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Help your kids avoid eye strain

Are carrots a lunchtime snack you’ve thought about packing into your child’s lunchbox in-between all the back-to-school craziness? If not, it’s a healthy snack to consider! You’ve probably heard that carrots promote healthy eyes and good vision, and it’s true. Carrots are high in the antioxidant’s beta-carotene—and that’s a start, but it takes a whole lot more to protect your growing child’s irreplaceable vision. Now more than ever, eye strain is becoming increasingly common among children, particularly as many young people spend more time in front of screens for everything from learning to entertainment purposes. While children experiencing ‘digital eye strain’ is becoming more prevalent, it’s important to remember that there are other causes of eye strain. Pre-existing vision problems such as myopia or astigmatism could be the reason why a child struggles visually, as can lighting conditions (too bright or too dim), stress, fatigue, dry air, and even extended periods of reading. It is important for parents to help children set boundaries so they can balance time spent on their screens, reading, learning, and play time. Eye strain can be an uncomfortable and sometimes even debilitating experience for children, affecting their mental and physical wellbeing, as well as their ability to learn and focus in the classroom. However, children don’t have to suffer from eye strain, and there are ways that you as a parent or guardian can help. Start by looking out for these symptoms: your child complains of their eyes feeling tired, dry and sore burning or itchy, watery eyes blurred or double vision sensitivity to light headaches difficulty concentrating or keeping their eyes open a sore neck, shoulders and/or back You can also try the following exercises to help relieve some of their symptoms: Encourage them to blink It may sound strange, but we tend to blink less while we’re staring at a screen or focusing intently on a task. Observe your child’s behaviour while they engage in screen time or any other task and remind them to blink more to encourage moisture in the eyes. Do this with them every day: close the eyes tightly for three seconds. Then, open the eyes wide and blink normally a few times. Repeat this process for one minute. Shift their focus Hold your finger about 15cm away from your child’s face and get them to focus on it. Slowly move your finger away, but your child must still focus on it. Now, ask them to look away from your finger at an object that is a few metres behind you for a few seconds and then back at your finger. Slowly bring your finger towards their face again. Repeat this exercise at least three times. Figure eight This simple exercise should help to keep eye muscles flexible. Get your child to sit down in a chair or on the couch. While seated, ask them to pick a point on the floor or on a blank wall about 3m away. Tell them to ‘draw’ an imaginary sideways figure ‘8’ with their eyes without moving their head. Do this for 30 seconds and then repeat for another 30 seconds in the opposite direction. Step away Take screen breaks or limit the amount of time your child spends engaged in an all-encompassing task, opting for playtime outdoors or any other activity that allows them to rest their eyes. It’s also very important for children to get enough sleep every night to give their eyes a good, long rest. Regular eye care can now ensure your child has healthy vision for life. It’s important to schedule routine eye examinations for your children to ensure that their eyes are healthy and developing as they should. Check with your medical aid to confirm optometry benefits offered. Bestmed Medical Scheme was voted #1 by its members for customer satisfaction in the SA-csi survey 2021. With value for money and preventative care on all of its medical aid plans, it is a Personally Yours choice designed to suit various needs and budgets.

March 2, 2022

CAN YOUR CHILD MASTER MATHS AT ONLINE SCHOOL? 

It’s not just kids, many parents have ‘Maths anxiety’. While, the importance of Maths education is all but universally recognized, if you’re a parent who is not confident about your own Maths abilities, you’re likely to be feeling some stress around how you support your child in mastering Maths. You may even doubt whether it is likely that your offspring can master Maths. When parents were at school, the dominant thought about Maths proficiency was that some kids would be naturally inclined – ‘gifted’ in Maths, most though would struggle along to get average results and there would be others, who would have no hope. Maths education was the process of sorting out who was lucky, not-so-lucky and downright unlucky. Thankfully, this erroneous and harmful idea no longer underpins Maths education, and it’s not an attitude our children should ever encounter in the Maths classrooms of today. Reams of research has attested to the fact that everyone can learn Maths and become proficient. It’s also shown that ‘Maths anxiety’ can be a real roadblock to any child’s potential in mastering Maths. However, for some parents, worries around their child’s Maths abilities may cause them to pour the family’s resources into extra Maths lessons, and also impact on their school choices. Mark Anderson, Principal of Koa Academy, a high-engagement online school says, “I’m really passionate about how we approach Maths at Koa. In fact, more than any other subject, we have seen kids grow in confidence and skill in this area. Last year, for example, we had a boy, who had failed Grade 8 Maths at his local school in 2020, go on to complete two years’ worth of Maths with us in 2021. He wrote his final Grade 9 Maths exams and passed confidently, effectively catching up with his grade age. With a different approach, there are remedies available within the school environment.” That ‘different approach’ includes mastery-based learning which is ideally suited to Maths education where the meaning of numbers and number concepts need to be understood rather than trying to rely on memorizing rules. Maths practice teaches kids how to apply principles to different problems rather than replicating calculations; and, importantly, mistakes are opportunities for reflective learning and doing it again until you get it – rather than never getting a second chance to master a Maths operation and trying to move on with a fundamental Maths learning deficit. It turns out that digital platforms are adept at providing mastery-based learning in Maths. Anderson explains, “When you harness the real strengths of the digital space, Maths can really come alive! We use platforms which are designed specifically to teach Maths online. Content is broken up into focused ‘bite size’ chunks, which are immediately followed by checkpoints which help a learner to know whether they have grasped the concepts or need to revisit them. A learner progresses as they master each concept, rather than learning for 6 weeks only to write a test and find out that they have major gaps in their understanding. It means that you can try something, fail, learn and try it again. This builds confidence – and Maths is such a confidence subject! The platforms are also wrapped up in a gamified environment which is engaging and feels native to the online space. On top of that, at Koa, we know that every learner needs person-to-person academic support at times in Maths. So, we have daily bookable Teacher Time where a learner can book a session with their Pod Teacher or a Maths Subject Specialist to work together on their platform. They’re never alone, and their parents can monitor their kid’s progress daily but do not need to get involved in teaching their kids Maths.” Discover Koa Academy here

February 11, 2022

FYI play it safe TO SCREEN AWARD-WINNING GLOBAL YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FILM IN SA

Connecting the Dots by award-winning director/producer Noemi Weis will be showing at The Labia Theatre Featuring young people from across the world, documentary film, Connecting the Dots, will be brought to South Africans virtually and on big screens by FYI play it safe, innovator of the parental app that is changing how parents keep their children safer online. Directed by Noemi Weis, Connecting the Dots, which was released in 2020, has been screened at a host of international film festivals, receiving widespread acclaim from critics and viewers. First of its kind, Connecting the Dots offers a no-frills, authentic look at youth mental health around the world. By exclusively showcasing the voices of young people, the film invites educators, parents, families, friends, communities and leaders into a safe space to listen to the lived experiences of this generation of teens and youth. Weis, a mother and a grandmother, has made an esteemed film career focusing mainly on social issues important to women and children. She says, “There is a youth mental health crisis around the globe. Suicide is the number one health-related cause of death for youth. Mental health is the health issue of this generation. There is an urgent call to action being heard globally asking for an elimination of the stigma and shame surrounding youth mental health struggles and demanding an increase in open dialogue and more accessible, relevant and timely support.” Cassey Chambers, Operations Manager at The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) says, “There’s significant value in FYI play it safe screening Connecting the Dots for South African audiences. As a nation, we too experience high levels of youth mental health challenges, which is surrounded still by stigma that stifles conversations and inhibits finding solutions. Young people in South Africa who are facing challenges are under-served in their communities when it comes to mental health services. It’s hard to open up and it’s hard to find the help you need. This is an important platform to invite conversation; to inspire us to listen to the voices of our South African youth and to find solutions for what is an increasing problem in our country, that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic over the past two years.” For FYI play it safe founder and CEO, Rachelle Best, who is also mother of a teen daughter, facilitating the first screenings of Connecting the Dots is personal. She says, “Sadly, in 2021, we experienced a significant number of teenage suicides all around us in Cape Town. This happened over a short time and mostly in the same age group as my daughter. I realised that we, as parents, don’t talk enough about youth mental health and we certainly don’t talk to our children about it enough. FYI play it safe is helping parents keep their children safer online by alerting parents if there is any online activity that can indicate depression, self-harm or suicidal ideation. When I first watched the film, I could feel it on my skin. What stood out for me was a scene where a young girl said that she retreated into her room more, because the people who she chatted to online understood her better than the people around her. This was the moment I realised that every parent and every child in South Africa should see this film, and that FYI play it safe can help! We should be part of this global conversation. I got introduced to Noemi Weis, who is the director and producer of Connecting the Dots, and she shared the excitement of FYI play it safe bringing the film to South Africa.” Best sees the upcoming screenings of Connecting the Dots in South Africa as an opportunity to improve teen mental health in the country. “The documentary exposes us to the current global conversation about youth mental health. It creates a bigger awareness that firstly, for our tweens and teenagers, it is healthy to talk about mental health. It is also ‘okay to not be okay’. And it is wise to reach out for help. Secondly, it helps parents and teachers to understand that our tweens and teenagers are actually not okay. They need help and they need us to open up conversations about their mental health to make it easier. We are really hoping for every parent, educator and youth in South Africa to see this film, to raise their hands and to become part of the conversation.” FYI play it safe screenings of Connecting the Dots will take place at The Labia Theatre in Cape Town on 22 February 2022 at 10:00 and 18:00. Tickets cost R120 per person and are available through Webtickets now. The film is recommended for an audience of 12 years + Groups, schools and organisations can also book a bespoke screening of Connecting the Dots, virtually or at their own venues. Contact [email protected] for further information. In partnership with UNICEF, the film offers Facilitators Guides for different target groups to help them guide their screening. Plus a tool kit to help them promote their own screening. https://connectingthedotsfilm.com/resources

February 10, 2022

Understanding Independent Learning

Independent learning is a method or learning process where learners have ownership and control of their learning – they learn by their own actions and direct, regulate, and assess their education. The independent learner can set goals, make choices, and decisions about how to meet his learning needs, take responsibility for constructing and carrying out his own learning, monitor his progress toward achieving his learning goals, and self-assess the learning outcomes. The concept of independent learning is associated with improving the educational experiences and outcomes for learners through student-centered learning approaches that personalize learning and enable the learner to take ownership of the learning process. In other words, you need to be able to do your own research instead of expecting a teacher to give you all the background material you might need. What is the difference between homeschool and independent study? Independent learning curriculums like the curriculum provided by Syllabis Learning allow students to learn with little direct teaching and interaction from the parent. Most independent programs have a pre-set program and are meant to be mostly self-instructional. To become a good independent learner you should be motivated, resilient, ready to overcome challenges, and good with time management. Why is independent learning important? The skills you gain with independent learning are transferrable and valuable to most jobs that you will perform. These include motivation, independence, initiative, time management, organization, multi-tasking, strong reading, and writing skills. Benefits of Independent Learning The child learns how to read (or listen) for understanding. This is a skill that takes practice, and it is important for standardized tests. When the child is answering questions based on what they have read, it is a way of holding them accountable. They will learn to concentrate as they read because they will know they are going to need to use the information for their homework. The child learns HOW TO LEARN. When a child has become accustomed to learning independently, they can pick up any book and learn the information in it. This means they can continue a lifestyle of learning throughout the rest of their life. They will never be dependent on someone else to teach them something. The child has greater freedom to determine their routine. When teachers or parents are not part of the equation for learning a particular subject, the child can schedule that subject any time in their day. This often helps with motivation and effort. The child learns about their learning style. When teachers or parents are in control of their entire day, they don’t have the opportunity to experiment with different environments, times of day, or methods of learning. By trying to learn on their own, they become more self-aware, discovering how they like to learn, how they learn best, and how they do not. The child is free to learn at a faster pace. If the child is capable of understanding something well and wants to keep going, he can. He is not held back by a teacher’s lesson planning or availability. The child learns perseverance and self-reliance. When a child struggles through to success, he has learned a very valuable lesson. Some things don’t come easily, but by not giving up, success is possible. The child learns initiative. The responsibility for learning is on the child. He needs to do everything he can to find the answers he needs before asking for help. This may mean going back and reviewing previous material, looking for answers to help solve the current problem or answer the current question. (This is a good habit and also helps with studying for tests.) Independent learning prepares your child for university. University students are expected to take responsibility for their own work, grades, completion of assignments, etc. No university professor is going to hold their hand or even notice if they are struggling, most likely. The student is expected to do the work, find outside resources, and ask for help when they need it. If they are used to it being this way at home, then they won’t feel like they are in over their head in university. Here are some helpful self-learning techniques to make independent learning more effective. Find a good study space: Try to avoid things that might distract you. Put your phone in another room, switch off the TV, and sign out of social media. If possible, try to study away from areas where you eat or sleep. Set goals: A good way to keep your motivation up is to think about what you want to get out of your work and remind yourself next time you are flagging. Get into a good routine. A good routine can help you avoid that feeling of the whole day slipping away without getting any work done. Try to get started on work at the same time every day and include time for breaks and having fun. Read actively: You will need to be an active reader, paying close attention to the words you are reading and their meaning. Skim read: Speed read or skim material before reading it in detail and then summarising the text in your notes. Go solo: Practice working on your own for long periods without seeking the help of an adult. Effective time management: In work or unit studies, you are more than likely to have several pieces of work to juggle at any one time. Break each project down into the relevant tasks, work out how long you will need to spend on each part, then allocate time in your diary in order or priority. Take handwritten notes. Writing out notes by hand might help you to understand and remember the content better. Taking handwritten notes is especially powerful if you try to put things into your own words and do not just copy the language your teacher uses. It can also help to use diagrams to structure your thoughts. This might feel harder at the time, but it will create a stronger memory. Different sources: When doing research, try to draw from a variety of different sources. Be persistent: If a task is challenging, do not

February 3, 2022

Koa Academy & Fully Alive host free webinar for parents

We’re in the midst of a seismic change in the world of work. We’ve seen tech disruption so far eliminate industries, transform others and usher in brand-new ones. Many working parents have experienced this first-hand. We expect emerging and evolving technologies to continue their innovation and disruption at an ever-escalating pace. Advances in the early field of Artificial Intelligence are already showing the promise of the machine to diagnose illness, offer optimal legal solutions and compose music that even aficionados can’t distinguish from human effort. This has led to the common assertion that we are educating children today for jobs that don’t yet exist, or for roles that are going to look very different from what they are like today. Principal of Koa Academy Mark Anderson says, “This is why we named our school ‘Koa’, which is a type of tree. Koa wood is famous for being both strong and flexible, which is what we want for our learners – to grow into adults who are robust and flexible at the same time, and therefore adaptable in a fast-changing world. We want this for them academically, as well as socio-emotionally.” Parents are invited to join a conversation with Mark and Meg Bruyns, the founder of Fully Alive for a one hour free Future of Work Webinar on Tuesday, 1st March 2022 (6pm to 7pm) to gain insights into how we need to be educating our ‘digital-native’ kids for a very different future of work. Meg, a self-described ‘passionate people developer’, works with teams and individuals, parents and teens to help her clients find purpose and clarity while developing the skills they need to get the most from life and work. She says, “It would be helpful for parents to understand that the transformation of work is not just driven by external factors such as the tech. There’s a people-driven change too. The young generations entering the workforce, and those preparing themselves for it, are not that interested in clocking in 9 to 5 for a pay-check. They want to experience how their work makes a difference in the world. There’s a human drive to change the future of work through pushing for purpose and meaningful impact. Our young people are keen to be disruptors themselves challenging the status quo and influencing big issues like social justice and environmental awareness. With latest technologies in their hands, they want to push societal boundaries and go beyond what has been possible before. So, the question is: How does their education and their youthful experience equip them for this?” During the webinar, Mark will be sharing information about the range of practical ways that Koa Academy is integrating the development of the skills that 21st Century employers prize most, with its IBE-accredited academic curriculum. He says, “There are so many exciting things that learners can do from Enrichment streams that lean into each child’s interests, strengths and passions to our mastery-based approach that develops goal- setting, adaptability, time management and a growth mindset. The platforms and applications our learners use day-to-day are the ones that are being used by people in the real world. Our focus is not on school as an end-goal, but the nurturing of lifelong learners, which is what our kids need to be in order have the strength and flexibility to thrive in the future world of work” Lifelong learning is something that Meg also feels strongly about. She says, “For educators and parents, their quest is to know how to support the young generation in becoming intentional, lifelong, fearless learners. This develops the resilience, agility and adaptability that will help them succeed in our constantly changing world.” Parents are invited to register for the free Future of Work webinar here visit www.koaacademy.com

February 3, 2022

Does your child use Telegram? Here’s what you should know

A lot of our children, especially teenagers, are jumping over to Telegram as their messaging app of choice. When their friends join another chat app, they know that they may be left out unless they use that app too. We tested using Telegram to explore what our teenagers will experience and to determine if there are any risks we should know about. We only needed 5 minutes to know that this app is not for children! Our experience was as follows: Firstly, we downloaded the app and registered our phone number Immediately, we got more than 15 messages from our contacts welcoming us to Telegram. When you’ve joined Telegram before, and someone in your contacts joins, Telegram notifies you about this. Needless to say, all the people reaching out made us feel very welcome. We started exploring the app and went to “Contacts”. Right at the top of this screen is a “find people nearby” button, which had us curious so we went there. After giving the app access to our location, we had 5 groups nearby which were very inappropriate for even older children. Examples of these include “Escort service”, “Horny H_’s”, “Bi couples exploring”… Do we even have to go further? Lastly, we clicked on the group that seemed the most above-board, and before we could send a message, the most explicit pornographic photo appeared. Less than 5 minutes… To conclude, a call to all parents – if your child is using Telegram, please make sure the setting for their location services is always off and that they cannot switch it on themselves. FYI play it safe is the only app that monitors all the content on Telegram that your child is exposed to. Go to www.fyiplayitsafe.com and start your 7-day free trial.

January 24, 2022

UNBUNDLING EDUCATION – WHAT DOES IT MEAN, AND HOW COULD IT BENEFIT YOUR FAMILY? 

The traditionally slow-moving education sector has been rocked by the global pandemic, setting in motion changes, that many education professionals believe are long overdue. There’s been a massive uptake of EdTech tools and online education platforms. At first, this was in the effort to ensure continuity in learners’ and students’ education during lockdowns. However, schools, teachers, learners and their families found benefits from their digital explorations and experiences that they want to continue. There are many families who have post-lockdown, transferred to online schooling, home schooling and hybrid learning solutions. While the concept of ‘unbundling education’ is so far mostly discussed in the context of tertiary education, it can apply just as easily to schooling, and is likely to become popular in the private school, online school and school improvement spaces. Just as the unbundling option on your TV service offers you tailored choices and cost benefits because you only pay for the channels you actually watch; unbundling education will enable families to choose specific education services relevant to their children at lower costs. Mark Anderson, Principal of Koa Academy which embraces the unbundled education concept explains, “Our COVID lockdown experience has showed us that paying full private school fees for a purely online programme just does not make sense. After all, those fees include the cost of the academic programme, all the teachers, the entire running costs and maintenance of the physical facilities and a myriad of other brick-and-mortar related costs that were irrelevant to families with kids learning online at home for months. This has opened many parents’ eyes to the fact that an unbundled education makes the most sense in the long run where they could pay for different education service providers to suit their child’s individual needs at lower costs. Unbundled education empowers parents to be more selective with limited resources, accessing the best opportunities for their children across their changing educational and life stages.” Koa Academy puts this into practice by offering families a top quality IEB academic program along with unbundled education options. In addition to covering the full academic programme for grades 4-12, the Academy helps Koa children explore and identify their unique passions and then offers both in-house enrichment options as well as helping parents to leverage the benefits of the extra time and resources which are freed up by online learning. Koa also partners with third-party service providers in many spheres to offer Koa-partner discount rates. Mark concludes, “This enables Koa families to access many more options than are typically available at any one school, as well as access the best available options, all at lower costs.” Discover Koa Academy here.

January 20, 2022

Future-proof your child’s employability from an early age with 4IR Skills

The world of work has been changing over the past decade. There were talks of the 4th industrial revolution by many forward thinking individuals, but the trends towards the revolution has become very clear in the workspace. Trends such as remote work which seemed an impossible consideration for many companies, has become centre stage and many will pay the price if an effective remote work policy is not put in place. Most employers had to rapidly change the way they worked, resembling the 4IR trends that have shaped the vision of the Future of Work. The catalysing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has turned leaders to focus on what the lasting effect of the pandemic will have on their workplace. Leaders in education have turned their focus on what the lasting effect will be on (a) educators and (b) the future leaders – the youth – and they have a responsibility as a transformative element in society to be paving the way to thriving, growth mind-set individuals ready for the 4th and even the 5th industrial revolutions. But how? 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 “Education can no longer be about learning facts. Educational organisations must focus on being transformative experiences, delivering an individual that has gained more than knowledge after completing a program. Central to these future skills is a mindset resembling that of the entrepreneurial-mindset where resilience and personal growth are centre stage in determining success. Education systems and mindsets – striving to master a fixed set of learning outcomes and avoiding failure are outdated viewpoints. Instead, critical and creative thinking, embracing failure as a positive growth opportunity, resilience and collaboration should take centre stage in transformative education strategies. It’s important to future-proof your child to thrive with skills of the future, like lifelong purposeful learning, unlearning and relearning, adaptability and rapid (re)skilling, says Ian Strydom – Managing Director Wingu Academy. Why is it important to future-proof your child’s employability? 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. McKinsey and Company predicts that by 2030, up to 30-40 percent of all workers in the developing world may need to move into new jobs or at the least up- or re-skill significantly. At Wingu Academy learners are introduced to subjects such as coding, robotics, app development and game development from an early age to build a foundational grasp of these fields. Learners and parents have a preconceived idea of Robotics and Coding and in general believe it’s for the “smarter” kids or for learners who are doing really well in other subjects. In doing so, they automatically disqualify themselves from enriching their future careers with these skills. We want to challenge this mindset. Every field in the future will incorporate coding and robotics to some extent and having a keen understanding of the underlying principles will set them up for success. Apart from the hard practical skills learnt, integrated robotics and coding curricula teaches students invaluable soft skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and solving problems logically and has the added advantage of teaching them to persevere in solving problems. Employers are looking for high-performance individuals – young people and mid-career employees- who are in sync with the demands of a rapidly-changing digital workforce. Learners that have these skills at school will be at an advantage, even if a child doesn’t go on to pursue a career in coding/IT. Even if a learner doesn’t go on to pursue a career in coding/IT, how will this benefit them? The first obvious advantage is the opportunity to be employed directly in the IT industry which offers huge employment potential. Currently SA has 200,000 unfilled positions that require a knowledge of coding. Coding has emerged as a new literacy that allows us to leverage the power of computers. At school it is important that children learn to use computational thinking to solve problems as this way of thinking is best developed early on. A keen understanding of computational processes allows team members to collaborate with programmers, to better understand the impact of actions and decisions on enabling digital technological processes (and the teams that develop them) and use design thinking principles to drive innovation effectively. Coding and IT are becoming prominent in almost all career fields. For instance; artists are using machine learning algorithms to create unique art, acting and entertainment machine learning algorithms are used to write scripts and in medicine or biology it is used for diagnosing diseases and finding new treatments by repurposing medicine. “Our aim is thus that learners who complete these courses will not only be more desirable to employ, but at the same time exceed employers expectations,” Strydom concludes. What will the learners be taught to master with these programmes at Wingu Academy? Learners in the Coding and Robotics programme will use a variety of different programming languages such as Python and JavaScript to solve various problems, some translating into creative solutions in the real world. They will apply their skills in various different fields of interest including music, robotics, science and others to demonstrate the power of coding in various fields. More mature learners enter the Software Development programme where they work on front-end and back-end solutions and build a variety of web applications to develop a portfolio of evidence, equipping them with many entry level skills in the IT industry. Parents who would like to find out more about Wingu Academy’s Kukua Programme can visit https://wingu-academy.com/innovation/. The internationally recognised curriculum at Wingu Academy prepares learners for entering University degrees locally and across the globe, and focuses on building critical and creative thinking skills. The

January 18, 2022

BUSTING 3 BIG MYTHS ABOUT ONLINE SCHOOL

We are almost two years into the global pandemic with its many restrictions on day-to-day life, and the digital world has played a vital role in ensuring continuity of our work and our kids’ schooling. Our uptake of digital tools and platforms has been vastly accelerated; we’ve acquired new digital skills and knowledge; we’re far more open to possibilities and options that tech has opened up for us – and, there’s no going back. Mark Anderson, Principal of high-engagement online school, Koa Academy busts three of the common myths around online school: I will have to teach my child – “When traditional schools were forced to transition to online teaching, many parents were required to pick up some form of teaching role from home. However, when an online school is designed specifically for the online space, learning has a distinct pedagogy and online teachers have particular skills to facilitate learning on the digital platform. At Koa, it is the professional teacher’s role to guide your child through the school curriculum, freeing parents up to be parents, much as they are in the physical school environment. My child will not get socialization – “Parents need to choose a school, online or physical, that suits their values and aims for their child’s education and school experience. Socialization at school comes through the intentional creation and maintenance of a high-engagement environment. There are physical schools that do well at this, and others that don’t. Same applies to online schools. At Koa, children come together in small 8-person Pods with their teacher which makes socio-emotional development a key part of every school day. Our kids are learning how to be responsible, sociable digital citizens as well, which is preparing them for a very real world where our activities and work are increasingly digitalized.” The qualification is not equal– “It is true that parents need to be on the lookout for unregistered and underequipped institutions, looking simply to capitalize on opportunity. However, accredited online schools offer the same curricula and recognized qualifications as physical schools. Like every aspect of our lives in these fast-changing times, schooling and tertiary studies are transforming and being disrupted by better ideas and improved tools. As parents, we are challenged to keep abreast of these developments and to recognize that our child’s education and further studies will and should be different from what we experienced. The world has, and continues to change rapidly and dramatically, and it is the role of school to prepare our children for the real world they will encounter as adults. In many ways, a well-designed online school like Koa offers a more robust preparation for the future world of work and life.” Discover Koa Academy here

January 7, 2022

Boston Online Home Education

The pandemic-led digital transformation enabled online learning to provide a seamless school year, keeping learners on track despite the onslaught of the Covid waves. Furthermore, the digital age also created new avenues of possibilities for parents and learners choosing home education as an alternative to the old-style school curricula. As a pioneer in private education specialising in online and distance learning over the past 30 years, the Boston group is a key player in this environment, extending their educational expertise to support parents and learners embarking on a home education journey with reliable services via Boston Online Home Education, visit https://www.bostonline.co.za As a registered Cambridge International Associate we create credible online pathways for parents of home educated learners toward the attainment of school-leaving alternatives that are internationally recognised for entry into leading local and global universities. “Our mission is to provide access to global opportunities for home education parents and learners. For this reason we have chosen to support the renowned Cambridge curriculum with strategically designed learning materials and technology. This uniquely prepares learners for the future, honing higher order skills of comprehension, understanding and application,” says Katz about the Boston group which has become one of only five international associates listed on the Cambridge International website, https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/why-choose-us/find-a-cambridge-school/ Future ready skills: Critical thinking According to the World Economic Forum critical thinking and problem-solving top the list of skills employers believe will grow in prominence in the next five years. This is a key competency required in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a transferable skill that can be used across subjects and careers. “In a world where knowledge has become a vital currency, it is essential that learners are able to think critically about content,” says Eli Katz, executive at Boston Online Home Education (BOHE). A central focus of the Cambridge curriculum is to avoid rote learning and emphasize higher order skills and its application. “Our aim is to support parents and learners so that they gain valuable life skills and competencies including analysis and evaluation of information that can be applied in different contexts, enabling them to problem solve and make meaning of complex issues. We are excited to support parents and learners who choose the Cambridge curriculum” says Katz. Boston Online Home Education Support includes various Cambridge paths. The Cambridge International Certificate of Education (ICE) for learners turning 14 in the first year of registration and who have achieved a Grade 7 or 8; the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) stream is for learners turning 16 in the first registration year and who have achieved either a Grade 9 or 10 or the ICE. Learners also have the option to register for Cambridge examinations in respect of individual Cambridge IGCSE and AS subjects to supplement their existing studies especially for those learners who wish to enter more demanding faculties such as medicine or engineering post school. Cambridge awards are recognised by universities in South Africa and globally, including Ivy League institutions. As a registered Cambridge International Associate our staff have access to the Cambridge Support Hub so that we can provide relevant, comprehensive and up to date support to ensure alignment with the Cambridge curriculum and realise your child’s preparedness for these examinations Quality Course Content As a registered Cambridge International Associate we provide credible support mechanisms and services required to support your child’s home education success in the Cambridge curriculum. Amongst the challenges faced by parents is ensuring that their children have access to quality content and assessments whilst being able to monitor their progress. The Boston platform provides parents with a specific login feature to co-participate in their learning journey. Boston has developed a comprehensive offering mapped to Cambridge guidelines. In addition to live lessons and educator support which provide personal attention to each learner, the Boston methodology includes extensive recorded video lessons, summaries, e-books and assessments with triggers being sent to parents so that they are able to monitor progress and track performance. This also allows learners to revise material at their own time and their own pace until they fully grasp the content instead of feeling pressurized in a classroom setting. The live lessons then allow for classroom interaction and facilitates educator-leaner engagement and discussion. Our personalized learning approach is further enhanced by individual counselling sessions. Advanced technology infrastructure The use of the Boston’s artificial intelligence (AI) model assists with detailed reporting, data analytics and diagnostics for parent to determine strengths and weaknesses throughput the learning experience. Learner progress is further monitored through access to a range of formal and informal assessments, facilitating detailed feedback to parents and learners, enabling relevant academic intervention throughout the learning process. “ It is essential that we harness technology but intertwine with human intervention to create a learning experience focused on the individual”” says Katz. Social Interaction Boston encourages social interaction through multiple opportunities to engage online with other home educated learners. In this way, learners can enjoy a local and global social network. A variety of activities such as digital music production, journalism club, app development, public speaking and even online chess tournaments are made available. Parents who require further information and assistance, can speak to a Boston counsellor or visit our website: www.bostonline.co.za or send an email to: [email protected]

January 7, 2022

Your child may be digitally colour-blind, and that’s normal

Most of us are aware of the fact that all people do not see colour in the same way. Some individuals suffer from colour blindness, where the brain does not have the ability to see certain colours. If you ask people to tell you the number they see in the image below, the majority will respond by saying that it is clearly the number 15. However, people with red green colour blindness will tell you with absolute certainty that it is the number 17. No matter how many times you tell them to look again, for them 17 is an absolute truth. In a similar manner, children can be seen as being “digitally colour-blind”. They simply do not have the ability to detect danger in the digital world. Some of this “digital colour-blindness” can be attributed to brain development. The frontal cortex, the area of the brain that assists with reasoning and helps us to think before we act, only develops later in life. This, combined with the fact that children may not yet have sufficient experience to identify and respond effectively to danger, puts every child at risk in the digital age. Even if you try to teach your children and they a) try their best to please you by listening to you and follow your advice (read younger child), or b) try their best to prove you wrong (read teenager), they most likely will not be able to see the digital red warning light even if it is right in front of them. To make things worse, many parents are not digitally educated enough to know about these dangers and to look out for them on behalf of their children. Digital predators are aware of this… Which leaves us, as parents, with the question: “What can we do about this?” As a start, parents need to be aware of the risks that the digital world poses to their children. They need to be aware of the applications their children have access to and how it is being used. At the same time, it is critical that we educate our children about these risks, but knowing that education alone will not be enough to protect our children while they are still in the process of developing the skills to detect “digital red.” It is during this critical time that not only you, but also your child needs FYI play it safe. FYI play it safe monitors your child’s online interactions and activities and will let you know when there are any red flags that you have to be aware of. It monitors for signs of cyberbullying, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, when they talk to potential online predators, or when they engage in adult content. The simple fact is this, the digital world will be an essential part of our children’s lives in future. If we choose to allow them to be online, we should guard them and make the journey safer for them. With FYI play it safe, you have that extra layer of safety. Sign-up for your FREE 7-day trial now by going to www.fyiplayitsafe.com and downloading the app to your child’s phone. It takes less than 10 minutes to set up, with easy steps. Authors: Hester Burger, Rachelle Best

January 6, 2022

Choosing the best app for your child’s online safety

To determine how parents protect their children online, FYI play it safe recently conducted a digital survey, and found that although 99.7% of parents worry about the risks that online communication and social media pose to their children, 25% give their child a device without setting up any type of controls. A further 35% set screen time limits and control which apps their children can download. Alarmingly, only 3 out of 10 parents do the setup of their children’s devices and use the content filtering options to ensure their children are not exposed to inappropriate content. We also found that, although parents are worried about their children’s use of smartphones, parents were not sure what to do about this and how to find the right solution. FYI play it safe was found by a concerned parent to help other concerned parents. We know that, while we do everything to try and protect our children, there is no fail-proof method or app. We have to make sure that, should our children be exposed to any harmful situation, we will know about it. We need a tool that will protect our children, but at the same time respect their privacy. These are the reasons every parent should choose FYI play it safe as their app of choice. It is not spyware The basis of FYI play it safe is “protect them, but respect them”. Parents will not see all the content on their children’s devices, but rather only be alerted when their child is exposed to a potentially harmful situation such as signs of cyberbullying, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, when they talk to strangers or predators, or if they engage in adult content such as pornography, sexting or any form of drugs. FYI play it safe monitors the actual contents of your child’s online activity and as soon as there is anything to be concerned about, it will alert you so you have a fair chance to intervene and to have a conversation with your child about the situation. Only you can see the alerts and rest assured that no one else has access to it. FYI play it safe monitors ALL apps Yes, that’s true! Every single app your child uses. Whether your child is doing a google search, chatting with his online gaming friends in a chat room, or using social media. As a parent, you don’t have to read through thousands of messages to determine if they are in danger. FYI play it safe does that for you. FYI play it safe distinguishes between priority and blacklisted apps The app distinguishes between priority applications, which are monitored more closely, and “blacklisted” applications which pose an even bigger risk to children. The first category includes the use of chat apps, social media accounts, or internet browsers, where FYI play it safe zooms into the details of what is being said and commented on. In the second category, we believe that parents should know when their children engage with the app, regardless of the content. Typical examples of these are where children use anonymous chat apps, talking to strangers, or apps that can expose them to adult- and other inappropriate content. FYI play it safe understands your child’s slang We know that tweens and teenagers use their own language and parents don’t always understand the meaning of the words and phrases they use. FYI play it safe uses artificial intelligence, which is continuously updated with the latest teenage slang. FYI play it safe doesn’t need the user IDs and passwords of your child’s online accounts There are so many apps that our children use and even within apps, some of them have more than one account. Because of the smart technology that FYI play it safe is built on, we capture whatever your child engages with on the device’s screen. We don’t need any user IDs and passwords to monitor their activity. That means that, if they create a new account, it is monitored by default. FYI play it safe monitors even deleted, disappearing, or self-destructing messages A lot of apps have the ability to have messages self-destruct or disappear. While this is an advantage in some cases, such as when you make a mistake and want to “unsend” a message, this also poses a great risk. We can no longer rely on what we see, because we won’t have access to the other messages which disappeared. Thankfully, FYI play it safe monitors content as it happens, so before a message can disappear or be deleted, it would’ve been analysed already! FYI play it safe is easy to set up FYI play it safe takes less than 10 minutes to set up, with easy steps. Download the app at www.fyiplayitsafe.com and follow the easy three-step sign-up process to start your free 7-day trial. Step-by-step instructions and video recordings are available to guide you through the process. In conclusion, FYI play it safe is the app every parent needs. It’s the app that will alert you if something is going on in your child’s online world that you have to talk about. Be a cyber-smart parent!

December 20, 2021

Unpacking the “New Normal” for Educators and Parents

Industry experts offer rich insights on innovation, resources and support needed now, and into the future. A group of experts were recently brought together through a discussion, organised by BIC, a world leader in stationery, shavers, and lighters, to address some of the challenges faced in the education sector. The discussion aimed to provide educators with support through insights, ideas, and practical tools. The discussion was facilitated by the highly esteemed media maverick and current ‘Talk Radio 702’ presenter, Refiloe Mpakanyane, who was joined by all-star panellists. These included: “Swaggy School Teacher,” Sibusiso Masombuka; Occupational Therapist, founder of Nanny ‘n Me and co-founder of Play Sense, Lara Schoenfeld; Counselling Psychologist and founder of Shrink Mama, Reabetsoe Buys, and Journalist, Author and Founder of “The Village” Facebook group, Vanessa Raphaely. A wealth of invaluable insights were shared by these experts, some of which include: Communication and creativity are amongst the most important tools that educators need to use to overcome the obstacles that the pandemic still poses to traditional teaching. Handwriting is pertinent in brain development and should not be replaced with the use of computers as a primary transcription tool. Establishing a sound routine for children at home is an effective way for parents to compensate for the disruptive changes that the pandemic introduced to their children’s lives. Creating a supportive group for parents helps to alleviate the burden that they feel and allows them to pool resources to assist their children. The ‘Swaggy School Teacher’, Sibusiso Masombuka, kicked off the discussion by sharing the most noticeable changes that he has experienced as a result of the pandemic, saying: “Education has transitioned into a different realm for both educators and learners. The most noticeable change was obviously that schooling moved from a physical to a virtual environment. Learners have had to transition from having access to a school library with computers, and a physical classroom with a teacher, to learning behind a screen through online platforms. Even that was only available for privileged learners who could afford to access teaching material online through accessible technology. Many kids were not able to attend classes due to lack of resources. As educators, platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp groups, or Google Classroom were methods we used to engage with students. Not having all students present on these platforms presented a challenge that we hadn’t faced before.” In an attempt to maintain the quality of education that his learners received pre-pandemic, and to strengthen the human connection between himself and his students, Masombuka shared the approach he followed as an educator during the COVID-19 pandemic: “I believe that traditional schooling perpetuates the idea that education can only happen at school, when in fact it can happen anywhere and we’re all responsible for it, not just as teachers. I definitely used the change that was enforced on the industry as an opportunity for me to start my own YouTube channel. I knew some of the kids’ parents were able to get the technological resources needed for me to engage with the kids. I also took up the opportunity to teach in various online schools, through which more than three million students were reached and impacted, in the first phase of the lockdown period alone. To reach the kids that did not have the resources, I joined the Department of Education through its Secondary Schools Improvement Programme (SSIP), a GDE supplementary tuition program, which is being implemented on weekends in 298 sites across Gauteng. As a team, we visited townships and rural communities to teach the kids. The project resulted in the development of teaching methods that would allow students to catch up on what they had missed out on during the lockdown period. Underpinning these activities, was the constant communication flow I maintained with the students and their guardians – to ensure a human connection amidst a digitally based world.” Commenting on the psychological impact of the changes enforced by the pandemic, Counselling Psychologist, Reabetsoe Buys, said: “A lot of research shows that an event of this magnitude is directly linked to mental health. People who struggle with mental health issues find that their symptoms get worse, while those who don’t, often develop issues. It is impressive to see that many teachers, parents and students have done exceptionally well as they adapt to the ‘new normal’ that emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators have looked at new and innovative ways of teaching, while parents have worked on incorporating teaching into day-to-day parenting.” Buys went on to share her professional insights on what parents can do with their kids at home to compensate for the changes that took place in the education system: “It is important to establish a solid routine for children as it provides them with the safety and the boundaries that they need. Ensuring that the kids take part in family activities is equally crucial. Allowing your kids to spend time outdoors where they can exercise and engage in physical activity, especially those that engage their senses, will help them burn off the energy they built up as well as activate different parts of their brain. The work that the parents put in, needs to be complemented by teachers, who in turn need to make sure that they engage learners with more than just the academic material in the curricula. We need to ensure that children are looked after holistically.” Commenting on the role of parents in supporting children amidst the pandemic, author, media consultant and founder of The Village SA (a trusted parenting group on Facebook), Vanessa Raphaely, said: “What I hear on The Village every day is that the fear of unemployment and uncertainty has never been as prevalent. As a result of that, many parents have feelings of anxiety and fear that have been misdirected towards teachers. I founded The Village to ensure that parents and teachers alike have a safe space where they can break through barriers and emotions to focus on

December 15, 2021

The ecosystem to ensure your child’s online safety

Comparing our own learning to ride a bike, with teaching our children to be safer online is difficult. Growing up, our parents taught us what to look out for when we first got onto our bikes. Their parents taught them. Our parents may not have even known about smartphones when we were born As parents though, we did not grow up in the same online world that our children now need to navigate. We need to consider the online road they travel on, the type of device they drive, how your child is equipped to deal with potential danger, and the type of protection we need to offer. Keeping our children safer on the road means that we teach them the rules of the road, which signs to follow and we make sure they are wearing their protective gear, most importantly, their helmet. Fortunately, with online safety, we also have an ecosystem that we can use to keep our children safer online. We are all in this together! Working together… On one side of the ecosystem, there are different people who play a role. The most important of these are us, as parents, our relationship with our children, and the open conversations we have with them. If something goes wrong online, our children should know that we are their first safety net. Equally important are the teachers at our children’s schools. They spend time with our children and have up-to-date knowledge, especially in the way our children experience the online world, how they interact with each other, and the latest trends. We are very fortunate that we also have access to cyber-wellness experts, who publish valuable cyber-safety materials and present courses and talks on anything cyber. We also have a regime of legal experts who specialise in ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) regulation and legislation. We can count on their support if we ever get into a situation where legal representation or advice is needed. …while making good use of technology On the other side of the ecosystem, we have hardware and software that can help us keep our children safer online. Our wifi routers in our homes can be configured, to only allow wifi access to specific devices, at specified hours and can also filter out inappropriate content such as pornography. Additionally, there is a wide variety of apps available that can help you to set screentime limits, age restrictions and content filtering on your child’s device. Most devices (whether Android- or Apple-based) have some of these settings built-in, but you can also use free, easy-to-set-up apps such as Google family link to enable this. FYI play it safe – at the center We all know technology changes extremely fast, and we also know our tweens and teenagers are smart… That’s why, at the center of the ecosystem, FYI play it safe adds the ultimate comfort to parents. FYI play it safe monitors the actual contents of every single app your child uses. Whether your child is doing a google search, chatting with his online gaming friends in a chat room, or using social media. As a parent, you don’t have to read through thousands of messages to really know what’s going on. FYI play it safe does that for you and will alert you if your child is exposed to a potentially harmful situation. Monitoring includes signs of cyberbullying, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, when they talk to strangers or predators, or if they engage in adult content such as pornography, sexting or any form of drugs. Be the cyber-smart parent. FYI play it safe is the one app no parent should be without. Download the app at www.fyiplayitsafe.com and follow the easy three-step sign-up process to start your free 7-day trial.

December 13, 2021

Boston Online Home Education to extend its academic support and services

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

December 8, 2021

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

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

December 8, 2021

Technology is fast-moving, is your child protected?

In the season of giving, our children can’t wait to open their beautifully wrapped Christmas presents. They look at every shape under the tree and play guessing games about the contents. When we wrap our children’s gifts, it takes careful planning. Buying a remote-controlled car? We include the batteries. Got them the roller-skates? We make sure to add the elbow and knee guards. Wrapping the bicycle? We definitely include the safety gear, and especially the helmet. If this is their first bicycle, we may even add the training wheels to ensure that their first experience is good. This year, as the years before, many of our children will be unwrapping a smartphone or a tablet. We want them to participate in and experience the digital world, but how will we adequately prepare them for this new online journey? In the same way we would’ve done if we had to teach them to ride their new bicycle? Comparing our own learning to ride a bike with teaching our children to be safer online is difficult. Growing up, our parents taught us what to look out for when we first got onto our bikes. Their parents taught them. Generations of advice being passed down. As parents though, we did not grow up in the same online world that our children need to navigate. Our parents may not have even known about smartphones when we were born. We need to consider the online road they are traveling on, the type of device they are driving, how your child is equipped to deal with potential danger, and the type of protection we need to offer. The online road they’re traveling on Different roads have different rules. Our children know that, when they ride their bicycle in the park, they have to look out for pedestrians and perhaps some smaller children crossing their path unexpectedly. In contrast, when they’re riding their bike to school, they have to be more aware of traffic and follow all the road signs, be aware of traffic lights and obey the rules. They also know that not following these rules has consequences and that they can get badly hurt. When they’re traveling on their digital road, they have to understand the “look left, look right, look left again” basics, but they also have to know that different apps have different rules. When chatting in an online game’s chatroom, they should apply the same rules as a simple chat app like WhatsApp: don’t give out personal information, don’t talk to strangers. But using apps like Snapchat or Tik Tok where photos or videos are exchanged, they will be expected to follow a different rulebook. The device they are driving With their first bicycle, we would check that the training wheels are screwed on tight and that the brakes of the bike work, right? Whether they are using a child-friendly phone that was manufactured with online safety in mind, an Apple or an Android-based device (such as Samsung or Huawei), the starting point is always to ensure that the device-specific settings are set in the most protective way. This can include screen time management, some parental controls, and content filters. Our children are in the driving seat We spend hours teaching our children how to ride their bikes. Holding on to the bicycle at first, then only to the seat and eventually giving them the freedom to go at it alone. In cyberspace, we are going on a road trip, but sometimes we won’t be sitting next to them. Fact is, with your child in the driver’s seat of his or her phone, we have to ensure that they can go some distances on their own. Talk openly to them about what they see, how they experience their online worlds, and how to dodge the potholes on the way. Have fun online, but play it safe Keeping them safer in this world means reinventing the way we educate them about cyber safety and, even then, monitoring what they are exposed to, but in a way that also protects their privacy. As parents, we have to use the full ecosystem of protection. Education from parents and teachers and online resources from experts in cyber safety can go a long way. Making sure that the correct screen time and parental controls are applied is an essential layer and the free solutions are as good as some of the paid versions – give it a try. So when equipping them with their arm and knee guards, ensure they always wear their cyber safety helmet – FYI play it safe. FYI play it safe is not a parental control app, but rather a complementary layer of added security where parents are kept informed of potentially harmful situations like cyberbullying, talking to strangers/predators, depression, self-harm, suicide, or when they engage in adult content such as pornography, sexting or anything drug-related. Cyber-smart parenting is about watching them mountain biking on a single-track downhill at a ridiculous speed, but with the certainty that they are protected and are less likely to get hurt if they fall. It is about building better relationships with our children, where we have the information to discuss actual difficult situations they encounter, rather than hypothetical scenarios. Where our guidance actively influences the content they search for, post, and like on social media. Where we have the opportunity to guide them on who they accept as friends or which messages on chats they react to and more importantly, how they respond. Safety, whether physical, emotional, psychological, or in cyberspace isn’t expensive. It’s priceless.

December 1, 2021

You thought playing an interactive online game was safe? Think again

FYI play it safe often gets messages from parents. Some of these are really shocking and others educational for all of us. As we are in this digital parenting world together, we wanted to share a story that should be a question to all of us – do we really know what’s happening in the apps our children are using? Are the apps that we think innocent, really in the clear? “My daughter was 12-years old and started getting WhatsApp messages from a complete stranger. The worst part of this was that he knew her name and her age. It dawned on me that he knew which school she attended and who her friends were. I was so relieved when she had the courage and felt she could reach out to me when she received the first explicit message he sent to her. From what we could gather, he was in his early 20s. She showed me the message and immediately blocked him,” the concerned mother wrote to us. “At that time she was obviously scared and said that she didn’t know him, and that he appeared out of nowhere. What my motherly investigation, through some relaxed conversations over a couple of days showed, was different. My daughter and I started playing a word spelling online game. I thought this was an amazing way to expand her vocabulary and as you didn’t have to complete a game within a specific timeframe, which makes it easy to keep a continuous game going,” she continues. “What transpired was that, while waiting for me to play, she was matched with a random stranger for a game of scrabble and he started chatting to her in the game chat. I never realized that such an innocent game would be used for grooming. Over a period of time she eventually gave him her name, her WhatsApp number and some other personal information. I was shocked…” Another lesson learnt. The fact is that predators are lurking everywhere. Even in apps that may seem innocent. Setting up parental controls and age restrictions on our children’s devices are not enough. Fortunately, this mom now has installed FYI play it safe on her child’s device and has the comfort that, from this point forward, the text in all her child’s apps will be monitored. The innocent and the seemingly innocent apps. FYI play it safe is not a parental control app, but rather an app that gives you the information of what is really going on in your children’s digital lives. It sends parents alerts when their children are exposed to or show signs of cyberbullying, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, or when they engage in adult content such as pornography, sexting or drugs. FYI play it safe is the one app no parent should be without. Download the app at www.fyiplayitsafe.com and follow the easy three-step sign-up process to start your free 7-day trial.

November 22, 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

Walking the road to wellness

Being healthy and living a full life is what we all want, for ourselves and our family. An important part of life’s wellness journey is about having the right people to support you – physically, emotionally, mentally and even financially – when it matters most. The latest television ad by Bonitas Medical Fund underpins this ‘holistic’ healthcare message in a simple, real and compelling way. It addresses the fact that medical aid is a necessity but expands on the message to show how the Scheme acts in the best interests of its members and ‘has a plan’ for everyone. The story is one of perseverance and tenacity as a father tackles his tough wellness journey with the support of his family, friends – and medical aid – in order to walk his daughter down the aisle. ‘The story is about protecting our loved ones and making sure they have the best care possible,’ says Lee Callakoppen, Principal Officer of Bonitas. Produced by Joe Public and shot over three days in various locations, the advert reinforces the Bonitas’ brand strategy of being the ‘Medical Aid for South Africa’ while it introduces a campaign takeout referencing affordable and accessible quality healthcare and better benefits that don’t impact your savings. ‘We are a unique medical scheme,’ explains Callakoppen. ‘In that we offer medical aid solutions for all sectors of the market and the South African population. Our advertising needs to be slightly disruptive and set us apart, which is why we chose to portray a real life family dealing with a healthcare situation that was impacting their lives and future. ‘We’re always taking strides to see how we can provide our members with more value – and connect with them more strongly. Be it through competitive plan design, the introduction of new benefits that add meaning to their lives or innovation in the way we communicate and engage with them.’ There are several versions of the ad including a 60s, 30s and three 10s which will be flighted across a range of DStv channels as well as Business Day TV, ENCA, eTV and SABC. Supporting the campaign will be radio, print and digital adverts. ‘We are passionate about ensuring South Africans make informed decisions about their healthcare and that they have the cover they need, when they need it. Our hope is that this TV advert will resonate well with viewers and get them thinking about the future of their health. We believe ‘when I becomes we, illness becomes wellness’ and would like to be the medical aid that takes the wellness journey with them.’ Click here to view the latest Bonitas Medical Fund TV advert

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

Shocking anonymous match-making in apps used by teenagers

We all know technology changes rapidly and apps are launched every single day. We also know that many of these apps are targeted at our tweens and teenagers, and even those not aimed at them are not always adequately protected to limit our children’s exposure to these apps. Do we fully understand and realise the full consequence of this and what can we do to support our children? Founder and CEO of FYI play it safe, Rachelle Best, put it to the test: “When we launched FYI play it safe, the app that alerts parents when their children are potentially exposed to harmful situations, I personally tested many of the popular apps. As I have a teenage daughter, I wanted to see what she would be exposed to and what her experience would be like when using these apps. I was absolutely horrified by what I found access to and the content I was exposed to.” My testing included a number of the anonymous chat apps and websites, such as Omegle and Anonymous Chat for two. Even though these apps accommodate younger users, time and time again, I was matched with a stranger aged between 18 and 23. A mix of male and female – even though we have no way of knowing whether the personal details of the other person were true. The average conversation went something like this: [Anonymous] male or female? Female [FYI] [Anonymous] age 14 [FYI] [Anonymous] what you up to? I’m in class [FYI] [Anonymous] want to have some fun Yes, sure, what type of fun? [FYI] 5th message – the stranger either started with very explicit sexting or tried to jump to another platform like Snapchat or KIK to exchange pictures. Even worse, some of them recommended we continue our chat on “lamourly.fun” – a very explicit pornography site. On average, it took 5 messages in about 30 seconds. This is just the pornography risk that anyone who engages on anonymous chat apps (including our children) gets exposed to. In addition, apps that we use every day launch new features to help them stay relevant and compete with other apps. Whether it is self-destructing messages or a place where you can hide your “private” information. Our children are typically the first to know about these changes, which they then test and use. Changes to apps or launching new apps aren’t all bad and it enhances our mobile experience, but it makes parenting in the digital world really tough. For parents to keep up with all the new apps our children use and changes to the apps we have already “approved” for their use can be a full time job! The good news is that, because of the technology FYI play it safe uses, we will know when a new app is launched and we monitor it by default. Also, before a message self-destructs, we would have captured and analysed it already. FYI play it safe is not a parental control app, but rather an app that gives you insight into what is really going on in your children’s digital lives. It sends parents alerts when their children are exposed to or show signs of cyberbullying, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, or when they engage in adult content such as pornography, sexting or drugs. FYI play it safe is the one app no parent should be without. Download the app at www.fyiplayitsafe.com and follow the easy three-step sign-up process to start your free 7-day trial.

November 9, 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

Girls are ready to overcome gender norms but society continues to hamper creative potential

New research commissioned by the LEGO® Group reveals that girls today feel increasingly confident to engage in all types of play and creative activities, but they remain held back by society’s ingrained gender stereotypes as they grow older. The study was carried out by the Geena Davis Institute in recognition of the UN’s International Day of the Girl and to mark the launch of a new LEGO® campaign, ‘Ready for Girls’, which celebrates girls who rebuild the world through creative problem solving. The research, which surveyed nearly 7,000 parents and children aged 6-14 years old in China, Czech Republic, Japan, Poland, Russia, UK, and USA highlights the need for society to rebuild perceptions, actions, and words to support the creative empowerment of all children. It also supports many of the findings in the LEGO Play Well Study 2020, which included the feedback of South African children and their parents. Ready for Girls The research findings show that girls are ready for the world, but society isn’t quite ready to support their growth through play. Girls feel less restrained by and are less supportive of typical gender biases than boys when it comes to creative play, with 71% of South African parents believing that it’s more acceptable for girls to be ‘boyish’ than it is for boys to be ‘girlish’. According to the Geena Davis Institute study, 82% of girls believe it’s OK for girls to play football and boys to practice ballet, compared to only 71% of boys. However, despite the progress made in girls brushing off prejudice at an early age, general attitudes surrounding play and creative careers remain unequal and restrictive, according to this research: For most creative professions, parents who answered the survey imagine a man, regardless of whether they have a son, daughter, or both. They are almost six times as likely to think of scientists and athletes as men than women (85% vs. 15%) and over eight times as likely to think of engineers as men than women (89% vs. 11%). The children surveyed in this research share these same impressions except girls are much more likely than boys to consider a wider range of professions to be for both women and men. Our insights further indicate that girls are typically encouraged into activities that are more cognitive, artistic, and related to performance compared to boys who are more likely to be pushed into physical and STEM-like activities (digital, science, building, tools). Parents from this study are almost five times as likely to encourage girls over boys to engage in dance (81% vs. 19%) and dress-up (83% vs. 17%) activities, and over three times as likely to do the same for cooking/baking (80% vs. 20%). Adversely, they are almost four times as likely to encourage boys over girls to engage in program games (80% vs. 20%) and sports (76% vs. 24%) and over twice as likely to do the same when it comes to coding toys (71% vs. 29%). The Play Well Study 2020 highlighted that 75% of South African children only play with toys designed for their own gender, while more than half of South African children said that people make fun of them when they play with games or toys marketed for children of the opposite gender. When it comes to parents’ perceptions of gender, 84% of South African parents agree that gender differences are driven more by societal expectations than by biology, but only a little more than half allow their children to, wear, or play with things that are geared towards the opposite gender. Rebuilding the World This was launched on The International Day of The Girl (11th October), the LEGO Group is calling on parents and children to champion inclusive play. To help, they have developed a fun 10-step guide and invite parents to share photos of their child’s LEGO creations against a pre-defined AR backdrop featuring the words ‘Get the World Ready for Me’. “As a Mom of three children, I have long admired the LEGO Group and I’m heartened by its global commitment to this study to inform how we can dramatically inspire creativity in girls through play and storytelling,” said Geena Davis, Founder of the Geena Davies Institute on Gender in Media. “We also know that showing girls unique and stereotyped activities can lead to an expanded viewpoint of possibilities and opportunities.” The role of LEGO play The LEGO Group believes in the value of learning through play and that the development of 21st century skills from LEGO play are equally relevant to all children. While many parents perceive the LEGO brand as a good example of an inclusive toy brand, LEGO play is still considered more relevant to boys than girls, with 59% of parents saying they encourage their sons to build with LEGO bricks compared to 48% who say they encourage it with their daughters. This view became more pronounced when parents were asked to complete an implicit bias assessment and 76% said they would encourage LEGO play to a son while just 24% would recommend it to a daughter. “The benefits of creative play such as building confidence, creativity and communication skills are felt by all children and yet we still experience age-old stereotypes that label activities as only being suitable for one specific gender. At the LEGO Group we know we have a role to play in putting this right, and this campaign is one of several initiatives we are putting in place to raise awareness of the issue and ensure we make LEGO play as inclusive as possible. All children should be able to reach their true creative potential,” says Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, the LEGO Group. The ‘Ready for Girls’ campaign aims to help girls rebuild the story and welcome more girls to LEGO building, ensuring they aren’t losing out on the benefits of LEGO play due to societal expectations. The company will ensure any child, regardless of gender identify, feels they can build anything they like, playing in a way that

November 2, 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

Good news for concerned parents using iPhones – FYI play it safe now available in web browser

FYI play it safe, the app that alerts parents when their children are in potential online danger can now also be used by parents with iPhones. “In our first release of FYI play it safe, we had the ability to provide the application only to Android-families. We have received many requests from parents who use iPhones to develop a version that can be accessed from their devices. We are excited to announce the release of FYI safe web, making the monitoring of children’s activities available to parents from any web browser on any device. This means that parents with iPhones or iPads will now also benefit from the protection of FYI play it safe for their children,” said Rachelle Best, CEO and Founder of FYI play it safe. “Although we are continuously updating the words, phrases and emojis we include in our monitoring mechanisms, this release also includes a significant expansion in any drug-related activity, which we believe strengthens the level of comfort FYI play it safe gives to our parents,” continued Best. Privacy remains a top priority and the relevant measures have been put in place and are continuously strengthened for both parents and their children who subscribe to the app. FYI play it safe is not a parental control app, but rather a complementary layer of added security for parents of children between the ages of 8 and 16. “While tweens and teenagers are focused on having fun and meeting new friends online, parents need to balance the tension between respecting their children’s privacy and navigating the risks presented by social media platforms, gaming, anonymous chat rooms and search engine content.” concluded Best. Download the app at www.fyiplayitsafe.com and follow the easy three-step sign-up process to start your free 7-day trial.

October 22, 2021

Math Major Jobs to Explore Right Now!

It goes without saying that if you’re a math major, you love problem-solving and numbers. But what are your options once you graduate? In short: a lot! To help you narrow down your choices, Adzuna compiled a list of the hottest math major jobs that you can pursue with a math degree. But before we get to the juicy details, let’s examine why this study field is so awesome. Skills Developed by Studying Math There are many essential skills you’ll develop while pursuing a math major. And the good news is that these are primarily transferable skills. Here’s a look at the kind of skills you’ll develop throughout your studies: Analytical and Quantitative Skills Analytical and quantitative skills are, unsurprisingly, the fundamental strength of any math major. The kind of problems you’ll have to solve during your studies requires an analytical eye. And to come to accurate solutions, you’ll need strong quantitative skills. These are skills that all employers value, especially for roles where decisions based on large amounts of information must be made. Critical Thinking By evaluating all types of evidence (or lack thereof), math majors develop critical thinking skills. Their ability to consider all variables ad outcomes to establish a clear and concise opinion is invaluable in just about every job. Problem-Solving Skills Problem-solving skills are non-negotiable for all employers. Potential employers look for people with the ability to not only identify a problem but also assess it and come up with the best possible solution to the problem. Since math majors have experience considering complex problems in various ways, they tend to think outside the box to develop creative solutions. These transferable skills are instrumental across almost all roles and industries. Communication Skills To defend the logic behind their proposals and solutions, math majors develop strong communication skills throughout their studies. Since they often need to explain complex solutions and offer clear reasoning behind their decision-making processes, they have a lot of experience in communication that can be applied to many areas outside of math. Computer Skills Math majors often gain experience in statistical modeling, programming, algorithms, and databases since it can help them solve complex problems. In our digital-first world, computer skills are no longer nice to have but absolutely essential for any job seeker. What are the Best Math Major Jobs? Since they gain so many valuable transferable skills during their studies, math majors can explore a wide range of career options. Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular choices. #1 – Data Analyst Data analysts work with large amounts of qualitative and quantitative information to gain insights. Depending on your position, you might be tasked with collecting data, managing it, and interpreting it to make recommendations that’ll improve business processes. You’ll likely also need statistical skills to get into a data analysis role. But again, this is something you’ll pick up during your coursework. It might be helpful to gain experience in programming languages and software that’ll help you parse and present the data. SQL, Tableau, and even Microsoft Excel are all beneficial to have knowledge of. #2 – Accountant Accountants, as you know, keep track of finances. From reviewing contracts or invoices to reconciling accounts, there are many tasks involved in this role. You might also be responsible for conducting financial reviews, developing reports, and preparing tax filings. Accountants must be very detail-oriented and have a passion for working with numbers. They must also be able to maintain accurate records and have strong problem-solving skills. Adding relevant financial classes to your coursework can help you get your foot into this arena. #3 – Math Teacher If you’re passionate about helping others understand math subjects like algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and geometry, entering the teaching sector might be ideal. As a mathematics teacher, you’ll create lesson plans and develop teaching approaches that cater to various learning styles. You’ll also assess students and provide feedback on their performance. Teaching can be a rewarding career for math majors because you’ll get to share your knowledge and passion for math. For obvious reasons, you’ll need strong communication skills to become a mathematics teacher. To get in, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in math. If you’re aiming to teach at college level, you’ll have to earn an advanced degree, though. Obtaining a Ph.D. will open up doors for teaching at almost any kind of educational institution. #4 – Market Research Analyst Market research analysts are responsible for extracting data insights that help companies better position their offerings for their audiences. These professionals collect data through surveys in order to identify trends that assist the marketing department’s function. They also do exploratory research to identify ideal brand positioning strategies. Market research analysis might not immediately sound like one of the best math major jobs, but you’ll use much of what you’ve learned throughout your studies in this role. Your knowledge will help you create forecasts, manage datasets, and conduct statistical analysis. You’ll also deploy your quantitative and critical thinking skills to explore opportunities and develop innovative solutions. #5 – Financial Analyst Responsible for evaluating past and current financial expenditures, financial analysts are also tasked with forecasting future financial performance stats for their employer. These professionals make recommendations that can help improve financial outcomes and shape budgeting and investments. In this role, you’ll be doing a lot of research, staying on top of business news, and applying your analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to help accelerate company growth. When presenting your findings, you’ll also need to deploy your strong communication skills. In Conclusion As you can see, you’ll gain much more than just a math degree as a math major. The transferable skills you’ll pick up during your coursework will benefit many roles in almost every sector or business. Although you might have to gain some practical experience in specific roles to advance up the career ladder, your degree and transferable skills will be enough to land you an entry-level position in the six

October 21, 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

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

Home-based care – there is no place like home

The shift towards home-based care was accelerated by the Covid pandemic. Although not necessarily always possible for Covid patients, the benefits of home-based care vs hospitalisation have been highlighted for both patients and their families for several procedures and illnesses. Dr Morgan Mkhatshwa, Head of Operations at Bonitas Medical Fund, says the Scheme has a renewed focus on home-based as an alternative to in-hospital care, without compromising the health of its members. What is home-based care? It’s defined as the provision of health services, by healthcare practitioners and formal and informal caregivers, in the home. Home-based care is to promote, restore and maintain a patient’s maximum level of comfort, function and health, including care towards a dignified death. It can be classified into preventive, promotive, therapeutic, rehabilitative, long-term maintenance and palliative care categories. When is home-based care appropriate? Post-operative care – after a surgery or procedure so that you gain your independence and become as self-sufficient as possible Generalised illness – when you are ill enough to be admitted to hospital but can be treated at home by healthcare practitioners Palliative care – when you have life-limiting illnesses and the focus is on the relief of symptoms, pain and stress. Some patients may also receive therapeutic treatment. The primary benefit of home care is that you are in a space which is familiar and usually surrounded by loved ones. This is beneficial not only for those recovering from a disease or needing palliative care but especially those who have cognitive diseases such as dementia. The alternative to hospital strategy (ATH) Dr Mkhatshwa says, ‘Hospital-at-home enables some patients who need acute-level care to receive care in their homes, rather than in a hospital. This care delivery model has shown to reduce costs, improve outcomes and enhance the patient experience. The need for home-based care is not only because of the cost of hospital care but a shortage of beds, nursing staff and other healthcare professionals, particularly in the public sector.’ ‘Bonitas is constantly looking for ways in which to minimise contributions and add value for members. It is common knowledge that hospitalisation costs are the main cost driver for all medical schemes. Even with 24-hour professional care at home the costs are far less. Most medical aids will pay for nursing care at home For this reason, Bonitas’ partnered with Quro Medical, an innovative South African digital health company, to provide patients with active treatment by healthcare practitioners at home. The technology-enabled hospital-at-home service brings all the essential elements of in-hospital care to the patients’ home, without moving away from evidence-based protocols and state-of-the-art vital sign monitoring. Patients are monitored wirelessly, automatically and continuously to enable early identification of significant clinical change or deterioration. In fact, research has shown that, ‘patients admitted in the home programme were less likely to return to the hospital within 30 days of their discharge’. ‘The partnership also offers earlier and safer relocation to the home,’ says Dr Mkhatshwa’ home-based care is offered to all members, subject to pre-authorisation and Managed Care protocols. ‘It’s important to note that the treating doctor remains at the centre of the patient’s care. While patients who are medically stable may qualify for home-based care, each and every one is different and their response to hospitalisation and/or surgery differs. This means each request has to be reviewed carefully to ensure we provide quality care to deliver the best possible health outcome for the patient.’ The advantages of home-based care Health care at home, in a comfortable environment, improves patient participation in treatment. Having family members and loved ones participating in the care of a loved one – such as helping with bathing, feeding – makes a significant difference in the outcome. Personal attention Hospitals, out of necessity, have strict rules so instead of the patient adjusting to these, they can be at home, amongst family and in familiar surroundings. Nursing sisters or carers come to the home for a few hours a day, full time or when the need arises There are no visiting hours and the patient is the primary focus of the caregiver, so needs are met faster and more time is spent with patients. This also means a faster recovery and the chances of picking up an infection, which can happen in hospital when they are exposed to germs, is reduced. Independence and companionship Losing independence is always a huge concern for those chronically ill or the elderly. Having home-based care means they have more control and can decide when they want to eat, drink, socialise and sleep. Companionship A caregiver provides your loved one with a familiar face, friendly conversation and a meaningful human connection, all of which can have a big impact on overall health and well-being. Family involvement Home care enables the family to play a larger part in their loved one’s care plan, this includes a direct line of communication with the caregiver and a care manager providing frequent updates regarding care. Pets It is common knowledge that pets are beneficial to those who are vulnerable and home-based care means pets can stay with their owners. They help calm dementia patients, reducing heart disease and stress related conditions and generally make patients happier. What about home-based care for COVID-19 For patients with mild disease, home management may be possible, provided they are not at high risk of deterioration (i.e., older than 65 years or presence of co-morbidities). Dr Mkhatshwa says, ‘It must be stressed that while hospital care is indispensable for patients in critical condition, home health care is equally right for thousands of people. This personal approach to treatment gives patients the confidence they need to lead independent, full lives. We have no doubt that this is going to play a key role in the future of healthcare.’

October 13, 2021

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