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E-SAFETY – How To Keep Your Kids Safe Online?

By
Manuela Willbold
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2

Any idea what your child does online?

The thing is, they probably don’t even know and that’s why e-safety and digital literacy are key nowadays! Everyone using the internet should learn about managing and navigating themselves through cyberspace securely and safely.

What is E-Safety?

This term basically covers safety online, on the web or on the internet in terms of children’s safe and responsible use in connection with technology. E-safety is relevant for computers, smartphones, tablets and any other technological or digital device offering access to the internet.

E-safety covers many aspects of children’s conduct online such as inappropriate content, sexting, online porn, online games, livestreaming and video apps, social media sites and apps and parental controls. The NSPCC offer a variety of resources and tips for parents in all those areas. As a concerned parent you can contact the NSPCC and worried children can look for help and advice via the Childline.

In schools all staff are trained on e-safety as most classrooms are equipped with devices enabling web access. Therefore, the same should apply to all parents using internet-enabled gadgets with their children at home. However, most parents or carers are left in the dark about this important and vital aspect of the online world.

How to be Safe Online?

Fortunately, there’s a wealth of fantastic educational resources available for parents as well as teachers. Depending on your learner’s age, here are a few expert tips provided by iaps.uk on how to keep your child or student safe online:

• Check the age limit on social media platforms and messenger services:
• To set up an account on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter; Tumblr, Reddit, Secret, Snapchat, Pinterest, Habbo, Google+ your child or student needs to be 13 YEARS OLD.
• On LinkedIn their minimum required age is 14 YEARS and on What’s App it’s 16 YEARS.
• If their account is in your name or registered via your phone contract, you’re legally responsible for ANYTHING happening. The same applies for your child’s account, if they’re not over 18 years old yet.

You can find more legal guidance in the Prevent duty’s statutory guidance regarding online safety and radicalisation provided by the UK Home Office or the Department for Education’s (DfE) (2021) Keeping children safe in education (2020): statutory guidance for schools and colleges. All schools in the UK are required to follow this guidance and they should inform parents about how to implement some of it at home, especially during lockdowns as children are being home schooled mostly online.

As a parent you can ensure you’re in control by
• Creating a rule book for online use at home and outside
• Limiting screen time and when engaged with a gadget make sure you can get access easily, e.g. they’re not locked in their room
• Being consistent and explaining why these rules are important and what consequences can arise
• Downloading GALLERY GUARDIAN – if you are contracted to your child’s phone it sends an alert of inappropriate images
• Downloading OUR PACT – an app allowing you to switch off the apps on your child’s phone, and to a schedule
• Trialling CIRCLE WITH DISNEY – an application that claims you can manage all devices in your home setting time limits and turning off individual apps.
• Check these tips on Busythings for your child/student:


Why Early Intervention matters?

According to a Telegraph article from September 2017 quoted by iaps.uk
• 72% of 12 to 15 year olds have a social media profile,
• 42% of 8 to 11 years olds prefer watching You Tube to watching a TV set,
• 51% of 12 to 15 year olds use SnapChat,
• 32% of 8 to 11 year olds have a smart phone,
• 34% of 12 to 15 year olds have encountered “hate speech” on online in last year and
• 21% of 12 to 15 year olds play games with people they have never met.

These statistics clearly show that the internet offers many opportunities for children to be exposed to potentially harmful content or contacts. It is a great place for people to prey on vulnerable and naïve individuals while remaining anonymous. And being helpless or uninformed in such exploitive situations can lead to dangerous, humiliating and traumatic incidents.

Nobody wants their child or student to experience anything like this and that’s why every little piece of e-safety information matters. If your child is into gaming then you can read more about managing parental controls, age limitations and what parents need to know on the seekahost.co blog.

Support your child if they are being exposed online to:

  • Bullying: Children may experience being excluded from a game or a group on social media or messaging platforms by their friends. They may experience verbal abuse through criticism regarding gaming, social media posts or whatever public online activity they participate in. This can be upsetting for a child and they may not know how to deal with it emotionally or how to respond to it online appropriately.
  • Trolling, griefing and scams: Trolling and griefing can occur in e-games where players try to negatively impact other gamers and their game. Children may also be exposed to be tricked or scammed into purchasing in-game or in-app items through hackers or unknown people entering their game or connecting with them their platforms.
  • Grooming: Because e-games and online platforms often offer communication tools like live chats, messaging and chat functions, voice and video calls etc. younger children are in danger of being contacted by strangers. They may pretend to be a friend of a friend or somehow build a connection with your child to build trust. Children don’t understand how to identify potentially dangerous communications and could be manipulated to do things they don’t want to do such as connecting with strangers on different platforms, signing up to other accounts or even meeting someone somewhere in person, which could lead to them becoming dependent on that person and following their instructions blindly.

A way to empower your child or student and to learn managing an online presence safely and responsibly first hand is to start their own blog or online journal. Under adult supervision creating and running a blog can offer the learner many opportunities to improve their digital skills to become an educated digital citizen.

For more information on where to start with a blog check out the following:

8 Blogging Tips for Students and Beginners

How to Become a Blog Writer Even as a Student

Current Trends & Discussions in E-Safety for Children

Children are exposed to digital devices from a very young age and learning the digital skills to manage them responsibly is key to ensuring their e-safety and well-being online. Plus, it will be useful for their future career path as the future of work focuses increasingly more on digital work in most industries.

You can check the outlook provided by the OECD in terms of how work will be influenced by technology and what this means for employment, schooling, work training and higher education. Many retailers have been impacted by the pandemic and are moving online as more customers shop online. The same trend applies to other industries such as food, media and press, education and health care and many more. It is therefore key to start as early as possible to raise children safely online and equip them with digital skills required later on to protect their identity and financial future.

Most recently this topic has been discussed in a documentary called Kids On Tech, which shares intimate conversations with parents, teachers, neuroscientists, tech executives, child psychologists, and kids of every age from around the world in the hope that this film can help start a conversation about all the questions that remain unanswered with regards to technology use among children of all ages. You can watch the trailer here:

8 Most Pressing Challenges in Education Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic

By
Jessica Chapman
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0
COVID challenges in education

March 2020 is a historic month for the global education sector.

It was the month in which education was put on hold across 185 countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected almost all the world’s population of students. The urgency of the school closure with the almost immediate transition to distance learning meant that there was no time or room for preparing for and calculating the risks or threats that education might face.

Every crisis has its opportunities and challenges. The lockdown of schools due to the pandemic has resulted in new hurdles to delivering modern education, which will require governments and educators to manage adequately.

Challenges caused by Covid-19 in Education

1. Distance learning is not a tested and trusted approach yet

boy-wearing-medical-mask-attending-virtual-schoolDuring this is period, the focus for many countries and settings is distance learning, leveraging technology for online learning, or sending out learning materials. This approach is didactically questionable and solitary. It’s too passive for the students to sit quietly alone watching videos or reading online documents or presentations – something they aren’t used to. Passive learning is the most deprived way of learning, and it is what these students might be subjected to. In the end, what makes education matter is the element of human interaction. It is therefore vital that children speak to their teachers regularly and have somebody support them directly with the learning at home.

2. Educators are overwhelmed and require additional training

Teachers didn’t get any notice nor had a choice during the initial lockdown and had to move all their educational activities online. Many have been overwhelmed with this sudden change and settings were also not prepared for the shift. They had to subscribe to different online learning platforms, video conference tools, and had to use different materials and products to deliver a similar level of education as in class. Settings didn’t have time to train their staff on how to use online teaching tools and communication platforms, which has put immense additional pressure on the teaching staff. Many staff also struggled to get a better WIFI connection at home and adequate technical equipment from their employer to deliver online lessons. The same problem applied to some disadvantaged families, which made remote learning extremely difficult and clearly widened the attainment gap between different demographic groups.

3. Safeguarding and protecting students is harder

kids-waving-classroom-while-keeping-social-distanceOrdinarily, schools have a strict process for who can have access to children during school hours and activities like sports, etc. Some measures and legally required checks are put in place to prevent predators from having access to pupils. With learning moving online, there are new challenges to safeguard students on the internet, and schools and teaching staff are required to be trained in e-safety guidance. Education settings have to set up safe passwords and other secure authentication processes for families and teaching staff to work together in safe cyberspace.

4. The equality gap may widen with school closures

There has been development in the last few years to increase students’ access to connectivity and devices, so online learning was possible for most families and teaching staff. However, access to internet connectivity and digital devices is not something that all families have. This calls for alternative teaching methods to enable every student to access learning, no matter their circumstances.  The UK government has launched grants and schemes to help families gain better internet access from home and for digital devices for their children. More information about how to apply is provided on the government website: Get help with technology during coronavirus (COVID-19) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, this support was not provided right away, and teaching staff and families had limited access to resources that should have been freely available. Hence, accessibility to education relies on material goods that are not equally available to all students.

5. Keeping students engaged online is tough

school-boy-yellow-shirt-taking-virtual-classes-raising-handIt is very important that schools can retain the engagement of students and this is harder the younger the children are with shorter attention spans. Being disengaged from the academic learning and system for a longer period can increase learning difficulties and reduce motivation to study. Because learning includes more than just reading a textbook or watching a presentation.  At school, students learn peer-to-peer interactions, building social relationships, how to develop social skills and be good citizens, etc. They learn to be part of a community and must not be disengaged. However, this is much harder to deliver online and parents and carers should therefore be part of the holistic learning process while children are taught remotely. Hence, teaching staff also need to provide guidance for families on how to best support their children at home.

6. End of school meal programs

School meal programs in many countries are what many kids rely on as the main source of their daily nutritious meals. However, with the home schooling enforced, many children were made more vulnerable. Suddenly, they relied on their parents and carers to provide all the meals and education at home. Children living under difficult circumstances where families are not intact or not affluent were certainly more disadvantaged by this lockdown. The negative effect of this on the kid’s ability to continue remote learning is more than many governments are willing to admit. And it took footballer Marcus Rashford to raise around £20 million for charity, to provide schoolchildren with food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

7. Public spending on education may be impacted

It is uncertain what the long-term impact of this pandemic is going to be on the education sector. However, there is likely to be a reduction in public spending on education as governments focus on the health sector and reviving the economy. According to the latest IFS annual report, school spending per pupil in England fell by 9% in real terms between 2009–10 and 2019–20.

8. Reduced international mobility for students

Many tertiary institutions have international students, and the pandemic has affected the continuity of learning for them and their legal and safety status. Also, there’s a change in the perception of value in studying abroad, and that experience of studying abroad is something that remote learning can’t replace. The students are now missing out on international exposure, international networking, and exposure to foreign markets, cultures, and languages.

Can Challenges be overcome?

Almost all sectors are affected by the pandemic, even though the health sector appears to be hit the hardest. However, this pandemic has laid bare numerous threats to modern education for the students, teachers, and institutions as a whole and they should be taken seriously. Governments, headteachers, educators, and parents are all in this together and need to find ways to improve remote learning and in-school learning equally in order to deliver the curriculum no matter the circumstances, covering vital future skills like math, English and many more. Because every child has the right to be educated.

 

7 Ways to Tackle Student Absenteeism

By
Jessica Chapman
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0

Parents try their best to keep their children in school as much as possible, however, the Coronavirus pandemic has shown, according to statistics published by the UK government, that school attendance in state-funded schools in September was between 89-90% until October half term, where attendance then fell to 83% on 19 November.

Therefore, absenteeism is one of the problems that bother most parents and schools, especially in these challenging times.

Chronic absenteeism is on the rise and a few studies have led to the following results: Children who miss their classes will score lower in math and English skills and will have lower educational gain.

If the problem of absenteeism is not solved, it will prevent students from acquiring essential knowledge that will help them in their future careers such as academic writing at university.

Moreover, attending classes and going to school is not only about gaining information. It is also about developing soft and social skills, learning how to communicate and interact with other people.

If you are a concerned parent or teacher, you can check these 7 ways to tackle student absenteeism:

1. Improve Access to Technology

Now with the global pandemic under way, classes have shifted online. Students take part in online classes from the comfort of their own home, which may make the entire learning process too familiar. Absenteeism is on the rise, especially during online education.Students-require-access-to-internet-and-digital-devices-for-online-learning

However, some students miss the classes because they do not have the technology and digital devices necessary to take part. Providing them with the tools and access needed for education is essential and it can reduce student absenteeism. The UK government has launched grants and schemes to support disadvantaged families gaining better internet access from home and digital devices for their children to access remote learning provided by their schools. You can find more information about how to apply here: Get help with technology during coronavirus (COVID-19) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

2. Highlight the Power of Mentors

Many students feel overwhelmed by school life and they do not know how to deal with the challenges that come with it. They will let themselves be defeated by these challenges if they do not know how to overcome them. This results in high rates of absenteeism and the students missing important lectures.

Students need to know that they can choose a mentor, from their teachers or family. They can even choose a colleague as a mentor that will support them when they will have tough moments. Mentors can boost the motivation and productivity of students and help them take part in classes. And if students require support in a particular subject, online tutoring services can help as well.

3. Healthy Habits

Some habits might hinder students’ motivation and will to learn and improve. These habits include having breakfast, drinking enough water, and reducing the time spent on social media.

Healthy habit adoption should be encouraged by parents and teachers alike. Most of the time, students do not realize that what they are doing is toxic. They need to understand that simple things such as having breakfast in the morning or exercising regularly can supply them with the energy they need during classes.

4. Extracurricular Learning

Most students have high rates of absenteeism because they are not interested in the information presented. While some information might be seen as useless, its benefits for the improvement of critical thinking skills cannot be overlooked.Students-blogging-as-extracurricular-activity-for-learning

Students that are encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities such as going to art classes can change the entire perspective they have on learning. Photography, reading, or blogging can be some of the hobbies students can have to further their learning and nurture more skills.

Learn more about how blogging can be a fantastic extracurricular activity and its benefits on the eLearning Industry blog.

5. Early Intervention

One of the most efficient ways to tackle student absenteeism is to intervene early. This means that the school team or local authority will contact parents when students have missed more than their annual allowance without a good reason for their absence, e.g. health, and you can learn more about the legal legal action to enforce school attendance here: School attendance and absence: Legal action to enforce school attendance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

This allows all actors involved to intervene and reduce absenteeism. In extreme cases, parents will be required to show proof of reasons for their child’s absence and meet with headteachers, safeguarding leads and local community officers to avoid fines.

6. Communication

Communication is important and essential every step of the way and parents that have children with chronic absenteeism can begin by talking with them. Understanding what they go through, which is their perspective on education and school, and why they miss school is important. Parents can share the benefits of going to school, meeting with colleagues, and learning new interesting things and they can also intervene should bullying or any other negative experience prevent their child from attending school.Teacher-student-relationship-and-communication-improves-attendance

Communication should also come from teachers. Collecting feedback from the students to improve their learning and teaching methods can indeed reduce student absenteeism. Most schools provide pastoral care where a designated lead will offer support to the child and the family.

7. Positive Culture

Students often have high rates of absenteeism when something from school bothers them. They might not feel safe or they might not feel empowered. It is thus important for parents and teachers to work on this issue.

Creating a positive school culture where students feel valued and safe will lead to lower rates of absenteeism. And low rates of absenteeism lead to higher grades and more involvement and motivation for students.

Conclusion

How to tackle absenteeism is a topic of interest for parents, teachers and students. Students might miss classes for various reasons. It is important to understand what triggers absenteeism and intervene early.

Another essential ingredient is communication and the pursuit of hobbies, which give students a positive perspective on learning. It may be a challenging thing to do, but it is for the student’s good.

7 Effective Ways Digital Marketing Can Help the Education Sector

By
Manuela Willbold
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0
digital-marketing-education-services

The education sector is the keystone industry for any country.

Not only does it contribute substantially to a nation’s economy, but the education industry also grants educated, dutiful, responsible, and hardworking citizens. They can be an asset to any country.

The education sector has changed over the years, and today’s operating systems are vastly different from previous years. Educators used to frown upon students using technical devices. Now, they encourage them to use technology and expand their horizons. Moreover, a wide variety of educational fields have emerged and had further boosted the industry. Experts predict that the advancement of technology will continue to change the landscape of education and remote learning.

Education is Moving Online

The modern world is intensely competitive. An increasing number of educational institutes are coming forth, proposing different degree or certification programs and courses online. Excess of options is taking the competition to another level. Schools, colleges, and universities struggle to make their mark and attract students. The education approach has also changed. People no longer depend on newspapers and magazines to search for a suitable education institute. They use technology to get an insight into the market. On search engines they come across various institutes that they did not know existed via the world wide web.

Digital marketing has taken education promotion to another level. More and more institutions are using it to attract people and persuade them to enrol in their programs. Digital marketing is here to stay, and it is further growing by the day.

As much as digital marketing has boosted educational promotion, schools, colleges, and universities need to be careful with their marketing techniques. While devising the marketing techniques, they should keep the target audience in mind. Target customers for various education levels are different, and the higher education marketing strategies cannot be the same as a promotional technique of the elementary school level. Below we are giving an inclusive insight into how digital marketing makes a difference in the education industry in unprecedented times:

  1. Expanded Reach

Expanded Reach

Digital marketing has helped educational institutes reach a broader audience. The Internet has removed the terrestrial borders, and anyone can access information from anywhere. Digital marketing has boosted online education marvellously as people can enrol in foreign universities without requiring a student visa and attending traditional classes. It has allowed people to learn more about their preferred schools without visiting them.

Various institutions give a virtual tour and advertise their strengths and offerings, and it helps in attracting more people. Moreover, institutes can use social media platforms to boost their brand. There are multiple ways to go about this through Facebook Remarketing, an Instagram Business profile, LinkedIn paid ads – you name it. You can learn more about social media marketing on various websites like the ClickDo Blog.

  1. Personalized Approach

Personalized ApproachPeople feel a sense of familiarity and develop a fondness when some stranger addresses them with their names. Personalized advertising is not possible on other channels. Still, digital marketing has given schools and universities opportunities to reach a target audience on a personal level. Data-driven marketing and SEO tools provide an insight into your customers’ activities, and educational institutes can use these data to design personalized digital marketing campaigns by identifying your target group and designing specific posts and ads for them. The effect of personalized marketing is powerful, and it results in more students enrolling in your institution or more traffic to your website.

  1. Enhanced Communication

Enhanced CommunicationDigital marketing gives different platforms where educational institutes can interact with customers. Institutes no longer need to hire people who can respond to other people’s queries as technology has brought forward different devices. Besides, human beings answering questions require an extended human workforce, which means more money.

Institutes can install chatbots, and it will give instant replies to people’s queries. Chatbots are a software solution that has pre-installed answers, and it responds to people’s questions accordingly. Providing immediate solutions to problems is an effective way of attracting more customers. Email, social media, and websites are great platforms where universities and schools can reach out to people to enhance communication. Customer experience is vital in marketing, and improved communication helps educational institutes give target customers a seamless experience.

  1. Cost-Effectiveness

Cost-EffectiveVarious education institutes are on tight budgets and cannot afford to invest heavily in marketing. Therefore, digital marketing has outshone other marketing channels, as it has proven to be more effective and efficient. Educational institutes can send their message to even more people without spending huge amounts. For example, investing in social media marketing does not break the bank but can be more impactful, reaching far more people around the world that may be prospective students. Learning digital marketing for free adds a lot of value to any organisation and the SeekaHost University offers free courses in SEO, blogging and social media marketing and more.

  1. Measuring Results

Measuring ResultsPerformance tracking is crucial for marketing campaigns. Other marketing channels have time-consuming and complicated processes to measure marketing results. Digital marketing can give a detailed report like heatmaps in less time, and with fewer errors. Schools, colleges, and universities need to use the appropriate marketing tools and track their performance. Various software helps analyse results, and institutes can utilize these data to evaluate a campaign’s effectiveness and retargeting.

  1. Boosting Conversion Rate

boost conversion rateWhen it comes to the conversion rate, traditional methods of marketing have not proven to give high rates. However, digital marketing achieves a high conversion rate. SMS, emails, and WhatsApp messages generally get a response because they are private. Through different channels of digital marketing like video streaming via YouTube for example, colleges and universities can directly connect with their students. Institutes can utilize location tracking software and target customers, and it will allow them to determine audiences within their community.

  1. Building a Reputation

Build a ReputationEducational institutes need to build a reputation and earn a prestigious college or university’s badge, which can set them apart from their competitors. Reputed institutes provide students with better education and use advanced tools to enhance their learning. Prestigious universities get more applications of students. In previous times, institutes had to work hard to build their name. With digital marketing, the process has become relatively easy, and institutes can build their reputation by devising effective campaigns.

For example, suppose your institute caters to a specific field. In that case, your marketing strategy should revolve around it, and you can feature a reputed person of that particular field in your campaign. You can display the education ratings of your institute, and it will help in attracting more people. Institutes are in cut-throat competition, and an appropriate marketing technique can help you make a name for yourself. Digital marketing gives various platforms to publish students’ first-hand experiences. Their reviews will function as a magnet in pulling in people.

Education Needs Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is not a new concept, but it has progressed by leaps and bounds in the past few years. Various industries are venturing into its arena to expand their reach and give a boost to their brands. Digital marketing has made a major difference in the education sector, as people’s approach towards institutes has changed. They prefer taking a virtual tour of various institutes before zeroing down on one, investing substantial funds in their education. And in times of a global pandemic prospective students may prefer more flexible remote learning options. Hence, reaching people in education via the Internet is inevitable.

Are University Degrees More Valuable Than You Might Think?

By
Shirley Owen
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0
university degree value

It’s easy to wonder what’s the point in getting a degree nowadays, given that so many employers seem to value experience over education. However, while this might be the case, that doesn’t mean there’s suddenly no value in going to university.

Aside from the fact that you get to study a subject that you’re passionate about, you also graduate with a bunch of skills and other perks that could help you more than you know.

These are the kind of things that we’re talking about.

Job Satisfaction

Job Satisfaction

For years, studies have tried to prove whether people who go to university end up with greater or lower job satisfaction than those whose education finished in high school. Although the results frequently change, they always seem to favour those who went on to higher education. Regardless of the comparison, it certainly seems like university graduates find their jobs meaningful, with 86% of respondents saying as much in a 2020 survey. While satisfaction did differ depending on the area of expertise, most people still seemed happy post-graduation.

Plenty Of Skills

A degree isn’t simply a document that says you survived several years at university. It tells employers that you have a ton of skills that could be useful to them.

Degree Skills

For instance, an English graduate is obviously able to communicate effectively and consider things from multiple perspectives. Meanwhile, a history graduate knows how to analyse masses of data and effectively research fact-driven information. You pick up more skills from your degree than you may realise, and if you need proof of that, just take Developing a Student’s advice. They’re devoted to helping graduates flourish in the world of work, so their plethora of resources should be able to show you exactly what you can do.

Skills For Life

Skills For LifeLiving on the university campus makes the transition from home smoother. Busy students do not have to worry about their daily commute, grocery lists, or utility bills. There is more time for extra courses, clubs, or even side hustles compared to living in an apartment off-campus.

Campus social opportunities enable students to meet new people, which is an excellent way for first-year students to stave off being homesick. Most universities offer social programs, mixers, and activities that allow students to get to know their fellow students and network with them.

Universities also provide opportunities to get involved in campus activities through word of mouth and community bulletin boards that inform students about the events taking place.

Better Career Access

In some cases, if you don’t have a degree, you can’t get into the career of your dreams. That’s either because the job needs an even higher-level qualification that requires a degree for entry, or it can only hire those who continued their education after high school. Teaching is a good example of that, with the chances of entering this profession without a degree basically slim to none.

You can read more about the requirements here

How to Become an International Teacher teaching abroad?

How to get into teaching in the UK?

While there are plenty of jobs you can get without going to university, if your interests are specialised, this may be the only way to achieve your dreams.

Useful Contacts

There are plenty of teachers and lecturers who simply view their job as a paycheck. Thankfully, most of them aren’t like this, and they care about seeing their students do well. This is particularly the case in universities where many lecturers develop good relationships with their students as they help them flourish into successful graduates.

You might think you have better things to do with your time as a student than to bond with your teachers. However, given that these people are often established in their respective fields, they’re excellent contacts to have once you graduate. The same goes for any experts who may visit and give talks during your lectures. Just consider university your opportunity to start networking.

University Degrees Are Still Important

If you’re interested in going to university, you shouldn’t let future job concerns hold you back. There are plenty of ways that a degree can give you a leg up once you graduate, so even if you don’t have much work experience, your future will still be bright.

And if you are considering to study in London, you should check out those virtual tours of some of the most renowned universities in this city so that you get a feel for your university of choice and what it has to offer:

Top 5 London universities offering virtual tours

Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the World?

By
Jessica Chapman
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0

Nelson Mandela once said:

“Education is the best weapon you can use to transform your world.”

While every nation on earth has its own unique education system, it is worth asking which are the countries with the best education system in the world and which is the best teaching country in the world, because there can be a huge difference between the leading countries in education when it comes to their education levels around the world.

This leaves the most successful and leading nations in the world education rankings ahead of the ones that are struggling.

You can find the current ranks of all countries, which also indicates the countries with the best education, on the UN Nations Development Programme Page:

countries with the best education

According to the Brookings Institution, the developing world is one hundred years behind developed nations, especially when it comes to countries offering free education at a high level.

Nations with the best educations systems keep the student-teacher ratio low. They also keep their students longer in school and they graduate with the greatest number of learners with a high-quality education.

So, the question is: which countries are excelling when it comes to education and which is the best country for education?

Read on to find out how the rest of the world can emulate their successful strategies and education techniques to identify what country has the best education system or which is the world’s best education country.

1. Australia

Australia - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the WorldAustralia is one of the best destinations for students who want a quality education. It has been placed at the top of the UN Human Development Report. 100 percent of their kids are enrolled in primary and secondary school. And 94 percent of the citizens above 25 years have secondary education. The teacher-student ratio in Australia is 14:1. The nation supports its teachers by giving them incentives especially those in rural hardship areas.

2. Japan

Japan - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the World

Japan has its students focused intensely on academics starting at age six. At the moment, the dropout rate is only 0.2 percent. Students in Japan perform well, especially in science. The nation was ranked second in the global education performance report and seventh in the student assessment survey that tests fifteen-year-old students to compare the education systems of different countries. At the moment, the literacy rate of their citizens stands at an impressive 99 percent!

3. South Korea

South Korea - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the WorldSouth Korea is famous for its standardized tests. Students in this republic are usually assigned to both private and public schools. And they perform remarkably well according to the education performance report. South Korean parents are well-known for spending thousands of dollars on holiday tuition and encouraging their kids to study for long hours every day.

4. Finland

Finland - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the WorldWho thought that lots of academic breaks can help with improving the performance of students? The Finland education system mandates that their children should begin studying at age seven and have a fifteen-minute outdoor session after every hour. The school day comprises of five hours only. And while students are not graded until fourth grade, their achievements cannot be ignored.  Finland has consistently taken the sixth position in reading and twelfth in math in the PISA survey. And it’s not a few students who take the lead. The disparity between the strongest and weakest students in Finland is very minimal.

5. Norway

Norway - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the WorldNorway has been rated the best when it comes to human development by the UN. The number one priority of this nation is education. At the moment, the nation spends 6.6 percent of its total GDP on education. This is 1.5 percent more than the United States. It also keeps the student-teacher ratio at 9:1. It relies on a national curriculum that teachers use to educate their students. The students are not defined by their grade level. Some of the amazing courses that you’ll find in their learning institutions include music, food, and health and physical education. Their system is working at an optimum level. 100 percent of the population in Norway is enrolled in learning institutions. And 97 percent have secondary education.

6. Singapore

Singapore - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the WorldSingapore is one of the nations that heavily supports academic education. Their education system is exam-oriented. This means that the nation strives to teach children mostly academic skills and they are famous for their mathematics programs. The students from Singapore took the first position when it came to cognitive skills and third position for overall cognitive ability. Teachers are supported to study and grow professionally throughout their careers.

7. Netherlands

Netherlands - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the WorldThe Netherlands takes the eighth position in Pearson’s education ratings. It provides alternative languages that students in grades one to four can learn. They have managed to keep their graduation rate at 94 percent by funnelling extra funds to the minority and poor students. As UNESCO reports, primary schools with a high proportion of minority students have an average of 58 percent more support staff and tutors compared to other learning institutions.

8. Germany

Germany - Which Countries Offer the Best Education in the World

Germany took the seventh position in the Education Index compiled by the UN. They have been reforming and updating their education policies by adopting national standards and increasing the support of disadvantaged students. The country is also dedicated to pushing digitalization forward in schools to teach the youngsters digital skills that are vital for future work. Germany is the next best place to educate your child completely for free at a high standard.

Learning from other nations helps improve education worldwide

There are many reasons why some countries perform better than others in the education sector. One main factor that emerges from this comparison, is clear: it is the adult to child or teacher to student ratio and the school attendance rate or percentage of children in education. The more children are enrolled in education, the better the outcomes for the overall nations’ scores as well as in subject categories such as English writing or math.

Leaders in developing countries need to learn from the leading nations in education listed above if they want to get the same or even better results as the top countries with good education. However, they need to adjust any scheme or program to their own situation with regards to funds, resources, and cultural conditions. Parents play a vital role in improving education too by working with educators and policymakers closely, providing feedback and recommendations.

How to Ace a Virtual Job Interview

By
Manuela Willbold
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0
virtual-job-interview-tips
How to ace a virtual Job interview

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, many businesses were forced to modify their operations and recruitment or job interviewing strategies. Fortunately, technological advancements meant that people could work from home and virtual teams could keep things running.

Although the worst of the pandemic is (hopefully) over, many companies are still using a remote workforce. In addition to this, job interviews for graduate positions, online jobs, and internships are routinely being held online where applicants will still be required to answer job interview questions and show off their digital skills.

If you’re feeling nervous about interviewing for a new job via Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime, there’s no need to be.

With these top interview tips, you can ace your interview, land your dream job, and avoid the most common job interview mistakes:

1. Prepare in Advance

Preparation For virtual Job interviewIt’s always important to prepare in advance for a job interview, but take the time to practice your virtual presentation too. Fortunately, this is easy to do because many apps like Zoom or Microsoft Teams allow you to record video calls. Find a willing friend or family member to roleplay an interview with you and watch it back to decide whether you need to make any changes.

However, don’t forget to prepare for the content of the interview too. Developing A Student is filled with guidance and support for students and graduates, so make the most of the help that’s available. With information on apprenticeships, graduate roles and postgrad employment, you can find everything you need to begin the next step of your career.

2. Dress Appropriately

You might get away with wearing pajamas to an online uni class, but your casual attire isn’t going to cut it at a virtual job interview! There’s no need to go overboard, but it’s advisable to dress as you would for a face-to-face interview. While every profession has its unique guidelines for appropriate work attire, opt for formalwear or office wear if you’re in doubt. And don’t just cover what is visible to your interviewers, because the situation could get embarrassing if you suddenly decide to stand up.

3. Choose a Quiet Location

If you live in a busy household, try to find somewhere quiet to hold your virtual job interview. Make sure everyone in the household is aware of your meeting and ask them not to interrupt or disturb you while the interview is taking place. This is especially difficult with children in the household as they’re unpredictable and we’ve all seen the hilarious interruptions online.

4. Check Your Connection

A poor internet connection can make it difficult to converse effectively online, so double-check that your WiFi is fully operative well before your interview is scheduled to take place. If not, check whether you can use your smartphone to tether your laptop to its connection. Alternatively, wireless dongles enable you to access mobile broadband. There are lots of ways to improve your connection, providing you have the time to test any changes prior to the interview.

Stay Calm and Confident to Secure Your Dream Job

How to ace an online interviewMost of the workforce has spent time working at home in recent months, so everyone’s familiar with what can go wrong in online meetings! If you’re interrupted or you temporarily lose your internet connection, try not to panic. Simply apologise and ask to continue from where you left off.

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking at the best of times, and holding them online can add to your anxiety. By staying calm and confident, however, you can showcase your talents, connect with the interviewer and secure your dream career.

Having an online portfolio as an online reference during or after your interview can boost your chances of being hired and starting a new job so invest time in building your online presence via a personal blog or website and other social media channels.

Be yourself, sell yourself and become a master of virtual job interviews following our job interview tips.

 

How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a Student?

By
Manuela Willbold
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0
How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a Student

Whatever way you look at everyday life, you must be experiencing the massive impact of mobility and technology.

Yes, mobile apps transform our lives beyond recognition, and now for every little bit of information, we have developed a habit of looking at the screen of our handheld devices.

With the all-encompassing digital reality and gigantic mobile app development and economy, many would-be software or app developers and digital entrepreneurs want to shape their ideas into mobile apps.

The Do It Yourself (DIY) approach to mobile app design and development is not something new. It has been around for some time, and it already gave birth to the successful app developers who already built several popular apps across various industries and niches.

Therefore, it is safe to say that in the years to come, app development and mobile app development will become even more popular and robust career choices. When it comes to building educational online games or apps, mobile app development companies in Ireland are increasingly relying on citizen developers who are ready to use app development tools.

If you are a student and don’t have any coding knowledge or technical expertise familiar to mobile app development, you can still build fresh mobile apps designed according to your or somebody else’s exceptional app idea.

To reassure you that you can make a start with app development as a student, here are a few steps and measures that can be effective in building your mobile app as a student without any prior coding or mobile app development knowledge.

Know the Basics about the Audience and the Market

First of all, you must remember that every mobile app comes as a solution for one or more than one user problem, and hence you must ask whether the app solves any customer problem and creates a unique value proposition.Know the Basics about the Audience and the Market - How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a Student

Secondly, you must make a study of the ideal users who can find your app helpful and the kind of user experience and features they expect from your app. Lastly, you must take into consideration the competitive apps in the market that your app needs to compete with.

Once you get a general idea about these aspects, you can shape or reshape your app idea and accordingly can decide about the key features and user experience attributes. Planning is key as you don’t want to invest all your time and resources in building an app that won’t be used.

In 2019 around 25 percent of apps downloaded by mobile app users worldwide were only accessed once after download. You don’t want your app to amongst those.

Select a Platform that Suits your Idea

To begin with, working on your app idea, you must choose one of the leading mobile app platforms at your disposal.Select a Platform that Suits your Idea - How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a Student

You have two leading platforms, such as iOS and Android. If you want to target both mobile app platforms, maybe addressing the platform-specific development constraints and requirements can be a little difficult. Hence, it is advisable to give priority to one platform and after your app is launched and running, opt to build the app for the other platform.

Now let us share some important platform-specific insights that are crucial for the development success of your mobile app. Remember, iOS stands at a higher pedestal in terms of quality parameters and requirements. Since meeting iOS development requirements can be more challenging for the new and aspiring developers, they need to put more rigorous efforts.

In the case of Android, the would-be developers can have relative ease in respect of meeting the platform-specific development requirements. With Android, they can also get access to the wider mobile device market comprising a multitude of devices.

Now Gain Expertise in the Following Areas

Now that you have a basic understanding of the app idea and the way it works you need to gain expertise on the key requirements or the fundamentals. Let us explain these core fundamentals and areas of expertise one by one so you know what to familiarise yourself with.

 

  • UI-design-How-to-Make-A-Start-As-A-Mobile-App-Developer-as-a-StudentUI design: An app-building project starts with the design. You need to make a rough sketch of the app, and its different screens and then put those sketches into professional wireframing tools to come with a more furnished design idea. There are several great sketching and wireframing tools in the market to help you with the app design. You can do your own research or speak to UI or Web Designers which you can find via freelance job platforms.

 

  • Building the app - How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a StudentBuilding the app: Now when it comes to developing the app you may not always require coding expertise, and you have several helpful tools that can help you build the entire app in a streamlined manner by putting the things in order. If you want to build an app without these tools you need expertise with programming languages like Swift for iOS development and expertise with Java or Kotlin, C++, and Objective C. It is also advisable to have a working knowledge of the frontend languages like Javascript, HTML5, and CSS. This may sound scary, but many online courses or YouTube videos can help out with the basics.

Collaborating with Experts

Collaborating with Experts - How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a Student

Building an app without coding knowledge doesn’t mean you can’t take the help of professional developers and experts in the process of development and make things easier. It is always advisable to take the help of other developers and designers in your fraternity and collaborate with them or take their advice throughout the project to make sure things work the way you planned them.

App Testing

App Testing - How to Make A Start As A Mobile App Developer as a Student

Once the app development is complete, it is time to evaluate the app through testing. Since bugs and coding errors are common even in most professionally developed apps, your DIY apps are very unlikely to have zero errors.

You have plenty of quality testing tools in the market to test your app. But apart from using these app testing tools, you can always evaluate the user experience by inviting your friends and near and dear ones as the first batch of users and by seeking their opinions and user feedback, which will support the development success of your mobile app going forward.

Mobile App Development Is Possible Even As A Student

For a student to become a successful app developer with a quality app product upon their sleeve is not difficult if they are aware of the challenges and the ways to deal with them. To make your project successful, it is always advisable to go for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with basic and elementary features and keep doors open for future value additions based on the user feedback. Do your research, get advice, learn basic app development and coding skills and you can make a start with mobile app development with opportunities to either become a mobile app developer or a digital entrepreneur.

Using EdTech to Support Remote Learning & Teaching in Any School

By
Manuela Willbold
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0
distance learning teaching tools

Classroom management in the digital age is not how it used to be even a few years ago, and that’s mostly for the better.

Educational Technology also known as EdTech is making education more approachable and accessible to a wider range of students across all age and ability groups through improved distance learning and teaching.

By focusing on a few key steps for integrating Education Technology, Learning Management Systems and Remote Learning and Teaching Platforms in schools, teachers can improve the standard of education in any remote classroom environment.

However, this applies to both digital and traditional classes, which also brings in the advantage of consistency.

The Importance of Consistency Across Different EdTech & Online Teaching Formats

A major obstacle being faced by school teachers and students in the middle of the ongoing school lockdowns is that of inconsistency.

As a lot of schools had never incorporated an EdTech powered classroom environment before, the change in format is proving to be a serious challenge for students and teachers alike.

Many aspects of the digital classroom are different from the traditional classroom to those that have never experienced anything but the latter. Many long-serving teaching staff struggled with the sudden digital teaching transformation due to a lack of digital skills.

The associated learning curve and the adjustment issues have made school less accessible to some students, while many teachers are struggling to gain the control that they need in order to be able to properly conduct a class.

As EdTech in English Schools strives towards creating that sense of consistency and continuity across all classroom environments, be it virtual or real, the adoption of adequate classroom management technology can help schools achieve seamless integration between the two.

Schools with EdTech Integrations are much better Equipped to Handle Remote Classes

The main difference between traditional classes and virtual classes is that the teachers and their students are no longer in the physical same room.

The human brain is highly dependent on its sense of spatial perception and habit; therefore, the absence of an actual classroom can put additional stress on both students and educators. Especially for younger children, it is challenging to refer to a screen rather than a human being.

This is particularly true for schools and teachers that have never adopted Educational Technology before. The

Online School

establishments that did integrate digital classrooms and another associative tech before the present pandemic situation came into existence will have a much easier time.

Students and teachers to whom the concept of interacting via an online environment does not seem so alien or disconnected will be making progress in any remote classroom format much faster. Despite that, traditional schools can benefit from adopting the right EdTech trends and online educational resources now, even if they had not done so earlier.

This brings us to the next topic, which is clever adoption and utilisation of interactive classroom technology.

Improving Remote Classrooms with an Interactive Environment

If we were to take a scientific approach towards separating the most important and foundational aspects of a traditional classroom, the interaction between educators and their students would have to be a major one.

So, if there was a way for teachers to maintain the same level of interaction with their students while conducting a digital lesson, the session would immediately become more productive and easier to relate with for students.

Remote ClassroomsWith the advanced interactive features from a site like classroom.cloud, student-teacher interaction with due feedback is easy to achieve in any remote classroom environment. Classroom.cloud is generally considered to be an excellent solution for classroom management in the digital age, and the solution’s interactive features were popular in EdTech way before the pandemic had broken out.

Along with common interactive features such as sharing files and enabling seamless text/voice interactions, it also has a very intuitive and handy quick polls feature to let teachers get a better understanding of how well their class is able to understand the current lesson.

To know more about remote teaching or digital learning management systems and other interactive elements like Seesaw, Google Classroom and more that are designed to help students and teachers breach the accessibility gap in online education, check out recommended LMS and software by the UNESCO.

Video Live Lessons for Best Outcomes

As previously mentioned, perception is the main barrier with remote classrooms, but it is improved significantly when the teacher can see every student on their computer screen, separated into small windows.

On the other hand, the student only needs to see the teacher during a video lesson. Not only does this improve the accessibility of each class by adding visual perception, but it also empowers the teacher to use whiteboards/blackboards in the same way that they would in a traditional classroom.

Video Live LessonsExplaining lessons becomes a lot easier when students can see the teacher while they use the traditional methods to impart lessons on the young students.

This was of course, only an introduction to the various aspects and advantages of Education Technology in regard to how it can help bridge the gap between traditional and digital classrooms.

There are several others to discuss, depending on the classroom management software chosen and many schools are still trialling such and finding their own online teaching techniques and methods.

Nevertheless, the few mentioned here should help teachers and educational settings realise the kind of positive impact which the comprehensive implementation of IT in education can have today, as well as in the future.

How to play Minecraft with younger children and improve cognitive abilities

By
Manuela Willbold
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0
play Minecraft with younger children and improve cognitive abilities

Is your child obsessed with Minecraft games?

Do you wonder whether Minecraft is good for kids?

Do you know which impact playing Minecraft has on your child’s learning?

Your kids can play Minecraft for free on selected Minecraft servers and look forward to their gaming time.

If children are allowed to spend time on smartphones, tablets, or television, you’d rather have them engage with online games that stimulate their brains, promoting mental capabilities.

The Minecraft game can improve cognitive learning capabilities and fine motor skills. Let’s see how.

What is Minecraft?

How To Play MinecraftMinecraft is, arguably, the most influential video game of all time. Players can create new interesting environments using blocks and then go on adventure trips in the world they create.

The environment is randomly reassembled every time you reload a new game; thus, no two games will be alike. This game doesn’t offer directions or instructions. It is a free form, do as you wish affair, where the player figures out the next steps. The player learns through the trial and error method about the dos and don’ts.

During adventures, the game introduces obstacles to players, and they have to devise solutions to overcome these hurdles, which teaches problem-solving skills.

Minecraft is available on all platforms such as iOS, Android, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC and for any help regarding how to get started with Minecraft, check these useful step by step Minecraft tutorials.

How to Play Minecraft?

We encourage parents to give the game a shot themselves to experience the types of decision making it triggers. Here’s how:

  • Start the Minecraft journey as a single player.
  • Create a new environment by clicking on the create a new world
  • The create new world button lets you name the new environment. Choose a name and build a new world.
  • You will have to select the game mode now to experience the open world uniquely. Types of game modes in Minecraft are:
    • Survival – Players have to survive in this mode by gathering material to build shelter and dodging obstacles.
    • Spectator – This mode is used to observe the environment created by other players; hence, you are invisible to everything.
    • Creative – Players have immediate access to all blocks. They can fly and are immune to death. The main purpose of this mode is to create a unique environment.
    • Adventure – Players will be able to interact with controls and obstacles to complete the adventure.
    • Hardcore – The difficulty level of this mode is very high. Players cannot re-join the game. Once the player dies, the environment is deleted or you can only observe, but cannot participate.

Younger children can start playing Minecraft in the creative or adventure modes, so they understand the basics of the game and develop the cognitive gaming skills to build on for the advanced levels. Minecraft is considered safe for children above 7 years of age.

See how you can play it on the SeekaHost Minecraft server here:

5 Top Benefits of Playing Minecraft As A Child

Here are the benefits of allowing children to play this game for an agreed and supervised period:

1. Improves Focus

Building a new environment in the game requires concentration because you will have to be attentive for a long time doing a single task.

While creating a new environment the child has to concentrate on building one level (at a time) and then move on to another. This activity strengthens the attention muscle, that will help them focus in class and while completing tasks like their homework.

2. Enhances Problem Solving Skills

Manoeuvring obstacles in the game can encourage critical thinking and quick reaction to efficiently solve real-world problems.

Dodging obstacles, making quick escape plans, finding cover, and learning to survive are the main features of this game. Children playing this game are bound to enhance these life skills in a playful and purposeful way.

3. Encourages Creativity and Project Planning

Project Planning

Minecraft provides endless scope for creativity. Young children might not be able to create the most sophisticated environment right away. However, their efforts can prove fruitful in enhancing and inculcating creative skills by continuing to improve it.

With the huge number of blocks and opportunities provided in the game, it gives children the scope to build anything they can imagine. There have been cases where children with Dyslexia have benefited from the video game.

4. Improves Math and Basic Programming Knowledge

While developing complex shapes, tackling geometric problems, and manipulating blocks, children improve their mathematical skills and fine motor skills. These are part of every child’s curriculum at school.

Along with math, children develop a basic understanding of the Python programming language. Minecraft is written in the Python language and children with a good grasp over commanding blocks learn it with ease.

5. Teaches Digital Literacy Skills

This game allows players to interact and collaborate online to create bigger and better environments. They will learn how to use online communication tools, browsers, and apply basic computing skills.

However, as parents, you need to know who is connecting with your children on a public internet server. You can set up your personal Minecraft gaming server to know and control who is connecting and playing in your child’s environment. This option can make you assured of your child’s security along with them enhancing their cognitive skills from a video game. You can learn more about security settings for Minecraft gaming here.

Minecraft combines learning and fun

Although Minecraft, like any other online or video game, can be addictive, the benefits of playing it outperform any disadvantages.

Children can build their math and programming skills and become problem solvers from a very young age while being creative at the same time.

Gaming isn’t a waste of time as some parents often believe it to be. Minecraft is a perfect example of how gaming can boost cognitive development. Of course, moderation and safety is the key to remember to enable a fun learning experience while playing.

 

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