Remote Learning: Here's What Students Are Saying

Last week we celebrated the end of the school year with our Remote Learners in Uganda. We are so proud of these 8 students who navigated challenges related to WiFi, technology and time zones to successfully complete this school year! Every time they Zoomed into a class they brought joy, thoughtful contributions and a fresh perspective to their classmates. 

Virtual meetings, like the one in this photo, happen on a regular basis between our administration and education facilitators in our international regions to ensure support is extended and prayers are shared for the work being done in the remote learning program.

Academy administration joined all the students on a Zoom call along with their Education Facilitators in Uganda, Lawrence and Josephine Ssemakula. Each student shared a highlight from the year, and then received a superlative related to a characteristic their teachers had noted in them this year. Students were appreciated for qualities like Joy, Initiative, Faithfulness, and Diligence. 

After the call Lawrence Ssemakula noted how special this celebratory moment was. “This is so encouraging because no school here [in Uganda] would do such a thing that is biblically rooted and also teachers caring so much to know students to this degree. It helps them a lot to feel valued and loved.They were very happy and I asked the parents that we should take them out to have a special moment with them.”

8th grader Victor spoke for all the students when he said, "I thank all the teachers that taught us this semester because when we had some difficulties in our assignments they were able to answer our questions and answer those questions through our live classes although our internet was not stable. But they tried to help us."

Thank you LORD for a blessed school year! We so appreciate the hard work of Academy teachers in integrating remote learners, and for the support of our financial donors that helped ensure these precious students could receive a rich year of learning! 

Please enjoy the student highlights below. 

Barnabas (11th grade) - “I enjoyed the classes, they were very good, and the due dates were easy to meet. Another thing is that all the lessons were rooted in the word of God. It was a good thing to put in our minds when doing those classes. It helps motivate people. 
I did a project about solar (energy) and it took me some time researching and finding a store that had the exact supplies and making calculations and adjustments on those specific materials. My interest in such projects increased and I guess I will be making more of these in the mere future. I think it may be the first step in my future job career.”

Rebecca (9th grade) - “For me this semester was like an adventure exploring many things I didn’t know. I loved Historical Biographies class, especially learning how Martin Luther King had a way of using nonviolence to bring peace. I know that I was not actually violent like hitting people but sometimes in my words I was violent to some people even to my siblings. But I think this class has helped me a lot and is going to change me in some ways.”

Genesis (9th grade) - “My most favorite course was the Biology class because we had to do all those different projects which made us really creative and helped us to not just write notes in our books but also have those notes in our projects. So that helped me be more creative even in my life.”

Gideon (9th grade) -  “The class I prioritized a lot was Wisdom Literature. It helped me know how to read more and how to understand the Bible.”

Favour (8th grade) - “I highlighted the Prophets (Bible class) and Historical Biographies because they had the same point. Both of them tell us to be peacemakers. If Israel had tried to be peacemakers like Nelson Mandela many people wouldn’t die. 

Also I liked the course that helped us take photos and create them properly. And Language Arts, I learned to read things and understand them and it helped me to understand things that are taught in the scripture.” 

Victor (8th grade) - "My highlights were mostly from Bible and Language Arts classes. In Bible class we learned about Eli’s sons and how they did not walk in God’s word. For me I thought that God killed Eli’s sons, but our Bible teacher taught us that God did not kill them; they were killed by the world. They went into battle and didn’t go with God so that’s why they were killed. 

And in Language Arts I highlighted the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Some of the lessons I learned was forgiveness because in our daily lives we don’t usually forgive people. But the book helped me to forgive people"

Genevieve (6th grade) - "My favorite course was STEM. I learned math and we learned science. We learned about the environment and they showed us a picture of a lake which has trash around it, and they showed us a lake which is clean, and they taught us that after we use papers and packages we should put them in the trash."

How to Keep Children Busy and Mentally Sharp During Summer

List of Fun Summer Educational Activities for Elementary-aged Kids:

Writing 

Writing comes in many fun forms. Whether it's updating a pen-pal, composing a song, penning a short story, or writing a script for a short play, there’s an array of avenues to pursue when trying to get your kids to write. List blogs are another great way to get kids to write, and because it typically has to do with things they like, they may find it more enjoyable than other forms of writing; this could be as simple as them writing down their top ten favorite movie characters, bible verses, pokemon, etc. and then they must explain why each one is worth liking. Or, if they and some friends share a passion for writing, they could start a writers club. Even if they prefer making videos for their youtube channel, having them practice writing out an outline for their script. Keeping them writing during summer months will help ease the transition from the summer break back to the classroom.  

Reading 

Books are great, and if you have time to make library runs or have reading apps on your digital device, then those are fantastic. Age appropriate reading is beneficial for a growing mind. While there are some bookworms who you may have to pry a book from just to get them to eat, others may run away screaming at the sight of a book. If that’s the case, don’t forget that reading doesn’t have to be limited to books. If you have parental controls on their devices, you could have your kids research topics they are interested in. There are many kid-friendly websites with information on a wide variety of topics, and there are even blogs for kids.  If so, may be difficult to get some kids to sit down and read

Math Projects

While it would be useful to keep their minds sharp, it’ll likely be hard to convince most kids to work on math sheets during the summer. However, there are other ways to get your kids to do math without resorting to worksheets. Having them plan out simple projects that involve numbers can help them show how practical math really is. Whether they help count up the cost of a meal, measure the garden bed to approximate how many stones they’ll need to line it, rework a recipe to feed the entire family, measuring out how much wood is needed to build a doghouse, or start a summer business with something as simple as a lemonade stand. Even having them calculate how long it will take to save their allowance to purchase something they’ve had their eye on could be an activity that gets their mind in the mood for math. 

Presentations

Getting kids used to giving presentations can be a big help for their future in academics, but they don’t have to start practicing in front of strangers. Getting them comfortable performing in front of family and friends can build their confidence and prepare them for the times they must do it in front of peers and teachers. By starting with simple topics like a family night presentations of their summer plans, a bible memory verse competition or joke contest they perform in front of their friends, or standing in front of relatives and explaining all the awesome things they learned and did at school that year. Getting kids familiar with having the spotlight on them, can ease the stress in future years by making it a common activity.

Strategy 

Games are great for children, not only because they are a lot of fun, but also because they teach strategy. Every game has its own unique methods of play which help children learn to think of efficient strategies to win. Whether it is one of the classics like checkers or chess, throwback games like Mastermind or Monopoly, or some modern favorites like Catan or Codenames, there exists a wide variety of games that kids are sure to fall in love with, while at the same time exercising their brain.

Review

There are plenty of educational apps which can keep your kids working with numbers, playing with words, or developing their problem solving skills throughout the summer months. While they may not be your kid’s favorite apps, you could try implementing rules such as before playing their favorite game they must first play the one you pick, or they have to play an educational game for an equal amount of time as their choice of game. Kids are a lot more likely to engage an app than a worksheet, thus if you are trying to get your kids to participate in educational activities during the summer months, check out what the app store has to offer. 

Puzzles and Brain Teasers 

Word searches, crossword puzzles, sudoku, rebus puzzles, and anagrams require brain power while also being fun. Add in a little competition, like word search races, and it can even become addictive. However, you don’t have to stop at just playing the games, challenge your kids to make them. Obviously this will be easier for some than others, but if the kids are familiar with simple typing programs, developing a word search or scrambled letters game can be done rather quickly. Have friends compete against each other by making simple crossword puzzle games to trade with each other or see who can complete a one month sudoku-a-day challenge. 

Sources: 

Shoemaker, John. “8 Types of Word Puzzles to Keep You Sharp.” Bar Games 101. July 31, 2020 (visited 27 May 2022)

https://bargames101.com/types-of-word-puzzles/ 

The Benefits of Summer Break & Retaining Information

How is a break beneficial? Should parents be doing anything so students don’t “lose” what they’ve learned during the school year? Or is that a myth?

With school curriculums often building on top of the knowledge students gained the previous year, it can be worrisome to think your child might forget in a couple months what they’ve spent all year learning. While we all would hope that summer learning loss is nothing but an urban legend, research seems to prove it is a situation which needs addressing. According to the Eric Resource Center, students' test scores and assessments are approximately one month lower upon returning than at the end of the previous school year. Other research published in the American Educational Research Journal revealed students forget anywhere between 17-34% of the information they learned over the previous year. With numbers like those, you definitely don’t want to ignore summer learning loss, but what can we do to prevent it?

Combating Summer Learning Loss

If we want to keep summer learning loss from eating away at the knowledge the students worked hard to gain, we have to be proactive. While year-long learning is a possible solution at the institutional level, we want to focus on practical methods parents can try at home. Continuing to review information they learned over the previous year is one way to help concretize it in their mind, as spaced repetition is an effective way to retain information. 

• Create a list of the topics they covered throughout the year, and then during the summer, have them read books, blogs, or even make presentations regarding those topics. This will re-familiarize them with the material during the summer months, keeping it in their mind when school starts back up.

• Start a summer Gameshow Club. With a group of your kids classmates, start a bi-weekly gameshow styled review quiz focused on a different subject each time. Each subject could be hosted by a different family, allowing for a fun review with friends all throughout the summer.

• Even though they may make your kids groan, getting a workbook full of review worksheets could help keep their mind in the rhythm of learning during the summer months. If you can find age-appropriate activity sheets, it could ensure their minds stay engaged even though they aren’t in the classroom. 

• Find educational apps which cover the material your child learned during the year. This will give them something to reinforce what they learned, without needing to rely on an actual person to teach them. If the educational app is a game-styled one which keeps score, they could compete against other classmates throughout the summer.

• Do some prep work. One way to ensure children are prepared for the next year is to start having them take the next step forward. For example, they could begin reading books aimed at the next grade level, or over the course of a few weeks, have them write a paper the length of which will be required of them the following school year. This way, they don’t feel overwhelmed when they are tasked with more difficult reading and writing assignments. 

• Visiting museums, science centers, or historical sites is another way of helping children keep their academic edge during the summer.
  
  

Also, don’t forget, after ten months of classes, letting children have a break can keep them from mental fatigue. While reviews are helpful during the summer, remember there are other things children can learn during the summer which they won’t learn in school so don’t lose sight of the learning possibilities which exist even outside of academics. 

SOURCES: 

Kuhfeld, Megan. “Summer learning loss: What we know and what we’re learning.”

NWEA.org. June 1, 2021 (visited 16 May 2022).

https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/summer-learning-loss-what-we-know-what-were-learning/#:~:text=This%20study%20found%20that%20the,lose%20ground%20in%20subsequent%20summers. 

Atteberry, A., & McEachin, A. (in press, 2020). “School's out: The role of summers in understanding achievement disparities. American Educational Research Journal.”

https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/SchoolsOut_AtteberryMcEachin_2020_0520.pdf 

Cooper, Harris. “Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions.” ERIC Digest: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. May 2003 (visited 18 May 2022.)

https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED475391 

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED475391.pdf 

Study Tips to Prepare for Final Exams

1. Make a Study Schedule

Make a study schedule and stick to it! You plan and schedule other activities, whether it be with friends or for an extracurricular activity, so why not make a study schedule as well. Time management is the key to success. 

Focus is a skill that students learn to develop early in the academic years at the Academy. The ability to block out distractions and concentrate can be a challenge, but with guidance and consistency, it can be very useful for studying.

2. Review Your Notes within 24 hours

Review your notes within 1 day of taking them to improve retention rates. Whether you look at them while walking home from school, before you go to sleep, or prior to the next class time. Consistent reviewing can increase your retention.

3. Get Rid of Temptations

Go to a room or place without any distractions. No television. No music. No cell phone. Get rid of anything that could tempt you from doing something other than focusing, even if that means getting away from your friends who you may be tempted to talk to. Even food can be a distraction to some. If it’s not necessary for doing what you need to get done, get it out of the room.  

4. Get Rid of Mental Distractions

Before an exam or even if you’re just studying, write out all your worries and distracting thoughts that are clogging your mind from being able to think straight. Studies have shown that this can even improve test scores when done prior to an exam. 

5. Change Your Mindset: Don’t Hate - Appreciate. 

One of the reasons some people have trouble focusing is because they may not like what they are doing. This could be because it causes stress or frustration or simply because they would rather be doing other things. However, if we can flip our mindset to view assignments and studying as an enjoyable challenge or focus on the mental benefits or relief that comes on the other side of it, then it could help our minds concentrate on getting through the task rather than avoiding it. 

6. Know Yourself.

Learn yourself to find out when your best time to focus is. If you ever do get to a place where your mind keeps wandering and you are having trouble focusing, take a short break. Your mind can only take so much at one time, but it is up to you to learn yourself well enough to know when you are able to focus the best and how long you are able to focus for. Also, try to push yourself to improve, rather than using what you think your limit is as an excuse to stop. 

7. Choose a Good Place to Study

Sometimes studying in the same room where you sleep can cause you to become tired more quickly because your mind associates it with sleep. However, if you choose the kitchen, you may think about food. It may be difficult, but try to find a place where your subconscious will not work against you.

8. Don’t Fight Hunger & Tiredness

Going along with knowing your patterns, you need to make sure you are aware of your physical state. Take a nap or have a snack before you start studying so you do not fight hunger or sleepiness while you are trying to focus on studying. 

We’ve learned that some students study best in small groups so those opportunities are made available to them during course review days to help maximize their preparation for exams.

9. Rewrite your notes

Rewrite your notes to make them more organized and clean. This will help you remember the information better and make studying your notes easier. This could include color coordinating information, adding charts, mind-maps, or other visuals, or thinking up appropriate examples to list with each topic. 

10. Read Your Notes Out Loud

When you are going over your notes, read the information out loud. This helps you interact more with the information as you read, say, and hear it, as opposed to only reading. Writing it out as you read, say, and hear it will help concretize it even more. 

11. Test Yourself.

Have somebody quiz you on the information. Don’t wait until the test to find out what you do and don’t know. You can create your own test. This can help you think like a teacher so as to better prepare you for what may be on the test. You could also get a study partner, both make tests, and then take each other's test to see how you do. Once you find out what topic you know the least about, start studying that information. 

12. Flashcards & Notecards

Make flashcards or notecards. If you have visual or spatial intelligence, try taping them throughout your house; this could help you connect the information with certain areas, helping you to make a real-life mind palace to aid in memorization. Or take the notecards with you wherever you go. Make a deal with yourself (or a pact with your friends) that before getting on your phone for social media or games, you must first go through the set of flashcards. Depending on how often you check your phone, you may be going through those notecards a lot. 

13. Exercise & Hydration

Your brain is a part of your physical body, and if you want it to be working well, you need to be healthy. Exercise and staying hydrated are ways you can improve your brain’s performance. Drink plenty of water and get your blood flowing to keep your mind sharp. 

14. Dress for success! 

Dressing well boosts your confidence and can get you into a more focused mindset. This is especially helpful for taking exams, but can be useful for studying as well. If you try studying in your pajamas, don’t be surprised if you fall asleep. Similar to dressing well, standing and walking tall can boost your confidence and help your mind feel strong. Hold a power pose for a minute or two by standing tall with shoulders back, feet spread apart, hands on your hips, and chin up in the air. 

Sources: 

Harms, William. “Writing about worries eases anxiety and improves test performance.” University of Chicago. 13 January 2011 (visited 4 May 2022). 

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/writing-about-worries-eases-anxiety-and-improves-test-performance 

Leech, Joe. “7 Science-Based Health Benefits of Drinking Enough Water.” Healthline.com. 30 June 2020 (visited 5 May 2022).

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-water#2.-Significantly-affects-energy-levels-and-brain-function 

Is Online Learning Right For You?

Is Online Learning Right For You? Here are Some Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning.

Choosing how your child will learn is a big decision, as are all choices that affect their education. Each child is different, and figuring out what is best for them can be difficult. In our current technological age, there are a growing number of opportunities that exist in regards to schooling, one of which is online learning. Here are a few advantages and disadvantages to think about if you are considering enrolling your child in online learning:

A Few Advantages… 

Technological Confidence. One of the obvious advantages is that online learning will boost your child’s familiarity with technology. By spending his school hours on a computer or tablet, your child is likely to increase their confidence and skills with gadgets. With the way of the future relying ever more on this technology, it is important they develop an aptitude for it. 

Online students enjoy learning from any environment as needed. This can be a great option for families needing more flexible learning opportunities for their children.

Flexibility. Another great advantage of online learning is the flexibility. With smartphones, tablets, and laptops, students can attend their classes from anywhere and often typically anytime. This means students could sit down to study at a time of day when it is easiest for them to focus or most convenient for their own daily schedule. 

Never Miss Out. Even if a child is unable to attend a certain time or for a scheduled meeting, classes are recorded, and thus the student does not have to miss out on the lesson. Or, if there is certain content the child is struggling with, it is easy to rewatch lectures to better grasp difficult concepts or to help refine their notes. 

Resources at Your Fingertips. With a simple click of a button, students can be zooming across the internet to search through a picture slideshow, read an article, or watch a video interview on the topics they are learning about. For those who do not have the accessibility of a nearby library, the internet can be a key source of finding the information they need, and they can do so without ever needing to leave the house. 

A Few Disadvantages…

Social Life. If a child is only in a digital classroom, they may not develop certain social skills that they otherwise would if they were in face-to-face classes. If you are considering online-learning, make sure to compensate for this by ensuring your child has time to develop friendships with other children their age in other venues. 

Connecting with a teacher despite learning over the internet, is still a priority for the Academy’s online learning program. Students receive feedback on assignments and have opportunities to interact directly with their course teachers as needed.

Screen Time. While screen time used for educational purposes is better than for pure entertainment, too much screen time can have negative impacts on a child’s mood and can even affect their sleep. It would be important for a parent to not only monitor the time a child spends using gadgets, but to make sure they know what the child is using the gadget for as well. 

Self-Discipline as a Prerequisite. An educational institution will likely have your child in mind when it comes to the workload they expect from your child, but it will be up to your child to have the self-discipline to actually put in the time and effort to get it done. Many children still lack the time-management skills necessary to put in the work needed to excel in their class. 

Attitudes Towards Learning. The techniques a teacher may utilize in a classroom to ensure the students are enjoying the educational experience often loses its effectiveness when applied to a large group video call. Capturing the joy and excitement of learning is difficult when the students are all separated by screens. This can negatively affect their attitudes concerning learning into the future. 

Sources: 

“Screen Time and Children.” American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Updated February 2020 (visited: 14 March 2022). https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx  

Tom. “5 Disadvantages to Consider About Online Education.” Petersons.com 29 November 2017 (visited 14 March 2022)  https://www.petersons.com/blog/5-disadvantages-to-consider-about-online-education/  

“8 Ways Online Learning Really Benefits Kids (and Parents).” Dreambox Learning. 5 November 2008. (visited 14 March 2022). https://www.dreambox.com/resources/blogs/8-ways-online-learning-really-benefits-kids-and-parents