Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) announced the results of its March 2017 exam series in India for the Cambridge IGCSE (class X) and Cambridge International AS & A level (class XII) on May 18. The number of examinees (entries) in the March 2017 series grew by 29 percent over the previous year to more than 26,000 while entries for Cambridge International AS & A level exams increased by 21 percent to 7,000.

Comments Amita Mishra, principal of the DPS International School, New Delhi: “The introduction of the March series examinations enables highly respected CIE certification to be submitted in time to universities across India, in addition to varsities abroad. I thank the CIE board for responding promptly to this India-specific need.

“The significant growth of our March exam series since its introduction in 2015, in particular for a cross-curricular subject like global perspectives that cultivates critical thinking, research and collaboration skills, is testament to the passion for learning shown by students of CIE-affiliated schools across India,” said Ruchira Ghosh, CIE’s regional director (South Asia), while releasing the March series exam results. Currently, CIE has 400 affiliated schools in India.

 

Schools that Care 2017 Conference

The Teacher Foundation (TTF, estb.2002), Bangalore has convened a three-day Schools that Care (STC) 2017 conference in Bangalore from July 13-15 to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

“STC 2017 will focus on two overarching questions of K-12 education — why is it imperative for schools to focus on the social and emotional dimensions of learning and what are the ways in which students’ capacities for compassion, courage, joy, generosity, grit, resilience and relationships nurtured? STC 2017 also marks the culmination of five years of research by TTF to develop a framework of standards for social and emotional education for India’s schools,” says Maya Menon, promoter-CEO of TTF.

According to Menon, the conference will feature world-renowned education specialists — Prof. Roger Weissberg, chief knowledge officer of CASEL, USA; Jenny Mosley, the UK-based pioneer of the whole school Quality Circle Time pedagogy, and Ali Pretty, carnival designer and director of Kinetika, UK. Well-known Indian educationists including Chintan Modi (Unesco consultant), Manish Sabharwal (CEO of TeamLease), and Shabnam Virmani, artist-in- residence at the Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore among others will also address the conference.

 

Microsoft Innovative Educators 2016-17

Microsoft India announced 238 recipients of the Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Awards 2016-17 in Mumbai on May 25. 

The MIE programme acknowledges global educator visionaries who use technology to pave the way for their peers to enable better student learning outcomes. With awardees chosen through a rigorous process, the MIE programme has witnessed rising participation from educators around the world. Currently, more than 7,600 educators in 83 countries including India, are certified MIE experts. 

From among the 238 MIE awardees of 2016-17 in India, eight were selected to attend Microsoft’s annual Education Exchange (E2) event in Toronto, Canada, earlier this year. The annual E2 recognises and celebrates the achievements of educators who combine content, pedagogy, and technology to advance learning, achieve student outcomes and transform education. 

“This is the biggest group of MIEs from India since we initiated the programme. We believe in the power of the educator, and the impact educators can have on students and society. By leveraging the power of technology, these passionate teachers are adopting new approaches to teaching and learning, and reinforcing critical 21st-century skills in today’s youth.” said Pratik Mehta, director (education) Microsoft India, speaking on the occasion. 
For educators interested in being certified as Microsoft MIE experts, self-nominations will be open until July 15.  

 

NIIT Nxt Tech Star hunt 

The Gurgaon-based NIIT Ltd, a global leader in IT-related skills and talent development, announced the launch of its India’s Nxt Tech Star  programme — “a hunt for the next gen techie who can showcase real app ideas to the world”.

NIIT’s Nxt Tech Star programme invites youth to develop next generation apps on futuristic platforms such as social networking, movies & music, travel, sports & fitness and finance. After a 14-week mentorship with NIIT, the top five students from each category will be selected for the Grand Finale to be organised in Bengaluru in November 2017. The finalists will be drawn from 25 shortlisted projects collected by 250 NIIT centres across India, and will be showcased to an eminent jury comprising tech stalwarts and industry leaders.

“India’s Nxt Tech Star programme has been designed to encourage the spirit of innovation in youth, inspiring them to become the next tech idols who can redefine the world of technology,” said Prakash Menon, president (global retail business) of NIIT, speaking at the launch of the programme. 

Registration for India’s Nxt Tech Star programme is open until June 30.