Education - Parenting Hub

Leading Educational Advice from Wingu Academy

Advice from the experts

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

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

December 3, 2021

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

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

December 3, 2021

WHY HIGH ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION

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

December 1, 2021

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

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

November 26, 2021

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

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

November 23, 2021

HeronBridge College launches High Performance Centre and Swimming Academy

As a commitment to the school’s investment into sports and sports development, HeronBridge College officially opened its High Performance Centre and Swimming Academy on Friday, in partnership with Gauteng Aquatics and USN. Starting with Pre-Prep children, HeronBridge will be working closely with Gauteng Aquatics and Learn to Swim, to teach swimming from an early age. “It is so important to build swimming confidence in South Africa” said Anton Jordaan, Gauteng Aquatics President, at the launch on Friday. “It is from here that the basic building blocks for swimming athletes are built.” Talking of confidence, a group of HeronBridge swimmers were treated to a training workshop on Friday by Rocco Meiring, SA Olympic Swim Coach and coach to Olympic gold medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker. As mental ability is crucially linked to physical ability, Rocco took the students through Tatjana’s journey of making it to the Olympics and the passion, sacrifice and determination that was required to do so. Another crucial building block to high performance is nutrition, and HeronBridge is very excited to have USN on board as partners in school sports nutrition. “Sport is becoming more and more professional at a school level” said Heinrich Hurter, USN Sport Nutrition and Training Specialist, “conditioning, recovery, psychology, and (the often overlooked) nutrition are the key pillars to building high-performance athletes. It is vitally important to educate before you supplement.” “The launch of the High Performance Centre is a great leap in taking HeronBridge’s sport programmes to the next level” said Ofentse Moeng, Head of Co-Curricular Development and Vision in the College. “With the caliber of coaches that we have on our faculty, many of whom are internationally and nationally accredited, as well as our new partners, we can only grow from strength to strength.”

November 23, 2021

8 Tips To Support Your Teenager Making Their College Decision

Leaving high school to pursue higher education is a big decision in a teen’s life. There is a lot of anxiety around finding the perfect program at the right college. Your teen will need support from you through the process, and it can be difficult to understand how to help them and know what support they need. Here are the 8 best tips to offer the most beneficial support you can during this stressful period. 1.Be supportive of their decision. This goes without saying, but it’s worth repeating. Whatever your teenager decides, they need to feel like you are on their side and will have their back, even if you don’t necessarily agree with their choice. If you want to help your teenager make the best decision possible, then supporting them 100% is the most basic thing you can do as a parent. 2.Ask for advice Encourage your child to talk to their school guidance counsellors about your teen’s after high school plans. They can offer your teenager good advice on what colleges to consider applying for as well as financial aid and scholarships. This is part of their job, so talking to them is important to helping narrow down your college options. 3.Plan for future priorities As a parent, the end goal of studying at college is for your teenager to have decent career opportunities. It can be difficult for your teen to plan and decide what path is right, with all the choice that will surround them at school. Help them explore the different career options they have within their current choice of major and see what is available. 4.Allow for your child to grow and change. College is a time of major growth and development for your teen. It can be hard to let your child and change but it’s a necessary part of growing up and supporting their growth and change is important to your evolving relationship with your child. Allow for big changes to happen and be their anchor and safe space to come back to when things feel overwhelming. Plan ahead for these changes with your teen before they leave for college. Try choosing a college that is more flexible about things like changing your major. 5.Talk about finances for college. College is without a doubt expensive, so it’s important to talk about the affordability of college with your teen, in detail about how they will afford their studies. If your child needs to rely on part-time work to help pay, then tell them so. If they will need loans and scholarships to afford University, then discuss the options and pick the one that fits the best for everyone. 6.Help them find the college that fits their personality. College isn’t only about the academic side, it’s also about the location and study environment. If your teenager is active and outgoing, sending them to a small school in the country could adversely affect their studies and mood. When considering a university, remember to consider their personality and temperament and factor that in when choosing a college. 7.Don’t pester or nag your teen. It’s tempting to want to know all the details about your teen’s impending college decision. Trying to pressure a commitment or decision will only add more stress and tension to your relationship. While it’s important to help them stay on track, remember to encourage not take charge and tell them what they are doing. They will thank you for the freedom you gave them and the endless support you provided in a very stressful time, rather than pestering them and nagging them decide. 8.Visit the college After you have narrowed it down to a few choices, it’s best to plan a visit to the final contenders and see first-hand how living and studying there would be for your teen. These are the 8 best tips for helping support your teen in deciding on college. These tips will help the transition go smoothly and reduce stress.

November 22, 2021

How Homeschool prepares Kids For The Real World

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

November 19, 2021

WHY ONLINE LEARNING POWERS INDIVIDUALISED LEARNING

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

November 18, 2021

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

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

November 16, 2021

R20 million in bursaries available at The Knowledge Trust Education and Career Expo on WhatsApp

South African matriculants, school leavers and students can register now to attend The Knowledge Trust Career Expo, hosted for the first time entirely on the WhatsApp platform. Expo visitors who have completed the expo’s career guidance journey, unlock access to apply for the more than 140 bursaries, valued at over R20 million. They also have access to more than 20 education institutions, who will be hosting stands at the expo, as well as a wide variety of career guidance, learnership and job opportunities. The expo, which runs for three months focusing on different topics each month, can be accessed for free by South African youth. For November, the theme is Education and participants can register to connect with educators, training providers and organisations who sponsor young talent. The expo features a variety of pathways across six different expo halls: business and management; media and communication; science, technology, engineering and maths; health and wellness; tourism and hospitality; and arts, humanities and education. For the current Matric cohort, the event’s ground-breaking use of the WhatsApp platform enables them to easily co-ordinate browsing the virtual education and employment expo halls with their study and exam timetables, from home, simply via their devices. For school-leavers and students, it enables them to scout for serious study opportunities, bursaries and sponsorships without incurring any travel spend or major data costs. In addition to accessing the bounty of bursaries, participants have the option to apply for Standard Bank student loans via the WhatsApp bot. Young South Africans can register here to access The Knowledge Trust Career Expo on WhatsApp. Jaryd Raizon, Africa Director of The Knowledge Trust says, “This expo was designed for youth as a free tool they can explore within the comfort of their homes. At a time when so many other events have been disrupted due to the pandemic, it was vital to provide youth with access to career guidance, education and job opportunities, at scale through affordable technology. At the same time, ensuring Matrics and school-leavers are not further compromised due to COVID-19.” JobStarter, a career coaching platform, is one of the partners at The Knowledge Trust Career Expo. Executive Director, Marguerite van Niekerk highlights why learners and students should participate: Learners and Matrics – “Taking the first step to planning for your future can feel rather daunting, even frightening. To know what your next step should be, you need to know what options are available to you because it is important to match your skills, interests and values to study and career pathways that work well for you. Career Expos like this one are important tools for you to use to discover what’s out there in the world of work and to explore options that suit you. You are likely to gain insights into careers you haven’t known about or considered.” School-leavers and Students – “The job market is constantly and rapidly changing, and so are the skills-sets that employers need. The Knowledge Trust Career Expo will provide you with wonderful opportunities to gain insights into different industries and a deeper understanding about your interests, skills and values. It’s an experience that helps you understand who you are and what you have to offer, which is a crucial first step in your job-seeking journey. This, in turn, helps you create a better CV and stand out in interviews.” Van Niekerk concludes, “My top tip is to explore every booth in every hall. Don’t follow your preconceived ideas about study or work that might interest you. Keep an open mind and check out all the options. You never know what you might learn about yourself or the world of work that could shift your career trajectory in more fulfilling and rewarding ways.” Unilever’s LevelUp initiative is an exciting feature of the expo this November. The youth empowerment programme will give expo participants access to training modules that will enable them to strengthen their CV as well as build their skills and experience. LevelUp teaches the basics of personal branding, helps to develop digital skills and offers a range of activities that promote work-readiness. Lisa Andrews, HR Director Talent & Organisation at Unilever says, “Collaborations and partnerships are critical in growing and developing Africa’s youth and we are proud to partner with The Knowledge Trust on such an innovative and purpose driven initiative” Registration for The Knowledge Trust Career Expo via WhatsApp is free here

November 12, 2021

Eating Disorders – Food for thought

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

November 11, 2021

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

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

November 10, 2021

Why does reading matter?

Why do we tell children to read? Why do we always tell children that reading is beneficial for them? And is it even true in this digital age? Does reading novels actually help older children in any way? Does reading to younger children have identifiable benefits? And, finally, does reading really matter in any way? Yes – reading is vital, life-changing and stimulating for some very important reasons. Let’s take a look at how reading assists children in their everyday lives, and then look further to see how it can give them an overall fulfilling, rewarding life. Books help children develop vital language skills. In children, reading skills do exist, but they need to be developed. Learning in school, and later on at university requires advanced levels of reading. No reading SKILL equals no advancement in the university of life. Whatever path you want to follow in life, be it academia, sciences or even entrepreneurship and the arts, you need reading skills. And to cope with life as a normal functioning adult, reading skills are of utmost importance for everyday use. People studying futurology have hailed the death of the written word as imminent. However, the exact opposite has happened. With the advent of the internet and the overload of information that we are bombarded with every day, reading a vital skill that everyone wants to acquire as fast as possible. Skimming and searching through copious amounts of information as fast and as accurately as possible is a valued skill. Paperless does not mean without the written word. You can read the same report in many different ways, formats and presentations at the click of a button. A couple of written words today can cause an international uproar in minutes. In order to understand what you read, other skills are also necessary, such as critical thinking, evaluation, anticipation, and moderation. Without these skills, reading would not mean much at all. The more children read, the better they become at reading. Yes, it’s true. If children enjoy what is being read to them, the more interested they will become in doing as much as possible to fine tune and develop their reading skills. This means they will be fully capable adults with access to all information anywhere they choose. It is also important to enjoy the activity of reading. If it takes you out of your life and introduces you to other worlds, thoughts, places, and things, then you are the richer for it. When a child struggles to read, it will continuously be an emotional obstacle. So, it is important to forge a positive attitude towards reading as early as possible. Children who read frequently will develop enquiring minds and become more interested in becoming avid readers themselves. If you read out loud to children, they become familiar with grammatical styles and expression. Through this, they learn to speak better and develop a greater understanding of how to express themselves verbally. Through this they are also able to pick up on empathy as they read stories through the eyes of different characters. They learn to identify similarities and differences between themselves and various characters. The list goes on. Children who read a lot regardless of whether it is newspapers, the internet, books or magazines are exposed to a greater range of new and interesting vocabulary. They do not have to understand the actual word as most times they can work it out from the context of the sentence and next time they see it, they will have learned something without even realising it. Reading aloud also helps children with the pronunciation of words as they link the word on the page to the word that is being spoken – this is true even if they cannot yet sound out the word themselves. Reading is an amazing experience. It can open up a whole new world to children, enhancing their lives with places, things, and descriptions they have never heard of before. Reading also brings a completely new world to a child – whether it is factual, scientific or simply for self-interest. There are so many resources available from which children can read, that if they take to it and realize how useful it can be, then, literally, the world is their oyster – there is no end to what they can read and access. It would be a magical experience for them. Reading will open up a whole new understanding of humanity, and its history from all over the world. And nowhere is it more obvious that we live in a “global village” than when thinking of this in relation to children growing and developing their hungry minds. Aspects such as peaceful coexistence throughout the world and concern for humanity are all by-products of reading. Children will learn these things through the reading of non-fiction books, and other materials that are set in other periods of time, in other countries and cultures. Books bring a real live world into the life of a child. Through their imagination, they can go places and feel things without any consequences. They don’t have to answer to anyone. They can travel with their minds and meet all sorts of unsavory or popular characters who they can revisit, whenever they feel the need, by simply rereading the book. Discovering a sequel or other stories by the same author is even more exciting. Lessons in life skills such as problem-solving, cause and effect as well as conflict resolution and learning about accepting responsibility for your own actions are all explained and contained between the exciting pages of novels. Mystery stories or investigations into plots can all challenge young minds to solve theories – and then feeling terribly pleased when they do it correctly as it unfolds in the book. Furthermore, their confidence is given a great boost. Everybody knows that children copy what they see and hear from the world around them. There are plenty of children’s TV programs that leave much to be desired

November 9, 2021

UNLEASHING POTENTIAL THROUGH MULTI-DISCIPLINARY THERAPY AT GLENOAKS REMEDIAL AND SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL

A young poet, Mattie Stepanek, once said: “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” The multidisciplinary team (MDT) working at Glenoaks remedial and special needs school, epitomises collaboration through its remarkable interdisciplinary approaches that aim to enhance the potential and learning of every child in our school. It is only through collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, that one can optimise learning. An integral part of the MDT team at Glenoaks School is the passionate therapy team. The primary purpose of any therapy is to increase a child’s participation, independence and engagement in activities that are relevant to their life. Glenoaks’ therapists are onsite for the full school day which allows them the opportunity to provide therapeutic intervention based on the learner’s individual needs. Intervention occurs individually, in pairs, in groups or even within the classroom itself to ensure carryover of skills being learnt. Glenoaks’ therapists provide not only assessment and intervention services to the learners but also support and guidance to the teachers and parents. They are involved in every aspect of learning and take part in case discussions, placement decisions and termly parent feedbacks – which provides the opportunity for parents to gain information about their child’s areas of strengths and difficulties holistically. THE DIFFERENT THERAPEUTIC DISCIPLINES OFFERED AT GLENOAKS INCLUDE: Psychology Our Psychologists primarily focus on the emotional well-being of our learners. An eclectic therapy approach is utilised, which is flexible and multifaceted. Many children experience problems that affect how they feel, think or act and therapy helps them with this. The aim of therapy is thus to assist our learners to overcome behavioral, emotional and social problems that interfere with success at school and at home. Therapy helps them to cope better, communicate better and do better. Through talking, playing, drawing, practicing new skills and solving problems, learners display: Improved communication and personal skills Ability to manage stress more effectively Better expression and understanding of emotions Improved self-esteem and confidence Improved problem-solving abilities Our Psychologists also provide parental guidance, to assist parents in supporting their children to reach their full potential and offer parent counselling, by providing a space for parents to discuss and explore their own emotions with regards to accepting and understanding their child’s areas of weakness and celebrating their strengths. Occupational Therapy Our Occupational Therapists use an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to assess and treat learners with challenges in the areas of gross motor, fine motor, visual perceptual development, as well as sensory processing. The aim of Occupational Therapy in the school environment is to enhance a learner’s ability to fully access the learning environment and actively engage in the learning process so that they may participate in all aspects of school life (academic and non-academic). Our therapists use a variety of games, sensory activities, functional activities and academic-related tasks to meet these outcomes. In addition to this, the learning environment is taken into consideration, with classroom and activity accommodations recommended and implemented when necessary. Speech, Language Therapy and Audiology Our Speech Pathologists and Audiologists primarily focus on the assessment and treatment of social and cognitive communication difficulties. One of the most crucial aspects of learning is the development of communication skills. In order to communicate however, children require language. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are all forms of language and proficiency in the understanding and use of language will enable a child to be able to cope better at school. Speech and Language Therapy is therefore provided to students who present with delays or deficits in communication that are impacting on their social and academic performance. Our therapists focus on developing the learner’s speech, voice, fluency, auditory processing and receptive (understanding what is said) and expressive (expressing one’s thoughts logically and coherently) language skills in order to support their interpersonal communication and curricular goals. Through collaboration with the MDT, our Speech Pathologists aim to improve and facilitate success in oral and written communication, executive functioning, literacy, critical thinking and reasoning. Remedial Therapy Our Remedial therapists focus on assisting learners overcome or cope with their academic difficulties. Remedial therapy, also referred to as learning support, acknowledges the potential of learners to grow at their own pace towards their maximum level of independence in their academic learning. Our therapists focus on developing and improving reading, reading comprehension, spelling, writing, and mathematical skills. Individualised strategies and practising learning styles of choice are used to support learners in reaching a level of achievement according to their unique abilities. The remedial therapy department works in collaboration with people from the multidisciplinary therapy team, family and community to which the learner belongs, to accommodate and meet specific support needs. Robert John Meehan said: “Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding.” Successful children become successful adults who have a good self-esteem and self-worth. They enjoy learning new things and are not afraid to explore new avenues. Glenoaks’ MDT team nurtures our learners to achieve their potential and achieve success – whether it be academic or within the more practical realm. Authors: Meera Rijhumal – Speech Language Therapist & Audiologist – Glenoaks School Karen Jacobs – Speech Language Therapist and Audiologist – Glenoaks School

November 5, 2021

The time is ripe for home education

The past 2 years have brought about a growing interest in home education. The disruption caused by the pandemic along with health concerns and the periodic closure of schools have caused many parents to re-think the education of their children. Crisis-schooling with its flood of worksheets, WhatsApp messages with homework assignments, Zoom lessons, unmotivated learners and parents having to juggle their work responsibilities and school-at-home was exhausting and frustrating. Many parents longed for schools to re-open, but others started looking at educational alternatives. Home education offers up-to-date methods of education that support learning from home, is cost-effective, child-centred, and flexible. Due to the increased demand for alternatives to the standard school-going norm, the home education expo organizers SAHomeschoolers and KragDag created an online home education expo platform www.homeschoolexpo.africa in 2020 as an alternative to the physical expos. It showcases multiple educational options, with workshops and talks. Fortunately, it is possible to again host an in-person expo this year on 6 November in Durbanville, Cape Town. The expo will be held in conjunction with Cape Home Educators (CHE), a volunteer association that promotes home education and supports home educators in the Western Cape. The upcoming Cape Home Education Expo will give parents the opportunity to explore educational solutions and network with other families who are doing the same. Visitors can listen to well-known speakers such as Adv Andre Williams from the Pestalozzi Trust, veteran homeschool moms Linnie Luus and Wendy Young from Footprints on our land, and online providers of the CAPS and Cambridge curriculums like Brainline, Evolve and Wingu academy. Topics ranging from teaching toddlers to matric alternatives will be discussed. More and more families are exploring alternatives and they find support structures that best fit their children’s education irrespective of whether families choose online schooling, a mix-and-match approach, a textbook approach, or natural learning. Home education is about providing one’s child with an education that is flexible and easily adapts to new methods, tools, and approaches as necessary, rather than getting stuck in a one-size-that-doesn’t-fit-all approach. For more info on the upcoming Cape Town Home Education Expo and to book a ticket visit the homeschoolexpo.co.za website. We look forward to seeing you there and helping you find answers to your questions.

November 4, 2021

HOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILD KEEPS THEM SAFER ONLINE 

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

November 4, 2021

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

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

November 3, 2021

Bringing School 2.0 to Life at Koa Academy

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

October 28, 2021

RAISING DIGITALLY SAFE ONLINE SCHOOLERS.

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

October 26, 2021

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

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

October 25, 2021

How to encourage a love of learning

We try to teach our toddlers many things now in the hopes that it will stick with them when they are older. Not all of those lessons will carry through but teaching them to love learning is one that can. This is because the positive or negative thoughts surrounding learning are often derived from an emotional connection to the concept. If your child grows up hearing negative language in reference to reading, writing and learning new things – that emotion will stick with them as they get to school age. However, if they grow up associating learning to be beneficial, exciting and an accomplishment, they will approach their academic lives with enthusiasm. Make it exciting As a toddler, learning should not be seen as a chore. For you or your child. If they see that the learning activity is one you are forced to do and don’t enjoy, they will mimic that. So when you are reading them a bedtime story, building a puzzle or lego, helping them draw a picture – do it with the same enthusiasm you would like them to tackle school work in a few years’ time. Answer all the questions Your toddler will probably hit a stage where they follow you around talking non-stop. It is easy to drown this out (no judgement here) and give a noncommittal nod of the head every now and then. This is the part of your child’s development process that gets them thinking in a critical and exploratory manner. Don’t just encourage it, but engage with it too. Try and really listen to what they are babbling about, give them answers they can understand and ask them questions that will make them think about it even further. It is moments like these where a child’s brain will start getting used to thinking outside of the box. Use games and toys Helping your toddler associate learning new concepts while doing something fun will change their way of thinking as they get older. If you want to help them learn new things or develop new skills, try to do it in a way that makes them feel like it is a game rather than just a learning moment. Whether they become an A grade student or not, the love of learning has more to do with their attitude and effort than the results on their report cards. Remember that learning doesn’t just happen at school but also in everyday moments. We need to try to make sure our children are open to receive those teachable life lessons.

October 19, 2021

Self-care tips for teens and young adults

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

October 18, 2021

How to get your child big school ready

For parents and children, the step up into Grade 1 is a time of excitement and great anxiety. How do you know if your child is ready for this step? Firstly, parents should be guided by qualified teachers to assess a child’s readiness to begin and take the step up into the start of their formal schooling. What exactly is school readiness? School readiness is a measure of how prepared a child is to succeed at school and involves two types of readiness: a readiness to learn (which is continuous) and a readiness for school (which is associated with a fixed age). School readiness depends on both emotional maturity and scholastic ability. It is split into different areas and, although these areas are separate, they do interact with and reinforce each other. Children need to be developed across these key five areas. 1. Physical and motor development Gross motor, example running, skipping, standing on one leg. Fine motor, example comfortable using a pair of scissors, successfully doing zips and buttons, is able to use cutlery. Perceptual development, both visual and auditory. Taking care of themselves, example manages to go to the toilet by themselves. 2. Emotional and social development A child who is emotionally well-adjusted has a significantly greater chance of early school success. Gets along with peers, can interact within a group or shows an interest in other children, willing to help a friend. Can express feelings and needs. Can share. Can sit still, example long enough to listen to a story. Can concentrate on a task for a reasonable amount of time. Able to deal with frustration in an acceptable way. 3. Cognitive development Can make independent decisions and follow through. Have ideas of their own. Can follow simple directions or instructions. Shows an interest in learning. 4. Language development (includes literacy, listening, speaking and vocabulary) Should be able to communicate effectively in home language. Be able to sequence (retell a story or a set of events). Identify similarities and differences between objects. 5. Emotional maturity Independence. Reasonable control over emotions. Basic problem-solving skills. Confidence. Shows responsibility. Handles separation well Jenny Trollip, Head of Department at St Martin’s Junior Preparatory Phase in the south of Johannesburg, encourages parents to begin getting their child into the routine in preparation for Grade 1. St Martin’s is well-known for their smaller classes, passionate teachers, individual attention, and holistic education, and Trollip offers the following advice for establishing a routine. Establish a morning routine Your child should follow the same sequence of activities each morning so that it becomes an automatic chain of tasks. This leads to a sense of independence on the part of your child. A suggested morning routine could include the following: wake up, breakfast, ablutions, get dressed, collect school bag and lunch, walk to the car. Set up an evening routine The aim of this routine is to calm your child. They can relax knowing that they are prepared for the next day at school. Ideas for this routine could include taking out the school uniform, bath time, quiet play with no screen time, story time and finally bedtime. A Grade 1 child should be in bed between 19:30 and 20:00. Allocate a homework space Your child will require a place to do their homework where distractions are limited. Have specific stationery available so that they can complete the given tasks properly. Create a homework routine, with a specific time, sequence of activities to be followed and end off with packing the school suitcase. Homework in Grade 1 needs to be supervised by an adult who can create a positive environment. Prepare a healthy snack box Discuss nutritious options and treats with your child. Prepare a menu together. Take into consideration that these snacks will have to sustain your child for at least six hours at school. Communication is key When you child starts Grade 1, make sure that as parents you are on the school App and class Dojo, or whatever communication mechanism is used at the school so that you know what is happening and do not miss out on special days. In addition to establishing a routine, parents can take time to prepare their children for this new phase in their lives by Reading to their child. Teaching their child songs, nursery rhymes and poems. Take your children on excursions to, for example, museums. Make regular opportunities for play-dates. Play games so that your child starts recognising colours, numbers, and letters. Cherish moments spent with your child and enjoy their school journey with them. Grade 1 is exciting, and memories made in this year should be filled with laughter and enjoyment.

October 15, 2021

Meet Koa Academy Principal, Mark Anderson

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

October 15, 2021

SA learners celebrate World Space Week with Rocket Launch

So far, 2021 has notched up three successful civilian space journeys, ushering in a new era of space travel and igniting the imaginations of the younger generations across the globe. With new possibilities and opportunities in space transforming our perspectives of our galactic horizons, there’s an exciting energy to World Space Week this year, which is being celebrated internationally from 4 to 10 October. Hundreds of South African learners who participate in the I-Innovate programme implemented by Sakhikamva Foundation have been engaged in a range of World Space Week learning activities, including linking learners to experiments aboard the International Space Station through the renowned ExoLab programme. I-Innovate CEO, Trisha Crookes says, “This is the world’s largest space event with activities taking place in more than 95 countries. We wanted to give South African children the opportunity to join in this celebration of science and technology to learn more about how exploring space can inspire and improve the lives of our youth.” Highlights of the local event included a virtual talk and engagement with a veteran NASA astronaut and the hands-on launch of rockets at the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology. I-Innovate partnered with leading global IT service provider, Tata Consulting Services (TCS) which has sponsored the SA World Space Week activities. “This has been a wonderful opportunity for our learners to explore science, technology and space, and be part of a worldwide pioneering movement,” says Nikhil Dabhole, HR Head of TCS South Africa. “Exciting space-related activities engage learners in STEAM learning, igniting their interest as they see the real-world value of science, Mathematics and technology. It’s the opportunity for young people across the range of South African communities to become inspired when it comes to the subjects that are driving transformations in our world.” Pilot and founder of Sakhikamva Foundation, Fatima Jakoet says, “Today was the launch of the Sakhikamva Space Agency for the Youth (SSAY) and it was wonderful to work with learners from our space programme which started in July this year at the school the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology. The focus was on teaching them to build the rockets and giving them the opportunity to propel their own water rockets, which travelled between 20 to 25 metres high. A wonderful, hands-on way to both celebrate World Space Week and ignite a love of space and a curiosity about space travel. We are looking forward to launching a variety of rocket types with our rocket club.” The virtual talk with NASA Astronaut, Gregory H. Johnson was held at Goodwood College. Johnson piloted two famous space flights, the first of which delivered a logistics module and equipment to the International Space Station. Crookes says, “We’re excited that the learners were learning through sharing experiences. They not only got to hear the amazing, adventurous stories that Gregory Johnson had to share and listen to what truly resonated with them, but also had the opportunity to have their own voices highlighted by exhibiting their own inventions, innovations and ideas related to satellite theory, astrobotany and rocket theory face-to-face with an astronaut. To have conversations with a real astronaut and to be part of the team conducting their own rocket launches, has made the possibility of a career in science, technology and even space, much more tangible to them. We want young South Africans to be a part of the next generation to explore space.”

October 14, 2021

Reading to children today paves the path for their development in the future

Raising your child to love reading is one of the most wonderful gifts you can give them and as Emma Cox said, “Reading is the most powerful gift we can give a child: it puts stardust in their imaginations”. While improving a child’s imagination is one of the benefits of reading to children from as early as the day they are born, there are also other significant benefits to children listening to stories that will help them throughout their school careers and beyond. While more than half of parents do not read to their children before the age of 3 according to research from Nielsen which found that 45% of 0–2-year-olds are read to daily or nearly every day increasing to 58% of 3- to 4-year olds. By the time children reach 5- to 7- years this figure drops to 44%, this is the most important time to be reading to children. According to research on children’s brain development, by 2-years-old a child’s brain is as active as an adult’s and by age 3 it is more than twice as active as an adult’s brain[1]. Further, as cognitive processes develop rapidly in the first few years of life and by age 3 approximately 85% of the brain is developed[2]. As such it is never too early to start reading to children and promote early development. Speech development and vocabulary Exposing young children to stories is the first step to helping develop their speech. By listening to adults speak and read, children are exposed to a wide variety of sounds and words that help them to develop their speech. As children listen to stories, their brains make cognitive connections to how language is used and exposes them to words that are often not used in spoken language. This is supported by a study on early language exposure[3] which states that there is a definite relationship between language development and early exposure to adult language which positively impacts children’s language ability through primary school. The study emphasises the importance of interacting with children between the ages of 18-to 24-months which is the period of a language explosion. It states that reading aloud gives children enriched vocabulary and prompts enriched interactions. Cognitive ability Cognitive ability refers to the way in which we perceive our world and experiences and is the ability to think and understand. Stories expose children to different topics, issues, experiences, and information through the characters in the story. This background information gives greater context to the world around them and is used to help them make sense of what they see, hear and read. This knowledge helps children develop problem-solving and decision-making skills as stories aid children with information processing, reasoning, language development, attention span, and memory. Listening and comprehension skills When children listen to stories they develop their comprehension and listening skills. Not only are these skills important to help children to learn to read, these are important skills that they will use when learning at school. According to Scholastic, listening is a skill that children must learn before they can learn to read themselves. Further, when children are listening to a story, they learn to sit still, develop longer attention spans and develop memory-retention skills which are all important skills that will benefit them at school in the later years. Audiobooks embellish storytelling Often a parent’s busy schedule prevents them from finding time to read to their children daily and as a result, their children miss out on the opportunity to gain the benefits of this much-loved past-time that will shape the future of their development and their school careers. However, today there are many options available for parents to engage their children in storytelling on their own. For example, audiobooks provide entertainment value to children while engaging them in stories and providing many of the benefits of reading to children. According to Scholastic[4], many audiobooks include interesting sound effects, music, and multiple narrators, that embellish their storytelling with silly voices and dramatics which are especially motivating and fun for young children. These stories reinforce the pleasure of reading rather than the skill while helping children to understand narrative structure, language use and how to convey meaning. To provide a safe listening environment for young children the Yoto Player is a screen-free device that gives children control of their listening experience and access to a range of well-known and loved stories from various authors as Yoto has secured partnerships and content deals with trusted household names such as LEGO and Disney as well as licenses with Penguin Random House, Abbey Road Studios, Sony Music, HarperCollins, Hachette, Pan Macmillan and more to bring children stories from Julia Donaldson, Enid Blyton and more. The Yoto Player is available from selected Toys R Us and iStore stores or online from istore.co.za and takealot.com. By Jonathan Drake, Head of Accessories at The Core Group

October 13, 2021

How does baby’s physical development contribute to learning?

Many babies learn how to crawl at the same time they learn to sit on their own. Crawling, however, takes longer to perfect than does sitting without assistance. At six months, expect your baby to sit for a second, but balance will come later; also, you will probably notice your baby get into a crawling position, but not know how to proceed after that. Even though ‘crawling’ usually means progress on hands and knees, many babies use other moves to get them where they’re going. Rolling, slithering, ‘bottom shuffling’ (when a baby pushes around while sitting, using one hand to make the propelling motion), and pulling along on elbows are all manoeuvre used instead of the conventional crawling, so don’t be surprised if you see those first. Still other babies learn to crawl in the ordinary way, and then figure out that they can move faster on their hands and feet than their hands and knees. If something is out of reach of a six-month-old baby, you may see that baby pull up the knees under the body, push up with hands and often manage to get the tummy off the floor. For that moment, the baby is in a crawling position, but needs encouragement to actually add forward motion to the mix. By the ninth month, early crawlers start to make some real progress – though it’s often backwards, away from the object they’re trying to reach! Upper-body control is more developed than leg-control, so a baby tends to push harder with hands and arms than with knees – propelling the baby backwards. Not to worry (and try to reassure your frustrated baby, too!), this is just a short-lived phase. The biggest advantage baby has when it comes to solving problems is with the development of large and small muscles over the course of the first year, helping various tasks become easier. The two-block stack that will seem too complicated for your little architect one month will become an easy three-block stack just a few weeks later. When baby starts to focus on lower muscles (around 10-12 months), you might want to put favourite toys on the couch, encouraging your child to stand in order to reach them. This helps build balance and strong leg muscles necessary for cruising, a forerunner to walking. Once a baby solves the problem of how to stand and balance, and how to move one foot in front of the other, watch that glowing smile of accomplishment – your baby is now beginning to walk. Who’d ever thought it would happen so fast? Once you’ve reached this stage, you know your baby really ‘did it’ – and your family will never be the same. Talk about an accomplishment you can be proud of! Our parenting advice is given as suggestions only. We recommend you also consult your healthcare provider, and urge you to contact them immediately if your question is urgent or about a medical condition. A perfect product to help a child develop like this would be the Fisher-Price® 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot available at retailers nation wide. The Fisher-Price® 4-in-1 Ultimate Learning Bot is a transforming playtime buddy for baby featuring 4 ways to play and lots of fun music, lights and hands-on activities. Each bot has its own fun for little ones to discover, from spinning eyes to silly popping balls to exciting crawl-and-chase play. Baby can play and explore each bot individually or build them up into one big interactive buddy with fresh music, sounds and phrases! And with Smart Stages® technology, you can switch up the learning content to best fit your child’s age and stage. 4 toys in 1 to keep playtime going as baby grows from infant to toddler to preschooler (ages 6 months-5 years) Each individual toy is filled with fun activities for babies to explore. Put them all together to build an interactive electronic robot buddy! 3 Smart Stages® learning levels with 120+ songs, sounds and phrases about numbers and counting, the alphabet, shapes, colors and more Press any button on the motorized bot to send it zooming forward with music & lights, encouraging baby to crawl and chase Lots of hands-on activities for sitting babies, including press-down antenna, twist & flip gears, ball-popper, and spinning & clicking arms By Dr. Bettye M. Caldwell Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education.

October 11, 2021

Preparing for final exams – emotional stress advice for learners and parents

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to daily life. Learners from Grade 1 to matric had to transition to online learning literally overnight when the hard lockdown began in March 2020, finding themselves disconnected from routines and support systems. A year and a half later, learners are still coping with these challenges as they prepare for their final exams. “Under normal circumstances, learners who may have prepared well for their exams can become overwhelmed by stress,’’ says Ms Nomalungelo Ntlokwana, the acting Director of Emthonjeni Student Wellness at Nelson Mandela University. “We can expect learners to show increased levels of stress and anxiety during these times, due to the challenges associated with lockdown,” says Ntlokwana. According to Ntlokwana, below are a few tips for learners to manage exam stress: Be prepared – start early and don’t cram everything in the night before Go with the study method that suits you best Work through past exam papers or example questions Take breaks – spend your time in between sessions doing physical activities Rest often – get enough sleep, especially before exams Know times, venues, procedures and what you can take into the exam venue Arrive well before the exam start time It can be equally distressing for parents to see their children go through exam-related stress. Many parents fail to comprehend the levels of anxiety and depression facing the learners of today, and can help by providing support at home. Here are five ways parents can support their child during exams: 1. Prioritise mental well-being Identify triggers of stress and feelings that cause fear and anxiety with your child. Help them deal with negativity by finding ways of coping with these feelings, so that they can regain focus and confidence. Ensuring that your home is a calm, productive, and supportive space in which your child can learn can make a big difference. 2. Proactively manage stress Be aware of the early warning signs, which can include lack of sleep, loss of appetite, and being easily distracted. Emphasise the importance of having a healthy mind and help your child to proactively relieve stress by taking regular breaks and even interacting with friends. 3. Promote a healthy lifestyle Studying for exams requires time and effort, but it should not be to the detriment of your child’s health. Ensure they get enough quality sleep and physical exercise, even if it’s walking the dogs around the block. Cook healthy meals, keep nutritional snacks in your pantry, and reduce screen time as much as possible. 4. Set realistic expectations As a parent, you want your child to do well, but it is important that your expectations – as well as your child’s own expectations – are realistic. Discuss what their goals are for the exams and help map out their study plan, so that they can get a sense of the desired expectations. 5. Be an example Keep cool and stay calm – this is the best way that you can manage your child’s stress. Be sure to take care of your own mental health too, as this will enable you to show feelings of care and understanding, and support them to effectively deal with their challenges. In these difficult times, it is vital to tackle challenges together with your child. By ensuring your behaviour and responses offer support, as opposed to creating conflict, getting through exam time can be so much easier to navigate.

October 7, 2021

The Power of Play for children with special needs

“It’s a happy talent to know how to play” – Ralf Waldo Emerson Why play? As therapists we are often asked by parents, “What can we do at home to support our child’s learning?” Without a doubt, play is one of the most effective learning and therapy tools available to children and their families, and it is the “homework” we are the happiest to prescribe. Play is of benefit to not only the children in a family, but to the adults too, with the result that it is a win-win situation all round and it leads to happier children and families. When one considers the following quote from Dr Karyn Purvis it is difficult to think of any valid reasons not to be playing with our children: Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain. Unless it is done with play, in which case it takes 10-20 repetitions. Physical and mental health benefits In our current state of uncertainty and world-wide stresses, physical and mental health are our primary concerns. Healthy brain development and maintenance relies on stimulating the brain to make efficient and effective connections between nerve cells. These connections apply to ‘visible’ skills (such as motor skills) and more abstract skills for language, cognition, social and emotional development. Play is a ‘safe’ way to experience the world and test our skills. Games that require movement are excellent for stimulating physical health and motor skill development. This may be through the use of large movement e.g. jungle gyms, trees and open spaces like parks, or through the use of small movements with hands and fingers e.g. moving pieces on a board or building Lego. Cognitive benefits While all play facilitates brain development, some activities are more directed towards cognitive skills like reasoning and planning. These activities are not limited to board games. The child who enjoys re-enacting Star Wars or My Little Pony uses imagination, memory, reasoning and planning but perhaps to a different degree than the child playing Checkers or Monopoly. Social and communication benefits Games like 30 Seconds, Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary require cognitive skills but focus the ability to communicate clearly using memory, recall, understanding and explaining. Again, imitation and re-enactment activities develop similar communication skills but also have a greater element of socialisation opportunities, including a different type of trial-and-error problem solving, negotiating and understanding social cues. All play requires an element of impulse control which is developed through experience but social play also requires a higher degree of emotional regulation and empathy, leading to a safe place to practice life lessons. Playmates teach each other skills needed for game play and learn to use direction and explanations. A vital role of social play is the development of interpersonal relationships. Friendships and positive experiences relieve stress and provide pleasure. What to play? Many things influence the play chosen by children and adults – some practical and others adapted from traditional rules and experiences. The number of players and their ages are important for appropriate game selection, as is the need for teams or individual play. Will the play be structured (rule-bound and directive) or unstructured and creative? What interests the players and is the necessary equipment available? Remember that games needn’t be bought and creating a game can be fun in itself. Play is only fun if it is appropriate for the players, so it is sometimes necessary to adapt games for physical, cognitive, linguistic and social differences. Developing skills mentioned before, occur during the pleasure of play, so forcing a child with extremely diverse needs to play in the same ways as others in order to ‘teach’ them, is neither productive nor pleasurable. How can I adapt games? If mobility is a challenge e.g. cerebral palsy affecting movement or the use of a wheelchair or crutches: Size up by using bigger balls for ball games e.g. a plastic soccer ball to play tennis. Lighten up by using lighter balls for ball games e.g. volleyball with a balloon. Adjust rules e.g. if a child in a wheelchair is playing basketball that child can carry the ball in his/her lap instead of dribbling. Adjust pace e.g. balloon volleyball. Use accessible areas e.g. flat, open spaces. Buddy up – find a friend to push the wheelchair or assist with mobility – it’s ok to ask for help. If fine motor control is a challenge e.g. hand grips: Use a universal cuff – usually for holding eating utensils, but can be used for play as well. Use a card holder for card games. Non-slip mats under game boards (from most hardware stores). Prestik under game tokens/pieces. Size up e.g. use larger playing pieces or garden size games; build up tools and playing pieces with foam. If vision is a challenge: Texture components using velcro, glitter glue or craft foam from stationery stores. Use games with sounds/sound activated. Include as many senses as possible. Use garden size games. Prestik under game pieces. If language, speech or literacy is a challenge: One-on-one play initially. Subjects of interest with predictable language. Use clear, short sentences/explanations. Emphasise important words e.g. nouns, verbs, prepositions. Slow down and use repetition Model correct responses for your child at just above your child’s current language level. Allow the child to lead too. Use signs, gestures or pictures if they are effective. Shorten the duration of the game. Help if necessary. Remove some steps of the game if it is too complex. Types of play Understanding play may be limited to our own experiences, but the diversity of play activities is massive, from something like a stick imagined as a wand, sword or conductor’s baton, to a complex and strategic game of Risk or Chess played for days. Different types of play develop different skill sets and variety provides more holistic development and more opportunities to develop interests and sources of pleasure. Play can be unstructured and creative or rule

October 6, 2021

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	1 year	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Duration	Description
_ga	2 years	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid	1 day	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.

Cookie	Duration	Description
_gat_gtag_UA_18530557_4	1 minute	No description
pron_ip	session	No description
pvc_visits[0]	1 day	This cookie is created by post-views-counter. This cookie is used to count the number of visits to a post. It also helps in preventing repeat views of a post by a visitor.
tk_ai	session	Gathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.