Computer Labs in Schools used to be a recreational centre for 90’s kids. The session included exploring ‘MS Paint’ application and trying to discover the functionality of ‘MS Word’. The scope of learning was limited to text bookish knowledge about what the hardware and software components of a computer system are. However, the scenario has changed drastically, today.

As per the STEM curriculum, followed by most schools in Dubai and other regions of the Middle East, Technology is an important subject and students spend considerable amount of time working around projects in the computer lab. According to the level of grade the child is in, the subject knowledge keeps getting deeper. That’s because, we live in a world today, where technology plays a major role, and hence, it is beneficial to embrace it at an early age, preparing young adults to be job-ready. Technology also keeps us up-to-date with the latest trends and instils a sense of confidence to speak about it with peers and the community at large.

The following topics are useful to students from a practical point of view and are touch upon in classrooms:

• Cloud Computing
• Data Security
• Coding
• Robotics
• IOT
• Data Analysis
• Big Data
• Gaming
• Computer Graphics ….and much more

Skills Required to be an Efficient Computer Teacher in K-12 Schools

Classrooms have become smart with use of whiteboards, tabs, and laptops for each child in the UAE. Besides basic, typing and browsing the internet, students actually get their assignments online and are even graded basis the submission. A computer teacher therefor, has a very important role to play in schools. She has to be fully skilled and well-versed with technology, besides having classroom management skills, which are a must!

A Love For Technology and Research

Needless to mention, the educator herself/himself, needs to live-by and love-by the rules of technology. While having all basics in place, the teacher needs to have the hunger to keep exploring and learning about the latest software and hardware topics. Saying on top of the game and conducting research is a part of the job. Technology keeps changing at rapid place, so knowing what’s going on and quickly learning about it helps to pass on the knowledge to students and prepare them for the future.

Observing Classroom Behavior

This goes without saying! A teacher must know how to control and positively channelize the energy of young tech enthusiasts, so that she can abstract the most out of students. Discipline is a must, but so is having fun! The lessons should be made interesting and interactive. Platforms like TechnoKids are used by teachers to support classroom learning and present important computer topics in a gamified manner. TechnoKids is designed for K-12 students in GCC and world over, keeping in mind the student’s level of preparedness and age. New-age topics that are covered under their modules include; web designing, animation, data analytics, graphics, and much more.

Communication Skills

Students must be able to grasp what the teacher is trying to convey, and hence, strong communication skills are a must. Building a strong teacher-child relationship, goes a long way. The student must feel free to ask questions and seek advice, for which the educator must portray a friendly demeanor. Positive interactions help increase understanding and improve relation with the student body.

Good Organization Skills

‘With organization, comes empowerment.’ There is so much activity that goes on, in a school and having to teach students of different grades, can become quite tricky. Therefore, maintaining proper schedules, journaling what is being taught in class, making notes on the progress of the individual students & the entire classroom, helps the teacher keep her calm. Assignments are an important part of the learning process, thus keeping test papers ready and making use of LMS (Learning Management Software), helps maintain proper decorum during exam schedules.

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Universities are more likely to accept high school pupils who add “computer science” on their application for a variety of reasons. No matter if it is indicated as their intended major, it is more crucial that the student demonstrate how they have used their coding talents in an internship and invested time outside of the classroom to advance their programming abilities.

We must first consider this from the viewpoint of the college in order to see why this is. A college is a business, and companies like to brag about success-signifying numbers. Therefore, top institutions have always placed a strong emphasis on three key metrics: average graduating wage, employment rate for the graduating class, and admittance rate. The number of students majoring in STEM-related fields has, however, just become a new statistic that institutions are beginning to provide. Regardless of acceptance rates, this is the rationale for institutions’ efforts to enroll prospective STEM students, particularly those in computer science. This is a result of the robust job market, which has an employment rate of over 90% and a typical beginning salary in New York City of approximately $90,000.

The next logical question should be: How do I let a college know that I am a student not only interested but have a high likelihood that I will graduate with a major in computer science? Now that we understand the colleges’ motivation for wanting to accept students who are more inclined to study a STEM focused major. This is crucial to note since the rate of major transfers or dropouts for computer science majors is astronomically high. The success of your application depends on how you communicate in your application that you are serious about this major and did not simply click the box next to it. Colleges are attempting to fight this.

This advice is for any student looking to gain a competitive edge in the application process, not just engineering students, so keep in mind that at most top business or liberal arts schools various STEM majors are offered. This will help you convince colleges that you are serious about pursuing a STEM major or minor. In addition to demonstrating that they have taken programming classes in school, a student must also demonstrate that they have spent their summers attempting to enhance their coding skills and that they have used their programming expertise to land internships.

CodeMonkey thinks that traditional learning methods should be challenged and that the development of new learning tools will ensure the success of educational systems across the GCC and Middle East. In order to provide engaging and successful learning experiences, we prioritize user experience and engagement while designing our products. They encourage in-depth technological and pedagogical knowledge, and the end result is a solution that instructors can use without hesitation and students adore. Since they first learned to code as fourth graders in the 1990s, they have been aware of the importance of code literacy for a child’s future. Based on Jonathan’s successful experiences teaching young children to code through engaging activities, CodeMonkey was established in 2014. Today, millions of learners from cities in the UAE such as Dubai, Abu Bhabi and all over the world benefit from the fun, knowledge, and opportunities provided by CodeMonkey.

Two fundamental objectives drive these projects. The first is to include students in hands-on learning while teaching them to code in an open, cooperative atmosphere. The second is to assist students in putting together a portfolio of their work that they may present to institutions or potential internship providers for future summers.

The future generations of coders will be born and reared in a world where learning is fun. By playing games together, working out problems, inventing, producing, and sharing, we want to provide an engaging platform where 21st century skills and programming knowledge can both be learned.

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Interactive whiteboards are very popular amongst schools in the UAE and GCC countries. No longer will you find teachers struggling to connect with students using outdated technology. Most schools will have one per grade at the very least. Interactive whiteboards can be a great digital tool for math learners. Similar to various other tools, the key to whiteboard effectiveness is how the educator uses this tool. They can help teachers and students interact more effectively, as well as provide visual aids to better illustrate concepts.

They are not limited in what they can show the students. Videos, PowerPoint presentations, and graphics can be used in addition to standard text-based lessons. The boards can be used to show equations, graphs, and diagrams that can help students understand difficult concepts quickly. Additionally, they allow teachers to create interactive activities that help engage students in the learning process. For example, they could use the board to create a game or quiz on a certain topic in order to reinforce the material.

Studies have shown that whiteboards can help improve student engagement and performance in maths, as well as increase the confidence of both teachers and students. Additionally, whiteboards can help with formative assessment by allowing teachers to quickly assess student understanding of topics in real-time. The student can view the teacher’s method of solving the equations or problems and also see how she pulls in additional data from the internet. Then this work can be saved and later emailed to the students for further learning or analysis.

Outside of the classroom, educators from not only Dubai but all over the Middle East, choose to use the online math’s program called Mathletics. It is the world’s leading program that uses engaging and gamified learning content. It provides complete support for school and home by offering simplified lesson planning. Teachers and parents alike benefit from its benchmarked assessments and curriculum-aligned activities appropriate for each grade. Using Mathletics data and targeted task assessments, you can positively challenge yourselves. Both these tools, Mathletics and the interactive whiteboard allow students to work together on given tasks such as labeling in geometry, solving algebraic equations, penning mathematical proofs, and interacting with virtual manipulatives.

Interactive whiteboards can be used to guide puzzled students in various ways. By allowing teachers to project images, videos, and animations onto the board, teachers can demonstrate concepts in a more appealing and simplistic manner.

Whiteboards also allow teachers to create interactive lessons with drag-and-drop activities, quizzes, and games that help students better understand the material. The smart technology of the interactive whiteboard can be used to highlight all the vital information as the class works through a lesson.

Additionally, whiteboards can be used to provide students with real-time feedback on their work by having them submit their answers directly on the board. Teachers can see the thought process of the student while he attempts to solve the problems given. This allows for an immediate assessment of student comprehension and allows for quick adjustments in instruction if needed.

Finally, interactive whiteboards provide an opportunity for collaboration between students and their peers which can further enhance their learning experience. It is especially beneficial in this virtual world where students grow up in a smart and connected world. Static chalkboards and paper worksheets can no longer hold the attention of children born into the digital era. With the click of a button, they can find a lesson they used previously. Internet connectivity to the whiteboard instantly puts a wealth of resources at the teacher’s fingertips.

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Technology is a very important component in multiple facets of our life. It is somehow connected with most things we use on a day-to-day basis. Wherever any form of learning is involved, technology plays a major role. The world is going digital and from children to adults, everyone is gradually adapting to current forms of technology whether in the Middle East or across the globe. The quintessential method of reading books as hard copies is still prevalent and we do not want to negate its benefits. However, we do want to bring to light the modern styles of reading by integrating technology with it, which also has a host of advantages for young learners. One such platform doing it so beautifully is Reading Eggs. They make learning to read interesting and engaging for kids with great online reading games and activities. They are present in Dubai in the UAE and in the GCC region. Reading Eggs covers ages 3 to 7. Children take their initiation in learning to read, practicing phonics, sight words, spelling, vocabulary, and even comprehension. They love the games, songs, golden eggs, and other rewards that motivate them to keep exploring. Children are quite receptive and are quick to adapt to use technology in newer ways. Let us give you some reasons to use technology in your reading class.

Voice and Animated Visuals

When an eBook is read to a class, instead of printed books, the children are excitedly watching the screen on their devices and are eagerly listening as the text is shown digitally with an engaging voice over with attractive clips going on simultaneously. It is definitely going to keep them hooked longer and they will be intrigued to dive further into the stories and have fun with technology-based learning. Needless to say, the screen time has to be monitored by teachers and parents, so nothing becomes of an excess usage with kids.

Amp Up the Learning

Like we do not want to nullify an actual book, likewise we do not want to do away with classic writing with pen and paper. However, when we talk of digital devices that we want children to get accustomed with, they come with tools that help children to enhance their learning process. They can digitally write and share the same text online with a mentor or a teacher and can get instant feedback on their performance. This helps especially in a remote learning situation when kids are not present in person with their educator. If it is allowed, kids can also share their work online amongst each other internally and get feedback before they submit their work to the teacher.

World of Apps

With digital devices and gadgets, tools help kids along with creative apps to elevate their learning process. It can be quite overwhelming when kids are bombarded with new words at once. Instead with certain spelling apps, the benefit they get is to categorize the words in various ways and then smartly compare the words with each other and understand the meaning thoroughly. Additionally, spell-checkers in these apps help children rectify their writing mistakes immediately and their spellings get stronger. Not only that, but it also aptly points out their grammatical errors. There are plenty of other apps like these to assist children digitally with reading and writing.

Digital is Inclusive

When it is a physical book, differently abled sight-impaired children obviously find it very difficult to cope up if they are studying in a mixed batch with other abled children. Teachers, of course, have to pay more attention to the needs of these kids. In an eBook that has enhanced and creative audio voiceovers these children do not feel lost and feel connected to what they are learning without it being a gruesome process for them and they will absolutely enjoy it. Braille books are certainly given to them but learning through audio in the digital format is so effective that it has a happy, positive, and lasting impact on them making studying wonderful for all children.

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LEGO® Education has been collaborating with educators for more than 40 years to provide engaging learning opportunities that bring concepts to life in the classroom and make learning enjoyable and effective. A broad range of tangible and digital educational tools are available to students to help them think creatively, reason logically and unleash their potential to create the future they want.

Targeted at preschool, primary, and middle schools in UAE, our teaching and hands-on learning solutions encourage interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). These are based on the LEGO® Education system, which combines digital resources and curriculum-related content for enjoyable learning.

Physics is the science that focuses on how matter is organized and how the building blocks of the cosmos interact. In its widest definition, physics (arrived from the Greek word physikos) deals with all facets of nature, both on a macroscopic and submicroscopic scale. The nature and genesis of gravitational, electromagnetic, and nuclear force fields are all covered in this scope of study along with the behavior of things when subjected to certain forces. Its end goal is the establishment of a small set of comprehensive principles that unify and explain all of these many events.

There are a couple of concepts of physics that LEGO® Education covers through the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime module.

The science of mechanics is concerned with how objects move when they are subject to forces, including the unique situation where an object is at rest. The forces that bodies exert on one another are the primary concern in the problem of motion. The resultant nature of such forces at play leads to the study of subjects like gravity, electricity, and magnetism.

Given the forces, one can look at how bodies move when they are subjected to those forces; this is the field of mechanics. LEGO® Education covers all sorts of topics in mechanics including motion, buoyancy, tension, and much more.

What is buoyancy?

All the hydrostatic forces acting on a boat in the water together create buoyancy, which is the upward force. As the depth of the water pressure increases, the horizontal components work in opposition to one another and cancel each other out on the unit areas of the ship’s sides and bottom. Buoyancy varies with the density. For example; In the Middle East, a vessel floating in the Gulf of Aden will have a different buoyancy than the same vessel floating in the Gulf of Oman.

What is tension?

A force pair acting at either end of a component might be referred to as tension. When thinking about a rope, every component of the rope, excluding the ends, experiences tension force in both directions. Along with the force from the connected weight, the terminals feel tension on one side.

What are the types of motion?

Motion may be characterized as a shift in an object’s location with regard to time. Motion may be referred to in a variety of different scenarios, such as a book falling off a table, water running from a faucet, rattling windows, etc. There is motion even in the air we breathe due to inhalation and exhalation! The universe is a moving thing. The cosmos in which we exist is always in motion. Atoms, which are the building blocks of all matter, are always in motion. Motion of some kind underlies every physical process in the cosmos. Motion is present, whether it is quick or gradual.

Linear motion

Objects traveling in a single plane of space relative to time. Example: A car going in a straight line from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

Rotational motion

Objects traveling in two planes of space in a Circular path. For example, a satellite circumnavigating the GCC from space would be in Rotational motion.

 Oscillating motion

Any kind of motion that is active with a fixed time period would be defined as an oscillating motion.

Using hands-on learning using LEGO® Education kits for physics can be both fun and educational for your middle or high school learners.

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