Tutions for toddler: a way to better future

    Today, education system has become so commercialized in schools that it has deteriorated the quality of education being given to students as well as that has ruined their ability to learn.  Here arises the need for additional home tuition or private tutoring. 

Parents do not feel satisfied with the process of education in the school so they prefer to hire private tutors or coaching centers for their children.   

           There are several advantages of private tuition's:

•      The main benefit of tuition is that the tutors focus on you personally without any distractions from other students, which is not possible in schools as the number of students per class is high.
  
•         Another reason is unlike teachers in school, tutors are performance oriented. They emphasis more on the performance of individual child rather than just rushing up with a lesson to complete the course before exams.
  
•     Their main motive is to improve the performance of a student in the subject in which he/she lags.
  
•      Since the tutor personally interacts with the student, personalized guidance and supervision is given to the student, unlike classrooms. This improves the performance as well as confident of the school.
•     With the help of private tutors, parents also get to assess the performance of their child timely. They can directly approach the tutors to know about their child.

If your aim is to improve aptitude and knowledge and perform well in exams at school, I would suggest to hire personal tutors to accomplish your goal.  

Technology in the Classroom: Helpful or Harmful?

The only counter argument that some groups give for technology in the class rooms is that it might ruin a natural learning atmosphere. The use of technology allows children to interact with other fellow students and educator’s sitting in any corner of the world. It will eventually wipe out the use of paper from our teaching methods and reduce the weights of school bags. All this will be possible only when teachers and students stand committed towards adaptation of technology.

                                        Image Credit: gettyimages

Let’s have a look at this issue in detail.

1. Openings For New Learning

The two groups of thinkers have different set of arguments for and against the introduction of technology in classrooms. Some think that conventional methods of teaching should not be changed. Others believe that technology can open a large number of doors for learning. Some believe that technology causes distractions and break in the momentum of learning. Some children might get distracted by technology but in the long run it opens avenues for constructive and meaningful methods of learning. A common example is a laptop that offers better control and a huge amount of flexibility in comparison to a smart phone or tablet.

2. Technology is more Commonly found

People today are commonly using tablets, laptops and smart phones. So why should children be denied to move in step with the rest of the population? Schools should strive to make their children ready for the world. Asking them to switch to an old fashioned style of learning for eight hours and then back to a modern living scenario when out of school, is not being fair. School should wake up and face the facts and train their teachers in proper use of technology.

3. Opportunity For Interaction

ImageCredit: cdn.phys.org

Children can access any information under the sky with the use of technology. In school they should not just hear about it, instead get a chance to explore endless options. Gone are the days when children heard about things from their teachers. They can now interact with other students and teachers in different parts of the world. Utilities like Skype and other programs have made classrooms into world learning centers. They can talk to teachers and other learners and find out about their nations and their qualities firsthand. Technology also helps teachers to become global teachers by interacting with an educator sitting anywhere on the globe. They can together strive to make teaching more meaningful and productive for all students combined.

4. Ground Realities 

Many schools have switched over to the new technology but their staff is lagging behind. Unless and until the staff is not trained and comfortable in using these devices the whole purpose will be lost halfway. Teachers need to put books and assignments online to reduce the weight in a student’s backpack. Only when the teachers will commit to learning the new technology, will this change towards the betterment be possible.

Better Ways of Teaching and Testing our Students

Singapore is once again making headlines for its outstanding educational performance. The recent results released by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey – a test that is given to high school students in about 60 countries – revealed that Singapore ranked second globally in Mathematics.

Undoubtedly a commendable accomplishment, but how can we assure now that the students not only retain but are also capable enough to apply the knowledge they have acquired over the time? School teachers, parents or tuition coordinators alone cannot do the needful. Everyone has to contribute a little to the cause!

Image Credit: rossieronline.usc.edu

This is a critical issue not only within Singapore but also in other advanced economies including Hong Kong.

Tweaking the Teaching Ways

Tweaking the way we teach and prepare students for undertaking examinations can actually lead to fruitful results. According to an educational research – when a small amount of complexity and difficulty is introduced in a learning process, not only does the student stand to learn better but it also helps ensure higher retention.

Ways to Increase Difficulty Levels in Education  

1.        Spacing of Time: One of the methods to increase difficulty is to space the time between learning sessions. Accordingly, the greater is the time interval between repeating lessons, the greater will be the retention. This space effect can act vigorously in improving learning. Tuition coordinators should practice spacing of time with their students for better retention.

2.       Intersperse Different Subjects: Another highly effective strategy to enhance learning is interspersing various subjects. This method is significantly effective in sports. For instance, a tennis coach will be alternatively serving with volleying and backhand with forehand, etc.

3.       Learning Many Subjects : Additionally, tutors in Singapore can adopt this highly efficient strategy for improved learning – mixing up of subjects. Allow the students to study some science, followed by history and then mathematics and eventually return to science. This learning technique works particularly well for mathematics.

4.       Cueing: Another method of retrieving information stored deep in our memory is by cueing. Things that we have not even talked about for long can be instantly recalled only on a hint of a single clue.

Permanent and flexible Knowledge

We majorly want students to acquire knowledge and skills in ways that are permanent and also flexible. Precisely, we want the students to acquire long-term capability of generalizing and applying their learning. 

One of the key insights that come from the body of research on learning is that making it more difficult to acquire knowledge means that students will be able to retain more and even generalize better. 

Though this type of learning is slower and complications would inhibit rapid learning process – causing more errors, but the re-learning that this will cause will ultimately lead to long term retention.

Tuition in Singapore may have to tailor lessons, study strategies and assignments for emphasizing long-term learning and also manage short term performance needs which the education system today requires.   

When 15 Year Olds from Singapore Excelled at Global Problem Solving Skill Test Program

Singapore is already globally popular as the hub of technical advancement in almost all areas of work. The Republic keeps proving it time and again through extraordinary achievements, which are highly useful not only within the domestic settings, but help the entire world in begetting something new and worthwhile.

Living up to its standing of a highly enterprising nation with an aspiring young generation, Singapore has, many a time, proven its mettle in the field of education and academics too. One of the best instances is the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test of 2012.

When 15 Year Olds from Singapore Excelled the PISA Test

In the year 2012, Singapore topped the list of several countries that took the problem-solving test, a significant part of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. The achievement was huge and encouraging as the entire student body from the age group of 15 from across the country had exhibited exceptional skills, that too regardless of which background of school education they belonged to!

In the PISA test that is conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) once every three years, Singapore was one of the top performers in various other areas also, including science, reading literacy skills and mathematics. All these areas were conducted and evaluated under the same program, and the results were released in the end of the year.

What Made the Success So Remarkable?

Singapore got the biggest score of 562 points and was one of a handful of countries to excel in most of the assortments. It defeated South Korea (561) with a negligible difference of just one point. It had the biggest proportion of best-performing participants, that is, three times higher than the average number of OECD!

Another aspect that made the success special was Singapore’s intelligent and timely answer to critics claiming that the education system of the country promoted nothing but rote learning.

Mr. Andreas Schleicher, Adviser to the OECD Secretary-General, had said that this outstanding performance had helped the country debunk such criticism, and defy claims that its education system was based on cramming that was encouraged at the cost of growing creative skills.

Expressing his joy at the Principals’ Forum later, Mr. Schleicher had called this performance suggestive of the fact that 15-year-olds in the country were quick and inquisitive learners, fully capable of solving unstructured crisis in any type of situation.

Heng Swee Keat, Education Minister, has also written on his Facebook page about the event and mentioned that the problem-solving skill test was not for book smarts. And that the youth of Singapore was thinking, daring and acting openly and smartly, and could take any responsibility, everything from significant roles of educationalists and analysts to a tuition coordinator job. He had also called such extraordinary tests and skills very important for the competitive world of education. 

Top 10 Ways to Motivate a Music Student

The important thing to remember is that no two children are the same. One might respond to discipline and other might revolt to it. It is important to be really patient when dealing with a child who needs a little encouragement and motivation. He might do something he thinks is impossible but not without a daily dose of motivation and regular music lessons.

If music starts looking like an additional subject that needs thorough studying, the child will start neglecting it whether he has been enrolled into a part time Singapore music school or not. It is important to stress on consistent and quality practice, rather than excelling in it.

Take a look at tips that can help you motivate a child to learn music happily.

1. Practice routine

Set a fixed schedule for practice every day. It should be ideally set before any fun activities that the child likes to do. Some children like to practice in the mornings and others in the evening. Let him choose the right time for himself. You may also consider the timing of music lessons in Singapore.

2. Be real

Do not expect your child to become a music maestro in a few months. Music courses available in Singapore are no doubt great but all children do not like music and hence, do not excel at it.  Set a real target for him or let the teacher supervising a music course decide that for him. Even when it comes to practice do not expect him to practice more than 30 minutes in a day. As and when he gets older, the time can be increased. Start looking for Singapore music schools for senior students at least a year in advance.

3. Learn yourself

When dealing with young children, try and understand their psychology. They might be tired or just not in the mood to practice on certain days. Be considerate and offer to take music lessons with them. You will be able to connect to the child more this way. There are many music courses in Singapore, catering to parents and kids both.

4. Be his audience

Children love getting attention and performing in front of friends and family. Be their first listeners’ and cheer them on to do well. Play games that involve listening and playing music.

5. Provide interesting music

Have a clear idea of the child’s interest in music and provide him with his kind of music. Choose the best of Singapore music schools to give the right push.