The Assam government has taken progressive steps towards implementing the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) that aims to bring out holistic qualitative improvements in academic education. By 2022, the state hopes to implement 75 percent of the guidelines outlined NEP 2020, with total compliance to be achieved by 2023.

The government has already directed schools and colleges to merge the State Education Board of Assam (SEBA) and the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council by next year. More than 1000 high schools will be converted into higher secondary schools under the first phase of reforms announced by the government, which has also decided to merge lower primary and middle levels of education to prevent students from dropping out.

The policy aims primarily to bridge the gap between enrollment, attendance, and quality of education in formal schooling. It also aims to improve basic literacy, enhance uptake of non-formal education, and promote both equivalence and equity in learning outcomes for all children regardless of the types of schools they are enrolled in. 

Square Panda’s foundational learning programs and educator empowerment programs perfectly align with the NEP 2020’s vision, and the efforts of the Assam government to improve education outcomes. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Formative Assessment

Currently, no conclusive data is available in India for elementary and middle schools to assess learning levels at crucial transition points, such as those from primary to middle school and then to senior grades. Without such information, teachers cannot identify students who fall behind, leading to learning gaps later in life.

NEP 2020 focuses on regular formative assessment rather than summative assessment and how it is essential as a foundational principle of the curriculum. Additionally, the policy mentions assessments as one of its foundational principles that encourage practical learning strategies.

Square Panda India offers programs that provide a formative assessment of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress using various methods, including quizzes, conversations, and activities. Our programs have integrated assessment tools that allow educators and parents insight into each child’s learning process. It tracks progress with detailed graphs, task completion logs, real-time assessments, and sophisticated personalization algorithms based on the individual student’s profile. It also gives a complete report on each skill in an easy-to-read format.

Developing New-Age Methodologies Of Teaching

NEP 2020 describes a whole new way of teaching beyond rote learning. Instead, it emphasises experiential learning via gamification and apps. It’s more than just memorizing textbooks – it encourages holistic learning using the web to discover new things every day. 

We believe that education should be an experience that goes beyond the classroom. By incorporating new-age skills into our existing teaching framework, we provide young learners with a fun and exciting environment to explore their cognitive, social, and emotional potential. Our mission is to create future innovators ready for the globalized world through holistic learning, and we aim for them to realize their potential by equipping them with the requisite skill sets. Our programs are made to suit practically any demographic and have been carefully curated based on years of research, client feedback, interactions with kids & parents, and formal training.

Inclusivity and equality

NEP 2020 aims to provide equitable access to education for all types of learners, across social strata, demographics, and geographies. It is primarily focusing on delivering early education for all in order to tackle the learning crisis. 

We believe that inclusive classrooms where students with diverse learning needs and backgrounds interact can help eradicate systemic inequalities. At Square Panda, we focus on delivering multisensory and inclusive foundational learning programs to meet teachers’ diverse teaching needs. Our adaptive platform uses AI to personalize lesson plans to individual learners based on the requirements of each student, thus delivering curricula tailored to their specific needs or knowledge state.

Placing an emphasis on world-class technology, modern teaching pedagogies, and future-ready curriculum is the need of the hour. Our programs are designed to help educators understand how children learn, thus giving them the necessary insights needed to teach children effectively. In addition to this unique curriculum, educators will also have access to professional development courses, which will provide them with a complete understanding of English pronunciation, grammar, reading comprehension, filing skills, and writing proficiency. 

With NEP 2020’s policy principles and Square Panda India’s array of programs founded in scientific principles of the 21^st century, we believe its implementation can equip educators with vital skills and concepts, and help them effectively share their wisdom with eager young minds. In doing so, we can leverage strong curriculum and state-of-the-art resources to reimagine education across all levels, and in doing so create a brighter future for the nation.

To know more about our programs, please visit https://ecce.squarepanda.in/ or email us at marketing@squarepanda.in

Teaching Kindergarten children online is no small feat—so much to consider, so many challenges. First, there are few restrictions as with in-person classes, so teachers must be on their toes at all times. Second, children can be distracted by far more things than physical teachers are used to. Add video calls, various methods of communication and chatting, or simply spending too much time trying to figure out the technology involved, and it can be quite a difficult task to keep students’ attention focused on classwork. An online survey revealed that 84% of teachers experienced challenges during online classes, such as maintaining discipline, keeping parents from interfering, and figuring out online etiquette.

Many factors come into play with an online class, and teachers must be prepared to change how they teach. As an educator, you must be aware of how these factors affect your teaching style and how you can make the best adjustments to serve your students best. Aside from being creative in your teaching style, it’s also vital that you establish a good rapport with the students and their parents. That said, here are three challenges virtual learners may face and suggestions on how to overcome them.
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🤔 Challenge: Students Passiveness

Anyone who teaches has faced the challenge of converting passive learners, or students that are disengaged, into a state of active learning. They are present only physically, with their mind elsewhere. They don’t read the materials or do the homework, and don’t ask questions or engage in discussion. They just watch or listen and let knowledge wash over them. The challenge of teaching passive learners is especially apparent for kindergarteners, who have not yet developed independent problem-solving skills or exhibit autonomy over their own study habits.

💡 Solution: Formative Assessment

There are a variety of ways this can be beneficial, such as allowing students to receive ongoing feedback throughout the learning process. Classroom assessment practices should be designed to enable students to practice the course material under low-stakes conditions before the final assessment. It also helps educators gain insight into whether their students understand the content. Rather than testing what students think they know about the topic, formative assessments allow you to determine how well students comprehend content and guide instruction based on that information.
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🤔 Challenge: Limited Interaction

The lack of interaction between teachers and students impacts learning in many ways. If a child is struggling with a particular concept or activity, a face-to-face interaction would help quickly identify and remedy the problem. An online instructor cannot see when students are confused and cannot provide help individually; this hinders progress in learning. Additionally, some children may feel reluctant to ask questions or admit they are struggling with a concept, because they will be embarrassed to ask questions in front of their peers.

💡 Solution: Constructive Feedback

Since online coursework is self-paced, it raises questions of how to give effective feedback quickly yet reasonably. By explaining the reasons behind the evaluation and suggesting ways to improve, you can encourage students to think about their current progress and what they can do to move forward positively. Effective feedback loops are crucial to helping impactful learning happen, no matter which platform you teach on. Without them, distance learning either goes nowhere or runs the risk of being a students’ least favourite class. To get your point across in an online course, sometimes you may need to use examples and stories or react to a student’s assignment.
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🤔 Challenge: Lack of Collaboration

The need to communicate successfully is another essential element of successful online education. Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of teaching kindergarteners online is that collaboration may be challenging to achieve when children are not physically present together. Children may have issues communicating with other children because of their young age and inability to express themselves properly.

💡 Solution: Frequent Communication

Give your students a chance to give each other feedback and receive feedback from their peers – it’ll help improve classroom participation. You’ll also be helping them build their communication skills, which will pay off throughout their school years and beyond. Model good feedback techniques during mini-lessons before students practice assessing each other’s work.

Encourage your students to share their ideas with each other and then get back in the loop with you. If you notice that feedback from peers is conflicting, or if you hear something from one student that makes you think of something new to try in class, use that opportunity to get feedback from all of your students. You’ll be amazed at how much information you can gather by doing this.
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In an effort to aid teachers in teaching online courses, various technologies have been designed to help improve the student experience and effectiveness of online learning. At Square Panda India, we are committed to creating a learner-centric education ecosystem. We understand both challenges and possibilities of technology in classrooms. Our experts collaborate with educators, parents and children to build online solutions that use the power of technology to improve learning outcomes.

To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in

Foundational Learning is an essential building block for the future knowledge we are yet to attain, for it provides the essential fundamentals of reading, writing, vocabulary, mathematics and literacy skills needed by school-aged children. If children fall behind in the early years of schooling, they are likely to underperform and fail to achieve their full potential. 

In India, many children do not have access to a preschool or childcare program, and there are very few pre-primary schools that focus on the needs of very young children. To ensure all children are on the same playing field with respect to learning, it is crucial to prioritize education during these early years.

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) released a report on the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in India, highlighting the importance of FLN in the Indian context. The report establishes a composite index on the five key domains that govern the learning environment for children aged below ten across 41 indicators. These domains include:

1. Education infrastructure 
2. Access to education 
3. Basic health 
4. Learning outcomes, and 
5. Governance. 

The methodology adopted to assign the weight in the index is Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

The study indicates that some states lagged behind in the Governance pillar, with over half of the states scored below the national average—the lowest across all pillars. This data helps states assess their budgetary measures and identify any gaps hampering progress in education.

Following are some key takeaways from the report:

• Kerala leads the pack as the top-scoring region among smaller states, with a score of 67.95
• West Bengal is the top-scoring region among large states, with a score of 58.95. 
• Lakshadweep is the leading Union Territory with a score of 52.69, while Mizoram is the highest ranked state in the Northeast state category, with 51.64%. 
• Some states score higher than others on the issue of access to education. Rajasthan and Gujarat score 25.67 and 22.28, respectively, whereas Bihar scores 18.23%. By contrast, the northeastern states as a whole do significantly better in terms of access to education. The states in this region average 51.3%.
• The educational standards in Kerala are vastly different from the rest of the country. This significant variation has been noticed in the learning outcomes and educational infrastructure, which needs immediate attention from all the states. There is a marked difference in the percentage of literacy in various states. The highest literacy rate was recorded in Kerala, with 96.2%. The lowest was registered in Rajasthan, with 69.7%.
• The findings in the report reveal a literacy gap between males and females. While the national literacy rate for males is 84.7%, the literacy rate for females is only 70.3%.
• Although all states can gain critical insights from high performers, they can also learn from each other, even if some are lower performers. Finding out what is working in other states when addressing challenges might be a helpful starting point. 

Speaking at the report’s release, Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairman, EAC-PM, said, “Education leads to positive externalities, and the quality of education imparted is essential, especially during the formative years. The present attainments in literacy and numeracy and the variations among states should be the focus for remedial action.”

Offering his perspective, Square Panda India MD Ashish Jhalani had this to say: “Right education, accessibility to resources, teacher-child relationship and lastly educational infrastructure especially in rural areas are the key areas which our country needs to focus on. Expansion of technology in education will not replace teachers but enhance the solutions for children in the existing education system.”

The report, co-authored by Square Panda India MD Ashish Jhalani, presents evidence of factors contributing to India’s low learning outcomes in early grades and offers pathways for improvements. 

To read the full report, click here: https://competitiveness.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Report_on_state_of_foundational_learning_and_numeracy_web_version.pdf 

Square Panda India has been at the forefront of research in education technology and is now leveraging that to deliver high-quality early learning products to preschool children across India. With our research in pedagogy, we have configured our content and blended it with an interactive digital platform to be specific to the Indian content standards and benchmarks highlighted by the National Education Policy. As kids become increasingly tech-savvy, it’s essential to develop them as critical and creative thinkers at an early age so that they can meet the demands of today’s fast-paced world.

To know more about our work across the education ecosystem, visit https://ecce.squarepanda.in/ 

While many students are excited to join a virtual classroom and take part in learning experiences that are usually more hands-on, others may be reluctant about taking part. Additionally, digital platforms such as Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet can also exacerbate the problem by making it difficult to know when it is appropriate to speak up.

Many teachers feel that changes in the classroom have been affected by the increased prevalence of an online curriculum. 84% of teachers report challenges in providing education digitally. They are concerned about gaps in their student’s knowledge and skills and managing student behavior. 

Teachers who teach online courses often find that their students do not feel involved enough in the class and that their attention spans diminish with every class period. Simply posting class materials and having them read them and respond in writing could be effective, but that alone doesn’t always work. 

Here are some strategies geared for reluctant participants that you can use to energize your classroom discussions.

📌 Increase Teacher’s Presence

Online classes should require the same workload as a traditional class does. Teachers should take advantage of the online classroom to interact with students individually. If a student is taking an online class, it should take up the same effort as a traditional face-to-face class. You need to make yourself visible and interact with their students more often to get the full effect of what they are trying to learn. Teachers need to respond to email and any other available tools so that the student knows that their opinion is valued. 

Students who have attended an online class will tell you that they appreciate that the teacher is easily accessible, has a real voice and can be heard and seen, as opposed to a video or audio recording. Teachers can see each student’s reaction to the material they present at any given time, as well as their facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. This allows teachers to gauge better what is working and what is not working when teaching the course material. A teacher in an online classroom can also hear every comment made by every student in real-time. This allows for a more interactive experience for both the teacher and the students. 

📌 Regularly Provide Feedback

Use private and public feedback to encourage your students to participate in the discussion. Focus the conversation on class-related issues or questions, and keep it professional. Encourage students that provide thoughtful and insightful responses. Offer them praise and positive feedback, such as an email or a public grasp. Tell students that you notice their contributions, even if they don’t get private approval from you. Provide constructive feedback to students who aren’t meeting the class expectations with their response rate or quality of answers. If a student isn’t putting much effort into answering discussions, it’s essential to give them guidance and advice to meet the expectations. 

📌 Make Student Monitors

The most effective way to take a true-to-life concept like group work and apply it in a classroom setting is to create student monitors in an online class. After students have had several weeks to hone their collaboration and presentation skills, make student monitors to run the class forum, assign topics or areas of discussion, monitor the online community and ensure it runs smoothly. These students answer questions, remind students to wait their turn, invite quiet students to participate, and point out those who break the rules. They make sure that everyone’s voice is heard and that there are no lulls in the discussion. Together, student monitors and teachers can build a regular interaction and engagement culture within your class.

The Final Word

The social aspect is an essential component of the success of an online learning engagement and cannot be left out. Regardless of the course itself, students will be more likely to participate in your online course and become invested in it if they feel part of something larger than themselves. To create the best online learning community possible, teachers and students need to work together to provide a truly unique experience and opportunity for growth.

Square Panda’s educator empowerment programs work to bring about a paradigm shift in the way parents and school administrations approach interactive early education. Our training program is designed to equip teachers with the methods, tools, and knowledge they need to be effective in today’s classrooms. We train them in tools for improving student academic performance and behavior and teaching for equity and inclusivity. To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in.

Learned helplessness is considered a debilitating mental state, where a person believes that they cannot influence the outcome of a situation. This condition, as well as crediting “failure” to be a learning opportunity, has had dramatic effects on the education system, most notably by contributing to chronic underperformance and high dropout rates.

Research indicates that students who have experienced repeated failure from a young age can develop an emotional state of helplessness. These kids actually start to believe there isn’t anything they can do to change their situation, and even if there were, they think they don’t have the skills to do it.

For many students, failure is accepted as a normal part of their school experience in India. They see themselves as helpless to control their own grades and outcomes, but educators can encourage students to reframe their experiences in positive terms. This leads to more engagement with learning, and it offers students the opportunity for more engaging learning experiences.

Students who have learned helplessness may experience several negative traits while learning in a classroom context. These include: 

• Refusal of help because they feel they won’t need it 
• Frustration with whatever situation comes up. 
• Using whiny or negative language when trying to solve a problem 
• Lack of motivation or initiative for complex tasks 
• Lack of self-worth and self-efficacy (a feeling that indicates whatever will happen, you decrease your chance of success).

Educators need to adopt practical strategies and techniques that target these feelings to effectively address learned helplessness. Here are a few things they can do.

Rethink the Grading System

In many schools around the country, teachers hand out low scores for poor performance on homework or exams, and even a zero. The idea of a zero may be too negative and off-putting, especially when there are so many other ways to highlight the best work. If possible, allow for retakes on some or all assignments, and emphasize that only one opportunity is offered. If a student can show that she tried her best, then giving her another chance to do the assignment may be the best option.

Normalize Failing

Failure is a part of what makes us human. However, failure can often be hard for kids to handle. Kids are very emotionally sensitive, and failure can lead to frustration, discouragement, and even shame. Teachers can help kids reframe failure to see it as a necessary part of life that leads to success. This allows students to create a growth mindset, reinforcing the idea that challenging problems are an essential part of problem-solving activities in school. It also teaches students that effort, not talent, is the critical ingredient for success.

Praise and Encourage

Research shows that praising effort over an individual’s ability has long-lasting benefits on children’s motivation, self-esteem and intrinsic interest towards a particular task. An effort is a more malleable characteristic, so praise for it can have a more significant impact. Efforts are also less prone to attribution error; we are just as happy to praise someone’s effort as we are with their intelligence or skill. Praising effort can change the way students think about themselves and their inherent abilities. When we praise only innate ability, students feel they have limited control over their success. But when we applaud the effort, students see that their actions play a role in determining their success. It reframes success as the result of effort, not because of an already existing, intrinsic ability. And that reframing can be very helpful to help them with learned helplessness. 

At Square Panda, we are passionately focused on enabling children to succeed. Our personalized learning programs enable each student to learn at their own pace. We believe that everyone needs a little extra push to overcome learned helplessness and start believing in themselves again, and realize not just their learning and development goals, but also their full potential. 

To know more about us, visit https://www.squarepanda.in/

When it comes to the world of education and teaching, things are changing rapidly through technology. This has led to a unique transformation process that requires adapting many strategies, policies, and practices fitting with the new standards. There have been many recent trends in education, new applications and programs that will help both kids and teachers. Together, these will make the learning process more transparent and engaging, while also looking at everything from a much more modern perspective.

Although the difficulties of the lockdown and the instructions provided on how to convey information openly and engagingly were unclear, edtech has offered teachers fresh opportunities, such as being able to offer lessons remotely and thus achieving learning goals. Online resources considerably replaced the physical availability of textbooks, exercise books, and class notes. Thus, students shifted from regular books to online ones. Many resorted to documenting management software or even Google Classroom to upload their class notes for after-class reference. 

From learning apps to assistant teachers, smart classrooms are already here to stay. The world of education will soon be one in which entire lessons and platforms are integrated with digital tools. To gain some insight into the future of educational technologies, here are the top 5 EdTech trends predicted for 2022 by experts.

📍 Modern e-Learning Platforms

The convergence of technology and education is producing a massive shake-up in the way learning institutions operate. Simply put, online degrees are here to stay, and as many online degrees are coursework reliant, educational institutions have come up with creative ways to engage students online. 

While there are plenty of education platforms, innovative e-Learning platforms advance the art of learning. They are designed using cutting-edge learning theory and game models. These innovative methods and tools include gamification, social networks integration, visual narration and collaborative communication. They offer a list of features that cannot be found on other platforms like Wikipedia integration, e-Commerce tools, forums and quizzes. These innovative learning tools are not just perfect for students but also for teachers and educators. 

As online education continues to evolve, so does its dedication to providing quality learning experiences. Virtual labs are just one of the trends in online education that go beyond traditional textbooks and connect students with their environment. 

📍 Gamification

Gamification for educational purposes has become quite popular recently. The approach involves using game mechanics (such as points, badges, levels) to increase engagement for learners of all ages. Gamified learning does not necessarily mean developing games; it may also refer to adding elements of games into existing courses or making gamified versions of existing applications. The difference is their high complexity and sophisticated level of interaction in comparison with the early games. Modern technologies allow creating more elaborate scenarios, as well as collecting, storing, and processing data on users’ actions.

Gamified learning is not just about providing rewards for students’ knowledge acquisition. It is an effective way to make activities more engaging, motivate students to take specific actions and improve their performance. At the same time, it can also help boost positive emotions and build self-confidence. By focusing on multisensory learning, Square Panda’s learning platform teaches young learners to read in an enjoyable way that reinforces home and classroom learning.

📍 Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality

Opportunities to apply Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are expected to surge in the near future. These technologies could push the envelope across the education spectrum, and major companies and small startups alike are eager to make the most of this. For instance, Google Classroom VR is a platform that brings together Google’s tools with immersive educational experiences. It offers teachers and students humanized collaboration tools as well as fun and engaging educational activities. In addition, it is also designed to help students improve their attention span by providing a more immersive experience with the help of Google Cardboard technology.

A virtual, augmented reality classroom is a great idea that will help add extra vim and vigour to learning. With the introduction of such classrooms in schools, students will no longer find an excuse not to attend classes. They will be more likely to participate and learn using VR and AR technologies because they are getting to use such new gadgets and tools. The Virtual Reality course at Stanford lets students experience the potential of VR through hands-on interactive activities. The course combines conventional and virtual reality to allow students to be fully immersed in VR environments.

📍 AI-powered Programs

Today’s learners are becoming more tech-savvy and eager to learn on cutting-edge learning devices. Edtech has made the use of Artificial Intelligence ever more prevalent and is helping redefine the possibilities of education. This development has made a considerably different approach to instructing and empowering learning. 

Artificial Intelligence-driven programs are currently tasked with the end goal of changing what it means to be an educator for young, curious minds. This new tech is ready to help educators push new boundaries, and it can also help enhance what educators are doing today. Educators and different learners could take in more by using AI innovation to its fullest extent.

📍 Chatbots

For more than a decade, chatbots have been synonymous with customer service and customer experience. However, the adoption of chatbots in Edtech is relatively low compared to other industries like e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. While introducing this new concept to education was inevitable, the shift happened in recent months, where several educational institutions started deploying chatbot solutions. Students may encounter many of these when making education-related queries, such as clarity on admission dates, courses offered, or even to access course curriculum. Chatbots are starting to become the ideal solution for a comprehensive supporting ecosystem.

Several educational institutions use AI applications like chatbots, robots and predictive analytics to bring competencies into their teaching and learning processes. So, setting up a chatbot would ensure that there is increased accuracy as well as efficiency.

The Future of Edtech

While aspirations have definitely grown for the industry, many educators are still struggling to make the full use of technology as they seek to realize these dreams. The reason being that they are not fully aware of the latest educational technology trends and just how they can play their part in the smooth implementation of technology in the classroom. Many aspects need to be considered before outlining an action plan. 

With the emergence of innovative tools in education, a real and positive change is imminent in the status quo pertaining to the standard approach to education. Education technology has been evolving at a faster rate than ever before. The upcoming years will be termed an era of disruption, as these technologies will undoubtedly disrupt several educational organizations by making them more student-centric, flexible, and collaborative.

Education is a great enabler, and key to unlocking the benefits of India’s demographic dividend. However, to realise its full potential, we need to focus on addressing the cost and reach of education by embracing technological innovation. At Square Panda, we leverage cutting-edge technologies to create accessible, inclusive, and easily replicable learning solutions that can be deployed and scaled up across India. Know more about our work: ecce.squarepanda.in

With the vast proliferation of digital tools and the growth of online learning platforms, blended learning has gained traction as the go-to instructional strategy for teachers and students in early classrooms. Today’s digital-age learners have grown up amidst technology that would have been almost unimaginable a decade ago, which is why they have found it much easier to transition to a blended learning class as opposed to a classroom in which they do not use any form of technology. 

A study has suggested that when blended with face-to-face instruction, online learning can help preschoolers develop a deeper understanding of course material, promote creativity and collaboration, and result in a greater sense of student engagement.

Blended Learning: A Modern Imperative

Although most early childhood professionals would agree that blended learning is the ideal teaching method for pre-K, it can also be one of the hardest to implement. Finding ways to foster creativity in your classroom will help you build a thriving blended learning environment that will be better than ever before.

Connecting with your students is a vital part of the blended learning framework. By getting to know each student one-on-one, you better understand their personal needs and interests. When you know your students, you can then decide how to bring that learning into the classroom. Creating a dynamic classroom where individual learners are challenged according to their strengths and weaknesses is the foundation for blended learning. As preschool teachers, you can introduce a few concepts of blended learning throughout the year. It’s crucial to constantly break new material down into smaller bits before teaching 4-year-olds who learn new material faster.

Blended learning integrates various learning styles and strategies—such as digital learning, independent study, and project-based instruction. The use of technology enables teachers to assess each student’s skill level and align lessons around their specific interests, needs, and abilities. A teacher can use these methods to determine how well a student is progressing throughout the course, then offer further lessons that target differing needs for each student.

One of the most popular blended learning models, the station rotation model, requires teachers to split their classes into smaller subgroups. Students are given a schedule that prioritizes learning activities, including an online or digital component, which are rotated through on a timed schedule. Another way to implement blended learning in a preschool setting is by a flipped classroom. It is educational training that allows students to go home and review the coursework online. Teachers then meet with individual students to further develop an understanding of the course content. The class time is spent applying material by working through simulations or other hands-on activities. Research has shown that using these modes provide better opportunities for individual instruction and more frequent feedback to the student.

The Impact of Student Engagement in Early Childhood Classrooms

With the pressure to meet academic standards implemented in early grades, such as preschool, teachers need to help their students focus on the tasks at hand. One strategy to help promote engagement is blended learning. This type of learning combines face-to-face instruction with digital tools to provide personalization and differentiated instruction based on student needs, encourage technology integration, and motivate students toward desired ends. It combines the individualized attention of traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms with the adaptability and flexibility of digital tools to facilitate lively, engaging learning sessions. Through blended learning, teachers will meet each student wherever they might be, students will be able to learn what they need outside the classroom setting, and students will have more opportunities to collaborate with their peers.

Screen time in the form of technology and interactive media has provided opportunities for our students to grow in ways we could never have imagined. This, however, raises concerns due to the ever-growing concern of overuse and misuse. This has brought on the need to switch up teaching style in an effort to understand how to use blended learning effectively and what dangers might arise from its use. 

However, when students and teachers embrace technology in the classroom, everyone wins. Students gain access to a more diverse curriculum, and teachers are able to reach more students. With a comprehensive learning platform, teachers can help students bridge educational gaps and set individualized learning goals. Blended learning provides educators with the tools they need to engage students so they are empowered to create an inclusive learning experience, and through it, begin a hopefully lifelong love for learning that stands one in good stead.

Square Panda encourages the use of blended learning in classrooms and beyond, giving students access to the personalized learning they need to succeed. Children learn at their own pace using interactive programs, giving them the self-confidence to realize their full potential. 

To know more, visit ecce.squarepanda.in 

An understanding of language is the foundation of literacy, with vocabulary development impacting all aspects of communication. Building a stronger vocabulary in preschool will improve reading comprehension and prepare a child to learn and grow. A child’s vocabulary can have a profound effect on their future success in school, so the child must be surrounded with reading material that is varied, interesting, and stimulating. By expanding their vocabularies before entering school, young children are better prepared to understand the classroom literature they are about to read.

Research suggests that for young children, language does not just talk. It is a primary vehicle for formulating new concept. A child’s language abilities are directly correlated with their cognitive growth, with words representing increasingly sophisticated ideas. And the more words children use, the more new words are available to them, and the better they can make sense of the world around them. They can talk with their parents about new topics, follow along with stories on television, and follow directions from teachers. 

Why does vocabulary instruction need to be in preschool?

The preschool years are crucial for laying a good foundation for language development. Children grow and learn about words through experiences with their environment. In addition to gaining knowledge of meaning from everyday interactions, preschoolers can enjoy building their vocabulary by learning new words from books and rhyming with silly songs. The failure to develop a rich vocabulary in the preschool years has a cascading effect on later reading skills that often hampers academic progress in school. 

Comprehension is a critical component of reading, but comprehension can be nearly impossible for a child without a solid vocabulary base. A study shows that vocabulary instruction should begin in preschool. This will benefit students by building a professionally prepared vocabulary and tone with teachers and peers in an organized setting. The ideal preschool setting provides various opportunities to explore and play with new objects and materials not commonly available in a home. It also allows children to learn from one another as they build relationships and facilitate communication skills. 

Ways to build a child’s vocabulary in preschool

Good teachers have a specific style in which they unleash their knowledge on students in a way that they can grasp. Teachers who have a good understanding of how to use words, especially when discussing themes or subjects, ensure that their students receive a more cultural understanding of the world and its meanings. While there is no one way to teach vocabulary to preschool-age learners directly, there are several methods teachers can use to encourage their students to learn new words and practice them outside the classroom.

📍 Verbal Storytelling

Verbal storytelling provides children with a way to think about the language that is far removed from the formal written word. It enhances children’s sense of audience and their ability to edit what they say, focus on the point they wish to convey, and respond to feedback from others. Children can improve their actual speech abilities using this approach.

Good storytelling begins with an engaging opening. Young listeners are more apt to be drawn into a story if you grab their interest early. Children are also more attuned to your voice, the pitch, the pattern of stress, and even your breathing pattern as you tell them a story. By recounting real-life incidents or telling familiar fairy tales, you can weave information about the world around little ones by using familiar vocabulary.

📍 Share Rhymes and Songs

Songs, rhymes, and poems are familiar features of the classroom in every preschool. Songs help children remember things. They can also help children express feelings and ideas. Rhymes and humorous poems encourage children to talk in sentence patterns that are more complex than they might use when speaking informally or in single words or short phrases. You can use songs, rhymes, and poems to stimulate language growth in young children and help them become increasingly confident using language for their own purposes.

Children can reap tremendous benefits when they hear, say, and learn nursery rhymes. These catchy rhymes can build literary language skills and enhance sound-symbol relationships that lay the foundation for later reading success. As early as one-year-old, children benefit by hearing classroom songs and nursery rhymes. These joyous tunes teach basic language skills and general animal sounds, which lay the foundation for reading. Include at least one nursery rhyme daily in your classroom instruction.

📍 Use Synonyms

Another way to help your children better their vocabulary is to model the appropriate use of new words in daily conversation. The most powerful tool in this regard is a simple substitution of synonyms in place of common words. For example, when referring to a large living space, avoid using the word “big” and try calling it spacious or enormous instead. A child’s mind absorbs and retains more detailed and descriptive information, and they are more likely to remember words, such as spacious and enormous.

Each child is unique and has their own potential, which should be identified and channelized at the right time. Preschoolers are at a unique place where they can readily learn previously encountered concepts, thus creating opportunities to open learning horizons. At Square Panda India, we create research-based programs that aim at making children ready for school. 

To know more, visit https://ecce.squarepanda.in/

Nowadays, most parents are keen to give their children the best they can, especially regarding education. The challenge lies in the fact that most of us are taught by someone with a performance mindset, which believes students learn best when motivated by punishment and reward. Now, this may work for some, but more than likely will result in extrinsic motivation that will create stress, anxiety, and fear. However, just understanding what a growth mindset is and how it can help your child could bring about noticeable transformations at home and school.

So, what does a growth mindset mean?

A growth mindset is a psychological concept born from developmental psychology. It was primarily developed by Carol Dweck, and is mainly inspired by work on cognitive development and self-perception in the 1960s and 1970s. A growth mindset hypothesizes that you can develop your intelligence and abilities through hard work and dedication. 

A person with a growth mindset believes that with effort and determination, you can continuously transform your capacities. It views abilities as malleable rather than static. Research suggests that people can change their capabilities through learning and effort, which will positively impact classroom behaviour and academic achievement. 

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset 

Students believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits in the fixed mindset. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success — without effort. But the effort is where the growth mindset of students really shines.

In a growth mindset, students understand that intellect and talent are just the starting point. This allows them to follow a healthy mix of passion and perseverance to achieve more than they thought possible. A student with a growth mindset will know that mistakes are typical and there is always room for improvement. The key to success lies in learning from such errors and using them as a platform to grow.

How do you foster a growth mindset in your child?

It’s no secret that today’s educational environment is more focused on students meeting grade-level proficiency on standardized tests than embracing a passion for lifelong learning. In fact, the current emphasis on testing has negative implications for children’s development and subsequent achievements. Here’s how you can change this and develop a growth mindset for your child. 

📌 Reward the Process

Rewarding the effort and strategies they put forth during their assignments rather than praising the outcome or final grade will teach them to focus on getting better at tackling different kinds of problems, not just trying harder. Encourage your child to celebrate their ability to persist and improve. A study suggests that rewarding even small steps toward a significant achievement helps develop the mindset needed to reach any goal. It’s essential to be clear about your expectations, so your child knows how to achieve success. This way, if they struggle with a concept or aren’t quite there yet, you can identify the issue, and find the solution together.

📌 Mind Your Language

The way we talk about children’s accomplishments and challenges can impact how they view themselves. Schools tend to employ language that makes children feel like failures when it comes to the grade system. For example, teachers use terms like “see me” or “remedial reading.” These phrases can sound scary to kids, even though the assignments are not particularly difficult. The language schools use tells students that they are failing instead of needing some extra focus or skills work. This creates an impossible standard for kids to live up to. It reinforces negative thoughts that can lead to further issues down the road.

Language and the words we choose to use in talking about intelligence and ability can significantly impact how children view themselves and their future life opportunities. If you talk to kids in this way, they’ll feel more self-confident about themselves. You can ask them, “What strategies are you using when you study?” Also, discuss current events your child is passionate about. They’ll be glad that someone is interested in their hobbies and interests. Showing that you care will encourage kids to stay connected to the ones they love.

📌 Show Them What a Growth Mindset Is

The best way to teach a child a growth mindset is by example. Children learn visually, and they also learn from the behaviour of their parents. Parents who practice fixed mindset behaviour can inadvertently teach their children fixed mindset thinking.

If you want to raise a child who believes they can master challenging tasks and reach their goals, you need to model the right kind of thinking and behaviour. Hard work and perseverance are crucial. If you’re able to develop a “growth mindset” along with your child, he or she will be more likely to maintain it throughout her life, regardless of the challenges faced.

Generate opportunities to model behaviours related to a growth mindset in both learning and non-learning situations. As you model a growth mindset, be specific about working through mistakes to approach challenges with a growth mindset. This helps children learn how they can use their own thinking in similar ways.

At Square Panda India, we provide education and interactive learning programs that instill a growth mindset. Our learning programs are humanized and dynamic. Unlike a traditional school, we design lessons based on each student’s unique pace and requirements and monitor their progress through these metrics instead of giving them grades. To know more, visit https://ecce.squarepanda.in/

With schools closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government advocated for online learning to ensure the continuity of academic work. The integration of online learning platforms and digital technology in education has revolutionized how modern kids learn. Online platforms like Zoom, Google classrooms, and Microsoft Teams made it easy for teachers and students to stay connected, collaborate, and get things done. However, the shift from conventional learning to online education has been challenging for some traditional institutions, especially in rural India, which have found the transition to be challenging. They are still devoid of all the online learning advantages.

Even almost after 1.5 years of lockdown, providing digital classrooms to remote areas is one of the challenges. While it is possible, in many villages and rural areas, there is a vast digital divide in education in India. Although many basic infrastructure requirements have been developed, rural India still struggles to transition to an entirely online or digital education model.

Below are some challenges faced during this transformational period.

⚈ Limited Access to Technological Devices

Available digital content does not reach a sizable population due to the limited availability of technologically advanced devices, such as personal computers and mobile phones. Most families from underprivileged areas do not have access to these devices, limiting the accessibility of the learning materials. In addition, the cost and availability of data plans and devices can restrict teacher and student interaction. Since students cannot participate in live sessions, they cannot learn the material independently, which may be difficult due to the absence of appropriate teaching aids. 

⚈ Unfamiliarity with Digital Technology

While urban schools may thrive with modern methods and easy access to technology, rural schools in developing countries often lack the same advancements. Remote regions often lack internet access and simple digital devices. This transition from traditional techniques to digital ones is a slow-moving process that cannot be rushed. If you observe the level of digital literacy in classrooms, teachers and students alike are still lagging. The challenge here is to train them to get comfortable using Smart Classrooms and Digital Learning facilities.

⚈ Shortage of Teachers

The shortage of teachers in rural areas is another challenge in achieving complete digitization of education. To overcome this barrier, teachers need to be equipped with the latest skills and pedagogy to enable them to teach online. Moreover, online classroom solutions are only effective when teachers are present to guide students in an interactive learning environment. This is one of the areas where Square Panda is making efforts to upskill teachers in rural India. 

We started by understanding the landscape and then developed a deeper understanding of the problems. With this knowledge, we developed our programs to fit the needs of learners and educators who want to bring about a positive change for the next generation of students. Through these workshops, teachers from different language schools will be able to refine their pedagogy and better impart learning to their students.

The Way Forward – A New Normal

The changing school paradigm requires new strategies for engaging students in their education and the development of interpersonal skills. However, existing non-availability of equipment, lack of trained teachers, and network connectivity issues prevent learning on a wide scale in India’s rural areas. We need to ensure that teachers are able to return to work so that the learning journey continues uninterrupted. Square Panda India’s programs are designed to help teachers transition into the digital age easily, and supports their continuous professional development. 

When schools reopen, children cannot return to school immediately. School leaders and government will have to have a staggered plan to assimilate students back into normal classes without stretching resources too thin. One of the most significant drawbacks to returning to school is that students will be unprepared for traditional standardized tests. We should take this time to allow students to reinforce the learning they already know, and mould them into well-rounded people. Additional time should be spent on skill-building, career development, and emotional growth.

In the past couple of years, India has made great strides toward advancing rural education. While some see online learning as an ephemeral trend that offers little value to students, others believe that the hybrid learning models will be the future of education. Advancements in government policy, technological innovations, and asynchronous learning programs can make online learning more equitable and accessible for communities across India’s hinterland.

The advent of digitisation in education is helping create new education possibilities for a generation of Indians all across the nation. Know more about our work, and how Square Panda has been making significant strides towards growing India’s education ecosystem. Click here: Our ECCE Empowerment Programs