Often criticism is not taken in the right spirit and people get offended when they are corrected by someone. It is commonly seen at workplace that when a senior colleague tries to give advice to the subordinate, the employee may feel that he is being personally attacked and get angry or sad about it. Well If adults haven’t learnt to accept constructive criticism, how do we expect our school going children to deal with it?

What is Constructive Criticism?

Constructive criticism is giving feedback to an individual in a way that acknowledges the person’s strength, and at the same time, helps them improve or do a better job going forward. The main aim of this exercise it to offer useful guidance or tips that can reap better results. It’s a sort of positive feedback.

Criticism is an important part of life. It is because someone pointed out our errors that we refrain from making the same mistakes again and learn to improve ourselves. Growing kids have to constantly deal with ‘do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ comments passed by their parents, and even their extended family members. At school teachers may instruct children on how to adopt correct learning techniques and improve their knowledge. Even their friends can sometimes come up with all sorts of gyan. Criticism can often be difficult for children to tackle. Hence, it is important to teach children how to accept constructive feedback at an early age.

In a school setting there are examinations where children are evaluated, and it is imperative for the educator to write remarks or give comments to those who need to work harder to score better grades. Even in times of pandemic and social distancing, examinations are conducted online. Markezy is one such platform which enables the school to undertake exams prudently while giving the examiner the flexibility to evaluate and provide timely feedback from any remote location. In a short span of time, Markezy has already marked its presence in IB schools across the UAE, including Dubai.

How to teach kids to accept Constructive Criticism

Teaching children to not get dejected and rather gracefully appreciating the feedback and working upon it, is a way to inculcate good practice amongst them. Here’s how to talk about it to your school goers:

Explain what constructive criticism is

Children who are not guided by their parents or teachers on how to handle feedback may not understand how to deal with it and get demoralized or upset about the statement. Their interest in studies may be negatively impacted, and they may lose excitement in improving their skills. It is important to explain to them that constructive criticism is nothing to be afraid or ashamed about, rather it is a part of learning from others and improving oneself. Let the child know that you understand what they may be feeling and ask them to take It in the right spirit.

Children are not always right

Often kids think that they are always right and do not like to be told that they were wrong in the first place. While it is good to allow kids to explore and experiment by themselves, it is also important to correct them when it’s their mistake. Calling the mango, an apple, is not something that you as an adult can let go, and it’s your prerogative to immediately correct them. While the child may get agitated at first, he needs to learn to accept his fault and improve.

Praise the child for his attempt

When your child accepts the feedback given by the teacher on his exam paper and works towards re-learning the concept, appreciate his efforts. Ask the student to attempt the same question again and examine whether the concept has been thoroughly understood. Markezy makes it possible for parents to get real-time feedback. Correcting the child early on is better when the learning is fresh, than waiting for the school to organize its quarterly open-day.

Offer Solution and Advice

Whenever you are trying to correct the child, make sure to be clear with what your expectations are. While correcting an answer sheet, write in details why the reasoning applied by the child is incorrect, and what should have been the appropriate way of going about. The Markezy assessment tools, assists teachers in offering clarity to children by providing enough space for educators to write down their comments. With Markezy there is no room for ambiguity, and most schools across the Middle East, including GCC countries, endorse the manifold benefits of this amazing digital grading platform.

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This is an interesting and an extremely relevant question that we have raised. Isn’t it? Although there can never be a definite ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as an answer. It is quite a debatable topic of the modern age. So, we have addressed it here and we bring to you our thoughts and take on this subject. Of course, it is a personal choice at the end of the day and one is free to choose and consume whatever they prefer and are comfortable with and that makes them happy.

It is said that when you love something, it really does not matter how the exterior is or in what medium it may come along. We are sure that bookworms will vouch for this. You give them a book and they will be immersed in it, cosily tucked away in their favourite reading spot. That is the power and the delight of reading. A person who enjoys reading and derives their happiness from books, will opt for any book whether in digital or print form. Reading is a wonderful activity and if the habit is inculcated early in kids, it expands their knowledge and shapes them in many brilliant ways.

The excited feeling of holding a book in hand is immense. The distinct sweet scent of the pages begin to waft through the air. An attractive cover, an impactful tagline, and illustrative pictures inside, catch the attention of children and adults alike and arouses their interest and motivates them to pick up that book. Not that an electronic book or an eBook does not have similar features but the presence of a physical book is remarkable. Thus, we cannot undermine or negate the importance of an actual book.

However, with progressing times, one has to adapt, evolve, and move ahead into a future that is promisingly digital around the world. Take Dubai, the UAE, or the Middle East for example. The digital revolution and the technological advancement they have made over the years is outstanding. An eBook is a small but a very significant component of present-day technology that millions avail across the globe. The benefits that are obtained with reading in a digital format as an eBook are enormous.

The common sentiment amongst most parents is that exposing children to the digital screen can be detrimental to their eyes. Hence, parents do not wish to encourage a lot of that and go for hard core books instead for their children. We would say that even reading printed books for long hours can be strenuous as well for them. Hence, parents must allocate the right amount of screen time for their kids. Once that is achieved, the additional benefits can be gained by kids through the use of the digital platform. Let us look at a few plus points eBooks have to offer and we have listed them below.

No space constraint

A printed book is literally something that you have at home on the shelf that occupies space and is often bulky when you carry it around during travel. This does not apply for eBooks as they are stored digitally in one’s electronic devices that have multiple utility beyond reading.

Accessibility across electronic mediums

An eBook can be accessed across several electronic devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile or a tablet. There are many sites and apps that offer plenty of eBooks to read just with a simple subscription. So, it becomes very easy to download books and read them comfortably indoors or when you are on the go.

Fast search and availability

You step into a bookstore or a library and you have to manually look for your favourite book. It could even be off the shelf as it may have been sold out since the number of copies a seller may retail per book would be limited. With eBooks there is no such disappointment. Any eBook can be searched easily in a few seconds online with the wide range of content present and the same book can be accessed by multiple people with their individual subscriptions. The Highlights Library App is one such e-reading App that is extremely user-friendly & is designed for early learners, available in UAE and all around the world.

Retrieval made easy

There is no hassle when you store your data electronically. Even if by human error you happen to delete or lose your eBook, you have an option to download and save it again immediately and access it multiple times and use it as ready reference any time. The Highlights e-library is easily accessible and stores over 1,000 books by noteworthy author’s for children.

Animated Clips and Videos

When print books cannot go beyond still images, the digital platform comes with its perks. Kids enjoy eBooks that have creative video content along with text. Occasionally animated clips and fascinating videos are inserted in these eBooks by the authors and publishers to make it a fulfilling experience for the reader. Highlights Library available in the Middle East, including Dubai and GCC countries, presents post-reading activities such as, quizzes, to test the child’s retention and make reading meaningful.

Audio Books

With digitalization, today you can not only read an eBook but also have the facility to listen to one which is an audio book. They have become hugely popular with the youth these days. Just access the eBook through your preferred platform, put on the audio, sit back, and relax and listen to the content or you could even be doing household chores, exercising, or travelling simultaneously while being plugged in or using speakers if required. You could either be a quintessential reader or a smart tech savvy reader. The choice is yours.

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A Science laboratory is an essential part of any school. Most schools have dedicated laboratories which invite students to conduct experiments, perform research, and indulge in hands-on learning. Often the school’s science lab is the birthplace for successful scientists and renowned researchers, who got the opportunity to explore their interest for science at an early age and develop an inclination towards discovering the amazing mysteries of sciences. A science laboratory is a space where students are not judged on the basis of right or wrong, but conduct observations and learn by experience and repeated trials.

Types of Labs in School

Depending on the space constrains, schools may have dedicated labs for different science disciplinaries like Physics, Chemistry and Biology or have one laboratory with allocated space to conduct different types of research and experiments.

For over 90 years, Carolina has been a trusted provider for supplying science lab materials to schools across the world including the Middle East and GCC regions. Their endeavor is to constantly improve their science supplies by introducing innovative ready-to-use biology, chemistry, and physics, kits to conduct experiments, seamlessly. Carolina specializes in serving the traditional K-12/college classrooms and labs across the UAE, including Dubai. Being a lab partner to many schools, Carolina also mandates safety protocols and manuals to aid safe discoveries.

Why Follow Rules and Precautionary Measures in a Science Lab

Students must not step in the school laboratories casually and treat it as a playground. There are certain rules laid down by the teacher or lab in-charge which needs to be adhered to. Some schools also hand over a copy of the ‘safety manual’ which needs to be read before entering the lab and commencing with the experiments.

When safety is not paid attention to in a laboratory the student not only risks of ruining the experiment, but also putting the life of others present in the lab in danger. An accident can damage the equipment and cause injury to students. Therefore, it’s always safety and rules first!

Do’s and don’ts to follow at the Science Lab

Don’t eat or drink in a science lab

There is strictly no munching allowed in a school lab! Students handle materials and chemicals with their hands and it is too dangerous to put a morsel of sandwich in your mouth with the same bare hands. Also storing food and beverages in the same refrigerator where the lab experiments are kept can lead to adulteration and disastrous effects on human health. Moreover, spilling a drink over the lab research notes can ruin the student’s chance of earning good grades.

Don’t try to be a mad scientist

We know how excited students are when they step into the science lab for the very first time! It’s indeed thrilling to be surrounded by beakers, colorful liquids, and stuffed animals, which is unusual in the classroom scenario. However, children must contain their excitement and not play or mishandle any material. Randomly mixing chemicals just to see what happens, can cause a blast and the premise could be on fire. Running or dancing around could also break delicate glass apparatus.

Don’t enter the lab without any adult supervision

Always inform your science subject teacher or lab in-charge if you have to visit the lab out of turn besides the allocated practical science period. The adult might have to accompany the student and stay with him until he is done with his work. Also make sure not to leave an experiment mid-way. Always complete the experiment and turn off the knobs & valves before leaving the space.

Do dress appropriately

The attire you wear while entering a lab is of great importance, as it can save you from an unruly accident. Always wear clothes that cover most parts of your body, like, long pants, full sleeved shirts, and shoes that conceal your toes. Besides this, you need to protect yourself with an additional layer of clothing. Protective gear usually includes, lab coats, safety goggles, face shields, gloves, and noise cancellation ear plugs, depending upon the nature of the experiment you are about to perform.

Do dispose of the waste and clean up the workstation

Students usually arrange their lab desks neatly before an experiment, however, as soon as the experiment is over, they seem to be in a hurry to rush out and might forget to follow procedures. One important lab rule to follow is to know exactly what to do post an experiment and where to dispose the waste. Chemicals need to be poured down the drain and glass test tubes need to be stored safely in its assigned place. There is also a proper method for removing the safety equipment and dropping it in the appropriate disposable bin.

Do remember where emergency equipment is located

School labs especially should conduct regular drills to practice what is to be done when an emergency strikes. Every lab has a safety shower area, where casualties are rushed to drench themselves in water, if a hazardous chemical happens to spill over an exposed body part. The lab is also vulnerable to fires, and hence having a fire extinguisher handy is a must. Children should be able to access the fire extinguisher in case of an emergency and know how to use it correctly. It goes without saying that a well-equipped First Aid kit should be available in the lab premise which must be restocked frequently.

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Bedtime stories are special for reasons more than one. Parents may not get time to bond with their children during the day time, due to their busy work schedules. The daily bedtime story routine establishes a bond between the tiny-tots & their caregivers. Especially in today’s digital age where there is constant intervention from mobile apps, tabs, etc. the element of human-interaction is lost. Bedtime stories provide an opportunity to invest in quality time, even if it’s only for 15 minutes.

Inculcating good reading habits is fundamental to the child’s success at school, so the bedtime story exercise does just that passively, if not actively. It encourages the child to be a frequent reader while stimulating his imagination before drifting into sleep.

Benefits of Reading Bedtime Stories to Children

Here are a few good reasons to make bedtime story narration a priority for your children:

Great Conversation Starters

Often children are reluctant and don’t open-up quickly when asked how their day at school was. Story time at night is a relaxed activity, where children feel more comfortable sharing their day’s experiences with their parents. Also, while parents read to them, children might have questions on the characters of the story, or a scene that they find rather intriguing. This sets the right moment for conversation starters and also gives the child assurance that asking questions in school is a good habit.

Builds on Child’s Vocabulary

Parents need to make sure they are choosing the right Bedtime Story Book for their little munchkins. Your child is not just passively listening, but also learning a great deal of words & vocabulary through this fun activity. The genres that are popularly picked-up for night stories are more like fantasy-oriented tales and fiction novels. Avoid books that are too heavy for the child. Horrific horror stories might give them nightmares. Refining the vocabulary through the right books and narrating the story by practicing pauses, using correct pronunciations, and voice modulation goes a long way in helping the child recall new words.

Helps in Emotional Catharsis

In today’s uncertain times, the child’s EQ (Emotional Quotient) is as important, if not more, than their IQ (Intellectual Quotient). A well-rounded student is one who is not only academically brilliant, but is equally emotionally sound. When the kiddo hears inspirational stories it teaches them lessons, which might not have been discussed otherwise. Meaningful positive emotions are evoked when children hear stories that teach them morals like; Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Success is Achieved Through Hard Work, and Treat Others the Way you Want to be Treated. Children can relate to child-like characters from the book and validate their own experiences, which gives them some sort of relief.

Creates Habit for Routine

Routine and discipline are vital aspects to lead a stable & prosperous lifetime. We have read about famous people and successful businessmen who earned success and fame by following regular routines and maintaining vigilant discipline in their day-to-day life. A bedtime story sets the pace for a repeated practice that is unavoidable and non-negotiable. This concept will help the child when he advances to higher grades. He will understand that homework and studies are mandatory and it is not right to throw tantrums or excuses to skip it.

Sparks Imagination and Creativity

A bedtime fairyland story will transport kids into a fantasy world which is filled with possibilities and adventure. This onboard tale might have talking cows and flying elephants, which is unreal, but definitely makes the child curious. Children at about 2 years of age start exploring their own creative talents and become more perceptive to new imaginative ideas. It is rightly said that ‘Books can teach you about the world and transport you to places you have never been.’ Hence reading stories to kids about the world along with a bit of geographical expedition proves to be advantageous.

Builds on Reading Skills

Night-time story sessions can be made more engaging by involving your child while reading the book. Parents could take turns to read alternate pages and allow the child to do some reading as well. If the book has some characters, the child can be assigned to play the role of that character and read lines from the book that belongs to that lead. We are sure your babies will have fond memories while sleeping, post their happy story-time session with you.

Now the question arises, where do you get a new set of a storybook to read from to your child every night? Well, we know just the right platform. Highlights Library is an all-in-one digital reading tool available in UAE and GCC counties, that gives parents access to over 2,500 story books! We are assertive the extensive selection of age-appropriate books presented on Highlights by famous authors will surely help inculcate a love for reading amongst children. The best part about Highlights is that it can be easily downloaded from the App store on mobiles & tabs and accessed at any time. Its extensive reach makes it a popular reading platform in the Middle East, especially the tech-savvy Dubai and also other countries across the Western and the Eastern parts of the world.

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Coding is a way trendy hotspot among students these days. Nowadays, the schools have shifted towards learning based on STEM approach.

This is helping children by keeping them abreast with technology. Inclination towards VR learning had increased these days. Before moving ahead, let’s have an idea about Virtual Reality (VR).

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality is a technique through which the user gets a touch base with the 3D world. We can say the user of this technology gets a chance to connect with the 3D world. The computer acts as a storehouse of senses like touch, view, and listening.

This computer-based technology creates a 3D image that serves as a medium to connect with the user by using tools like helmets or gloves with sensors attached to them.

How does Virtual Reality help students?

Virtual Reality is a perfect combo of fun and learning for the students. VR offers a complete and better learning experience to the children. It doesn’t matter how old the child is, VR amuses just about everyone. We have penned down a few benefits of Virtual Reality:

1. It is aptly said that practical knowledge is the best in comparison to book knowledge. From VR, the teachers can impart practical experiences to the student daily without stepping out of the classroom.
2. Curbing distractions leads to more attentive learning, thereby increasing knowledge.
3. As we know today kids, are techno-lovers; this ensures total engagement. Therefore, the kids learn faster when they are amused by the virtual wonders.
4. Learning becomes easy, and the concepts that seem rather difficult, are easily understood by involving VR-based approaches.
5. The retention capacity of the children gets enhanced, as they recall experiences more than they remembers definitions from a textbook.

What is Kai’s Clan?

Kai’s Clan is a coding and robotic base platform where students can connect anywhere in the world. It is the world’s most conversant medium to learn coding by the students from various parts of the world. It is like a virtual playground for the children, which keeps them glued, offering an extraordinary learning style.

The coding is done through robots using virtual 3D spaces which makes the learners more zealous. Therefore, terming Kai’s Clan as a yellow robot is not enough. It is much more beyond that. Countries like Dubai, GCC, Middle East, and UAE use this modern learning style to break the traditional gateways to impart knowledge among students.

Kai’s Clan associative feature to access variegated locations because of its multiple cloud platform makes it a popular learning forum.

Kai’s Clan Lessons:

1. Mars Discovery: These are fun graphics depicting Mars. Students show up as a team, and develop strategies to visit the virtual planet.
2. Automated Warehouse: The adventure mat is a blend of AR, VR, and 3D learning. It gives clarity on logistics and warehousing. Thus, having access to the current gadget. It is crafted for hassle-free handling. Easy to use, keep, and lasts long.
3. Smart City: Smart people think smartly. Like the Automated Warehouse mat, smart city is yet another activity powered by VR, AR, and 3D data. Through the use of sensors and smart reasoning, it assists in answering futuristic questions. It allows smart city coding lessons through reasoning and planning. It is also compatible with Android and iOS devices.
4. Rescue Run: The Rescue Run AR VR mat renders a fun-based gaming experience. It ignites scientific and logical reasoning. Action struck activities like ‘Capture the Flag’ is the show stopper of this learning program. Thus we conclude, the only way for children to learn coding is through the playful methodology.

Are Kai’s Clan Virtual lessons beneficial?

Students who show keen interest in virtual lesson, learn a great deal, although, it is looked upon as a part of the entertainment. It gives them a break from bookish knowledge and gives them the opportunity to have an immersive learning experience.

The amusement of landing into outer space or defeating a team of co-learners across the globe at a Virtual game-like project, is doubled thanks to Kai’s Clan. The child’s creative thinking capacities are stimulated and his imagination takes wings. It also helps overcome some language barrier and challenges old-school cultural biases & beliefs. No matter from whichever place you dwell, learning is unstoppable with Kai’s Clan.

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Block-based coding uses “blocks” of code which can be dragged and dropped onto a work environment and pieced together to make meaningful programs. It requires no tedious typing of memorization of syntax which makes it especially suited for children. It is an entry-level activity, where children can gain a foundation in computational thinking through visuals as opposed to coding that is based on text. Some schools in Dubai have started to teach their kids Block-based coding, especially from the age group of 10 to 12 years of age, for development to further its usefulness. The “blocks” mentioned above are “chunks” or “pieces” of instructions a user is putting together in order to tell their creation what to do.

Drag and Drop coding allows the coder to drag blocks or icons containing concise commands that are easy to understand. The blocks are usually colour-coded, allowing your child to group blocks with similar functions together. With block-based coding in a program like Scratch, kids can let their imaginations run wild, and bring what they create to life with animation and storytelling. For example, in Scratch, kids can make Clicker games, Chase games, Pong games, Make-It-Fly games and Adventure games. Schools in the Middle East, especially UAE and other GCC members, have become initiators in educating their children in Drag and Drop coding early on in their childhood, as it has demonstrated significant mental growth and shown benefitting their lives all-round.

Advantages of Block Coding

Creative/Logical thinking

Children who start to learn coding and programming at a young age, they can easily get bored by the tedious syntax-based programming, but with Drag and Drop coding, they are given a free medium to channel their imaginations into a more visual product that keeps them focused. Drag and Drop programming is more straightforward compared to text-based programming, hence reducing the need for your child to understand syntax. This gives your child more brain space and time to strengthen their logical thinking and programming concepts. Logical and analytical thinking is an essential skill of a good programmer, and it is applicable no matter what programming language one decides to use in the future.

Helps save coding time

Usually, the process of coding seems lengthy and tedious since any one writing the code has to write every single line of it and also memorize the rules of writing code. However, with Block-based coding, this process becomes much easier and quicker as the visual aspect of it also helps in making the process smoother and crisper when it comes to programming lengthy projects. Since these coding languages are made by engineers for use by other engineers, many people with no formal training can now have a way to learn coding in a short time, to work on small applications. Block-based coding is the solution, as it is very intuitive and needs no formal training to be good at. It is simple and any first-timer can pick it up in a matter of days.

Visual is better than text-based coding

Block-based programming, which is visual in nature, offers relief from worrying about syntax errors since the only kinds of mistakes that can be made are conceptual ones. This feature allows a shorter development time and the software can be easily maintained. Visual Programming makes use of blocks that demonstrate easy programming concepts. Syntax and simulation are easily shown through Block-based programming, which can be compared to the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Hence, Block-based programming is beneficial for children to start with. It makes the application of logic very intuitive and there is no need to learn difficult concepts that are required by other high-level programming languages. Children can quickly and very easily learn to run programs and unleash their creative endeavours.

In conclusion, Block-based programming, which has a visual way of teaching kids, has shown to be the more child-friendly programming language as compared to syntax-based coding. Many people are now starting to realise the benefits of learning Block-based coding, and have begun to adopt in their school’s ways to teach their children the programming language. If you are interested in getting your child started on block programming, here are some resources you can use:

• Scratch Jr
• Code Monkey
• Kodable
• Codemoji

The ever-famous LEGO® Education too makes use of block-coding to power Robots and make vehicles move through easy programming languages. Even a child who is just starting to get familiar with computers, can now build a railway network scene and set the wheels of the train in motion through Lego’s Coding Express using easy drag and drop code features.

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