Webinar on “Careers of the Future”.

Webinar on “Careers of the Future”: niche career opportunities for students in Sri Lanka

 
  • Joint program on Wednesday by AICPA and CIMA and Yara Technologies

AICPA and CIMA and Yara Technologies will jointly organise a free webinar on 5 April at 10 a.m. via Zoom for the benefit of O-Level and A-Level students in Sri Lanka pursuing studies in both national and international curriculums.

The distinguished panel of speakers would present on the niche career opportunities that have evolved during recent years, carrying vast potential for students.

“In today’s world of business, we must carve out an identity in society about our DNA – it helps your work in your current office, get the attention of future employers and work together to help the community,” said APIIT Director Dr. Rohantha Athukorala.

“Under the current context of the Sri Lankan economy, many parents are confused with their children’s future in relation to higher studies. Besides facing financial difficulties when considering sending their children overseas for higher studies, they are not fully aware of the many opportunities in Sri Lanka that’s readily available to help them create an exceptional career. We will provide information during this webinar,” stated AICPA and CIMA, Sri Lanka and Maldives Country Manager Zahara Ansary, FCMA (UK), CGMA. 

CeeBees Preschool & Child Care Centre joins hands with Yara Technologies

CeeBees Preschool & Child Care Centre joins hands with Yara Technologies

CeeBees Preschool & Child Care Centre joins hands with Yara Technologies

Published by  “Business Cafe”, on 21/02/2022:

Businesscafe – Yara Technologies (Pvt) Ltd is delighted to announce its partnership with CeeBees Preschool & Childcare to implement the “Talkative Parents” (TP) EdTech platform across its branches.

TP would help further accelerate CeeBees digitization drive with the inclusion of Cross Channel Communication, enabling mobile app, text messages and email-based communication via one unified portal.

With the addition of TP, the preschool now comprehensively connects all key stakeholders: administrators, teachers and parents in one integrated platform.

A key value proposition of TP is that communication is completely controlled by the school given the hierarchy based structure.

The platform is a multifaceted system that enables:

● Unlimited digital notices, calendar events and attachments such as student reports, assignments, timetables and newsletters via the mobile app

● Messaging to multiple groups/ subgroups of parents (i.e. branches, class-wise or to an individual)

● A two-way private messaging feature allowing parents to directly connect with authorised personnel

● Calendar displaying school-related events which can be synced with the mobile phone

● Multi-language messaging

“We have been looking out for an effective communication platform that is efficient, economical and user friendly and we finally did find all what we are looking for with “Talkative Parents “.

The back end support from the Yara Technologies team has been top-notch with prompt and timely service thus far and a solution-oriented mindset.

We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship”.Stated Fazeela Dharmaratne, Directress, CeeBees Preschool & Child Care Centre.

“We are delighted to form a partnership with CeeBees, a leading Preschool & Child Care centre.

We believe our collaboration would add value to the pre-school segment, by helping drive convenience to all stakeholders via this digital platform”, stated Tiasha Silva, Director of Operations, Yara Technologies.

CeeBees was established in 2013 by a husband and wife duo who left the corporate world to venture out on their own.

Directress Fazeela Dharmaratne experienced first-hand what it is like to find a balance between career and family commitments during her career with HSBC for over 17 years.

This has been her inspiration in setting up Childcare Services and Early Childhood Development Centres that provide holistic child care solutions for any family looking to live a stress free and well balanced lifestyle.

Tasty, nutritious meals to real time CCTV access, CeeBees offers complete peace of mind to parents, letting them enjoy the best of both worlds.

CeeBees has also been instrumental in taking this concept to the next level by introducing many innovations and extending child care services to leading corporates.

Please visit https://ceebees.lk/ for more details.

Yara Technologies owns and operates the Talkative Parents EdTech Platform, consisting of Cross Channel Communication, Online School Fee Payments, e-Learning and AI driven Data Analytics.

The platform is a member of the “Google for Education Integrated Solutions Initiative”.

Please visit http://www.yaratechnologies.com/ for more details.

Source : https://businesscafe.lk/business-news/education/item/9232-ceebees-preschool-child-care-centre-joins-hands-with-yara-technologies

 

Yara Technologies partners with top tier banks to offer Easy Payment Plans to parents paying school fees via the Talkative Parents platform

Yara Technologies partners with top tier banks to offer Easy Payment Plans to parents paying school fees via the Talkative Parents platform

Yara Technologies partners with top tier banks to offer Easy Payment Plans to parents paying school fees via the Talkative Parents platform

Published by “Ada Derana” , on 04/10/2021:

“Talkative Parents” (EdTech Platform) users can now enjoy Easy Payment Plans (EPPs) when paying school fees via the platform using credit cards from 10 partner banks

This initiative would provide flexibility to parents in converting their child’s school fee payments into equal monthly installments varying from 3 months up to 60 months, depending on the terms offered by the respective partner banks. The shorter tenured conversions are offered at 0% interest by most partner banks, while some of the longer-tenured ones can be subject to a handling fee. The terms and conditions are at the discretion of the respective bank and are subject to change from time to time.

The 10 partner banks participating in this drive include Cargills Bank, Commercial Bank, DFCC Bank, HNB, HSBC, NDB, People’s Bank, Sampath Bank, Seylan Bank and Union Bank, Please visit http://www.yaratechnologies.com/epp for more details.

“We are delighted that our partner banks are offering these EPP benefits to the Talkative Parents users and providing flexibility when paying school fees via the respective bank credit cards. We would continue to work closely with our partner banks to facilitate value-adding solutions to the education segment especially during these trying times” said Ranga de Silva, Delivery Manager of Yara Technologies. “Given the challenging environment, collecting school fees has increasingly become a pain point for most private and international schools in Sri Lanka. Due to our in-app marketing capabilities, the usage of the Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) of the Talkative Parents platform has more than doubled during the second term of this year. With the EPP benefits, we believe that these numbers will increase further. With ten credit card issuing banks providing Easy Payment Plans, this is an excellent opportunity for schools to leverage on” added Janethri Gurusinghe, Head of Business Development at Yara Technologies.

Yara Technologies owns and operates the TP EdTech Platform, consisting of Cross Channel Communication, Online School Fee Payments, integrated e-Learning and AI-driven Data Analytics. The platform is a member of the “Google for Education Integrated Solutions Initiative”.

Source :http://bizenglish.adaderana.lk/yara-technologies-partners-with-top-tier-banks-to-offer-easy-payment-plans-to-parents-paying-school-fees-via-the-talkative-parents-platform/

 

 

Methodist College joins Yara Technologies

Methodist College joins Yara Technologies

Methodist College joins Yara Technologies

Published by “Daily News” , on 28/08/2021:

Yara Technologies (Pvt) Ltd partnered with Methodist College, to implement the “Talkative Parents” EdTech platform across the school.

This would help further accelerate Methodist College’s digitization drive with the inclusion of Cross Channel Communication, enabling mobile apps, text messages, and email-based communication via one unified portal.

Methodist College was an early adopter of Google Classroom and has successfully conducted online classes, despite the pandemic-related school closures. With the addition of Talkative Parents, the school now comprehensively connects all key stakeholders: administrators, teachers, parents, and students in one integrated platform.

A key value proposition of Talkative Parents is that communication is completely controlled by the school given the hierarchy-based structure. The platform is a multifaceted system that enables: Unlimited digital notices, calendar events and attachments such as student reports, assignments, timetables and newsletters via the mobile app, Messaging to multiple groups/ subgroups of parents (i.e. school, grade, class-wise, or to an individual) A two-way private messaging feature allowing parents to directly connect with authorized personnel, Calendar displaying school-related events which can be synced with the mobile phone and Multi-language messaging. “Streamlined communication between stakeholders in a school is extremely important. This is even more important in the current environment of extended school closures due to Covid-19. We are pleased to have partnered with Yara Technologies, as the Talkative Parents app has been very useful in ensuring smooth and continuous communication between parents and the school so that we can work with each other to ensure a meaningful learning experience for our students.”

“The team at Yara Technologies has been hands-on since the beginning of the process and has ensured a stress-free onboarding of all parents. We are grateful for their professionalism and service-oriented values” stated Hiranya Fernando, Principal Methodist College.

“We believe our partnership would be highly synergistic given the school’s reputation of being forward-thinking in their digitalization drive” stated Tiasha Silva, the Director of Operations, Yara Technologies.

“Methodist College, founded in 1866 vision is to “provide a holistic education in a Christian environment and to empower students to achieve their full potential while becoming competent women of integrity and service.”

Yara Technologies owns and operates the Talkative Parents, consisting of Cross Channel Communication, Online School Fee Payments, e-Learning and AI-driven Data Analytics. The platform is a member of the “Google for Education Integrated Solutions Initiative”. More details could be obtained from, www.yaratechnologies.com

 Source :https://www.dailynews.lk/2021/08/28/business/257800/methodist-college-joins-yara-technologies

 

Adaptation of EdTech in the New “Normal“& Beyond: Simplicity, Integrated Platforms and Emergency Learning Plans

Adaptation of EdTech in the New “Normal“& Beyond: Simplicity, Integrated Platforms and Emergency Learning Plans

Adaptation of EdTech in the New “Normal“& Beyond: Simplicity, Integrated Platforms and Emergency Learning Plans

Published by “Sunday Times”, on 20/12/2020:

With Covid-19 continuing to impact our everyday life, the schooling system across the country is gearing up for an e-learning based education model once again. Regardless, schools are now much more prepared than they were when the first wave hit us in March 2020. It is safe to say that ‘Education Technology’ (EdTech) is here to stay, even after an affordable cure/ vaccine for the virus becomes available globally.

Educators/ teachers in Sri Lanka have done an excellent job in adapting to the new normal of technology-based teaching, despite most having limited prior experience on the subject matter. In such a context, three key factors will help drive the adaptation of EdTech platforms in developing nations such as Sri Lanka:

1. Simplicity is crucial: Educators don’t want complex EdTech/ e-learning platforms, and the effects of complexity is compounded in Sri Lanka

2. One Integrated platform: Avoid the confusion/ inefficiencies of accessing multiple platforms

3. Emergency Learning Plan (ELP) for schools: Beyond the pandemic era

01. Simplicity is crucial

Wherever you are in the world, simplicity for an EdTech platform plays a critical role. The perfect Learning Management System (LMS)interface is intuitive and user-friendly whoever the user and should require minimal effort to learn. This is illustrated by a recent survey conducted by Capterra on 66 participants involving schools and universities, in which the majority (53%) of participants who switched to an LMS stated that being “hard to use’was the primary cause for a switch (1).

The findings were similar even before Covid as well. In a 2016 study, the Brandon Hall Group, a Human Capital Management (HCM) research and advisory services firm, found that 44% of institutionsusing an LMS are thinking about replacing them primarily due to the search for “a better user experience“,closely followed by the requirement for a “better administrative experience”(2).

Further, in a 2014 survey in Norway, which gauged’”teachers’digital competence and experiences of ICT revealed that c. 52% of teachers fell into the categories of either unable to perform/ needed help to “use collaborative editing tools online together pupils”(3).

The effects of complexity are compounded in Sri Lanka

While LMS platforms are multi-faceted, most educators in Sri Lanka have mainly utilized these platforms for a set of core features. As per our discussions with educators/ administrators from leading private schools, the set of core features utilized include; conducting interactive video classrooms, assigning homework to students, grading homework/ quizzes and to provide feedback to the students.

While some educators may have used adjacent features, the successful evolution of LMS platforms in Sri Lanka wasprimarily driven by the above, along with the simplicity, –ease of use and the ability to keep control of the virtual classroom. The mantra is for technology to act as an enabler for an educator, allowing the educator to focus on his/ her core strength, which is teaching. However, during the pandemic, for a lot of educators, the complexity surrounding EdTech platforms have been more of a hindrance in solving the current education challenge.

Currently, there isa multitude of platforms in the market, offering varying features boasting high-levels of complexity and sophistication. Powerful off-the-shelf technology products such as Google Classroom (GCL) and MS Teams, are highly commendable, coming to the rescue of the educators around the world during the pandemic.

Plain vanilla versions of these products are offered free of cost for schools, which has enabled educators to minimize the disruption to school education. These products have their own unique hierarchy and structure, perhaps in its existing avatar well suited for senior classes (i.e. grade 12) in the western/ developed world, where higher levels of technology savviness, and higher accessibility to a relatively sophisticated smart device among educators are the norm.

Educators in developing nations require more simplicity, more user-friendly EdTech platforms that can be accessed even with a low-cost smart device.

02. One Integrated platform

Naturally, all large scale institutional platforms that have been repurposed for Learning Management Systems (i.e. MS TEAMs, Google Classroom) offer their own high functionality API’s for a purpose. That is toallow more niche products to tailor their powerful platforms to more specific use cases and to achieve a better product-market fit.

The ability to execute criticalfunctions of an LMS via one integrated platform (vs multiple platforms), adds to the simplicity and easiness- to- use for an educator, which is likely to be a primary variable to drive adaptation. The challenges of having to access multiple platforms arenumerous and can create confusion resulting in inefficiencies. Some of the key issues faced are;

Using multiple platforms would require the educator to go through multiple facets of training and understand the varying nuances, creating a hurdle for a less IT savvyperson to keep abreast of

The possible requirement to manually repeat the same task, in  multiple platforms creates significant inefficiencies (i.e. tasks such as updating of the student lists/ roster, sending notifications, calendar updates, submitting and grading homework assignments etc.)

The requirement to coordinate with different support personnel from the respective platforms vs having a Single Point of Contact (SPoC) in an integrated model

To a lesser extent, having to remember multiple credentials to log-in, is an additional burden (especially when shared smart devices are used)

EdTech platforms need to be aligned to the requirements of educators by integrating essentialfeatures in one unified platform in a simple and easy- to- use manner.

03. Emergency Learning Plan for schools

One year ago, even the most experienced educators would not have been able to plan for the schooling disruptions in 2020 caused by Covid-19.While the requirement for emergency learning for schools came up in 2019 due to the disruption caused by the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka, the urgency tapered off, as fortunately the disruption to schooling was limited and was well managed by the educators along with the administrators.

Now, the Covid-19 pandemic has magnified the requirement for an Emergency Learning Plan (ELP) for every school, and it is time for educators to perhaps look beyond the pandemic era and think of an on-going Emergency Learning Plan solution as a continuity procedure. During an emergency, the ability for the school/ educators to instantaneously connect with the parents/ students would indeed help mitigate the level of ambiguity surrounding an unforeseen event and also manage the anxiety levels among the respective schooling community.

Further, in the event the school premises are not physically accessible beyond an acceptable period, the ability for the school to get the learning back on track within a few days would be key to minimize disruption to education.

Accordingly, educators need to select the best suited Emergency Learning Plan program for their respective school. The sophistication level of the technology and features of the Emergency Learning Plan should be a function of the school’s requirements and the budget.

In summary, the EdTech platforms need to be customized and simplified to meet the requirements of educators in developing nations such as Sri Lanka: simplicity, control, higher integration among platforms are some of the key factors driving adaptation among users. Further, it is timely for educators to look beyond the pandemic era and think of a permanent Emergency Learning Program solution as a continuity procedure based on the schools’ requirements.

(Chaminda V.Silva is the Managing Director and GamikaSeneviratne is the Head of Product at Yara Technologies (Pvt) Ltd [“Yara”], which owns and operates the “Talkative Parents”EdTech Platform.

Talkative Parents connects educators, teachers, parents and students via one integrated solution consisting of a Communication Platform, e- Learning/ LMS , School Fees Payments and Document management. The platform has over 7,000 active users including leading private schools such as Bishop’s College and S. Thomas’Preparatory school.)

 

Source :https://www.sundaytimes.lk/201220/education/adaptation-of-edtech-in-the-new-normal-beyond-simplicity-integrated-platforms-and-emergency-learning-plans-425839.html

 

Yara Technologies develops platform for schools to communicate with parent

Yara Technologies develops platform for schools to communicate with parent

Yara Technologies develops platform for schools to communicate with parent

Published by “Economynext”, on 02/04/2020: 

Yara Technologies, a Colombo-based start-up it had launched an online platform that connects schools and pre-schools with parents.

‘Talkative Parents’ has cleared the problems of using using notes, text messages and social media where messages sometimes do not reach parents, the firm said.

Schools have been able to benefit from reduced paper consumption, printing, admin and labour costs.

“Our key objective is to add value to the education segment by helping schools communicate and engage with parents more effectively in a controlled and secure manner,” Yara Technologies Director Chaminda Silva said.

“In the next stage, while continuing to ensure complete privacy, we aim to move into data analytics and reporting,to help schools analyse their data and come up with customised solutions.”

St, Thomas’ Preparatory School and Bishop’s College Colombo are now using it as their official communication channel, the firm said. It has a subscriber base of 6,000 active users.

“Talkative Parents is a very useful app which allows us to communicate with ease,” Sharmila Gunatilleke, Principal at Bishop’s College was quoted as saying.

“Today we hardly send out paper notices, and thanks to Talkative Parents, we are instantaneously in touch with all parents,” Preparatory School Headmaster Reverend Dushantha Rodrigo said.

 

Source : https://economynext.com/yara-technologies-develops-platform-for-schools-to-communicate-with-parent-63541/