Education - Parenting Hub

Leading Educational Advice from Wingu Academy

Advice from the experts

Estate Planning: Caring For children with special needs

Proper estate planning is one of the most important things you can do for your children. Not only does it spare them the anxiety of having to tussle over your estate while mourning your loss, but it can also serve as a final parting gift from one generation to the next. Despite this, 70% of South Africans still do not have a will in place. This is especially concerning for the parents of the roughly 3 million South Africans who live with disabilities. Louise Danielz, Chief Operating Officer of Sanlam Trust says, “Regardless of your income bracket, it is important to get a professional to help you draft a will. For parents who have children with serious disabilities, estate planning is even more crucial as these children may not ever be able to work and provide for themselves. In these scenarios, trusts are key to ensuring your loved ones are properly provided for, for the rest of their lives, should you not be there to do so in person.” Providing for your disabled beneficiaries after you are gone The most important thing about planning for your child’s future in the event of your passing is making sure that their unique needs are considered. Putting measures in place while you are still alive, and understanding the practical implications of those arrangements, is very important. Danielz suggests doing the following as soon as possible: Ensure you have a valid will: Passing away without a valid will that makes provision for your minor children runs the risk of having their inheritance paid over to the Master of the High Court until they turn 18. This could potentially put their standard of care at risk Nominate a guardian for your minor child(ren): Choose someone you trust to carry out your wishes and care for your child in the best way possible. This can become tricky and time consuming if you have not made adequate plans or had the proper guidance. Above all, get expert advice: If you do not do adequate planning, funds due to minor beneficiaries could be paid to the Master’s Guardian Fund. To avoid this, it is best to set up a testamentary trust in your will to cater for them. Why you need a trust Having a trust is key if you want your estate to be administered, managed, and executed in the best way possible for the beneficiary. Being part of a trust ensures that a dedicated administrator, in conjunction with an elected guardian, acts with due care and diligence in administering the funds in their capacity as trustees. This means that the administrator will consider the maintenance needs of the beneficiary, engage with the guardian, and invest the funds appropriately. Danielz says, “With Sanlam Trust, a dedicated administrator is appointed to engage with the guardian, so that they work together within agreed guidelines to take care of the beneficiary’s immediate and future educational needs if possible. If there is a need to consult with a caregiver, for example an occupational therapist, to make the best decision for the beneficiary, then this will be done.” With the right planning, parents can take care of their disabled loved one long after they have passed on. Danielz concludes, “Planning gives you peace of mind and it also creates continuity and support for your loved ones. It is all about understanding what you want and how this can be achieved.”

June 6, 2022

STUDYING FROM HOME: HOW TO STAY FOCUSED

Technology and easy access to resources have made studying from anywhere a breeze but choosing a space to bunker down at can be subjective. So, think carefully about the variables involved when considering the library, café a friend’s house or your room. The right space can make all the difference. How does your environment affect your studying? Learning environments play a crucial role and different factors can affect learner’s learning ability. Things like seating, light, sounds and even colour have an impact on the way we study, how much we remember and how efficient we are. Positive environments help learners stay engaged, motivated and give learners an overall higher learning ability. So, when it comes to different environments think of the variables and whether or not they work for you. The best and worst places to study? What works for some may not work for others and while some learners thrive in a busy café other require the quiet of a library or the comforts of home. Make sure that the spots you settle on are conducive to your method of learning, allow you to concentrate, and are free of distractions. Collaborative learning: you’ll settle for spots like libraries, study groups or revision groups. While effective, be strict when it comes to organising your time and get don’t beat around the bush – it can become easy to lo lose focus if you’re not intentional, especially when you’re a group of friends. Independent: If you prefer making the most of your own study time, spaces that are comfortable and designed for you are more your speed. Places to avoid: Spots that are known and associated with socializing always tend to make students work harder than they need to because they’re so focussed on trying to stay focussed. Your bed (or the couch) are spots that your brain associates with relaxation and can make it incredibly difficult for you to get into the groove of studying. Benefits of studying at home Benefit 1: Your space Being in your space, surrounded by familiar things and being able to set up your routine can be both freeing and comforting at the same time. A more relaxed environment decreases stress levels which means you absorb information more effectively. Benefit 2: Everything you need Along with comforts, home can come with everything you need; food, pens, papers (thanks mom) and when you have everything at your disposal you spend less time scrambling to find ods and ends and more time behind books. Benefit 3: You can be you The solitude of your room allows you to read aloud, repeat the material constantly, and listen to the music you want to listen to. Plus, you avoid hearing someone’s music escape through their headphones altogether. Your space gives you the freedom to absorb information your way. Benefit 4: On your own time Regardless of the various tell tales that highlight which times are the best for studying, you can implement what your best study time is when you’re in your own space. Unlike a library with closing hours, your home is open any time of day. So being an early bird or night owl can work whenever you want. Benefit 5: Productive Your study breaks can be productive, two birds with one stone as they say. You can complete a few house chores and task an exercise circuit or tick something off of your own to-do list. Sure, going for a run mid-library session is doable, but that might mean getting back to the books in sweaty gym attire – when you’re home you can at least freshen up! Being in your own space and having your own time may require some structure or help and learning and revision platforms can be a great way to help learners stay the course. Paper Video is an online revision platform that focusses on helping grade 8 to 12 learners improve their Maths, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Accounting. Learners can access past exam papers and work through the different subject with step-by-step video guides. Try Paper Video for yourself or find out more by visiting www.papervideo.co.za Stay focussed while studying at home Now we’ve managed to build a strong case for studying at home, or at least we’d like to think we did, and while it seems convenient, the home comes with its own set of challenges. Procrastination, distraction, lack of organisation and sharing the space with family members – things can get pretty loud and in your face. So here are a few things to bear in mind when choosing your home as your study safe haven. Tip 1: Remove distractions Homey comforts bring distractions like television, iPads and cell phones. Avoid devices at all cost and find a designated study spot that puts you out of harm’s way. If you know family members are going to be up and about, avoid common areas like the lounge or open dining room areas. Tip 2: Dedicate a space to study in Our brains need structure and a designates study space works as a notice board for your brain that says “hey, we’re sitting down in this spot, which means it must be time to study.” It’s not a good idea to work in your bed or sofa, spots where your body is known to tune out. Check out how you can set up your study space here: Tips for your at home study space. Tip 3: A change of pace Create breaks in your routine and make things interesting for yourself. Go for a run, take a break and play a memory game or get a few chores out of the way. If you give your brain a break it will reward you by working more efficiently. Tip 4: Manage your time Set a timetable for yourself, block out your time and set timers if you have to. Studying at home takes self-discipline and you need to keep yourself accountable. Set reasonable limits for how much time you spend studying each day and break your

June 6, 2022

MATRICS: 3 CRUCIAL MID-YEAR FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND

As Matric mid-year exams kick into high gear this week, it is important for students to get an eagle’s eye view of the significance and importance of these exams – to provide them with perspective regarding the assessment’s role in the greater scheme of their final year, as well as their prospects post-Matric, an education expert says. “Matric students often tend to look at final NSC exams and think that is the big one on which all attention should be focused, but that is only part of the story,” says Nola Payne, Senior Head of Programme at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education provider. “In fact, Matric mid-year exams have a unique significance in the big picture and should not be viewed as merely a trial run for final exams, because it plays its own medium to long term role – in various ways – in the outcomes and prospects for Grade 12,” Payne says. She says the mid-year exams will be more demanding than any exams written before in one’s school career, and provide a good indication of what will be expected from students in their finals, while also providing valuable insights into how they should approach the rest of the year. “The mid-year exams allow students to hone their skills as well as identify gaps in their knowledge and understanding,” says Payne. She adds that in addition to serving as a dry-run for finals, students writing mid-year exams should also keep the following in mind: 1. YOUR MID-YEAR PERFORMANCE IS IMPORTANT Mid-year marks are important primarily for two reasons: firstly, because they contribute to a student’s year mark and secondly, because they can use these marks to get provisional acceptance when they apply to a university. This means learners must do as well as they possibly can in these exams, to hedge their bets should they face unexpected challenges later in the year. Learners who did well in Grade 11 can already use those marks to apply for higher education, but ultimately an institution will only give final admission based on final marks, and Matric mid-year exam marks contribute to these. Performing well in your mid-years also gives you a confidence boost as you move into the final stretch of the year, because you can focus your effort where it is really needed, rather than having to keep working on parts of the curricula that you should already have mastered. 2. BUT… YOUR MID-YEAR PERFORMANCE IS NOT THE FINAL WORD ON YOUR PROSPECTS Although a good mid-year performance is undoubtedly tremendously beneficial, not doing as well as you hoped does not signal the end of the road. It should be kept in mind that after the mid-years, you still have several months to throw everything at your studies and that with focus and a concerted effort, you can substantially improve your performance towards the end of the year. In this respect, your mid-years will provide valuable insights for you to use when strategising the rest of the year. With the help of your teachers, tutors and school support systems, you can use your performance to develop a framework for the rest of the year to ensure that you address those areas you found challenging and which impacted negatively on your performance. It might also be that your mid-years show definitively that your plans for next year might need some additional consideration. If, for instance, you wanted to do a qualification at an institution for which you are most definitely not going to qualify no matter how much time and effort you put in, you are now able to objectively consider your plans and devise a new strategy by researching your options and speaking to student support services at higher education institutions. This will allow you to take the pressure off yourself if your vision was not aligned with reality, and help you to find a path better suited to your unique skills and strengths. 3. YOUR MID-YEAR EXAM SIGNALS THAT YOUR STUDY APPLICATION DEADLINE IS TICKING With the increased competition for tertiary study space, particularly for popular and respected institutions and qualifications, it is important that learners apply for higher education opportunities as soon as possible. This might not seem like a priority when studying for your exams, but if you are serious about pursuing studies after school it must not be left for much longer. Thousands of Matrics have already applied for higher education, and if you have not yet joined their ranks, you need to do so sooner rather than later. As the year progresses and the final exams start to loom, you will be even less inclined to spend time and energy on investigating your study options. It is therefore ideal for those who have not yet done so, to use their June holidays to go visit higher education institutions – whether online or in person by appointment – to discuss various offerings and their related career paths. When doing so, remember that it is also important to ask institutions about their post-graduate support and work-integrated learning components in their curricula. “This is a really exciting time in the educational journeys of students. Yes, it is challenging and the cause of much nervous excitement at times, but you are truly now putting the finishing touches on your school career as you prepare for the next part of your life and entering adulthood,” says Payne. “As the saying goes, we need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, and this holds true for Matrics right now. You need to do your absolute best and focus right to the end during your mid-year exams, but at the same time you need to constantly review your strategy and adjust your path as necessary. You also need to consider how you are now walking towards your future, and put in place the building blocks to get there.”

June 3, 2022

Raising future-proof children with the rise of EduTech

“In 1951 we witnessed the birth of television. In 1981, Acorn IBM’s first personal computer was released and in 1999 Wi-Fi, the abbreviated term for “wireless fidelity” was developed. But life as we know it today doesn’t change every 20 – 30 years anymore. It now changes every 20-30 minutes…perhaps without us even knowing it. Traditional Schooling as we knew it If you are reading this there is a 99% chance that you were in a “traditional brick-and-mortar” school. We were dropped off in the morning by a parent, or took the bus to school, or for some of us, even walked to school. Then we joined our friends in a classroom with a teacher, the bell rang for break, we all had our lunch, and then we went back to class. We were lucky if we had a Computer Centre at school that we were exposed to. After school, some of us attended social or sport events. And most of you would agree with me that we did not turn out too bad. Times have changed Today, every child is exposed to some type of technological device and likely, even more than one. They are exposed to technology at home and at school, and when visiting their friends’ houses. Students in the 21st century need technology to do their schoolwork, their sport activities, and events and even when organising social events. We as adults must raise children with technology as it is the key to their future. Modern universities make use of online assessment tasks, computer-based assignments, software tools and in all careers, a basic computer skill is a requirement. We have the privilege to raise children with the necessary future-focused skills to adapt to a fast-growing technological world. Forced to online schooling COVID-19 forced the global community to experience “home-schooling” or “online-schooling”. What a blessing in disguise for many of us. Parents and students had their worlds changed by this. Many of us realised what our children were being taught at school, and in many cases left us with a lot to be desired. We also realised that we could do school from literally anywhere in the world by using web-based tools and online schooling platforms. Together with this, a whole new world opened for children. Students can be managed by an online educator under the supervision of their parents to do research, to write their own coding programme, to experience learning in an immersive way, and be engaged by a variety of tools that bring joy into learning. The possibilities are endless. Pros and Cons of raising the next generation by use of EduTech solutions such as online schools. This debate can go on for days, but in fact, it all comes down to two main considerations. If my child goes to an online school, how will their social development be impacted? The reality is that social skills can be fostered outside of a brick-and-mortar school. Online schooling and homeschooling families have vibrant communities that have rich social experiences, build lifelong friendships, and have the benefit that it can be forged around your own family values, choosing friends, and avoiding bullying and exposure to bad influences. This does take parental effort and can be a task without tapping into the communities available. Most online schools, such as Wingu Academy have vibrant programmes where students are given a choice of different clubs to be part of. The clubs foster social interaction, connect friends that can meet up in person, build leadership skills, and get exposure to other potential interests. Students who attend an online school know all the ins and outs of technology and how to use it in everyday life, school, and work. Children today are more comfortable with social interactions online than other generations and are developing the crucial skills to safely interact in a connected world. It is important to leverage off the opportunities available to ensure socialisation in person. Globally there are vibrant communities on social media for homeschooling, and veteran homeschooling families that can offer guidance. As an educator, teaching online changed my whole life. I realised that there was a whole new world outside of my comfort zone waiting for me to discover. When I first started teaching online, I was terrified of using the technology, but now I can’t think of going back to my old way of teaching, experiencing all the possibilities online teaching holds for me and my students. I also can’t wait to see how my son develops using all the technological skills he is about to learn. He has the best of both worlds. I can raise him on a farm in the outdoors with the peace of mind that when entering the workforce of the future he wouldn’t have to stand back for anyone or anything, because of an online school like Wingu Academy he will have all the skills to have a technological advantage in whatever career path he chooses to pursue.” Madeline Kruger, is a wife, mother of a five-year old, and a language teacher at Wingu Academy with true Wingulian blood flowing through her veins. She holds a B.Ed Intermediate Degree from North West University in South Africa. She also received an award from the Golden Key International Society. Madeline is passionate about teaching and believes that all children are special in their own way and should have the opportunity to develop at their own pace.

June 3, 2022

Relationship building with home education providers is a priority for the Gauteng Department of Education – Wingu Academy’s invite for in-depth collaboration

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) conducted a meeting with homeschooling and online school providers on the 2nd of June 2022. This is the first meeting where the GDE reached out to service providers in the home education sector as part of stakeholder engagement and relationship building. Chriselda Mosibudi-Makhubela, the Director for Independent Schools at the Gauteng Department of Education, expressed the objective of amplifying the voices of learners that are home educated, as well as those of the key stakeholders to work towards turning around the prior views on home education. South Africa has seen a surge of online schools opening in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some online schools were already established pre-pandemic due to a natural growth in the home education market inherent in the country, whilst others developed in response to the perceived demand in the market for online schooling. In the US, online schools have been well attended for a few decades already and have seen mature and well-developed online schools emerge as viable and important alternatives for numerous students across the states. Pre-pandemic there were over 375 000 students between the ages of 6 and 18 attending state-wide full-time online school programmes, a number that has almost doubled for the 2021-2022 school year in the US. In South Africa, the numbers are not that clear and pre-pandemic estimates of 100 000 homeschoolers have increased dramatically to more than 300 000 according to the Department of Education. Chriselda Mosibudi-Makhubela has previously indicated that up to 4% of learners can be home educated in South Africa. The director also expressed that the GDE is very interested in doing research to learn more about home-based education and to improve on assessment and curriculum provision in Gauteng, especially for home education. With the growth in the interest in home-based education, accelerated by the pandemic, many online schools have emerged. At the meeting on the 2nd of June it became evident that clearer guidelines and frameworks are required to establish a minimum standard to ensure that all learners get the best possible education from homeschooling providers and online schools. The different curriculum providers and homeschooling providers present at the meeting had varying levels of maturity of internal processes, curriculum delivery, and assessment structures. Wingu Academy was encouraged to see that our processes and standards are high and aligned to policy and guidelines available and we are excited to share what we have found to be effective in our approach to online distance learning. Wingu Academy is formally inviting collaboration with national and local departments of education and wishes to support the core values that Director Chriselda Mosibudi-Makhubela shared at the meeting of “excellence, compliance and relationship building”. Wingu Academy is optimistic and welcomes the pending regulatory framework to be approved by the end of October 2022, and the opportunity to forge a strong relationship with the GDE. “At the meeting Wingu Academy extended an offer to support the Gauteng Department of Education with our in-house expertise in curriculum mapping to assist with smoother transitioning of students between International and the CAPS curriculum to make it more accessible for students to transfer between home education and public or independent schools where needed.” explains Ian Strydom, Managing Director of Wingu Academy. “Wingu Academy has been applying the policy on home education and has simultaneously aligned all internal processes and quality assurance measures with the local and international requirements of traditional independent schools, and are ready to adopt any further recommendations by the Department of Education. The Academy is registered with the South African Comprehensive Assessments Institute (SACAI) as a distance education provider for the CAPS programme it is currently offering, and is a registered Pearson Online Centre for the International British Curriculum. The Academy is also finalising the registration of an independent school in its network awaiting final feedback from the local department of education and as such has comprehensive alignment with the available guidelines from the Department of Basic Education.” Strydom concludes.

June 3, 2022

BEYOND GRADES: THE CRUCIAL SKILLS REQUIRED FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

When considering the quality of a child’s education, one of the chief motivating factors when choosing schools remains the likelihood that a specific school will allow a child to perform at the highest possible level. One of the best measures to adjudicate this is to see how many As and distinctions the school produces annually in Matric exams. This metric is a vital and objectively verifiable insight into the performance of students at a specific school, and the degree to which a school is committed to academic excellence, helping to tirelessly support students to progress to their best achievement. However, when choosing a school, parents should not only evaluate the school’s academic track record, but also its commitment to instilling and developing those crucial skills which will help students to become empowered and self-actualised in future, an education expert says. “If it wasn’t clear before, it should be abundantly so now: in the knowledge economy, success in education and life requires substantially more than just academic performance,” says Desiree Hugo, Academic Head: Schools Division at ADvTECH, Africa’s leading private education provider. “Schools must also strategically be focused on students’ holistic development, their personal growth, and the degree to which they are able to harness their personal strengths and unique talents – on top of ensuring they perform optimally in their exams.” Hugo says it is imperative that schools focus not only on academic development, but also on global competencies, mastery of which is non-negotiable for future success. These skills can be divided into five categories: Thinking Skills, Research Skills, Communication Skills, Social Skills, and Self-Management Skills. Each of these key areas are broken down into specific focus areas and age-appropriate outcomes, which are continually revisited from Grade 000 to Matric, thereby progressively developing students’ abilities and enabling them throughout their educational journey. “These skills should not be viewed as an addition to the academic curriculum, but instead as presenting a fundamental change in approach to teaching and learning,” says Hugo. She says under the traditional approach, many students’ potential was not allowed to come to the fore, as too many schools amounted to little more than educational factory operations. However, by focusing on core global competencies and the development of transferrable skills, young people are being empowered to live up to their unique potential and enter adult life armed with the abilities they will need to conquer life’s challenges. “Consider what the world looked like 12 years ago. We can all agree it does not look like that anymore. Now consider what the world will look like in 12 years’ time when today’s Grade Ones leave school. We simply cannot know. What we do know however, is which skills will equip them to the greatest degree possible, regardless of what that world might look like. “Considering an uncertain future, skills like resilience, empathy, critical thinking, and problem solving are clearly crucial components of a holistic education.” Hugo says it is therefore imperative for all role-players in a child’s education – schools, teachers, parents, and communities – to embrace the need to move forward in the way education is viewed, rather than remain fixed in the old-fashioned paradigm of assessment and reporting as the only measure of a student’s success. “Performing well academically clearly remains essential, in terms of accessing scarce study and employment opportunities locally and globally. However academic success on its own is no longer sufficient to position one successfully for an uncertain future. A holistic education today requires much more than excellent test and exam performances, it also requires preparing children for the future demands, and therefore we need to embrace additional new measurements of excellence in education.”

June 2, 2022

Busting the myths of online schooling

In 2020, across the world, many families had an extraordinary experience of online schooling as the pandemic shut down brick-and-mortar schools for extended periods. All things were far from equal. Many low-income families didn’t have the data and devices to get their children properly connected; while the middle-class and up could make a much easier transition and better avoid learning disruptions. Some schools were adept at getting curricula, educators and learners online; others had little clue about online educational pedagogy and floundered, even if they were well-resourced schools. Some parents saw their kids thriving against the odds, which was enlightening; others were highly stressed at finding themselves cast as tutors and overseeing daily learning. While there is relief in the COVID-recovery times that kids can go back to school and parents back to work, this experience of how the digital-world mitigated against real-world challenges is here to stay. Whereas online and blended learning might once have been mostly untried and untested, these are now mainstream options for today’s families offering a much wider choice. Free from physical geography, online school offers more options when it comes to curricula, access to educators and far wider learning options that can possibly take place within the walls of a classroom. For Mark Anderson, Principal and Co-founder of high-engagement online school, Koa Academy, it’s not a case of online versus brick-and-mortar, but a question of who is delivering relevant, quality teaching and learning that works best for your family. Here he busts 3 common myths around online schooling: I will have to teach my child – “Online learning has a distinct pedagogy and online teachers have particular skills to facilitate learning on the digital platform. It is the professional teacher’s role to guide your child through the school curriculum, and this does not change at all in the online environment. Parents have the same role when it comes to their child’s learning whether they are in a physical school or an online school.” My child will not get socialisation – “Parents need to choose a school, online or physical, that suits their values and aims for their child’s education and school experience. Socialisation at school comes through the intentional creation and maintenance of a high-engagement environment. There are physical schools that do well at this, and others that don’t. Same applies to online schools. At Koa, children come together in small 8-person Pods with their teacher which makes socialisation a key part of every school day. Our kids are learning how to be responsible, sociable digital citizens as well, which is preparing them for a very real world where our activities and work are increasingly digitalised.” The qualification is not equal or as robust – “Online schools offer the same curricula and recognised qualifications as physical schools. Like every aspect of our lives in these fast-changing times, schooling and tertiary studies are transforming and being disrupted by better ideas and improved tools. As parents, we are challenged to keep abreast of these developments and to recognise that our child’s education and further studies will and should be different from what we experienced. The world has, and continues to change rapidly and dramatically, and it is the role of school to prepare our children for the real world they will encounter as adults.” Digital learning, fully online or blended, was always where the world was heading. COVID didn’t change the direction, it has only accelerated the pace. Technology in education has the potential to solve many deeply-rooted BIG problems in education – accessibility and equity, quality and relevance. Anderson adds, “We also have to properly consider that we’re educating the generations who are digital natives. We want to prepare them for participation and success in the real world – that’s the goal of education, no matter the era. Well, the real world for this generation, and those that will follow, is a world that encompasses a significant digital realm. Their education needs to include instruction, guidance and experience about how to be a responsible digital citizen because their reality, and their future of work, will not be confined to the material world. An online or blended learning approach is completely appropriate and beneficial in these times, and it is an advantage to families to have this range of choices when they are making decisions about their children’s education.” There has been a view with the easing of COVID restrictions, that online schools won’t be sustainable. It’s true that some won’t be, particularly those which hold to a more traditional view of education. However, the rise of the digital realm permeating every aspect of our lives means that online and blended learning will be an increasingly prominent feature of global education – from early childhood to post-grad. In Anderson’s view, parents considering online school options should embrace the same level of discernment when considering any other learning option for their children. Here are Mark Anderson’s tips for parents when choosing an online school: Align with your family values – “Think about what you want for your children when it comes to their education. If socio-emotional learning is important to you, then look for the high-engagement online school options. If the experience of a school community resonates with your family values then look at the online schools that are active in building community on and offline. Learn about the values of the school and find the one that fits best with your family values.” Financial security of the school – “This assessment is no different from how you would evaluate any of the private brick-and-mortar school options in South Africa. Pay attention to the planned scaling to ascertain if it is a sustainable business model. Make sure that fees are not growing too fast. Consider the financial ramifications if there are physical campuses involved.” Do the due diligence – “Make appointments with school leaders and meet them face-to-face – digital meetings are real connections too. The fact that a school is online doesn’t

May 27, 2022

Study Hacks and Memory Techniques for High School Students

We’re on the constant lookout for ways in which we can be our most efficient and effective selves and hacks aren’t a new concept. We use them to keep up and outsmart the challenges life throws our way. And with multiple subjects and tasks on our list hacks to prep for exams are no exception – so here’s how you can get the most out of your session. When exam season rolls around, we try and find the best possible way to absorb as much info as we possibly can and sometimes it can feel impossible. Studying require students to use memory to remember ideas, concepts and material for test day and memory is basically like a muscle, one that needs constant exercise and support. The stronger your muscle the easier it becomes to prep and with the right tools and tricks you too can improve your way around your study notes and get through study material with a breeze. How can I study and remember everything? Ah, the question that often makes an appearance as soon as we sit in front of the study books; “How can I improve my memory?” or in a more, straight forward turn of events we point to our brain with: “How can I get ALL of this inside of here?”. Memory and studying skills go hand-in-hand, that much we know, the one can’t work without the other. Your brain is an organ, one that, just like our hearts, lungs or kidneys need sustenance, care and exercises. You can’t expect to hike up a mountain if you haven’t prepared your body for the journey. Memory works the same way. Our minds are full of memories and information that’s accumulated over time, memories that are organised in two folders: Short-term memory = things we’re doing right now; very sharp! Long-term memory = things we’ve done in the past; much duller. The goal is to better encode information into your long-term memory, that way it becomes easier to recall the information for a test or exam. Instead of asking: “How can I memorise ALL this stuff faster?”, learners should be asking“How can I use my memory more effectively when studying?”. Study hacks to boost exam preparation It takes practice. One way of getting into the “mind exercise groove” is to regularly review material. Along with revision, there are some memory tricks you can use to help train your brain and improve memoryrecall. Instrumental Music Did you know that listening to the right type of music can lead to more productive studying as it elevates your mood? A good mood means stress levels are down which means your brain power goes up. Avoid lyrical tracks and stick to high functioning classical tunes like Mozart or Bach. Fresh air, walks and exercise Any organ functions better when we increase its oxygen levels and the same goes for your brain. Research conducted by Dr Chuck Hillman of the University of Illinois proved that exercise can boost your memory and brainpower stating that about 20 minutes of exercise before an exam can improve performance, it also reduces stress levels. Brain food The foods you eat play a role in keeping your brain healthy and can improve specific mental tasks, such as memory and concentration. Here’s what should be on the menu: Fatty Fish Blueberries Turmeric (Date balls with turmeric is a winner and they’re easy to make) Broccoli Pumpkin seeds Dark Chocolate Nuts Oranges Eggs Green Tea Activate your senses Did you know that smell can play a key role too? One study conducted by Anne-Lise Saive, Jean-Pierre Royet, and Jane Plailly has shown that smells can evoke memories. Spraying an unfamiliar scent while studying can help jog memories when sprayed again just before an exam. To avoid spiriting perfume all over the place the team also suggests chewing flavoured gum. For example, chewing mint gum in your biology class, won’t help you directly recall the makeup of a plant, but it will evoke the memory of being in that classroom, which may, in turn, help you recall the subject matter. Efficient and fast material From diagrams and colours to the fonts and spacing you use when reading notes – less chaotic study notes help learners fly through material faster. Ever wondered why Times New Roman is the default font on most applications? It’s known as an uncomplicated typeface. Make it easy for yourself to read through your material so you can get from A to Z that much faster. Go beyond your books More often than not we limit ourselves to the study material provided to us. There can be many more engaging ways to learn about subject matterlike podcasts about World War II or visiting a museum and even watching documentaries. And who knows, you might even score an extra point or three for taking the initiative to do some extra reading. Take breaks Let’s get back to our exercise analogy, bear with us – breaks are just as crucial as a good study hack, they need to be taken regularly. Interestingly enough, your body and brain can tell you when it requires a break. You might become agitated; struggle to focus or find yourself reading and re-reading the same sentence. Don’t ignore the signs. Breaks in between 45 – 60 minutes of studying can help your brain absorb more information and it also keeps you motivated and focused. Choose the right spot Memory can be triggered by different visuals within your direct environment. Research suggests moving to a new spot if you feel like you’re hitting a wall. While we may be creatures of habit when it comes to our chosen seats in class, information retention improves when you have a variety of spaces for studying. Study spaces are often up for discussion with regards to what works best and what doesn’t. Check out how you can set up your space in the most efficient way here: The ideal study space at home Go to bed It comes

May 18, 2022

REPORT CARDS & PARENTS: RESPONSE STRATEGIES GEARED FOR GROWTH

Receiving report cards are one of the major annual milestones at traditional schools, aimed at providing insight into how a child is progressing in a specific year. But as students enter the second term, many parents are receiving the report cards for the first term now and already dreading the next assessments that will be arriving in about 10 weeks’ time. However the report card should not be viewed as a definitive ruling on a child’s academic ability, but rather be used as a guide on the road towards success. There are a few ways in which this can be facilitated by parents, when sitting down with their child to discuss their results. So which principles should guide the discussion that will take place when a child brings home a report card in June? I believe that the backdrop of any such conversation must be what Dr Carol Dweck calls a “Growth Mindset”. She coined the term in 2006 in a book entitled Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Students with a “growth mindset” believe their skills and talents can be developed through effort and persistence. Whereas those with a “fixed mindset” believe their success is determined by natural talent or intelligence. Research shows that the language and actions of parents can have a powerful impact on their children’s mindsets and achievement. The Growth Mindset theory can be put into practice by parents regardless of a child’s results – whether they be fantastic or concerning: A PARENT’S FIRST RESPONSE Distinctions… Some report cards trigger immediate praise. However, if your child brings home an excellent report card, and you praise your child for being smart, through this a fixed mindset is being promoted. It sends a message that their accomplishments are based on the constant attributes they were born with. In contrast, praising children for working hard fosters a growth mindset. It sends a message that the child’s effort is what led them to success. On the Abbotts College report card the effort ratings help parents and students to focus on the process and the level of effort that went into it, because even a student with good marks can get an average effort rating if the student is under-performing. You should reiterate the concept that talent is not going to keep on delivering results if it is not accompanied by the determination to work hard and grow. A “mixed” or disappointing report card If your child (and you!) is discouraged after a disappointing report, you should try to find some form of improvement or effort that you can praise to inspire them to continue developing. When improvement, even if it is just a baby step, is acknowledged, students can feel the work that they did put in, has been seen and validated. It also helps students to understand that the goal of their learning is to make progress and that success can be relative. These positive comments can serve as a “soft frame” that can help your child to digest the “middle part” where you give constructive feedback on things they struggle with or need to work on. These are the things that have not been mastered “yet”. By embracing the power of the word “YET” when you communicate with your child, you can help them understand that setbacks are reflection points that must be used to pause and strategise for future success. You should end the conversation on a positive note. In the process you are framing the challenges as an opportunity for growth, helping your child to embrace and tackle any obstacles he or she may face. MORE INGREDIENTS OF A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION Adding the flexibility of the brain to your conversation By emphasising to your children that they actually have control over growing their brains through the actions they take, parents are empowering their children. They should understand that what strengthens the connections in their brains is practise, asking questions, and actively participating in learning. Increased motivation and achievement will follow if the child understands that the brain physically changes when you put in effort whilst mastering concepts and skills. Accept mistakes as opportunities One of the best ways you can model a growth mindset is to speak openly about your own mistakes and lessons you took from it. This will show your child that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Your child should know that it is by trying hard things, things that do not fall within our comfort zones, that we are growing, even if it means that the result is not perfect. Understand the role of emotions in learning Our fight or flight response is triggered when we are scared or feel threatened. It is a normal phenomenon and can manifest as stress symptoms such as sweating, stomach cramps, and your mind going blank. Obviously, such symptoms can prevent us from learning or from giving feedback on what we’ve learned. Help your child to identify such responses and to develop strategies that can be used to prevent the fight or flight response to take over when learning or doing assessments. Constantly keep having the conversation Traditional schools only provide quarterly report cards, which can mean that the constant improvement conversation falls by the wayside until each report comes along. If your child is in this situation, try to check in more regularly to see what is happening academically. At Abbotts College we assist parents and students with this kind of constant feedback by releasing seven report cards per year. These report cards reflect three aspects: The outcome of bigger summative assessments that form part of the “School Based Assessment” which will be used to determine the promotion mark The outcome of different types of smaller assessments which are used to assess whether students mastered the concepts and skills that were taught on a continuous basis The effort ratings a student obtained in the different subjects Obviously, by giving thorough formal feedback on a regular basis, the parent or guardian can

May 10, 2022

Problem Based Learning, why do we need this in schools today?

Researchers have been hypothesizing and theorizing about Problem Based Learning (PBL) for decades. It came to life in the mid 60s when a group of scientists and physicians all had a similarly negative view of their undergraduate degrees and felt they could find a better way to present it. They developed the notion that students will understand their work better if their learning is driven by open-ended problems that challenge their way of thinking. Today, universities across the world implement Problem Based Learning in their courses to encourage students to critically engage with their subject content. Few schools have, however, implemented this learning method and the question begs to be asked, why? With the shift in education from Teacher-centeredness to Learner-centeredness, today’s educational landscape is the ideal place to implement PBL. What does Problem Based Learning entail? Problem Based Learning is a method of learning where learners are presented with an open-ended problem and they must acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to solve it. It is necessary for the learners to first identify what skills will be needed to solve the problem and thereafter they must learn and use these skills to solve it. They move through a set sequence of in-context problems by acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge. The learners are guided by their learning material and assisted by teachers throughout. They work in small groups and are constantly learning from each other. Group members teach each other, rather than a teacher teaching the content at the front of the class. Why implement Problem Based Learning in schools? Since many universities have started implementing Problem Based Learning, it may seem unnecessary for schools to implement it as well. That is the exact reason why this method of learning should be more commonly implemented in schools: to prepare learners for their tertiary studies and careers. Learners already face a seemingly insurmountable task of adjusting to university life without having to struggle to adjust to new learning methods as well. Equipping learners with the skills needed to complete a university degree makes the likelihood of learners succeeding in these degrees much larger. Equipping learners with the skills they need to succeed in University and in their careers one day should be paramount to high schools across the world and it should precede content recitation. Some of the skills acquired through the PBL approach include: Flexible knowledge base: Problem Based Learning teaches learners the subject content in a way that moves beyond merely learning the facts of the subject. They are required to integrate the knowledge gathered from different subjects as well as from their own experiences. They have to use these skills and build upon them to solve the problems they are faced with. These skills and knowledge are organized around the deep principles in a subject. Learners use previous knowledge to evaluate the problem they are faced with and build upon this knowledge when they attempt to solve it. This means that their knowledge is continuously restructured and adjusted. This knowledge is not centred around one single point of reference and this grants learners the chance to adapt and apply it to many different scenarios. Problem-solving skills: In Problem Based Learning, learners are presented with a scenario and they must evaluate and formulate the problem by studying the facts of the scenario. This helps learners understand the problem better and they can start hypothesising possible solutions. Learners must then identify where they have gaps in their knowledge to solve the problem and acquire these skills through research. These reasoning strategies are fundamental in any problem-solving scenarios learners may be faced within their lives and studies ahead. It builds the meta-cognitive skills that allow learners to executively plan their problems and evaluate their progress and whether their goals have been met. Self-directed learning skills: Learners are forced to identify the gaps in their knowledge in Problem Based Learning. They must identify where they lack the skills necessary to solve the problem they are faced with and must then research these skills. They are required to evaluate and direct their learning themselves, with only the occasional guidance from their teacher. This wakes the natural curiosity in learners to find the answers and skills they are requiring. These self-directed learning skills become an intrinsic part of a learner’s studies and will stay with that learner through his/her life, motivating them to become life-long learners. The curiosity they learn through these problems motivates them to explore and this in turn intrinsically motivates them to learn. This is a crucial skill for the Fourth Industrial Revolution as the learners are internally motivated to discover and this is not a skill that can be replaced by a robot. They do not have to be instructed to study certain things, they will be motivated to do so on their own. Teamwork: To implement PBL effectively, learners must work in teams to solve the problems they are faced with. Learners must learn how to function as part of a team by establishing shared goals, resolving conflict situations, deciding on the actions the group should take and coming to an agreement on the plan of action. These are essential skills for any well-rounded learner that they must acquire for the innumerable tasks that they will have to complete through teamwork. By learning these skills early in life, they have a head start on many colleagues. Conclusion Problem Based Learning prepares learners for their future by equipping them with a flexible knowledge base, life-long learning skills, teamwork skills and self-directed learning skills. They will be able to adapt to life after school much better when they learn these skills early in life as universities and most careers require them to apply the skills every day. These skills are, furthermore, essential for the Fourth Industrial Revolution where artificial intelligence will replace the majority of tasks in the workforce. The intrinsic curiosity to learn will distinguish learners from the competition in the workplace one day, both human and artificial

May 6, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS in your little one’s development!

As parents, we want what’s best for our children. This means that we want them to be healthy and develop holistically. We want to give them the best possible chance to thrive! I don’t know about you, but I often feel bombarded with information. It can be quite overwhelming at times! If you’re feeling like that already, I certainly don’t want to add to that as you read this! But, I do want to share something of my passion for one of the oldest activities known to humanity – MAKING MUSIC. Since the dawn of time Music has been around since the dawn of time. The oldest piece of evidence for this was discovered by archaeologists in a cave in southern Germany – a 42,000-year-old flute made from the wing of a vulture. One doesn’t need to be a scientist or educator to know the enormous impact that music has on children. From a little baby beginning to sway or babble along to music, to a toddler dancing and singing, to a pre-schooler playing a simple instrument … the list goes on! Music is a phenomenal teaching tool … but what’s going on in a child’s brain when they’re engaged in music-based activities? What does Neuroscience tell us? With significant progress in the field of Neuroscience over the past decade, there is now more and more data available to review. Functional MRI scans allow neuroscientists to see what’s happening in the brain, when engaged in various activities. What they’re learning, is that music is the one activity that lights up all areas of the brain simultaneously – effectively giving the brain the equivalent of a full body workout! (For more reference material or research on this, look at the work of Dr Anita Collins www.anitacollinsmusic.com and the work of Dr Nina Kraus at the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu, amongst many others). The research is very exciting, because it confirms what parents and educators have witnessed all along – that intentional musical activities are powerful tools for learning and development. There are many, many ways that music exercises the brain – these are my top 5: 1 MEMORY Music has a way of embedding information into our memory in a powerful way – not just the information, but often the circumstances as well. For example, you may struggle to remember a poem, but as soon as it’s put to music, you can recall it really easily. Music acts like the brain’s search engine! It connects the dots between experiences, information and emotions. That’s why when you hear a familiar song, you won’t just remember the song itself, you’ll often remember other details too – where you were when you first heard the song, who you were with, and how you felt! This makes music a powerful tool for learning! It can be used to embed learning and experiences into a child’s brain in a positive and safe way, which the child can then recall at a later stage. 2 LANGUAGE and LISTENING Music connects with the language centre of the brain. It’s also a powerful tool to increase vocabulary, strengthen auditory processing, extend speech and build tools for early literacy – skills needed for learning to read at a later stage. 3 EMOTIONS Music has the ability to make us feel a certain way because it connects us with our emotions. One poet said that “music is what feelings sound like”. This means that music can be used, not only to help children identify and express their emotions but to give them the tools to help them to regulate their responses. These are the building blocks of developing emotional intelligence. 4 MOVEMENT Music was made for movement. Intentional movement to music promotes fine and gross motor skills, as well as hand-eye co-ordination. All of this stimulates oxygen flow to the brain, setting up the brain to concentrate and learn. 5 SOCIAL SKILLS All team-based activities promote social skills such as working together, sharing, etc. However, music is unique, because we can incorporate emotional awareness into the social aspects – especially sensitivity and consideration to those around us. Just like a group of instruments playing together is full of unique and beautiful sounds, they need to work together with sensitivity and emotional awareness, for the greater good. Some ideas to include more music in your child’s life Music-based learning matters! Here are some ideas for including music in your child’s daily routine: 1.Wake up your child in the morning by singing a little song / rhyme to them 2.Play music when you’re travelling to listen to together 3.Switch off screens and consider adding audio stories to your child’s “down- / rest-time”. This stimulates imagination in a way that visual resources cannot. Wriggle and Rhyme has a range of musical stories which you can access on your favourite streaming service (Apple music, Spotify, iTunes, etc.) or take a look at www.wriggleandrhyme.co.za/our-music 4.Use music to help to set a mood in your home – e.g. at bedtime, play gentle, soothing music but at playtime, play upbeat, energetic music. 5.Make singing together part of your daily time with your child. Expose them to your favourite music too – it’s not just about them! 6.Consider enrolling them for a music programme at their school, or encourage them to learn a musical instrument. You don’t have to spend a fortune! An instrument like a recorder is a cheap and easy way to get started! Whatever your circumstances or resources, make sure that you put music on the map! Because when it comes to your child’s development, MUSIC MATTERS! Wriggle and Rhyme also offers a host of unique musical stories which can be accessed on your favourite streaming platform. They also have a YOUTUBE channel where fun episodes called “MUSICAL FUN WITH FROGGY” can be found. @wrigglerhyme #wrigglerhyme YOUTUBE – Wriggle & Rhyme SA Article by Kirsty Savides Founder and Programme Director, Wriggle and Rhyme South Africa

April 26, 2022

Future-Proof Education

As adults we often find ourselves asking children, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. We are usually quite pleased to hear answers like “a vet, a doctor or a teacher”. Years of conditioning and upbringing have led us to believe that these careers are aspirational and that our kids will be “successful” if they finish school, get a degree and work in a respected profession. What we sometimes forget is that the job landscape in 10 years’ time is going to look quite different to the one that we are used to. As new industries emerge and existing industries start to dwindle there is an entire new pool of occupations that our kids can explore. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the job landscape of the future in an attempt to understand how parents can better prepare their children for a technology-driven career. Back to the future From self-driving public transport to customer service chatbots, the world as we know it is developing at a rapid pace. Robots, artificial intelligence and other technologies are poised to radically change the future of work and improve our lives through automation. Staying abreast of these technologies will be of great value for future employability. A 2017 McKinsey & Company report estimates that AI and robotics could eliminate about 30 percent of the world’s workforce by 2030. The truth is whilst technology could displace 75 million jobs, it will also create 133 million new ones. According to a Dell Technologies report, 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. It is worth noting that occupations have been coming and going for centuries. We no longer have milkmen or switchboard operators. Around 85% of the job roles from 1900 were obsolete by the year 2000, and the number one cause for these jobs becoming obsolete is technology. The jobs of the future Let’s take a look at some of the popular jobs of today that didn’t exist 20 years ago. From Digital Marketing Managers to Social Media Content Creators and App Developers, these have fast become highly sort after and well-respected professions, and we can assume that new professions will continue to emerge as society continues to evolve and advance. Many respected professions will continue to exist but they will morph into new versions of the roles as we know them. For example, we will always need doctors, but instead of these physicians spending days, weeks or months running tests in an attempt to accurately diagnose a patient, a supercomputer can process patient data and provide a diagnosis in seconds. When it comes to prescribing medications, doctors won’t need to stay abreast of new drugs and advances in medicine, instead, AI will cross-check a patient’s medical records with a pharmaceutical database to come up with a personalised treatment plan. Preparing your child for an unpredictable future The key to future success is ensuring that our children are equipped with the innovative skills necessary to navigate a disruptive job space. Understanding that the world is constantly changing, evolving and innovating will help our children become adaptable to the unpredictable industries of the future. More than ever, parents need to be thinking about how and what their kids are being taught and whether schools are adequately preparing children for the future. Schools systems and curricula are very often outdated and the subject matter and course content are no longer relevant. Robotics, Coding and Artificial Intelligence Courses Courses like Robotics, Coding and Artificial Intelligence are fundamental to a child’s education. Not only do these courses teach children technological foundations and principles, they also teach children important problem-solving skills in a more meaningful and interactive way. CambriLearn offers a range of supplementary learning courses designed to complement a traditional education to provide a child with the necessary skills to better understand these key learning areas. The benefits of enrolling a child in a Robotics, Coding or Artificial Intelligence course include: Improved creativity and problem-solving abilities: Robotics and Coding promote an environment for children to think freely and creatively. Whilst brainstorming programming concepts children will be faced with obstacles in their creation process that will encourage them to come up with solutions to overcome these challenges. Robotics and coding teach children to work through complex problems, to see things analytically and improve problem-solving abilities. Technological career development: The demand for STEM-related jobs will remain strong in the future. Programmers are required in almost every field and coding is a valuable skill set to introduce children to a digital career pathway. Being computer literate is now mandatory in many job roles and it has become a necessity for children to learn essential computer skills. Science and math concepts: Coding takes a different approach to teaching children science and math concepts that would otherwise be difficult for them to understand. These concepts give children practical examples of lessons that were previously learnt from a textbook and help promote a more hands-on learning environment. Promotes a love of learning: Children learn better when they have an active interest in the subject matter. Coding is FUN and therefore assists in promoting an environment where children want to learn. This helps destigmatise science and math education concepts. Coding isn’t only about the app, software, robot or digital solutions, coding is a multidisciplinary field where students will gain knowledge and tools that go way beyond the pure line of code. Enrolling your child in a robotics or coding course teaches them to become more comfortable and confident in a field of technology. This helps promote critical thinking skills, boosts self-confidence and sets them up to explore a career in technology Social and emotional skills Building a robot is a complex task that takes patience and courage. Coding provides an ideal environment for a child to work through complex puzzles and teaches them how to handle making mistakes. In Coding, mistakes are welcomed as they usually reveal crucial information that is needed to

April 25, 2022

Cyber Wellness – how to protect children in a cyber world

The internet is a vast and expansive space. It allows us to connect, create and become whoever we want to be. It provides unlimited opportunities and freedom one can only imagine. However, within all the space and freedom, there is also danger. This danger could include people with malicious intentions, scams and even bullies. For this reason, the concept of Cyber Wellness has become an imperative part of our Wingu vocabulary. Cyber Wellness refers to an individual’s feelings of safety and positivity regarding online spaces. It also refers to one’s capacity to be able to protect themselves and others, from internet dangers. While there is a wide range of tips, tricks and rules that Wingu learners and internet users everywhere should follow; the way individuals engage with others on the internet is constantly changing! “Think about it; one of the main rules of using the internet when I was a child was don’t talk to strangers! However, young people these days, meet most of their friends through social media or gaming platforms. Therefore, just providing learners with a standard, one-size fits all set of rules, is ineffective. We need to teach learners more than how to follow rules. We need to teach them to think on their feet in order to protect and promote their Cyber Wellness,” says Jenna Chetty from the Wingu Wellness Hub. One of the ways we can do this is by helping learners strengthen and enforce their boundaries. A boundary is basically the rule that you set, about how others are allowed to treat you. A learner with strong boundaries can easily identify when behaviour is inappropriate and put a stop to it immediately. Another way to teach learners how to protect themselves, is by helping them foster resilience. Resilience is simply the ability to bounce back, after experiencing something unfavourable or unkind. Due to the freedom the internet allows, it is almost inevitable that children will be exposed to harmful images, language, opinions and people who want to break their confidence. Resilience will allow them to stand up again, after being knocked down by other people’s irresponsible use of online spaces. Lastly, we can promote Cyber Wellness by teaching learners how to be responsible online. If we want to experience positive internet spaces, we need to be an injection of positivity every time we enter an online space. This means that we are always respectful, do not judge and always treat others the way we want to be treated. Of course, the general tips and tricks such as don’t talk to strangers, don’t share your password, don’t engage with bullies etc, are still important! We just want to offer learners more than the standard procedure for Cyber Wellness. Therefore, Wingu Wellness has developed a three-session Cyber Wellness Course for our Wingulians. The sessions focus on the three topics mentioned above. Namely, boundaries, resilience and promoting cyber wellness. It also includes the tips and tricks, as well as an in-depth look into what learners can do if they are being cyber-bullied. If you have any questions about cyber wellness or the course, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected] The concepts of Cyber Wellness and Cyber Safety are evolving and ever-changing. So, don’t feel discouraged if you don’t have all the answers. The most important thing is to be there for your child and keep the communication channels open.

April 22, 2022

The impact of poorly developed visual perception skills on reading and learning

Many educators would agree that there is a close connection between vision and learning. Much of what a child learns is through the visual system, as this is our most influential sense. If we consider that reading and writing, along with using computers and problem solving are all visual tasks that children perform daily, one could agree that much learning takes place through our eyes. Coupled with letter recognition and retention and handwriting, it becomes clear how a poorly developed vision system can impact on what and how a child learns. Visual processing issues present with life-long challenges; however, it is not considered a “learning disability”. It not only affects what a child learns, but also the capability to execute commonplace tasks such as sorting a variety of objects or playing a soccer game. This may lead to socialisation problems or frustration and withdrawal. Most children are very excited about learning to read. Visual processing is one of the most important cognitive skills and it includes the ability to discriminate between foreground and background, position in space and size, shape and colour. Children who have visual processing issues find it difficult to see the difference between letters. These letters may also appear in the wrong sequence. Research has found that between 2 and 20 percent of U.S. school going children have some type of reading disorder. This has been linked to an immature visual system. When a child is learning to read letters, numbers and words, these are seen through the eyes, but processed through the brain. So, the visual system does not only refer to the eyes, but includes the brain too. The vestibular system, which is like an internal GPS system, works hand-in-hand with the visual system. If the vestibular system is underdeveloped, letters and numbers may appear to dance around on the page or even appear backwards. This may hamper reading progress and may, initially, be interpreted as a ‘reading problem’. It could also be confused with an eye sight problem, yet the child has perfect 20/20 vision. The real problem is one of visual processing. In order to support information recall and retention, visual processing needs to be strengthened. This would be done by including movement into a child’s daily routine. Movement builds eye-hand co-ordination, core muscles and gross motor, which in turn supports the vestibular system. This in turn strengthens their visual memory and visual motor skills. Because a child uses visual processing daily for reading, writing and mathematics, experiencing difficulties may result in poor attention in class or a lack of self-confidence. So what can we as teachers and parents do to help children who have a poorly developed visual system? Torch Tag can be played at home just before bedtime. In the dark bedroom, shine a torch light on the wall, moving in haphazard patterns. The child must follow this pattern, using their own torch. This activity is fun and will strengthen eye tracking as well as visual motor skills. Swing Toss is a game played while the child is swinging. While holding a hula hoop, stand in front of the child a short distance away. As the child is swinging, they throw a fluffy toy, bean bag or such like toy into the hoop. This will boost balance, core strength, sensory integration and visual motor skills. By Michelle Rowland (Grade 1 Teacher at The Bridge Assisted Learning School in Lonehill)

April 18, 2022

Which learning environment best suits your child?

A child’s learning environment has a direct and lasting impact on the way in which they absorb and retain information. Children learn better when they want to learn… when they have an active interest in the subject matter and when they are self-motivated. Parents need to consider which learning environment best suits their child’s unique needs in order to harness their love for learning. This liberates them to pursue their own interests and teaches them how to manage themselves throughout their education journey. We have created this short online quiz to help parents and guardians better understand the different learning environments and to try to shed some light on which environment is better suited to your unique needs. Knowledge Retention One of the most important factors to consider when deciding on your child’s learning environment is, how does your child best absorb and retain information? And, if they struggle with a particular topic, what is the best way to guide them through these difficulties? Is the child more susceptible to learning in a large classroom environment or are they better able to comprehend difficult topics through one-on-one tutoring and interactive online resources? Socialisation Many parents opt to send their children to a traditional school as they fear homeschooling may lead them to miss out on key peer interaction. In this instance, parents should consider what kind of social interaction is most valuable to their child. Does your child thrive in a large group setting with children of the same age or are they better suited to a smaller class environment with students of all ages? Whilst traditional schooling does offer great benefits to socialisation, many homeschooling parents feel that the freedom and flexibility of a homeschooling schedule allows their children more time to pursue their passions and extramural activities where they can socialise with children with similar interests. Key motivators Another important factor to consider is what are your child’s key motivators? Do they thrive in a nurturing one-on-one environment or are they motivated through praise and recognition. The best approach to education is one that teaches a child to be self-motivated through goal setting and goal smashing. By achieving clearly defined objectives, children learn to love the feeling of accomplishment rather than to wait for someone to give them a pat on the back. Flexible schedules Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic flung us into lounge-wear and at-home working environments, it also opened our eyes to the possibilities of interacting and learning through online resources. Online learning and homeschooling allow families the freedom to structure their schedules according to their unique needs. For families who want to travel or for children who excel in a particular sport or cultural activity, homeschooling provides the ability to structure your day around your unique needs with the opportunity to learn from anywhere in the world. The different types of learning environments The three main learning environments to consider are; traditional schooling, hybrid learning and homeschooling or online schooling. Traditional Schooling The traditional schooling environment has been around for centuries and it is the most common schooling environment. Many parents opt to send their child to a traditional school for the mere fact that this is how everyone else does it. A traditional schooling environment involves sending your child to a brick and mortar school where they will be placed in a classroom environment with allocated teachers. In this environment students generally follow a structured lesson timetable and work through the course content according to the planned schedule and school calendar. A traditional schooling environment is great for students who learn best in a large group setting. In this environment, children are motivated through the recognition of awards and badges. This learning environment is best suited for families who prefer a more disciplined and structured approach to their studies and schedule and who would prefer their child to socialise with peers of the same age group in a traditional classroom environment. Homeschooling or Online Learning Homeschooling or online learning involves educating a child at home, usually through the assistance of an online learning platform, like CambriLearn. In this environment, parents are usually responsible for ensuring the child completes the necessary coursework. Students have teachers, virtual live lessons and an on-demand lesson library. This approach to learning has become a popular alternative for parents who are looking for a more flexible and self-paced education solution. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic saw many families in a homeschooling/online learning environment. Whilst pandemic parenting and online learning isn’t necessarily a true reflection of what homeschooling entails, many parents have seen firsthand the benefits of allowing their children the freedom to navigate their coursework at their own pace through the use of online resources. A homeschooling or online learning environment is great for students who learn best through online resources that they can work through at their own pace. This environment is best suited for families who want to follow a flexible schedule. Homeschooled students generally have more time to pursue their passions and are able to socialise through planned events and extra-curriculum activities like soccer and horse riding. Students who are homeschooled tend to be self-motivated through goal setting and achievement. Hybrid Learning Hybrid learning involves making use of a tutor or educator to assist in guiding a child’s education, usually with the assistance of an online learning platform. In this instance, students enrol with a particular online learning provider whilst also being able to get one-on-one assistance on their coursework through a tutor. When making use of a local tutor, students are able to gather for in-person support or meet up with other students for events and extramural activities. Hybrid learning combines the freedom and flexibility of online learning with the support and social interactions of studying alongside a group of peers. A hybrid learning environment is best suited to children who like to get on with their work independently whilst asking for help from a dedicated tutor when required. Students who study through a tutor

April 18, 2022

How to achieve deeper learning

Deeper learning is an educational outcome where students develop the ability to apply their knowledge in new contexts, to extend their ideas and to critically and creatively solve problems. Deeper learning should encourage self-directed learning, academic mastery, working collaboratively and communicating effectively. This stands in contrast to learning which focuses on students simply recalling and regurgitating information to pass a standardized series of tests or checkpoints. As an example, when students are presented with a study of World War 2, a student who displays only the ability to reproduce facts, would be able to name dates associated with the war, as well as prominent figures or events, but would fail to answer essay type questions of which the content could not be memorized beforehand. But a student who possesses deeper learning skills, would, for example, be able to argue what the socioeconomic and political circumstances were that led to this war, by critically interpreting the narrative of the events. Unfortunately, through the traditional education system’s standardized and lecture based approach, deeper learning is often not encouraged in the classroom. There are however, numerous ways in which educators can encourage deeper learning in their students, as will be discussed below. Parents who are home schooling their children might also be interested in finding out how they can achieve deeper learning outcomes through their parent-led teaching. And other home schooling parents who make use of a curriculum service provider should ensure that their chosen provider employs strategies that leads to deeper learning outcomes. 1. Contextualize learning Humans are emotional beings. We remember things better if we can feel some personal connection to it. This explains why we can remember the plots of movies or films even long after we’ve finished watching or reading it, as we relate to the characters and circumstances. But how can we leverage this to enable deeper learning of academic content? The answer is to contextualize the work being learned. For example, instead of just teaching students about the basics of atmospheric pressure, contextualize the learning by asking them to consider why their ears block when an airplane rapidly climbs or descends. As this is something that students may have experienced before, presenting the information in this way allows students to integrate this new-found knowledge into their pre-existing reference framework, which in turn enables them to visualize and understand the underlying principles better. A quote by Dr. David Bilkey explains this well: “Most of the time, when you are presented with new information, you will remember it much better if you can integrate it into your pre-existing scaffold – your knowledge of the world and how it works”. Another wonderful way in which educators contextualize learning, is to demonstrate to students how certain knowledge and skills are applied to real world careers. For example, if you know someone in the field of forensic anthropology, why not invite them to give a presentation on their work, once the students start studying the skeletal system in Biology. 2. Empower students to take charge of their own learning Inquiry based learning is a great tool to help students reach deeper learning outcomes. Getting students invested in projects, such as to design a crash safety system for an egg dropped from a building, or to redesign an app, allows them to actively participate in the problem solving process and encourages critical thinking. For example, if students are tasked to design an app that can track the energy expenditure of a household, the students will have to think critically and creatively about the different metrics involved, and how these will be monitored. These kind of projects also afford students the opportunity to work in groups, which teaches them essential communication and collaboration skills. These kind of projects can also afford an opportunity to create a community of learning. Older students can act as mentors to younger students, to encourage an environment of collaboration. Furthermore, a clever way to get students invested in their learning, is to personalize the learning according to their age group, or to the individual student themselves. Most upper and lower secondary students know recently popularized superhero movies. Incorporating examples of these characters into the explanation of certain concepts can be the “hook” that gets students invested in the underlying subject matter. For example, when explaining conservation of momentum, sketch a scenario where Ironman and Captain Marvel are involved in a collision, instead of using more generic examples. Want to teach students essay writing skills? Instead of presenting students with a predefined list of topics or prompts, involve students in their learning by having them draw up their own list of prompts from which to choose, in class. 3. Leverage technology Technology can be a brilliant way through which to encourage deeper learning in students of all ages. However, as with all tools, the power of technology as an educational medium, lies in the way in which it is implemented. By using computer programs such as spreadsheet software to handle complex data, or collaborative cloud computing tools such as shared drives and cloud based software (Google docs, Google slides), students are encouraged to effectively communicate and collaborate, whilst developing research and critical thinking skills. In an online learning management system, interactive games, quizzes and simulations can be used to guide self-directed learning, where incentives such as badges or a gamified leader board can encourage students to attain academic mastery of subject topics. Furthermore, technology associated with the 4th industrial revolution is increasingly shaping the way in which we work, and it is also shaping the future career landscape in which our current students will find themselves upon graduation. Using technology to teach students vital 4IR skills is essential, and can be used to enable a rich, deeper learning experience. For example, additive manufacturing (3D printing) has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Students can be taught Computer Aided Design (CAD) skills, which – if integrated with their knowledge of coding and electronics – can be used to design systems that

April 14, 2022

Social and Emotional Development

The term ‘Social and Emotional Development’ has become a hot parenting topic over the last few years… and quite rightly so! Since the onset of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, we have become more attuned to the emotional well-being of not only ourselves but also, and more importantly so, the emotional well-being of our children. If there is one thing that we can thank the pandemic for, it is being more aware of the need to provide our children, and ourselves, with an increased focus on social and emotional development, self-care, listening with empathy, being empathetic to those around us and having perspective. What is social and emotional development? Social and emotional development is a broad umbrella term that encompasses many facets of our general well-being and development areas such as: peer pressure, how children form friendships and relationships and how they maintain them, how we interact with one another, how we express and show emotions. Children growing up today are bombarded with so many messages, some of them conflicting, on how one should behave, speak or dress. Children are exposed to so much information that it is often difficult for them to manage the big emotions and behaviours that accompany society’s expectations. Social and emotional learning at home Social and emotional development starts in the home, where a child’s first and most important role models, their parents, are modelling the behaviours that they want to see in their children. In the home environment, parents should focus on teaching their children sharing, caring, affection and nurture. Children should be encouraged to say how they feel, be respectful, listen for understanding and empathy, caring not only for themselves but for the world around us. Young children look to their family members as role models. How we speak, how we interact, how we support and listen to our children has an incredible impact on their development, particularly in the key stages of early childhood development (ECD). Underpinning this is helping our children to eventually become independent, solution-driven, thinking adolescents and adults. Social and emotional development is providing children with a safe, non-confrontational space to express their emotions and unpack the overwhelming feelings they are trying to process. To gently guide and provide opportunities for them to develop positive behaviour and a positive image of themselves so that they grow into well-adjusted, socially conscious human beings. EQ vs. IQ You may have heard the saying, ‘EQ is equally as important as IQ’, if not more so. An unhappy child will struggle to learn. So it is equally as important to attend to the emotional well-being of a learner, as to their academic needs. Social-emotional learning should be integrated into every subject area as it is an integral part of us as human beings – developing self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills that are not only important for learning but also vital to succeed as adults in a workplace environment. Online social emotional learning course CambriLearn offers an in-depth social emotional learning course to help children navigate these key developmental areas. The course is completed online through interactive lessons and group projects to help learners discover constructive ways to process their emotions and interact with others in a respectful way. In this course, students learn to: Recognise and practice character strengths, like curiosity, persistence, and collaboration. Understand and manage their emotions, like fear and anger. Work in a team, listen and appreciate each other. Understand the consequences of their actions to others. Students who have completed the social emotional learning course with CambriLearn have shown improved: self-esteem and self-awareness attitude and relationships ability to cope with social and peer pressures learning outcomes 16 Habits of Mind The 16 Habits of Mind, originally developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick, are “thinking dispositions that are committed to growing individuals who are more thoughtful, responsive, and innovative”. These 16 habits encourage students (and adults!) to have a positive growth mindset; to be persistent when faced with challenges; to respond with wonderment and awe to the world around them. When this framework is applied consistently and children are provided with opportunities to link the 16 habits to their everyday life, the habits will soon become second nature. These 16 habits or thinking dispositions essentially, lay the foundation for all social, emotional and cognitive behaviour. Developing social-emotional skills is a crucial task that every person will face at some point in their life. By focusing on these skills as early as possible and systematically continuing learning through the school years, we provide our children with a critical toolset to navigate life successfully, happily, and healthily.

April 13, 2022

Dissecting Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia is a disability that is believed to affect 2 – 10% of the population. This disability can be defined as “a development disability of organisation of movement. It is caused by an immaturity of the brain resulting in messages not being properly transmitted to the body.” [1] In laymen’s terms, dyspraxia affects motor planning. Before looking further at how this happens, let’s first look at what motor planning is. ‘Motor planning is the ability to conceive, plan and carry out a skilled, non-habitual motor act in the correct sequence from beginning to end…. The child with motor planning difficulties may be slow in carrying out verbal instructions and often appears clumsy in new tasks.” [2] For motor planning to be effective, all sensory systems of the body need to be working correctly. With dyspraxia, the messages that are being sent from the brain are not being reliably transmitted to the rest of the body. Dyspraxia does not change intelligence, but it does change how the child learns. Children with dyspraxia are seen to be clumsy, accident prone and extremely messy. They will take time and repetition to master a new skill. Dyspraxia can hinder thought processes and these children will often experience difficulty with planning and personal organisation. Time management concerns arise, as well as difficulties in memory, perception and processing. Some other issues that arise are poor co-ordination, immature speech, poor attention and social and emotional difficulties. Self-belief and confidence are affected, and the child often experiences anxiety and stress. In order to help a child with dyspraxia, it is imperative that the teacher, school and parents work together in order to best facilitate the child to reach his or her full potential. Regular meetings must be held between teacher and parents in order to ensure that the child is receiving all the support needed and achieving the goals that he / she is capable of. As a teacher and in order to obtain optimal performance, it is imperative that the child’s confidence is developed. Always motivate the child and focus on what they can do. Goals must be within the child’s reach. The following steps can be taken in order to further benefit the child: Verbal instructions are to be given slowly and are to be kept short and simple. Ideally, only one instruction should be given at a time. Minimalise distractions for the child. The child should be placed close to the front of the class. When setting work, this child requires work of a shorter length, that he / she will be able to complete in the allocated time, thus feeling the success of completing a task. This can be done by creating worksheets for the child which require minimal handwriting (e.g. fill in the missing word) Work that needs to be written can be printed out for the learner beforehand, giving the child time to focus on the actual work, rather than the pressure of copying it down. In order to help with handwriting, it is suggested that the child is given books with larger lines to accommodate for writing, as well as larger quad paper, to facilitate in mathematics. During examinations, this child will require certain concessions, such as additional time, rest periods, a reader and perhaps amanuensis. Homework can be scribed by parents in order to take pressure off of the child. The optimal learning environment for a child with dyspraxia would be a one on one learning environment, but with the correct support and intervention, will thrive in a small, nurturing environment where he / she can reach his / her potential, as well as helping him / her with social skills and development. By Linda Langefeld, Grade 4 Teacher at The Bridge Assisted Learning School

April 12, 2022

PREPARING CHILDREN FOR A FULFILLED AND SUCCESSFUL LIFE

In raising our children, most thinking parents instinctively focus on the essential elements that are required to prepare children for the opportunity to live a good life. Should we not also require a focus on these elements in the education systems we choose for our children? Diane Tavenner, author of “Prepared: What kids need for a fulfilled life”, believes that schools that are truly designed to prepare every child for the opportunity to live a good life, focus on three elements. In her Keynote at EDUtech Asia, 2021, she explains that: Preparing schools: 1. Nurture and develop a child’s curiosity Schools that prepare children for a full life, do several things to nurture curiosity. They create a curriculum and learning experiences that are real world and authentic. Their students ask and seek to answer big questions that are relevant to them, their community and the world around them. They intentionally teach and nurture skills such as inquiry, analysis, hypothesising, research and questioning. They reward original thinking and view failure as an opportunity to learn, and in doing so, they attract and engage students in a learning environment that feels rich and relevant, as well as social and active. 2. Actively support every child and young adult in developing a specific identity or purpose The core elements of a good life are community, relationships, and purposeful work. Young people who don’t engage in a journey to learn about themselves, what they value, what brings meaning to them and how that intersects with what they will do with their life, are often lost or asleep to themselves as they enter adulthood. In preparing schools, each child is valued as a unique individual with a contribution to make and everyone in the community benefits when each child can develop their own sense of self and civic identity. We know from the science of learning, that a key factor in that developmental journey is mentorship, and being exposed to lots of ideas and experiences, with the options to explore and deeply pursue those that feel real. 4. Create self-directed learners Preparing schools create self-directed learners. In many ways, this focus translates to one of the most dramatic changes in the schooling experience. Schools that are preparing students for life, know that people who live good lives make their own paths. They put themselves in the driver’s seat of their life. Learning schools know that learning the skills to be self-directed, takes years to practice and develop, and they: make learning accessible and transparent have taken advantage of modern technology and build interactive and engaging platforms that allow each and every student to learn anywhere, anytime and at a pace that maximises what they come to know and are able to do. reconceptualise the role of a teacher to be a mentor and facilitator of engaging experiences think about the entire learning journey of the student and how they can help them to foster the skills to ultimately own and drive that journey for themselves, so that when they do launch into adulthood, they are truly prepared to live a fulfilling life. SCHOOL AT HOME WITH GLOBAL VILLAGE COLLEGE We believe that, with appropriate resources and support, parents can give their children the opportunity to learn at home to prepare them to live fulfilled and successful lives. The delivery of the Cambridge curriculum by Global Village College is the complete educational solution to school at home. We want to give children the academic advantage and we also want them to develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. We believe they can achieve all this by obtaining Cambridge International qualifications. These qualifications can open doors to South African and international universities and will get them future ready so that they can forge their own independent paths in the world. For matriculants, Cambridge offers an international qualification that is a less stressful option than the South African National Senior Certificate. Instead of writing all exams in one sitting, Cambridge offers IGCSE and AS Level exams (Grade 11 and 12) over 2 sittings. Your child could write some subjects in November, others the following June and still have a third opportunity to write subjects in the following November. In addition, once your child has written and passed a Cambridge subject, the certificate is issued by Cambridge International (UK) and your child will not need to write the subject again, unless they choose to. This means they can concentrate on their remaining subjects. There is no age limit to write subjects with Cambridge. Global Village College provides tutors and course material from specialists in each subject. We offer a variety of options to suit different home-schooling needs. We will recommend the one that best suits your child and your involvement as a parent. We advise and assist you every step of the way, ensuring your child is supported and challenged where necessary. Our courses include: Access to Google Classroom digital organising and communication system 30-week curriculum aligned course material with: Infographics and carefully selected internet links, including relevant video lessons Activities & Answers 5 Assignments & Memorandums Exam Papers & Memorandums We will help you design a custom-made educational experience for your child. A range of subject options is available and can be selected to meet the USAF minimum admission requirements for exemption for entry to South African universities. We have pleasure introducing you here to two of our subject offerings. YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER STUDYING HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY History and Geography are possible subject options for learners to include to meet the USAF minimum admission requirements for exemption for entry to South African universities. They also provide a good foundation for navigating life. History gives us a time orientation – past, present, future. Geography gives us a spacial orientation – our place on earth, in the world. Dr Richard Chernis, one of our highly experienced tutors, explains why you might want to consider

April 11, 2022

From “below average” to CEO

Meet Claudia Swartzberg, co-founder and CEO of CambriLearn and Top Dog Education. We sat down with Claudia to hear about how she went from “a below average” learner in primary school to graduating top of her class with a degree in actuarial science. Not every child fits the mould of traditional schooling, and Claudia explains why… Traditional schooling looks at achievement in terms of test scores, in a very limited number of academic areas. The problem with this approach is it doesn’t take into account problem-solving ability, motivation levels, perception or social intelligence. A child who couldn’t cut straight When I was five years old, the school that I was at didn’t want to progress me to grade one because I couldn’t cut straight. Coming from a family of rocket scientists, my father wouldn’t hear any of it and put me straight into grade one – despite the advice of my teachers. I wasn’t a great performer in primary school and this led me to become very anxious. I began doubting my academic abilities and started to dislike school. My father recognised this and started to spend his evenings taking me through my coursework, creating practice material in a way that felt relevant to me. Soon my grades began to pick up and that feeling of success became addictive. My goals grew not only to wanting to perform but wanting to be the best. I had a new sense of confidence and purpose. In high school, I graduated top of my class I went on to study actuarial science specialising in data science. Breaking the mould of average One of the first things we teach people in stats is how to eliminate the outliers so that we can find the average. This is fantastic if I’m trying to find out the average amount of sugar a person consumes, but when I am looking at a child’s true potential then this approach falls short. If I asked the question, how fast can a child learn to read in a classroom? Scientists would change this question to how fast does the average child learn to read in a classroom? If we study what’s merely average, we are going to remain merely average. So instead of trying to fit all students into the mould of average, at CambriLearn, we try to deeply understand what makes each student perform and we nurture that. In a typical classroom environment, with a 1:25 teacher to learner ratio, a teacher isn’t able to tailor-make each lesson to suit each individual child. Most teachers will pitch the coursework to the average student. This approach can lead to many children feeling left behind as they struggle to keep up with the coursework. It can also lead to many students feeling bored and disinterested as they may comprehend the lesson quickly and feel frustrated at the pace of average. At CambriLearn, we provide an intelligent learning system that makes it possible for an educator or parent to teach individuals and not classes. This approach not only moves students above average but moves the entire average up. It’s about perspective It is not reality that shapes learning, but the lens through which your brain views information that shapes your reality. In other words, it’s about perspective. We optimise a child’s perspective by promoting social and emotional intelligence in every class that we teach. Most people think that the more gifted you are academically, the more successful you’ll be in life. Studies have shown that only 25% of your success is determined by IQ, whereas 75% of your success is determined by your perception, your optimism levels, your social support and your ability to see stress as a challenge rather than as a threat. This is why we put a lot of focus on social and emotional intelligence. The absence of failing is not success If your child is getting good grades, it’s not a guarantee they will be successful. If they have the right perception, not only will their performance improve, but they will harness an essential lifelong tool – resilience. At CambriLearn, we focus on driving positive perception, self-regulation, and confidence in our students. I often hear from parents, “I’m sending my kids to the best schools in the country with the best teachers, how can they still not be doing well emotionally or academically?” Embedded in that question is the key to understanding the science of learning. What the question assumes is that our external learning environment is predictive of our academic success. When in reality 15% of your long term academic success is determined by your external environment. 85% is determined by the way your brain processes information. According to the World Economic Forum, some of the skills a child needs in order to be successful in the future include; judgement and decision making, active learning, evaluation, deductive reasoning and complex problem-solving. The fear of isolation The number one concern that we hear from parents who wish to move away from a physical school is the fear of less social interaction. They worry that their child will be at home all day with no outdoor activities or group interaction. What they struggle to realise is that our students actually have more time and energy to participate in a schedule that is flexible and more effective. We have top athletes studying with us and the very reason why they study with CambriLearn is so that they can optimise their day. Also, not one of our sports stars did sports at school as the schools were simply not specialised enough and they needed more specialised training and support. Another contributing factor to success is your network and your support system. Our students form part of a powerful global network, they are able to connect and interact with students from across the world through our online forums or through face to face interactions at one of the planned events. CambriLearn has students in over 50 countries and almost all

April 8, 2022

SACAP BOOSTS SCHOOL LEAVERS’ VOCATIONAL OPTIONS

SACAP (South African College of Applied Psychology) has announced the 2022 launch of two new Higher Certificate educational programmes in its Management and Leadership faculty offering school leavers a vocational pathway into the South African business sector. The SACAP Higher Certificates in Business Management and Human Resources Management are accredited, one-year programmes that include industry-oriented content and applications so that graduates are fit to enter the workplace. While a Higher Certificate qualification can make up for a Matric without a Bachelor’s pass and serve as a bridge into a degree educational program, it is also relevant to those who want to make a career change or update their skills-set. The new SACAP Higher Certificate programmes builds on the success of their popular Higher Certificate in Communications and Counselling, and augment SACAP’s overall portfolio of Higher Certificates, Bachelor’s and Honour’s degrees. Lee-Ann Drummond, SACAP’s Head of the Management & Leadership Faculty says, “The new Higher Certificate programmes are a form of bridging into the B.App.Soc.Sci providing a certain number of transferable credits. However, they are distinct from the first year of the B.App.Soc.Sci and are NQF5 qualifications with a distinct purpose and learning outcomes. As such, they are independent, coherent and academically credible as a qualification focused on vocational skills-building.” What can you do with a Higher Certificate in Human Resources Management? This programme with its real-world focus equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to provide administrative support to HRM services in industry and to execute various human resource functions in the workplace. The qualification is a gateway for further higher education but is also relevant to those wanting to enter the workforce, and those needing to upskill in the field of HRM. Drummond says, “With SACAP’s strength in Applied Psychology, this programme emphasises putting ‘human’ back into HRM through understanding people and the value of human capital in the workplace. It’s ideal for those returning to the workplace and needing to update their skills; for entrepreneurs who need to build HR capacities in their start-up companies and for school leavers who want to acquire vocational skills and begin building their careers in business.” What can you do with a Higher Certificate in Business Management? This qualification is aimed at building foundational business management skills based on an understanding of basic business management theories. It’s a comprehensive programme to acquire the skills needed to competently assist and support a variety of business management functions in the workplace. Drummond says, “Once again the design of the Higher Certificate educational programme is based on providing highly relevant, industry-oriented content and to help students develop practical skills so that they are work-ready and capable of building careers, upskilling or taking a pathway to further studies.” The full-time CHE-accredited SACAP Higher Certificates in Business Management and Human Resource Management are available at SACAP’s Online campus and each comprise of nine modules and 120 credits over one year. Registrations for 2022 are open now. To find out more or enrol SACAP Higher Certificate in Human Resources Management To find out more or enrol SACAP Higher Certificate in Business Management

April 5, 2022

Four Tips to Support Kids Hygiene in Post-Covid School Life

With the country finally opening up, businesses, entertainment venues and schools will see more people than ever coming into contact with each other since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. While grown-ups should have the presence of mind to adhere to healthy hygiene protocols, children may need a bit of extra help in staying safe from viruses and bacteria at school, especially when using high-traffic areas like toilets. Nobuhle Ngubane, Senior Brand Manager at Domestos South Africa, offers parents the four following tips on protecting their children from germs during this crucial time of transition. 1. Educate Them Knowledge is power, and you might be surprised at how much informationchildren, even those as young as two years old, can retain. Make sure to talk to them, repeating terms like germs, cleanliness, washing hands, water, soap, sanitising and so on. Make it fun – use songs and pictures – to each them about social distancing and how to clean up thoroughly. 2. Ask Teachers Do not be shy about engaging with teachers on the hygiene protocolsinside the school, particularly where toilets are concerned. It’s important to be aware of how frequently cleaning takes place – especially considering that the facilities are used by hundreds of learners throughout the day. Aim to be helpful rather than confrontational – share information and resources and express understanding for the load educators have to bear. 3. Equip Them While your child’s school may already have thorough cleaning protocols you can always help your child further by packing a safe and mild sanitiser spray bottle and a small pack of wipes that they can use to wipe their hands after coming into contact with surfaces that may have germs. 4. Keep them Healthy As much as you can keep external surfaces clean, your child’s bestdefence is a healthy diet and even supplements, where necessary. As always, reinforce the need to wash hands before and after eating, using soap or sanitiser, and wiping with clean paper towels. The reality is that millions of learners around the country attend schools without adequate ablution facilities. This not only affects their health but their ability to learn due to the proven negative psychological impact of poor sanitation. Over the past 10 years, Domestos has led the charge on addressing unsafe sanitation and poor hygiene in schools, impacting over 5 million children through school refurbishments, school toilet maintenance programs, as well as participating in an educational program that educates learners on good hygiene and sanitation habits in over 15 000 public schools around the country. You can also get involved in this fight against the sanitation crisis.Purchase a 750ml Domestos bleach bottle, and R1 will be donated towards helping over 1 million learners gain access to clean and safe toilets.

April 4, 2022

KOA ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS THE ADVANTAGES OF AN IEB EDUCATION IN A GLOBALISED WORLD

The pandemic years shut down a lot, but also created unexpected openings and many digital escalations. For instance, school choice has been irrevocably changed across the world. Online school may not be the solution for every child, or every family, but many got a taste for the greater flexibility and wider scope in education that can be offered in the digital realm. When it comes to decisions about school, geography has ruled supreme, but this is no longer the case. Going the digital school route, parents can place more emphasis on other considerations such as the different curriculum and assessment systems that can help set your child up for success. Koa Academy, a high engagement online school is IEB-accredited. The Independent Examinations Boards (IEB) governs the curriculum and assessment standards of private educational institutions in South Africa. Koa Academy’s Principal, Mark Anderson says, “The IEB offers internationally recognised qualifications which are becoming increasingly important to today’s South African parents who are raising kids likely to become global workers, or who may want international study options available to their children once they have finished school. Many see the advantages in their children achieving an IEB National Senior Certificate that is well-recognised as equivalent to the UK’s AS Level.” Proudly South African, the IEB has an impressive track record with many of their NSC and Advanced Programmes in Mathematics and English graduates going on to study at elite international universities. While that might not be an aspiration of all parents, the benefits of an IEB qualification have come into focus in this era of globalization. Parents do want their children to have an education that opens doors for them when it comes to further studies and employability. Anderson says, “Opportunities for remote working are increasing vastly and we want our children to be able to join the pool of global workers so that use their talents wherever and however they can in a world of work that is rapidly changing and radically evolving. There’s no doubt that solid international recognition for your school qualification can be a significant enabler of modern careers, which is one of the reasons that Koa has opted for the IEB system. However, it is important to note that the IEB also has a particular style and system of teaching and assessing that is also a significant advantage. It’s less about memorisation and more about the application of learning which sets kids up better for success at university which has a similar approach.” Discover Koa Academy here.

March 31, 2022

Cognitive Development Activities for Primary School Kids

A child’s primary school years are some of the most important in terms of their cognitive development. If developmental foundations are not established at this crucial age, then it will become very difficult to harness these skill sets later on in life. A child’s physical, social and emotional development has a direct impact on the adult they will become. In order to maximise a child’s future well-being, it is vitally important to practice developmental activities at a primary school age. Whilst an effective primary education will give a child a significant developmental boost, children will further benefit from a home environment that also focuses on stimulating these essential skills. In this article, we will look at the different stages of cognitive development and provide practical ideas to help harness essential skills at each stage. Cognitive Development When we refer to development areas we aren’t just talking about academics. Cognitive development refers to how a child thinks, how they understand concepts and their problem-solving abilities. John Piaget’s theory of cognitive development highlights four key stages that a child progresses through in their developmental years. As a child develops and engages with the world around them, they continually build their knowledge base and adapt these learned concepts to accommodate new information. Piaget defined the four stages of cognitive development as: Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years Preoperational stage: ages 2 to 7 Concrete operational stage: ages 7 to 11 Formal operational stage: ages 12 and up The Sensorimotor Stage From birth until around the age of two a child undergoes dramatic physical and sensory developmental changes. As infants and toddlers interact with the world around them, they continuously learn new skills and begin to understand how the world works. Most of a child’s experience at this early stage occurs through basic reflexes, their senses and motor responses. From crawling to walking to learning to talk and expressing their emotions, the cognitive development that occurs during the infant to toddler years involves a great deal of noticeable growth. There are many activities that parents can engage their children in at this early age based on their developmental progress. A six-month-old baby will enjoy different activities to an 18-month-old so it is important to engage in age-appropriate activities that are stimulating to the child. The Preoperational Stage Piaget refers to the age of two until around seven as the preoperational stage. In these years, children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words or visuals to represent objects. At this age, a child has not fully developed empathy and they often struggle to see things from the perspective of others. Whilst they are beginning to communicate and comprehend concepts more effectively they still tend to think about things as very “black and white” and struggle to find exceptions to situations. The most notable and important developmental milestones that occur in this stage are language and imagination. Whilst they may be able to communicate and understand basic concepts at this stage, children between the ages of two and seven may still struggle with basic logic and understanding the idea of constancy. Parents who want to stimulate their child’s preoperational development can engage in activities that encourage language development, listening skills and creativity. The Concrete Operational Stage Piaget referred to the age between seven and eleven years as the concrete operational stage. During this stage, a child’s thinking becomes more logical and organised. While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in their development, they do begin to use logic in their decision making and they begin to develop empathy and consideration for others. Whilst IQ was previously considered as a benchmark in a child’s educational success, studies in recent years have shown that developing a child’s EQ can have a direct correlation to academics and long term success. Children at this stage of development would benefit from enrolling in activities and courses that stimulate social-emotional learning. The Formal Operational Stage From the age of around twelve, a child begins to think more abstractly and is able to apply reason to hypothetical problems. At this age, children also begin to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social, and political issues that require theoretical and abstract reasoning. They start seeing multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically about the world around them. This abstract thinking ability allows a child to systematically plan for the future and hypothesise potential outcomes. Online courses that teach principles of robotics and coding will be beneficial as they teach children how to solve complex problems through trial and error. Children at the operational stage will also benefit from developmental activities like playing board games, baking and volunteering activities. It’s a qualitative process… Piaget did not believe that each stage of a child’s development was a quantitative process. In other words, he did not believe that each stage simply added more information to their existing knowledge base. Instead, he believed that the process was qualitative and that there are fundamental changes in how a child thinks. It is not simply a process of adding more information but rather the changing of thought processing patterns and abilities to comprehend the world around them. How can parents aid in their child’s development? Many parents might be daunted by the idea of adequately equipping their child during the early development years. It is important to note that whilst most children will develop these essential life skills in a natural progression, there is a direct correlation between education and cognitive development. Ensuring that your child’s education provides a platform for them to learn according to their unique personality and strengths will further aid their cognitive development.

March 30, 2022

Ready, steady, go make a success of your 2022 academic year!

At the start of a school year there is much to consider and for high school students the start of a school year is just the time to start afresh, where need be, or continue their strong trajectory towards academic success at the end of Grade 12. The release of the results of the Class of 2021 serves as a tangible reminder to the Class of 2022 that they will either be celebrating their results in early 2023, or face some tough decision making when less than desirable results are achieved. Academic performers are seldom “born”, they are created through hard work, determination and the development of a mature work ethic over a number of years. Students in the various grades have different important considerations and habits that need to be developed. Grade 8s: You are settling into the rhythm and excitement of high school. This is the year to immerse yourself in the subject content of all your subjects and explore which you truly enjoy and which you will probably (happily) be leaving behind at the start of Grade 10. You should be cultivating and developing a mature work ethic from the get-go, which will lead to great success in your final school year and beyond. Grade 9s: This is such an important year for you. You should be considering your interests and exploring the various career options, as well as researching what is required for the degree you wish to pursue post Matric. Very importantly, consider all your options – not just public universities – because private higher education institutions often have exciting new work-focused qualifications not offered at the public universities. You need to be working hard at the subjects you may require for your desired degree course, which you may find challenging – Mathematics and Physical Sciences come to mind. This is the year you make subjects choices that need to align with your considered tertiary studies and your future career. Don’t panic though, your teachers and Academic Heads are there to assist, and interest and aptitude tests will help guide your decisions. Grade 10s: You have FINALLY entered the last phase of your high school career. You will be getting used to the increased workload and pace in your chosen subjects, a higher level of difficulty and learning and practicing the methods needed to answer questions in your Grade 12 final examinations. It’s practice time! Make it count and Grade 11 and 12 will not be as daunting. Remember to account for the much-increased volume of work when preparing for tests and examinations. Grade 11s: This is it! You will be applying to universities in 2023 for your 2024 1st year of tertiary study. This is not the year to take it easy. You must ensure that you meet the requirements to be provisionally accepted into your desired course with your Grade 11 final results. You need to have a strong work ethic from the start to ensure that you achieve your best possible marks. This is not a drill, this is the real deal! You can do it, just remain focused. Grade 12s: You are entering the stadium after a gruelling marathon. The crowds are cheering you on (your family, friends and teachers)! Finish STRONG! It is vital that you put in your best effort and work hard from the start of the year. You will be applying to universities for your desired courses (have a few alternatives ready in the wings) – make sure of the deadlines and entrance requirements. Those of you who did not achieve the results you needed to apply for specific courses or did not achieve a bachelor’s degree pass, must not dwell in the past. Rather look to the present and the future. Get the help you need (in the form of tutors or extra lessons) and consider and research your options for 2023. What can you study in 2023 to put you on course for the degree you want to study? Have you considered doing a Higher Certificate first, which allows access to degree study? If Grade 11 was a bust, don’t let Grade 12 be too. Set realistic goals and develop good habits around your academics. Although a cliché – your future is truly in your hands! All the best for the 2022 academic year high school students! Written by: Mignonne Gerli, Principal: Abbotts College Pretoria

March 28, 2022

How to Adjust from Traditional school to Independent Learning

Thinking about making a change to your child’s method of education? Or perhaps you have already decided to change to homeschooling, or what we prefer to call Independent Learning? This could be due to various reasons, some of which may include wanting to remove your kids from a negative school environment, to protect them from bullying, or giving them the freedom to learn in a progressive way that may be more appropriate for them. An environment where creativity is nurtured and celebrated, a method of schooling that better prepares your child for his or her future. Let us offer you peace of mind as you transition to what we believe to be a brilliant way to educate your kids. Here are some valuable tips to ease the transition from traditional school to Independent Learning: 1. Include your kids in the conversation Talk about this decision with your whole family, share your goals with your children and listen to their excitement and concerns. Identify what your education goals are, and the endless possibilities you can achieve by them learning independently. 2. Legalities Homeschooling is legal in South Africa and only grade1 to 9 are required to be registered for homeschooling with the Department of Basic Education (DBE). Withdrawing your child from school and registering him or her as a homeschooler with the DBE is a relatively easy process and a Syllabis consultant will guide and help you with all the necessary steps once you have purchased a Syllabis curriculum. 3. Try not to mimic school at home Trying to recreate the school environment for your child is a trap that many parents easily fall into. Consider this in your schedule or approach and try not to separate your role of teacher and parent. It helps to integrate your learning and teaching into your parenting and lifestyle. 4. Give yourself time to adjust and de-school Realize that it may take some time for your children to find their feet so give them some room to breathe. Every child is different so make decisions and schedules that fit with your child’s needs. Some kids take a few weeks to adjust, and some may take a few months, try enjoying being together as a family again and work slowly into new routines. 5. Set up a daily schedule You will want to create a basic schedule for your new homeschool day. Having a basic plan in writing will aid in the transition process. It will also help you stay on track and feel like you are getting the necessary things accomplished. Even if you do not stick to your schedule like glue, having something basic in writing will greatly aid your organization. 6. Decrease the time spent in “official” school Mainstream school requires 6-8 hours of schooling while if your child focuses, he or she will soon realize that school can be done in 2-3 hours a day, leaving hours to be spent doing extra-curricular activities or spending time on hobbies or playing. 7. Increase the breaks in-between subjects Who says school must take place in 8 hours? A lot of independent learners have found shorter study times, interspersed by frequent breaks, can boost productivity. 8. Adapt as you go Observe your family as you go and continue to adjust to what works best for you. You’ll be amazed at how much you learn about your children’s personalities and abilities and how best they learn. 9. Sign up for extra-curricular activities Sign up for sporting and extra-curricular activities, to stay active and social. We can aid with extra-curricular activities like Online Music School, Life Coaching, English Pronunciation and Reading Skills program, Golf instruction, Marshall Arts, video Gaming, 3D Printing, Medical School, and Driving School. 10. Take advantage of a support network While you are transitioning from traditional school to homeschool you may have questions, take advantage of the support your curriculum provider provides. Syllabis will guide you through the full transition and provide in-depth support and guidance. One of the fundamental services we offer is our tutoring service- Syllabis Tutoring has been a leading provider of tutoring services in South Africa since 2014. While our focus at that time was 1 on 1 personalised tutoring, we have expanded to offer the following products and services around tutoring: 1 on 1 in-person tutoring 1 on 1 online tutoring Group tutoring – online or in-person Study skills course – online or in-person Learners License K-53 Language tutoring Why Choose Us? All our tutoring packages come bundled with our world-class e-books, and progress reporting system. We offer a pricing option on average 20% less than our competitors. Independent Learning teaches learners to become independent and allows them the space to become more creative thinkers and doers. It gives them the freedom to learn by their own rules and work by their own schedule, as well as the freedom to soar ahead academically! Syllabis Tutoring Solutions: Cutting Edge Home Based, Group and Virtual Tutoring Solutions in South Africa. Contact us on 087 150 9461 Today.

March 25, 2022

Preparing children with ADHD for the new school year

The new school year is an exciting time – new experiences, new learning, and new friends. Yet, for a child with ADHD, it typically spells academic pressure and school stress. Nicole Jennings, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics says the transition back to school can be fraught with anxiety, for both children and parents. “If your child is at school full-time, on the hybrid model or doing online schooling exclusively, structure, routine and predictability is key to making the transition back to school as smooth as possible.” Here she cites essential tips to get the school year off to a flying start: Resume or review medication. Some children go on a medication vacation over the holidays or they adjust their dosage. Therefore, ensure that your child’s medication is resumed, readjusted or reviewed for the school year. Collaborate with the teacher. Meet your child’s teacher as soon as you can to discuss your child’s needs, and any challenges that they may have experienced last year. Help your child get organised. With impaired executive function and poor time management, prioritise getting your child organised. For younger kids, this can be in the form of a visible calendar where they can see their schedule for the day and week. For your older child or teen, develop an organisational system together; set up binders, folders and diaries before school starts. If your child forgets the steps for getting ready in the morning, for example, put up visual prompts to jog their memory. Work out a method with your child for checking homework completion, e.g. sitting down to tell you about the homework and to show you when it’s completed or listing homework tasks on a whiteboard and marking them off when they have been done. If your child finds assignments daunting, break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks, and work out a plan of action with them. Then, let them diarise the dates for delivery. 4.Organise your home environment. Set up a study area and an organisational system to make your home conducive for studying. Keep their school bag and stationery supplies in a set place. Let them lay out their school and sports uniforms before going to bed, for example. 5.Settle your child into their weekday morning and bedtime routine. Children with ADHD generally struggle with falling asleep and waking up early, so make sure they get enough sleep. As the school year progresses, let them review their work before bedtime as this technique helps with processing and retaining information. 6.Plan your child’s extra mural activities. Understand your child’s interests and hobbies and encourage extramural activities that will boost their confidence and give them an opportunity to excel. Regular exercise is particularly important for your child, considering its role in managing ADHD symptoms, so either include sport as part of extra mural activities or schedule time for your child (and yourself) to exercise on a regular basis. 7. Start developing your child’s metacognition. Metacognition, defined as “thinking about your thinking,” is an important tool for developing self-awareness and self-regulation around one’s cognitive ability. With metacognitive practices, you become aware of your strengths and weaknesses. As a learner; you recognise your knowledge and abilities; you know what your weaknesses are, and adapt your learning strategies and resources accordingly. This is an excellent tool for ADHD-diagnosed children, of all ages, and parents can guide their children in developing these practises. Here are a few points to start the coaching process: 8.1. Ask open-ended, process-oriented questions about their thinking process, such as: What are you thinking? Why did you do it that way? Why did you react the way you did? How could you handle that differently? How do you intend to study? How do you know when this (task) is finished? 8.2. Have conversations with your child about learning, strategies and resources they intend to use, and how to determine what’s working well or not. 8.3. Model the practise to your child by explaining to them how you monitor your learning, how you adjusted your thought processes, and what the outcome was as a result. 9. Build confidence and morale. School is challenging for the ADHD- diagnosed child and their self-esteem will take a knock. Parents and caregivers can also be very critical at times and point out weaknesses. Remember to focus on your child’s strengths, and use positive reinforcement tools to build their self-esteem. 10.Create calm and connection. A child’s development is significantly impacted by their parents’ stress levels. While parenting an ADHD child is stressful, it’s important that you don’t transfer your own stress onto your child. Creating low stress environment by practising self-control during stressful situations will give your child the security they need to thrive. As a trusted provider of central nervous system medication and understanding the difficulty parents face when raising children with ADHD, Pharma Dynamics has partnered with leading health tech company, Augmental Technologies, to launch an innovative app, geared at empowering parents. “The Tracto app allows parents to invite teachers, healthcare professionals and other caregivers of a child’s care team to monitor symptoms and side-effects collaboratively, stay on track by setting reminders for medication, activities and assessments and to keep a digital history of their child’s care journey and response to different stimuli. “Beyond medication and behavioural therapy, a well-coordinated care team is at the heart of an effective treatment plan for children with ADHD,” says Jennings. Pharma Dynamics’ Tracto app can be accessed via either Google or Apple app stores or downloaded here.

March 24, 2022

HOW DO SCHOOLS DEVELOP SKILLS FOR THE UNKNOWABLE FUTURE?

At a recent Koa Academy & Fully Alive webinar for parents, Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson took a deep-dive into what schools need to be doing now to prepare our kids for a future of work that is ever-changing and deeply uncertain. He says, “As parents and grandparents, we were schooled in times when the world of work changed gradually and mostly, predictably. It’s a different, rapid-paced, and uncertain world for our current digital natives, who may in a few years’ time find themselves job-seeking or job creating in the metaverse. This very different future of work demands different skills and qualities, and schools today need to be adaptive in helping them develop the characteristics and having youthful experiences that will set them up for fulfilment and success in their adult lives.” Fully Alive founder, Meg Bruyns was the guest co-presenter at the webinar, and she works regularly with teens and parents to support the development of personal skills that help each of us get what we need and want from life. Meg says, “Having purpose and clarity around our strengths, interests and passions is a vital roadmap, and school education can play an important role in fostering this in individual children. Different skills have come to the fore in the digital age, such as reflective thinking and critical thinking. Employers have very different needs from today’s employees – and young people have very different expectations and demands of work.” Once regarded as ‘soft’ skills which were not necessary but nice to have, the capabilities to solve problems and create solutions, to communicate, collaborate and work as a team now feature at the top of the lists of essential 21st Century skills. Mark says, “For businesses, the abilities to be flexible and agile are superseding characteristics such rule-following and acquiescence. So, the question is how do schools provide environments where children have varied opportunities to develop these important competencies?” To find out about some of the practical ways that Koa Academy has implemented to enable kids to develop skills for the unknowable future watch the Koa Academy and Fully Alive Future of Work webinar here

March 18, 2022

How Education has Forever Changed

Reflecting on the days of lockdown in South Africa and the rest of the world, it’s clear that education has undergone immense changes that will forever alter the way that our children learn. In our internet-connected age, adults have learned that they can work from anywhere in the world and that they don’t always need to be in the office. This thought process has now begun trickling into the decision-making process when it comes to our children’s education. Ultimately we have learned that Learning really can happen from anywhere. The pandemic broke the rules on what school looks like, where and when learning occurs, and who is performing the role as teacher or facilitator. A wave of parents and caregivers have elected to homeschool because of the pandemic—and they are part of a new group that isn’t going back to traditional schooling. The crisis gave rise to a diverse swath of families that are using tech to customise their kids’ learning, and they might even change what “going to school” means in the post-pandemic world. It is becoming more apparent that the school system — a network of adult-led public and private school buildings where children and youth spend most of their days for most months of the year — is flailing. Progressive families from various racial and economic backgrounds are becoming more critical of traditional schools. Some of these families share concerns about how issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, and other identities, are dealt with in schools. They also identify a broad range of other concerns about schooling, such as: Increased academic pressures at younger and younger ages The sedentary nature of schooling The lack of focus on teaching social and emotional skills Outdated teaching practices that are not aligned with what research tells us about how children learn Standardised testing Lack of self-directed, child-led, and interest-based learning Lack of flexibility for the individual ways in which children learn and develop The physical and emotional safety of children The number of hours spent in school The load of homework students are expected to do Insufficient preparation for the tech jobs of the future Bullying and negative social influences While homeschooling is legal in South Africa, it has never been considered the norm, but for parents unhappy with Covid-era education, or the above-mentioned factors, homeschooling could seem like a respite from public and private schools and an opportunity to reclaim a part in their kids’ learning. Ali-Coleman, a longtime homeschooling parent and a researcher who studies African American homeschool students points out that “the pandemic was the catalyst that pushed parents to seriously consider what they really wanted their kids’ educations to look like, the roles they wanted to play as parents, and the options they had outside the default educational institutions.” If Covid-19 was the publicist for homeschooling, then the internet is the connecting force that binds long-time homeschoolers and the new crop of wired, inspired parents. Technology has not only aided a more diverse set of parents start to homeschool—it has given parents a curricular blank canvas, free from the parameters of institutionalised education. “There is absolutely no one way that people are homeschooling,” Ali-Coleman says. “And what parents are finding is this level of flexibility that doesn’t exist within these traditional school settings.” As the unknowns around the pandemic play out and as technology evolves, there is no doubt that our education landscape will experience further major changes down the line. What then is the role of education in the model of the future? Is it to make sure kids pass tests built for a society of the past? Or is it to cultivate a generation of critical thinkers, innovators, and justice-minded self-starters who are prepared for what is looking to be a trying future? This is the conversation we should be seriously, collectively, strategically, and proactively having. It seems more and more clear that despite the hard work of so many committed educators, the traditional system of students spending 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, sitting in classrooms, learning from lectures, textbooks, and worksheets, in 50-minute subject-area blocks, largely unconcerned with issues of social or climate justice, with loads of homework to be completed in the few hours they spend at home, isn’t desirable, functional, or sustainable. Families shouldn’t have to choose between a system that isn’t working or opting out of schooling altogether. With this new system of ‘School from Home’ becoming more and more acceptable and desired, we could build something new, different, sustainable, and altogether better for our children.

March 16, 2022

Is your child’s education future-proof?

As the online world and technology advance, parents need to consider that the career pathways that their children will explore may look very different to what they knew growing up. One can assume that the demand for coding related jobs will remain strong in the future. Programmers are required in almost every field and enrolling your child in a Robotics or Coding course will introduce them to a wide variety of career opportunities. Just as our children’s potential career pathways change, so the approach and content that is taught to them at school needs to be updated to adapt to the ever-changing industries of the future. Many schools do not offer subjects like Robotics and Coding and in these instances, it would be wise to enrol your child in an online learning platform, like CambriLearn, which offers supplementary courses that children can complete in addition to their current schooling curriculum. Children who complete Robotics, Coding or Programming courses have shown improved: creativity and problem-solving abilities social and emotional skills career development language learning and communication skills understanding of science and math concepts willingness to learn In this article, we will take a look at the long term benefits of enrolling your child in a Robotics or Coding course. Creativity and problem-solving abilities It is a common misconception that in order to develop creative skills, a student needs to be affluent in drawing, painting or artistic practices. By promoting an environment for children to think freely and creatively, robotics teaches children how to be creative in their thought processes and problem-solving strategies. The traditional classroom model focuses on lectures and worksheets. Instead of parrot learning theorems, robotics teaches children how to find new ways to solve the same equations. Whilst brainstorming robotic concepts children will be faced with obstacles in their creation process that will encourage them to come up with solutions to overcome these challenges. Robotics teaches children to work through complex problems, to see things analytically and it improves their problem-solving abilities. Social and emotional skills Building a robot is a complex task that takes patience and courage. Robotics provides an ideal environment for a child to work through complex puzzles and teaches them how to handle making mistakes. In Robotics, mistakes are welcomed as they usually reveal crucial information that is needed to solve the problem at hand. This teaches children to keep going, even when they fail, and allows them to experience the rewards associated with perseverance. Coding isn’t only about the app, software, robot or digital solutions. Coding is a multidisciplinary field where students will gain knowledge and tools that go way beyond the pure line of code. Career development In education, the acronym STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths. It is estimated that the number of STEM-related occupations will grow 8% by 2029, compared with 3.9% in other occupations. One can assume that the demand for STEM-related qualifications and experience will remain strong in the future. Programmers are required in almost every field and robotics is a valuable skill to introduce children to a digital career pathway. Being computer literate is now mandatory in many job roles and it has become a necessity for a child to learn essential computer skills. A robotics course teaches children to become more comfortable and confident in a field of technology. This helps promote critical thinking skills, boosts self-confidence and sets them up to explore a career in technology. Language learning and communication skills Teaching a child coding and robotics can have the same associated benefits as language learning. When students learn to code, they learn how to communicate with a computer and practice a new language. This improves their language learning abilities and communication skills. Robotics offers children the opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas, which is a fundamental component of communication. With practice, the child becomes more comfortable in these skills of self-expression. Robotics also teaches children how to interact and work together in a group. It highlights the importance of getting input from all members of the team in order to achieve a common goal. This promotes important listening skills and teaches children to show respect for their peers. Science and math concepts Robotics takes a different approach to teaching children science and math concepts that would otherwise be difficult for them to understand. These concepts give children practical examples of lessons that were previously learnt from a textbook and help promote a more hands-on learning environment. It comes as no surprise that children who enrol in a robotics or coding course will develop stronger maths skills as they learn to apply coding concepts in a real-world context. Robotics and coding teach computational thinking such as logic, analysing data, and breaking down problems into more manageable parts. This style of thinking is also required when solving maths and science equations. Promotes a love of learning Decades of research link creativity and problem-solving with learner motivation. When a child is goal-focused and experiences the feeling of achieving a defined objective, they become more motivated in their learning and become inspired to continue on the path of acquiring new skills and knowledge. Children learn better when they have an active interest in the subject matter. Robotics is FUN and therefore assists in promoting an environment where children want to learn. This helps de-stigmatise science and math education concepts and helps instil a love for learning – throughout their schooling career. Parents, it’s time to ask yourself the question, is your child’s education future-proof?

March 16, 2022

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