
YourUpdate TV Speaks with U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation about their National Civics Bee ChampionshipDEI Made the Democratic Party Less Diverse | Opinion
NoneCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Bryce Thompson scored 17 points, Marchelus Avery had 15 points and eight rebounds, and Oklahoma State beat Miami 80-74 on Friday in the consolation bracket of the Charleston Classic. Oklahoma State (4-1) will play in the fifth-place game on Sunday, while Miami (3-2) will try to avoid going winless in the tournament. Oklahoma State led 43-27 at halftime after making 8 of 15 from 3-point range, while Miami was just 8 of 27 overall. Four different Cowboys made a 3-pointer in the first half, with Brandon Newman making three. Thompson banked in a shot early in the second half to give Oklahoma State a 20-point lead at 49-29. Miami, which opened the game by missing 7 of 8 shots, went 1 for 8 from the field to begin the second half. Miami trailed by double figures the entire second half until Matthew Cleveland made a difficult shot in the lane while being fouled. He made the free throw to pull the Hurricanes within 75-67 with 49 seconds left. Arturo Dean restored a double-digit lead by making two free throws at 43.8. Thompson reached the 1,000 career points with the Cowboys on a shot in the lane with 13:01 left in the second half to give Oklahoma State a 55-38 lead. Nijel Pack scored 20 points and Brandon Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami. Cleveland finished with 11 points, and Lynn Kidd and Paul Djobet each had 10. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballNo fewer than 12,000 supporters of Prophetess Naomi Ogunwusi, the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, have demanded justice for her, describing her arrest, arraignment and remand in a custodial facility as unfair. Naomi was arrested alongside the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM , Oriyomi Hamzat, after the stampede at a funfair they organised in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, turned tragic, claiming the lives of 35 children on December 18, 2024. The prophetess, Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Ibadan, where the event was held, Fasasi Abdullahi, are currently remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre by Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi of Magistrate’s Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan. The defendants were arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy, causing death by negligence, endangering public safety, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities at the event. Naomi, Hamzat, and Abdullahi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The ex-queen had planned to host 5,000 children, aged 0-13, across Ibadan for free under the aegis of the Women in Need of Guidance and Support Foundation with the funfair. The programme was scheduled to start at 10 am, while police were expected to be at the venue by 8 am. Reports indicated that the event was initially planned for 5,000 children, but over 7,500 children showed up. Sunday PUNCH gathered that the stampede occurred as children and their parents attempted to break through the main gate and scale the school fence to enter the venue at all costs. Naomi and Hamzat have been in custody since the incident turned disastrous. However, the ex-queen’s supporters continue to call for her release, arguing that she was carrying out a charitable programme to bring smiles to the faces of underprivileged children. Thousands of Naomi’s supporters signed an online petition to demand fairness in the judicial process concerning her matter. The petition, which started on Thursday, had gathered 12,000 signatures as of the time of filing this report on Saturday. The originator of the petition, Yetunde Ola, stated that Naomi’s actions were driven by an earnest intention to alleviate the suffering of hungry children, but she found herself “unfairly entangled in a web of legal accusations that were both disheartening and misplaced.” “We, the supporters of Queen Naomi, are seeking justice. It is paramount that her court cases are addressed with utmost impartiality and integrity. We must hold our judicial systems accountable for their actions and ensure that they remain transparent, fair and unbiased in their proceedings. “Our plea is, thus, simple: Give Queen Silekunola Naomi a fair trial, unaffected by bias and calumny. We present this petition to highlight the necessity for a just legal process that respects the evidence and operates in compliance with the principles of justice. “We reinforce our commitment to stand by Queen Naomi, championing justice, fairness, and truth,” she said. Related News Ibadan funfair stampede: Sympathisers seek Ooni's ex-queen, Oriyomi Hamzat's release VIDEO: Parents who smuggled kids to Ibadan Funfair should be held responsible for stampede - Femi Branch Ibadan stampede: Naomi’s mother laments ex-queen’s detention, appeals to Tinubu This was as her mother, Funmilayo Ogunseyi, called on President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s legal troubles. In an emotional video that has gone viral, Ogunseyi claimed that her daughter’s predicament was orchestrated by “powerful persons.” “They say her ordeal is an ‘order from above.’ Please, I beg those in power to release her. She is not a killer; she came to help. Naomi is fragile and sick. President Tinubu, I beg you, come to our aid,” she implored. The sentiments shared by Naomi’s supporters and her mother re-echoed insinuations that the ex-queen was being persecuted with her arrest and remand. However, the Oyo State Government stated that there was no reason to persecute the prophetess. Speaking with Sunday PUNCH , the state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said those spreading such insinuations would be unfair if they expected the government to interfere with the judicial process. He also denied that the government knew about the programme. He said, “It is a laughable insinuation. What is the motive for victimising the lady? We barely know her name. The government does not know anything about her apart from the normal stuff on social media. We have no relationship with her in any manner. There is no altar of political conflict or anything that looks like it between the Oyo State Government and the woman. “The government did not officially know anything about her enterprise, what she does, or what she planned to do in Oyo State. We were not formally notified because there is no documentation to show that the government was given notification of what she wanted to do through the normal time-tested processes. So, she remained an unknown quantity and faceless to this administration. “Are they asking us to meddle with the judiciary? A case was taken to court. Even a government official, the principal of a secondary school, was equally arraigned and detained because 35 of our children died. “And there are no draconian issues extraneous to a normal course of justice on the ground. “So, we will advise, therefore, that those who are engaged in such meddlesomeness allow the course of justice to prevail. That is the beauty of democracy. No matter whose ox is gored, for democracy to survive and thrive, justice must take its course.” However, a video of a meeting between the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Toyin Balogun, and Naomi has surfaced online. The meeting was held a day before the programme. In the video, Balogun is seen and heard asking the ex-queen about the programme. After Naomi explained, the commissioner promised to attend the event. Balogun said, “It is a fantastic intervention, I must say. It’s laudable to have an aspiration to put smiles on the faces of children, particularly the ones I call the special children. You are probably going to have to do this again next year; you are probably going to have to come back. “On behalf of the Oyo State Government, on behalf of the Ministry of Women Affairs, we will be looking forward to doing something collaborative for both the women and the children in Ibadan, going forward. It is a laudable venture, one we are proud of and happy to be part of.”
Rob Cross says sorry for World Darts Championship gesture that shocked the Ally Pallyby Sunil G Wijesinha Consultant on Productivity and Japanese Style Management Recipient of the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” from the Government of Japan Director, BizEx Consulting (Pvt) Ltd Email: bizex.seminarsandconsulting@gmail.com This is the season of Santa Clauses, Reindeer, Xmas cards and Gifts. This triggered my memory of a Christmas card I received long ago. I was fortunate to be selected to follow an ILO /MATCOM programme at the Vienna International Centre, Austria. The programme focused on training methodology and developing training material for managerial-level persons in Co-operative Societies through a more andragogy based methodology. It was an exhilarating experience for me, and at the end of two weeks, I had re-oriented my perceptions and attitudes on training methodology and developing training material, and acquired a vast knowledge in the area of andragogy training.. I received an interesting Xmas card from the MATCOM project at Christmas that year. It showed two Santa Clauses in conversation. The dialogue was something like this: First Santa “I taught my reindeer to sing” Second Santa : “But I have never heard your reindeer singing.” First Santa again : “I did not say he learnt to sing; I said I taught him to sing.” This hilarious exchange highlights a critical truth: teaching and learning are not synonymous. While teaching imparts knowledge and skills, learning involves internalizing, understanding, and applying what is taught. Simply put, teaching may occur without learning, and learning may happen without formal teaching. Rote Learning vs. Meaningful Learning The distinction between teaching and learning becomes even more apparent when we examine two approaches: rote learning and meaningful or active learning . Both have their place but differ significantly in their outcomes and effectiveness. Rote Learning: The Path of Memorisation Rote learning involves memorising information without necessarily understanding its meaning or context. This method emphasizes repetition, often at the expense of comprehension. While it can help recall facts, definitions, or sequences (e.g., multiplication tables or historical dates), its limitations become evident when critical thinking is required. A real-life example of Rote Learning Several years ago, we were recruiting at the executive entry level. All candidates were newly passed out university graduates of business or commerce degrees. In the written examination, one question was, “Peter Drucker states that the responsibility of communicating rests with the communicator, not with the recipient. – Discuss”. Not a single candidate discussed the quote. Still, they all reproduced the traditional communication diagram learnt in the university, showing the sender, the receiver, the message, the medium, interference, etc in a nice diagram. It was a shocking revelation. Last month, I interviewed two candidates who had received their degrees in financial engineering. Both failed to explain what the degree is all about and how a Financial Engineer could add value to our organization. Meaningful or Active Learning: The Path of Understanding Meaningful learning, in contrast, emphasizes understanding and connecting new information to prior knowledge. Active participation, critical thinking, and real-world application characterize this approach. It helps retain information longer and fosters the ability to analyse, evaluate, and create. Example of Meaningful Learning Following a course in Industrial and Systems Engineering in Japan, I was impressed with the approach used to make us understand the “time value of money”. I had completed my CIMA accountancy exams too by that time and could compare the two approaches to teaching this concept. In Sri Lanka, the lecturer came to class and wrote “Time Value of Money” on the board and explained the idea. Quite in contrast, in Japan the lecturer gave us a series of quizes, starting with a simple example where any layman could make an investment decision. We had to decide which alternative investment was more beneficial for each scenario. One by one, the examples were rolled out and became trickier. Finally, we discovered the “aha” moment when we started thinking that an amount realized now is better than the same amount a year later. We learned by experiencing different situations. We discovered the concept through guidance rather than being taught the concept. Professor Carson from Canada was one of our MBA course lecturers. He also lectured undergraduates and often said undergraduate students in Sri Lanka want to take notes rather than discuss a topic. He would joke that when he arrived at the lecture room and said, “Good Morning, Class,” most students would even write that down in their notebooks. Bridging the Gap: From Teaching to Learning The X-mas card’s humorous depiction of Santa highlights a common educational challenge: ensuring that teaching translates into learning. Effective teaching involves more than just delivering information; it requires creating an environment where students are motivated, engaged, and supported in their learning journey. Strategies to Promote Learning 1. Create a Supportive Learning Environment: Teachers can actively engage students with discussions, group activities, and problem-solving exercises. They can also use technology to enhance the learning experience, such as interactive whiteboards or educational apps. However, creating a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes is not just a strategy; it’s a crucial responsibility for promoting learning. It’s about fostering a culture of learning and growth. 2. Encourage Critical Thinking Asking open-ended questions and encouraging debates can help students move beyond surface-level understanding. For example, analysing characters’ motivations and societal implications in literature classes fosters deeper engagement with the text. 3. Connect to Real-Life Contexts Relating lessons to students’ experiences or current events can make learning more meaningful. I still remember our school geography teacher teaching us about monsoon. I still remember his teaching that the rains during the big match in March were inter-monsoon rains. In training Co-operative Society managers, I realized that although they understood concepts such as Break-Even Analysis and Stock turnover ratios, they could not apply them to their organisation. We changed the method, so they brought their own data and practised using their own figures. This was a huge success. 4. Provide Feedback and Reflection Opportunities Feedback helps students understand what they’ve grasped and where they need improvement. Reflective practices, like journaling or group discussions, enable them to process and what they’ve learned. Conclusion: The Synergy of Teaching and Learning Teaching and learning are interconnected yet distinct. While teaching imparts knowledge, learning is acquiring and applying it. Rote learning has its place in specific contexts, but meaningful learning creates lasting understanding and fosters critical thinking. Educators must strive to bridge the gap between teaching and learning, ensuring that their efforts lead to genuine comprehension and application. As the Santa story humorously reminds us, teaching does not automatically lead to learning. Learning only occurs when we align teaching methods with learners’ needs and actively engage them. Therefore, let’s strive to make Sri Lanka a country of learners rather than of teachers. In this shift, educators have the most significant responsibility and the highest opportunity to make this difference.SL Green Realty Corp. stock rises Friday, outperforms market
TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. The policies and their impact have been in flux ever since the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Here's a look at data on where things stand: Abortions are slightly more common now than before Dobbs Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S. But one thing it hasn't done is put a dent in the number of abortions being obtained. There have been slightly more monthly abortions across the country recently than there were in the months leading up to the June 2022 ruling, even as the number in states with bans dropped to near zero. "Abortion bans don't actually prevent abortions from happening," said Ushma Upadhyay, a public health social scientist at the University of California San Francisco. But, she said, they do change care. For women in some states, there are major obstacles to getting abortions — and advocates say that low-income, minority and immigrant women are least likely to be able to get them when they want. For those living in states with bans, the ways to access abortion are through travel or abortion pills. Pills become a bigger part of equation — and the legal questions As the bans swept in, abortion pills became a bigger part of the equation. They were involved in about half the abortions before Dobbs. More recently, it's been closer to two-thirds of them, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute. The uptick of that kind of abortion, usually involving a combination of two drugs, was underway before the ruling. But now, it's... Associated Press