Tag Archives: environment
Robotic tools make learning fun for kids
Robotic tools make learning fun for kids Nivriti Butalia / 28 September 2013 Coloured LEGO bricks are familiar to most people who’ve shopped in toy stores. Those interlocking bits of plastic that children play with, creating buildings, vehicles and such like out of those bricks, only for those structures to be taken apart again. Steen Lund of LEGO Education is on a mission to make learning fun. You get this impression the moment he hands you his ‘business card’. The business card is not a conventional flat paper card, but a plastic thumb-sized LEGO brick man wearing a green cap and glasses, and white shirt. On the front of the toy man’s white shirt, it says STEEN V LUND, and on the back is written his contact details. Because this innovative toy of a business card is so tiny (but effective!), there isn’t space to fit ‘Territory Manager for Europe, Middle East and South East Asia, LEGO Education’. Lund quotes Einstein (‘Play is the highest form of research’) while unveiling the latest robot tool for classrooms called the EV3, launched by LEGO Education and Atlab. ‘There’s a new robot in class’ is the tagline of this new refined product from the education arm of LEGO toys, a company present in 60 countries. There is the necessary spiel about how they are not bringing ‘toys’ into the classroom, they’re bringing in ‘learning tools’. Robots in the classrooms? There seems to be no doubt about the fact that robots will, definitely aid teaching. “It is a resource,” says Kerry Bailey, Special Advisor, E-learning, Abu Dhabi Education Council, according to whom, there are 286 public schools within Abu Dhabi that already have robot kits that can be assembled and are assembled by eight- to 18-year-olds. “Over 1,200 schools in the GCC countries — excluding Saudi Arabia — have since 2005 adopted robot teaching resources,” says Senthil Kugan, general manager, Atlab — the official distributor of LEGO Education in the GCC. Interestingly, as Bailey says, “I have never heard of a discipline problem in a robotics class,” as all kids are head-bowed and working at their study desks, engaged and learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (known as STEM; and now with an addition of arts, the acronym for learning becomes STEAM) But there is no fear of class teachers being altogether replaced by these machines (made of lego bricks, but also fitted with battery-operated touch sensors and little computing units that can be fed commands). Teacher as facilitator At the age of 13, Bora Edis and Sharan Bhatia of the Repton School are a supremely confident duo who in just four hours the previous day — by following instructions, sitting with a new interface — assembled a moving device and programmed it to move backward and forward, even installing a fork lift. Domnique Cave, their proud ICT teacher (information, communications and technology) says, “They’ve learnt more in the last two days by interacting and assembling the bricks than by sitting in a classroom.” She says her role has become that of a facilitator, “they teach themselves”. nivriti@khaleejtimes.com What is EV3? The EV3 is the next generation in robotics-based learning. The platform has reinvented science, technology, engineering and maths, also known as STEM, by integrating hands-on designing and building activities into teaching material. Continue reading
Dubai acts to curb property speculation
Dubai acts to curb property speculation Issac John / 27 September 2013 The Dubai Land Department on Thursday said it would be doubling registration fee for real estate transactions to four per cent of the sale price from two per cent, effective October 6. Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director-General of the Land Department, said the hiked fee structure, charged equally to the buyer and seller of a property, was aimed at discouraging excessive speculation in the property market, which has seen a major pick-up over the past few months by recording a big surge in transactions, prices and rentals. So far this year, real estate transactions in Dubai’s resurgent market totalled Dh162 billion, up from Dh90 billion in the same period a year earlier. Mejren said the new registration fees covers all types of property transactions in Dubai except for the industrial sector, including warehouses. Quick and fair solutions to rent disputes Speaking to reporters at his office, Mejren said the move would have a positive impact on the market as it would help curb property flipping (buying and selling properties in quick succession to make profits) and protect the market. Under the new rule, the registration fee will be split two per cent each between the buyer and seller, he said. Justifying the fee hike, Mejren said around 110 countries in the world are charging higher property registration fees than Dubai. In the UK, the fee is 4-10 per cent, France eight per cent and India 7.3 per cent. Ruling out any negative impact of the fee hike on the market as some analysts feared, Mejren said it would, on the other hand, help stabilise the property market that has achieved maturity. On concerns expressed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about the danger of another property bubble under way in Dubai, the Land Department chief said there are no indications of such an overheating in the market. Clearing the air on all your questions In a report, the IMF warned in July that Dubai authorities might need to intervene in the emirate’s property market to prevent excessive price rises. “Dubai has emerged as global city with a strong economic growth record. The city’s property market is mature and based on real demand. The market is stable and is very active. We believe that prices in Dubai are not higher than other top cities around the world,” said Mejren. He said the IMF warning came in line with Land Department’s findings. “We believe that increasing the fees will limit speculation and protect the market from a bubble. We decided to increase these fees before they even recommended it.” Mejren said the department took almost three months to finalise new fee structure after consultations with all stakeholders. Dubai has recorded 18.3 per cent surge in luxury home prices to rank among the top four in “Prime Global Cities Index” as prime property prices across the world fell by 0.4 per cent in the first quarter 2013. Prime residential prices in Dubai, which started to rise in early 2012, a movement partly instigated by regional troubles, recorded a double-digit surge in 2013, with the price of luxury villas increasing by 11.4 per cent and that of prime apartments by 15.1 per cent in value, Knight Frank, a leading independent global property consultancy said in a research note. According to ratings agency Fitch Ratings, the prime property sector in Dubai is poised for a strong 2014 following a vibrant 2013. -issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
UAE reaffirms support to UN role in Syria crisis
UAE reaffirms support to UN role in Syria crisis (Wam) / 27 September 2013 Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, met Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, at the organisation’s headquarters on Wednesday. The two discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between the UAE and the United Nations, and exchanged views on important regional and international issues, particularly current developments in Syria and Egypt, and the situation in the Middle East in general, including developments in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and the Iranian file, as well as other issues of common concern. Ban Ki-moon receives Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed at UN headquarters. -Getty Images The UN Secretary-General briefed Shaikh Abdullah on the priorities of the United Nations during the next phase, and its views on developments in Egypt and on the Syrian crisis, including the issue of the Syrian chemical programme. Ban Ki-Moon also briefed Shaikh Abdullah on international efforts being made to prepare for the convening of the Geneva-2 Conference. The UAE Foreign Minister reaffirmed the UAE’s firm support for the UN’s efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, as well as its efforts in support of peace negotiations. He reiterated the UAE’s commitment to continue its support for the activities of the United Nations, especially the political and humanitarian efforts to restore stability in Syria and the region as a whole. ShAikh Abdullah also met with some of his counterparts from different countries within the framework of his meetings on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly. Shaikh Abdullah met with the Foreign Ministers of Poland, Portugal, Uruguay, New Zealand, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to the Prime Minister of Tonga, Sialeataongo Tuivakano. The parties discussed ways to develop bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields, especially economic, commercial and cultural fields, including promoting programmes of official visits. Shaikh Abdullah also exchanged views with his counterparts on many issues of mutual interest, especially the Syrian crisis and the developments in Egypt, Libya and the Iranian nuclear file, along with the peace process in the Middle East and global economic conditions. Continue reading
