Education forms the bedrock of the success of individuals, societies, and nations. It is important to learn many skills, including thinking critically, solving problems, being creative and making wise decisions.

In the last decade, student success in academic and professional careers has become a key concern for educators, parents and employers. While schools have been quite successful in developing new curricula and educational practices, these have not been as effective as needed to raise student success rates. Schools are being challenged to develop 21st-century skills among students by preparing them for the ever-changing world of knowledge that is dynamic, international and high-tech.

The curriculum should address these needs of contemporary society by preparing students to be active collaborators for their own development and that of their communities. A dynamic curriculum incorporates core subjects and electives, but it also focuses on creating an environment where students can reach their full potential by exploring new ideas and concepts outside of the classroom.

A dynamic curriculum is one in which teachers use technology and other methods to bring their lessons to life. For example, rather than simply reading about historical events from textbooks or lecture notes, teachers may incorporate interactive video games or stories so students could learn while also having fun. This learning experience allows students with different learning styles to engage more actively in the lesson material, making it easier for them to retain what they’ve learned.

🖊️ The Growing Need for Dynamic Curriculum in Schools

Traditional education models focus on teaching students specific facts or concepts at fixed times throughout the year. While this approach works well for some subjects, it’s not enough for today’s students who need to know how to think critically about information and solve problems independently — skills that can’t be taught in isolation from one another or at specific times during the school year.

We often think of critical thinking or problem-solving skills as something you learn in college or graduate school, but it actually begins in high school — as early as middle school. So if you want your child to develop critical thinking skills early on, think about what they’re learning in math and science classes. For example, if they’re memorizing formulas and equations without understanding why they work or how they relate to each other, they will most likely forget after the exams. 

Clearly, we need new approaches to education to develop these skills in students from an early age. A dynamic curriculum can help schools and teachers teach these new skills through blended learning experiences that integrate new technologies into classroom activities.

🖊️ Dynamic Curriculum is a More Effective Method of Learning

One of the biggest reasons a dynamic curriculum is so effective is that it allows students to learn at their own pace. For example, if a student is struggling with a particular subject or topic, they can repeat it as often as needed until they fully understand it before moving on to another concept or topic. This allows both teachers and students alike to spend less time repeating lessons.

This approach also benefits students diagnosed with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These students may find it challenging to perform well in traditional classrooms because they need extra time to process information, but with dynamic learning, they can go at their own pace without having to feel as though they are struggling behind everyone else.

The idea behind a dynamic curriculum is that each student learns differently. Some students may need more time to understand a concept than others, while others might need more repetition of certain concepts before fully understanding them. This is where a dynamic curriculum comes in handy because it allows teachers to cater their teaching style and lesson plans to each student’s needs.

🖊️ Dynamic Curriculum is Shaping Student Success

The dynamic curriculum is an ever-changing and evolving process that comes about as a result of the needs, interests and abilities of students. Dynamic lessons ensure that students remain engaged with the material they are learning because they are actively involved in class discussions and activities. This means they will be more likely to remember what they have learned during class when preparing for exams or assessments later in the year. 

When students are engaged in their lessons, they tend to be more motivated about studying, which results in better grades and higher test scores when compared with those who have not been engaged by their teachers’ teaching styles. Such a tailored curriculum keeps students motivated because they feel they are participating in something meaningful that will help them succeed after leaving school.

A dynamic curriculum is beneficial because it allows students to move forward when they feel ready, not when the teacher thinks they are ready. Additionally, this also makes students feel confident and not guilty about even not understanding the material being taught. It also gives them time to develop confidence before moving on to more complex material in subsequent lessons or units on the same topic.

🖊️ The Bottom Line

In response to the increasingly global context of education and the need for a workforce that can address emerging challenges in the 21st century, many governments worldwide have initiated policies in favor of curricular reform and national educational standards. Therefore, NEP 2020 emphasizes that the school curriculum should be such that it promotes holistic, integrated development in an engaging and enjoyable manner. 

To this extent, many teachers across the country have started using a combination of traditional and dynamic curriculum methods in their classrooms. Students are encouraged to participate in various learning activities like role-playing, games, poetry recitation, storytelling, drama and songs etc., which help students learn in a more creative way. These methods also allow learners to engage with other peers and their environment by collaborating and exploring new ideas through hands-on activities.

At Square Panda India, we help educators use the concept of differentiated instruction to make their lessons more effective for all students in their classrooms. We encourage schools, administrators and teachers to incorporate dynamic teaching strategies to help students understand and embrace change.

India is a multilingual country with a high population rate which is accompanied by tons of limitations to resources. If we were to demand a sense of sustainability or uniformity in a resource, which one would you pick? Well, education would be our pick! It is one of the most important resources that can contribute to the success of a nation as a whole. Afterall, education is the foundation of any developing country’s future.  

The educational sector keeps evolving to meet the needs of a forever evolving industry and national economy. However, one thing about the education sector that must remain constant is the access to foundational learning.

It isn’t news that the rural sectors of India have limited access to quality learning. But it is imperative that the children in these rural sectors have access to foundational literacy, which will help them identify letters and numbers to begin with. The diverse labour market of India demands primary education for social and economical development of the country.  

The good news is that the education sector of India is going through a major transformation where the format of schooling will change and so will the teaching techniques. Besides, there will be a major shift in the curriculum to make the syllabus more interactive and activity-based to make children curious about learning. The main idea of transformation is to ditch the ineffective ways of learning, unproductive curriculum, and the conventional rote learning.  However, the transformation doesn’t have a timeline, it is a continuous process that gradually takes shape.      

Owing to this progress in the education sector, the National Education Policy 2020 makes Foundational Literacy and Numeracy an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning. Besides the NEP 2020 also emphasises on giving mother tongue preference as a learning language. This will make education in rural India accessible and easy for children, which will drive them to further pursue education. This could also make learning a joyful experience for children that will potentially make them curious about new concepts and stories. We’re rooting for this transformation in education to take over soon.

To ensure the progress of the nation as a whole, it is imperative to target education in rural India and make learning accessible for them. It is children from these sectors that need utmost help and upliftment to be able to have a stable future. If children from these sectors had the ability to read and identify numbers, it could help them be self-sufficient and get better jobs in the future. They will no longer only have to work as labourers. This contributes to a major upliftment of the rural sector, which gradually will uplift the nation as a whole.       

The NEP 2020 is inclusive of many educational aspects, it uplifts the curriculum, teachers, coordinators and teaching techniques to achieve effective result-oriented outcomes. The nation calls for an urgent need to receive quality education, it being the foundation of our collective future. India, our country may not have uniformity in the education resource but we as responsible citizens can bring about an effective change with our combined efforts; a change that is meant to last for years to come.

Square Panda India makes continuous efforts to uplift the education landscape of India. It hosts programmes in line with the NEP 2020 in rural districts of India to help provide access to quality education. Square Panda India is doing its bit in contributing towards a better future for the nation. 

The impact of technology is being felt across the education sector. With an ever-increasing need for literacy and numeracy skills required to succeed in today’s society, educators are looking for new ways to address this challenge. As a result, not only has online learning become the de-facto standard for education but it is also accompanied by massive changes in how we look at and interact with educational content, information and services. In fact, the NEP 2020 places technology at the core of its purpose: it underscores India’s need to move from a teacher-centric, textbook-based pedagogy to a student-centric inquiry, problem-based learning approach.

🖊️ The Need for Building Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

The impact of technology is being felt across the education sector.
With an ever-increasing need for literacy and numeracy skills required to succeed in today’s society, educators are looking for new ways to address this challenge. As a result, not only has online learning become the de-facto standard for education but it is also accompanied by massive changes in how we look at and interact with educational content, information and services. In fact, the NEP 2020 places technology at the core of its purpose: it underscores India’s need to move from a teacher-centric, textbook-based pedagogy to a student-centric inquiry, problem-based learning approach.

🖊️ The Need for Building Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

The world needs individuals skilled at reading, writing and arithmetics – the three R’s – as these are essential for success in any field of study or career path. The fact that millennials are becoming parents, they should pay close attention to ensure that their children receive a solid foundation. These need to be inculcated from an early age so that they can succeed later in life. The last two years have witnessed a flurry of activity from teachers, parents, and students in low-income families to find innovative ways to share the power of learning and reading between individuals that can’t physically be together.

While it can be argued that this technology is not necessarily replacing teachers, it is undoubtedly changing how they teach. The percentage of rural households owning Internet-compatible devices has steadily increased by 31% over the last 4 years, reaching 68%. 

Edtech has made it possible for students to access their teachers through the internet and communicate with them in real-time. Additionally, students can access lectures and recordings on their mobile devices or tablets. It has also revolutionized teaching methods by incorporating technology into classrooms, such as interactive whiteboards, tablets, laptops and other technologies. These have helped improve student performance by making their learning more relevant, flexible and engaging.

Here are some of the ways edtech is enabling foundational literacy and numeracy skills in children:

🖊️ Helping Kids Develop Early Reading Skills

Research shows that early reading skills are critical to future success in school and beyond. To help children develop these skills at an early age, many apps feature interactive stories with highlighted text and voice narration so kids can hear the story instead of having to read it themselves. These features make it easier for kids to follow along with each sentence as they listen to the narrator read aloud from within the app. Some apps also have built-in quizzes that test your child’s understanding of what they just listened to — another excellent way for kids to practice their new reading abilities!

🖊️ Providing Direct Instruction in Phonics and Spelling

When students are given explicit instruction in phonics and spelling rules, they learn these skills much faster compared to when they are left to figure things out independently. Many edtech programs provide interactive games and activities that teach students basic spelling rules by reinforcing correct letter combinations as they practice writing words over time. They also often include quizzes that allow teachers to assess how well students understand these rules so they can adjust their instructions accordingly.

🖊️ Teaching Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is perhaps the most crucial skill for all students to develop, but it can be incredibly challenging for those who have been out of school for several years or who have learning disabilities that make it difficult for them to decode words on sight. Edtech tools like read-aloud programs, online text-to-speech software, and interactive storybook apps can help struggling readers work on their comprehension skills by reading aloud to them while they follow along with a book or watch the words appear on screen as they read aloud.

🖊️ The Use of EdTech in Schools

When children are exposed to educational apps, they are allowed to explore, interact and learn in different ways than they otherwise might have. The devices keep them engaged through various interactive games, puzzles and quizzes. This helps young learners develop their problem-solving skills, critical thinking abilities and their sense of wonder. In addition, educational apps offer a way for students to practice the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy outside the classroom.

Some teachers create lesson plans incorporating educational apps into the classroom, while others rely on the devices as supplemental tools. With newer devices like augmented reality glasses, students can experience learning in new ways that let them discover new concepts through hands-on experiences. Educational apps can be used with an inexpensive tablet or smartphone at home or in the classroom. They provide another way for parents to help their children develop foundational skills in a fun way.

As a pedagogy-driven organization, we at Square Panda India are constantly in pursuit of improvements and betterment for the future of early education. In order to maintain a high level of professional expertise, we focus on research, technology, training institutes, and best practices to cater to the demands of the changing educational environment in India. 

The first edition of Square Panda India’s ‘Pencil Power Report’ (PPR), the brainchild of Ashish Jhalani, President International Markets at Square Panda, was released ahead of Children’s Day. Some of the country’s top minds were brought together to outline a future course for ECCE in India. “The report symbolises hope and recognises that we have a very progressive government, capable of hardcore implementation,” quotes Ashish Jhalani.

Rote learning is well embedded in the Indian education sector and there’s no denying that. The best of the schools and coaching classes wouldn’t shy away from admitting this harsh truth. We don’t know who to blame for instilling the rote learning culture in the Indian education ecosystem – strict teachers, the educators, or the education sector as a whole? While we can’t put a finger on who started it, we definitely understand and acknowledge the need to rise above it. 

Students have been practicing rote learning for decades now. Some students study to only pass an exam. Their rote learning habits are so bad they may not even be able to answer any questions after an exam is over with. This bad practice of studying doesn’t develop a child’s mind, contributing absolutely no knowledge or learning.  

🖊️ Take a look at the characteristics of rote learning: 

• Mechanical learning
• Arbitrarily related content 
• Information is easy to forget 
• Data is stored in short-term memory

The biggest disadvantage of rote learning is that the children are not motivated to learn any concept in depth or further explore anything related to the concept. One of the most relevant examples of rote learning is how all students learn tables by multiple repetitions, without knowing why they have to learn tables.

Children first need to be introduced to the concept of tables and why they need to learn them. Having enough knowledge on the application of tables and how it could help them in future may inspire students to learn tables differently.

We put emphasis on modern way of education to change the age-old methods of children as well as educators alike. Some of the approaches of modern education that need to be instilled in children and educators include:

🖊️ Mindful Learning:

In this approach teachers are expected to teach a concept in depth and also give information related to the concept. As to when and in what situations it could be useful for children to learn that particular concept. This helps children co-relate the importance and this could help make children mindful about the career and subject choices they intend to make. These modern teaching practices help children develop a habit to indulge in critical thinking and problem solving.     

🖊️ Cognitive Learning

This is an active type of learning that encourages children to use their brain more effectively. The idea is to fully engage children contrary to memorization with repetition. Cognitive learning uses various strategies that benefit children in ways more than one. Some of the helpful cognitive strategies include encouraging active discussion among children, teaching students how they can connect ideas, guide them to justify their answers, and have them consciously reflect on their learnings. Besides these learning habits, it’s also important for children to keep up with technology for there’s no end to the list of benefits of technology in education.

🖊️ Emotional Intelligence

It is imperative for children to understand their emotions and be aware of their reflexes and reactions. Embedding emotional intelligence among young infants not only teaches them social skills but helps them understand situations better. Talking about emotions with children can help them cope with their feelings at school and in social situations. Some children have a hard time facing failure, and this becomes very obvious in the way they react to losing at a game or getting a low score at a test. If they don’t react well in these situations, it’s time to start by making the shift in their behavior.  

Mindful and cognitive learning habits when consciously practiced by students and teachers alike can change the entire scope of education. These practices also help the children, teachers, and parents realize whether the child is a visual learner, auditory learner, or kinaesthetic learner. Besides, children develop a habit of looking at the big picture when learning small concepts, and can efficiently achieve a big task at hand.  

When these skills are embedded in children at a young age they grow into mindful adults who learn a number of life skills to handle different situations. Square Panda India is working towards changing the approach of learning in India at the grassroot level. This could result in a great shift of attitude and critical thinking among young adults, which gradually will result in sustainable development. To know more about Square Panda’s initiative, visit  https://ecce.squarepanda.in/

Taking on responsibility may sound like a challenge for most young people. However, they may find it thrilling to make a choice or take an action without the input of parents or other adult authority figures. When young adults grow up with no sense of responsibility, they may often have trouble adjusting to society. The problem then grows beyond an individual, and engages an entire community. Thus, instilling personal responsibility in children early on becomes vital. 

Personal responsibility is the keystone of all other behaviors.
As a parent, you want your children to grow into responsible adults. But how do you impart responsibility among children? Is it through discipline, or do you coddle and pamper them? In a sense, the answer is both. You must be consistent in your discipline and praise them for good behavior, but also teach them what constitutes acceptable behavior and what does not. When children are young, they are learning to be autonomous beings and making choices that affect their lives. As parents, we have to help them navigate the world and develop their confidence and ability to do so.

If a child doesn’t understand that they are in charge of their own actions, it becomes impossible to teach them a sense of responsibility. At the same time, parents also need to be responsible for their children’s actions. You have to take ownership over what they do to set an example and teach them how to be accountable.

There are many ways to cultivate personal responsibility in our children. Here are just a few:

🖊️ Be a Role Model

Children learn by example, so it is essential to demonstrate the behaviors you want them to adopt. If you want your child to demonstrate a certain set of behaviors, be their guiding light by setting a good example. Children will likely follow suit, so they must see you doing things for yourself without having to ask for help or rely on someone else.

🖊️ Encourage Independence and Self-Reliance

Children need to learn how to make their own choices, act on those, and deal with the consequences of those actions. So they need opportunities to practice making decisions and figuring things out independently — such as solving problems independently or taking care of tasks like getting dressed or packing lunches. Let them try things alone, even if you have to start the task first, so they can see what you’re doing. 

🖊️Reinforce Positive Behavior

Give them more opportunities to do activities that require them to be responsible, and let them know how proud you are of their good decision-making. For example, if your child puts toys away after playing with them, praise or give reward for the accomplishment. A pat on the back, a high-five, or encouraging words work just fine. By making sure that they feel good about behaving responsibly and knowing they will be rewarded for it, you can help set the stage for your kids to grow up into responsible adults capable of making sound judgments. 

🖊️ Teach Problem-Solving Skills

Help children learn how to identify problems and come up with solutions. Encourage them by praising them when they come up with creative answers — even if they aren’t always successful at solving problems immediately! For instance, if a child says, “I don’t know how to build this”, you could ask, “What do you think would help?” This way, the child learns to come up with ideas and solutions on their own.

If you notice your child has a problem they can’t solve on their own, it’s okay to step in and try finding a solution together. You don’t want to overstep your boundaries and take away from the sense of accomplishment they get from solving problems independently, but there’s nothing wrong with facilitating and encouraging their efforts. Be sure to give lots of positive feedback when they do come up with workable solutions!

🖊️ Teach Them to Say “No” 

Kids need to learn to say no to people who ask for favors or gifts they do not want. This is an important social skill that will help them avoid being taken advantage of. It could also teach them to be polite when someone makes an unreasonable request. Teach your child what “no” means, then practice saying it aloud until they get comfortable with it. If you are worried about hurting someone’s feelings, teach them how to say “I would rather not” or “ No, thank you.”

🖊️ Teach Them That There Are Consequences For Bad Behavior

Young children are naturally curious, but don’t always understand the consequences of their actions. As they grow, they need guidance to develop good habits and have an attitude that will help them become responsible adults. Most children know by age five or six that if they hit another kid or break something in a fit of anger, there will be consequences (e.g., time out). But parents need to keep reinforcing this. When kids get in trouble, you have an opportunity to explain what’s wrong with what they did and how to make amends for it. Take the time to talk about mistakes, apologize for your own mistakes, and help your kids devise ways to fix things. If a mistake is relatively minor, try to find a way for them to learn from it without punishing them too harshly. Think of it as building a foundation to build upon when they’re older.

Square Panda encourages holistic development among children with its programs, and engages parents and communities as well in the learning journey. To know more about solutions and interventions, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

In India, most teachers use traditional tests to assess students’ progress. These exams are given at the end of each unit or term to measure how well students have retained the knowledge they’ve gained. However, modern educational requirements demand assessment methods that foster student growth and improved teaching methodologies. This is where formative assessment plays an essential role in improving student learning outcomes.

Formative assessments are learning strategies to provide immediate feedback on student progress, and can help teachers determine exactly where each student stands. This helps teachers understand their students are up to speed before moving forward with new concepts or skills.

According to a Unicef report, using formative evaluations can help students understand their learning processes and identify areas in which they may need guidance. Since formative assessments are ongoing throughout the course, teachers can identify problems early on before they become too difficult for the student to overcome later on in the course or even during class. Teachers can offer more examples or practice opportunities when they notice a student is having trouble with a particular topic.

🖊️ Formative vs. Summative Assessment

Summative assessments are tests that are taken once after all of the learning has been completed. They measure how much information has been learned or retained by students. These types of assessments help determine whether or not a lesson was successful or if it needs to be revised. However, they cannot evaluate if there are still gaps in the learning process that need to be filled before moving forward with new material.

Formative assessment is a process that allows teachers to evaluate student learning and provide feedback to students before they move on to the next lesson. As a result, teachers can change their approach, modify their instruction or adjust materials based on what they learn from assessment results. Formative assessments are usually ongoing throughout the semester and are not designed to be used once at the end of a course like summative assessments. 

🖊️ Formative assessment strategies include:

• Pre-assessments are assessments administered before instruction begins and are used to provide an overview of student learning so teachers can plan accordingly.
• Assessments during instruction allow teachers to gauge student understanding of concepts and ideas as they are presented.
• After the instruction has been completed, post-assessments allow teachers to determine if students learned what was expected of them.

🖊️ The Need of Formative Assessments

In addition to a negative impact on the academic year, the abrupt closure of schools due to Covid19 pandemic resulted in children missing out on core-teacher interaction, learning opportunities provided by classroom instruction, and peer interaction. Remote learning also had its own limitations in the Indian context. In order to restore learning after the pandemic, schools need to be able to identify gaps in students’ understanding and be able to provide them with the necessary support.
As a result, post-pandemic, formative assessment has become an increasingly important means to assess learning loss due to Covid19 school closures.

Formative assessments can be administered in many ways: by having students complete quizzes, answer multiple-choice questions or write short responses to open-ended questions. For example, think about a quiz that asks students to recall key points from a lecture or read silently while listening to an audio recording of the studied material. Here are some ways formative assessments foster student growth:

🖊️ Provide Guidance to Students

Formative assessments allow teachers to pinpoint where students are having trouble so that they can provide additional instruction in that area. In addition to identifying specific areas for improvement, formative assessments allow teachers to provide constructive feedback so students can see what they’re doing right and wrong. This helps them learn from their mistakes and become better at solving problems in the future.

🖊️ Promote Self-reflection 

Students who receive formative assessments often have the opportunity to reflect on their work and ask themselves questions like “What did I do well?” or “What could I have done better?” This process can help them develop a deeper understanding of concepts.

🖊️ Help Students Practice Skills without Stress

Students don’t always perform as well when they feel under pressure, so formative assessments allow them to experiment with new strategies and get feedback before the stakes are too high such as during a quiz or test. This gives them a safe space where they can learn from their mistakes and try again until they succeed — which can boost confidence and improve test scores later on.

Square Panda India’s comprehensive programs utilize formative assessments to motivate and inspire students. This helps them realize their full potential while keeping them actively engaged and motivated to continue learning in a joyful manner. To know more visit, https://ecce.squarepanda.in/

A teacher’s day is far from easy. There are endless meetings, a blizzard of emails, and piles of paperwork that need to be filled out just for their classroom. They’re expected to plan engaging lessons and lead classrooms full of students with vastly different needs. Teachers are expected to remain calm in the face of complex student behaviors, deal with parents who are sometimes unreasonable, and try not to lose their cool when they open up an assignment only to find it has been filled with senseless answers or drawings. A teacher’s job would be a tall order even if they had enough time and resources, but the reality is that many teachers work in school environments that are underfunded and overburdened.

As our society increasingly values standardized test scores, schools focus more on test prep than learning. As a result, some teachers find themselves forced to spend most of their time teaching for the test instead of engaging students in interactive learning. The ultimate goal of teaching should inspire learning something new everyday and preparing students to pursue aspiring careers. 

Teachers are expected to educate students from all walks of life, which may vary in intellect levels, emotional problems, and attitude. This can really throw a wrench into the system. According to the UNESCO report on the State of Education in India, about 16% of pre-primary, 8% of primary, and 13% of upper-primary teachers in Bihar are underqualified. About 3% of secondary school teachers and 1% of higher-secondary level instructors also lack proper credentials. The report recommends integrating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) into the curriculum and reforming teacher training, so teachers have career pathways.

To improve student learning outcomes, teacher empowerment is imperative. Teachers need to feel confident and comfortable with their role in the classroom to effectively engage with students and provide them with the best possible learning experiences. Here are some ways that we can empower teachers:

🖊️Reduce the Workload

Schools expect teachers to complete a lot of paperwork, give students constant assignments, and narrow down the education process to things that are usually related to standardized tests. Teachers have to keep up with timelines, remain constantly aware of the latest trends in education, and keep track of every new development regarding their student’s academic achievement. To empower teachers, schools must reduce their workloads by eliminating unnecessary paperwork, such as weekly lesson plans, reducing class sizes, and should hire more administrative staff to handle repetitive tasks. They can also help teachers manage their time better by providing support such as online lesson plans or hiring coaches to design curriculums and provide assistance with student behavior management.

🖊️ Collaboration with Other Teachers

Teachers need time to collaborate on best practices, share ideas about curriculum and technology integration strategies, observe one another’s classrooms, and learn new techniques for engaging students through hands-on activities. The most effective teachers use these types of practices every day to refine their craft and enhance the learning environment for their students.

By collaborating with colleagues, teachers can gain insight into how to improve their teaching practices, resulting in improved classroom learning. Teachers can also learn new techniques of engaging students that help keep kids focussed. It is also advised for teachers to meet regularly and discuss students’ progress, and what they could do differently for a better outcome.   

To facilitate collaboration among teachers, management must make it a point to have their teachers build a rapport with colleagues through special teacher conferences. Management also needs to support teachers willing to take on leadership roles by delegating responsibilities and providing necessary training.

🖊️ Continuous Professional Development

During the Pandemic, the education sector experienced one of the greatest transformations of shifting from conventional classrooms to online classes and virtual schools. Along with the students, the teachers across the country were also finding their way around virtual schooling. Let’s be honest, the teachers, parents, and students took some time to get accustomed to the online scheduled classes and meetings. That said, it is imperative for teachers to keep up with technology and trends to effectively conduct a class full of students. Continuous Professional Development helps educators stay updated with the latest technologies & skills to effectively offer engaging lessons relevant to today’s classrooms. Providing an opportunity for continued education during work hours encourages teachers to pursue professional development. 

Square Panda India’s Anganwadi Workers Upskilling Program aims to empower Anganwadi workers, transforming these centers to their fullest potential for children’s holistic development. Learn more about our programs here

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, including the brain, the senses and related behaviors. Neural Education is a unique self-directed learning method that works with your brain to develop a deeper understanding of how it processes information. It emphasizes a positive mood and promotes long-term learning to ensure learners retain all new knowledge for life.

Neural education uses neuroscience to help people learn better and think more clearly through learning strategies that take advantage of what we know about how our brains work. 

Understanding Your Brain to Help You Learn Better

The brain is made up of neurons, cells that transmit information throughout our bodies through electrical signals. When neurons fire together in a certain sequence, we form memories and learn new skills. The more connections you make between neurons, the stronger those connections become. This is why repetition is so important in learning — if you’re trying to learn something new, try repeating it over and over again until you get it right. This way, more connections are made between neurons each time you repeat something, making it easier for you to remember in the future.

The more senses that are involved in learning something new, the better the chance that information will be remembered later. For example, reading about something isn’t as effective as hearing or seeing someone demonstrate what they’re talking about; likewise, hearing something isn’t as effective as seeing or doing it yourself.

Learning Strategies That Are More Compatible With Your Brain

✍️ Repetitive Activation of Neurons

One way to stimulate our brain is through repetition. Familiar sights, sounds, and situations produce a wave of activity across the brain’s cortex. This repeated activation reinforces the neural pathway and makes it easier for us to process future information associated with these experiences. 

When we’re trying to memorize something like a math problem or a poem, repeating it several times will help build synaptic trails between the neurons involved in learning this material. The repetition of these connections between neurons will leave the child with a more efficient way to process information.

✍️ Spaced Practice

Research has shown that spaced learning is a technique that involves different spaced-out study sessions for learning material across time. Essentially, this is a way of spacing out your studying over one to two weeks. Spaced learning has been shown to improve long-term retention.

When you study the same material in one sitting, you activate neurons associated with that information in your brain. This repeated activation can lead to a reduced ability to recall the information later on in time. However, by taking breaks between study sessions, you allow yourself to take advantage of what’s known as “interference theory.” 

Interference theory states that new memories compete with old ones and will eventually replace them unless they are continually reinforced by additional study or practice sessions. If you go too long without studying something, it becomes easier for new information to replace it in your mind because you haven’t reinforced those old memories enough times yet. Students must try breaking up their study schedule into smaller chunks throughout the week or month to take advantage of interference theory while implementing spaced learning techniques.

Here’s how neural education can make learning more effective:

👉 Understand Childhood Development

The first few years of life are the most critical development stage, and it is during this time that neural connections are formed. These connections form the basis for how we learn, behave, and interact with others throughout our lives. As a result, children who do not receive proper care in their early years can suffer developmental delays affecting their entire life later on. Neural Education can help teachers & educators understand how neural connections are formed during this critical stage to provide children with personalized education plans.

👉 Self-Monitoring

Learners are encouraged to evaluate their own performance on tasks to see how well they are doing and adjust their strategy accordingly. Learners discover what works best for them personally by engaging in this kind of self-monitoring. They also start getting feedback from their instructors about what strategies work well for them in specific subject areas or situations.

👉 Cognitive Tutoring

Neural Education uses cognitive tutoring, a specialized form of computer-based teaching that allows students to learn at their own pace. It also provides students with feedback based on their individual learning styles — something many teachers are not equipped to do effectively. The cognitive tutor adapts its lessons based on how well each student performs, so students can learn without getting frustrated or bored with repetitive exercises they already understand. 

The Bottom Line

Teachers can use neural education as a supplementary teaching aid in classroom environments. Incorporating strategies and techniques inspired by the principles of neural education will allow teachers to make their lessons more experiential and interactive while addressing students’ diverse learning styles.

Square Panda India helps educators build their capacity for neural education by providing them with resources to inspire classroom practice and professional development opportunities that will equip them with the knowledge and skills required for improving student learning outcomes. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in 

Restorative practices are a set of strategies that help foster safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments. They can be used to address a wide range of issues, from conflict to bullying to mental health problems. 

As the name suggests, they focus on repairing harm where it has occurred and preventing it from taking root. Such practices have been implemented in classrooms worldwide, showing positive results across various issues. If implemented correctly, the use of restorative practices is likely to lead to improved classroom management, greater levels of civility and respect between students and staff, and more trust and predictability throughout the school.  Here’s how they can help in school settings:

• Reduce suspensions and expulsions: Restorative practices often involve more than just one person at a time. This helps reduce the number of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests in schools by helping students feel more connected to their peers and teachers.
• Reduce bullying and other behavioral problems: Restorative practices help students learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully, reducing bullying among students and different types of misbehavior (such as vandalism or theft).
• Increase academic performance: Students who engage in restorative practices report less stress about schoolwork because they can resolve problems with teachers instead of getting into trouble with them. Students also tend to do better academically when they learn how to solve conflicts themselves instead of being punished for them.

Restorative practices are a positive and proactive approach to discipline that focuses on repairing harm and strengthening relationships. They can help create a more effective school climate by building trust, cooperation, and mutual respect among students, parents, educators, and administrators. Here’s how restorative practices can be used in the classroom setting:

• Peer Mediation: Students work together to solve conflicts rather than turning them over to adults. This can be done through peer juries or mediating circles, where students have a voice in deciding how to resolve conflicts among their peers. This form of mediation encourages leadership skills and helps create relationships where students feel more comfortable discussing their issues without fear of being judged by anyone but their peers.
• Family Conferencing: Parents are invited into the classroom to discuss how best to support their child’s learning process and how they can help keep their child on a track towards reaching academic goals. This allows teachers and parents to clarify strategies for supporting a student’s learning at home and school to improve academic performance.
• Restorative Circles: These are often used after an incident has occurred in which students have been hurt or offended by another student’s behavior (e.g., name-calling). The group gathers together with the teacher present but not leading or directing the discussion. Instead, each student tells their story about what happened and how it made them feel, followed by listening from other members of the group who were involved or affected by what happened. This helps create opportunities for healing while preventing future problems from arising between those involved.

A survey of schools showed that 97% of schools found whole-school restorative approaches to be effective in preventing bullying. Here are some ideas for building restorative practices in your school:

👉 Identify the Problem 

If a student is misbehaving or being disruptive, ask yourself if you know why. Is there an underlying issue? For example, did something happen at home or at lunch? Did someone push their buttons? You should always ask these questions when dealing with students who exhibit problematic behaviors. In addition, you may need to investigate what happened prior to the incident to understand why your student acted out.

👉 Let go of Perfectionism

It’s vital that you don’t mistake restorative practice for perfectionism. Restorative practice doesn’t mean that everything is perfect all the time. In fact, restorative practice acknowledges that there will always be conflict in our schools and classrooms — but it also means that you can use strategies to address those conflicts so they don’t escalate into bigger problems (like school violence).

👉 Ensure Students Understand Why They’re Participating

Students will be more likely to participate if they understand why they participate in these activities. It can be helpful for teachers to give students an explanation of why they are taking part in a restorative practice, such as, “Today we’re going to talk about what happened between you two yesterday at recess.” This helps students understand that they’re not being punished, but rather that this is a chance to solve their problems together as equals.

Create opportunities for students to get involved in community-building activities like volunteering at a local food bank or helping out at an animal shelter during lunchtime or after school. This allows students to work together on a project that benefits others. It also helps them develop empathy for others who may be struggling more than they are by allowing them to see how their actions impact others around them.

👉 Allow Students Time for Reflection

Restorative practices work best when there’s time for reflection afterward. Teachers should give students time to talk about what happened during each activity and how it made them feel so that everyone feels comfortable moving forward without any lingering issues.

When implemented well, these strategies can lead to peaceful school communities where students feel safe and valued for who they are and what they do.

Restorative practices will revolutionise the education sector. It will change how children view their mistakes and teachers as facilitators instead of severe punishments. As a result, the focus will shift to improving the behavior and not on one’s talent. As such, restorative practices are indeed one of the best ways to solve mischievous activities among children.

Square Panda India uses diverse approaches to ensure children progress in a joyful and holistic manner. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in 

Pre-kindergarten is the first significant milestone in your child’s education. Yet, it’s also challenging because you and your child are separated for most of the day. Your child will be learning many new things, so it’s vital that they feel comfortable and secure in their new surroundings. Knowing exactly what to expect during their first day of school can make the separation anxiety a little bit easier on both of you and ensure that they are making the best possible transition into their new classroom.

The following activities will help you and your child be fully prepared for kindergarten.

👉 Talk about the classroom

Talk about what you know about the classroom, like where it is located, what it looks like, who goes there, and why. Then, ask your child questions about their thoughts and feelings on going to pre-k. Are they excited? Nervous? What do they think might happen? What do you think will happen? Tell them about how their day will go, what activities they will do, and who they will have as teachers or other staff members at the school.

The best preparation for this transition is knowing that this is just one more step in the growing-up process. Maintain a sense of excitement for this new experience with your child, but also make sure to ease any worries they might have about leaving you for the first time. Leaving for a few hours doesn’t mean your parent/child relationship will change, it is just another step toward independence!

Here are some ways to help your tot experience the class environment:

• Sing songs together that promote good behavior and positive interactions with friends and family members.
• Read books together that focus on getting ready for school or starting a new adventure in life, such as going to the dentist, or visiting grandma’s house for the first time!
• Have pretend playtime with toys that represent items found in a classroom setting like desks, chairs and pencils etc.

👉 Teach your child how to follow directions

You know that your child will enter a classroom full of new challenges, but you probably haven’t given much thought to how they will learn to handle those challenges. Your child is used to playing freely in the house and doesn’t have much experience following directions. If your child is not used to listening, this is the time to start practicing. You can start with simple commands like “Put your shoes on”, or “Pick up the Toys”. 

If they don’t listen the first time around, don’t give up! Keep repeating the command until they comply. This will help them learn to follow directions when teachers ask them to sit still, listen and behave appropriately in a group of other children. Practice at home will make all these things easier for your child.

👉 Help them learn how to share

Many kids struggle with sharing even though they want something or someone else has something they want! Teaching them how to share early on will help them be more willing to do so in pre-K. How you approach the issue of sharing will depend a lot on your child’s age, developmental level, and ability to communicate with them effectively.

Younger children may not understand the concept of ownership and therefore have difficulty grasping why they can’t just take something another child has. To explain why it’s important to share with others, you can start by teaching them about fair play and fairness—that if one person is playing with a specific toy, then everyone who wants to use it should take turns.

These lessons can also be reinforced at home through routines where you’re all using the same item at the same time, like when one sibling is drawing at the table while another is playing with blocks nearby. Show your child by example that sharing space is essential for everyone to get along.

👉 Establish a Routine

A new routine can be challenging for tots, and it will take some time to get them used to it. This is why you should start weeks before school starts. You want to ensure that your child’s sleep schedule is in order, their eating habits are correct, and they know what their day will be like when they return to school. 

Begin by creating a schedule for the day with specific times for meals, snacks, playtime, and quiet time. Be sure to include special events like going on walks and trips to the library in your schedule. Ensure your child is well rested and fed before beginning your daily routine. Tired children are much more likely to have trouble adapting to a new schedule.

The first week of school is always filled with tears, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By setting up a routine for your child that follows their natural daily rhythm, you can avoid many pitfalls of adjusting to the demands of school life. 

At Square Panda India, we are committed to building the future of education. We bring together educators, parents and children, using cutting-edge technology to directly improve learning outcomes. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in