This pandemic has changed the entire way we used to function earlier. Especially, in the case of schools and colleges, everything is now being operated online. Even the admission processes have become digital!

Well, you are likely to be worried when it comes to following the admission procedure online because there can be hackers or fraudulent issues that can occur but you don’t have to worry if you conduct the admission process through a verified ERP software that will make your digital admission process like a cakewalk.

There are various benefits of having the admission process digit. All you need is a good internet connection, your data and ERP software to digitalize the admission process. Schools in the Middle East, including Dubai and GCC countries, have adopted the digital way of driving the admission process.

Well, here’s how digitalizing the admission process with the help of software will make your admission process better!

Faster Process

Those days when you had to stand in long queues just to wait for your turn to come to submit your admission form, exist no more! Yes, online admissions tend to be quicker than the traditional method of submitting hard copies. Your ID proof, address proof, etc. will all be checked online. The software is verified and can track if the information is correct or not.

Step-by-Step Guide

You don’t have to think that if the admission process is online, it might be complicated because that is certainly not the case. We are here to provide you with a step-by-step guide. For example, in case you get stuck somewhere while filling the admission form then you can go to the FAQ section. FAQs are the frequently asked questions and most people who ask some common questions there will be guided with the correct answer.

Storing Information effectively

The ERP software makes it better for you to store the information in the “draft” section. So, that way you won’t have to sit and type your personal information, academic information, work experience, etc. again and again. It will be stored and you can access it whenever you log in. There are also dropdown menus, responsive form fields and checkboxes in your digital application form.

Customizing your Application Design

You can customize your application just according to the way you want it to be. Don’t make it too experimental or fancy, but try to keep it simple. With the help of this ERP software, you can simply design and customize your application design according to the school’s requirements. This way, the administration team will notice your applications and you can design them according to the class you wish to opt for.

Submitting Documents Online

The hassle of carrying your documents or finding them from a mess of books, won’t be there anymore because with the ERP software you can attach them digitally. The software saves your documents and stores them. You just have to upload the documents according to your course requirements and other basic documents like your passports, transcripts, letter of recommendation, visa documents, etc.

Making the Payments Online

We can simply say, that you’re in safe hands with this one. Making payments online can seem a bit doubtful because sometimes hackers can track your account number and indulge in fraudulent practices with the money. However, the ERP software keeps your payment information secure. There are many options for students to process their payments through PayPal, credit cards and others. You can make the payment from any part of the country, whether you’re in UAE or India and it doesn’t make a huge difference.

Communication with Parents for the status of Application

Lastly, parents will get a response and an update regarding their child’s application. Parents can also get other school updates through e-mails, SMS or other social media apps. They can reach out to the school through SMS or e-mail, in case they face any issues during the digital admission process or any other questions.

Next Learning Platform can be your next go-to learning platform. They believe in redefining the admission process, anytime, anywhere by giving parents an eased experience, without any hassle.

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What’s the weather forecast for today? Are the skies clear or does it look cloudy? Why do we have to check the weather before stepping out of our houses? Well, that’s because the weather conditions determine the choices we make. The choice of clothes we wear, to the type of food we should eat, the transport that we want to use, and even the kind of activities we are planning to do, all depends on whether the skies are rainy, stormy, clear or warm.

Let’s take an example of a few scenarios:

Hot sunny Day

When the sun is shining mercilessly over the city skyline, it’s time to pick-up a pair of shorts, wear your caps & sunglasses before stepping outdoors. A bicycle guarantees a pollution free ride to the garden where you can lay the basket & enjoy a sandwich followed by a cool lemonade cooler.

Rainy Day

When the rain God’s decide to pour abundance of shower, gear-up with gumboots, a raincoat and an umbrella for extra precaution. A two-wheeler ride is not the best option on a rainy day. Savor a healthy snack of freshly roasted corn on cob with your evening cuppa hot chocolate milk. If you were planning to workout, hit the gym, instead of strolling on the streets.

In the above two scenarios, did you notice how our choices are affected by the patterns of weather and climatic conditions.

Apart of human acclimatization, plants and animals too learn to adjust as too much or too little of any extreme climatic patterns harm them.

To teach students the effects of weather and get a chance to practice hands-on experiments, Carolina Smithsonian Science presents a dedicated lesson plan for the same.

Carolina Science

Carolina is a famous Science material supplier and has been providing ready-to-use science kits to schools across the Middle East, including Dubai and other parts of the world. The latest Smithsonian Science Classroom and Digital module is available for purchase in the UAE and GCC countries which comprises of integrated 3D learning kits, printed materials, and digital resources, in one comprehensive package.

Carolina’s Module on: How Do Weather and Climate Affect Our Lives?

This is a part of the Smithsonian Science for the Classroom series featured by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. The subject is covered for students of grade 3. The main overarching topics of Earth and Space science are covered with focus also on some aspects of Engineering.

Students will practice the following:

• Investigate to conclude if weather can vary over short distances.
• Discover the workings of the Anemometer, a device that helps measure the speed of airflow in the atmosphere. The same technology is used to test the harsh environment inside confined railway or mining tunnels, to determine the airflow.
• Children will learn to collect information on weather and track the data over a period of time. A catalogue with day’s high and low temperature is maintained in the journal over a period of days, or even months. Then children are made to analyze the graphs of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ temperatures and draw conclusions or predict similar climatic changes. This prediction helps us in being more prepared and aware of how to dress, when to travel, and things to carry.
• On the basis of interpretation of data and studying the weather graphs, children come together to plan & organize an event, like a football tournament, by choosing a month and day, that predicts a conducive climatic pattern for the game.

Some resources provided by Carolina that are included in this module:

• Comprehensive educational videos on hurricane, sunny skies, clouds, thunder, lighting, etc. for children to observe and learn important lessons in a fun and creative way.
• Instruments such as a thermometer, anemometer, wind vane, and rain gauge, are available with the kit, to help children understand & practice ways to read the temperature.
• Live satellite map reading enables children to watch satellite images over the past 12 hours.
• Cloud identification chart helps kids identify the types of clouds and cloud coverage by participating in the GLOBE observer program.

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As Sahib once said, “There’s a meaning in every tick-tock of a clock” and quoting the words of Miles Davis, “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” It is such a wonderful blessing to have received the gift of time but to be on-schedule, use it wisely and keep going is to have truly justified time as it is indeed precious. So, before we even begin to introduce our children to the working of a clock or a watch, they must know the importance of time, to value it and then be aware of the devices, read them, and tell the time accurately.

There are many factors related to the understanding of the clock and reading of the time. Let us look at some of the concepts below. Once children build a foundation, it will not be difficult for them to tell the time correctly.

Basic Identifications

The first identification step would be to introduce children to the kinds of gadgets. As per their age and as they start grasping things, they will learn that a clock is the one hung up on a wall or kept as a table clock and the one that is worn on the wrist is a watch. The second step is to let them realize the difference between an analog clock and a digital clock. After they have understood the basics, we can move ahead to help children recognize time.

Comfort with Numbers and Counting

Getting a grip and identifying the devices is great but the most crucial part is for the children to have a strong sense of numbers. Recognising the right digits and to declare them aptly is a must. Not only should they be familiar with the universal English digits but with Roman numerals too that are also commonly present on most clocks. Another thing is that clocks may display the time having all numbers present from English 1 to 12 or from Roman I to XII but often fancy creatively designed clocks will not have all the digits present. They may just have the English 3, 6, 9, 12 or the Roman III, VI, IX, XII. The children must not get confused with the missing digits and still be confident and announce the time. They should be taught to count 5 minutes to half hour markers to quarter past concepts. They should be capable of ascertaining the number of seconds in a minute, the number of minutes in an hour and the number of hours in a day. These are the primary number related aspects they have to conquer to tell the time precisely.

Hands of a Clock

Teach your children the difference between the small hand and the big hand of the clock which is the hour and the minutes hand respectively and the tiny hand that keeps moving continuously which is for the seconds. After they have recognized each hand and know what it denotes, then one glance at the clock and at the position of the hands, should be sufficient for children to read the time effortlessly.

Ante Meridiem and Post Meridiem

These two phenomena are vital in the world of time. Children could see the hands position on the clock and announce the time but without knowing whether it is a.m. or p.m., interpreting time and declaring it, is incomplete. An a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem) are the Latin abbreviations used to denote time. The time before midday would be a.m. and the time post midday would be p.m. In simpler terms, the hours of the night going into morning till midday would be a.m. and the hours of the day post midday going into afternoon, evening, night and then till midnight would be p.m. However, there is a general confusion when the clock strikes 12. We know as adults that 12 p.m. is afternoon time and 12 a.m. is night-time, but it takes some time for children to grasp this concept. The only way to do this is by practice. Encourage children to read the time and correct their mistakes whenever they falter. These are significant pointers that have to be ingrained in children for them to be perfect with getting to learn the clock and reading the time correctly minus any ambiguity.

The 12-hour clock and the 24-hour clock

Another key aspect of time is to teach the children the difference between the 12-hour and the 24-hour clock. The 24-hour clock is popularly referred to as military time. In the olden days, clocks showed all 24 hours, but with modern times, clockmakers invented the 12-hour clock system. If conceived properly both are simple but in general people find the 12-hour clock much easier. The 12-hour clock is from 1 a.m. to 12 noon (p.m.) and then from 1 p.m. to 12 midnight (a.m.). The 24-hour clock is from 00:00 hours (midnight) to 23:59 hours (a second to strike midnight). In a 24-hour clock there will be no a.m. or p.m. These concepts may seem complex but with practice your children will master the understanding of the clock and will cleverly and flawlessly tell the time.

The ‘Mathseeds’ programme is full of enjoyable child-focused activities that makes learning a rewarding and meaningful experience. Most school assign fun activities to children via the Mathseeds App, as an alternative to giving them boring pen-paper homework. Thus, Mathseeds has become pretty popular in India, and the Middle East, including Dubai. It is a comprehensive online mathematics programme for children aged 3-9. They offer a huge range of carefully structured lessons and activities that build mathematical skills over a broad range of number, shape, and measurement topics, irrespective of the child studying in GCC, UAE or any other part of the world. Fundamental ideas are taught in a fun, motivating and engaging way, whilst rewarding children for their efforts.

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Since the lockdown rule came into existence all over the world, due to the current ongoing pandemic, many education institutions had no choice but continue educating children via an online medium. Thanks to the virtual learning and video – conferencing platforms, the show went on and students & parents came to accept this new medium of learning. The Next Learning Platform is one such tool that facilitates ‘live lectures’ and allows teachers to create a school-like environment despite being connected via WiFi and electronic devices. The Next Learning Platform has collaborated with International Schools all over the world, including the UAE and GCC Countries. This leading ed-tech provider is striving to make classrooms 21st-century ready through the globe, including the Middle East/UAE, India and other Asian countries.

Just like the physical school classroom has some rules to be followed by both students and teachers, the same discipline must be adhered to when sessions are conducted via virtual mediums. The seriousness of the lecture & its effectiveness depends on how well the sessions are conducted and whether the rules are communicated to the children well in advance. In short, educators need to follow certain ‘netiquettes’ in order to smoothly deliver lesson plans to students of all age groups.

Create or Find the Correct Background

The purpose of a clear background is to ensure that there are no unwanted distractions which disturb the students and takes their attention away from you. Choose to conduct the meeting against a wall that has a single-color tone and is preferably of lighter shade; like white, beige, or sea blue. A combination of aesthetics & functionality must be considered while opting for the background. Some video conferencing apps have the feature of setting-up a virtual background. Choose one that is plain and simple, rather than going for a funky background.

Be Comfortable & Set-up the Workplace

The position of the laptop and the adjustment of its camera matters the most. Ensure that the laptop is placed on a steady surface. You shouldn’t have to strain yourself or lean forward while taking a 2-3 hours class online. Sit comfortably and adjust the distance of the chair from the screen at a position where your upper body (shoulder) is clearly visible. If you have teaching aids or materials that need to be shown during class, keep them at arm’s length near you.

Dress Appropriately

Just because you are at home, doesn’t mean you can wear anything you feel like, for the online class. Wear neat formal clothes that are ironed well and comb your hair properly before conducting class. Wear light make-up or apply some lip gloss to feel fresh and have a professional disposition.

Understand the Lighting

Too much glare on the screen will overexpose the teaching-aids and not be visible to the students. On the other hand, poor lighting will cause the screen to look dark and divert the child’s attention, rather than focusing on studies. To find a best spot, turn on the lights in your home and carry the laptop around to check which space enables a perfect lighting. If there is a source of natural light, then you might want to sit close to a window to invite appropriate background lighting.

Sit in a Silent Room

Instead of going live from your living room, where other family members might tend to walk-in and out to run errands, choose a silent room where there is no disturbance. A study room is the best space and you could even lock the door to avoid video trespassing. Another tip is to avoid running washing-machine cycles during class hours and instruct your household help to ‘not’ turn on the mixer grinder when class is ongoing

Mute Microphone

When Not Talking If you have to excuse yourself for any reason, make sure you mute the microphone and pardon yourself for a minute or two. Keep your phones on silent and do not answer it during live class sessions. Only urgent calls can be attended to, after excusing yourself. When a child is answering a question, do not interrupt and use your admin rights to mute other students, including yourself.

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Ascertaining that your child can read is a validation that things are moving in the right direction. But what if your preschooler struggles to reads even simple words, despite you as a parent trying to do everything right.

Many kids who find it difficult to read at an early age, can show improvement with time and even be voracious readers when they grow up. With guidance, practice, support, and some extra help, learning to read can become easier. However, the right approach is to identify why your child is struggling to read in the first place.

Identify Some Signs That Suggest Your Child is Unable to Cope with Reading

As a parent, look out for some cues, as your child grows out of toddlerhood and starts to get familiar with books.

Children between ages 3 years to 4 years

• Is your child able to identify phonetic sounds and associate them with the correct printed letters? Phonics is the base for language development and good vocabulary building depends on the ability of the child to practice correct ‘recognition of letter sounds’, ‘blending’ and ‘segmentation’ of words. If these basics are shaky, it is a red flag for the parent to understand.
• Try playing some nursery rhymes and ask your child to repeat a verse or two. If he is not able to sing to the tunes correctly, and finds himself lost, then it should probably raise an alarm.
• By the age of 4, children should be able to correctly identify names of animals, vehicles, fruits, vegetables, and days of the week. If the child can’t seem to get this right, it could be an indication of some learning disability which needs to be addressed immediately.

Children 5 years of age

• Children at 5 should be able to atleast repeat simple sentences read to him by an adult.
• Children enjoy listening to ‘read aloud’ stories and passive reading can add to the child’s knowledge. Highlights Library is a digital learning tool that gives readers access to 2,500 stories. The Highlights platform is a perfect catalyst in inculcating a love for reading amongst children. Highlights subscription is available globally, including the Middle East and GCC Regions.
• Reading is not only about being able to reproduce the words verbally with proper pronunciation, but more so to be able to understand and remember the facts of what has been read. To test the child’s comprehensive skills, ask him the right questions from the story and allow the child to re-tell the tale to you. If the child is not able to even share the basic outline of the story, then it is a matter of concern and probably something needs to be rectified.

Common Reading Issues

In the above paragraphs we have seen the reading readiness stages as per the child’s age. If you notice the reader is not on par as he should be, it could be due to any of these issues:

• The child may be suffering from Dyslexia where decoding the words read and associating them with the correct meaning becomes a task.
• Another sign to watch out for is Autism Spectrum Disorder. This may impact how the child socializes in school and may lead to speech problems & low confidence.
• Some children develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) where they are unable to focus and get easily distracted. If one doesn’t read with focus, the lessons from the story or text, won’t be correctly understood by the child, and thereby he may lose interest in the subject.

These developmental issues can indeed obstruct the child’s progress and can interfere in the child’s learning journey. Once the problem is identified, it is important to seek out for immediate help. Many IB schools around the world including, Dubai and UAE, foster an inclusive environment and make provisions for special educators and child counselors to give the right attention and extra support to the child, so that they can be as productive & successful as others in class.

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Did you know that an average adult human brain has the ability to store the equivalent of 2.5 million gigabytes of digital memory? Such is the power of this superior organ. Being the most complex element of our biology, this 3-pound organ is crucial for controlling many other parts of our body. The cerebral cortex is the largest section of the brain which has multiple functions and is majorly responsible for the memory of the human being.

We learn incredible things every single day but over a period of time we tend to forget them. That is a natural human tendency. However intelligently the brain may perform, we still need to exercise it frequently for it to function efficiently and recall the wonderful aspects learnt in many walks of life. As children and even as adults we have to stimulate our brain so that it not only boosts our memory but also keeps our overall health and well-being in-check. We have put down some tips below which would help children to enhance their retention and remember the numerous things that they learn.

The Connection Strategy

Whenever children are taught a lesson or anything new at home or in class, the parent or teacher must try and connect a strong memory with the learning, so that the child is more likely to remember it longer. By associating a specific component which is dear to the child and which probably makes them happy, they will definitely recall the knowledge better at a later stage.

Pivotal Pointers

Difficult topics are firstly tricky to comprehend and then to recollect them becomes tougher. Even a simple, but a brand-new concept learnt takes time to process. Children mug it up for a short while but in the long term it is not beneficial. For it to strongly establish in their minds, educators must denote effective pivotal pointers or keywords while teaching them. With the aid of those apt pointers, the purpose is largely achieved

Fun & Games

Education should never be stressful. However, the studies do get demanding as the children progress to higher standards in school and there is constant competition and the pressure to thrive and get brilliant grades but, in this race, to achieve excellence, the actual essence is mostly lost. When children learn in a non-demanding, relaxed environment with interesting quizzes and fun games without the necessity to score or get a top rating, the skills gained and the content grasped by them is sure to be retained for a longer time and they will reproduce such knowledge effortlessly when the time comes.

The Visual Impact

It is not an unknown fact that visuals are always etched in memories far more than text could possibly be remembered. Having attractive and eye-catching still images along with intriguing and entertaining videos, with meaningful content of course are undoubtedly the best ways for inclusive learning and the impact and the retention is positively greater than one can ever imagine.

Group Influence

The common notion is that peer pressure is not healthy and usually has a negative sentiment attached around it. The truth we would say is that peer influence is not all bad. Yes, the word is not pressure but influence. The group that children belong to or the friend circle they maintain in school and outside can be favourable to them in amazing ways. When students and great friends have positive, healthy group discussions, the other person’s opinion is always heard and taken into consideration. Even if they agree to disagree it will be done rightfully. Their minds will remember each other’s comments and they will retain what was discussed and one will genuinely inspire and be inspired by the other. So, it is an absolute win-win situation. Educators must encourage such activities.

The Repetition Act

The idea of repetition is to master the art that one is into or the subject that one is studying. When a student continuously keeps doing the same thing repeatedly at regular intervals, they are bound to excel at it. Children should be made to read and write the learnt content again and again. In fact, it should be done creatively in different ways so that they do not feel imposed to do so or to strive for perfection. They must be allowed to make innumerable mistakes and all their doubts must be cleared. This will help them discover new things every time with the same content and will make them curious to learn more and the topic will be well retained beautifully in their minds.

Revision is Key

As we mentioned that we are in a fast-paced environment where everyone is competing in a race to exceed, one constantly wants to keep learning and re-inventing themselves. When newer lessons are taught, the obvious is to keep moving ahead but the wise bit is to time and again pause and re-visit the earlier learnings. Just when it is nearing exam time students have the tension to remember all they have learnt in the academic year. So frequent revisions will definitely help them conquer as they would have concentrated on previous learnings as well as focus on the recent ones. This simple concept of falling back on older learnings is not only applicable to academia but to life at large. No learning will then ever be forgotten.

‘Markezy’ is an easy-to-use online grading and assessment platform made for educators with convenience in mind. They believe in the concept of grading anywhere and anytime and sharing the assessments with educators or reusing them. User friendliness is the key trait of this interface. ‘Markezy’ makes both paper and online assessments easy to grade and cuts down grading time for educators. It is an innovative system where students write assessments on paper and the teachers correct them digitally. This platform has a strong presence in Dubai, the Middle East/UAE, including the GCC countries.

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