Leading Expert Advice from EDUC8 SA
Educ8 SA

Online Education for Homeschoolers and Cottage schools

Educ8 SA+ is a brand new premium package of Educ8 SA. We offer international & accredited curriculums with the added benefit of completely virtual supervision and assistance, guidance for choosing curriculum and career paths, and biweekly reporting with daily attendance tracking. Our excellent daily attendance and academic time tracker functions to hold students accountable and keep them on track. Our bi-weekly report gives you a comprehensive and overall insight to your student’s progress and learning trajectory. We also offer language courses and a wide array of career/skill building courses. Virtual meetings on any matter or topic relating to our students’ progress and academics are readily available to all parents and students. What we believe We here at Educ8 SA+ believe in offering a consistent, tried and tested solution to parents who are concerned about not giving enough oversight and/or are too busy to give their homeschooled students the time and attention necessary to reach their full potential. What we aim for The homeschool/self-school journey, as wonderful as it is, is often overwhelming, leading parents and students to be stressed out and far from as focused, efficient, and productive as they can be. Instead of the often seen scenario where students have a great curriculum, but with no structure, they end up never reaching or achieving their full potential. We avoid that by providing structure, oversight, discipline, and a set calendar and schedule. School holidays and public holidays are stipulated on our Educ8 SA+ school calendar. Additional pros when choosing Educ8 SA+ We offer you, through our curriculum providers, the SAT prep course and micro courses. These courses are part of our scheduled learning paths to widen our student’s knowledge and to grow and develop their interests. There are many courses that students can complete and will pay for at the end once they have committed to obtaining the accreditation, wanting the credits and certificate that these courses offer. Should you want to complete any of these courses (terms and conditions apply) for self enrichment only, there are many courses that you have no obligation to pay for if you do not want the credits and certificate.  Every Friday, we give our students a break from scheduled school work. Don’t get too excited, this is not an OFF day. Educ8 SA+ uses Fridays as an opportunity to encourage and reward students for self improvement. Fridays are when students get the time to do courses and learn new skills that will help them open doors in their bright futures.  Zoom meetings or phone calls are available to our students should they need guidance on matters such as proper note taking, motivation, self-discipline, time management, etc. We firmly believe in not only corrective supervision, but adding to our students “toolbox” of life skills. This is done through interaction with our students via motivational conversations, virtual meetings, and 2 webinars every month on topics of self-improvement & self enrichment. Let’s talk fees  GR K – 8 (age 14 and under): R700 p/m  GR 9 -12 & GED: R800 p/m  Let us know if this piques your interest!  For more queries and information feel free to email us at premium@educ8sa.net.  Warmest of regards, Educ8 SA+ Team 

December 6, 2022
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Boston Online High School

Hat trick for Boston as it launches Boston Online High School to extend academic offering

As a pioneer in private higher education specialising in online and distance learning over the past 30 years, Boston City Campus is extending its educational expertise to launch Boston Online High School.      While there are many British curricula available in South Africa, only registered Cambridge Associate schools like Boston Online High ensures that learners are studying the correct syllabus and have access to the type of questions and formats expected in exams. Focussing on empowering secondary school learners both locally and globally, Boston Online High School has chosen the Cambridge curriculum as the gold standard for high school learners.   “Specialising in skills of critical thinking, creativity and problem solving, learners both locally and worldwide will be exposed to expert educators providing the best practices of teaching and learning in the context of a global curriculum,” says Boston Online High School (BOHS) CEO, Eli Katz. Renowned globally, the Cambridge qualifications are recognised by over 1 400 universities worldwide, including all UK universities, 600 US universities (including Ivy League universities) and other top student destinations including Canada, Australia, Singapore, South Africa, Germany and the Netherlands.   Classes for the academic school year are set to commence on 15 February 2022. Increasing access to top education Through Boston’s Invest in SA subsidy programme, the online school is making access as broad as possible, and addressing the country’s systemic education challenges by ensuring that the fees remain affordable.  “As a result, our monthly fees of R2 500 for all levels include all textbooks and workbooks”. says Katz. Offering As a registered Associate of Cambridge International Education, BOHS provides the opportunity of two Cambridge streams:  The Cambridge International Certificate of Education (ICE) for learners turning 14 in the first year of registration and who have achieved either a Grade 7 or 8.  And the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma for learners turning 16 in the first registration year and who have achieved either a Grade 9 or 10 or the ICE. The AICE Diploma offers the coveted Cambridge International AS (Advanced Supplementary) and A (Advanced) Level Qualifications.  Both ICE and AICE require two years of learning each. “Being a registered Cambridge Associate brings huge advantages to our students. BOHS educators continually work with the academic material, assessments and assessment methodologies supplied to registered Cambridge associates only. This means we have access to the Cambridge curriculum statements which ensure that the teaching and learning is directed towards the guidelines specified by Cambridge. These guidelines also direct the “how” of the assessment methodology for each topic, thereby ensuring that Boston students will be well prepared for their exams. It is therefore critical for students to ensure that they are studying with an accredited tuition provider!” says Katz. BOHS facilitates social interaction through the many extra curricula activities such as digital music production, journalism club, and even an online chess tournament. Future ready graduates The AICE diploma provides seamless entry to higher education and/or the workplace. Learners will have access to coaching on subject choices with guidance on their career  and university pathway.  As a result, candidates who have completed Cambridge AICE will experience a smooth transition to post-school studies, academically, technologically and socially. Monitoring and guidance Expert mentors and tutors are on standby to ensure personal attention to guide and assist each learner.  Students also have the advantage to go at their own pace, with diagnostic technology pinpointing what a learner knows and where there are gaps (versus getting lost in the classroom because of feeling uncomfortable to ask questions). Student progress is also monitored through a range of formal and informal assessments, facilitating detailed feedback to learners and parents, enabling relevant academic intervention throughout the learning process.   “We aim to develop skills and future readiness through a holistic curriculum of academic excellence, offering learners the opportunity to enjoy a high school online environment while preparing them for a successful and fulling future”, says Katz . 

December 8, 2021
Boston Online High School

Boston Online Home Education to extend its academic support and services

Boston Online Home Education, a registered Cambridge International Associate, is your home education partner.  We create credible online pathways for parents/guardians of home educated learners toward the attainment of school-leaving alternatives that are internationally recognised for entry into leading local and global universities.  As a pioneer in private higher education specialising in online and distance learning over the past 30 years, the Boston group realises the challenges faced by parents who select to home school their children. As a result Boston is extending its educational expertise to support parents and learners via Boston Online Home Education.     Our mission is to create new opportunities for home education parents and learners to choose an aspirational online learning experience by offering support to the Cambridge International single subject, i.e. International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Advanced Supplementary (AS) Levels, or group awards, i.e. International Certificate of Education (ICE) and Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE). The Cambridge International Certificate of Education (ICE) is for learners turning 14 in the first year of registration and who have achieved either a Grade 8.  And the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) stream is for learners turning 16 in the first registration year and who have achieved either a Grade 9 or 10 or the ICE.  Learners also have the option to register for Cambridge examinations in respect of individual Cambridge subjects to supplement their existing studies especially for those learners who wish to enter into high stakes faculties such as medicine or engineering after school. Parents of a learner without a grade 9 are required to register their child as a home-school learner with the Provincial Department of Education in the province in which they reside.  “Being a registered Cambridge Associate brings huge advantages to parents and their children. The educators at Boston continually work with the academic and assessment guidelines, which are only made available by Cambridge to registered Cambridge associates and Cambridge schools. This means we have access to the Cambridge curriculum statements which ensure that the support is directed towards the guidelines specified by Cambridge. These guidelines also direct the “how” of the assessment methodology for each topic, thereby ensuring that learners will be well prepared for their exams. It is therefore critical for parents to ensure that they are getting support from a credible source such as a registered Cambridge Associate” says Katz. Amongst the challenges faced by parents is ensuring that their children have access to quality content and assessments whilst being able to monitor this progress.  As a result Boston have developed a comprehensive offering of recorded lessons, summaries, e-books and assessments with triggers being sent to the parent so that the parent is able to monitor the progress of the child throughout the learning journey and track performance. The parent has a specific log in feature to participate in the learning journey.  Forums and discussion groups between peers and educators are also integral support mechanisms with access to experience educators to solve problems is fundamental.  Through strategically designed learning material, learners have the benefit of honing higher order skills of comprehension, understanding and application.   Expert tutors are on standby to ensure personal attention to guide and assist each learner.  Learners also have the advantage to study at their own pace, whilst the use of online technology assists with diagnostics pinpointing what a learner knows and where there are gaps as opposed to getting lost in the classroom because a learner might feel uncomfortable to ask question.  Learners also have access to teachers who provide personal guidance and support.  Learner progress is also monitored through a range of formal and informal assessments, facilitating detailed feedback to parents and learners, enabling relevant academic intervention throughout the learning process.  ”We are not a private or independent school, as we do not enrol learners in any grades or have physical school grounds. We also do not set any curricula, exit exams or issue awards – this is done solely by Cambridge International, and you need to register for this separately. We can however assist you by facilitating this separate registration process”. “We do not replace your legal responsibilities and duties as a parent or guardian of the home education learner.  Our focus is about providing support to parents and learners in the home school journey”. Boston encourages social interaction through multiple opportunities to work and interact online in groups with other learners.    In this way, learners are able to enjoy a local and global social infrastructure.   Boston enhances this further through the many extra curricula activities such as digital music production, journalism club, public speaking and even an online chess tournament. “We aim to assist parents so that their children develop skills and future readiness through a holistic support program of academic excellence, offering learners the opportunity to enjoy an alternative to high school while preparing them for a successful and fulling future”. 

December 8, 2021
Wingu Academy

Surviving year-end academic burnout

Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt less motivated to get going? Maybe even irritable and just plain exhausted, or even frustrated for no reason? You may very well be experiencing Academic Burnout. Academic Burnout is something that affects most learners, especially when you are putting in those extra hours to complete that every growing mountain of assignments and homework throughout the school year, and that prolonged state of stress. It is experienced through an increase in negative emotions, physical and mental reactions due to prolonged studding which can also results in exhaustion, frustration, a lack of motivation and reduced ability in school. It is often caused by the accumulation of weeks of hard studying of the same material and back-to-back classes.  Academic Burnout, however, is not to be confused with a student’s occasional feelings of frustration and fatigue from putting in hours of studying for and upcoming exam or pulling and all-nighter to catch up on missed work.  Academic burnout is far more serious than this. Academic Burnout can severely reduce your productivity, reduces all your energy which leaves you feeling hopeless, helpless, and resentful towards your educators, peers, and parents. These negative consequences from burnout often spills over into other areas of your life, including our personal and social life. Therefore, it is so important to understand what exactly academic burnout is and how to survive it. Constant exhaustion, no matter how much sleep you get; disrupted sleep patterns or insomnia; a serve lack in motivation to either attend classes or complete homework assignments; loss of confidence in your academic abilities, frequently ill or somatic pians are just a few of the common symptoms to look out for that are associated with academic burnout. But it’s not all doom and gloom. “There are ways to help prevent and manage Academic Burnout before it becomes too severe. The first step to treating Academic Burnout is to acknowledge it and understand that a change does need to be made to how you are current way of tackling school tasks and activities,” says Jessica Hart from Wingu Academy’s Wellness Hub. Here are a few changes you can introduce: Make time for the things you enjoy: Its important to remember that there is more to life then school and work. Use your weekends to spend time with friends and family, and to reconnect with the things that make you happy. Up the exercise: Finding the motivation to get up and exercise can be tough. But its always important to remember that a healthy body equals a healthy mind – the two go hand in hand. Try being active at least three times a week and remember to stay hydrated and eat health. Welcome that fresh air: Spending time outside in the fresh air and sunshine, will not only help your body produce that much needed vitamin D, but it will help reduce levels of stress and anxiety, helping you feel more relaxed, improve mental focus and concentration. Set reasonable goals for yourself: Use a calendar or planner and organise what needs to be done in a way that allows you time to rest in between tasks. Trying to get a months’ worth of work done in one week is not going to benefit your grades or mental well-being. Set reasonable goals and stick to them. Wingu Academy’s Wellness Hub offers guidance to all learners and parents on academic, well-being and mental health support. As an online home school we can offer education in a more relaxed environment in the safety of your home. Enrolments are still open for January 2022 at Wingu Acadamy. Book a FREE consultation here: https://wingu-academy.com/book-now/ or visit https://wingu-academy.com/ for more information.

December 8, 2021
Koa Academy

HOW DOES A HIGH ENGAGEMENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WORK?

A high engagement learning environment enables our children to be interested and enthusiastic participants in their own learning, and also empowers them to becoming masters of their own learning experiences and academic achievement.  Mark Anderson, Principal and Co-founder of Koa Academy is adamant that high engagement is not something that you leave to chance.  He says, “You create a high engagement learning environment intentionally.  It comes from an understanding that children learn best when they are involved and have age-appropriate accountability for their learning progress.  It is also based on providing an agile and flexible environment that can cater to children’s diversity when it comes to igniting their engagement.” Educational Psychologist, Angela Hough explains that a child’s engagement is crucial to their learning. She says, “Children can possibly learn facts, but without engaging and having an experience or learning to apply the knowledge – then those facts do not have purpose or meaning. Transformative learning is about the need to create meaning from the learning experience. Therefore, I would encourage learning that involves experiences, embodiment, sharing and communicating learning. Experiential learning is the process of learning through experience. Usually, the more involved a child is in their school and class, and the more that they ‘own’ their learning, then the happier they are and the more they learn.” Learning through doing and learning through reflection Learning is not simply listening to a teacher telling you the facts.  You may remember those facts for some time afterwards, but that’s just remembering. How many of us parents have long forgotten a myriad of facts or mathematical operations even though we might have remembered them well enough at the time to pass our school tests?  There’s a lot we didn’t learn, because we can’t retrieve actual knowledge to answer the questions or do the sums today.  Memory fades, but knowledge grows.   Learning happens differently.  Anderson says, “At Koa Academy, we focus on practical, applied and meaningful use of content. This is why our Grades 4 to 9 do all the content subjects through our Engage programme, which is all about giving real world context to the subject matter.  We love the mastery-based approach, which means that in most of our courses, there are opportunities to loop back until a child has shown mastery. It doesn’t matter whether you get 20% or 80%, you are going to loop back and master that section. And everyone does, building confidence and teaching them the importance of reflecting on their own learning.” Through experiential and reflective learning, our children grow to understand how they learn which is essential in setting them up to be life-long learners in our fast-paced, ever-changing, technology-driven world. Discover Koa Academy here

December 6, 2021
Syllabis Learning

Leading Local, Going Global… Why Syllabis Education is the best solution for your child

Home-schooling is a progressive movement around the world, in which learners are educated at home instead of in traditional public or private schools where methods have hardly changed in over a century. To give you an idea; in only 2020 was the ‘Chalkboard’ replaced by a ‘Smartboard’ in a few privileged schools only 2021– the ‘Classroom Teacher’ is replaced by an ‘Online Teacher’ using the same old methods which are of little consequence to today’s learners.  In 2022 Syllabis Learning is now leading the way to change this. Researchers worldwide, forecast that home-schooling will balloon over the next decade as families discover that there are vastly better alternatives to public or private schooling such as homeschooling and more importantly as far as we are concerned, independent learning. The core idea of home-schooling/ independent learning is the idea that children need to learn at the speed, and in the style, most appropriate for them.  Families have voiced many reasons for moving away from traditional schooling which has now all been super-ceded by the COVID worldwide pandemic. This unfortunately may be with us for quite some time.  At Syllabis Education We have some amazing developments that we would love to share with you, our valued parents, learners, and potential learners. We have just launched our new WEBSITE  and we will be making our unique and super-enhanced products and breakthrough tools available to our home school families, worldwide as of 2022. How our new global distance school works: We offer a 3-tiered product approach to distance school, with each offering customizable to your unique needs. You are free to upgrade or downgrade at your discretion, which means you are not locked into any one package.  Introducing the Syllabis Education Big 3: The Elephant Strong and peaceful with a great memory, a good concentrator, and a force to be reckoned with – This package includes our basic offering, with great value-added products and features. Fantastic for those starting on this journey.  The Buffalo  Strong and Feisty, always looking for an edge, the great rememberer, whether alone or in a herd, this package includes our enhanced offering, and many great value-added services, products, and features. By far the best value for money in comparison to our competitors. Enhanced offering includes Orientation week, extended progress reporting, call-in help with curriculum planning, study skills course, access to iClass online lessons (2 hours per week), and formal academic feedback to parents. The Lion     On the Hunt, Protective, Happy in groups or alone, the King of the Jungle. This package includes all the bells and whistles (and a few loud ROARS). By far Clearly the best value for money in comparison to our competitors. Enhanced offering includes orientation week, extended progress reporting, call-in help with curriculum planning, study skills course, iWellness, access to iClass (4 hours per week), and formal academic feedback to parents. Our unique curriculum enhancements: PRE-REGISTRATION ASSESSMENTS AND ANALYSIS Free Educational Needs Analysis  Online Assessments Online Examination Concession Assessments Educational Analysis Financial Needs Analysis SPECTACULAR CURRICULUM COMPONENTS AND BREAKTHROUGH TOOLS School-on-a-Tablet – (just press the on-button and get started) or download to your own device Syllabis Learner Portal – Learner’s access to our world of learning and prosperity Syllabis E-Workbooks – Tailored to the needs of the student learning at home Syllabis Printed Workbooks Grade R – 3 – Delivered to your home or nearest Postnet (South Africa only) Syllabis Online Study Guides – Provides the learner with month-to-month guidance on how to approach each subject Orientation Pack – Online orientation pack for our Elephant package Orientation Week – Students that enroll with Syllabis Buffalo or Lion packages can participate in various levels of orientation Progress Reporting – Keeps the Parent and Syllabis up to date with the learner’s progress which is optional Extended Progress Reporting – Links the learners up with a tutor who will guide them through a problem area at affordable rates (South Africa only) Online Help – Professional help with Curriculum Planning Call-in Help – Professional help with Curriculum Planning Syllabis iCLASS – Online Group Class with Educators – for our Buffalo and Lion package only Syllabis iWizard – Extra resource for when a learner need additional help Syllabis iWellness – Additional Children’s Wellness and Life Skills Programme Syllabis iMaster English – Online English Literature Support for Grade 10 – 12 (South Africa only) Syllabis iDrive – Driving Lessons offered in the Johannesburg area only until further notice (South Africa only) Formal Academic Feedback to Parents – Online Graphing Calculators –  Syllabis Learning 8 Pillars – Comprehensive add-on curriculum for Grade R – 12 Tutoring – In-home or online tutor placements at affordable rates, at the click of a button  For more information on our amazing and progressive offering or to register for 2022 contact us today. 

December 3, 2021
Wingu Academy

The fourth industrial revolution is here – is your child ready?

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is more than just a catchy buzzword. To understand this term, it is necessary to look at the origins and outcomes of the preceding industrial revolutions, as these set the foundation for the advent of the fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution (1760-1840) was brought about by the invention of the steam engine. Why a “revolution”? Because this technology rapidly changed the way society organized itself – from an agrarian, artisanal society, to a more mechanized one. For example, dresses were no longer handmade by a local seamstress, but produced in a textile factory by machines. Average income and population growth soared. Rapid urbanization took place. The second industrial revolution (1870-1914) expanded on the technologies introduced during the first industrial revolution. Railroad and telegraph lines expanded, ushering in a wave of globalization. The invention of electricity and the telephone also emerged during the time. This industrial revolution finally brought the concept of standardization and the assembly line to the fore, as pioneered by the Ford motor company in 1913. The economic outcome of this was tangible. Economic life organized itself around the mass production of consumer goods. Mega-corporations emerged, which could control segments of the market. There is even an economic theory centred on this outcome – aptly called Fordism. Finally, the third industrial revolution was bought about by the invention of the semiconductor. This led to a slew of innovative technologies, most of which are well known to us by now, such as mainframe computing, personal computing and the internet. This still begs the question however, what is the fourth industrial revolution and what will its outcomes be? And most importantly, how can you ensure your child’s readiness to face these rapid changes? Similar to preceding industrial revolutions, the fourth industrial revolution is being brought about by new technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, nanotechnology, cloud computing, quantum computing, machine learning, additive manufacturing, genetic modification and bioscience technologies, which are shaping the way we organize our societies. Just as artisanal dressmakers had to adapt to a changing society during the 1760s, so too will our children have to adapt to the changes arising from the current industrial revolution. The fourth industrial revolution will eliminate some jobs, but also create new ones in their stead. Children currently in grade R might someday fulfil a role that doesn’t even exist on paper yet. Other jobs will not necessarily be eliminated, but it will require people to adapt and to learn how to leverage these new technologies in their existing roles. One sector of society that has been relatively slow to adapt to changes being bought about by the fourth industrial revolution, is the education sector. The traditional education system is currently based on training factory workers, who had to focus on repetitive tasks for long hours. It is therefore not designed to foster critical and creative thinking, but rather to encourage compliance and regurgitation of facts. In an increasingly automated world, jobs which require repetition and regurgitation are rapidly being eliminated by machines and software. So which skills will be relevant in the coming fourth industrial revolution? And how can we ensure that our children will graduate from school with the necessary skills to thrive in this environment? According to a report by the World Economic Forum, titled “The Future of Jobs”, the skills that will be most in demand during the fourth industrial revolution are: Complex problem solving Critical thinking Creativity Managing people Coordinating with others Emotional intelligence Judgement and decision making Service orientation Negotiation Cognitive flexibility The industries tied to the defining 4IR technologies (robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, nanotechnology, cloud computing, quantum computing, machine learning, additive manufacturing, genetic modification) will birth new areas of work. For example, traditional methods of manufacturing will increasingly be replaced with additive manufacturing technologies (3D printing), as the technology improves. Think 3D printing is just for hobbyists? Think again. Professor Mashudu Tshifularo from the University of Pretoria conducted a pioneering surgery in 2019, transplanting 3D printed middle-ear bones in a patient. In another example, NASA’s “Made in Space” 3D printer is being used by members of the International Space Station to print tools, reducing the number of objects that have to be stored onboard. It is also creating opportunities for recycling and re-use of materials – which in turn creates new opportunities to launch longer manned space missions to planets such as Mars. In conclusion, teaching our students the basis of these defining 4IR skills from a young age is vital. Ensure that your child’s educational provider incorporates elements such as coding, robotics, 3D printing and software development into their offering. Furthermore, jobs which require creative and critical thinking, as well as empathy and emotion – innate human qualities – are less likely to be replaced by an automated system. Learning should be about more than just what your child learns, but about how they learn it. Are they just repeating the solution presented to them by someone else, or being encouraged to discover a new solution of their own? Are they encouraged to solve problems creatively and taught to think analytically and independently? Fostering these skills in students will ensure that they are resilient and able to adapt to changing career and societal circumstances with ease. At Wingu Academy we pride ourselves on doing education differently. Students are introduced to subjects such as coding, robotics, app development and game development from an early age. Teaching pedagogies are based on a blended learning approach, which blends synchronous and asynchronous learning to allow and encourage independent study. Students are engaged with their work through interactive quizzes and simulations, as well as live class presentations by subject experts. The implementation of the application focused British International Curriculum further ensures that students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Enrolments for 2022 are still open. Visit our website at www.wingu-academy.com and book a FREE consultation now at: https://wingu-academy.com/book-now/

December 3, 2021
Koa Academy

WHY HIGH ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION

As parents, we want our children to love their school experiences.  It sets off a host of anxieties, and sometimes sustained stress, when our child is despondent, frustrated, or angry because they are struggling with academics or battling to get along socially at school.  We understand innately that not enjoying school much also means not learning much. This is confirmed by Educational Psychologist, Angela Hough who notes that both disengagement in the classroom and in school social relationships impacts a child’s  ability to learn.  She says, “Usually, the more involved a child is in their school and class, and the more that they ‘own’ their learning, the happier they are and the more they learn.  Peer relationships and teacher-learner relationships are also vital for a child’s sense of self-worth, belonging and wellbeing. Generally, the more a child feels valued for who they are, and the more they feel included, the happier they are, and the more they are able to contribute and experience.” That involvement, ownership and accountability for learning, sense of belonging and social acceptance are the characteristics of a high engagement learning environment.  Our kids can all be involved and enthusiastic in their learning and their school community given a high-engagement context.  As parents who were traditionally schooled, we tend to think we need to choose the same or the opposite of what we went through, depending on whether we loved or hated our schooling experience.  But our kids are going to school in the 4th Industrial Revolution (4iR) and it’s clear we need to be thinking more expansively and differently about their options before we make school choices. Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson worked as an award-winning teacher in brick-and-mortar schools before co-founding this intentional high engagement online school.  He says, “Engagement does not happen automatically in any one specific type of school.  There are some physical schools which do a great job of having a highly engaging learning environment, while others don’t. The same is true for online schools, home-schools, and every other type of school in between. Every child is also unique in how they go about engaging with others and their learning.  What might be a great fit for one person might just not work as well for another.  What this means for parents, is that it when it comes to their school choices, they need to not only evaluate the school, its reputation and its values; but do so in the context of what suits their child best.” This means that all parents should be on the lookout for schooling options that truly intend to offer and maintain high engagement for a diversity of learners, no matter whether those schools are physical or online. Discover Koa Academy here

December 1, 2021
Syllabis Learning

Reasons why homeschooling could be the smartest way to teach kids in the 20th Century.

Will the education of today be the education of tomorrow? Educators must reflect upon current practices and policies and identify ways to transform education to address a myriad of challenges in an increasingly complex world. If we are to prepare pre-primary and primary-aged children for their future, we can no longer rely on traditional education models. When we make rethinking education an ongoing part of our improvement process, we allow for changes to take place that supports dynamic new ways to design and deliver quality teaching and learning. Kids who are homeschooled have the same access to online learning, friendships, and extracurricular activities as the typical traditional school student — but without many of the drawbacks, like standardized lesson plans and bullying to name a few. Here are a handful of reasons homeschooling makes sense in 2021. Personalized learning is a strong method of instruction. The core idea of homeschooling is the idea that kids need to learn at the speed, and in the style, most appropriate for them. In the education world, enthusiasts call the approach “personalized learning.” Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are big fans of personalized learning since it tends to use technology as a way to tailor lesson plans to students. Personalized learning is an educational approach that aims to customize learning for each student’s strengths, needs, skills, and interests. Each student gets a learning plan that’s based on what they know and how they learn best. Students can learn more about what they care about. Without formal curricula to guide their education, homeschoolers get the chance to explore a range of topics that might not be normally offered until high school or university. They can study psychology in Grade six, or finance in Grade 9. While many homeschool families focus on English, math, science, and history, education is by no means limited just to those subjects. Flexible time and the opportunity to work at ones’ own pace allow homeschoolers to put their focus on the subjects that interest them most. Social media gives kids a way to form lasting friendships.  The most common misconception about homeschoolers is that they lack socialization. Before the internet, there was some truth to the stereotype. But today’s students have just as much opportunity to see kids their own age as those in private or public schools, and often without as much distraction. Homeschoolers still use apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook — which may foster unhealthy and even addictive relationships to tech — but also allow them to meet up with other homeschoolers or those from traditional schools.  Students need not deal with cliques or bullying. Homeschoolers don’t deal with all the downsides of being around kids in a toxic school environment. Plenty of critics argue these downsides are good for toughening kids up, but kids who have experienced bullying first-hand more often face symptoms of depression and anxiety, do worse in class, and show up to school less frequently. Homeschooled kids can learn in a more harmonious and trusting environment. Schooling isn’t set apart from the “real world.” Contrary to the name, homeschooling takes place in an actual home only a fraction of the time. A great deal of instruction happens in the ‘outside world’ in real-life situations and amongst peers of varying ages and backgrounds. These experiences have the effect of maturing kids much more quickly and cultivating a trait of open-mindedness. Since kids spend more time around adults in the “real world,” they rarely come to see school as set apart from other aspects of life. Students may achieve more in the long run. Homeschooling makes sense from an achievement point of view. Research suggests homeschooled children tend to do better on standardized tests stick around longer in university, and do better once they’re enrolled.  The world is changing around us and education needs to evolve at the same pace. We need to prepare our children to be independent, be problem-solvers, and to be able to adapt to their changing environment.

November 26, 2021
Wingu Academy

Wingu Academy’s online art auction raises R30 000 for Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Canine Conservation Unit

Wingu Academy, online homeschooling curricula provider, raised an amazing R30 000 during a nail-biting one-hour live art auction on Thursday night, 7 October via Zoom. All the money raised will be donated by Wingu Academy towards Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) Anti-poaching Canine Conservation Unit. This initiative by EWT provides trained detection and tracking canines to the conservation sector to support well-structured security plans. This benefits not only rhinos, but also other species that are targeted by poachers including elephants, pangolins and lions. The overarching aim of this project is to ensure that Conservation Canines are strategically placed across South Africa’s private, provincial and national parks and are contributing to the protection of our wildlife. Wingu learners and teachers created their masterpieces from a variety of recycled material, during September in celebration of Heritage Month. The overall winning art piece, a beautiful mirror was created by Wingu learner, Michaela-Lee Pretorius, and is called “Reflection of the monsters we have become”. Artworks varied from interpretations including rhinos, fish, a protea, the Voortrekker Monument and even a living tree made of moss and flowers,  to capture our beautiful heritage. EWT extended an invitation to all participating artists to enjoy seeing the canines in action at their Conservation Training Centre.  “We are blown away by the generosity of Wingu Academy, all the bidders and of course all the hard work by these talented artists that made this event unforgettable,” says Dr Andrew Taylor who manages EWT’s Wildlife in Trade Programme. Ian Strydom, Managing Director of Wingu Academy, says: “Wingu Academy is immensely proud of all our artists and supporters who made this event possible. What a wonderful showcase of the difference creativity and innovation can make, and all that in aid of an extremely worthy cause; protecting our wildlife for generations to come.” 

November 23, 2021
Syllabis Learning

How Homeschool prepares Kids For The Real World

A common concern when it comes to homeschooling is whether kids will be ready to navigate the ‘real world’ when it comes time to enter it. People who are uninformed about homeschooling, as well as people who are interested in homeschool as an educational alternative, and even homeschoolers themselves might wonder how they can ensure their kids are ‘real-world ready after being schooled from home.  This is a real and smart question to ask if you are considering homeschooling your child. “Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.”   We believe homeschool is great preparation for life as an adult and here are some of the reasons why: They are Independent – Because homeschoolers need to become responsible for their education more than if they were in a traditional school they become able to take over their education more and more. They can decide which topics they want to pursue and which activities they want to engage in. Homeschooling prepares kids to work independently and gives them the ability to make decisions and work toward their own goals. Keep in mind, the evidence consistently shows that qualities employers desire (if the goal is to work for someone else) hardly ever include test scores or the ability to memorize facts, etc. It’s almost always about character, communication skills, and the ability to solve problems–all most easily learned in the real world, where children are free to satisfy their curiosities and find solutions, an amazing trait the Creator gave us all when we were born. Even most highly specialized jobs provide on-the-job training, requiring the capacity for learning, not a specific set of facts already learned (which most students forget anyway). They have a better idea of what they want – Learning from home is so appealing as it provides children with the ability (and time) to explore all of the topics available to them. This is especially true when parents allow the curriculum to be guided by, or at least partially guided by their child’s interests. Homeschool allows for a greater amount of time to be spent on topics that your child is interested in as they can work from anywhere and at any time. Your child can dig deep into the subjects that they find fascinating. In a traditional school, this happens so much later. Homeschool students might be more confident about the direction they would like to take once they graduate from high school.  Developed Life Skills – Another amazing thing about homeschool is that since you and your child have more control over your own curriculum you can include subjects and activities that normally would not be offered in traditional schools. For example, you can teach them how to balance a checkbook, how to develop a budget, how to grow a garden, how to change a tire on their car, how to change the oil in their car, and even how to start a business. You could even have a curriculum that includes a specific focus on life skills. So not only does homeschooling offer more flexibility with curriculum, but homeschooling prepares kids for living on their own. They are Highly Socialized – One common misconception is that homeschooled kids across the board lack socialization. This is untrue. Although it does depend a great deal on the parent and child, homeschoolers have a wide variety of opportunities to socialize. Homeschooled kids are not confined to a single classroom in a single building for 5-8 hours a day. Rather than being limited to interactions with children their own age and most often from their own neighborhood, homeschool children can spend part of their day meeting and interact with children and peers of all ages, through extracurricular and sports activities, as well as with adults. This environment is much more similar to “the real world” than a traditional school setting. So in reality, homeschooling prepares kids better for interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds.

November 19, 2021
Koa Academy

WHY ONLINE LEARNING POWERS INDIVIDUALISED LEARNING

Many of us parents experience frustrations with the schooling system on behalf of our children.  Sometimes, our child is being left behind as the class moves on before they have mastered a learning milestone.  Sometimes, our child is bored and acting out because the class isn’t moving on yet, and they are ready.  This is because in traditional classroom learning, educators teach to the middle and they are simply, practically, not able to round up all the children on the same page at every time. We can intervene, and we can demand that our child’s learning needs to be individualised, but the entire, conventional education system does not enable this. We all learn somewhat differently; and our capacities to listen, understand and engage with information ebb and flow from time to time, no matter how structured our learning environment.  Just because a teacher stood up in class and gave a lesson doesn’t mean that all the children learned.  Learning deficits can be costly in multiple ways.  They can have long-lasting effects, derailing our child’s positive experience of their education, impacting on their identity and their self-confidence.  If it’s not you, it’s more than likely that you do know someone whose life has been inadvertently shaped by the idea: ‘I couldn’t do this… or follow that path… because at school, I was never any good at Maths.’ Mark Anderson, Koa Academy Principal says, “We all know that individualised learning is the game-changer.  School leaders, teachers and parents have all known this for a long time.  It’s a transformation that has to happen in school systems across the world, and it is turning out that technology is an enabler of this change.”  The advantage of online learning is that children can engage with content at their own pace, and they can access global content in formats that best suit their learning style, creating an individualised learning pathway.   Anderson says, “At Koa Academy, children are highly engaged with their teachers in small Pods of eight learners.  This is the structure that promotes socio-emotional learning and high engagement in our school community.  However, our children are also accessing global educational content and proceeding at their own pace.  They have an individualised dashboard, visible to their teacher and parents, that tracks their content engagement and learning progress.  They are on unique learning pathways in a tech-powered learning environment that enables both structure and individualization.” Discover Koa Academy here

November 18, 2021
Wingu Academy

Bok van Blerk’s Hanna Foundation benefits from Wingu Academy and Umma Afrika’s fundraising drive

The money raised by Wingu Academy and Mahala Loyalty during Mandela Month towards the Umma Afrika Charity Trust was donated to Bok van Blerk’s Hanna Charity and Empowerment Foundation to support families in need. The initial aim was to raise R6 700 between 16 – 30 July 2021, but the Back-a-buddy initiative raised over R7 000! Through the kind donations by Wingu Academy and Mahala Loyalty supporters, Umma Afrika Charity Trust was able to donate 240 Umma Pot Meals (each Umma Pot Meal feeds up to 6 people), as well as care packages to the Hanna Charity and Empowerment Foundation. Thank you to everyone who participated in this worthy cause during a time when communities need it the most!

November 16, 2021
Wingu Academy

Eating Disorders – Food for thought

Eating disorders is one subject that is very important to address, especially since it usually has its onset during the teenage years but can even develop at a younger age and continue well into the adolescent years. Eating disorders can cause a lot of conflict, stress and even death in families and thus it’s important to understand the types, causes and treatment. Types There are various types of eating disorders. The most common ones according to the South African College of Applied Psychology include binge eating disorder, where the sufferer overeats; anorexia nervosa, where the sufferer eats too little; bulimia nervosa, where the sufferer attempts to rid themselves of food they’ve consumed; and even rumination disorders where the sufferer regurgitates food.  “The most common factors that come into play are that the person is anxious about their physical appearance, and how it appears to others around them. This also includes that the image that they have of their own bodies, are distorted. Subsequently, they also have eating behaviours that are maladaptive. Research has further shown that eating disorders affect both genders, although they occur more frequently among females,” says Dr Serahni Symington, Child and Adolescent Play Therapist. Causes Dr Symington says that the causes of eating disorders must be understood from an integrative model, because there is not a single causal factor that leads to the development of it. Multiple factors could lead to the development of an eating disorder and is often also accompanied by other diseases like manic depression, anxiety, possessive compulsiveness disorder and substance abuse. According to reports by psychologytoday.com, researchers have long been probing the underlying causes and nature of eating disorders. Unlike a neurological disorder, which generally can be pinpointed to a specific lesion on the brain, an eating disorder likely involves abnormal activity distributed across multiple neural systems. Eating disorders appear to run in families, and there is ongoing research on genetic contributions to the conditions. Other factors—psychological, interpersonal, and social—can play a role in eating disorders. Among identified psychological factors are low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy and lack of control in life, depression, anxiety, anger, and loneliness. Interpersonal factors include troubled family and personal relationships, difficulty expressing emotions and feelings, a history of being teased or ridiculed based on size and weight, or a history of physical or sexual abuse. Social factors that can contribute include cultural pressures that glorify thinness and place value on obtaining the “perfect” body, narrow societal definitions of beauty that include only those people of specific body weights and shapes, or cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths. People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight even though they may be dangerously thin. In bulimia nervosa, despite usually weighing within the normal range for their age and height, sufferers, like individuals with anorexia, may fear gaining weight, desire to lose weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. Many with binge-eating disorders are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge-eating. Treatment Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, professional interventions, nutritional counselling, psychotherapy, and, when appropriate, medication management. Treatment for eating disorders lies in recognizing and overcoming underlying triggers. Depending on the type of eating disorder and its associated underlying triggers; medications can be used to ease symptoms of co-occurring disorders such as depression and anxiety. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are known to help reduce binging and purging and is specifically used in some cases of bulimia nervosa. The first-line treatment for all eating disorders is psychotherapy, which encompasses a broad range of therapy approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectal behavioural therapy (DBT) which aim to recognize and reduce the harmful thoughts and emotions associated with the eating disorder and works to develop productive coping mechanisms and tools to help the individual engage in positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in order to overcome their past traumas and low self-esteem. Other skills and tools learned in therapy include mindfulness, relapse prevention skills, meditation, nutrition counselling, art therapy, and relationship building. The good news Eating disorders can be treated, and a healthy weight can be restored. The sooner an eating disorder is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome is likely to be.  Wingu Wellness Hub Parents who have any concerns about eating disorders and wellbeing of their children can contact the Wingu Wellness Hub to assist with guidance to get the help they need. Sources:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/conditions/eating-disorders, https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/happiness-is-state-mind/201703/eating-disorders-it-s-not-all-about-food

November 11, 2021
Koa Academy

WHY EDUCATION SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE AVERAGE

Whenever we design one thing for many users, we rationalise that if we ‘design it for the average’, we’ll have a good fit for most users.  An example of this was in 1926, when the US Air Force was coming up with a design for their first fleet of fighter planes. They constructed the cockpits based on the average measurements of over 100 of their prospective Top Gun pilots.   After around 25 years of inexplicable crashes involving highly trained pilots, they decided to revise their cockpit design. They doubled down on their assumption about designing it for the average pilot, and this time they took many more measurements from over 4000 pilots, hoping to have ‘a better average’.  But the plane crashes they put down to ‘human error’ only increased. As Koa Academy CEO and Principal, Mark Anderson tells the story: “Then along came Lieutenant Gilbert S Daniels, a Harvard graduate who had studied the law of averages.  He had a firm belief that if you wanted to design something for an individual human being, the average was useless.  He went on to prove this by studying the data of the 4000 pilots and showing that not one of them fell into the ten most basic average measurements, even with a generous 30% margin of error. In other words, not one of the individual pilots was average in every way, and so none of them fitted into the cockpit with optimal access to all the aircraft’s controls.” Daniels concluded that in designing a cockpit for the average, they had effectively designed ‘a cockpit for no one’.  Anderson maintains that the same is true for our traditional education system. “Teaching to the middle is simply not a good way to educate individual human beings; it’s not a good way for any child to learn.  We’ve known this for a long time, and school leaders, teachers and parents have been yearning for a shift from teaching to the middle to teaching the individual child.” Finding the ways to individualise learning has been a passion for Anderson since his early days of teaching.  Technology has been a key to unlocking how one education system can individualise learning for many.  “We’ve finally solved the dilemma of teaching to the middle, where some are frustrated and bored, and others are frustrated and confused,” he says.  At Koa Academy, a high engagement online school, learners in close-knit Pods are working at their own pace on personalised pathways and engaging with content that is delivered optimally for them. Their progress is tracked and measured against targets that each individual child has set under the guidance of their teacher.   When the US Air Force finally introduced adaptable features in their cockpits and each pilot could fit optimally, crashes due to ‘human error’ became very rare.  In the same way, no child gets left behind, or gets left unattended out ahead, because their learning path is highly adaptable to their unique learning needs. Discover Koa Academy here

November 10, 2021
Koa Academy

HOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILD KEEPS THEM SAFER ONLINE


When our children were little, we bought them their first bicycle.  We bought a helmet too.  We didn’t just spend hours training them on how to ride their bike, we told them about the rules of the road, the risks of the road and how to ride safely.  We made our own family rules about when and where they could ride, supervised and unsupervised.  We balanced giving them opportunities to enjoy their freedom on their bike and mitigating the risks.  It was easy, because most of us went through exactly the same thing with our parents when they gave us our first bike. When it comes to our children’s use of social media, online gaming and the Internet, we’re understandably less assured because for most of today’s parents, we have no experience of being a child or a teen immersed in the digital world.  Our experience of the internet, social media and online gaming is rooted in our adulthood; so, we are guessing and assuming when it comes to our children’s reality.  For some parents, this makes us back-off from what we can’t know; for others, it makes us double-down with severe limits and a pervasive atmosphere of distrust and overbearing monitoring.  Both of these tactics make our children more vulnerable to the risks of their inevitable online activity. At a recent Koa Academy webinar, Mark Anderson, CEO and Principal of the high-engagement online school brought together ICT law specialist, attorney Arinda Truter and parent, Rachelle Best who is the founder of FYI Play It Safe, a non-intrusive, consensual family monitoring app. The conversation centres on how critical the parent-child relationship is to ensure that our children’s online interactions are safe and happy. Just like we were the first to teach our small children to look left, right and left again before crossing the road, we need to be the informed and authoritative voice when it comes to rules that govern our children’s forging of a lifelong digital footprint.  As parents, we cannot ignore or avoid that the digital world is as visceral as the physical world.  Like road use, there are laws and consequences if those laws are broken.  Like road use, it is an essential aspect of life with risks and advantages.  If we are to guide and protect our kids effectively, we need to know and understand the digital world as well as we know the road. Luckily for us, there are advanced tools and free access to trustworthy content that does enable parents to leapfrog the disadvantages of not having experienced a childhood in the Digital Age.  We can get up to speed and be empowered.  We can use tech innovations that support our daily mission to safely raise our children.  We can learn the global rules and country laws that govern digital spaces.  We can be agile enough to help our children become not just productive citizens in their geographical space but also positive citizens in a digital world.  At the root of all this, is the quality of our relationship with our children.  Anderson says, “Open engagement and ongoing conversations in the family are the bedrock of keeping children and teens safe online.  Know the risks, know the rules and talk about what’s happening online every day, because it is constantly changing.  Our children are growing up in a world where most people’s work will happen online in the near future.  We need to be raising children who are adept and competent at being positive digital citizens, and from education to family security, there is so much available to support parents.” Watch the Online Safety Webinar with Koa Academy, FYI play it safe and DML inc here

November 4, 2021
Wingu Academy

Wingu Academy’s Wellness Hub takes the lead in providing a safe online learning environment

Student well-being is a core focus area for Wingu Academy, especially due to the increase in mental health awareness in the online environment.  In fact, Wingu Academy takes this so seriously that they have a dedicated wellness hub, called Wingu Wellness. The vision is to collaborate with students, guardians, and parents, as well as the valued staff of the Academy, to build a safe online learning environment. “Wingu Wellness provides up to date information on mental health issues, learning barriers, coping mechanisms and stress management, to mention a few. Working alongside top names in the field, like Dr Serahni Symington, counsellor and play therapist specialist, we will be providing counselling and mediation sessions and webinars free of charge, to anyone in the Wingu Family.” says Ian Strydom, Wingu Academy’s Managing Director. Services offered by Wingu Wellness Hub Current services include:  Organising concessions for learners with learning barriers; Wellness consultations with a wellness coach or qualified counsellor;  Monthly webinars; Sensitivity training; Resolution of behaviour misconduct; Assisting students and parents with day-to-day educational needs, i.e. study assistance, identifying learning styles, etc. Diagnostic Testing facilitated by Educationist, Dr Belinda van der Westhuizen Family mediation offered through Dr Serahni Symington How does Wingu Wellness assist students? The Wingu Wellness Hub will be assisting students by offering free consultation sessions with either the Wellness Coach or a trained psychologist. This will act as a safe space for learners to talk about what is weighing on them. We also provide learners applicable content to assist them in matter that they do not feel comfortable coming forward about. We also provide external coaching in the form of play therapy for the younger learners, by referring them to Dr. Symington.  Wingu Wellness will also act as a means to further promote the many social clubs within the Academy to assist learners in still benefitting from the social aspects that are sometimes lacking in the cyber world.   How does Wingu Wellness assist parents/guardians? Assistance includes the same support as to students, but on top of that also offering family mediation through Dr Symington. “We offer comprehensive and professionally verified content to assist in matters dealing with how to cope with situations such as moving a learner from a mainstream school into an online learning environment or to things like dealing with family trauma.” says Panashe Tiffany Saungweme, Associate Director of Human Capital.  How does Wingu Wellness assist staff members? Not only do the teachers and staff have access to the Wingu Wellness Hub through the Academy’s platform, which gives them the opportunity take full advantage of the consultations, posted contented and the many services offered by Dr Symington, they also have access and can benefit from the internal wellness check-ins aimed at reminding the Wingu staff to ensure they keep in mind the importance of their own well-being. The staff benefit from life coaching through the Hub in order to thrive in their personal and professional lives.   Aiming to assist the Wingu Family with their overall well-being. “Wingu Wellness is not just an initiative to create awareness of mental barriers we may all have, but rather a platform providing a safe space to find solutions and encourage positive well-being behaviour for everyone part of the Wingu Family.” Strydom concludes.

November 3, 2021
Koa Academy

Bringing School 2.0 to Life at Koa Academy

Koa Academy embraces a high-contact philosophy where children belong to an 8-person Pod guided by a dedicated teacher.  While timetables are individual and terms are flexible for each family, the Pod gathers together each school day providing opportunities to develop collaboration, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and communication skills.  The Academy is a provider of the South African IEB curriculum and lesson content is sourced from top educational resources worldwide.  Age-appropriate feedback and assessment is embedded in the learning experience so that children can adapt in dynamic ways on the pathway to mastery. “There are options opening up for parents that have just never existed when it comes to educating their children,” says Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson.  “It’s becoming easier to truly align your family values with a school community because you are no longer limited to the institution available in your physical neighbourhood.  At Koa Academy we prioritise engagement in small group settings so that real relationships are built and maintained more easily than in larger classes where it is often challenging to connect meaningfully with peers and your teacher.  Parents are directly connected to their child’s teacher, in tune with their child’s school activities and more empowered when it comes to their child’s learning, social and emotional development and their progression through school grades.” The pandemic disruption has made us all question priorities, values and how we can better shape our lives to be in alignment with what really matters to us.  “There’s a new openness to doing life differently, to do life better,” says Mark.  “For families, educating our children well for a productive and fulfilling future is a critical concern.  On the one hand, the new choices emerging in education are inevitable as we all know that transformation in education is long overdue.  However, the pandemic has accelerated this and that is a positive consequence.  From education providers and teachers to parents and children, there’s a welcoming when it comes to having more choices, and better choices.” To find out more about Koa Academy, click here. 

October 28, 2021
Koa Academy

RAISING DIGITALLY SAFE ONLINE SCHOOLERS.

Koa Academy to host free parent webinar The global pandemic has emphasized how important our digital world is to modern life as we pivoted out of necessity to remote working, at-home schooling and online shopping.  Many millions of us got our first experiences of certain digital platforms and applications that have now become part of day-to-day life.  Trends such as online education have been greatly accelerated as many families experienced the benefits of remote learning and noted how successfully their children and teens adapted to learning through well-conceived digital platforms.   This has opened up the opportunities to think about schooling and tertiary studies differently and to take advantage of the greater flexibility and vast choice of high-quality educational programmes that can be accessed online.  As a result, many thousands of South African families have not returned to brick and mortar schools and colleges.  New and better online schools have emerged, and many tertiary institutions have invested in enhancing and expanding their online campuses. If there’s one question that concerns parents more than any other about online education, it’s about the online safety of their children.  While we are adept at identifying threats in the physical world and helping our children reduce those risks, online dangers can be more opaque to parents, and they may worry that more time online might lead to increased vulnerability.  However, CEO and Principal of Koa Academy, Mark Anderson points out that a high-engagement online education platform is specifically designed with safe online spaces which enhance your child’s digital citizenship equipping them to navigate the internet confidently, responsibly and wisely.  This development of digital citizenship is increasingly regarded as a key 21st Century skill for the 4iR world. Parents who want to deepen their understanding of how to keep their kids safe online can join the free one-hour Koa Academy webinar on Tuesday, 2 November from 18h00.  The panel is hosted by Mark Anderson and also features Rachelle Best, founder of FYI play it safe, a non-intrusive, consensual monitoring app that helps parents by adding a layer of security to their child’s online interactions.  They are joined by ICT law specialist, attorney Arinda Truter, an associate at law firm, Dingley Marshall Lewin Inc.  In addition to the presentations there will be a Q&A session enabling parents to present their burning questions to the experts. Across the board, the presenters agree that parent-child communication based on trust is at heart of keeping children safe online.  Just as the issue of safety and awareness of threats in the physical world is an ongoing conversation in families, this needs to happen too in regard to our children’s online interactions.   Best says, “Parents need so see online safety as a holistic concept. Setting up screentime and the relevant age and content restrictions on applications are not enough. Parents need to understand threats and risks in a world where new apps are made available every day, and tech is ever-changing. So, there’s a need for parents to be aware and knowledgeable so that they make good decisions when it comes to keeping their children safe online.  At FYI play it safe, we also believe that keeping your children safer online starts with the relationship with your child. We empower parents with the right level of information to know when their children may need their help. This creates an opportunity to open up conversations with the right information and at exactly the right time.” Attorney, Arinda Truter emphasises that children attending online schools do not face different risks than any other child making use of the internet and engaging with others over social media.  She says, “It’s important for all parents to be aware of the risks presented by online gaming, apps and social media.  It is just part of the modern parenting experience to have knowledge of issues such as cyberbullying, hate speech and sexting, to be aware of privacy concerns and digital footprint, and to understand the law when it comes to the chain of online publishing.” Anderson also points out that positive experiences offered by online schooling give your child the opportunity to build their skills as a literate, responsible digital citizen.  He says, “Koa has thoughtfully designed the online school experience to not only maximise safety but leverage the advantages of being online.  The high engagement of our small Pods with a maximum of eight learners and their teacher gives the kids the perfect environment for healthy relationship-building and online social connection. There is high accountability where people can be themselves and quickly get to know others well. The teacher is also very much in touch with each individual in the Pod.  Parents are encouraged to get to know their child’s teacher and school leadership. We like to keep the channels of communication wide open so that everyone is in the loop.  Live Dashboards show academic progress which keeps the kids accountable to their daily work rhythms and targets, ensuring that they are keeping busy during their school time.  Our SACE- registered teachers undergo regular training and have significant experience in the online space, which is an asset both to the kids and their parents.  Koa has a strong focus on teaching digital literacy which is fed into all of our academic courses, Pod Connect sessions and even online socials. We intentionally teach online socio-emotional skills as well as practical tools for handling potentially unwanted online experiences or content.” Parents who want to learn more about online safety for families, and how to support their children as they gain vital digital literacy and citizenship skills can join the free Koa Academy webinar: Date: Tuesday 2 November Time: 18:00-19:00 Platform: Zoom Host: Koa Academy Panelists from Koa Academy, FYI Play It Safe, Dingley Marshall Lewin Inc To book your spot for this webinar, register here.

October 26, 2021
Wingu Academy

Wingu Academy – challenging expectations about schooling from home through excellence and innovation.

Due to the global pandemic and the subsequent disruptions in the traditional schooling environment, home-schooling, and specifically online schooling, has seen a significant rise. With the concern for their children’s health, coupled with the flexibility and convenience that online home-schooling offers, it has become a viable option for many parents. Wingu Academy arguably has the most advanced distance and blended learning platform in the online space in Africa. Our platform gives educational support to home-schoolers all over Africa between the ages of 5 – 19 years. Live classes and tutorials are presented along with interactive online content. The platform aims to enrich learners with 4th industrial revolution (4IR) skills such as critical thinking, creativity, complex problem solving and online collaboration. Housed at TuksNovation (University of Pretoria’s High Tech Business Accelerator), it has been developed by teachers, UP alumni, and postgraduate students who are experts in their respective fields with additional collaboration with researchers from the Wits School of Education. The ever-evolving Wingu platform provides the internationally recognised British curricula and as of January 2022 Wingu Academy will extend their high-school offering to include the South African CAPS curriculum.  Enrolments are now open for the January 2022 intake! Wingu Academy focuses on a blended learning approach that includes asynchronous (self-paced, student-led) and synchronous (interactive live classes) learning, enriched with animations, video content, infographics, gamification and simulations to cater for the major types of learning styles (visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinaesthetic learning styles)  and implementing constructive feedback in continuous assessments providing a wide variety of choices to support individual learning at home. The learners are exposed to computation thinking from as early as grade 1, and the coding and robotics courses culminate into industry relevant software development certificates for the high school learners, increasing their employability and readiness for the Future of Work. Wingu is also very proud to announce the launch of WinguNet. “The launch of WinguNet has been much anticipated and serves to address the need of stable, high-speed internet in areas where there is poor or no coverage,” says Ian Strydom, Wingu Academy Managing Director. The introduction of WinguNet to the range of services delivered by Wingu Academy further indicates how in tune we are with the needs of parents and students. “This will be introduced to the existing parents and students first on the platform who struggle with connectivity, thereafter being rolled out with the mission of connecting and educating students in difficult-to-reach, isolated areas. This satellite initiative is the first of its kind – just another way that Wingu stays true to their principles of advancing education and enabling excellence,” Strydom concludes. The platform is well suited for full-time learners, global citizens that travel frequently, star athletes that need to focus on training but still want an internationally recognised education, and students that would like to obtain entrance to university degrees either locally or abroad. ‘’We decided to homeschool four years ago when we were wanting to relocate. Although we did not relocate we continued with homeschooling because of the freedom it gave us. The cost and distance of “good” private schools were extremely high and exhausting. With homeschooling we didn’t have to leave home early and spend hours in traffic, the money we saved on school fees, travel expenses and uniforms were spent on extracurricular activities and family outings”, says Melissa Dhunraj, a Wingu parent. Many parents may be worried that their children will miss out on social interaction, but they still get to meet friends and even form study groups as they are not bound by geographical borders.  In fact, Wingu also offers a variety of Clubs varying from fitness, chess to photography and parents have the opportunity to become involved too. “We have been home schooling for a few years and decided to go a more formal route with our children this year. We have been pleasantly surprised with the support and structure that Wingu Academy has offered us, whilst still allowing us the flexibility of being able to travel, to continue our homeschooling friendships and still allow our kids the time to follow their passions. Our children enjoy the social events offered by the school, the staff who make every effort to ensure lessons are fun and interactive, and the new friends that they are making,” says Marlene van der Colf, another happy Wingu Parent. But what do our students say? “My favourite part about Wingu is that we can do school anywhere and we don’t have to wear a mask. I like the homework and announcements so I can be ready before class,” says Ariana age 8, Stage 3. “I enjoy the fact that we can learn online with less pressure and no unnecessary subjects and inapplicable projects.  It gives me more flexi time during the day,” says Conrad, age 13, Stage 8. Student well-being, particularly mental health, is at the heart of Wingu’s core foundation. Our Wellness Hub is expanding to offer professional guidance to both students and parents in areas of concern, as well as leadership initiatives for the learners. Another addition to the Wingu offering is the establishment of Learning Centres. We have identified that there are certain towns, rural or lower-income areas where there is a need for learning centres. The aim is thus to assist these learning centres with developing and growing their business into small independent schools or becoming registered Cambridge Assessments International Education schools. We do so with a special Incubation Programme which offers business development, management and operational support. Wingu Academy’s innovative strategy is at the forefront of equipping students for the 4IR with a forward-thinking strategy of anywhere, anytime, staying connected and offering the future classroom today! Enrolments to start schooling in January 2022 are officially open. There is limited space, so reach out soon. Go to https://wingu-academy.com/book-now/ to book a FREE consultation now!

October 25, 2021
Wingu Academy

Self-care tips for teens and young adults

Stress, anxiousness, depression and loneliness are now even more prevalent under teens and young adults than ever before. No one really knows the root cause, but it seems to be a perfect storm of several factors. Some experts believe teens now are being raised with unrealistic expectations. Modern media — and social media — also tells teens they should always feel good and show the “perfect” aspects of their lives. As a result, parents neglect teaching their teens the kind of coping skills they need to survive during chaotic and pressure-filled times. Adding to these complexities is that the adolescent brain is still developing, which means a large centre of functionality within the brain has not fully matured. The parts of the brain responsible for emotion and reward develop first. Anna Sidis, a clinical child psychologist, talks about why self-care is critical for adolescents. “The parts of the brain responsible for understanding the consequences of your behaviour – like the frontal lobes – develop much later, possibly not until 20 or 25,” she explains. “So what that means for adolescents is they’re struggling with really big emotions they haven’t had before. They might be sensitive to emotional stimuli and to nonverbal communication, and have difficulty making decisions because their frontal lobes aren’t yet developed.” This results in teenagers making decisions that don’t make sense, or being overly impulsive and not thinking of long-term consequences of their actions. Suffice it to say, this is why making self-care activities a habit or cultivating an actual self-care practice for teenagers is so important to their overall health and well-being. Tools for Self-Care 1. Carve out time. This is the basic pre-requisite for just about all the ways to take of yourself. You need time, and it has to be part of a daily routine. It’s not always easy to set time aside with everything going on in life, but learning to carve it into your schedule is necessary. 2. Meditation. We’ve come a long way from meditation being considered hocus pocus. Mindful meditation has proven to change the structure and function of the brain, and it’s a fabulous way to promote relaxation while reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. It can be learned in-person with an expert, or online (there are plenty of YouTube instructional videos or smartphone apps). This is something you can do anytime in any place, whenever you need it! 3. Yoga. Yoga and other types of Eastern methods of activity involve stretching, improving flexibility, connecting mind and body – all of which are helpful for stress reduction and wellness, and have been used extensively for thousands of years. The best way to learn Yoga is through a studio, but you can also do so from videos online. 4. Exercise. Working out comes in many forms. There’s training for strength, endurance, and aerobic activity (getting your heart beat up). But simply walking 3 km a day is great exercise – plus it gets you outside! Exercise not only gets you physically fit, but it’s a natural way to help decrease depression and anxiety. 5. Get some sleep. Easier said than done, but sleep deprivation is detrimental to a person’s thinking, and their physical and emotional state. Most young people need eight to nine hours of restful sleep to function at their best. It’s not easy fitting this into a schedule filled with academic, social and recreational activities, but it sure has a big payoff. Try to have as regular a sleep schedule as possible, and you’ll generally find that your “biological clock” will remember when to fall asleep and wake up. 6. Creative expression. Choose a creative outlet to convey your thoughts and feelings. This could be journaling, writing poetry, painting or drawing, doing photography, dancing, or playing music. The key here is channelling your emotional state through an art form. And, don’t strive for perfection! Simply immersing yourself in creative arts can ward off adverse thoughts and feelings. 7. Play with a pet. If you are lucky and can have a pet, there may be few better ways to foster self-care. If you have one, you know what I mean. Cuddling with a pet, taking care of them, and feeling their unconditional love is something we rarely experience on such a consistent basis. 8. Meet and communicate with friends. Research has found that meeting with peers and talking about what’s going on with you — including past events you’re still processing — prevents burnout and promotes well-being. Group connections are so important for fostering resilience and releasing chemicals in the brain that support well-being. And the activities don’t have to be just talking. Things like doing art projects together or gaming all work. And despite the pressure to have huge numbers of “friends” or “followers,” it only takes a few special friends to make a big difference in your life. 9. Appreciate nature. Research has repeatedly shown a link between being outdoors and lower levels of stress, depression and anxiety. Time in nature also helps counteract the mood disturbance caused by too much screen time. 10. Turn off smart phones (at least for part of the day). It’s hard. But really, you don’t need it on constantly, as if it’s stitched to your side. You can take a break, even for just part of the day. There may be some withdrawal or anxiety about not being right there for what you think is critical, but just stop and think. How many texts, Instagram stories or other digital communications do you need to see immediately? Very few! Once you try it, you may actually find it refreshing to have a break from the constant notifications. 11. Do something for someone else. Our brains are wired for giving. In fact, the chemicals released by the brain during the process of giving is far more rewarding than when we receive gifts. 12. Have a DIY Spa Day at Home. Teens with a busy schedule can stop and indulge in self-love by having a DIY spa day at home. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a spa day, either. All you need are

October 18, 2021
Koa Academy

Meet Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson

For Mark Anderson, Co-founder and Principal of Koa Academy, the journey as an innovator in the education sector has been deeply rooted in actual teaching experience and brought to life through a visionary drive for better.   A long-time educator who has worked in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, Mark spent years reflecting on a new schooling system for today’s world. His vision, which he tagged as School 2.0, has become the framework for the co-creation of Koa Academy, a unique, highly engaging online school with a focus on the future.  Some aspects are common to learning, no matter where you live, or when you live. Others are contextual and need to be adaptive.  But transformation in the traditionally slow-moving education sector can be painstakingly slow.  In the 21st Century, with its breath-taking pace of innovation, that lack of progress in education can be deeply frustrating to educators, parents and children. Mark says, “I started years ago with a School 2.0 folder on my computer filled with policy-like documents outlining how a better and more relevant school would operate – better staffing structures, flexible timetables, meaningful assessments, and so on.  I let my imagination run beyond the politics, economics and standardisation dogma to create a ‘gold standard’ which I actively used as an educator and school leader to steer my decisions at every possible chance.  I got seriously excited about what kind of transformations became possible as the online space was changing what and how we learn.” In 2020, the global pandemic presented a disruption to education that truly was unprecedented for this traditionally conservative sector.  COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of digital platforms and tools across many aspects of our lives, and education felt that impact with force.  While some parents, teachers and students discovered that simply ‘dumping’ school online was inadequate, the pandemic education experience has opened eyes and minds to the limitless potential of online learning platforms.  Over the past year, there are families who have shifted decisively to home-school, cottage school, digital-tutor hybrids and online schools rather than return to brick and mortar institutions. “Done well, online school gives you global access to the best educational resources and methods available,” says Mark.  “Free from your geography, free from the imposition of others’ time restrictions; your child can learn in their own way, at their own pace and at your family’s convenience.  They can learn in tune with real life, becoming prepared for the actual world of future work.” As an educator, Mark is also excited about what this means for teachers.  “Teachers are no longer merely content experts drumming out facts for rote learners,” he says.  “Instead, they can be learning experts, adept at identifying the diverse needs of children and guiding them as they develop 21st Century skills on their unique learning journeys.  This means they can coach each child as they develop mastery, rather than teach into a middle ground where some get left behind and others feel unchallenged.” To find out more about Koa Academy, click here. 

October 15, 2021
Wingu Academy

Don’t worry, be happy – avoiding anxiety!

We all experience moments of feeling stressed and overwhelmed.  Teenagers, especially, feel under pressure which could be caused by deadlines, exams or conflict with fellow students and parents. That’s normal. Anxiety though, is a whole different matter all-together.  Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two, as the lines can easily be blurred. So, what is the difference between stress and anxiety? Stress is when situations can be managed. It can also have an upside when it motivates you to meet expectations, perform better and provide an energy to be more productive. It can improve focus, concentration and build your capacity to cope with stress. Anxiety is when you experience a bodily response and shift in energy. It’s often referred to as the fight, flight and freeze response. Symptoms include: Feeling helpless. Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness. Mood swings. Restlessness and agitation. Change in eating and sleeping habits. Having a rapid heart rate and fast breathing. Many parents are also worried that their child may be suffering from an anxiety disorder, but in actual fact most of the time it’s rather episodes of anxiety.  This is good news, because if managed correctly it will pass. If you are worried as a parent, the obvious questions are, what are the signs to look out for and when should you be concerned? According to medical journals anxiety disorder include prolonged periods of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioural disturbances like worrying about events that will likely not happen. It could also consist of constant panic attacks and feelings of hopelessness. Should these symptoms persist for a period of 6 months or longer, it would be best to seek professional help from a psychiatrist and phycologist. The first step would be to identify the type of anxiety and intensity the child is experiencing.  The two main forms of anxiety experienced by teens are social or general anxiety. This could be treated with practicing mindfulness, cognitive restrictive management and dialectical therapy. In some instances, medication can be prescribed to help your child cope. How can you support a child with anxiety? According to Dr Serahni Symington, counsellor and play therapist specialist, she would advise parents to do the following: Assist your child to verbalise and accept the situation which is causing anxiety. Determine what your child needs in that immediate moment.  Is it comfort or solutions? Practice deep breathing exercises to help your child relax. Identify and try to avoid triggers that will agitate anxiety. Assist your child to transition from having an emotional to a logical mind response which will then result in a “wise mind” response. “Something that can’t be stressed enough is to practice selfcare.  Taking time off to relax and take care of yourself gives you the capacity to face what lies ahead and look at things with a new perspective” says Dr Symington. Managing Director, Ian Strydom also adds: “At Wingu Academy we have a Wellness Hub of trained professionals that can guide parents and students in attaining routine, structure and planning which in most cases will avoid anxiety.”

October 5, 2021
Koa Academy

Why GenZ and GenAlpha need to do school differently

School is rooted in tradition, and all too often we, as parents, look to nurture our connection with our growing and increasingly independent children through them having a similar educational experience to us.  This might have worked for past generations.  However, the seismic changes in our world accelerated by relentless tech innovation over the recent decades have fundamentally disrupted this particular flow of tradition.   It’s forced us back to basics where we acknowledge that the purpose of education is to prepare our children for their working and civic future, not to provide us with more sought-after parental touchpoints.  The world of work has fundamentally changed.  So much so that we are educating our children today for jobs that don’t yet exist, and they need to be educated in different ways.   Mark Anderson, Principal of Koa Academy, a uniquely high-touch digital school, says, “Content memorisation, with the teacher as the sole content expert, is an outdated notion for our current young generations who live in a world where all content is just a click away.  Top marks should not just be given for memorising the facts.  Instead, being able to evaluate and think critically about an abundance of facts, and the sources of those facts, is one of the vital 21st Century skills.  It’s no longer relevant to remember a one right answer enshrined in one textbook; the next generations need to be able to access a world of information and apply it to real world problems, effectively communicating their ideas to others. ”   For our GenZ and GenAlpha children, understanding how they learn has become more significant than what content they can retain in their memories.  The teacher has transformed from a content provider in front of the class to a learning expert able to coach the students at their side along their unique learning pathways.  The so-called ‘soft skills’ that nobody paid much attention to in a mechanistic, industrial past have now become the top information-age capabilities.  Those who know how to think critically, how to communicate, how to collaborate and how to innovate lead the way.  Literacy has expanded to include media, information, civic and technological literacies.  Qualities such as resilience, emotional intelligence and flexibility help our children win the day.  What this means is that as parents, we should be worried if our child’s educational environment today looks and seems a lot like the one that we experienced. Your kids are – but are you ready for School 2.0? Mark believes it is time for parents to find out more about School 2.0.  He says, “It’s really exciting that parents have more options than ever before when it comes to education. But we also know that it is harder than ever for parents to really understand the different options.  At Koa Academy, our advice is for parents to start by thinking through what you really want for your child. And, I don’t mean which schooling system. I mean, what do you value when it comes to your child’s education? Then, as you investigate the growing number of options, keep an eye out for the schools which are prioritising those same values.” The Koa Academy education model prioritises individualised learning with children grouped in small 8-person pods working every day with a dedicated, specialist teacher who has not only mastered online pedagogy but understands the needs of each child in their Pod.  The platform is registered as a South African IEB curriculum provider leveraging educational resources from all around the world.  With the flexibility that only an online platform can provide, academic progress is mastery based enabling children to speed up or slow down as needed and for families to schedule timetables and terms in ways that suit them best.   Mark says, “Our aim is to prepare children for the real world.  Learning is rooted in real-world issues; tasks give children options, and age-appropriate feedback is ongoing so that children can adapt and grow in dynamic ways as they learn.  In this way assessment is embedded in the learning process, and not a disconnected result that they can’t actually learn from.  Our passionate teachers are curating and facilitating content at the child’s pace. Each child progresses when they have mastered the learning which is the only real way to ensure that no one is left behind.” Like everything else in life, traditional education has been disrupted over the past pandemic months.  Through months of stay-at-home restrictions, parents have had new and different insights into their child’s learning and their schooling system. As we look to a post-pandemic future, there’s more open thinking about what really works for our families, and what doesn’t.  Our GenZ and GenAlpha children face a future that is differently shaped from anything we have known.  If there’s a silver lining to the COVID clouds, it’s the idea that we can create a better reality for our families, community and country.  School 2.0 has become a serious option in how we choose to educate our children for a fast-evolving future that will make different demands on them.

September 30, 2021
Wingu Academy

Wingu Academy – changing the face of online home schooling in South Africa

The on-going Covid pandemic has changed the schooling landscape in South Africa completely, especially the traditional schooling environment.  With very little notice, parents had to become teachers while still maintaining a full-time job. Learners’ routines were abrupted and remote learning became the “new normal”. This, however, also lead to homeschooling and especially online home schooling, becoming a contending alternative. Wingu Academy offers a distance, blended learning platform that provides educational support to home-schoolers all over Africa, offering live classes and tutorials along with interactive online content. It has been developed by teachers, UP alumni, and postgraduate students who are experts in their respective fields with additional collaboration with researchers from the Wits School of Education. Not only this, it is a by-product of collaboration between two innovative start-ups, TutCo Tuition and EduWingu Cloud Education Solutions. Their ever-evolving platform currently provides the internationally recognised British curriculum, but as of 2022 Wingu Academy will extend their high-school offering to include the South African CAPS curriculum.  Wingu focuses on student-led learning, utilising gamification and implementing constructive feedback providing a wide variety of choices to support individual learning at home along with alternative options through their tutoring centre. Mrs Becker who has both her children enrolled at Wingu Academy has the following to say about her experience as a “Wingu Parent” : “Wingu is passionate about learning. They saw what did not work, listened to parents and made the necessary changes. My children are happy. My oldest says, it is so nice to be able to ask a teacher a question when you don’t understand the work. If a student is shy, they have the option of asking in a classroom chat. The teachers don’t mention who asked, so the child is saved the potential embarrassment that would have prevented them asking in a traditional setting. The blended learning approach is fantastic. Teachers are available for consultations if students struggle. Teachers have a consultation session once a week in the afternoons and students can freely ask any questions. The students have experts in their fields as teachers. They hold Honours and Masters  degrees. There are even a few PhD candidates among the teachers. The feedback the students get on home work is very valuable. Mistakes become learning opportunities.” Many parents may be worried that their children will miss out on social interaction but they still get to meet friends and even form study groups as they are not bound by geographical borders.  In fact, Wingu also offers a variety of Club options to learners varying from fitness to chess to photography clubs and parents have the opportunity to become involved too. Furthermore, Wingu Academy’s flexible environment also caters for learners who would like to pursue their passions and professional aspirations in sports, music and other extra-curricular activities. Another “Wingu Parent”, Mrs du Preez says what she appreciates most about Wingu Academy is the positive and respectful attitude of support and patience. “They make the idea of home schooling worth it and a lot easier. If it was not for the Wingu platform, I would not have done it. Even more so with the help of the online coach to get them on track. My daughter had to catch up two terms in one and still managed to do very well.” Student well-being is at the heart of Wingu’s core foundation. Their Wellness Hub offers professional guidance to both learners and parents in areas of concern. Wingu’s innovative learning platform equips learners for the 4IR with a forward-thinking strategy of anywhere, anytime, staying connected and offering the future classroom today!

September 27, 2021
Wingu Academy

How to raise a confident teen with a positive identity

Helping your teen to navigate through difficult challenges and still come out resilient, knowing they will recover after a set-back, is an important part of parenting. When a teen has confidence, they are equipped to make decisions. When they have a better understanding of the world around them it’s easier to risk opportunities which helps them exceed in life. A study by Harvard University’s Centre on the Developing Child found that: Resilience requires supportive relationships and opportunities for skill-building. Resilience results from a dynamic interaction between internal predispositions and external experiences. Learning to cope with manageable threats to our physical and social well-being is critical for the development of resilience. Some children respond in more extreme ways, therefore individual traits need to be acknowledged. Individuals never completely lose their ability to improve their coping skills, and they often learn how to adapt to new challenges. Research has identified a set of factors that help children achieve positive outcomes in the face of significant adversity. Individuals who demonstrate resilience in response to one form of adversity may not necessarily do so in response to another. Yet when communities and families strengthen these factors, they optimize resilience across multiple contexts. Factors include: Providing supportive adult-child relationships; Scaffolding learning so the child builds a sense of self-efficacy and control; Helping strengthen adaptive skills and self-regulatory capacities; and Using faith and cultural traditions as a foundation for hope and stability. Good self-esteem activities that parents can apply according to Dr Serahni Symington, Child and Adolescent Counselling and Play Therapist, include the following: Encourage independence to make their own decisions about how they dress, for instance. Having responsibilities at home like walking the dog or making dinner. Enable problem-solving by assisting your child in making choices in a safe space.  This will help equip them to make good decisions when they find themselves in less protective situations. Encouragement is good, but over-praise can do more damage than good if they lack the ability to take responsibility for their actions. Praise effort not outcome. Your teen can control their effort, but not always the outcome. Set realistic bars for outcomes. Emotional expression is crucial. TALK about emotions and feelings. Explore all aspects of anger, grief, fear, joy and happiness in a thoughtful and logical way. Help develop positive self-talk. How teens talk about themselves says a lot about how they see themselves. Help them identify thoughts that aren’t true by pointing out how being overly harsh can be detrimental. Teach them to reframe the irrational with something more realistic. Lead by example. It’s important to model self-confidence and resilience during challenging times as children look to their parents as role models. “Identity is grounded in feeling safe in your environment. Nurturing growth and believing in yourself, is an important stepping stone to raising a confident teen with a positive identity, “ Dr Symington concludes. Wingu Academy realises the importance of encouraging a positive identity.  This is why they established a Wellness Hub that assist both students and parents with guidelines and counselling to find a healthy balance between self-improvement and self-acceptance.

September 21, 2021
Wingu Academy

How do I help my child cope with exam stress?

Exam time is usually a dreaded and stressful period for parents and children alike, but a little support and motivation can go a long way in reducing stress levels. Here are some guidelines of what you can do to make life a bit easier on your child (and in effect you too!): Create a consistent study environment.  According to parentinfo.org it’s best to set up a study corner that is comfortable and inviting to work in, with as few distractions as possible. Everything should be close at hand so they don’t have to spend time searching for things like highlighters, post it notes, paper, etc. Keep communication open. It’s important to show that you are interested in your child’s studies.  Ask them how they are doing, do they need any help, how did the exam go. Sometimes a child just needs to vent or know you care about their well-being. Encourage relaxation and taking part in other activities to unwind, like exercising, listening to music, painting and interacting with friends. These can aid significantly in stress management. When it comes to studying and breaks the Pomodoro Technique is the most effective in the world. Study for 25 minutes with 5 minute breaks in-between each study session. After four cycles of 25 minute studies, take a longer 30-minute break.  Help your child stay focused with following a well-structured study schedule. According to brainbuxa.com discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.  It’s important to enforce restrictions, but don’t micro-manage. Show your child that you trust him/her enough to take responsibility. If your child prefers being quizzed to prep for exams, put in the effort and make it a time of bonding rather than a time of frustration. Stay calm, do flash cards and reward accomplishments by sneaking in a favourite snack. Ensure that your child eats healthy and gets enough sleep.  These are very important factors for the brain to recharge and function properly, especially during exam time. Always remember to use words of encouragement. Whether the exam went well or not. Help your child to stay positive. Most children are less worried about the exam itself than about disappointing their parents or losing the respect of their fellow classmates if they do badly.  So if it didn’t go well, instead of dwelling on the mistakes, which they cannot change, rather help them relax and prepare for the next exam. “The role of the parent is very important in this online teaching journey. Parents should create and promote a positive learning environment for the student.  Parents should also encourage the student to follow a routine to stay focussed and to develop responsibility, self-discipline and independence. Our teachers, student mentors and tutors all have one goal in mind and that is to see our students succeed and prosper,” says Belinda van der Westhuizen, Wingu-Academy’s Director of Education and Assessments. “Most importantly, celebrate your child’s accomplishments and enjoy the journey with him/her.”

September 14, 2021
Wingu Academy

How can parents encourage entrepreneurship at home?

It has become increasingly important for children to hone their entrepreneurship skills, not just in the classroom, but especially at home.  It’s important for parents to encourage their children to succeed and by applying the following guidelines by Sue Scheff, author and parent advocate, it’s easier than you think! Kids earn an allowance for chores, not for existing: Instil a good work ethic in your children by requiring that they earn their allowance. Emptying the dishwasher, mowing the lawn, and washing the family dog are all ways that kids can learn how to earn money. Take it a step further by encouraging them to do similar tasks for neighbours as a way to earn additional money. Create a bank account for your child:  Lay the foundation for earning money by giving it a place to go. When your child earns money, have fun helping your kids do the math and figure out how much they’ve put away in the bank for all their hard work. Share opportunities for extra earning: Teach your children that going above and beyond leads to increased earning. Give them the opportunity to do more difficult chores that go above what they’re normally expected to do. Encourage good personal finance skills: Kids begging for items at the store might be annoying, but it’s a teachable moment. When your child asks for something that’s out of budget or not really necessary, make it a goal to earn enough money to buy it. Encourage your child to come up with ideas on how to buy it themselves. Encourage them to follow their ideas: Whether your kids want to start a blog or sell vegetables from your garden, give them your time and encouragement. Let them learn by doing, and find opportunities for lessons along the way. Ask them to consider how they’ll fund their start-up, where to get supplies, how much to charge, how to find their customers, and of course, what to do with the money they earn. You should of course set some limitations for time, legality, and safety, but be open to let your kids explore their own ideas. Allow them to fail, and turn failures into learning moments. Teach good teamwork: Rarely do entrepreneurs succeed completely independently. Even if they’re in business alone, they’re networking, getting others interested, and meeting with people that can help get their business off the ground. Learning how to work with others is essential for success, so be sure to encourage group work in school, in your home, and beyond. Encourage team sports: Team sports are a great way to teach kids to work with others, and they’re also great for learning business lessons. Chances are, they won’t win every game, but the setbacks and hard work that are a part of playing sports can teach kids how to work toward success. Be available: Every great entrepreneur needs a mentor, and for your kids, you are that person. Although you should encourage your child to operate independently, always be there to answer questions or offer helpful suggestions. If you don’t know how to solve a problem, learn how to do it together. Teach your kids to be self-starters: Doing what they’re told is easy for most kids. Asking them to complete certain chores is simple and straightforward. But if you want them to start thinking creatively, encourage their initiative. Ask them to come up with ideas for chores that need to be done, or encourage them to plan a meal and cook for the family once a week. Encourage adventure and observational skills: Some of the best entrepreneurs found success simply by filling a need that no one else even knew existed. The world is full of business opportunities, if only we could notice them. Parents can help their children learn to recognize these types of opportunities by developing observation and creativity. Walk around your neighbourhood with your kids and consider which needs are not being met. Do you have neighbours that need lawn care? Businesses that need a website? Teach kids to recognize and anticipate the needs of others. Teach problem-solving: Entrepreneurship can be a bumpy road full of obstacles and challenges to overcome, even for the best-laid plans. Show your children that problems are just solutions that have not been solved yet. Give them small challenges to overcome, and nudge them in the right direction to find a solution. Play business games: Many games exist to teach kids the basics of business. Make learning about entrepreneurship fun by engaging your children in these games. Read the full article here: http://www.suescheffblog.com/15-ways-parents-can-promote-entrepreneurship/

September 7, 2021
Wingu Academy

The devastating effects of cyberbullying in South Africa

The devastating effects of Cyberbullying in South Africa and how Wingu Academy protects and supports Wingu students. Did you know that South Africa has the fourth highest rate of cyberbullying worldwide according to a global survey by YouGov? The survey found that one out of every five teens fall prey to cyberbullying and 84% of classmates know of someone who have been victimized. Sadly, with the rise of the digital age becoming a necessary part in our lives, it’s no surprise that this form of bullying has become one of the biggest concerns for both parents and students who suffer and have to deal with the devastating, often life-long effects. But what exactly is cyberbullying? Cyberbullying is any form of bullying that takes place online including on platforms like WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and gaming chat rooms. Young people today are increasingly exposed to many different tools and apps. Thus, it is very easy to produce videos, memes, manipulated photos, or even simple text messages with degrading comments and name calling. Trolling and cyberstalking of online profiles is also rapidly on the rise. According to the South African College of Applied Psychology victims feel isolated, ashamed, hopeless and depressed wondering if the situation will ever change.  They are desperately looking for a way out which often leads to thoughts and attempts of suicide. This form of abuse influences a child’s identity, self-worth and often leads to long term effects like the inability to form meaningful and sustainable relationships. Not to mention trust issues and even mental health issues. Parents often don’t know because the victims don’t tell them. They feel ashamed and don’t want their parents to get involved as it would worsen the abuse. What are the main signs parents should look out for if they suspect that their child is a victim of cyberbullying? If a child’s mood or behavior suddenly changes drastically, from being socially interactive to being depressed, anxious and isolated. If they start hiding their devices and/or no longer allow you access to their social media accounts. If their academic performance drastically decreases. If they avoid any form of social interaction. What can parents do to help and support their children? According to Dr Serahani Symington, Child and Adolescent Counsellor and Play Therapy Specialist, the following approach is recommended. It’s critically important to have an open relationship where your child feels safe to express their feelings, concerns and problems. Don’t overreact and stay calm during the discussion. Don’t tell your child to simply ignore the situation as it’s very real to them. They have the need for the abuse to be acknowledged. Ask your child what their immediate need is.  Is it to provide comfort or a solution? Co-create a solution with your child to make them feel safe, secure and empowered to handle the situation. Don’t retaliate. Rather address the issue with the school and not with the bully or his/her parents. Never invite the bully into your home, your child’s safe space, to resolve the issue. Monitor and spot check your child’s devices with the narrative that it’s for their own protection and not because you don’t trust them. Look at the ratings, age-restrictions and if possible, experience the games and apps your child interacts with for yourself to look for possible pitfalls and warning signs that could put your child in danger. How does Wingu Academy protect and support parents and students against cyberbullying? “At Wingu Academy we have a zero-tolerance policy against any form of bullying. Our Wellness Hub offers counselling and support to students and parents. By following a holistic approach of creating a culture of inclusivity and high moral values we teach our students to respect their fellow students,” says Managing Director Ian Strydom. Wingu Academy’s Cyberbullying Policy also offers guidelines to students to protect them. Some of the recommendations include: Do not answer abusive messages but save them and report them to the Student Mentor. Do not delete anything until it has been shown to your parents/carers or a member of staff at Wingu Academy (even if it is upsetting, the material is important evidence which may need to be used later as proof of cyberbullying). Do not give out personal details or contact information without the permission of a parent/guardian (personal data). Be careful who you allow to become a friend online and think about what information you want them to see. Protect your password. Do not share it with anyone else and change it regularly. Always log off from the computer when you have finished or if you leave the computer for any reason. Always put the privacy filters on to the sites you use. Never reply to abusive messages. Never reply to someone you do not know. Always stay in public areas in chat rooms. Article by Melanie Foxcroft from MF Consulting. Mobile: +27 82 650 3414 Email: melanie@mfconsulting.co.za Web: www.mfconsulting.co.za

August 31, 2021
Syllabis Learning

Power Tips on Creating the Perfect Homeschool Environment

With the changes that we have all faced over the last seventeen months, now more than ever before, parents find themselves having to manage their children’s virtual and or home-based education. Despite the many benefits of homeschooling, at-home learning can be challenging for both parents and students. Challenges like creating order and structure in a home learning environment can lead to frustration and even cause students to fall behind on assignments or learning objectives. Your child’s curriculum has many moving parts—and if you have more than one child, that complexity only increases.  Teaching your children at home can be an immensely rewarding experience. One of the reasons that many parents choose to homeschool their kids is that they believe they can provide a better education for their children than a public or private school. To provide an outstanding education for your children, you will need to provide an environment that fosters learning. We can help you to keep your kids on track and successfully navigate the ins and outs of independent learning with the following tips. Create a designated learning space  While it can be tempting to set up shop at the dining room table or on the couch, these areas aren’t the most conducive to learning. Creating a dedicated learning space can make it easier for children to concentrate on schoolwork. Consider a room that is large and open that has natural light. This dedicated space should be used for schoolwork and no outside activities. It would be best if this room is used solely for schooling otherwise may find that your children lose focus if they have distractions around them. Not all kids like to sit in a chair all day, so perhaps offer different seating options in the room to make the space more comfortable for those who want to sit on the floor or a beanbag chair. You could also offer yoga balls for deskwork. Follow a daily schedule Homeschooling brings a wonderful level of flexibility and spontaneity to a child’s education. However, without a clear structure, it can be easy to get distracted and go off track. Kids thrive when they have a basic structure and routine. Creating a daily schedule will be hugely beneficial in giving your child direction and structure. You can always adapt this schedule as you go along. Pick a system that works for you. Your schedule can be as detailed or as relaxed as you want. The key is having some set routine and structure for you and your child to follow so you can both stay on track. Use Technology Technology plays a considerable role in education, and access to it will make homeschooling that much easier. It enables you to become more productive, efficient, and better communicate with other people. It is, therefore, essential to include the necessities in your homeschool environment. A computer, laptop or tablet, digital calendars, and task managers will be extremely helpful in managing time and progress. Time trackers and cloud-based folders like Dropbox or Google Drive will also be helpful. Information is at our fingertips with internet access so your child will have the ability to research topics and collect information with ease. Map out the school year ahead of time Map out your school year to track progress on your goals and plan out big projects. Breaking up big goals and projects into smaller steps makes them more manageable and you’re less likely to let details fall through the cracks. Setting goals and visualizing your plans can help you stay organized and see your progress at a glance, which makes targets more reachable and less overwhelming. Take learning beyond the classroom One of the best parts of homeschooling, and one of its greatest advantages, is the flexibility to learn outside a traditional classroom setting. Make time for these opportunities in your daily schedule and keep an open mind. Outdoor spaces are excellent learning places for exploring new skills, meeting new people, and experiencing through play. Always look for learning opportunities beyond the classroom and be open-minded about the benefit of learning through a practical example.  Collaborate with other homeschoolers It is important to know that you are not in this alone, there are rich and diverse homeschool communities all around the world. It is important and beneficial to connect with other homeschoolers in your area or online to collaborate and share resources. This will not only make the schooling process easier for you, but it will also enrich your child’s experience and expand their educational opportunities in and out of your home. Communicating with other homeschoolers also provides important social opportunities for your child. Leave Time for Breaks It is difficult to work for extended times without a break. When your kids start to get restless or hungry it is a good idea to schedule regular breaks. Morning snack breaks and afternoon exercise breaks allow your kids to get a good balance of work and chill time. scheduling them into your day. While some children might require frequent short breaks, others might like only one or two longer breaks. Read your children and let them help create your schedule in this matter. Learning need not be boring, and neither does your homeschool environment. Always consider what your kids like, who they are, and what are their interests, ideas, distractions, and sources of inspiration to come up with a suitable learning space.

August 23, 2021
Wingu Academy

Benefits and disadvantages of homeschooling

More and more families are starting to realize the numerous benefits associated with homeschooling. Homeschooling is no longer a stigmatized, isolated learning experience. Through the power of the internet and the rise of online curriculum service providers, homeschooling has evolved into a bespoke educational offering that merges the best elements of a traditional brick-and-mortar school system with the advantages that independent distance-based learning can allow. However, despite the great benefits of homeschooling, there are also certain disadvantages to this approach.  Let’s explore some of these pros and cons of a homeschooling approach. Disadvantages A possible disadvantage experienced by a homeschooling parent, is that the parent might become frustrated by having to take on the role of a teacher. Deciphering not only the coursework, but the curriculum outcomes as well, can create a lot of anxiety for parents. Parents might struggle to know whether they are “doing the right thing” or not. Especially in cases where students are older, parents might be intimidated by the difficulty of some of the coursework, as they are not subject experts themselves, but are now expected to teach their children mathematics or physics that they have done 20 odd years ago – or sometimes not at all! In cases like the aforementioned, parents often start to invest in expensive private tutors, which can lead to a high financial burden. However, by making use of an online curriculum service provider, these disadvantages can largely be mitigated. Through a reputable online curriculum service provider, students can have access to subject expert tutors, which eliminate the need for parents to act as teachers themselves. With this in mind, let’s focus on the benefits of homeschooling, and in particular the benefits of online schooling. Benefits 1.  Academic flexibility The traditional education system allows for very little flexibility in learning, when in reality, education is not a one-size fits all solution.  Some students are very strong auditory and visual learners. Other students might learn best through repetition. Some might prefer learning through practical application. Homeschooling affords an individual the opportunity to learn in a way that suits him/her best, especially if combined with a blended learning teaching strategy – which incorporates live classes and non-live learning elements, such as interactive lessons, quizzes and games, as well as practical project based learning. For students who are professional athletes, or who have globetrotting parents, the flexibility of a homeschooling system is particularly beneficial. Furthermore, in a traditional schooling context, with high student-to-teacher radios, a lot of time is often spent waiting for assistance. Students are often expected to partake in extracurricular school subjects which do not interest them. The flexibility of homeschooling allow students more time to focus on things that truly interest them. Students can progress according to their own ability and interest. 2.  Fosters independent learning skills Students who are homeschooled and allowed the freedom to learn in a way that suits him/her best, naturally also acquire the ability to learn more independently. In other words, these students don’t need someone to guide them through all elements of the learning material step-by-step. They are more confident in assimilating academic resources for themselves – a skill which they have honed during their years of homeschooling! This sense of autonomy is an invaluable ‘soft-skill’ that will aid students for years to come, whether at university or at work. Furthermore, students who homeschool with the help of an online curriculum service provider learn how to be adept at using technology, often from a young age. These students learn how to use cloud computing tools to collaborate remotely – an essential future of work skill, which is becoming even more important in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world. 3.  Mental health Students who struggle with anxiety, social anxiety or depression, or who were victims of bullying in a traditional school context, can study from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Students have the opportunity to focus on their mental and emotional wellbeing. In small amounts, stress can be good, but the incredible pressure that is placed on students to perform academically – or that they often place on themselves – can become debilitating. There is less pressure on students to conform or fit a traditionally expected mold, which is beneficial to a student’s self-esteem. Students with special needs or learning disabilities might feel especially marginalized in a traditional school setting, and their confidence can suffer. In a homeschooling environment, parents are better equipped to introduce certain interventional strategies to address learning challenges. 4.  Social development A fear that many parents who are considering homeschooling have, is the fear of social isolation. Parents fear that their children will not develop social skills or have no friends. However, due to the flexibility of homeschooling, students often have more time to engage in social extracurricular activities or community initiatives – such as joining a sports club, or volunteering at a local shelter – where they can still make friends and interact with peers. For students who make use of an online curriculum service provider, the shift from parent-led to facilitator-led education means there is an even greater opportunity to interact socially. In an online school environment – which essentially emulates some elements of a traditional school environment, such as live classes – students continually interact with classmates and tutors. 5.  Higher quality education In traditional classes with high student to teacher ratios, students do not get individualized attention. In a homeschooling context, students can receive more individualized attention, either from a parent or tutor. When making use of a reputable online curriculum service provider, students can have access to a highly qualified subject expert at the click of a button. Furthermore, some parents might want their children to be taught using a different curriculum than the one offered by traditional government schools. In reality though, many parents simply might not be able to afford the cost of a private school that offers such an alternative curriculum. For these parents, homeschooling provides a way to

August 18, 2021
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