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Showing posts from August, 2021

Why Early Education is important? A Note from Mind Boosters Academy

  Early Education refers to the period from a child’s birth to they enter kindergarten. It is an important period in a child’s life because they learn all the needed basic skills such as interacting with parents, peers, teachers, and others. They also develop interests which they are going to follow throughout their lives.  In recent years, researchers have learned that the human brain develops the vast majority of its neurons, and is at its most receptive to learning, between birth and three years of age. In fact, the intake of new information is critical to the formation of active neural pathways (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). “Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is more than preparation for primary school. It aims at the holistic development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical needs in order to build a solid and broad foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. ECCE has the possibility to nurture caring, capable and responsible future citizens.” E

Blended Learning – A Checklist to Ensure Authentic Implementation in the Classroom

  Technology is such a huge part of our lives now, that it is hard to imagine a classroom without at least some use of technology on a semi-regular basis. From tools as simple as a document camera and projector system to schools that have a 1 to 1 student to device ratio, the range of technology used in classrooms is vast and varied. The term blended learning has recently come about to describe the instructional practice of blending technology with traditional learning. However, there are many misconceptions about what true blended learning is.   Technology Uses The first misconception is that any use of technology constitutes blended learning. If your class uses laptops or visits a computer lab once a week for a special skills lesson, or to type up a paper in a word-processing program, that is not considered blended learning. Blended learning involves the use of a variety of tools such as computers, laptops, Chromebooks, Smart Boards, response systems, and iPads that helps stude

Preschool Class Control techniques by Mind Boosters Academy in UAE

  Preschool children are little ones who are developing their basic skills and trying to figure the ways of socializing with adults and their peers. The preschool children are also learning to adjust the new classroom environment. As preschool teachers, we need to plan few strategies which will help in class management.   We present you few ideas of class control techniques in this article. 1.         “Teachers should be warm and caring toward children who are acting upset,” says Stephanie Leclair of  Tiny Hoppers . Always try to be a teacher, who always is open in conversation with the preschoolers. When the teacher is warm, the child will open up themselves and feel reassured. This attitude of the teacher in the class will help in managing the class efficiently. 2.        Organize your classroom in a way that the class materials are organized as noisy corners and quiet corners in different parts of a classroom. The noisy corners may include play materials such as blocks and the q

Classroom precautions during COVID19 - Tips for teachers to protect themselves and their students

  A key lesson learned during the pandemic is the important role teachers play in ensuring that learning continues. As schools reopen, a lot will depend on teachers to ensure that children will be able to continue their education in a safe and healthy environment; and make up for knowledge and skills that may have been lost. As a teacher, knowing the facts will not only protect yourself but also your students. Be aware of fake information and dangerous myths about COVID-19 circulating that are feeding fear and stigma.  Physical distancing at schools When it comes to physical distancing, it is important that you establish some classroom ground rules in accordance with the procedures established by your school’s administration, as well as the protocols established by your respective country’s Ministry of Health and/or local health bodies and authorities. Recommended measures include: ·       Maintain a distance of at least 1 metre between everyone present at school ·       Incr

Strengthening Peer Reviews through Growth Mindset

  While we know there is value in engaging with and learning from one another, having students provide authentic feedback on a peer’s creation can often be hit or miss. By incorporating  Growth Mindset-driven  strategies, peer reviews can not only be incredibly productive uses of class time, but they can craft invaluable skills in the long term.  In this article, you will learn how to incorporate Growth Mindset strategies to encourage more effective peer reviews. Disparate mindsets, wide-ranging academic levels, harsh critique or delivery, and even sensitivities or underdeveloped social skills can mean misunderstandings on both sides of the peer exchange. Further, many of our students are at ages where peer opinion is vital, and these brief interchanges can be the difference in engaging in class, exhibiting enthusiasm for learning, and moving forward after encountering challenges. In short, these critique-giving sessions can aid or potentially inhibit student progress in the realm

Flexi Spaces in Classroom

  Flexi Spaces are in-school flexible learning spaces. They are deeply considered learning environments designed to support children who are disengaged from school and who often face challenging personal circumstances. They promote inclusion and incorporate  evidence-based design principles  that respond directly to the learning needs of disengaged students. While many schools offer off-campus alternative learning settings, FlexiSpaces create a physical space within their school campus to provide the student, their family, and the school with the support to reconnect within the mainstream environment. This is less disruptive and supports a sense of belonging. Students can maintain a connection with current activities where possible, and make a smooth transition back to mainstream learning. The benefits of an in-school flexible learning response, like a FlexiSpace as compared to off-campus programs, is that FlexiSpaces allow students to: remain with their peers and friendship gr

The seven Cs of effective communication

  When we think of the people involved in teaching and learning, we tend to think of the teachers and the learners. Yet, in the context of young learner and teenage education, this leaves out a very important stakeholder – the parents or carers! Parents have a very keen interest in what happens with the learning of the children in their care. As a teacher, having open and constructive channels of communication with parents is essential. Having an effective strategy to bring them into the classroom and the learning process is very often the key to success. 1. Clear It is important to be clear about our aim and message when we are communicating with someone. Clear communication explains complicated ideas in ways that you can understand using simple and familiar language. It leaves no doubts or ambiguity about the purpose of the communication. 2. Concrete Once you have removed jargon, how do you fill in the gaps? Good communication is essential: your challenge is to find a new w