Nepo Kids?'

After Sushant Singh Rajputs sudden demise, Kangana Ranaut was one of the celebrities who talked about the nepotism in Bollywood. Her recent videos about the late actor and nepotism in Bollywood have gained her millions of followers on social media. The Bollywood actor has gained more than 1.7 million followers after uploading her first video about Sushant Singh Rajput.

Also Read |Kangana Ranaut's Instagram Gains Millions Of Followers After Nepotism Video; See Responses

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.

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From paying tribute to speaking her mind, here is what Kangana Ranaut was upto this week - Republic World - Republic World

Talks alone will resolve LAC stand-off: MEA – The Tribune India

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 7

India and China would persist with military and diplomatic engagements to resolve the situation and to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after the latest round of border talks on June 6 between the army commanders ended in a stalemate.

Talks took place in a cordial and positive atmosphere. Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements, it said in a statement released on Sunday.

The MEA indicated that both sides were in for a long haul and that despite bringing in military reinforcements, the accent would be on dialogue. In this respect, it reiterated its earlier stand of May 21 that peace and tranquillity in the India-China border regions are essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.

Also read: Nepal takes umbrage to India-China border talks

Indo-China talks hold promise for Ladakhis

It said the four hours of talks between the army commanders also noted that this year marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and agreed that an early resolution would contribute to the further development of the relationship.

While the Indian media has prominently highlighted the stand-off, its Chinese counterparts have refrained from highlighting it. Beijing had, a fortnight back, leaked a video of a May 5 scuffle between the troops of both sides which had garnered over three crore views from the Chinese netizens.

But apart from that, respected media outlets, such as Xinhua, Peoples Daily and CGTN, mentioned India in their commentaries in the global fight against the pandemic but kept the border stand-off away from their web pages.

Global Times, which has the external audience in mind, maintained its psy-ops by uploading a video that supposedly showed a Chinese airborne brigade taking just a few hours to manoeuvre from Central China to northwestern, high-altitude region amid China-India border tensions.

Otherwise, as is the case with the MEA here, the Chinese officials have maintained a low profile on the border tension.

Statements by the Chinese Foreign Office have rejected the US mediation offers and reiterated bilateralism as the fulcrum to resolve the situation.

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Talks alone will resolve LAC stand-off: MEA - The Tribune India

Visions for the Next School Year – Education Week

(This is the fourth post in a multipart series. You can see Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.)

Today's question is:

What will our schools like look in the fall (or What should they look like)?

Dr. PJ Caposey, a district superintendent, shared his thoughts in Part One.

In Part Two, Lorie Barber, Cathleen Beachboard, Manuel Rustin, and Jeffrey Garrett offered their responses (Manuel and Jeffrey's comments were presented via video from their must-watch video series All Of The Above).

In Part Three, Sarah Said and Holly Spinelli described how they saw the future.

Today, Wendi Pillars, Mary K. Tedrow, Dr. Elvis Epps, and Mike Anderson contribute their commentaries.

You might also be interested in All Classroom Q&A Posts on the Coronavirus Crisis as well as The Best Posts Predicting What Schools Will Look Like In The Fall.

Who will our students be?

Wendi Pillars, NBCT, a 24-year teaching veteran has taught all ages, from kinder to adult, overseas and stateside, in myriad content areas. She believes deeply in the power of visuals to unlock others' creativity and curiosity and to make better decisions. She is the author ofVisual Notetaking for Educators, as well as a 2nd edition of Visual Notetaking to be released thisfall. Find her on Twitter@wendi322:

Rather than ask what schools should look like, what if we asked who our students will be?

Those of you who know me, know my penchant for visualizing. So let's create an actual visual to serve as an anchor for our decisionmaking. I invite you to ask different groups to engage in this activity for even more data: staff PLCs, school administrators, district personnel, business leaders, even parents and students.

Imagine, then actually sketch out, the "ideal student." What do they need to be successful, and crucially, what now constitutes success in 2020? Next, list and draw which steps, resources, mindsets, training, and changes need to be in place in order for this to happen.

Try this visual thinking prompt among groups of your colleagues or within your PLCs and you can literally "see" the different ideas, cultural mores, ideologies, and visions for student success. As a teacher, let alone an administrator or policymaker, the top goal for me is to have a coherent and consistent aim for my work. An agreed-upon vision of success is a critical priority upon which all else rests. Making it visible, even with basic sketches and lists, puts all the cards on the table for everyone to see, prioritize, categorize. This becomes a tangible basis for making decisions and next steps, ensuring all voices are heard while minimizing wasted meeting time.

What comprises a "successful student"? What kinds of supports, direct and indirect, visible and invisible, do they need to succeed in today's intensely evolving world? Whose definition of success matters most?

Now, picture your most challenging student to reach, the one "furthest away" from your definition of successful. What other definitions of success are you missing, ignoring, or downplaying? What do you need to understand better about that student? What will it take to pivot their school and learning experiences? What are their most pressing needs, and how will we know? What role does student input play into your idea of success, and how much do you believe it should?

As you try this exercise with your staff or PLC, note others' interpretations with an open mind. Replace judgment with curiosity and ask them to tell you more about their thoughts. Where do ideas intersect? Diverge? Plateau?

The business world creates avatars to flesh out their ideal customers; we would do well to do the same with our students. Together, immersing ourselves in what others are seeing, hearing, feeling and experiencing in this time of both informational and emotional overwhelm, we can more deeply understand the challenges our students are facing. Through their perspectives, we learn what they need, want, and value, how they are incentivized, and wherein lie the opportunities. For each of us.

This is the perfect time for the educational sector to imagine a better way forward, with intentional steps toward a vision that honors the twin pillars of humility immersed in reality and daring to believe in what might actually be possible. Imagine. Then sketch it out and make it real, with students truly at the center.

"Outside-the-box thinking"

Mary K. Tedrow, an award-winning high school English teacher, now serves as the director of the Shenandoah Valley Writing Project and teaches at Shenandoah and Johns Hopkins Universities. Her book, Write, Think, Learn: Tapping the Power of Daily Student Writing Across the Content Area is available through Routledge:

The current pandemic calls for outside-the-box thinking to engage students in learning and growing throughout the 2020-22 academic years. Major restructuring of the school year and flexible learning spaces are required.

First, shift to year-round instruction, but delay the traditional start to the school year to mid-September 2020.

In the time afforded between now and then, invest in massive professional development so secondary teachers can develop effective cross-curricular, project-based, online, and hybrid teaching beginning with teachers in grades 7 and up. Far-reaching but limited numbers of projects can engage students in literacy, math, science, and problem-solving and subsequently reduce what school looks like in the home setting, reducing online time to uploading of products, research. Wherever possible, incorporate learning into routine household activities. Public and school libraries should have scheduled openings timed to secondary cohort groupings.

Before school starts up in the fall, primary and elementary teachers should receive or revisit professional development in effective literacy instruction (see recent NAEP reading scores and the soon-to-be released writing scores for this justification).

Districts can use the delayed opening to reconfigure student-attendance zones and teacher assignments and make plans to assist and support students who cannot manage online instruction either behaviorally or due to inequities. In the lower grades, teachers will loop with their spring 2020 students to maintain established relationships and speed ahead on instruction.

When schools reopen, prioritize face-to-face learning for the youngest, ages 4 - 11. Students learning to read need teacher expertise and time. Additionally, parents who must work from home (including secondary teachers) will need relief from the intensive home schooling and parenting duties necessary for this age group.

Begin school with rolling opening dates and start/end times with temperature, symptom checking, masks, and hygiene a requirement. Start by orienting older students to the expectations of online instruction in small, consistent cohorts who share a team of core instructors. Include lessons in home and internet safety, first aid, and rudimentary cooking and housekeeping.

Once older students are properly acclimated to the online setting and expectations, return them to their homes. Teachers can monitor "attendance" in their cohorts via online engagement. Students who are not attending will be pulled into traditional spaces for teacher-directed learning as planned for by the district. A beefed-up truancy/counseling team can handle cases referred by teachers.

Then, open every school building, elementary and secondary, to face-to-face learning for the younger students. The additional school buildings will afford the space needed to keep students in smaller student cohorts that will not interminglesingle meal lunches served in the classroom, no large assemblies, staggered gym/recess/start-end times, specials instruction brought into the room. Though young students will have difficulty social distancing within the groups, small groups will contain virus contamination. If the virus spreads, only affected groups need quarantine. These cohorts happened organically in day cares, which remained open through the first shutdown. Limit busing to the 4- to -11-year-olds going to their assigned building in staggered start/end times.

With a year-round schedule, younger students will have two-week breaks every six or nine weeks. During this time period, older students return to a deeply cleaned school building vacated by the younger students for further updates and face-to-face instruction. Parents will not be expected to instruct the young students now at home. A traditional winter, summer, and spring holiday for all can be built into a year-round calendar.

Testing should be limited to diagnostic tests that are quickly scored and used for instruction. No interruptions to instruction should occur to prepare for high-stakes tests. All funding previously earmarked for high-stakes tests will be rerouted to boost student online access, busing, salaries, supplies, and cleaning.

Social-emotional learning

Dr. Elvis Epps is the principal of Lake Worth Community High School in the school district of Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Fla.:

State and school leaders across the nation are facing the challenge of reopening schools in the fall. Some P-12 school districts and universities have already informed their community and stakeholders that they will reopen in the fall. Many of them have not selected a start date as of June 1.

Opening schools across the nation will pose many problems if school and district leaders are not careful. The big question to consider is how many students can be on a school campus all while adhering to the Center for Disease Control guidelines for social distancing and sanitizing areas where students will interact. I am the principal of a large high school where school enrollment exceeds 2,500 students. Allowing students to return without having a viable plan would create more problems than school districts can handle. There are many safety and operational factors to consider; however, some of the most urgent barriers or constraints are

I believe we have our work ahead of us if we plan to reopen schools in the fall. There are many factors to consider before moving ahead with reopening schools. We must keep our teachers and students in mind while planning our strategies. Many school districts cannot afford to cover the costs to professional clean and sanitize a school if a student or staff member tests positive for the COVID-19 virus. The face of school reopening has shifted from an emphasis on academics and teacher recruitment to planning how to keep everyone safe from contracting the COVID-19 virus. This is a task that school, district, and state leaders must collaborate on if schools are to open in the fall.

"What's our why?"

Mike Anderson is an award-winning teacher, a best-selling author, and education consultant. His latest book is What We Say and How We Say It Matter: Teacher Talk that Improves Student Learning and Behavior, and he recently received the 2020 Outstanding Educational Leader Award through New Hampshire ASCD:

There are still so many unknowns that's it's almost impossible to say with certainty, "Here's what we should do and how we should do it" when schools start back up in the fall.

However, there's an important question we can ask ourselves that will guide our what and our how regardless of the specific details we'll be coping with in August: What's our why?

My recommendation is that school leaders tasked with welcoming students and faculty back to school in the fall invest significant time figuring out the most important goals you have for students and faculty. Chances are, they aren't much different from your goals in a normal year. They'll probably have to do with some really basic and fundamental ideas.

Safety: How will you make sure that students and faculty are (and feel) physically safe? How will you support emotional safety and security for students and faculty?

Relationships: How will you support the integration of new faculty with their colleagues while strengthening a sense of schoolwide adult comradery? How will you help faculty develop strong connections with their students and help students connect with each other?

Authentic Engagement: How will you help students feel intrinsic motivation for schoolworktapping into their needs for autonomy, curiosity, fun, belonging, mastery, and purpose?

These are just a few examples, and as school leaders, you'll need to surface your own most important priorities. Notice, however, that this list has nothing to do with the logistics we may or may not encounter. Whether we're back in school as we once were (unlikely in many places), continuing remote learning as we have been (gosh, I hope not), or in some kind of hybrid model (a good bet), our ultimate goals shouldn't change. But if we start planning for what to do or how to do it without being clear about our why, we're likely to drift and wander from haphazard idea to haphazard idea.

So, start with your why. Be clear about what's most important and then figure out how to get there as well as you can given the challenges you face and the resources you have. It may not be perfect (it wasn't before), but you'll have purpose to drive your own motivation and guide your actions.

Thanks to Wendi, Mary, Elvis, and Mike for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at[emailprotected]. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at@Larryferlazzo.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It's titledClassroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog viaemailorRSS Reader.And if you missed any of the highlights from the first eight years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. The list doesn't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar.

All Classroom Q&A Posts on the Coronavirus Crisis

This Year's Most Popular Q&A Posts

Race & Gender Challenges

Classroom-Management Advice

Best Ways to Begin the School Year

Best Ways to End the School Year

Implementing the Common Core

Student Motivation & Social-Emotional Learning

Teaching Social Studies

Cooperative & Collaborative Learning

Using Tech in the Classroom

Parent Engagement in Schools

Teaching English-Language Learners

Reading Instruction

Writing Instruction

Education Policy Issues

Assessment

Differentiating Instruction

Math Instruction

Science Instruction

Advice for New Teachers

Author Interviews

Entering the Teaching Profession

The Inclusive Classroom

Learning & the Brain

Administrator Leadership

Teacher Leadership

Relationships in Schools

Professional Development

Instructional Strategies

Best of Classroom Q&A

Professional Collaboration

Classroom Organization

Mistakes in Education

Project-Based Learning

I am also creating aTwitter list including all contributors to this column.

Read more:

Visions for the Next School Year - Education Week

I hated remote teaching during the Covid-19 lockdown. It should never replace the classroom – The Guardian

One of my teaching colleagues returned to school recently to discover a student who hadnt submitted any work this term due to not logging in and engaging with the lessons. Its students like this who have suffered during remote teaching. In one week in the classroom, this student has since completed seven weeks of missing work because of his teachers daily support and encouragement. He is once again on track to pass the semester.

In staff rooms my colleagues and I discuss the future of teaching and whether, as the coronavirus lockdowns ease, there will be more of a push to teach remotely. This is not just a fear for teachers concerned for their long-term prospects, but something that is being discussed as a potentially positive move.

But we should keep in mind how varied the experiences of students have been during this period.

It is true that some students thrived under remote teaching. These are the students who are highly self-motivated, highly literate and are working above the standard in the classroom. They are the students who require extension and enrichment as they lightly hopscotch through the curriculum.

Learning from home has also been a positive for some students with social anxiety, who were given a reprieve from the struggles of managing multiple interactions in a day and dealing with fraught exchanges with peers. There are also the individual needs students who are also requiring individualised support based on their academic and social skills. These students too might be happy to be at home completing basic literacy and numeracy skills.

The students who generally work at a standard level are a mixed bag. These students all overwhelmingly wanted to return to school either because of the challenges of remote learning or because they miss the social interactions with their peers. This group should have been able to manage remote learning due to their basic literacy, however they have different points of need. Some of them are able to manage the work after an explanation, some of them struggle and remain mute, suffering in silence and the errors only became apparent when their work was submitted for assessment.

In the classroom these students are more easily supported because I can see from their notebooks as I walk around the classroom who is struggling, or the students themselves would be able to understand the task requirements because they had multiple opportunities for instruction through my modelling and then by viewing the notebooks of their desk mates. In individual digital silos, they lost so much support.

Then there are the students who have poor organisation and work skills. They require a teachers constant reminders and face-to-face interactions in order to complete the work they need to pass the subject.

We make the assumption that young people are literate with technology because of their interaction with various platforms and social media, however their basic digital literacy is quite poor when it comes to downloading files, naming files, accessing files from Google Drives or school platforms, saving and uploading files, inserting photos or other media, using formatting functions such as changing the colour of fonts or highlighting. There is the need to provide multiple explanations and demonstrations constantly.

The students who work at lower levels are the ones eager to return to school and who have found remote learning difficult.

Some of these students have been identified as below standard and have been placed on modified programs. Others have low ability due to concentration and their inability to process multiple instructions at once and need a slow, step-by-step instructional model, which remote teaching does not lend itself to. Flicking up and down a digital document disrupts their ability to process the learning task and they get lost and frustrated.

These students are the ones who are already at risk of falling through the cracks in the classroom and are exposed to many intervention strategies, learning programs and engagement programs in order to support them. They succeed because of the school environment that supports them and the relationships they develop with their teachers, and when this is removed from the equation through the digital learning environment they flail and sink.

Now that I have been remote teaching for seven weeks I know one unequivocal and indisputable truth: remote teaching can never replace the face-to-face model for secondary students. These students need schools in order to succeed and develop their academic and interpersonal skills for life.

And I also know that I hate remote teaching. Remote teaching was all of the bad parts of the job the corrections, the administration follow-up, creating digital lessons that werent executed due to internet issues with none of the good the feeling of satisfaction when a lesson was executed well, helping a student with a problem, and the look on my students faces when they achieve an outcome.

Here is the original post:

I hated remote teaching during the Covid-19 lockdown. It should never replace the classroom - The Guardian

What’s it all about? Online learning terms explained – The Irish Times

The arrival of coronavirus to these shores prompted a swift pivot away from the traditional face-to-face style of teaching most students were familiar with since the first day they attended primary school.

Students nearing the end of their time in college had their finals to look forward to while others had essays, assignments and end-of-year exams to contend with. That all changed with the lockdown.

The move to emergency remote teaching, learning and assessment was a huge challenge, but one which all academic staff engaged in overnight. The response by both the staff and students, to such a dramatic transition to remote online space, was phenomenal, says Dr Mary Fitzpatrick, head of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at University of Limerick (UL).

As colleges began moving their programmes online for the final semester, educational priorities quickly changed. Gone, all of a sudden, were the classes, lectures, tutorials, trips to the library and group-work meetings.

In came video conferencing, online quizzes, virtual learning platforms, specialised simulations, asynchronous and synchronous teaching.

The shift to online does have its benefits.

Some of the benefits of course delivery online include flexibility: students can work at their own pace, supporting independent and self-directed learning, and allowing them to fit learning around the rest of their lives; and unlimited access to practice and revision resources, says Dr Alison Hood, dean of teaching and learning at Maynooth University.

Many will be unfamiliar with some of the terms associated with distance learning, blended learning and remote learning but this is likely to change in the coming months and years as these learning strategies grow in popularity. Many of these concepts are interrelated and they all involve learning but what do they mean individually and how do they relate to each other?

A 1960s Australian childrens television series might not be the first thing that springs to mind when we consider the merits of distance learning. Yet for many, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is where they first came across the practice.

The series told the story of a young boy called Sonny and his adventures with his pet kangaroo friend Skippy. Sonny lived in a remote national park and had to use a two-way radio to connect with his teachers in order to receive his education. Thanks to the development of internet technology, distance learning has advanced quite a bit since then. The tools and methods traditionally associated with it such as correspondence courses, educational television and, in the case of Sonny, two-way radios, have now largely been replaced by online learning platforms. In many cases, the interactive online learning environment used to deliver distance learning courses is now the very same platform used by students who attend the face-to-face courses traditionally associated with third-level education.

Colleges and universities have improved their ability to deliver distance learning programmes while at the same time offering comprehensive support for students. In short, distance learning is when students dont attend classroom lessons in person. Instead, they receive instruction, and learn and study from home.

Classes are usually conducted over the internet and students can submit assignments remotely. As distance learning offers students the flexibility and convenience of not having to be physically present in the learning institution, the advantages are numerous. Students can access class resources from a single location, they can save substantially on transport and fees as courses offered through distance learning are usually significantly cheaper than traditional classroom-based pedagogy.

Blended or hybrid learningThis is where the traditional form of face-to-face learning converges with the newer methods of remote and online instruction. Blended learning uses technology to improve the learning process and is the model most likely to be adopted by third-level institutions as ongoing social distancing requirements limit the possibility of traditional in-person lectures taking place in the medium term.

Blended learning is customisable and, as a result, a wide range of approaches to the method means the balance between in-class teaching and the use of technology varies from programme to programme. Advocates say it offers the best of both worlds. The curriculum is usually delivered through a combination of classroom-based lectures, online lectures and the use of other online resources. Ideally, these course components complement each other to strengthen the overall outcome.

Blended learning also offers students the benefits of in-class engagement with instructors with the flexibility of online learning. The degree to which the course is blended depends on the course programme and the institution in question. Most Irish colleges and universities offer a suite of blended learning courses across undergraduate, graduate and professional level categories. This is likely to continue even when social distancing measures are in place.

eLearningShort for electronic learning, eLearning is a term that essentially means learning with the aid of digital tools. It has its roots in distance learning. The internet has contributed greatly to a marked growth in the use of technology for the delivery of education over the past decade and has helped the development of new models of teaching, improved instruction methods and the possibility of better student outcomes.

Technology is at the centre of eLearning and without it the programme could not be delivered. Students use computer and internet technology to access the curriculum from outside the traditional classroom.

It is widely seen as a flexible and efficient way of delivering the curriculum as most people with a stable internet connection can access these tools and participate in some form of online learning.

It is also efficient. Students no longer have to worry about attending a lecture or class at a set time, they can review lecture videos as often as they like, there is no commute time and it can help develop time-management skills. Unsurprisingly, it is often the preferred option for students who are working or who have other constraints on their time.

This form of learning is also used in a wider context. In recent years we have seen a sharp growth in demand for online digital courses. Courses called Moocs (Massive Open Online Courses) first appeared in the late 2000s and were seen as a disruptor which would widen access and lower the costs associated with traditional modes of learning.

Critics sometimes cite poor student engagement as one of the greatest drawbacks of eLearning. In traditional classroom settings, students can raise their hand and engage in face-to-face interaction with their instructor but it is not as easy to raise the hand digitally in an eLearning environment.

The very nature of the approach means students will invariably spend a lot of time on their own in front of the computer screen and the lack of social interaction can lead to a sense of isolation.

Tools do exist to facilitate better communication however and the development of video software now means students can interact directly with instructors through video-link. Depending on the type of course undertaken, practical assessments can be difficult to cater for well.

Not to be confused with distance learning or online learning, emergency remote teaching is a measure that is adopted in response to a crisis where the curriculum has to be rapidly moved to a virtual online setting.

The unintended consequences of emergency remote teaching can include a failure to meet the expectations that students had at the outset of the course. Simply broadcasting a lecture with the aid of a video conferencing tool or uploading a presentation to a virtual learning environment is not the same as presenting course content that has been planned, developed and designed for delivery via a framework that best enables learning to take place.

The sudden change in delivery model can mean a change to how course material is absorbed by students and it can also mean a change to the assessment model which can be disruptive for those students who had prepared for another format entirely over a lengthy period of time.

The needs of all students might not be met by sudden change, and unexpected barriers such as the digital divide and other inequities can arise. There is also the danger that in the absence of a coherent emergency plan that teaching objectives can shift from the achievement of pre-defined learning goals to enacting a crisis management approach instead.

While the process of moving from an established teaching method to an unfamiliar new platform can be difficult, emergency remote teaching can be a useful learning experience as instructors quickly learn to apply what works and discard what doesnt.

Synchronous learning is a term used to describe a method where students engage in learning at the same time but not in the same place. Synchronous learning usually involves the use of online tools such as chat and videoconferencing where students and teachers can interact in real-time during class. Class activities typically take place through the use of dedicated virtual learning environments (also known as learning management systems) such as Brightspace, Moodle or Canvas.

Asynchronous learning is a term used to describe a method where students engage in learning at different times and locations. Asynchronous learning often utilises elements such as email, pre-recorded video and other tools such as online discussion forums that facilitate the sharing of information.

Sometimes referred to as virtual learning environment or virtual learning platforms, learning management systems are web-based software platforms which facilitate the delivery of course content. Platforms provide teaching tools and supports but also allow course instructors to track student performance over time.

Multiple formats such as video, audio and text are catered for and students can be assessed through tools such as online quizzes and questionnaires.

They are in widespread use at third level and can be used to deliver asynchronous or synchronous-based courses. Systems such as Brightspace, Canvas, Moodle and Blackboard have built-in tools that allow instructors to deliver lectures by video or audio, facilitate discussions and even track student performance.

A virtual classroom is an online learning environment where students interact in real time with the instructor and with each other. Usually delivered via videoconferencing tools, virtual classrooms are also a feature of learning management systems. Students can also usually interact and ask or answer questions by using a chat window. Presentation tools such as PowerPoint or whiteboard tools can usually be utilised by the teacher during class. It is also possible during a class or lecture to operate break-out rooms where students can work together or where the instructor can interact directly with an individual student.

A webinar is a class in which participants view the same screen at the same time. Very useful in a classroom setting, the instructor controls proceedings and participants can communicate through the use of interactive features such as chatrooms, polls and quizzes.

This is usually a reference to materials such as PDFs, slideshow, spreadsheets, presentations, images or text documents. These tools are usually found as a feature within the learning management systems.

A feature of some blended learning approaches where lectures are replaced by classes or tutorial-type settings. Students consume content perhaps by viewing a lecture video or completing an assignment at home before engaging in analysis and discussion in the live class setting. The practice results in more face-to-face time and affords the instructor greater flexibility in being able to engage directly with students during class, and it can help increase student engagement as they are required to prepare material ahead of the class.

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What's it all about? Online learning terms explained - The Irish Times

Learning in times of crisis – Daily Pioneer

The COVID pandemic has impacted education the most, compelling nations to embrace e-learning. India needs to invest in infrastructure and put right policies in place

Nations across the world have taken different yet significant measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. The most immediate one taken by almost all countries was to cancel physical face-to-face teaching in schools and higher education institutions. All kinds of social and religious gatherings and public events, too, were banned. With a sudden shift from the classroom to e-learning, many wondered whether the adoption of online education would continue to persist post-pandemic and how such a shift would impact the education market.

Indeed, in India, too, physical classrooms have replaced online classes. The transition has mostly been smooth in private universities though public institutions are yet to adapt to the changes. This has led to widespread debates on the future course of classes whether they should be conducted online or not. Realising the long-term impact of COVID-19, faculty members, too, are finding it hard to conduct online classes with ease. On the other hand, students have been left clinging on to their mobile phones, laptops and computer screens. What, however, is certain is that a post-COVID world must gear itself to adapt to some changes. Being physically present in a classroom may not be the only learning option anymore not with the rise of the internet and new technologies, at least. As long as there is access to a computer with a robust internet connection, students can attend live sessions or watch pre-recorded classes. Does this mean that online education will soon replace classroom education? It should be kept in mind that even though there have been huge technological advancements, they arent flawless. E-learning comes with its own set of challenges.

Challenges and possibilities: In the case of traditional classrooms, lack of engagement is problematic for teachers and students alike. Unlike online education, here, they cannot pause or rewind the classes in case they miss out certain chapters. On the other hand, online education is not as easy as speaking into the microphone at the one end and connecting a laptop or phone and listening on the other. There are other challenges with this form of education that have to be faced by both faculty as well as students. While the former will have to put in extra labour to generate lectures, it will be difficult for the latter to make sense of it online. Then, how will this form of education compensate for the academic loss suffered by students? Practically speaking, there is no alternative to classroom activities.

Most important of all, even after so much digitisation, rural India will face unprecedented challenges due to poor connectivity and frequent power cuts that would affect the productivity of the classroom. Talking about access to electricity, according to Mission Antyodaya, a nationwide survey of villages conducted by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2017-18, 16 per cent of Indias households received one to eight hours of electricity daily, 33 per cent received 9-12 hours and only 47 per cent received more than 12 hours a day. Further, according to data collected by the National Sample Survey as part of the Survey on Education (2014), only 27 per cent of households in India have some member with access to internet. Access to internet does not necessarily mean that a household actually has internet at home.

While increasing ethernet connectivity should be the larger goal, in the short term, data on mobile phones must be subsidised. Device ownership, too, is a problem and for this, the Government must provide for cheap smartphones for students to get on with the business of teaching. Organisations such as the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL), IGNOU and other such bodies offering distance education as well as the Government must assess current and future infrastructure requirements for digital age and bridge the gap.

But what if e-learning becomes the way of life for education? What would be the major issues and areas that require introspection? And what does this mean for the students going forward?

Most universities are now offering web-based file-sharing services to their faculty members and research communities. However, there are several other ways to make multimedia resources accessible over the internet. Certainly, the most familiar one is YouTube, which though ubiquitous and easy-to-use, does present challenges to classroom use that must not be ignored. The most glaring one is the comments section. The instructor can take it for granted that some comments will not be suitable for projection on a classroom screen.

Similarly, advertisements found lining the video could be a problem, too. Regardless of the product being promoted, the classroom need not be turned to a search service in order to access multimedia resources. To avoid this, a number of web browser extensions are available that provide for an unsullied viewing experience, hiding comments, menu side bus and advertisements from the view. A number of cloud-based tools, too, are available that allow files to be stored and shared across a remote host, which at the very least offer the instructor the flexibility to adapt. Foremost among these are Dropbox, which is a file hosting service that offers free data storage across several operating platforms. Amazon cloud drive offers 5 GB of free storage and provides a straight forward web-based interface for uploading and retrieval of files. Similarly, GoogleDocs allows for the uploading of entire folders to the cloud, making remote storage of a set of organised files quite easy.

Make the digital transition: Technological prospects for classrooms have evolved in remarkable ways since the COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed the successful introduction of smartphones that are capable of running audio-visual clips and interactive language drills; tablets are now replacing the laptop as an essential classroom gear; and there has been a rich array of online dictionaries. Further, news media and unicode blogs are now searchable in original scripts; a sea of websites are dedicated towards the study and dissemination of literature. The worldwide popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google classroom, Zoom, Cisco Webex and the user-centred design of web has addressed concerns of language use. Even mini tablets are now equipped with built-in digital camera. In fact, they allow students to use audio and video editing software immediately upon recording. All of these advancements offer promising ways for the students to do their homework, going far beyond just a paper and pen.

The time has come for us to adapt to new and innovative teaching methods. So, what next? Most experts and researchers across academic institutions agree that there is a need to create standardised online education platforms. Besides students and teachers must be trained to get accustomed to using digital technologies. Others highlight the necessity to introspect on the nature of these platforms and how students must be taught using different online tools and methods while keeping accessibility and the challenges in mind.

To look for possibilities, there is lack of clarity among teachers and researchers about the plan of action, especially with respect to teaching, examination, results, internships and placements. Challenges are many that need to be overcome. Some students without reliable internet access and technology struggle to participate in digital learning. This gap is seen across countries. Education is going to be digital in the foreseeable future. We will be better prepared to handle it only with the right kind of infrastructure and policies in place. The Government must pay heed.

(The writer is a linguist, author and columnist)

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Learning in times of crisis - Daily Pioneer

What Is PEXA And Why Are The Students Of Manipal Institution Of Technology Protesting Against It? – ED Times

Today, I opened Twitter out of sheer boredom just to see what is going on in the world. To my surprise, my newsfeed was flooded with the #BoycottPEXA and #usecommonsensemit.

In fact, #BoycottPexa is one of the top trending hashtags in India today. So, what happened, and why are students of Manipal Institute of Technology protesting online?

I doubt that there is anyone in our country who is oblivious to the online protests conducted by various students organizations such as ABVP or NSUI against the online examinations that are due to be conducted by the college administrations.

Keeping in mind the prevailing conditions, many colleges have canceled the exams while a few others are planning to conduct online examinations for their students, especially those in their final years.

A similar scenario has emerged in the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) also where the students have been asked to appear for their online exams from June 8th. For this purpose, they are supposed to install a lightweight exam software called PEXA Lite. This software would be used by them to get the question paper, type answers, and upload images wherever required.

The students of MIT are opposing this decision and they have taken to online platforms such as Twitter to raise their concerns.

For starters, many students have moved back to their hometowns having heavy connectivity issues. They are concerned as to how they would be able to write their exam with no or limited internet access.

This is a major issue that is affecting all the students from various educational institutions in India.

But, the plight of MIT students does not end here. The software, PEXA Lite, that the students have been asked to install has become the center of suspicion among them.

The students have been asked to turn off any Firewall or Antivirus in their devices before downloading this software. They have been advised to ignore any alerts that pop up regarding Trojans or Malware. This is sure to jeopardize the safety of the devices and the privacy of the students.

Reportedly, passwords have also been shared with a third party software without the consent of students. Sharing of Aadhar number, bank account details, and phone number has also been reported. This is clearly a security breach and violation of the right to privacy of the aggrieved students.

The software is supported only on Windows Operating System. So, if anyone has MacOS or any other operating system, then it would not be compatible with it.

There are reports of laptops crashing because of this software. Due to this, the other students are scared to install this application on their devices.

The resolution of images clicked via PEXA is also very bad. As a response to this major issue, students have been asked to only type the answers rather than uploading pictures.

This has created stress among them, as many questions require diagrams or charts for the explanation which can only be drawn and not typed.

The software size is around 220MB. A software or file of this size can only be downloaded at high internet speed. This is truly insensitive to those who are hailing from areas with poor network connectivity.

While students and their parents are naturally raising their concerns about the pertaining issue, the administration is ignoring their responsibility by blocking their numbers.

MIT is constantly assuring the students through notices and circulars, saying that the said software is safe to install while blatantly ignoring the students questions and concerns. This has caused outrage among the students.

We cannot ignore the need of the administration to go ahead with exams but all safety measures should be undertaken and the concerns of the students should be kept in mind. We hope that the administration takes suitable action in favor of everyone.

Image Sources: Twitter, Google Images

Sources: The Quint, Twitter

Find The Blogger At: @TinaGarg18

This post is tagged under: university exams, protests, online exams, DU, Delhi university, Mumbai university, Manipal Institute of Technology, MIT, Manipal exams, online, connectivity, download software, safety, crashing, privacy, data, share with 3rd party, aadhar, bank account details, light, pexa lite software, #boycottpexa, #usecommonsensemit

Students Cry Out As IPU Releases Datesheet For Physical Exams From 22nd June

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What Is PEXA And Why Are The Students Of Manipal Institution Of Technology Protesting Against It? - ED Times

Every single life is a precious one – Gulf Today

George Floyd. File

If you check on some of your black friends and ask them how they are this week, theres a chance they might reply Im tired. Its been an exhausting fortnight for BAME people, watching the brutal killing of George Floyd, the subsequent protests and the endless discussions and debates on television and social media about racism in 2020.

Despite living in black skin which means witnessing and experiencing discrimination on a daily basis I wasnt prepared for the fallout of this debate, and the unexpected ways it has caused division between myself and some of my white friends.

The atmosphere in the wake of George Floyds death seems different to any other of the many deaths in police custody where race played a role. Im amazed by the level of engagement by some of my white friends who have been horrified by what they see, to the point of either actively supporting the Black Lives Matter movement or simply asked me questions to gain more knowledge. However, there have sadly been some exceptions.

I dont expect white people to fully understand my experience; they are not black. I appreciate that in any circumstances it is very difficult to fully comprehend anothers experience of discrimination. But what I would have hoped to see from white people I know, through our friendship or familiarity, is their support and an understanding, a knowing, that this movement means so much to me.

Earlier this week as I scrolled through my private Facebook account, I saw a highly inflammatory meme posted by a white family friend of mine regarding the protests and riots in America. I was left bewildered, shocked and disappointed that someone Ive known for so long could post something like and in full knowledge that I and other black people they know would see it.

I expressed my disappointment. I encouraged them to watch the video by activist Tamika Mallory, who gave a powerful speech in Minneapolis. For me, her words encapsulated the rage that black people have been feeling for hundreds of years in relation to the discrimination we experience.

I suspect my family friend has not, to this day, watched this video or poised to consider my perspective. Nevertheless, they slammed back with the phrase All Lives Matter. Despite my desperate attempts, and those of other black and some mutual white friends to explain, there was just no reasonable debate or informed discussion to be had. Their mind had been made up.

What upset me the most was not that I could not win them over, but rather that an opportunity to educate themselves about an alternative worldview and experience mine had been slapped away. They were disregarding the personal experiences of someone theyve known for years. Their uninformed opinions and biases overrode any personal familiarity and warmth we have, any empathy our relationship might have produced had we been debating on another matter.

All Lives Matter is such an incredibly distasteful response to the Black Lives Matter movement. It seeks not only to diminish but to quench the fire of black people who are simply asking not to be killed, to be treated like a human being. It does not mean Black lives are more important than any other; on the contrary, its merely asking for a level playing field. The use of the term All Lives Matter indicates that you are either wilfully ignorant or, worse, wilfully racist.

Racism in 2020 is real. Its brilliant that finally it appears the BAME community is being listened to. An atmosphere has been created in which we feel comfortable to speak and share our experiences. Its shameful that it took an on-camera death to raise this level of awareness. As Will Smith famously said: Racism isnt getting worse; its getting filmed.

Black people dont need inactionable pity, nor a social media performance by uploading a black square on Instagram. What we need is for people to believe us when we describe our everyday lives. Know that were not exaggerating. Know that what we feel isnt a theory born out of paranoia, but as tangible as the skin we live in.

Race relations cannot be fought and won by the black community in isolation. Everyone the oppressed, the oppressor and everyone in between must be on board and commit to stamping it out. Governments and corporate companies have a wider responsibility to tackle racism, but even this starts with the individual. So imagine how it feels when an individual relatively close to you, someone youve known for a long time, just does not seem to understand and, worst of all, simply does not want to. What hope is there for social change?

The sad fact is not every one of our white friends will understand or support us and thats a painful reality to experience. Nevertheless, we cannot allow the disintegration of personal relationships to dim our beliefs.

The fight for equality is bigger than any friendship. Its for the hope for a future where such friendships wont even need to have such discussions that potentially end them.

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Every single life is a precious one - Gulf Today

The best NAS drive in 2020: store ALL your images, and access them from anywhere – Digital Camera World

Want help finding the best NAS drive? This guide will help you choose the right one, and show you the best prices. But, first, what is a NAS drive?

Network attached storage (also know as NAS) allows your entire photo and video collection to be stored in one physical location in your home or studio, just like a conventional external hard drive.

But the beauty of NAS is that this drive also has a network connection, allowing it to be linked via your internet router to your home network and the web. NAS drives are also loaded with a simple computer operating system, allowing you to browse their file contents, view photos and videos, all from a remote location.

Of course security is paramount with such an accessible device, so you'll need your own login details in order to access the drive remotely, but these credentials can be given to trusted friends and family members if you want to share certain photos and videos.

With cloud storage becoming ever cheaper and more capacious, you may be wondering why you'd choose NAS drive over online file storage. Well, NAS can be more cost-effective over the long term, especially if you need more than 2TB of storage. Then there's the issue of uploading large files to cloud storage, which can be tediously slow on some ADSL internet connections. And of course, with a NAS drive, there are no monthly cloud storage fees to worry about.

Like the sound of a NAS drive? There's just one - rather important - thing you should know. NAS drives are often sold without any actual hard disks inside. The idea is you fit your own so you can choose the right amount of storage space to suit your needs and budget. We recommend forking a bit more for heavy duty hard drives specifically targeted at NAS storage, such as Seagate's IronWolf range and WD's Red drives, as these are built to handle continuous use.

NAS storage made simple - the perfect choice for photographers

Capacity: 4TB, 8TB, 12TB, 16TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 | Features: Remote file access, RAID features, My Cloud OS 3 software

Dual core CPU

Dual bay for RAID setups

Operating system is simplistic

Lack of app support

Some NAS drives can be intimidating if you're new to the NAS game, filled with advanced features you'll likely never need. The beauty of the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra is how easy it is to set up and use, with no unnecessary or confusing initial settings to navigate.

The My Cloud EX2 Ultra is already equipped with hard drives, so there are no unpleasant extra costs to be incurred. The deals we've got are for the base 4TB capacity, which is plenty for most users, but you can spec up to 16TB of space if you're a heavy user.

If you do want to get more techy, the drive also boasts RAID capabilities. This allows you to configure the two hard disks within to operate in parallel, so two copies of your files are automatically stored, one copy on each disk. That means in the unlikely event of one hard disk failing, the other still has a copy of all your files.

Accessing and storing files from a remote location is also no problem as the built-in software allows you to use the drive as an FTP server, and the drive can be set to make automatic backups.

NAS (network attached storage) made as simple as possible

Capacity: 2TB, 3TB 4TB, 6TB, 8TB | Interface: USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file access, DLNA, iTunes Server

Easy to set up

Very good price

No RAID options

'Only' 8TB max capacity

WD has realized that NAS storage certainly doesn't have to be a gadget for geeks and computer tech guys, as the My Cloud Home is as effortlessly easy to get up and running as you could wish for. Just link it to your home Wi-Fi and you've got a centralized storage drive accessible from computers, laptops and smart devices around your home, or from anywhere with an internet connection.

The drive can be configured so multiple trusted users can have there own private storage space, and you can stream videos from the drive using Google Chromecast, Sonos and Plex.

Capacities vary from 2TB to 8TB, and all options are very competitively priced. The single hard drive configuration also results in a slim, space-saving design that'll easily sit on your desk, taking up little more room than a conventional external hard drive. The only downside with this single-drive solution is there are no RAID features for duplicating files across two hard disks for extra safety in the event of drive failure.

A NAS drive with extra media server features

Capacity: Enclosure only (2 drive bays) | Interface: 2x USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file access, DLNA, media server, hardware encryption, hardware media transcoding

Extensive media streaming capabilities

Generous processing hardware spec

Wide device compatiblity

Expensive once you add hard disks

Synology has a reputation for producing top quality, pro-level NAS devices more suited to business use than in the home, but the DiskStation DS218play is a much more accessible option for amateur photographers. While offering typical NAS options, it's also a versatile home media hub that's able to stream images and video to computers and mobile devices, as well as Samsung TVs, Apple TV, Chromecast and DLNA devices. The versatile built-in multimedia players - Video Station, Photo Station, and Audio Station, each of which having a companion mobile app - make it effortlessly easy to access and view your media files.

Though pricier than some entry-level NAS devices on this list, the DS218play adds value with a generous 1GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, RAID capability and hardware data encryption.

Just bear in mind that you'll need to factor in the extra cost of two hard disks to make the DS218play operational.

Simple and well-priced dual-drive NAS - it's a bit of a bargain

Capacity: 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB | Interface: USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file access, DLNA, iTunes Server, built-in BitTorrent client

Dual drives for extra peace of mind

Competitive pricing

BitTorrent downloading feature

USB connection is USB 2.0, not 3.x

Buffalo's dual-drive LinkStation 220 will cost you little more than a more basic single-drive NAS, but with two drives inside comes options for RAID drive mirroring, giving you extra data security in the unlikely event of hard disk failure.

And the features don't stop there. There's easy automatic backup for PCs and Apple Time Machine compatibility, and the drive is DLNA Certifiedso it can be used as an iTunes media server. But the standout feature is its built-in BitTorrent client that'll allow you to download and upload without needing to use your computer.

2TB, 4TB, 6TB and 8TB capacities are available, with the 8TB model making the most sense for long-term storage, and it's the best value.

A serious NAS device for professionals

Capacity: N/A | Interface: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 | Features: Remote file access, HDMI out, 4K media transcoding, DLNA

Powerful hardware

Loads of features

Does not come with hard drives installed

Cost of hard drives adds to cost

If youre after a feature-rich NAS storage solution that will do a brilliant job of safely storing your photos and videos, while also allowing you to access and share them online, then the QNAP TS-251+ NAS drive is a great investment. It comes with two drive bays to allow you to use dual hard drives in a RAID array of your choice, and theres loads of apps available to make use of its features.

You can access your photos from the QNAP TS-251+ NAS drive on your smartphone using the QPhotos app, and you can easily set it up so that your PC or Mac sees the QNAP TS-251+ NAS drive as if it was a hard drive installed in the PC itself which makes saving and editing your photos direct from this NAS device incredibly easy.

This drive doesnt come with hard drives installed, however. Its easy enough to add your own and means you can pick drives that suit your needs and budget but youll need to factor in the additional cost.

For professional photographers with huge amounts of photos

Capacity: Up to 80TB (16TB drive x5), 160TB with expansion unit | Interface: 2 x 1GbE LAN, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x eSATA | Features: Quad-Core CPU, Up to 10 drives with expansion units

High-end performance

Feature-packed

Huge potential capacity

Can be daunting for novice users

Expensive

Drives are extra cost (though sometimes included in a bundle)

If youre a professional photographer that runs a studio or business and you hold a lot and we mean a lot of photographs or videos for clients, then the Synology DiskStation DS1019+ NAS drive is an ideal investment. Its a powerful and fast NAS device that will allow you to store and edit photographs remotely.

It has loads of expandability options and can hold up to 160TB of data with an expansion unit, so you can grow the Synology DiskStation DS1019+ alongside your business.

While its impressive specs are good for pro users, if youre a casual photographer, this is likely overkill.

Some of the NAS drives above will not come supplied with the actual 3.5in hard drives that you need. We'd recommend using heavy-duty models, designed specifically for NAS use. These are the top two options we'd consider, offering a good combination of robustness and value

Available capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB

Transfer rate upto 150Mb/s

3-year warranty

Available capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16GB

Transfer rate up to 210Mb/s

3-year warranty

Read more:The best photo-editing laptopsThe best budget laptopsThe best portable SSDsThe best desktop computers for photo editingThe best monitors for photographersThe 50 best camera accessoriesThe best photo-editing softwareThe best graphics tablets for photo editing

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The best NAS drive in 2020: store ALL your images, and access them from anywhere - Digital Camera World

Technical Glitches and Lawsuit Dampen Experiment With Remote AP Tests – Education Week

The nation's first-ever remote Advanced Placement exams are going on this week, amid complaints about technical glitches, a lawsuit, and concerns about potential cheating.

The College Board is reporting, however, that after the first few days of testing, most students were able to complete and submit their exams, with less than 1 percent of the 2.9 million test-takers being unable to do so. The board has said it considers the small percentage of incomplete tests a success for such anunprecedented testing experience.

But it wasn't enough to dissuade students, families, and test-equity advocates from filing a lawsuit seeking that the organization score the answers of those who couldn't submit their exams during the first week of testing, as well as over $500 million in compensatory damages and an unset figure in punitive damages.

The biggest concern for many of the test-takers who were unable to submit their tests is that they must take them again.

Sixteen-year-old Dominic Verry, a junior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Ky., encountered difficulties with uploading photo submissions of his work for his AP Calculus BC exam, which he had been preparing for since late February.

Verry initially tried to submit photos of his work from his phone, then from his laptop. Nothing worked, however, and the test eventually timed out. He said he'll have to retake the exam in June.

"I felt really good about this exam," Verry said. "I felt it was the best work that I had done in a while, so I was pretty mad when I couldn't turn it in."

What happened to Verry is not an anomaly among students who weren't able to submit their AP exams, as swarms of complaints and concerns regarding similar technical issues had been presented on social media and to the College Board over the course of the first week of testing.

Other technical errors include not being able to submit answers when the time for a question ran out, problems logging into the testing platform, and issues with Internet connectivity.

In response to the many reports, the College Board introduced a back-up submissions process on Sunday meant to provide students who are unable to submit their exam through the standard process with the ability to email their submissions instead.

Effective since Monday, the new process will be available for students throughout the remaining testing dates and through the makeup period. To ensure the security and validity of exams, however, students who couldn't submit their exams during the first week will have to wait until June to benefit from this option.

JoonWoo Park, 16, is another junior from Paul Laurence Dunbar who, like Verry, was unable to submit his answers for the AP Calculus BC exam. After having to adjust to the rapid switch to online learning for his regular schoolwork earlier this year, Park had been looking forward to finishing up his school year after taking this test and two other exams.

Park said that he understood that this was the College Board's first try at online testing and that problems were expected to happen, but he's still not too thrilled about having to continue studying for another test even after school ends.

"I'm glad that there's a second chance, but I'm not looking forward to taking it again," Park said. "It's just stressful. After my last exam, I thought I would be done with school."

In Franklin, Tenn., Paige LaRock, 16, a junior at Battle Ground Academy, is also not looking forward to retaking her AP Chemistry exam well after the last day of classes, which was last Friday. The summer has already begun for most of her friends, while she'll have to continue preparing for her exam.

LaRock was unable to submit photos of her work for the first part of the exam before time ran out.

"I took pictures of my test and sent it to my laptop," LaRock said. "They downloaded to my laptop, but nothing would upload onto the College Board website. I exhausted every option, and nothing would work."

In response to the new backup submissions feature, LaRock added that "there should have been a backup plan put in place at the beginning."

The technical problems came on top of early concerns about potential cheating, as students took the tests at home rather than in supervised school settings.

Right before testing began, Trevor Packer, the College Board's head of Advanced Placement and instruction, announced that a ring of students had been barred from registering for the AP exams on Twitter, after it was discovered they were planning to cheat. Critics said the organization's focus seemed to lie more on the potential for student cheating rather than on ensuring that the exams would fair, equitable, and technically sound.

"The College Board rushed 'untested' AP computerized exams into the marketplace in order to preserve the testing company's largest revenue-generating program after schools shut down this spring, even though they were warned about many potential access, technology and security problems," said Bob Schaeffer, interim executive director of the advocacy group FairTest, in a press release announcing the lawsuit on Wednesday.

While the College Board could now be facing more appreciable consequences for any technical defects, student advocates are worried some of the same problems will plague SAT exams administered by the organization later this year.

"It blows my mind that they just forget the fact that they're mission is to be supporting and providing opportunities to students," said Merrit Jones, president of the advocacy group Student Voice. "I just don't think that they're putting students' needs first."

Photo:iStock/Getty Images

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Technical Glitches and Lawsuit Dampen Experiment With Remote AP Tests - Education Week

Amazon Video: Will There Be A Season 2 Of ‘Upload’? – TV Shows Ace

Amazon Video dropped all ten episodes ofUploadSeason 1 into their streaming library at the beginning of May. Now that we are nearing the end of May, most have had plenty of time to watch all ten episodes of this truly binge-able series. The question is Will there be a Season 2 ofUpload? Fortunately, weve done a little digging. Heres everything you need to know about Season 2 ofUpload.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Season 1 of Upload.

If you have an Amazon Prime membershipUploadis a series you want to check out. This is especially true if you happen to like the series calledThe Good Place. Believe it or not, a lot of fans ofThe Good Placewere hesitant to watch this series. They assumed it would be a cheap knock-off. The series, however, does a pretty impressive job of standing on its own.

Uploadis a series that takes a dystopian spin on the after life. The series follows the idea that when you are on your death bed you have the option of uploading to a virtual community. This is because the series sees people as computers. The hope is that one day they will be able to take the data and download it onto a copy of a persons body. They do make an attempt at downloading during Season one And, spoiler alert, it doesnt go well.

The series followers the life of main character Nathan Brown (played by Robbie Amell). Nathan gets into a car accident during the first episode. His on-again, off-again girlfriend at the time makes the decision for him to upload when he arrives at the hospital. Uploaded to the most expensive afterlife Nathan meets his angel Nora Antony (played by Andy Allo). The duo quickly form a forbidden connection.

Nora, however, realizes something isnt right with Nathan. She notices he has memories missing. And, they quickly discover he was murdered. Nathan is a character with one of those personalities fans do not care for at the beginning of the series. He, however, grows on you.

Season 1 ends on a pretty tragic and mind bending cliff hanger. So, the desire for another Season makes sense.

According toDeadline, Amazon renewedUploadfor a Season 2 within a week of dropping the series into their library. Considering the way Season 1 ended And the fact that it was only 10 episodes long, this doesnt come as too much of a shock to those who have watched Season 1.

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, shares her thoughts on Upload with Deadline.

In Upload, Greg Daniels delivered a smart, cinematic comedy crackling with intrigue and it has clearly delighted our customers who have spent a lot of time in Lakeview this past week. We know our global fans want to see the next chapter with Nathan and Nora so we are greenlighting Season Two and are excited that Gregs passion project has found such a devoted audience.

Executive producer Greg Daniels is thrilled by the opportunity to move forward with Season 2. Heres what he had to say about it:

I am thrilled to continue a great relationship with Amazon Studios and this wonderful cast and find out what happens next to Nora and Nathan and Ingrid and their 2033 world. With this news I can stop drawing my season 2 flip book.

Uploadis a series that has been in the making for a long time. Greg Daniels revealed toDigital Spythat he originally pitched the idea for the series back in 2015. At the time, he had plans for two seasons.

When I pitched it, which was literally back in 2015, I had two seasons broken, and the pitch. I think I could see extending it past that, but at the moment, we are writing a second season. Well see how things are affected by recent events. But yeah, no, its not meant to only be 10 episodes. But its also probably not meant to be 100 episodes.

While Daniels admitted that he was open to the series extending past two seasons, he didnt have plans for that. Moreover, he did confirm he didnt want seasons to be longer than 10 episodes.

In addition to Robbie Amell and Andy Allo, fans expect Allegra Edwards to return as Ingrid and Barclay Hope to return as her father Oliver. Moreover, the end of Season 1 did put down a foundation for Season 2. To say the least, it certainly left fans with a lot of questions.

For the most part, fans are pretty supportive of the relationship between Nathan and Nora. So, they certainly want to see that work out. Season 1 ended with Ingrid appearing in Nathans 2G room. Nathan is frozen because he used all his data up talking on the phone to Nora. Ingrid adds data to him and reveals that she uploaded to be with him. Nathan freaks out so badly that he uses an entire gig of data and freezes again.

The Season ends with a lot of questions. Did Ingrid commit suicide to be with Nathan? Was she killed because she knew too much? Would she fish Nathan out of the 2G life?

Unfortunately, things are a little dicey with producing new episodes of shows right now. COVID-19 has production for all TV shows and movies shut down. So, it may be a while before we see a Season 2. Moreover, it is important to keep in mind that Season 1 just dropped into the library. So, it wouldnt be unfounded for the release date to not be until May of 2021. With COVID-19 delaying things, however, fans could end up waiting even longer.

Have you checked outUploadon Amazon Video? Are you looking forward to Season 2?

Trisha Faulkner has been a freelance writer for a decade with a focus on news/reporting for the last three years. She enjoys writing about the Showtime series Shameless, CBSs Survivor, Netflix, TOWIE, and some entertainment/celebrity news. In her spare time, she enjoys raising awareness about autism and spending time with her two children.

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Amazon Video: Will There Be A Season 2 Of 'Upload'? - TV Shows Ace

Tips On Successfully Surviving The National Visa Center Process – caribbeannationalweekly.com

The family immigration process often takes many years waiting in line and then finally, once an immigrantvisa becomes available, the National Visa Center (NVC) and U.S. Consulate begin final processing for your relative, ending in the immigrant visa consular interview appointment and thereafter immigrating to the U.S.

However, even after waiting all those years, the final processing steps themselves can be very intimidating and stressful.

This quickoverview of the process, along with a few tips to keep in mind, should help youproperly provide the required documentation so as not to delay your relatives consular interview.

To initiate final consular processing, most sponsors receive a notification email from the NVC called a Notice of Immigrant Visa Case Creation which gives the case number, ID and link to login to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to initiate the process.

Here are the basic steps in the process:

1) Pay NVC Bills: The first step is to pay the consular fees to begin the process. Fees are currently $445 per person or $325 per person and $120 for family.

2) Submit Affidavit of Support and supporting documents: Once the fees are paid, the next step is for the sponsor to immediately submit the completed, signed form I-864 Affidavit of Support, current tax return. W-2, pay stubsand proof of residency or citizenship through the CEAC system. Failure to quickly provide the required financial documents will result in delay of the case.

3) Complete the DS260 Immigrant Visa Application: At this stage, the immigrating family members must complete the DS260 form for each person and submit.

4) Civil Documents: All immigrants are required to submit certain civil documents, including birth and marriage certificates, divorce decrees, passport biographic page, police certificate, passport photos, criminal records, etc. These documents must be carefully scanned and uploaded through the CEAC system for each immigrating family member.

5) NVC Review: Once the documents are submitted, it can take up to 60 days for the NVC to review the documents. If documents submitted are not clear or scanned improperly, they are rejected, and the sponsor/immigrant will receive an email notification to log in and replace such documents with properly scanned versions.

6) Consular Interview: Once the NVC finds all the documentation is acceptable, the NVC will email notification that the case is complete. The next step is to wait for notification from the consulate. Within about 30 days the U.S. Consulate will send a notification email with date and time of the interview, along with instructions on scheduling the required medical examination and listing documentation to bring to the medical exam and consular interview.

Its important to understand the NVC process can be completed in as little as 60 days if the case is properly prepared and submitted. If not, the process can be delayed for many months causing immigrating family members to remain in limbo for no good reason. In some cases, I have had new clients come to me over six months into the process exasperated and ready to give up after having previously repeatedly tried to do the case themselves. In addition to sponsors being unsure of which documents are required and unfamiliar with the CEAC system, the main delays are usually caused by documents being uploaded which do not meet the requirements.

Heres a few document tips:

Rule #1, never use your cell phone to take a picture of a document, all documents must be scanned at a clear resolution using a scanner and saved as a pdf. Pics taken with cell phones will be rejected.

Rule #2, always make sure the document you are scanning is upright on the page, since documents scanned sideways or upside-down will be rejected.

Rule #3, make sure to scan the entire document so that all sides are fully showing. Scans of documents which are cut off will be rejected. For instance, if a birth certificate has stamps, but the scanned page cuts a portion of the stamp off, the document will be rejected. Similarly, if a document is on oversized paper and the scan cuts off the bottom of the document, it will be rejected. The best approach is to take oversized documents to Office Depot or asimilar store and have them reduced to letter size.

Rule #4, reduce the size of the PDF before uploading. The maximum size is 2 mb. Many documents with multiple pages scanned on copiers and printers will easily go over 2 mb, so youll need to use a PDF program which allows you to reduce the PDF size.

Rule #5, documents which are in the same language as the country from which the family members are immigrating do not need English translations. For instance, if an immigrant is from Colombia and all his/her documents are in Spanish, no English translations are required to be submitted.

Finally, remember every time you submit or resubmit documents, it can take the NVC up to 30-60 days to review them. This can cause frequent delays. The best approach is to carefully prepare the documents, review the scans to make sure they meet each and every specification before uploading and submitting, then check your emails frequently in case the NVC issues a request for resubmission on one or more documents, so that you can take care of it immediately.

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Tips On Successfully Surviving The National Visa Center Process - caribbeannationalweekly.com

Nick Cordero fighting ‘new lung infection’ amid coronavirus battle, wife reveals – The Union Journal

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Broadway celebrity Nick Corderos battle versus coronavirus has actually seen a brand-new trouble, according to his wife.

The 41- year-old star was hospitalized in March for coronavirus, and also ever since, hes combated an assault of problems that have actually consisted of mini-strokes and also the amputation of his leg.

SIMON COWELL ON DIET PROGRAMS IN QUARANTINE, REVEALS Just How Much WEIGHT HES LOST

After waking from his clinically caused coma, Corderos problem began going a little downhill, as wife Amanda Kloots placed it.

Nick Cordero participates in the Broadway Opening Night Arrivals for Burn This at the Hudson Theatre on April 15, 2019 in New YorkCity (Photo by Walter McBride/FilmMagic).

Now, shes supplied even more information regarding just what hes up versus.

Its been a tough week, Kloots stated on her Instagram tale Saturday evening. Nick suffered from some new lung infection in his lungs earlier this week and since then, hes been slowly recovering, which is great.

ALYSSA MILANO ROASTED ON TWITTER AFTER UPLOADING CROCHETED FACE MASK: MASKS MAINTAIN INDIVIDUALS SECURE As Well As HEALTHY

She included: Day by day, hour by hour, hes getting better. Hes slowly getting back to where he was before this infection came about.

The following action, Kloots stated, would certainly consist of taking Cordero off some medicines.

Im so proud of Nick, Im really proud of how strong he is and, gosh, what hes gone through and his will, she proceeded. Im just really, really proud of him.

Kloots ended the video clip with an extensive appeal to followers to hug your loved ones and let them know, I love you.'

VISIT THIS SITE TO OBTAIN THE FOX INFORMATION APPLICATION

On Friday, Kloots kept in mind on Instagram that Cordero has actually been defying odds and also showing small improvements each day.

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Nick Cordero fighting 'new lung infection' amid coronavirus battle, wife reveals - The Union Journal

#SendingLove in the world’s largest user-generated outdoor campaign – AdNews

User-generated messages of love and unity are being displayed on digital out-of-home (DOOH) screens worldwide with social media amplification ensuring the messages are seen by millions - at home.

The #SendingLove global initiative is promoting messages of love that unite communities all overthe world during the fight against the effects of COVID-19.

The socially-enabled DOOH campaign isfacilitated by The World Out of Home Organisation (WOO) and many of its member organisations, and runs on advertising space donated by more than 70 media owners across 153 cities, making it thebiggest user generated campaign to run on DOOH.

The campaign, created by Grand Visual in the UK and facilitated by Talon Outdoors global OOH network,encourages participants to send love to those in places they cannot travel to, by gettingcreative with the heart-hand symbol and uploading their pictures and locations.

Participants are then given the option to donate to the global COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund before receiving a photo of their picture playing on-screen in their chosen city to share with friends and family across social channels.

In Australia, QMS Media is helping deliver themessages of love to people in Melbourne via Grand Visuals platform that geo targets messages tothe chosen city and connects communities to messages of love from afar in a show of globalstrength and solidarity.

QMS CMOSara Lappage: We are delighted to be on board and displayingmessages of love and unity from around the world to the people of Melbourne. Despite the constraints of lockdown, it is great to see the out of home community coming together to fight theeffects of COVID-19, and social distancing in particular, with a campaign that connects andreassures people that we are in this together.

Dan Dawson, chief creative officer, Grand Visual: We set out with one thing in mind, to provide people with the opportunity to send love to their favourite places around the world. With an internationally understood heart shaped hand signal at the centre of the creative - we could share the love in cities the world over despite the constraints of lockdown, with shareable content further extending the message via social channels.

Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au

Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.

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#SendingLove in the world's largest user-generated outdoor campaign - AdNews

Coronavirus impact: Swiggy starts home delivery of liquor in Jharkhand, Zomato to follow suit – Business Today

Bengaluru-based food delivery app Swiggy has announced home delivery of alcohol in Ranchi today. Liquor would be delivered through the 'Wine Shops' category on the app. The feature was launched after the app received the nod from the Jharkhand government. The service would be extended to other cities within a week.

According to a report in CNBC, Swiggy is also in talks with other state governments to roll out liquor delivery and online processing services. Zomato, too, is reportedly in talks with the Jharkhand government and is aiming to make the service live by the end of the week.

Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 4.0: Want to get alcohol home delivered? Swiggy might have an answer

Swiggy has also introduced measures such as verification of mandatory age and user authentication in order to fulfill the deliveries. Customers would have to verify their age by uploading a picture of their valid government ID along with a selfie. The platform would then authenticate the information using an AI-powered system.

There would also be a unique OTP that the customer would have to provide at the time of delivery, stated the news site. Customers must also keep in mind that there is a cap on the quantity of order to keep in line with the permitted quantity as per law.

Also read: Zomato fires 13% employees, announces 50% salary cuts due to coronavirus

Swiggy VP - Products, Anuj Rathi said that they would fulfill the deliveries through their existing technology and infrastructure that enables hyperlocal deliveries. "By enabling home delivery of alcohol in a safe and responsible manner, we can generate additional business for retail outlets while solving the problem of overcrowding, thereby promoting social distancing," said Rathi.

The food-delivery app is partnering with authorised retailers for liquor delivery. Delivery partners and retailers have also been trained to ensure smooth processing and fulfillment of orders.

Also read: Coronavirus impact: Swiggy lays off 1,100 employees, future of cloud kitchens uncertain

Also read: Zomato aims to deliver alcohol amid coronavirus lockdown

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Coronavirus impact: Swiggy starts home delivery of liquor in Jharkhand, Zomato to follow suit - Business Today