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subeditorjpn / December 08, 2017 Posted by :

What is it?

The Hour of Code is an attempt to teach people the basics of computer programming in 60 minutes in a fun, simple way. It is part of a campaign that Code.org, a non-profit organisation, launched in the US with the goal of introducing coding into the US curriculum and raising awareness around what coding is. It is now a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries.

Why are we doing it?

At Ekya, we believe in living the lesson. With Hour of Code, our parents get also a glimpse of how this is done. Across a week, the school hosts competitions for students as well as parents; our aim is to bust the myth of coding being difficult, by pairing parents with the students and helping them to program together. The pairs get one hour to finish the program with the help of our students. We also have students from Grades V to X  participating in exciting coding competitions.

Primary school

The opening week of the event saw students from Grade I to IV, paired with their parents, code on simple languages such as Scratch, MS logo, Python and Tynker. Our parents seemed to enjoy the hour-long session of coding, typing away their code with ease, including those who were unfamiliar with the concept behind it. Our team of students were efficiently able to help and guide parents on each step. We asked a few parents for feedback and to our delight, they were all encouraging and motivating!

 

It was an exciting experience. I guess we all felt a bit nostalgic coming back to school and our computer labs. The students did an amazing job executing the entire event. Kudos to all of them.

~ Padmapriya Venkataraman, parent of Ashwat Venkataraman (IVC).

On 4th December, we were joined by parents of our Grade III students, who joined their children to code using MS Logo. They ended their session with the motivation to learn more about programming while printing interesting designs they coded.

I got the chance to meet the next-gen Einsteins! Great job by the kids.

         ~Niraj Milak, parent of Reyansh Milak (IIIA).

Meanwhile, parents of our Grade II students used easy coding blocks to guide dragons on the game ‘Dragon Dash’, using Tynker the new coding language.

I first coded during my engineering but now they (the Grade 2 students) are coding from such a young age which is brilliant. We had difficult languages like C and C++, I’m glad that easy coding is taught to the children. Great job to the team of students for navigating us throughout the session.

          ~Arunjet Taneja, parent of Anika Taneja (IIA).

The students of Grade I also coded with their parents on Tynker. They had an energetic session played the game ‘Candy Quest’ in which they had to guide the hungry monster to the candy. 

 

I love coding even though I’m not from a tech background. Nowadays, kids only play games on the mobile phone. I’m happy that through Tynker they are learning the logic behind it. I’m thankful to the school for taking this initiative. 

           ~ Ashvini R, parent of Kshamya Pradeep (IB).

Middle school

Students of Grades V – VII participated in the coding competitions, programming in simple languages such as Scratch, Python and HTML. Everybody was ecstatic and excited about their events. Students were divided into pairs and only one pair in each class could emerge as the winner. They participated wholeheartedly and made it tough for the judges to announce a winner. Here are a few scenes from their competitions:

 

High school

Our senior school students also had their share of coding competitions. Writing their programs in the languages of HTML and Java, they went through a preliminary round of coding, as students were paired roll number wise and each pair working on two programs. Being the fastest team was the qualifying criteria for the knockout stage, one which also decided the winner at the finals.

What’s in store?

We appreciate our kind parents for taking the time from their busy schedule to attend the first round of coding events. Now that the basic introduction to coding is done, we have some exciting events lined up on 9th December. We look forward to hosting our parents at the ‘Hour of Code’ finale which will be held on 9th, starting at 9 AM onwards. We have programs like skits and dance and quizzes and much more based on the central theme of coding, so don’t miss it!

Explore more

subeditorjpn / May 07, 2024

5 Things You Need To Know About The IGCSE

Introduсtion The International General Certifiсate of Seсondary Eduсation (IGCSE) is a globally recognized curriculum and qualifiсation for seсondary school students. First offered in 1988 by Cambridge Assessment International Eduсation, the IGCSE board allows 14-16 year old students across the world to develop skills for further aсademiс рrogression or рrofessional life. Over 5,000 schools in 160 countries offer IGCSE subjeсts sрanning languages, humanities, sсienсes, mathematiсs, and voсational skills. Read on as we exрlore 5 key asрeсts of this globally foсused curriculum framework.

Globally Reсognized Qualifiсation

First and foremost, the IGCSE board is an international qualifiсation that is recognized by universities and сolleges around the world. Unlike state board сurriсulums that focus on sрeсifiс geograрhies, the IGCSE emphasises global relevanсe suited for today’s increasingly borderless world. With aссeрtanсe across Ivy League institutions, Russell Grouр universities, and aсademiс рowerhouses both in North America and Europe, the IGCSE signals readiness for tertiary education abroad. So, for students who are targeting internationally oriented сareers or рlanning their higher education outside their country, IGCSE serves as an ideal foundation. Its globally foсused рedagogy also рreрares students well for multicultural workрlaсes.

Curriсulum  

Central to the IGCSE’s global recognition is its well-rounded curriculum сovering сore subjeсts like maths, science, first and second languages as well as a рlethora of eleсtives sрanning humanities, social sсienсes, teсhniсal voсations and сreative arts. This exрoses students to diverse subjeсts aiding aрtitude identifiсation while keeрing further education and сareer oрtions oрen. Allowing sсhools flexibility to offer any mix of 70 subjeсts encourages individualised subjeсt сombinations tailored to evolving student interests. This is augmented by loсalized teaсhing сontent adaрtation рermitted to ensure relevanсy. Suсh сustomization opportunities make the IGCSE framework agile to institutions’ aсademiс рriorities.

Age Grouр

As an internationally benсhmarked qualifiсation aimed at seсondary education learners, IGCSEs are most suited for students in the 14 to 16 age group sрanning grades 8, 9, and 10 or equivalent national grades. However, enrollment flexibility exists for those falling slightly outside standard age рarameters based on individual capabilities and сirсumstanсes.

Certifiсation

Uрon сomрletion of the IGCSE examinations, students receive individual сertifiсations for each subject they have taken. The number of subjeсts required may vary from sсhool to sсhool, but students have the option to pursue a minimum of five subjeсts and a maximum of 14 subjeсts.

Examination

The IGCSE assessment is сonduсted by Cambridge International Examination (CIE) and involves a сombination of сoursework, oral exams, written exams, and рraсtiсal exams. This сomрrehensive assessment allows students to demonstrate their learning effectively, especially for those whose first language is not English.

IGCSE Core vs IGCSE Extended Oрtions

Many subjeсts рrovide twin oрtions – IGCSE Core and IGCSE Extended сatering to different skill levels within student сohorts. The Extended alternative integrates suррlemental content for advanced learners seeking greater rigour and higher attainment рossibilities. It leads seamlessly into tertiary рathways loсally and abroad. Conversely, the Core oрtion сovers foundation syllabus сontent for students still strengthening their grasр over subjeсts. It рreрares them for further skill-building required to ultimately transit to higher education through graduation сredentials. This built-in flexibility allows сustomization for сomрetenсy varianсes across learners by deрloying an aррroрriately сhallenging сurriсulum version benefitting them. Careful subject selection tailored to individual strengths and interests thus remains key.

Assessments

A robust globally standardised assessment methodology forms the baсkbone of the IGCSE curriculum. Rigorous written examinations test сontent mastery and aррliсation сomрetenсies while рraсtiсal assessments gauge exрerimental skills and deeрer understanding.   Certain subjeсts incorporate oral tests and сoursework рrojeсts demanding research, analysis, and synthesis abilities. Suсh multidimensional assessments aligned to international standards signal to universities that сertifiсate holders рossess well-rounded сomрetenсe. Exams are administered by the Cambridge Assessment International Eduсation (CAIE) division in June and November worldwide, with results deсlared next January and August, respectively. Over 10,000 institutions across 160 countries сonneсt students to these globally benсhmarked IGCSE assessments annually.

Different From Cambridge O-Level

While both the IGCSE and Cambridge O-Level are qualifiсations offered by Cambridge International Examination (CIE), they differ in their curriculum structure and assessment aррroaсh. The IGCSE curriculum offers a broader and more flexible curriculum, сatering to a wider range of students' interests and abilities.

Grading

The grading system for IGCSE exams follows a scale of A* to G, with sрeсifiс сriteria for each grade to indiсate the quality of aсhievement. Students are encouraged to read questions carefully, underline сruсial details, and use сharts and diagrams to enhance their answers for better сomрrehension.

Subjeсts

IGCSE offers approximately 70 subjeсts, inсluding 30 languages, сategorized into five groups: Languages, Humanities, Sсienсes, Mathematiсs, and Creative and Voсational. Students are encouraged to carefully seleсt their subjeсts based on their interests, talents, and strengths. Conсlusion As the IGCSE student community swells across geograрhies, standout рerformers continue enjoying рriority aссess to рremier universities in the US, Canada, and beyond. This signals the relevanсe of integrating this globally foсused curriculum as early рreрaration for tertiary studies internationally, even if initial higher education рlans remain loсal. So, for students and рarents seeking globally validated сredentials beyond home boundaries while keeрing international education рossibilities oрen, Ekya Sсhools, one of the best IGCSE sсhools, рrovides quality education and holistiс develoрment for students, ensuring they thrive aсademiсally and рersonally. Whether you're seeking a сomрrehensive curriculum, robust assessment structure, or the best IGCSE sсhools in Marathahalli, Ekya Schools delivers exсellenсe in education.    

subeditorjpn / May 07, 2024

What Is IGCSE And Is It the Right Choice for My Child?

Every parent wants their child to have the best education, you are no different. However, when finding the right school for your child, you are often presented with a plethora of options. One such option that has grown in popularity in recent years is the IGCSE Schools in Bangalore. It is a globally recognized board and its curriculum is designed to foster holistic growth among students.  As one of the top IGCSE schools in Bangalore, we will explain what IGCSE is and help you decide if IGCSE schools are suitable for your child.

What is IGCSE?

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an internationally recognized board created by the University of Cambridge in England. It caters to 14–16 year olds (usually grades 9-10) and prepares them for further university studies worldwide. IGCSE courses offer a rich curriculum that tailors to individual strengths and nurtures the skills and competencies of students. Here are some of the benefits of IGCSE schools for your child.

Student-Centric Approach

The IGCSE curriculum is student-centric and fosters creativity. Teachers and students contribute equally to the class, making it an enriching experience. Learning is practical, allowing students to understand concepts better through real-life applications. IGCSE schools encourage students to ask questions, share ideas, and learn collaboratively with their peers. This approach nurtures logical and creative thinking skills in students. 

Preparing for the Universities

One of the major advantages of joining IGCSE schools is that the students here are well-prepared for further studies. This is made possible by the extensive knowledge and benefits that come from a globally standardized education. The students are encouraged to become independent thinkers and learners which is crucial for university studies. IGCSE schools focus on understanding and grasping the concepts rather than just memorizing. These are the traits most universities look for in a student. 

A Community Worldwide

The IGCSE program brings together students from all over the world in a global community. Children learn how to be inclusive and empathetic towards different people and cultures. This helps them develop a broad perspective. The program also allows each child to become a part of a diverse and comprehensive global community.

Inquiry-Based Learning

IGCSE courses foster curiosity in students by emphasizing real-life experiences, exploration, and expression. This encourages children to ask questions and research answers, helping them gain a better understanding of their communities and the world around them.

Rigorous Assessments

Top IGCSE schools in Bangalore such as Ekya Schools offer a rich experience for students with thought-provoking assessments. These include a variety of modes such as oral, written, coursework, and practical assessments. These assessments offer questions of different difficulty levels, enabling students to challenge themselves and discover their strengths and weaknesses. By instilling confidence and boosting morale, the IGCSE curriculum empowers students to plan their future educational journeys. 

Choice of Subjects that Cater to Different Abilities

The IGCSE subjects are designed to meet the needs of different students. With over 70 subjects to choose from, including 30 languages, schools can offer a combination that suits each student. Students must select at least 5 subjects, which include: 
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities and Social Science
  • Languages
  • Creative, Technical, and Vocational Subjects Students also have a wide range of 30 languages to choose from, including their mother tongue.

Recognized by Universities Across the World

The IGCSE is the most recognized examination qualification across the world. Students with these qualifications are accepted into several countries like the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Many universities acknowledge and accept the IGCSE curriculum as part of their entrance criteria. The IGCSE opens up opportunities for further vocational education and serves as a strong foundation for employment. Students with IGCSE backgrounds have the necessary abilities that employers value in potential employees.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing the best school for your child can be a daunting task considering the number of options today. However, if you think a strong syllabus and robust curriculum are best for your child, IGCSE schools are the way to go. To find the best IGCSE schools near Bannerghatta Road, look no further than Ekya Schools in JP Nagar. Our goal is to give students a well-rounded education that nurtures critical thinking, and creativity along with academic excellence.Join us and allow your child to delve into the stimulating realm of IGCSE subjects, nurturing their personal growth and development along the way.. We're here to shape future leaders with an inclusive and inspiring learning environment.      

subeditorjpn / May 06, 2024

Common Mistakes When Making A Class Presentation

A successful school presentation demands a lot more than just good content. Presentations are more about expressing and explaining things in a creative manner which involves two important parts- the content in an understandable form and its way of presenting it. The second involves speaking skills, presentation skills, voice modulation, and more. Many aspects of class presentation should be taken into consideration. However, there are a few common mistakes that are often committed during its preparation: 

Not Doing Your Research

Whatever topic you choose to present, you need to have a good knowledge about it. Well, that will only come with good research skills. You can do that by getting help from your teacher, the school library, or the Internet. Research not only helps you with better presentation but will also prepare you to answer the questions asked during the question hour.  

Not Making a Proper Introduction

 Whether the presentation is in front of a small group or you are representing your school, a small introduction about yourself along with the topic’s introduction is a must. This not only gives you a great start but also gives the audience an idea of what the presentation is about. To make your introduction a bit more interesting, you can start the presentation with a quote or some statistics to grab attention. 

Lack of preparation for the presentation

Not preparing well before the presentation day may put you in a difficult spot. It is possible that you will present well but you are internally not satisfied with your performance. Well, one of the best ways to prepare is to at least go through the content twice. Practice in front of the mirror or ask your parents to be the audience during the preparations. This way, you will get to know your weak areas and work more on them. You will be fully prepared to capture the attention of the audience with your confidence and speaking skills. 

Confident Body Language

Confidence is the key to a good presentation. It is not something that will develop overnight, we need to work on it. As per a study, poor body language affects your confidence. You need to understand that your language speaks a lot about your personality. With good content and strong body language, confidence reflects automatically. For class presentations, you can practise hand movements and voice modulation. Another important point that should not be ignored is maintaining eye contact with the audience. Before the final presentation day, it is advisable to practice in front of a mirror.

Not Being Engaging

 If you want your audience to understand the presentation well, then keep it engaging. A presentation full of text will make it boring so, to keep a balance between the infographics and text to make it more interesting and engaging. If possible, minutes of video related to your topic. This will keep your audience entertained. Remember whenever on stage  it is your responsibility to keep your audience engaged sensibly without going off-track. 

Inconsistent Slides

 Presenting slides in a good way demands a perfect framework that involves a lot of things and often focusing on one aspect might lead to ignoring others. Here are a few common slide mistakes made during the presentation. 
  1. Overcrowding the slides: It is one of the most common presentation mistakes often committed by students. You need to understand that for presentation “less is more” fits perfectly. Instead of too much text, visuals should be used. Instead of paragraphs, pointers should be used. Using different colours also makes the presentation interesting.
  2. Reading directly from the slides: Reading directly from the slides only projects you as underconfident and unprepared. Although it might seem a little tempting and an easier option, the best is to make small pointers of important topics on which you want to talk.
  3. Complicated data: Data should be presented in a way that the written content becomes more understandable. For this Pie charts or bar graphs in different colours can be used. 
  4. Not maintaining the hierarchy: Arranging the slides haphazardly
  5.  only confuses the students. It will distract them as there will be less clarity regarding the points. 

Going Off-Topic

Many times you might go off-topic to make your point more clear during the presentation. But as a presenter, you need to understand that class presentations and question sessions should be done within a time limit. For this students need to maintain the flow as per the hierarchy and should have an idea about which points need more explanation than the others. This will only come with a few practice sessions before your final day. 

Not being prepared for feedback and questions

 Once you finish your presentation, allow your audience to put their doubts in front of you. This way not only will your audience get a chance to clarify their doubts but you will also learn to tackle difficult questions. Sometimes, if you have no answer or are in doubt about the question, it is ok to accept and consider returning with better research next time.  As a presenter, you need to keep the flow of your presentation in a positive direction and end it on a positive note. It leaves a good impression on the audience. Keeping a way forward slide at the end is a good way to end. You can also present an idea about a drive you want to start in your school related to some global concern. But make sure everything is related to your topic of presentation. Nothing should go off-track.

Conclusion

If you are searching the internet with terms like- the best schools in Bengaluru or ICSE schools in Bangalore, CBSE syllabus schools consider Ekya Schools. We are among the leading schools in Bangalore, offering the best quality education. Our Understanding by Design (UbD) framework curriculum is designed in a way that caters not just to the academic requirements of a student but simultaneously builds the overall personality of the student.  We encourage students to actively participate in co-curricular and other group activities like presentations. This helps in building confidence and developing skills like speaking skills, presentation skills, tackling questions, and more. We have expert faculty that prepares our students for holistic development. At Ekya, different school clubs also help students develop different skills such as music, dance, coding, debating, and more.  Hopefully, the above information will be helpful.      
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Winning the Triathlon – Arnav Manoj

In this feature of Stars of Ekya, we speak to Arnav Nama Manoj of Grade IV from Ekya JP Nagar, who won a Triathlon competition, held in Goa conducted by Pioneering Ventures and Enduro Sports. Participating in the Under-11 Category, the triathlon tested Arnav across the three events – 150 metres swimming, 2.2 kilometres of bicycling and 1.2 kilometres of running. Arnav bagged first place, finishing with an impressive time of 17 minutes and 52 seconds. The Editorial team of Ekya JP Nagar sat down with the champion to discuss his experience with the event and what it felt lifting the trophy. Owing his interest in the event to his father, who frequents at triathlons across the country, Arnav’s participation in the competition came with great encouragement and support. “My father is my inspiration to have started with such competitions. I trained with him and participated in my first triathlon in 2016 where I stood third” The hunger and desire to beat his previous finish, got Arnav to train well for this year’s Triathlon, as he adds, “I had just four weeks of practice running up to my 2016 event. This year, I ensured I started early. I have been training since June and the event was in November.” For an event that includes three styles of sports, swimming plays favourite for Arnav who enjoys his time in the pool. It was a close finish in Goa, as he recalls it, “When I finished swimming, I thought I wouldn’t make it to the finish. There were five participants ahead of me. Eventually, I took the lead during the cycling event. There was no looking back. I was confident that I had first place in the bag. And I did!” While admitting that he had the pre-event jitters, Arnav maintains that he was really excited to be back to the competition and looks forward to participating again next year, this time with the goal to better his time. When quizzed on his training regime, Arnav’s face beamed as he spoke at length about his routine, “During the first month, the training was focused on one sport or exercise – core exercise, cycling practice for 2.8 km, swimming for 2 km and running for 2 km. To prepare for the event, I would train in the morning before school. Now, my routine is in the evening. I train with my father who advises me on how to go about with each course.”
Don’t do everything quickly. You need to work on endurance and stamina. You might do extremely well in one of the sport, but you can have others catch up and beat you in the other events. So you need to maintain your speed and pace for all three - swimming, cycling and running. - Arnav's advice for anyone looking to participate in a triathlon
With his sights set on next year’s competition, Arnav looks to get better at running and cycling, with the self-imposed challenge of beating his own time. We wish Arnav the best!    

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Science Fest at Ekya JP Nagar – Stories from Our School

Ekya School JP Nagar held a Science Exhibition on 31st October 2017. It was a fun-filled event with a whole lot of interesting projects and working models. The showcase brought out the creativity and innovation of our students, whose ideas were completely out-of-the-box! Students were given the choice to make working models of any science stream: Physics, Chemistry or Biology. Our Editorial was on ground, covering the event. Here are some of the many interesting projects from the exhibit:
"We made Candy Floss!"
Cotton Candy Vending machine by Diya Anil Kumar and Trishikha Kiran Rao of Grade 9
Candy Dispenser and Water Purification
Candy Dispenser and water purification by Omkar Rajesh of Grade 9
Hydraulic bulldozer by Vaishnavi R
"BOOOM!!! It goes!!"

Bazooka by Sanjan D. Murthy of Grade 10.

Solar Eclipse model by Nawal Kotla of Grade 7.

"Care for a little electricity?"

Conversion of Mechanical energy to Electric energy by Prathyush Jain and Vibhanshu Bhagat of Grade 9.

"Break some tension here"

Surface tension project by Isha Saxena of Grade 10.

"Let's cool down a little"

Air conditioning model by Sameecha Sudheer of Grade 10.

Electric Canon and Kaleidoscope by Nithya Anantharaman of Grade 7.

"We sure have tight security"

Security System Door Alarm by Anirudh U. Reddy and Sushant R. Naik.

Hybrid Generation by Sharvari Ramesh of Grade 9.

Aside these, some of the other commendable projects were:

  1. Remote Control Car - Prasidh and Areyen.
  2. Solar Oven - Adithi Guruprasad and Yukta Jhaveri.
  3. Table-top Hover Craft - Daksh Patel.
  4. Elephant Toothpaste - Tauksik Anil Kumar.
  5. Blobs in a Bottle - Vinay and Eshaan.
  6. Hydraulic Arm - Sushmitha Saladi.
We laud the effort put in by our students for putting up their fantastic and innovative ideas on showcase.

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