Day scholars are lucky to spend quality time in school and get back home after school. But what about those who have moved out from their home city to another town to study? They miss being at home, their family and friends in their neighborhood in their pursuit to receive quality education from a renowned institute that is away from their home.

All in an attempt to make the transition from home to the hostel a pleasant move, school and college administrators should go the extra mile in helping hostelers deal with homesickness in a better way.

Here are some ways in which an educator can better manage homesick students so that they make their hostel as their second home.

  1. It is normal to feel homesick

Educators play an important role in simplifying the first few months of hostel life of students. They are the ones who try to impress upon students who is having homesick. While some introvert students keep their feelings to themselves, some express their feelings that are indeed missing their families.

Handholding all such students and making them comfortable in the hostel will be possible if educators spend time with homesick students make them feel normal. Educators should impress upon students that this is a passing phase which will fade out very soon provided certain corrective measures are taken.

  1. Encourage Homesick Students to Step Out of their Rooms

Restricting yourself to the four walls of a hostel room can be very depressing. Hostelers who start missing their homes at times get into a shell, withdrawing themselves from interacting with other friends and hostelers. In such cases, the school or college management should ensure that homesick students should be encouraged to step outside their hostel rooms.

Educators can encourage hostelers to partake social and extra-curricular activities, along with making study hours in a library mandatory. Libraries can also be the best places where hostelers can interact with day scholars and their peers.

  1. Pack Your Bags With Pleasurable Articles of Comfort

Hostel administrators who help freshers tide over their homesickness feelings can vouch for the immense influence of favorite articles that in-campus students bring along with them from their homes. It can be your favorite and cuddly teddy bear which was gifted by your parents, the poster of your favorite hero which was pasted on one of your bedroom walls or your family pic.

Bringing such comforting things along with you will help you better deal with the feelings of missing your home and your dear ones. Such lovable articles will also help students interact better with their roommates when they begin to go down memory lane about those articles that have a special place in their heart. These familiar things can strengthen you with a sense of positivity that you have left your home and your dear ones to pursue your dreams and soon will join them after you have reached your goal.

  1. A Positive Attitude Does the Trick

Positivity fills you with good and pleasurable feelings that help you overcome the thoughts of missing home. School and college administrators who prompt their in-house students to stay positive will need to handhold them to make new friends and socialize with them. At times, stress-release mechanisms like a hot shower or a stroll around the school garden can work wonders to homesick kids.

Educators who prompt hostelers to look out for ways and means to deal with homesickness will be helping them a great deal to deal with the transition from home to a university hostel. Educating them about finding solace in such comforting acts will pave the way for a smooth changeover. And when the situation goes out of hands, you as educators can also bank on the assistance provided by professionals who will counsel such students who are battling the pain of staying away from home.

  1. Silence Can Never Solve Your Problems

It is the responsibility of hostel or university wardens to help students open up their concerns. Suffering in silence can never be the solution to any of the problems students face; be it with their academics, their finances or their inner-most feelings. It is hence the duty of educators to help students express their fears so that they can be sorted out at the earliest before the issue magnifies and disrupts their peace of mind.

Hence it is recommended to encourage homesick students to talk about their feelings with someone whom they feel close to. While some students bank on a guidance counselor, there can be others who wish to pour out their feelings to a parent or a confidante. Shunning away the embarrassment that you experience while seeking emotional help, such acts of openness will only make homesick students stronger and composed.

  1. Engage in Activities You Loved While Being At Home

Another way in which hostelers can get over homesickness is to do things that they feel nostalgic about. Engaging in all those activities that you loved while you were at home even after you stepped out will help you feel better. It could be relishing familiar foods and sharing them with your roommates. You could also participate in religious traditions that were followed while you were at home.

All such activities will familiarize you with your new surroundings with a slow and steady feeling of accepting the change. Providing you the much-needed emotional support when you feel lost and lonely, these tricks help you tide over the move from home to hostel. This way, the management of schools and colleges will be able to help students identify the unique aspects of the new surroundings and fill them with a sense of belonging to the current location.

  1. Spend Time In Your New Surroundings

It is a known fact that moving from home to a university hostel uproots you from your known surroundings to become a part of the unknown. It can be a completely new city that you have stepped into or a hostel that is far away from your home but within the city limits. Either ways, it is going to be a completely different setup that you should acclimatize yourself with.

Activities like going around the new place, signing up for sightseeing tours, enrolling in local dance or cooking clubs should be encouraged by the management. All such activities will help new students learn the local expressions and culture. Students who are encouraged to learn the new language of the city will be better off over others who are still struggling to make a place for themselves. Getting to know the new surroundings works wonders for homesick students to look at the positives in the place alongside embracing the change gracefully.

  1. Putting Your Thoughts On Paper

Journalizing all your thoughts will help you delve deep into what you were feeling at different points in time. Every time you look at your journal you will begin to identify yourself better with the thoughts you had and the ways in which you dealt with them. You can enlist all the unfamiliar situations you faced during your initial stages of moving to a new city. And when you sit back to read your journal, you will be able to reflect on all those experiences.

Giving vent to your feelings in black and white strengthens your core and offers you solutions to relieve yourself of the painful feelings of homesickness. Thus, the management of universities should go the extra mile in letting the students know that penning down their thoughts and actions will come as a therapeutic tool to better manage the pain caused by staying away from home.

  1. Flex Your Muscles

Exercising bestows dual benefits with students who stick to a strict regime. Not only helping them stay fit, it is through exercise that students will experience the positives coming from the release of feel-good hormones. Endorphins are the natural chemicals that are released into our bodies while flexing our muscles. These hormones help students fight the common side-effects of homesickness like depression and anxiety.

Even better, the management which encourages students to exercise as groups will not only create opportunities to socialize but also helps students boost their immune system. Thus, schools and colleges which make exercising compulsory can better deal with homesick students with reduced instances of frequent headaches and colds bothering them.

  1. Engage in Frequent Conversations with Family and Friends Back Home

Another proven means to fight the ill-effects of homesickness is to encourage students to talk to their loved ones, their family and close friends back home. This act of frequent calling and interacting with people at home and in their old neighborhood will provide them with the much-needed self-confidence and self-reliance.

Only when homesick students talk to their dear ones about what they are going through in their new place will they be able to get the perspective of others. Listening to what they have to say will help you come up with ways to deal with the new situation. Alongside talking to old friends, if the management provides opportunities to make new friends, you will not feel left out.

Closing Thoughts

Driven by a motive to handhold new students moving away from their cozy nests to settle in a completely new place, the onus is on the management to ensure a smooth transition. Allowing them the time to embrace their new surroundings, if all the above pointers are kept in mind and implemented, educators will become instruments of peace and harmony for hostelers.

Guardians who are ordained to inculcate a strong foundation of life’s principles in children can vouch for the importance of sharing. To share is to care. In line with this adage, it is the duty of the parents and educators in particular to harp on the virtue of sharing which manifests in the form of care and compassion. Such books when included in the library of kindergartens will help kids to learn the art of sharing as part of their socializing skills. Helping guardians to reiterate the ways in which children can share and benefit from the noble act of sharing, here are some intriguing storybooks that can be read out to them.

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  1. Gossie and Friends

Oliver Dunrea came up with an adorable board book for kids that is worth every cent. Kids between the ages of 2 and 4 will fall in love with the illustrative narration of this storybook which mirrors the friendship and sharing acts between Gossie, a cute and courageous yellow gosling and Gertie, another gosling of her type. Starting from young toddlers and preschoolers, this storybook can become a perfect learning tool for parents to inculcate the virtue of sharing from a tender age.

So fond of her bright red boots that Gossie wants to be dressed in them at all times. One day she wakes up to find her pair of red boots missing. Heartbroken, she frantically searches for her boots to ultimately find them on the feet of Gertie; her best friend. Gossie, through her kindness teaches kids the importance of sharing. She epitomizes care and love through her intention to share her boots with Gertie.

  1. You Are Not My Friend, But I Miss You

Authored by Daniel Kirk, ‘You Are Not My Friend, But I Miss You’ is a picture story book that just right for kids between 2 and 5 years speaks of friendship leading to the virtue of sharing. This is a cute story between a plush toy dog and a sock monkey. Although being friends, a small tussle dampens their playtime when the dog snatches the ball of the monkey and runs away with it. Enraged by this act, the monkey decides to break his friendly ties with the dog, announcing that he would never ever play with him. Their separation becomes an eye opener to the monkey when he begins to miss his partner during play.

No doubt, the monkey has his favorite ball to play, but not a good friend to give him company. Additionally, the story conveys the moral that the monkey failed to become a good friend. Supported by humorous illustrations, this story between two friends conveys the importance of sharing and subtle acts of friendliness that should be practiced by kids so that they grow up into friendly and adorable citizens.

Also Check: Latest Updated Educational Apps Directory List 

  1. Jonathan and Martha

A yet another illustrative storybook that teaches young kids the noble act of sharing is titled ‘Jonathan and Martha’. Petr Horácek is the Czech-British author of this children’s storybook which attracts the attention of kids between the ages of 2 and 5. A first look at the hardcover of the storybook will help you guess the storyline.

As the title goes, this story revolves around Jonathan and Martha, two lonely worms that share the same home; a huge tree. One fine morning, both the worms will be thrilled to see a huge and juicy pear that falls on the ground, between them. Both the worms eager to have their share of the fruit start to relish it. While Jonathan starts nibbling from the left of the fruit, Martha starts enjoying from the right side. Eating and relishing the pear, they get close to each other and get into a tussle. Mirroring captivating illustrations, this picture storybook speaks volumes of the essence of friendship along with the pleasure that sharing brings to kids.

  1. Llama Llama Time To Share

Anna Dewdney is the writer of this children’s storybook that is meant for kids aged between 2 and 5. Llama Llama is excited about his new neighbors, Nelly Gnu and her mama. Both of them plan a play date with Llama which gets Llama thinking whether he should share all his toys during playtime. Llama wonders if he can just let Nelly play with his blocks and keep the rest of his toys to himself. Nelly and Llama plan to build a castle.

On the flipside, Nelly attracts the attention of Llama with a cute little Llama called Fuzzy Llama. Playtime brings tears when Fuzzy Llama is ripped apart into two by Nelly Gnu. It is then that mama steps in to make peace between the two friends. She proclaims that it is time the two friends learnt to share. She not only fixes the Fuzzy but also keeps it on the stairs for both of them to play with it only after they make up their minds to share the toy between themselves.

  1. Should I Share My Ice Cream?

All those kids between the ages of 2 and 6 will be excited to listen to the cute story of Gerald, the cute elephant and his best friend Piggie. Authored by Mo Willems, the story revolves around these two friends with a lip-smacking ice-cream as a treat for them.

Contrasting the mindsets of both the friends, Gerald is pictured as a friend who weaves a web of thoughts in his mind whether or not to share the cone ice-cream with Piggie. By the time, he decides to do so, the entire ice-cream melts creating a puddle under his feet. Just then Piggie enters the scene with her cone and without even giving a second thought, shares it with Gerald. Epitomizing the pleasure in sharing, this story can enlighten not only kids but also elders who think hard before they can share what they have with others.

  1. The Bear Who Shared

If you are looking to excite young listeners through captivating illustrations of stories with a moral, then the Bear Who Shared can become your top bet. Authored by Catherine Rayner, this is an adorable storybook focusing on the virtues of sharing and patience.

The story revolves around three characters, namely: Norris the bear, Tulip the raccoon and Violet the mouse. All these three would be waiting patiently to relish the last ripe fruit that drops from the tree. While Violet and Tulip hug the fruit, it is Norris that catches the fruit when it drops off the tree. Kudos to the wise bear as it shares the fruit with the remaining two characters and makes them his best friends. Meant for kids between 3 and 6 years, this story sheds light on important traits like sharing, kindness, patience and wisdom that help us stand apart in a crowd.

  1. How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?

Planning to get a novel birthday gift to your kid who finds dinosaurs intriguing? Then you can bank on this cute story series titled ‘How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?’ Jane Yolen; the most acclaimed children’s storybook author teams up with Mark Teague to unveil this bestselling series of narratives that are full of humor. Tagged as a fun-filled guide to play nicely with others, this pictorial storybook is a nice-to-read-and-emulate collection of stories revolving around friendship. A ‘must read’ book for kids between the ages of 3 and 6.

It is a normal phenomenon for parents to inculcate a sense of playing nicely with others. Seen as a part of building good habits in children, this dinosaur board book sets up an imaginary scene when you begin to visualize a situation when dinosaurs become your friends and join you during playtime. If a dinosaur becomes your buddy, you will be prompted to answer the following questions:

Does your friendly dinosaur crib if he is not allowed to go his way?

Does your buddy hide all his dump trucks from you and not share them with you?

Does he/she make your coloring books fly up in the air?

Answers to these three questions will prompt young kids to understand the significance of playing nicely with friends alongside highlighting the need to share your things amidst friends. Offering a perfect blend of instruction and humor, this is a cute narrative that makes reading fun and beneficial.

  1. Rabbit’s Gift

While George Shannon presented the story line of this book titled Rabbit’s Gift, Laura Dronzek is the benefactor of captivating illustrations. Picked up from one of China’s ancient folktale collections, Rabbit’s Gift is a perfect reading entertainment and learning for kids between the ages of 3 and 6.

With snow fast approaching, a rabbit wants to hoard food so that it can survive during harsh winters. Just then, it notices a turnip and sometime later another one to its utmost surprise. The extra turnip does not make the generous rabbit fill with greed. On the contrary, the rabbit treads the road less travelled. Picking up a completely different path, the rabbit spreads the idea of sharing, by leaving the turnip at the door of a donkey. The donkey which is already prepared for the winters continues the sharing chain until the turnip reaches the rabbit. Along with graphical representations of the beautiful winter season, this storybook harps on the positive traits of generosity and sharing amongst kids. To top it all, you will be enamored by the Chinese calligraphy that lends an artistic touch to the ancient narrations reiterating the importance of sharing and caring. The turnip is indeed the rabbit’s gift to all the forest friends.

  1. One Big Pair of Underwear

All thanks to Laura Gehl who is the author of this lovable storybook and Tom Lichtenheld, the bestselling illustrator that they have come up with a hilarious account of numbers teamed with sharing. Kids above the age of 5 can find this storybook interesting and imitable.

You need to count and share. To count you need to keep track of two bears, four goats, three yaks and six cats. Now comes the twist to the tale. All these characters mentioned above have one thing in common. Can you guess what that is? They all hate to share. So how do these characters learn to share? A pack of twenty pigs now enter the scene with a willingness to share. Upon their arrival all the self-centered characters look up to the pigs to finally start sharing and experience double the fun. It is through this storybook that you can excite the memory of your kids while also teaching them the nobility of sharing.

  1. It’s Mine!

“It’s Mine!” – This is a phrase that is so commonly heard amongst self-centered people. Featuring three selfish frogs as the main characters of the story, Leo Lionni came up with this intriguing storybook that is a perfect reading and learning material for kids between 3 and 6 years.

The story goes like this: The three frogs though sharing the same island in the middle of a Rainbow Pond constant fighting over everything and anything that they see. And what do they utter in unison? It’s mine! It’s mine! These quarrels become their daily norm until bad weather strikes the island. An unpredictable storm hits the island introducing them to an angel that comes in the form of a big, brown toad. With the entry of the toad into their lives, the three selfish frogs realize that sharing can indeed be a lot more fun.

Closing Thoughts

All in an attempt to teach kids the virtue of sharing from an early age, you as a guardian can bank on these illustrative and educative storybooks. Simple to read, easy to understand and pleasurable to recapitulate, these picture storybooks can become intelligent tools of young parents. Read these storybooks aloud and help your kids cultivate the good habit of sharing things with the rest of the world.

While it is a common phenomenon to experience an exam stress, you should also keep in mind that the stressful thoughts should not get out of control. It is a feeling of an uncertainty having an edge over the exam preparation that prompts you to feel “butterflies in your stomach”.

Don’t worry

Here are 15 ways to deal with your exam stress.

  1. Maintain a Positive Outlook

First and foremost, you need to inculcate a positive approach to life. Passing or failing an exam does not threaten your life. You should learn to focus on the idea that there is life after exams and your preparation time for exams is just a passing phase. When you begin to attach objectivity to your exams through such positive thoughts, you will be able to give the attention that exams need. This way, you will sail through the exam preparation time without any negative thoughts draining out your physical and emotional strength.

  1. Accept the Fact That You Are Stressed and Let Out the Steam

It pays to accept the fact that you are getting stressed because of the ensuing exams. Just take a short break from reading, it is good for you and  can engage in a casual chat with either a senior or  confidante who can help you put things in perspective. He/she who is familiar with your stressed feelings can become your top choice to hear you out. Talking out your concerns not only eases you but will also help you put things in the right perspective.

  1. Comparison – A Strict “No”

Most of the students experience bouts of stress when they begin to compare themselves with others with regard to the pattern of revising or the number of chapters completed. Since every student has his/her own style of brushing up study notes, you should check out and follow a pattern of study that suits you the best. While avoiding comparison is one trick, you can help yourself by framing an orderly study timetable with enough room for short breaks and then stick to it; come what may.

  1. Reward Yourself

Working towards a pre-set goal can be beneficial in more ways than one. While you are striving to achieve your own goal of revising a chapter within a particular timeframe, you should also have something to look forward to as your reward. A celebration with friends and family after your exams can push your limits to give it your best during exam time.

  1. Focus on Your Palpitating Breath by Meditating

It is during stressful times that your breathe rate goes up drastically. Palpitations occur as an after-effect of the panic you are experiencing because of the forthcoming exams or during an exam. It is during such times that you need to actively focus on your quick and shallow breaths. A simple trick that can help you alleviate your panic in the examination hall is to just sit back for a moment and focus on your breath. This  can help you to fight  with the exam stress in a jiffy.

  1. Limit the Time For Social Media Interactions

Your lifestyle which revolves around social media interactions bombards you with unnecessary information and chatter that saps your mind power. Be it Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat. All these social media networking apps drain your valuable time and energy. No doubt, shunning away to stay in touch with your near and dear ones especially during exam time can be taxing. But there is a way out. You can choose to exercise some self-control and allocate a time during the day when you will respond to the messages of your family and acquaintances. These apps should help you connect with your loved ones and not become prime distractions that will pull you away from your goal of acing the exam.

  1. Eat Right

Diet takes a backseat for most of the students preparing for exams. An erratic diet does a lot of harm to your well-being, especially when you need to concentrate on your studies. It is during exam time that you need to eat right by treating yourself as a well-built machine that needs fuel at regular intervals. A hearty breakfast is mandatory. Feeding your body thus provides the much needed energy and nutrition to the brain as well which will help you ace your exams. Fresh fruits and veggies are the most recommended foods to consume during exam time.

  1. Get Enough Sleep

While food is fuel to body, sleep replenishes the lost brain power. While preparing a study timetable, you should make sure that you can enjoy a 8 hour sleep before you wake up for your exam. It is best to avoid revising any topic after you hit the bed.

  1. Enjoy Dark Chocolate

It is a well-known fact that dark chocolate which contains more than 70% cocoa can work wonders as a stress-buster. Consuming dark chocolate not only satisfies your taste buds but also helps you relax your body. During stress, your body releases a steroid hormone called Cortisol. Dark chocolate works against this hormone and helps you soothe your nerves. Another benefit of relishing dark chocolate during exams is that it also releases feel-good hormones that work as natural stress busters.

  1. Stay Hydrated

Herbal teas, fluids and water are highly recommended to beat exam stress. However, care should be taken to avoid sugary and caffeinated drinks. Consciously hydrating your body can help you maintain optimum energy levels that are required to prepare for an exam with confidence.

  1. Don’t Rewind and Replay

Past is past, so goes a common maxim. You have absolutely no control over your answer script once it leaves your hand and reaches the desk of the invigilator. So why fret over it? Reviewing an exam that you already appeared for should be avoided as a clever means to focus on the next exam that you will have to appear. Brooding over the exam that is over will cut down your valuable preparation time for the next exam and thus cause anxiety with the next paper too.

  1. Allow Technology To Become Your Tutor

The educational space is thriving with a host of mobile apps that can become your “on the go” tutors. You ask for help pertaining to any subject and you are sure to find a befitting app on your mobile that will teach you. Downloading these student-friendly and free mobile educational apps will help you assimilate online information from anywhere and at any time. Students who tread the path of technological learning can beat the symptoms of exam stress; the digital way.

  1. Engage in Creative Activities

Music is indeed a great healer. Playlists can become your soulful friends, especially when you are preparing yourself for an exam. Listening to music can not only elevate your mood but will also help you concentrate better on your studies. Encouraging you to study for long hours, music works as a soothing instrument to beat exam stress.

Conclusion

With so much of attention being given to grades, marks and percentages, students bear the brunt of a lot of expectations coming from their parents and at times, themselves too. All in an attempt to help students give the due importance to exams, the above study and preparation hacks will help them put things in perspective and soothe their nerves during exam time. After all, exams and results do not end your world!

Driven by a pursuit to bring technological advancements to the learning space, students can now bank on a host of benefits offered by Chromebooks. Although named as a book, a Chromebook is a laptop of a different kind. While the conventional laptops run on Mac OS or Windows 10 as their operating systems, a Chromebook is powered by the Chrome OS of Google.

Here are the numerous ways in which students can make the most of these devices.

  1. The Online Access to Learning is the Star Attraction

The World Wide Web is an indispensable interface that connects students with a host of educational sites. Attracting them with the best way to assimilate the knowhow that is making waves in the 21st century, millennials can rely on these gadgets. Going by the principle that you  are not restricted to the constraints of time and place, Chromebooks come as anytime and anywhere  to online wisdom. You as a student or faculty can learn in a classroom, library or at home. Students who learn through Chromebooks can access to the plethora of online sites that are brimming with subject knowledge. While you are aiming to gain knowledge, you are indirectly enhancing your creativity alongside sharpening your communication and research skills.

  1. Personalized Tools For Student Engagement

Chromebooks offer a platform for  students to learn better. They pave the way to establish a classroom environment that thrives on the strength of individual strengths and skills. A classroom session can be made even more interesting and engaging when the topics are fine-tuned to the specific needs of students. Matching the interest levels with their skill levels, a Chromebook can facilitate better student engagement with an eye towards personalized education. Educators create a personalized profile for every student based on his/her learning experience and allow them to log into their apps. When they log in, they will be able to access a host of personalized books and videos along with classroom material that will aid in their learning.

  1. Cost Benefits

Chromebooks can be tagged as “cheap and best” tools for learning, since it comes with an affordable price tag when compared to most of the laptops. Their starting price of $149.00 makes Chromebooks intelligent and budget-friendly learning tools to schools. Because of reasonable pricing, it can be made as an essential learning tool for a number of school districts. The list of cost benefits does not end here. Schools who have invested in Chromebooks are also at the receiving end of Google Apps for Education (GAFE) services which can be accessed without a fee by all public schools. Since all these machines are connected to the internet, you as a student can access the ocean of knowledge that is captured in the form of applications and documents floating on the cloud.

  1. Online and Offline Services

While Chromebooks thrive on a high speed internet, there are over 200 offline educational apps that can work without net connectivity. Gmail, Google Drive along with Pocket are some of the apps that can be accessed without internet connectivity along with a host of Android apps which are still in the making.

  1. Ease of Deployment and Administration

When compared to conventional notebooks, a Chromebook comes with simplified deployment and support. Easy to manage, a Chromebook can become a single window learning platform aiding students and teachers with various subjects. Tagged as lightweight gadgets, a Chromebook can boot up in a matter of seconds. With the battery backup lasting for about 8 hours of running time, you will always be accessing the updated version since the update happens in the background.

  1. Close Watch On Student and Faculty Usage

A Chromebook can become a watchful tool that will help educators with pertinent information about the usage and configuration reports. These reports can be viewed by the school management so that corrective measures can be taken on the use of the online content. With an option to filter and monitor mail, you can avail the round the clock support from customer care executives who can fix your issues or resolve your concerns via email, phone or online chat.

  1. The Security Feature

As you all know that Chromebooks are cloud-based gadgets that are meant to run exclusively on the browser, you need not have to initiate any installation on your laptop. This is one feature that works in favor of safeguarding the Chromebook from external attacks. These gadgets live by the promise of a unique design that does not facilitate any external user to access or view your files. Chromebooks do not call for any active firewalls or the installation of anti-virus or anti-malware software. Another element that concerns security is file system encryption. Chromebooks do not need this security feature as the access to view files is given only to identified and registered users.

  1. Use of Simplified Hardware

When it comes to Chromebooks, you are spared from the use of hard drives as a means to store your data. Since all the data is hosted on a centralized cloud location, Chromebooks offer greater performance when compared to traditional laptops. You have a lightweight operating system that leads to swift boot times. Students can experience a super-fast browsing experience alongside making the most of immediate updates and automatic file backup features.

  1. An Intelligent Tool for Holistic Student Development

There is a growing need for professionals like computer engineers, technology coordinators, data scientists and system administrators across the globe. A learning environment which aims at bridging the gap between demand and supply of professionals can bank on Chromebooks. These gadgets enable students to hone their analytical and creative skills. Students will develop a keen eye towards scientific enquiry which will lay the foundation for peer-interactions coupled with active participation. Given all the above positives, it is clear that Chromebooks can encourage students to tread the path of effective work habits that will go a long way in shaping their professional lives.

  1. A Insightful Tool That Examines Student Behavior Closely

Along with useful and educational online content, the internet is flooded with inappropriate content. In an attempt to steer clear of such ill-effects, Chromebooks help educators and parents to keep an eye on the children’s internet usage. As a guardian, you can block the harmful content that is available on the Chromebook alongside opening the doors for educative content to become a significant part of learning.

  1. Collaboration – The Student-Friendly Attribute

When computers step into classrooms, students are encouraged to interact better amongst themselves. Students attuned to technological learning through Chromebooks will begin to communicate and collaborate with each other. While staying in constant touch with each other, Chromebooks become instruments to stay in sync with the assignments that need to be submitted by them in the form of group projects, power point presentations and the making of subject-specific videos.

  1. Go Green” With Chromebooks

Given the numerous concerns towards preserving the environment, Chromebooks are a perfect solution to implement the “Go Green” ideology. With Chromebooks, you can restrict the use of paper also. Chromebooks reduce the carbon footprint arising out of the extensive use of printer ink, printed teaching material and hard-copy books and assignments.

  1. Chrome Web Store – The One Stop Destination for Online Games

Students who are gaming enthusiasts can make the most of the limited game titles that are listed on the Chrome Web Store. Cut the Rope and Bejeweled are a couple of online games that students can play along with a host of Android Chrome games like Minecraft, Galaxy of Heroes and Star Wars that can be an entertainment to students.

  1. An Ocean of Learning Possibilities

Chromebooks are possibly one of the best instruments that promise a well-designed, interactive learning program for students. Students  learning through Chromebooks will be able to explore subject concepts from various approaches. This  help students learn about online word processing, handhold them to master the concepts behind spreadsheets and hone their database management skills.

  1. An Intelligent Tool That Accommodates Multiple Learning Styles

When Chromebooks become the tool of learning, you as a student can make the most of the online material by blending visual and auditory learning styles. Notwithstanding the fact that you are a student who learns better by observation or through listening, Chromebooks come as your top bet. In this way, this internet-based gadget help educators use  multiple learning styles as a perfect response to the traditional curriculum that lacks this significant feature.

Wrapping It Up

Driven by a pursuit to stay abreast with the latest offerings in technology concerning the learning and development space, Chromebooks help students learn through a number of creative ways. Hence it is the need of the hour to drift away from the traditional learning methodologies and tread the path of online education that the world is currently poised for.

Arts and creativity are two inevitable elements of a comprehensive education strategy. Rather than just studying what is in the lesson through typical lectures and exams, bringing in some arts can help students to be more creative in classrooms. In fact, this way of learning is going to help them to grasp the lessons better, memorize it for long and apply what is learnt in real life in a more tactical way. A creative classroom is a good platform for students to stimulate their extracurricular talents and grow up as creative persons. A good teacher can utilize different strategies to teach difficult subjects by integrating it with arts. This is a better way of enhancing their interest for learning and makes them more alive in classrooms.

Students love to learn with play and arts. This is the right phase to mould them into better creative persons and open them a world of artistry. Here let us have a look at different ways to bring arts and creativity in classrooms and learn how this strategy is going to help them learn better.

  1. Mosaics: Learning about new shapes is more fun with mosaics. This is an indirect way of bringing arts to classrooms and students find it really interesting to study about shapes with a deeper understanding. The young minds can use mosaics method to get introduced to new shapes with hands on experience. Whether it is paper, cellophane or glass, students can have some creative time in framing new patterns.
  2. Script writing: This is an awesome way of introducing creativity in classrooms. Students can be given the task of writing a script for the given subject. Whether it is re-creating a historical event, or a simple short story in English or cute dialogue conversations between chemicals or animals, it can be real fun. This activity helps them to think critically and organize events to present better.
  3. Folk Art: Teaching history in classroom can be fun and creative when including folk art as an assignment. When teaching about different ancient periods or old rulers, kids can be asked to represent the era with folk art. They can dress up like the people of that period and represent facts and information in a creative way. This type of active role plays gives them a better understanding of history.
  4. Science labs: Learning about science is not always theory but giving chances for students to have a practical experience of the subject. Science labs should be given more importance than just lectures where students should be given the freedom to experiment what they have learnt in class. Whether it is chemistry reactions, circuits in physics or biology experiments, students will have a good time of self analysis and creativity.
  5. Advertising: This is a fun and creative way of improving their language. Give them chances to create advertisements for selling their product. It can be a single page advertisement where they can bring in their creativity. Criteria can be set about the type of words to be used or word limits and this gives them a chance to show the power of their language even with restrictions. Teachers can even connect it with something they have already learnt in class for a better learning experience.
  6. Wire sculptures: Kids would love to have hands on experience with elements that are playful and colourful and that is the reason why they love wire sculptures. This is an easy but quality art project for lower level class students. This is a better way to introduce and help them understand the line and space concepts. With this activity, they are inspired to learn, discover and dream more.
  7. Draw a topic: Students can also bring out their creativity through drawing art. They can represent a topic by drawing it. It could be a novel theme, a country culture or even biology species. For higher level classes, they can even try out drawing cartoons for a sports event or a political scenario and print in student newspapers. Collage works are also another way to bring drawing into their assignments.
  8. Map Art: This is a serious yet adventurous exercise for studying social studies with hands on experience. The map art is an interesting way for letting students to combine art and history for a deeper level understanding of the lesson. Rather than hanging maps in classrooms which have printed materials, letting kids to do the job makes them very close to the subject. This kind of arts in classrooms makes their learning process ignited and they would crave for more chances for creativity.
  9. Documentaries: Mimicking documentaries is another way of bringing arts into classrooms. This activity includes making a small documentary of the subject taught in groups or as single. This gives them a chance to teach the subject to the rest of the student audience in their own way. When you give students the freedom over their learning, they would be pleased than ever before.
  10. Math Journals: Studying mathematics with art would improve student’s love for the subject. Teachers use it to give students a math adventure and the difficulty levels can be varied with class. Bridges method is another way to learn maths that comes with basic word problems. To reach a conclusion, students will have to write or draw out the problem. For higher level classes, Cinderella software can be really helpful that includes virtual laboratories and geometry.

Schools that have tried experimenting arts with curriculum are seeing improvement in the way students have received the learning. It was evident from the voice of expression and creative confidence of the students. In fact, schools should not consider arts as something extra out of the classroom but as an integral element that should be treated with equal importance along with academics. Learning through creativity and hands on experience are a good assistance for students to gain a deeper level of understanding of the lessons. Let it be theatre, music, visual art forms or dance, including such elements in the learning sessions can really work wonders in their learning experience.

Students in schools and colleges are susceptible to a host of health complications, some of which are communicable while others are contacted due to a bad lifestyle.

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Here we shed light on the 10 most common health complaints faced by students.

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Speaking of the symptoms and treatment to certain common diseases that students contact, these details can become a reference guide to common health problems faced by them on the campus. Once you are informed about the conditions of a particular complication, you as an educator will be able to lessen its severity in the beginning itself.

The Most Common Health Problems Faced by Students

  1. The Common Cold

Common cold is one of main health issue that students face. Every person might have suffered from common cold at some or the other point in their lives.

Symptoms of a common cold are:

  • Repeated sneezing coupled with cough
  • A sore and irritable throat
  • A blocked nose

Students contact a common cold through touch or through inhaling. When you as a healthy student either touch the eyes or nose of the infected student or inhale the germs that spread while the diseased student sneezes, you can catch this common cold. Thus, it is the best to stay away from students with a running nose and wash hands repeatedly to avoid any sort of contact with the germs carrying the disease. This is a minor ailment that can get better within a few days.

  1. Food Poisoning

Diarrhea and vomiting accompanied by fever with chills are the symptoms that can disrupt the health of students who have either consumed uncovered or non-refrigerated food.

Students who have consumed contaminated food will be at a high risk to develop these symptoms which will also lead to a general body weakness coupled with unbearable headaches. Infected students also suffer from severe abdominal cramps.

Dehydration is another striking symptom that needs to be controlled during food poisoning. It is important to administer clear fluids to all such students bearing the brunt of consuming contaminated food. While it is best to avoid solid foods, you should also keep away from dairy products which can aggravate your diseased condition.

  1. Influenza (Flu)

Caused by influenza viruses that affect the respiratory tract of the patient, Influenza commonly called as Flu is a mild to severe illness that can affect the physical health of students. Predominantly high during the flu season between October and May, students who contact flu have symptoms like:

  • High temperature with a headache
  • Running or blocked nose
  • Dry cough with a sore throat
  • Full body fatigue caused due to muscular aches
  • Stomach complaints like diarrhea, vomiting or nausea

Infected students can transmit flu to healthy students when they either cough or sneeze. It is during such times that the infected air comes in contact with healthy students and infects them as well. Tagged as highly contagious conditions, students with flu should stay away from school for a minimum of one week or until all the above-mentioned symptoms subside completely.

Prevention is better than cure. In line with this maxim, students can prevent or limit the spread of flu through flu vaccinations.

  1. Sprains

Students may face injuries in their ligaments while playing games. A sprain also called as the torn ligament damages one or more ligaments that make up a joint. Students who sprain their legs, ankles, knees or wrists will experience severe pain accompanied by an inflammation. Unable to move the injured joint, a sprain can be very painful for students. While some of them are not-so alarming sprains, there are sprains which might call for a surgery to fix them.

  1. Bleeding Nose

Nosebleeds are common health issues faced by students who have dry nasal membranes. This condition is common with students who pick their noses frequently. Picking the nose ruptures the blood vessels inside, causing your nose to bleed. Students who are on anti-allergic or decongestion medication can also experience nosebleeds along with those who are susceptible to frequent colds and sinus issues. Frequent blowing of nose is another cause of nosebleeds. The best way to prevent a nosebleed is to ensure proper lubrication of the nasal passages along with consciously avoiding picking the nose.

  1. Meningitis

Another in-campus health issue faced by students is the spread of meningitis; a disease called by bacteria or virus which infects the lining of the brain. Upon contact with this disease, the brain of the patient begins to swell leading to a dangerous condition which can lead to death in severe cases. Given the fatality of this disease, it pays for the school administration to keep a watch on the following symptoms so as to take prompt and corrective action.

  • High fever accompanied by chills
  • An unbearable headache accompanied by pain in the neck or a stiff neck
  • A sore throat
  • Vomiting and/or nausea
  • Constant feeling of drowsiness along with sensitivity to light or sound
  • Rashes

Under severe conditions, the infected student can also experience seizures. Students who exhibit 3 or more of the above symptoms should immediately get medical help.

  1. Strep Throat

One of the most common bacteria that thrive on the skin of students is strep. Strep throat is a bacterial infection that disturbs the throat and tonsils of infected students. Tagged as a contagious disease that spreads through air when the infected student coughs, sneezes or breathes. Following are the symptoms of strep throat:

  • A sever and all-of-a-sudden sore throat
  • High temperature above 101°F
  • Pain during swallowing
  • Inflamed tonsils and lymph nodes
  • Yellow or white spots visible on the back side of a red and inflamed throat

 

  1. Measles

Despite having a vaccination for measles, students on campuses contact this health complication. Here is the list of symptoms that you should watch out for in a patient.

  • A general feeling of sickness
  • Face and body covered with patchy red rashes
  • Red eyes
  • Intolerance or sensitivity to light

Calling the doctor is the first thing you should do to help the infected student. Administering fluids is another means to counter the symptoms of measles while taking tablets if general body aches persist.

  1. Chicken Pox

While some students would have contacted Chicken Pox during their childhood, this condition affects others who have missed it during their early years. The symptoms of this health issue are:

  • Rashes which emerge as spots of 3 mm in the initial stages grow into irritable blisters, all over the body
  • Blisters can also show up on the scalp
  • High temperature
  • This condition affects the palate causing a discomfort to the patient while he is swallowing

Treatment includes the application of Calamine lotion to soothe the burning sensation and itching caused by blisters. Tablets can be given to the infected student to ease him of fever and body pains.

  1. Mononucleosis (Mono)

Epstein Bar is the common human virus that causes Mononucleosis, also called as Mono. Students infected with this virus experience fever accompanied by a sore throat. Along with fatigue, the physiological condition of inflamed lymph glands, spleen or liver can help you detect the viral complication. It is best to keep the infected students away from playing contact games as this virus is spread through saliva. Mono is a condition that lives in the bodies of the infected patients for life, rarely causing any other health issues.

Conclusion

All the above descriptions of health complications will help the management of schools and other educational institutions to not only understand the severity of the complication but also administer first aid.

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Allowing educators to perform frequent health assessments of their wards, the symptoms of diseases that were highlighted above will serve as a reference guide to detect the complaint so that timely action can be taken.

Going by the maxim that it is better to be safe than to be sorry, the management of educational institutions can ensure the well-being of their wards by being watchful of the symptoms of health complications discussed above.

When in school, you would have thoroughly enjoyed a lecture delivered by a particular teacher. Then, you would start looking forward to the class he/she takes. In contrast, you would have also experienced a monotonous teaching pattern followed by another faculty.

What makes this difference?

It could be the teacher’s attitude, energy levels, and the teaching/learning style.

The learning style in particular can prove to be very important, as it allows kids to nurture a strong liking towards the subject taught.

Here, we try to shed light on different learning styles that help students to learn better. With these learning styles in place, they will begin to love what is being taught.

The Three Basic Learning Styles

With kids having different needs towards learning, educational experts have classified learning styles into three different heads. They are:

  1. Visual (Spatial) 2. Auditory (Verbal) and 3. Kinesthetic (Physical)

Let us now delve deep into the above 3 important types of learning styles.

  1. Visual (Spatial)

First in the list of learning styles for kids is the use of images and pictures that will provide them with a clear understanding of the area, size and position of different objects. Visual learning helps kids assimilate knowledge through observation. Tagged as the most powerful learning style, visual learners are kids who have a creative perception of their surroundings. When they observe an object closely, they will be able to absorb the minutest details concerning the object. In addition to this eye for detail, visual learners demonstrate the following traits:

  • They prefer to see and learn
  • Visual learners remember and repeat visual details with utmost accuracy
  • They are the kids who would need a pen and paper as learning aids to draw maps, diagrams and charts
  • If you notice that your kid is inclined towards penning down instructions, then you can adopt the visual learning style
  • A kid who is not much interested in listening can become a potent visual learner
  • If demonstrations about a particular topic thrill your kid, you have a visual learner who will weave stories about what he noticed through his creative pair of eyes

Visual learners cannot be taught through verbal instructions. It is only when they begin to see what they are expected to learn that they will actually pick up the details of the subject.

  1. Auditory (Verbal)

True to its name, kids who love the auditory pattern of learning will be drawn towards listening attentively to what others are saying. Such kids will learn linguistics through the use of words; which can be through speaking or writing. Kids who adopt the auditory (verbal) learning style will show following characteristics:

  • They will remember and recapitulate information when they recite their lessons aloud
  • Kids who are attuned to a linguistic pattern of learning will learn better when they are explained orally
  • Certain kids who struggle with written instructions can learn by listening
  • You may also find auditory learners who talk to themselves when they are introduced to a new topic
  • If your kid loves to learn through group discussions, it should ring a bell that he/she is a student made for the auditory learning style

A striking parameter that can help you identify auditory learners is through their sharp listening skills. On the face of it, such kids might seem to be least interested in what you are saying. But in reality, they will be actually putting their listening abilities to test to grasp all that they can, when you are talking to them. Kids who can learn better by paying attention to what you are saying thus have strong listening skills when compared to visual skills.

  1. Kinesthetic (Physical)

Also known as Tactile Learning, Kinesthetic Learning is a learning style that teaches kids through physical activities. Kids who make use of their arms and legs coupled with a keen sense of touch will develop an interest towards a particular subject. Typically treading the path of hands-on learning, it is an easy task to pick a kinesthetic leaner. He/she will be more agile with bodily movements rather than choosing to be a silent audience to a demonstration or a lecture. You as a parent or teacher can identify a kinesthetic learner if he/she mirrors the following characteristics:

  • Kinesthetic learners make utmost use of their hands to learn. That means, they “interact” majorly through hand movements
  • They have a strong inkling towards partaking in an activity that will help them master the topic
  • They learn by touching and feeling objects of study
  • Such kids are often found moving around from one place to another; talking or listening

Kids who have a mental make-up towards kinesthetic learning can sometimes be falsely classified under the category of kids with ADHD symptoms. Their inability to learn through visual or auditory means is the reason behind this erroneous classification.

There are umpteen ways to learn.

But are there only three learning styles?

No!

While the above mentioned styles come under the category of basic learning styles, there are other learning styles that can simplify the lives of students in more ways than one. All these styles which apply logic to learning can help your kid better respond to his teaching curriculum.

Let us now look into these imaginative learning styles with a brief explanation.

  1. The Fourth Style – A Collection of Creative Learning Styles

Under this head, you will be able to recognize unique styles of learning. They are:

  1. Aural(Auditory and Musical) – This is a combination of the auditory learning pattern with music. Kids who prefer to learn through music and sounds will follow a particular pattern of learning. They will listen, discuss topics with others, explain their novel ideas to others and pose questions. They use a tape recorder which will help them remember interesting jokes, stories and examples that were a part of the learning session. Recalling a pleasurable instance of a joke that was shared in the class during a lecture will help aural learners tag this instance to the topic of study.
  2. Logical (Mathematical): You will agree with the fact that Mathematics is a subject based on logic. Kids who are gifted with an innate ability to apply logic to every problem will be able to solve mathematical puzzles and games. Applying reasoning to every mathematical step, they will arrive at the solution; the easy way.

If your kid demonstrates an early aptitude towards solving mathematical problems, you can encourage him to check out a host of fun-filled mathematical puzzles and games that are a dime a dozen on the internet. With these online learning tools, you as a proactive guardian can develop the logical thinking in them at a very tender age.

  1. Social (Interpersonal): All those kids who love to make learning interesting by engaging in group activities or by interacting with other people can check out the interpersonal style of learning. Such kids demonstrate a strong grasp over linguistic and communication skills. They have a prominent social style that can either manifest in verbal or non-verbal forms. Their love for social interactions comes to the fore when they demonstrate a keen interest to participate in group learning projects.

If you notice your kid partaking in school activities like debates, drama and speeches, then you have a social learner who will garner the limelight in social gatherings as well.

  1. Solitary (Intrapersonal): As a sharp contrast to the social learning style, you have a group of kids who love to indulge in self-study. They go by the principle that self-help is indeed the best help they can get to expand their knowledge base. Solitary learners, true to their name prefer to work alone, giving utmost importance to their privacy during learning. They have a strong individuality along with a keen sense of independence. They go by their own thinking and spend a lot of time on self-analysis.

Intrapersonal learners are happy being away from the crowd and rely on their innate intelligence to learn new things. Internalizing their thinking patterns, solitary learners come under the category of top performers who have learned about different topics their own way.

Closing Thoughts

All in an attempt to maximize the learning potential of kids, the above learning styles will not only help guardians match the needs of their wards to a befitting style but also helps understand them better. It is only when you as guardians pay heed to your kids’ wants and interests that you will be able to handhold them to make the most of different learning styles. Observation plays an important role in this regard.

Guardians, through observation will be able to provide a host of learning opportunities to kids to hone their primary and innate skills. In this way, they can become instruments of effective learning by introducing their wards to a combination of learning styles. This effort bears fruit by prompting kids to tread the path of a scientific method of learning that becomes an asset for life.

Bringing the concept of the age-old radio programs back into the 21st-century, podcasts have lots to cheer for. All thanks to the use of technology in churning out audio presentations of any topic under the sun, a podcast which comes in the form of episodes is a simple and easy-to-use educational tool. Alongside offering invaluable information to listeners, podcasts have gone ahead and become instructional tools in classrooms as well.

If you are curious to know how podcasts can be a good learning tool, here they come.

  1. The Emerging Popularity of Podcasts Helps Learners and Teachers

The innovative use of technology makes podcasts an indispensable tool for education. Tagged as the latest medium of learning, podcasts have,in the recent past become popular tools promising an impactful push to both students and teachers. Simplifying the job of the teaching staff, podcasts come as a stress-free option to engage students with quality audio content. Students can learn about topics while on the go once they subscribe to a podcast feed. Another primal benefit of podcasts is that these audio presentations can be used for students of different ages; right from schools all the way to universities.

  1. Portability and Convenience of Learning

Podcasts can be downloaded in your mobiles and can become your tutors in class. Portability and convenience are the two striking advantages of podcasts as with this students can enjoy flexibility in learning. You also have a round-the-clock access to information that is at your fingertips. Given a situation when your faculty is on leave, you can simply bank on this teaching resource and make the most of your free-hour to educate yourself about any topic of interest.

  1. Auditory Learning – An Impactful Educational Tool Compared to Watching or Reading

While listening to podcasts is one way of learning, recording podcasts also helps students in more ways than one. Students can record podcasts of topic synopses and submit as a group assignment while interviewing their peers about what they understood about a particular topic. Collating all the audio-based information and editing the same will lead to the emergence of a comprehensive educational podcast. Not allowing students to get distracted, podcasts come in as blessings to auditory learners who will start assimilating information by listening attentively.

  1. Lots of “Behind the Scenes” Activities

A podcast brings out the best in students by mirroring a number of their skills. Along with researching skills, students who record a podcast will also learn how to test it. Once the content is tested, it should be edited before it is finally recorded and ready to be published or promoted. Students who stir up podcasts will be taught the tone of storytelling when they begin to follow a flow of narration. You as a student will be prompted to record a podcast with a strict pattern of an introduction, followed by the explanation, eventually leading to a conclusion. While you are recording a podcast, you are simultaneously honing your communication skills, without the anxiety caused by stage fright. Upon recording multiple podcasts, you can slowly and steadily master the art of public speaking and engage your audience through quality audio content.

  1. Subject No Bar

If you are of the opinion that podcasts have to be made only in English or any other medium of instruction, think twice. You can churn out a Math podcast by reciting equations loud and clear, so that you can help your students who got struck over a tricky problem. You can share your podcast amongst your friends who are finding it hard to understand scientific concepts and theories. Given the numerous ways in which podcasts help master subjects, teachers also encourage their wards to listen to popular podcasts under various disciplines.

  1. Student Created Content – The Star Attraction of Podcasts

It is all about having a free hand while learning. Podcasts come in as valuable and interesting learning tools for students through the concept of “Student Created Content”. Allowing you to create your own podcast, you have the luxury of posing questions along with the inclusion of discussions that will help you complete your academic projects and presentations.All in all, podcasts come in as informal educational tools that favor the idea of collective learning.

  1. Record Your Lectures and Learn At Your Own Pace

Undoubtedly, technology presents innumerable options to all those who wish to think outside the box. Prompting you to record your classroom lectures, a podcast can serve as an “anytime”, “go to” educational material. Tagged as helpful study aids, podcasts help students to prepare better for their exams alongside hand-holding them to grasp a difficult concept that was lectured in the classroom. You simply listen to the recorded podcast, pause when needed and go on to the next topic; at your own pace. Podcasts coming with the options to pause, rewind and replay will come as a blessing to students with learning disabilities.

  1. A Boon to Students with Mental and Visual Disorders

“Learning through listening” can be the tagline of podcasting. Podcasts can be the best means of education especially for students battling visual and mental disorders. Such kids who are not comfortable with reading can opt for podcasts. Students fighting mental conditions like Dyslexia and ADHD can make the most of modern podcasts as a potent option to do away with the traditional methods of learning.

  1. A Perfect Option for Absenteeism

There can be a bad day in the life of a student who is unable to attend his/her college or school. In such a case, you can make up for your missed classes by downloading the recordings of the lectures. In this manner, you will be able to plug the gaps that have emerged on account of your non-attendance to school for a day or two. Teachers can record their lectures and hand over the recorded material for the absentees to catch up with the rest of the class.

  1. Guarantees A Uniform Learning Experience Across Sections

Given the fact that a teacher delivers lectures of the same topic to different classes, podcasts come in as teacher-friendly tools. Allowing the teacher to ensure that every student lays hands on the same explanation that was given by him/her in a particular class, podcasts help deliver “lecture consistency”. Students of different sections who listen to the lectures recorded by their teacher will be on par with each other with the same information being given out.

Wrapping It Up

All in an attempt to help you make the most of your learning experiences, you as a knowledge-seeker are at an advantage to master various subjects through listening. And if you are a teacher ordained to shape the lives of your students, you can bank on podcasts as the best tools that can help them learn effectively, without missing out a thing. To sum it all, podcasts come in as invaluable modern educational tools that can help the teacher and student fraternity in a number of creative ways.

Learning with fun is one of the most effective teaching strategies that are being adopted in most of the smart schools in the country. The right mix of games and curriculum are proved to be really effective in improving the learning skills of students. The game based learning enhances their interest for studies with an improved memory and attention.

Smart schools are including the proper mix of these games to help them learn better. Here let us have a look at how different games are fun and at the same time improve learning:

  1. Memory games: Memorizing what they have learnt in class is important to apply it in real life and to excel in exams. Game based learning can be always fun and certain games can boost up their memory skills. Activity based learning always helps them to grasp the subject better than just one way lecture sessions. Some popular educational memory games such as bingo are good to teach mathematical expressions. Games such as Jeopardy are good to revise lessons at end of class or before exams. The play way method in fact increases their interest for learning as kids always crave for more games.
  2. Computer games: Today’s world is dominated by technology and so it is important to make your kids well versed in adopting at least some of them from their early days. Computer games are one of the best ways to help your kid to learn more about technology and use of devices. With this strategy, even kids now know the working of computer and they can easily gain technical efficiency while they grow up. With cartoon network games, children would easily follow up the eye hand coordination and proper usage of keyboard and mouse. The exciting games in the internet also help them to enhance their general internet navigation.
  3. Puzzles: Teachers now bring puzzles to classrooms to take away the boredom of one way teaching. Puzzles help them to improve their thinking and problem solving skills. Most of the games demand utilizing their logic and assessing the problem from different levels. Students will have to think out of the box to solve many puzzles. Understanding its importance in today’s education, teachers are using games as a tool for teaching. Even kids can learn spelling through spelling puzzles such as Hangman and formation of new words through a game known as chain spelling. Teachers have to wisely choose the type of puzzles for different levels of classroom to make the strategy more effective.
  4. Vocabulary games: Improving a student’s vocabulary is really important to enhance their communication skills. Reading comprehension is a widely used strategy in which students would read aloud the lessons and teacher would correct their mistakes. However, some vocabulary games such as sentence race is really fruitful in improving their vocabulary in a much better way. This is actually a vocabulary review game for high school students in which they are asked to frame a sentence and write on the board that includes a given word. Some funny mime games are also now a popular choice to revise particular words or verbs. Engaging scenarios that include real life situations can improve the essence of gaming.
  5. Adventure games: There are various digital and non digital forms of adventure games that are brought as part of learning sessions. This is one of the best ways to learn a new language in your school days. Exploring different levels of a game by clearly going through the guidelines itself give a chance to understand the language better. Adventure games are also good to develop a mindset to explore new things while you are a kid. This quality can really help a student to try and learn new things in life without a second thought. Gaming in classrooms promotes interactive learning and sometimes it can even give way for peer supported learning experience.
  6. Skill acquisition games: Smart schools are including skill acquisition games into daily learning which helps kids to develop their social, cognitive and physical skills. The skills and knowledge one will get through activity learning can be retained for a comparatively longer period than what they gain through conventional learning methods. The video games such as car races are not only entertaining but teach them to control speed, move accurately or type quickly. Some games even trains them to have fine motor skills and spatial skills. This can be an added advantage once they move out of the school life. Some skills can really impact the way they face real life situations.
  7. Creativity games: Bringing creativity in classrooms can make the learning phase more productive. Creative games are made a part of the lessons that help them to think creative and imaginative to find out solutions. Interesting games such as blind artist is popular in the list in which a kid has to draw a picture using his creativity and imagination by listening to his/her friend. More than entertainment, educational games are aimed at teaching the player about something new. Teachers are using such games to introduce new topics or discuss hard to understand subject areas. Nowadays, teachers are also promoting student made games that takes their creativity to new quality levels.
  8. Competitive gaming: Competitive games are often challenging and students are forced to think out of the box to give their best. In a game based learning environment, students are utilizing the freedom of choosing their learning method. By pushing themselves harder and asking more questions, they are taking up an active role to learn on their own whenever they can. In multi player games such as competing with students from other schools, they can develop their non-cognitive skills too such as self control, motivation, perseverance and patience. This type of learning also promote mental stimulation, decision making and reasoning which they can apply better in real life.
  9. Team work activities: Smart schools are also focussing on including games that promote team work activities. When you play as a team, it is not only fun but students can experience collective learning and collaboration. It is also an open platform for developing social skills while getting a chance to interact with your peers. He may also asses about his position among the peers and work towards achieving the goals. Students can break the cultural and language back grounds while working together towards achieving the goals. Game based learning is always a part of constructivist learning theory that backs students to perform better next time.
  10. Outdoor sports: Being physically active by engaging in one or more sports can boost their energy level. More than simple fun, the characteristics associated with gaming such as definitive objectives, rules, challenge and measurable goals helps them to easily relate learning with practical life. The results of their decision making during game are understood almost instantly as compared to waiting for weeks or months for class test results. In fact, this is an open platform for them to try out their decision making skills without any fear. Higher retention rates are one of the key highlights in comparison with book learning.
  11. Gamification at home: The classroom learning experience can be integrated with learning at home through gamification. Parents can take the role of bringing in some game based activities at home to revise what they have learnt in class. Kids are nowadays spending quality time in playing video games during their free time at home. In the present era, a student should be qualified in digital literacy which includes accountability and ethics in addition to strong communication skills. Playing by utilizing the possibilities of today’s technology can really help them to gain sufficient knowledge in digital learning.

These school games are gradually becoming part of the learning curriculum. Most of these games are in one way or the other effective in raising the learning spirits of students. Gamification alleviates the stress of a typical classroom and the concepts can be retained better through positive learning memories.

Smart schools are trying out different teaching strategies to give a better learning experience for students.

Despite the quality of the teaching you give, keeping them engaged throughout a classroom session is always challenging.

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The attention span of kids is very low than you can expect and so it is important to put in some serious effort to grab their attention.

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The classroom sessions can be made interactive and interesting with a mix of learning and some gamification.

Here are a few tips that might help you to keep the students engaged in your classroom that helps you have a quality teaching time:

1. Warm up sessions:

A good start can impact the way students grasp the lessons. It would be good to start it off with a warm up session.

One of the commonly followed activities is writing some points related to what was taught in the previous class on the board. Students can actively find out the mistakes in it in a collaborative way.

2. Light movements

In order to improve their focus and attention, make them involve in light movements either in the beginning or in the middle of the lesson if you find them sleepy.

The activities can be varied according to the class you are handling. It can be hand-clapping, rhythmic finger snapping, cross crawls or light march.

3. Quick writes

When you finish a particular topic, you can ask them to give a quick write of what you taught them.

It can include important points covered in the topic and their judgement or conclusion regarding some tricky areas. This is a good way to keep students engaged with the lessons. This makes them focus more during the next classes.

4. Encourage to and fro questions

 Teachers should develop a habit of asking questions in between their lessons. And also give students an open platform to raise some questions or doubts regarding what was taught.

This makes the classroom sessions more interactive. This also helps them to understand the lessons better. By framing questions and receiving answers, students can get a deeper view of the subject.

5. Mix teaching styles

Following the same teaching style in every class creates boredom among students and they slowly start losing the interest. So it is better to mix the teaching styles often and students would have a better learning experience.

Approach different subjects in a different way and consider the interests of the students too.

6. Gamification

This is one of the best ways to teach kids as they would always love to have ‘learn with fun’ experience. Games such as education bingo and bleep can be included to enhance their memory.

Their vocabulary can be improved with vocabulary games such as ‘sentence race’. Teachers can also bring in creativity games, team work activities and competition games to raise their spirit for learning.

7. Group works

Group learning is equally important as self learning as students can be trained to think in groups and improve their group decision making.

Group assignments can be given once in a while when they can share their ideas and work out a project. They can bring out their exclusive ideas while accepting or considering others’ ideas too. This is another way to keep students engaged in the classroom.

8. Video sessions

Video sessions are a good option to grab student’s attention and focus. The visual elements are processed faster by brain and this can make remarkable impact on their understanding of the topic.

Variety can be made in this strategy too by including video presentations with beautiful slides or giving them video tutorials. Considering its importance, smart board options are gaining more importance in today’s classrooms.

9. Connect with real life:

Students would find it interesting if teachers can connect the subject that is being taught to incidents in real life. This also helps them to relate the subject better and gain a better understanding.

10. Activity learning

Making the students to sit stagnantly throughout the classroom sessions can be really boring for them.

Teachers can utilize the classroom space and engage them in some activity learning to regain their interest. Jumping the line, mime or sports gallery can be tried once in a while to make students active and engaging.

This is the best way to make the afternoon learning sessions more productive.

11. Quizzes and polls

Once a topic is covered, quizzes can be conducted by dividing class into groups.

This activity is not only engaging but also one of the spontaneous ways to assess their understanding.

Polls can also be conducted to get their feedback on the lessons, which is another option to pass the dead time.

12. Education apps

Bringing in some technology to the classroom can take away the boredom and make the students engaging.

With the wide use of mobiles, education apps are now becoming an inevitable tool in today’s classroom. With puzzle, you can engage them with video sessions and Motion Math app lets you teach difficult mathematical problems through games.

13 Story telling

 An interesting way to introduce a new subject is to start it with a story. Some teachers also bring stories in the middle of lessons helping students to relate some facts in a better way.

Kids would always love to hear stories and they crave for more. This is another way to engage them when handling tough subjects.

14. Autonomy Support

Including students in the learning process is really important to gain their interest for the subject.

Students should be given a platform to express their ideas or opinions during the activity.

They should be given ample time to understand a particular subject and don’t rush to the next lesson.

15. Flipped classroom

This is a credible learning technique which is being adopted in many smart classrooms.

Students are asked to prepare the lessons in advance by referring some video tutorials.

So when teacher discusses the lesson in the class, students would find the subject more engaging and interesting.

16. Teacher-student relations

Maintaining good relation with students is important for a teacher to make the classes more positive.

Students will have that freedom to express themselves whenever needed which gives them a sense of peace and happiness. Keeping up a pleasant classroom environment can impact the way they grasp the lessons.

17. Take small breaks

 Instead of having an hour long teaching sessions, take some small breaks in between to refresh the minds of students. You can talk or share something out of the syllabus and have a chit chat time with the students.

18. Response cards

Students can be given response cards with options such as agree and disagree, multiple choices, yes/no or even emoticons.

During the class period, teacher can ask questions and students have to give response with these cards. This activity can make the classes interactive and engaging which kills the boredom of one way lectures.

19. Dictation

For elementary classes, simple activities such as dictation can do the trick to pass the dead time.

Once you cover a class, just give a simple dictation test to stimulate their memory and to make them comfortable with words and spelling.

It can be a mix of listen, repeat, read and write experience for kids.

20. A to Z class summary

You may conclude a learning session with this activity to help them memorize or revise what they have learnt in the class.

Students can write a summary of the class in sentences starting with all alphabets from A to Z. This activity can be done in groups or as singles. Teacher can evaluate to give a feedback and correct them if their understanding went wrong somewhere.

These are some of the commonly used ideas in smart classrooms to have a quality learning session.

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Teachers can wisely apply the teaching tips according to the age or the level of classroom that is being handled. Know their boundaries when deciding on a new teaching strategy.

It is important to maintain eye contact with the students and always give a space for them to come up with suggestions. Similarly praising and rewarding their works can really motivate them.

Using contemporary materials whenever possible and differentiation can actually work wonders in enhancing the student’s liking and interest for learning.