With its onset in 2020, the pandemic has changed the entire global learning landscape. Learning has transitioned from the real to the virtual to cope with the system’s pressures and continuity demands. Worldwide, 1.6 billion children in 186 countries were impacted by the closure of schools. Online or Distance Learning has become the necessity of the day, leaving academia to understand which one is more effective – the Virtual or the Real. (3)

Virtual & Real Classroom: Head-to-Head

In ancient times, the Real or traditional classrooms were conducted as Gurukuls under the tree’s shade. The Brahmacharya Ashrama or student phase was the first phase of life. The pupil learnt to prepare for success in the later stages of life. Besides teaching the basic skills of reading and writing they were also versed about the spiritual and religious concepts for a holistic learning experience. It was the first real classroom environment.

In a real classroom, all the senses of a pupil can be engaged. In a real tangible world, the teacher engages the pupils, encourages their participation, addresses the students’ emotions, thoughts, and queries, and builds social and emotional bonds. Communication between the teachers and students is very effective in real classrooms, where feedback can be immediate and face to face.

A simple hug or holding hands can raise the spirits of a student. In the virtual classroom, the emoticons take over, and the pupil’s reactions become mechanical. Innovations in technology mean more unique ways to emote, sans the spontaneity of the human touch. (1)(2) 

Real classrooms are more formal in setting and inculcate a sense of discipline. The students are required to attend school during assigned hours. They learn interpersonal relations in a classroom setting in real-time, both with the adults at school and the peer group. Students can access study material and content 24/7 on virtual platforms and communicate electronically with the teachers in online setups. A Self Learning mode is also encouraged at times. 

Pros & Cons

Looking at the paradigms of both the real and virtual classrooms, both have advantages and disadvantages. Virtual classrooms benefit from saving commuting time, agility, and flexibility in learning and access to a more significant number and variety of learning content and classes. However, technology and screen time exposure may pose considerable health and cyber security concerns for the child. Professional development of teachers to engage students on a virtual platform is a significant need in developing nations. While urban schools have progressed to a smooth transition towards online learning, schools in rural areas yet experience the digital divide.

Way Forward

Hybrid Learning or Blended Learning is a cost-effective solution offering consistency and easy access to content, engages the learners and supports human interaction within the parameters of the Covid protocols. The new norms in the learning milieu are here to stay after the pandemic reopening. Proactive measures of social distancing, staggered attendance, infrastructural changes as handwash stations, mandates of sanitisers and masks, low crowd activities and others are being advocated; so as to enable the student to come back to school.

Ruby Park Public School: Facilitating World-class Education

Ruby Park Public School aims at educating and nurturing students to become a strong community of responsible citizens and leaders of tomorrow. With a holistic curriculum, the students are taught life skills via an education pattern, supported by a counselling and disciplinary system that cares for the student’s mental health.

Being affiliated with the CBSE board, it visions to impart 21st-century skills to its students and maintain a delicate balance between traditional values and modern ethos. The stimulating and peaceful learning environment has stimulated the students to successfully achieve the highest standards of discipline and excellence in their educational endeavours.

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com.

Disclaimer:

RPPS blog posts have been written with the information gathered from approved articles and websites online. Our research and technical team strive to provide relevant information through such articles.

Nowadays, the oft-heard dictum ‘Please maintain social distance’ has become a way of life for most. It is especially relevant for children who now go back to school after almost two years of online learning at home. As the coronavirus has played a devastating effect on our health and lives, social distancing will help to keep the vast student community safe.

Adapting to the new normal, schools will have to proactively put norms in place to facilitate learning at school in a safe milieu. Some suggested measures (already in practice also) to social distance physically for students at school.

Here are some recommended measures for the students that can be followed in school during this crucial time to maintain social distance would be:

Staggered Attendance – where the students of the class are divided into two groups, so that they can attend school at different hours 

Weekly Cohorting – It is a good strategy where students attend school in person on alternate weeks. It will avoid crowding and contact tracing will become easier.

Socially distanced desks – are kept at least 6 feet to prevent airborne infection through droplets from cough, sneeze, etc. (How it is helping in maintaining physical/social distance in school needs clear explanation)

Regular cleaning of all surfaces at school – it helps to prevent infection from contact from surfaces as desks, chairs, doors, bulletin boards; if contaminated.

Wearing Masks, a mandate – All people entering the school premises to wear masks. Non-scholar personnel as teaching staff, service staff, parents and others to submit the Vaccination certificates and download the Aarogya Setu app for efficiency. Monitoring the movement of non-essential visitors to the school and keeping a log of visitors are imperative. 

Child Safety Guidelines

Child Safety is a priority at Ruby Park Public School. The following guidelines are encouraged to ensure safety for all students:

• Avoid crowding hallways lining classes and other rooms.
• Closing Communal spaces like the cafeteria and playgrounds and promoting staggered attendance in music rooms, yoga rooms, libraries, and auditorium. The larger rooms may be used as classrooms for learning with a socially distanced set-up.
• Every room in the school to be equipped with hand sanitizers; especially the washrooms to be updated with hand wash stations and hand wash soap products
• Queues to be made with social distancing.
• Advocate for the importance of social distancing and handwashing techniques. Signboards should be posted in critical areas to reiterate the same.
• School buses to be sanitized when carrying the students to school. Social distancing by occupying alternate seats to be encouraged. 

Challenges and the way forward

During the pandemic, various challenges can be observed, most notably the technology divide, especially in rural areas and the lack of teachers competent in technology. The Government has proactively addressed these challenges by hosting lessons on specially curated Television channels, training the teachers to be ‘Smart’ for conducting online sessions and providing access to e-learning software and infrastructure. Phased out reopening schools followed it to bring back the normalcy of in-person learning. Vaccinations for children will further strengthen the efforts against the virus.

The entire endeavour was conducted to bring back students to where they rightfully belong- the school.

Ruby Park Public School: Your gateway to world-class education

Ruby Park Public School aims at educating and nurturing students to become a strong community of future-ready citizens and leaders of tomorrow. With a holistic pedagogy and delivery methods at RPPS, the students are taught life skills to live responsibly by caring for themselves, the people around them and their environment. 

Being affiliated with the CBSE board, it visions to impart 21st-century skills to its students and maintain a delicate balance between traditional values and modern ethos. The school is proactive in reopening its doors post-pandemic with the assurance of safety and security for its pupils.

Disclaimer:

RPPS blog posts have been written with the information gathered from approved articles and websites online. Our research and technical team strive to provide relevant information through such articles.

Bullying is a hostile behaviour mainly observed among children who want to exert power over others. When repeated constantly, it can have adverse effects on the child’s mental health. Bullying affects everyone involved in the act – the bully, the bullied, and the witnesses.

Children who bully others have typical behavioural patterns such as getting into fights, alcohol abuse, school dropouts, and criminal convictions. These behavioural patterns may result in abusive behaviour towards romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults.

Children who get bullied have adverse social, academic, physical, mental and health issues. Psychosomatic disorders are observed as changes in sleep patterns, depression and anxiety, loss of interest in activities, associated health complaints, and low academic scores.

Children who are witnesses of bullying have increased mental health problems. As a result, they may get into depression and anxiety, start abusing tobacco, alcohol or other drugs and exhibit high absenteeism in school.

Types of Bullying

Bullying can take various forms as:

• Physical abuse such as hitting, kicking, slapping and tripping
• Verbal abuse as teasing, name-calling and arguing
• Relational/social abuse as spreading rumours and leaving out of the group
• Damage to property of the victim or environment to express aggression and anger
• Cyberbullying through technology, which has been on the rise

Role of a teacher in the prevention of bullying in schools

1. Teach kindness and empathy –

When students approach ideas and problems from multiple perspectives, they’re less likely to bully others. Students should be encouraged to promote social-emotional development from the earliest ages. A teacher facilitates ways to help children understand themselves and others which requires empathy and kindness.

Empathy is recognized as viewing someone else’s perspective and must be embedded into the school curriculum. Children must be encouraged to talk about their differences to reach a better understanding. It can be developed through conflict resolution and deliberate interaction.

2. Create the opportunities to connect –

Inculcating a sense of community in your classroom may reduce bullying incidents and heal the students affected. Research suggests that when students feel connected to peers, they’re more likely to cope with being bullied. Studies also demonstrate that teaching students to speak up when they witness bullying behaviour and stand against it may undercut future bullying incidents by more than 50 per cent.

The classroom must be safe for students to express themselves and feel heard. Developing the students’ abilities to advocate for themselves and others is also imperative. Outside of the classroom, facilitate opportunities for positive reinforcement by helping students get involved in afterschool activities that align with their hobbies and interests.

3. Identify ‘gateway behaviours’ –

Researchers have found that small behaviours can often indicate the onset of bullying.  “Gateway behaviours” indicators may be challenging to detect. Recognizing them early on may aid in the prevention of bullying. As a teacher, here are some of the crucial behaviours you should take notice of:

• Eye rolling
• Prolonged staring
• Back turning
• Laughing cruelly/encouraging others to laugh
• Name-calling
• Ignoring or excluding
• Causing physical harm
• Spying
• Stalking

4. Use the arts to create context –

Art imparts the ability to view diverse perspectives among young people. Through drama, literature and the visual arts, students can understand the adverse impact of bullying.

Measures to prevent bullying

By adopting the following measures, we can prevent bullying:

Developing a positive school environment

It is imperative to provide a conducive environment for a child’s development. A conducive climate helps foster healthy development.  In contrast, an adverse school climate is associated with higher student bullying, aggression and victimization.

Advancing social and emotional learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is synonymous with developing self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship management skills. The family must contribute to teaching these lessons. Bullying is sometimes are a product of abusive parenting practices.

Moving Forward

A substantial shift in the mindsets about children’s importance and feelings presents the way forward. Children can thrive when we nurture their humanity and offer them the tools to identify, express, and, thus, regulate their feelings. Schools can lead the way when parents, teachers, and administrators learn about the complex roots of bullying and adopt effective strategies for addressing it.

The kids are counting on us.

Ruby Park Public School: Where Mental and Physical Health is Important

Ruby Park Public School aims at educating and nurturing students to become a strong community of future-ready citizens and leaders of tomorrow. With a holistic curriculum, the students are taught life skills via an education pattern, supported by a counselling and disciplinary system that cares for the student’s mental health.

Being affiliated with the CBSE board, it visions to impart 21st-century skills to its students and maintain a delicate balance between traditional values and modern ethos. The refreshing and peaceful learning environment has stimulated the students to successfully achieve the highest standards of discipline and excellence in their educational endeavours.

For more information on this CBSE-affiliated institution and its holistic curriculum, visit www.rubypark.com.

Colours express the main psychic feelings of man

– Carl Jung

Colours are a part of life and influence the body functions, thoughts and emotions with the energy produced by light. Light and colour have a mesmerizing effect on the human mind. On average, the human eye can perceive 150 different colours in visible light. It thus helps a child to cognize, perceive and define an object. Every child has colour related cognition of objects and as such the perception of each colour addresses the related emotion.

The effects of colours on the human mind can be varied – imparting peace of the mind, generating excitement, a calming and soothing effect, giving rise to inspiration or some colours even cause anxiety or stress. The psychological impact of colours can be observed more distinctly in children.

A colour preference pattern is evident in the progressive childhood years. While very young pre-schoolers prefer warm, bright colors as red, yellow and orange; the elementary school children choose tints and pastels in contrast. The relationship of this pattern reference of colours by children is logical. Due to their inability to read and write in the early years, the children rely more on visual material to establish communication. Thus colour is an important tool of expression for them. Red stimulates the brain activity and yellow improves the concentration. So preschool classrooms are designed with luminous and bold colours to keep the child stimulated and active. Even colourful food is presented to the child to stimulate hunger pangs and colourful toys are an effective learning tool at this age. Environmental stimulation aids in learning at this age, and keeps the child active and healthy.

The importance of inclusion of colours in the child’s learning environment is significant at every age. It provides the verbal cues. The human brain thrives on change of mind. In contrast to the loud colours, the children of elementary school shift their preference to softer shades of pastels.  The colours have a soothing effect on the children when mental stimulation leads to productivity and creativity.

Progressing to middle school; the colour commonality of choice is blue and green. Blue evokes feelings of contentment, spaciousness and comfort as it is the color of the sky and the sea. Green spells health and has a calming effect on the nervous system. As the lens of the eye focuses on green henceforth green is the most relaxing colour. The mental turbulences of early adolescence are calmed by the use of these colours. Their use translates to foster success at school.

In High school, the colour preferences shift to deeper hues as burgundy, deep green, navy and violet. This signify a sense of self control, confidence, elegance and deep rootedness. The children by now have found their individuality and a sense of being. They are ready to take control of factors in the environment outside of themselves; as a career choice or a relationship. These colours validate their emotions.

The influence of colour on a child’s brain is evident even in discrepant situations. While bright reds and oranges were seen to increase a child’s IQ as much as 12 points by attracting his attention to details; the reading comprehension increased 80% in dyslexic children by the use of blue or grey overlay on the white background of the page. The colour vision deficiency was facilitated to increase productivity.

Colour, thus, can affect the psychological reactions as well as the physiologic health of children. Research has demonstrated the important role played by environmental factors in developing levels of success and productivity, reducing the error rate and inducing positive behavior in children. Amongst the stimuli present in the environment colour ranks foremost as the component for influencing a child’s behavioral, emotional and health of a child; and hence needs priority attention.

Ruby Park Public School: Your gateway to world-class education

Being one of the top schools in the city, this CBSE-affiliated institution imparts education that meets international standards, with optimum utilization of cutting-edge technology and modern pedagogical tools. Being a sister concern of DPS Ruby Park, the school ensures quality education and holistic development of all the students. In connection to this, the institute has been working tirelessly at moulding and nurturing a strong community of intellectual, future-ready citizens of tomorrow that are sensitive to the winds of change and yet committed to living with responsibility. The peaceful, invigorating, learning environment has been stimulating the students to successfully achieve the highest standards of discipline and excellence in their educational endeavours.

Festivals are fun for kids, fun for parents and offer a welcome break from the stresses of the nuclear family.

– Tom Hodgkinson, British writer and editor of The Idler.

All children look forward to the rich and vibrant festivals that are testimony to our vibrant culture and tradition. Whether they are related to the harvest season, based on the theme of the good triumphing over evil, change of seasons or any other happy occasion – festivals play a significant role in the lives of all children. It establishes their deep bonding with the immediate family, the community at large as well as cultivates their sense of identity, values and belief systems.

Developing a broader perspective of life

Children develop a liking and start to acknowledge festivals through memorable family experiences as well as the gifting and sharing associated with them. Celebrating the diverse festivals prevalent in our country, whether they are national, seasonal or religious, becomes a ‘come to life’ moment for children, giving them meaning and experiences to last for a lifetime. The young minds are exposed to diversity, essential values of community spirit and even the nitty-gritties of tradition. Voluntary service, especially helping the needy, is another important aspect of life that all festivals expose youngsters to.

Positive impact on children

All in all, happy experiences during the festive times form the cornerstones for personal, social and emotional development of children. They prove to be critical when it concerns:

• Nurturing familial bonds: This is the time when families come together and the child gets the opportunity to interact with even the extended family. This close bonding facilitates them to look forward to these experiences of togetherness and continued happy times.
• Valuing the concept of unity in diversity: Celebrating festivals can help a child understand the cultural significance of every festival and foster the positive spirit of participating equally in the different celebratory occasions, irrespective of religion or caste.
• Participating in cultural events: Children get the opportunity to participate in social events and cultural activities that help them develop self-confidence, the spirit of competition and team bonding. They also help to break the monotony of their academic pursuits and allow them to polish their extra-curricular talent and hobbies.

Children will remember an important day only if they are told what the occasion signifies. So a celebration makes them aware of the world in a more fun way. Celebrating events and festivals in our school has become an integral part of learning and building a strong cultural belief. Such celebrations bring the students closer to each other’s traditions and cultural beliefs and develop respect and understanding for each other’s customs and traditions. Indians surely have millions of reasons to rejoice! Furthermore, when students from different regions experience this joy of festivals, it truly enhances the Indian culture.

We encourage multi-disciplinary learning

The adept management and highly experienced faculty at Ruby Park Public School (RPPS), Kolkata always encourage complete holistic development of all the students. The young minds are allowed to forge their own positive impressions while the institution nurtures them with an academic curriculum complete with modern pedagogical tools, in a bid to imbibe in them the importance of celebrating our culture and values.

We highlight the role that festivals and celebrations play in learning and development of children. We aim to support children in their journey to understand the commonalities of human values that are shared by all cultures and religions. We encourage families and care-givers to help children understand different cultures and participate diligently and responsibly in a world that is as diverse and vibrant as ours.

So apart from classroom learning, RUBY PARK PUBLIC SCHOOL encourages students to celebrate each and every festival and event with great zeal and enthusiasm. Children are exposed to the essence of festivals in various ways. Each and every performance turns out to be innovative and unique in its own way. At the end of the day the boundless joy of celebrating the event is visible.

For students, it is a great way to understand the rich heritage of India and learn about the importance of various festivals. Along with enthusiasm and fun for the activities, qualities like sensitivity, creativity and togetherness are also inculcated in the students. Keeping its values intact, our school wishes to offer the right kind of educational system which is based on moral ethics. The school also believes that education will allow the child to bloom, blossom and thrive, giving them the right platform where they will work towards becoming a responsible citizen.

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

– Hippocrates

School-going children require healthy food, including nutritious snacking, to maximize their growth and development. They have a steady yet slow rate of growth at this age and usually eat four to five times a day. Most food habits, likes and dislikes are shaped during this age so it is very important for parents and even teachers to inculcate healthy eating habits in children in the formative years of their life. Not only does eating healthy help the youngsters to maintain proper weight and normal growth; it also sets them up to maintain a healthy lifestyle when they are adults.

Salient points for a wholesome diet

In a nutshell, the following guidelines will ensure a proper diet regimen for children.

• First and foremost, school-going children require a balanced diet comprising of all five healthy food groups: vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and protein. Each group is rich in different nutrients which are essential for the development of the child.
• Eating healthy is critical since it plays an important role in growth, development and learning.
• It is advisable to limit the consumption of excessively salty and sugary food. Beverages containing caffeine as well as excessive sugar are also best-avoided since they lead to obesity, tooth decay as well as caffeine-addiction.
• Water is the healthiest drink for children: it keeps joins, bones and teeth healthy and helps children maintain a healthy weight right into adulthood. Being hydrated also enhances mood, memory and attention for the youngsters.
• Children should be trained to opt for healthy alternatives when it comes to snacks and desserts. Good options include nuts, cheese, low-fat yoghurt, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Other tried-and-tested approaches to inculcate beneficial and nourishing eating habits in the youngsters include:

• Healthy is the way to be – Parents should make sure there is a wide array of healthy food available in the house. This will help the children develop their taste and appetite towards healthy eating.
• Encourage the children to eat slowly – Eating slowly can enable a child to detect hunger and fullness better. Before offering a second helping, it is advisable to make the child wait for about 10 minutes to understand if he is truly hungry. Overeating is a strict no-no.
• Eat meals together – This goes a long way to make the mealtimes pleasant and a time of the day children look forward to.
• Discourage eating or snacking while staring at screens – Consuming food while screen-gazing is extremely harmful, since it often leads to improper chewing of food as well as over-eating. It is thus prudent to eat at designated areas of the house, preferably while sitting at the dining table.
• Pay heed to portion size and ingredients – It is necessary for parents and caregivers to serve the adequate portion size as well as limit food that is rich in trans-fat. This is not only applicable to home but also when the children are eating out with their friends or at restaurants.
• Encourage the young ones to drink more water – For beverages, it is best to encourage children to consume more water. Over-consumption of sweetened drinks and colas has been linked to increased rates of obesity in children.

Do’s and Don’ts-that might help the parents to develop healthy eating habits in their ward

Be a Role Model

The best way for you to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Kids will follow the lead of the adults they see every day. By eating fruits and vegetables and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff, you’ll be sending the right message.

Another way to be a good role model is to serve appropriate portions and not overeat. Talk about your feelings of fullness, especially with younger children. You might say, “This is delicious, but I’m full, so I’m going to stop eating.” Similarly, parents who are always dieting or complaining about their bodies may foster these same negative feelings in their kids. Try to keep a positive approach about food.

Don’t Battle Over Food

It’s easy for food to become a source of conflict. Well-intentioned parents might find themselves bargaining or bribing kids so they eat the healthy food in front of them. A better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods available at home.

Kids should decide if they’re hungry, what they will eat from the foods served, and when they’re full. Parents control which foods are available to their kids, both at mealtime and between meals. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Establish a predictable schedule of meals and snacks. It’s OK to choose not to eat when both parents and kids know when to expect the next meal or snack.
• Don’t force kids to clean their plates. Doing so teaches kids to override feelings of fullness.
• Don’t bribe or reward kids with food. Avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal.
• Don’t use food as a way of showing love. When you want to show love, give kids a hug, some of your time, or praise

Get Kids Involved

Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner. Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal. Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal. At the store, teach kids to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for. In the kitchen, select age-appropriate tasks so kids can play a part without getting injured or feeling overwhelmed. And at the end of the meal, don’t forget to praise the chef. School lunches can be another learning lesson for kids. More important, if you can get them thinking about what they eat for lunch, you might be able to help them make positive changes. Brainstorm about what kinds of foods they’d like for lunch or go to the grocery store to shop together for healthy, packable foods.

There’s another important reason why kids should be involved: It can help prepare them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat. That’s not to say they’ll suddenly want a salad instead of french fries, but the mealtime habits you help create now can lead to a lifetime of healthier choices.

We are trusted in the field of education

While emphasizing the key milestones of education, Ruby Park Public School (RPPS) encourages all its students to focus on their strengths and goals in life. This CBSE-affiliated institution in Kolkata has already made a name for itself for its progressive approach and commitment to excellence. The strong management and experienced faculty are responsible for imparting liberal and holistic education that is in sync with international standards. This facilitates the students to become self-motivated, inculcate healthy habits and venture into today’s competitive world with supreme confidence!

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com

Today, most school-goers are glued to their smartphones, gaming consoles, computers and other screens for hours. This excessive exposure to screens has a negative impact on the kids, both physically and mentally. In fact, the ‘American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommends that pre-schoolers should not spend more than one hour on screens. Sadly, research indicates that children around the world are accumulating over four hours of screen-time daily on an average. So, what could be an enriching alternative for these gadget-addicted children? The unanimous answer is reading books.

Benefits of reading physical books

With work-from home and online classes, digital education has become a popular and favourable method of learning. It gives children access to meaningful information at any time of the day easily at their fingertips. However, physically reading books scores in several ways over exposure to screens. Let us encapsulate some of the noteworthy factors:

• Improved concentration and level of patience: Reading leads to improved levels of concentration and patience in children. On the other hand, screen addiction is responsible for children becoming easily distracted. Constantly switching between applications and responding to whichever attracts them at that point is also a leading contributor of high level of anxiety. A study conducted with 400 university students from five countries indicated 86% preferring to read longer texts in print and 92% saying it was easier to concentrate while reading print.
• Enhanced communication skills: Studies have revealed that children develop more connectivity in the part of their brain that deals with language after reading a novel. In contrast, after viewing a TV show, they received lower scores in a verbal test than before the show. Simultaneously, parents are more likely to interact more with their children when reading together than when their children are hooked to the screens.
• Better memory and emotional connect: Studies have also demonstrated that when children read books, they are more likely to remember what they have read and emotionally connect better with the textual information. This has a huge impact on the overall learning abilities by growing their knowledge bank and interest levels. It is a natural tendency to read in detail the contents of a book as opposed to merely browsing through the content on devices and gadgets.
• Health benefits: Reading on devices has proven to cause far more strain on the eyes than reading physical books. It is wise to give your eyes a break from the prolonged exposure to digital screens. E-books can lead to dry eyes, blurred vision and fatigue.
• Enhances the joy of reading: The far more conventional reading on print works out to be more aesthetically enjoyable to children. Once exposed to this medium, many of them have reported they enjoy the look and feel of books in their hands and also the smell of paper!

On the whole, child psychologists and other experts in the domain opine that reading printed textsfacilitatethe young, developing minds ‘to slow down and devote time to sophisticated reading processes, discern truth, apply critical analysis, gauge inference, develop empathy, appreciate beauty to attain the knowledge and wisdom necessary to sustain a good society’.

We support and encourage the art of reading

The highly experienced and qualified faculty at Ruby Park Public School (RPPS), Kolkata always encourages and motivates our students to develop the healthy habit of reading books. The young minds are made aware of the unlimited amount of information that books contain, besides being a solid background for learning activities.

Being one of the top schools in the city, this CBSE-affiliated institution imparts education that meets international standards, with optimum utilization of cutting-edge technology and modern pedagogical tools. By the visionaries of Delhi Public School, Ruby Park quality education and holistic development of all the students is what the school strives for. In connection to this, the institute has been working tirelessly at moulding and nurturing a strong community of future-ready citizens and leaders of tomorrow, sensitive to the winds of change and yet committed to living with responsibility. For more information, visit www.rubypark.com

Problem solving is an instructional method or technique whereby the teachers and pupils attempt in a conscious, planned and purposeful effort to tackle problems of a significant educational difficulty to arrive at some explanation or solution. Students are presented with problems which require them to find either a scientific or technological solution. It is a student-centered strategy which require students to become active participants in the learning process.

Teaching the children

Some basic steps are followed at home or at school while imparting problem-solving skills to children. Broadly speaking, these include:

• Identification of the problem
• Listing out and weighing the possible solutions
• Choosing a solution and implementing it
• Evaluating the results of the solution

How do problem-solving skills help the youngsters?

Children face a variety of problems every day, ranging from academic difficulties to problems on the sports field. But when they get a clear idea or formula for solving problems, they will feel more confident in their ability to try. The benefits are multifarious; the important ones include:

• Enhances critical thinking: Critical thinking refers to breaking down a complex problem and analysing it to find a solution. Development of this aspect helps the child deal with any issue logically and not get overwhelmed when faced with challenging circumstances. 
  Parents and teachers can develop critical thinking in children by asking them questions that help them to come up with solutions by thinking out-of-the-box. It is also important to nurture them to ask their own set of questions.

• Source of creativity: Creative thinking enables children to come up with new ideas to tackle any problem. It is best nurtured through activities that involve reflection. It is promoted by considering the viewpoints of children regarding pertinent topics and inculcating the habit of brainstorming in them. Reading and interacting also help in developing the creative side of young minds.

• Builds confidence: Children gain self-confidence when they can successfully tackle numerical word problems or riddles that push them to think on different levels. Parents and teachers must inculcate the ability in the youngsters to approach problems from different angles and find the solution to these problems in different ways. Typically, effective problem-solving skills result in ‘happier, more confident, and more independent children.’

• Improves academic performance: Development of problem-solving skills teaches discernment – essentially helping children gauge how a problematic issue can be solved. It also boosts intrinsic values like grit, determination and passion for excellence. It holds special importance in the study of mathematics, sciences, languages, and children’s overall academic performance.

We care for each of our students

As one of the top schools in the city, Ruby Park Public School (RPPS) boasts of a curriculum that lays a lot of importance to developing problem-solving skills in all the students. The institution has already made a name for itself for its progressive approach and commitment to excellence. The strong management and experienced faculty is responsible for imparting a liberal and holistic education that helps students to become self-motivated and build on their  individual strengths to emerge as responsible global citizens.

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com

Motivation refers to the desire, need or drive in students towards learning as well as all aspects of their life. Motivating children in the early stages of their childhood, help young minds learn to take on more responsibility and indulge in more creative and varied learning throughout their life. On the other hand, without motivation, they tend to become more reclusive and often fall prey to behavioural and psychological issues.

Motivation is thus a key component in a child’s development both at home and in school since it is the driving force which helps them to act and successfully complete any given task. It is important for a child’s parents, his teachers and other caregivers to understand the level of motivation of the youngster and accordingly guide them in their areas of interest.

What are the types of motivation?

Motivation is described as ‘a state that energizes, directs and sustains behaviour’. It directs behaviour towards specific goals and the effort and interest to sustain the activity till completion. Motivation can manifest itself aseither being intrinsic or extrinsic.

Intrinsic motivation is inherent in nature leading to the development of interest in a learner from within, because the action by itself is enjoyable. This type, representing engagement in any activity for its own sake, usually leads to a sense of personal satisfaction for the doer. For example, if a child shows a lot of interest in school in learning new things and expanding his knowledge, he is intrinsically motivated to do so.

Extrinsically motivated behaviour, on the other hand, is dependent on ‘external factors’ like incentives, that involves carrying out any activity to earn a reward, or avoid punishment.Rewards – such as a candy, toy or sticker – are good examples of extrinsic motivators at home or in school. Social and emotional incentives like praise and attention are also prime examples of how a child can be extrinsically motivated.

How does motivation affect learning & behaviour?

Together, these two types of motivation contribute to the underlying reasons, attitudes and goals that constitute human behaviour. However, in most cases, experts reckon intrinsic motivation to be ahead of the extrinsic variant since individuals who are internally motivated have proven to be more successful, committed, persistent and creative. In fact, research has demonstrated that offering excessive external rewards for an already internally rewarding behaviour can actually hamper that motivation – a phenomenon that has been termed as the ‘over justification effect’.

At the same time, when used appropriately, extrinsic motivators can prove to be a useful tool too. For example, it can get students to complete a task or school assignment that does not interest them. When administered correctly, it can even enhance the level of intrinsic motivation. A case-in-point being praising a student – in this case, it can enhance the confidence level of the youngster and can actually boost his intrinsic motivation. Rewards, rightly administered, can lead to better performance and creativity. So it can be concluded that understanding what type of motivation works best in a given situation is the key to effective learning and performance.

We care for your child

Whether it is online teaching or in the classroom, the teachers at Ruby Park Public School (RPPS), Kolkata are qualified and experienced enough to gauge the motivational levels of every student. While intrinsic motivation is appreciated, the faculty leaves no stone unturned to offer extrinsic motivation, in case the need arises, to enhance the learning abilities of the child. The overall idea is to establish close relationships with all the students and build on their strengths. The students trust the teachers and share what is important to them, thereby inculcating the value of learning to move ahead in life.

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com

Teaching aids are meaningful and purposeful reference tools used by teachers. They help impart lessons effectively and their usage makes learning more interesting for students. These teaching aids are available in various forms. The most common ones include pictures, videos, charts, flashcards and objects like three-dimensional models or educational toys.

What are Teaching Aids

These tools help the educators to capture attention and also aid in making the teaching-learning process more productive. The prevailing pandemic-stricken situation has made education entirely dependent on virtual classes. In this situation, it has become imperative for the teachers to incorporate these reference tools in the classes. The distance between the teachers and students has increased, and physical interaction is at an all-time low. Reference tools work out to be very powerful to ensure participation and interest among students in the online lessons. They also bolster the level of concentration of the pupils.

Types of Teaching Aids

Visual Aids: Mere verbal instructions by the teacher over a screen can be very uninteresting for a young student. However, if the teacher employs a chart, drawing, postcards, models and real-life examples, they are bound to stir the quest for learning in the students.

Share screen option: Teachers can also use the “share-screen” option to demonstrate articles, e-journals and pictures and videos to the youngsters. These will facilitate the students to comprehend better as they will relate to real-time objects. Their focus is sure to get enhanced as the audio-visual medium is highly captivating. It will also make it easier for the teacher to explain the concepts clearly to the students. As students now get to understand visually, the learning process gets etched in their memory, and the entire outcome is highly positive and enjoyable.

Audio-visual aids: Different online applications like Zoom, Google-Meet, Duo, Skype, etc are all aids to bring the teaching-learning community closer even if they cannot meet or see each other face to face. In fact, these novel technologies have made the process more fun and children participate whole-heartedly.

Online applications: Children get real-time experience with mobile technology and interactive games which helps young learners like them to comprehend better. Online PowerPoint presentations and different applications like YouTube and other online videos also stimulate the minds of children.

Interactive Aids: Quiz, debates are an excellent way to encourage learners and helps in opinion-building. Teachers can also make videos and send it to the children, as well as encourage them to read newspapers daily and make cut-outs of important topics. They can make flashcards, posters and charts to explain different topics innovatively.

RPPS: Learning made fun

The highly experienced and qualified faculty at Ruby Park Public School (RPPS) in Kolkata believe in motivating their students through the usage of these effective and indispensable teaching aids. Being one of the top schools in the city, this CBSE-affiliated institution is known for imparting education in sync with international standards vis-à-vis both the traditional and online methods.

Quality education and holistic development of all the students is what RPPS strives for. The institute has been working tirelessly at moulding and nurturing a strong community of future-ready citizens and leaders of tomorrow who are sensitive to the winds of change yet committed to responsibility.

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com

Online learning has become a major part of our lives today. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to teaching and learning being temporarily converted to a virtual process. The interactions between the teachers and students are currently limited to virtual classes and distant learning. The lessons are conducted online as part of the ‘new-normal’.

Online learning has definitely come as a blessing to the education fraternity –otherwise in this situation of staying locked up in the house, one would have been compelled to abandon the teaching learning process completely. However, since online classes can be conducted from our homes and do not require the concerned people to come face-to-face, it has helped in continuing with education even in these times of social distancing. It is convenient, fast-paced, saves money and still facilitates the process of learning effectively.

Some highlights of online learning are encapsulated below:

• Efficiency – Online learning offers teachers an efficient way to deliver lessons to the students. They can plan the lessons in advance and conduct the class accordingly.
• Accessibility of time and place – Another advantage of online education is that it allows students to attend classes from any location of their choice. Irrespective of where the student or teacher is placed at that point in time, they can conduct or attend classes easily.
• Affordability – It is a financially viable method as it does not involve movement, paid space or other costs associated with running an organization.
• Improved student attendance – Students, especially younger ones, are often reluctant to travel, and fall sick frequently. This hampers their attendance in school. Since online learning can be accessed from the comfort of our homes, it improves the attendance of such learners.
• Suits a variety of learning styles – Usually, offline teaching-learning involves a stereotypical pattern. Online learning, on the other hand promotes a lot of opportunities like screen-sharing, visual aids, verbal discussions, effective class participation and so on.

Despite the above-mentioned advantages, online learning is plagued by a number of cons as well.

• Inability to focus on screens – For many students, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is the struggle with focusing on the screen for long periods of time. It makes them tired and often affects the eyesight.
• Technology issues – Another key challenge of online classes is internet connectivity. Even though they have the liberty to attend classes from anywhere, internet connection is neither strong nor stable in all areas. Without proper connectivity, the students are completely helpless. The same applies for teachers as well.
• Sense of isolation – Teaching-learning is majorly dependent on physical interaction and the personalised supervision. Hence, it is right to say that this process has been affected adversely. Online learning isolates the teachers from the students and vice-versa. It reduces connection and accessibility.
• Technologically savvy – It is difficult for a number of teachers and students, especially the ones who are not very technologically sound, to conduct and participate in these online classes. They find it difficult to handle computers as well as the various user-interfaces of different applications.
• Management of screen time – Initiating an online class often takes a lot of time owing to network issues, audio-visual lags and so on. This consumes a lot of precious class time and the teacher might find it difficult to complete the specific material planned for the particular session.
• Malpractice by students – Unfortunately, many students often resort to mischief in this medium as they know that it is difficult to track or identify them. They do this either owing to adolescent behavioural changes or simply for fun. Teachers fall prey to such mischief, and may feel humiliated at times.
• Difficulty in evaluation – Online studies have also affected the process of assessment and evaluation as examinations cannot be conducted efficiently. Evaluation also becomes challenging.

RPPS: The trusted name for quality education

Rated among one of the top schools in the city, Ruby Park Public School (RPPS) has also successfully adapted to the online medium for imparting education in recent times. The well-trained teachers of this CBSE-affiliated institution have taken on an extremely responsive initiative of going the virtual way to conduct their classes efficiently and complete the syllabus without compromising on the quality of the lessons.

Even in these difficult times, excellence in education and the holistic growth of all the students is what the school stands for. It is continuing to provide an invigorating and intellectually stirring environment as well as ensure personalized care for the all-round development of all its students. 

For more information, visit www.rubypark.com