Next in our series on why schools should invest in professional school management systems is records management.

School management, like the office, has changed a lot in the last century with the invention of new technologies like computers, internet, email, cloud storage, among other things. These tools have greatly improved efficiency as well as collaboration and communication in the office. However, not everybody has embraced this change, as is estimated that over 80% of all school records remain stored solely on paper. This might be due to technical or financial difficulties that hinder schools from implementing a professional school management system. These hindrances can and need to be overcome because the gains are highly significant and far outweigh the drawbacks, of which there are none. The benefits of moving to an electronic records management system include:

1. Reduced Costs

All the paper adds up. The cost of maintaining an archive of paper documents is completely eradicated by switching to an electronic system. Such costs come in form of money, time, and labour, and for a school that needs to keep all the records of thousands of students and staff dating back years if not decades, the savings can be quite enormous.

2. Increased Efficiency

Switching to an electronic records management system will present a massive productivity boon to the staff. Records that would have otherwise taken hours to find among the pile, or otherwise been lost due to hitherto uncontrollable circumstances, can now be retrieved with a few taps on the keyboard. Same goes for creating records. A professional school management system allows the users to be able to carry out their work no matter their location within or outside the office and on whatever device they are on.

3. Improved Collaboration and Communication

A professional school management system enables the staff to easily collaborate on tasks and share data. As data uploaded to the system is instantly available to all authorized users...

Read more on Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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Happy Easter from all of us at BlueBic. We wish you a very beautiful celebration.

Here on Exercise Book, we write from experience. All the tips we give, all the topics we cover, everything is borne out of our experiences in the education sector, as students and as educators.

It is holiday season and teachers are currently working tirelessly to get the results of the previous term ready for the start of the new term. Result processing is a tedious work that gets increasingly tedious with the number of students for whom, and the number of subjects for which you're processing. Not only is it tiresome, it is a highly sensitive operation so you cannot afford to make any mistakes, as a wrongly calculated or recorded result is the difference between a student moving on to the next class or unjustly repeating their current class.

How do you remedy this, then? This is where a professional school management system will provide excellent results. But before we talk about how exactly it does that, ensure, prior to investing in a school management system, that it can be easily customised to fit the unique needs of your school in areas such as result processing and grading, and report generation. Different schools have different formats of computing results and generating reports, and it will be a loss of both time and money if you cannot properly adapt the system to fit your needs.

Now, how can a robust, comprehensive, and flexible school management system help you with result processing, you may ask. It's very simple: you mark the scripts and enter the scores in the system and the pre-configured result processing module will instantaneously compute the results for each student and grade them accordingly. This will save you a huge amount of time and manpower by exponentially reducing the time and effort taken to manually compute the results.

In addition to result processing, a comprehensive school management system can generate customized and printable report sheets for each student and can be set up to mail the report directly to their parents. If printing is required, the student merely has to log in to their dashboard and select the term for which they want to print the result and a well-formatted report is printed for them.

A professional school management system is able to greatly reduce, by huge orders of magnitude, the time and effort required by manual or subpar school management systems.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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Successful blogging is all about niches. Find a niche or a topic you're good at and fire away.

That's what we do at Exercise Book. We know education, and we talk education. We want to help educators and students maximise their time and the learning process.

We could begin by saying “the world is in a digital age and thus we should embrace technology as it makes our lives very much easier” and all that, but that’ll be telling you something you already know. Instead, let us try something new: let us tell you a story.

It’s a new term at your school, so time for students to pay tuition and other fees, right? If you’re lucky you can get up to 70% compliance. If you’re very lucky. On average, however, you might be looking at a 50% compliance level. Either way, you then begin the task of getting the remaining students to pay. You might go about this in several ways, but you’re going to always get a lot of reasons why the fees can’t be paid at that time.

Fair enough, not all fingers are equal, financial emergencies can arise for anybody at any time, and in life, there are some things you cannot control, but you need the money to provide an adequate education for the students. Without it, you will be unable pay the teachers and they, in turn, will end up providing sub-optimal services. You also cannot provide adequate equipment for classrooms and laboratories without it. What can you do, then? That is the point of this post, after all.

Well, you can start by providing an easy method for fees remittance: an online payment platform. We spoke to several parents and one of the major reasons they gave for late fees payment was the lack of time. Most of them are very busy at work every day and cannot spare the time to get to the bank during working hours. “But they can just transfer the money to our bank accounts,” you may say, and yes they could do that. However, they would also like a way to easily and securely perform the transaction on their devices and get instant, customized receipts. This is where a customised online payment system comes in.

Several school management software include online payment and finance modules for easy and secure fees payment and effortless tracking of all financial transactions carried out with and by the school. With these modules, parents can easily pay their children’s fees, as well as set up recurring payments for each school term, and you, the school administrator, always have access to all of the school’s transaction history for record purposes. You can also adequately keep track of unpaid fees by each student.

We started with a story, let us end with a story: it’s a new term at your school, so time for students to pay tuition and other fees, right? However, you have set up a school management software and it sends a notification to all the parents in your school containing details about the term and total fees payable by their children. The parent taps a button on their phone and the payment is carried out smoothly and securely in seconds. A receipt is immediately generated and sent to them. The transaction is logged and easily accessible to you at any time of the day, and on any device you’re on. In the event that a parent is unable to pay at the moment, gentle notifications are sent to them reminding them of the pending payment.

Easy, right? The world is in a digital age and thus we should embrace technology as it makes our lives very much easier, after all.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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In addition to classroom learning, textbooks and other required learning materials, there’s a wide range of websites that provide comprehensive learning facilities. From spell-checking your work when writing a paper to learning about Hooke’s law of elasticity for your next Physics class, the following websites will prove to be invaluable weapons in the arsenal of any student or teacher.

1. Dictionary.com



The name is self-explanatory. It is the most visited website when writing a paper. You can look up the meanings of words you’re having trouble with or find the best context to use a particular word.

2. Thesarus.com



Like it’s sibling above, this is another great website to visit when writing a paper. Do you find yourself using a particular word multiple times, Thesarus.com will show you great alternatives to that word, alternatives that sometimes will be better than your original word.

3. Google Scholar (scholar.google.com)



This is a search engine by Google specifically for finding...

Continue reading on Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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“I’ll do it later.”
“There’s still time.”
“I’ll rest today and finish it tomorrow.”
“I do my best work under pressure.”

These are the mantras of the procrastinator. We have all been bitten, one way or the other and at one time or the other, by the procrastination bug. Sometimes it feels just right to leave a task we have to and can do now for a later time. We come up with excuses to convince ourselves that it is the right thing to do, but deep down we know it isn’t.

Procrastination is a cycle of fear and guilt. When you procrastinate, you feel an increasingly nagging sense of guilt at the back of your mind that metamorphoses into fear as the deadline draws nearer. Not only does this cause you to turn in subpar and haphazardly done work, or cause you to fail when you do not prepare adequately for exams, it becomes a habit and can ruin your future and your reputation. Here are ways you can break free of the chains of procrastination and make the most of your time to do exceptional work.

1. Just do it!

It can be hard, sometimes, to get started on something, even when it is something you love doing. That first step can be difficult, especially if it is something that requires you starting with a blank slate. Most of the time, however, you just need to get up and move! Once you become active; once you start the work, you will find yourself enjoying it and pushing to complete it. But you won’t know unless you get up!

2. Start small.

Another factor that contributes to procrastination is feeling that the task you have to do is enormous. It can be akin to staring at a mountain and wondering how on earth you are going to climb it, or when you will get to the top. Don’t look at the big picture, start small. Break down the task into bite-sized, easily-solvable parts and work one little part at a time. Research has shown that people that set lots of small goals tend to achieve them more than those that set few large goals.

3. Find out why.

Sometimes you may not know the purpose of the task you have to do. Not attaching a sense of worth or importance to a task can easily dissuade you from carrying it out, after all why waste your time doing something that is meaningless? Find out why you have to do that work, the benefits of doing it and the drawbacks of not doing it. Having a sense of perspective will go a long way in motivating you to do the work.

4. Set reminders.

We tend to forget things. Heck, we can forget what we were thinking about as we enter the next room. Nowadays, however, there are smart assistants built into our smartphones and setting a reminder for anything is sometimes as easy as pressing a button and talking to your phone. Even if you don’t use a smartphone, there are inbuilt timer and clock apps to enable you to create basic reminders for things. You have no excuse to forget doing what you have to do.

5. Take breaks.

If you feel you cannot complete the work in one long sprint, break it up into parts and take small breaks in-between. This will leave you refreshed and you return to the problem with fresher eyes and a new perspective.

6. Remove distractions.

Stay off social media and other non-productive distractions until you finish your work, or get to a break period. This should go without saying as it is a black hole that can suck you into it and leave you feeling confused when you emerge, hours later, and it’s midnight and you have wasted the entire day.

7. Create a playlist.

In our post about adequate exam preparation, we talked about the importance of music in aiding recall and achieving focus. Create a playlist that gets you in a state of flow with your work. Most music streaming services have expertly-curated playlists that can get you in the zone. Press play and sink into your work.

If you have any thoughts or more ways to combat procrastination, please share in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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When parents send their kids off to school, they expect to have them back in one piece, better off than they were when they left. They shouldn't have to worry about the safety of their children. Recent events worldwide, however, have given many parents and schools cause to worry and ask questions such as "will my child return safely today?", "will there be a security issue in the school today?" There has been a need for safety rules and programs to be revisited and revised to address growing concerns.

Fortunately, there are ways parents and school administration can make sure that schools are safe environments for both the students and staff. The specifics will vary depending on locale and government policies, but these are the general (minimum) steps that can be taken.

1. Schools should review their safety policies. From how emergency situations are handled, to expected student conduct. They should make this as clear as possible to staff, students and parents to avoid any sort of miscommunication. Repercussion for endangerment of lives and property due to the willful flaunting of the rules should be severe.

2. There should be regular PTA meetings so that parents can stay up to date with the school’s safety policies and follow up on any safety issues. These meetings will highlight any problems a child is facing. Parents should request for meetings with their children's teachers once or twice every school year if the school doesn’t already offer one.

3. Parents should encourage adequate and open communication with their children. They should encourage them to confide in them about their fears and worries, instead of hiding them and exacerbating the situation. Children should talk to an adult if they come across any unusual activity in school, or if they're being bullied or otherwise made to feel unsafe by anybody. Parents should also talk to their children about safety and how to keep themselves safe.

4. Technology should be employed to safeguard students. In our post about keeping children safe online, we talked about ways technology can be employed to ensure the safety of children online. Website filters can be used to block explicit and violent content, parents should ensure their minor children keep wholesome friends and ascertain the people with whom they chat online are exactly who they say they are.

5. Parents should duly inform the school about any health issues their child may be having. From allergies to drug reactions. Student's records should be properly updated with such data, as well as other bio-data like blood types. This comes in handy in case of emergencies.

6. The local community should organise programs aimed at sensitizing citizens on best safety practices. Neighbourhood watch groups should be established to provide an extra layer of security.

If you have any thoughts or more ways by which schools can be made safer environments for students and teachers, please share in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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We live in a hyper-connected world where everything is just a few clicks away and nothing is ever forgotten. This comes with a lot of benefits and just as many disadvantages.

Services like Facebook, Twitter and other social networks make it easy to connect with just about anyone, share ideas and create new communities. Google Maps and similar location services enable us to navigate and discover places around us. Amazon and comparable eCommerce services let us buy and sell goods and services right from our homes. YouTube and equivalent video content services bring unlimited video content to us at no cost.

Our devices are constantly connecting and sharing meta-data (information about itself and user) with hundreds of these services. Information that can be easily used to track and identify us, like our location and activities. It’s all fine and good because we are adults and we knew what we signed up for when we accepted the terms and conditions of those services and we can, to some extent, take care of ourselves when push comes to shove, but when it comes to kids using these services, extra caution should be taken.

1. Kids should be properly educated on the merits and demerits of the internet, including how to identify suspicious websites, links, and people.

2. For kids below a certain age, software that censor certain predefined sites should be installed on their computers and phones. Most web browsers already come pre-installed with such parental control features.

3. They should be taught that private information should remain private. They should never reveal personal information like their names or addresses or their parents’ personal details online. If they are on a mobile device, always ensure or get them to ensure their location setting is off as well as their Bluetooth setting.

4. Do not allow them shop online without your consent or presence. This should go without saying unless you want your savings wiped clean. Password-protect your credit card information and bank details.

5. Watch who they chat with. Many social network services have a minimum age requirement for membership, and so one would assume they have checks in place to protect younger users from the more nefarious corners of their platform, but that may not always be the case. There have been cases of older users creating an account with a younger age and communicating with younger kids for infernal purposes. Ensure that their friends with whom they chat are really their friends and not an impersonator.

These and other steps will go a long way in mitigating the dangers of the internet for the younger generation.

If you have any thoughts or ways by which children can be protected while on the internet, please share in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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Bullying is an undesired, objectionable and aggressive behaviour among school-aged children involving real or perceived power imbalance. The behaviour is often repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others go on to develop serious, lasting emotional and psychological problems. It can threaten students’ physical and emotional safety at school and can negatively impact their ability to learn.

Why do children become bullies?

To get to the root of any situation, one must first ascertain the cause. Several researchers have concluded that bullying can be as a result of emotional or psychological instability, most likely due to a bad situation at home. As bullying is a form of power play, the bully seeks to assert control and dominance over the bullied, compensating for their lack of control in another aspect of their life. A very common reason why a kid becomes a bully is that they lack attention from a parent at home and lash out at others for attention. This can include neglected children, children of divorced parents, or children with parents under the regular influence of drugs or alcohol. While nothing excuses the act of bullying, it is necessary to avoid a situation of throwing the baby away with the bath water.

When asked why they bullied other kids, some children would say it was because it made them feel stronger, smarter, or better than the person bullied, or because they were bullied at home, or they felt it gave them approval from the "cool" kids, or they were jealous of the person, or it was a defense mechanism to keep others from bullying them. No matter the reason, most bullies don’t seem to understand how wrong their behaviour is and how it affects the bullied.

So, now we are able to identify the underlying causes of bullying among children, what do we do to curtail it?

How to prevent and stop bullying.

Like most negative traits, the best way to address bullying is to quell it before it starts. There are a number of actions that teachers and the school administration can take to prevent bullying and make the school a safer environment. Some of those actions include:

1. Having school staff and students undergo specialized anti-bullying seminars and general sensitivity training. Ensure they (especially the staff) can properly identify and address cases of bullying, and that they know what the school's policy in bullying is. This will go a long way in preventing and addressing cases of bullying in and out of the school.

2. Schools can implement certain activities to teach students about bullying, or incorporate topics of bullying and its prevention into the curricular, such as presentations, discussions, essay writing and art exhibitions on bullying, etc.

3. Instituting strict policies in the school to address and curtail bullying. If a kid feels they can get away with bullying, if reported cases of bullying are not addressed, it will be very hard to prevent future occurrences. Ensure that each reported case is properly addressed, to avoid setting a bad precedent.

4. Schools must have adequate guidance and counselling units with well-qualified counsellors on hand to treat any issue that may arise.

Like we said earlier, bullying may be a result of a child's bad situation at home. Parents should ensure they do not put inadequate mental and emotional stress on their kids, disagreements should be settled without the children being aware something was wrong in the first place, they should show concern for their children's well-being, no matter how busy they are, and they should not expose their children to hard substances.

If you have any thoughts or steps that can be taken to prevent and address bullying in and out of the classroom, please share in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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Extracurricular activities are things done outside of work or the classroom. They don't necessarily have to be related to one's education or work, but when properly applied, extracurricular activities can be extremely useful in improving one's work or education. According to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Research, students that participate in extracurricular activities perform better academically and socially. Examples of extracurricular activities include playing on a sports team, writing for a paper or blog, participating in a drama or music group, etc.

Choosing the perfect extracurricular activity can be daunting, but it need not be. Just as we advised when choosing a career, picking an extracurricular activity should be based on passion, even more so because at this stage, it can greatly influence your later career path. A perfect extracurricular activity allows you to learn as well as do, to take initiative and teaches you about life and the world in general, things you cannot learn in a classroom.

Below is a list of common extracurricular activities that a student can partake in without disrupting their regular school schedule:

Sports and recreation:

1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Track and field
4. Gymnastics
5. Swimming
6. Volleyball
7. Tennis
8. Wrestling

The Arts:

1. Painting/drawing
2. Theatre
3. Choir
4. Dance
5. Band
6. Music

Social:

1. Student government
2. Debating
3. Mock trial
4. Speech and spelling club
5. Model UN
6. Volunteering
6.1. Library
6.2. Church
6.3. Shops
6.4. Artisan work

All the above extracurricular activities can be easily done by students without sacrificing their study time and will prove extremely helpful in both their schoolwork and understanding how the real world works.

Furthermore, engaging in extracurricular activities isn't solely the responsibility of the student. Schools should ensure the facilities are in place to support extracurricular groups and activities for students, teachers should be given freedom to run programs for the students in line with the school model, help from the local community should be sought to improve quality of the programs, and measures should be put in place to ensure the safety of the students and properly educate the parents on the value of extracurricular activities.

If you have any thoughts or additional extracurricular activities that students can engage in, please share in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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When it comes to technological solutions to real-world challenges, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. There could be tens of ways of solving a particular issue and given that the tech scene is constantly and rapidly evolving, this could become a problem for educational institutions that are planning on incorporating technological solutions.

Technology alone will not revolutionize education, but it can definitely help, provided you have realistic expectations for what technology can and can’t do in schools. In this article, we’re going to address common myths about technology use in education.

Myth 1: Cool is engaging
Many educational institutions budget an inordinate amount of money on the latest flashy and cool gadgets because they feel that the more “cool” their setup is, the more engaging students will find it, and the more teachers will use it. Most of these gadgets require extensive training for successful implementation without which they are just glorified room decorators.

Myth 2: Learning with technology isn’t learning
There’s the school of thought that says that if your education curriculum only involves students staring at screens all day that they will lose out on the immersion of a traditional, real-world lesson. That, however, is a problem with teaching, not a technology problem. Technology is used to complement traditional methods of teaching, not replace them. It creates an opportunity for students to move outside the classroom and experience things they’d not have experienced otherwise.

Myth 3: Technology use equals student success
Some schools and teachers believe that once they equip their classrooms and buildings with the latest and best technology, that their students will automatically improve in their studies. That is a very false belief. You don’t just hand off all aspects of teaching to the computer software. Like we said in Myth 2 above, technology complements traditional forms of teaching, not replaces them.

Myth 4: It’s okay as long as it works.
This is not particular to educational institutions alone, but to a lot of users of technology products. As long as it works and does what is needed, many users of technology don’t care about any other thing. One such thing is privacy. As an educational institution using technology products to manage the day-to-day running of your school, you are handing off a lot of data to the software. How is your data processed? How is it stored? Are nefarious things being done to and with your data, like selling to advertisers?

Many schools are now scrutinizing some of the tools they use in the classroom due to the concerns of parents over how much of their children’s data is being made available to companies and what these companies are doing with the data. In addition, many technology companies get really excited about a tool they have built, only to find that it does not match the needs of teachers in the classroom or that it solves a problem no one actually has.


When introducing any new technology into the classroom, it is imperative that teachers and educational institutions don’t fall for the myth that something shiny and new will be good for students’ education, or that as long as it works they are okay. You must study the underlying costs (financial and otherwise), and figure out the responsibilities of the school, teacher, and families when introducing a technology tool into the classroom.

If you have any thoughts or additional myths about technology use in the classroom, please share in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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Every teacher needs to quiet a noisy classroom at some point, and the louder the noise, the harder it is for the teacher to gain the attention of the class. A loud class not only makes teaching difficult and information near impossible to pass, it also causes and stress and frustration on the teacher.

Even the best-behaved and high-achieving classes can occasionally be too noisy, and, while classroom noise can mean productive learning is taking place among students, here are some tips to help you keep the noise to an acceptable level. Note that some methods may work better than others depending on your grade level, teaching style, personality, or the personality of the class itself–down to who shows up to school that day and who doesn’t.

1. Help the students understand. Explain to them the importance of keeping a quiet classroom and being immediately responsive when you signal for the classroom to be quiet. Make them visualize the impact their noise and lack of attention will have on them in the future - from repeated years to being fired at their jobs in the future. A little scare tactic never hurt anyone.

2. Don't allow the noise get out of control. Once your students become very loud like we mentioned earlier, you would have to take extreme measures to get them under control. You'd find it best if you begin to control the noise while in its infancy.

3. Use a timer. Find a way to display a timer for all the students to see. Explain to them that once the timer runs down to zero (set it to 5 or 10 seconds) everybody is expected to be completely silent. In the absence of a timer, you could count down manually instead.

4. Enlist the students' help. You should not try to assume control of a noisy class without enlisting the cooperation of your students. You could ask for suggestions from the students about how to manage the noise. Let everybody come to an agreement and hold them by their words.

5. Peer pressure. This ties into the previous point about enlisting your students' help.Get two or three well-behaved students to write down a list of the noisy students. Assign some sort of punishment for those whose names appear on the lists. The more the number of lists on which a student's name appears, the more punishment they will serve. That's the stick. For the carrot, have it so that the two or three best-behaved students for the day (or week), get to write the names of noisy students the following day (or week).

6. Model the noise level you want from your students. If you speak softly, your students will emulate you and respond in soft tones too, however, if you speak in a loud voice or shout over the noise, you will dramatically increase the noise level in your class as they will see it as a permission to speak loudly too.

The points above should help you maintain a level of decorum in your classroom.

Do you have other methods of controlling your classroom? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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If you’re in secondary school right now, you’re at a great point in your life: you have your whole life ahead of you, and now is a great time to start thinking about the future; to make some initial plans. While making such plans, though, remember that plans can be easily changed. Experts predict that the average person will change careers more than five times in their lifetime.

High school is a great time to start thinking about a possible future career. If you already have an idea of what you’d like to do – especially if it’s in a specialized field – you can get enrolled in an appropriate, specialized school so you can begin working toward your career goal early. At the same time, you could start taking classes or gaining work experience outside of school to prepare for your dream job. This will help bolster your resume and university application, which could ultimately get you accepted into a university that is appropriate for your desired career.

While you figure out which career path is best for you, you should try to have the following in mind:

1. Take your time. There are so many opportunities, jobs and industries. Take your time to study as many as possible to discover which appeal to you and your strengths. Explore all your options.

2. Challenge yourself. Now you are in secondary school is the right time to push yourself to discover your strengths and weaknesses and improve on them. Take extra classes or lessons. Read a wide range of subjects. You can never read enough. However, take care not to overburden yourself.

3. Gain work experience. The more exposed you are in life, the more opportunities you will have. Find some volunteer work to do or otherwise get some work experience. Nothing is menial at your level. Whatever work you do will give you skills and will fill your resume. If it is a paid work, you will get some money too!

4. Discuss with adults. They have been there and they know what's up. Do not be afraid to talk to as many adults as you can about careers and life experiences. Build a network of adults you feel can assist you in your education and career.

5. Don't let anyone control your dreams. Yes, it's true we have to listen to your parents and guardians, but many a time a parent wants their child to follow a particular career path for selfish reasons. Explain to your parents if they want you to go down a career path that is contrary to your desires and dreams.

And for parents and guardians, do not be in a hurry to force your child down a career YOU wish for them. Discuss with them. They are individuals too with dreams and interests of their own. More often than not you will come to an understanding with them and push them to achieve their dreams, which is the most important thing you can do for your child as a parent.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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Feeding your child with the right foods can help them perform better in school. Certain foods, known as brain foods, can help students achieve better results but, more often than not, you find yourself at a loss as to the correct meal plan to make for your kids.

The good news is that you don't need a degree in nutrition to raise healthy kids. There are important food groups that must be present in every meal. These include:

Glucose: The brain draws nearly all its energy from glucose. Like a car in need of gas, if you don't pump it full of fats and natural sugars (which are converted to glucose) it doesn't run.

Fatty Acids: Such as omega-3 and omega-6. These help strengthen the synapses in the brain related to memory.

Amino Acids: These are protein-rich foods which are essential for keeping the brain sharp.

Antioxidants: Which you get from teas, vegetables and dark skin fruits help regulate the oxidative stress that destroys brain cells. The stress is caused when your body is converting glucose to energy and extra oxygen is created. Antioxidants block them so your brain doesn't have to work as hard.

Knowing the important food groups isn't enough, though. Following some basic guidelines can help you encourage your kids to eat right and maintain a healthy weight. Here are some feeding guidelines to observe:

1. You, the parent, are in control. You decide which foods to buy and when to serve them. Though kids will agitate for junk food, adults should be in charge when deciding which foods are regularly stocked in the house. Kids won't go hungry. They'll eat what's available in the cupboard and fridge at home. If their favourite snack isn't all that nutritious, you can still buy it once in a while so they don't feel deprived.

2. Do not force them to continue. Let kids stop eating when they feel they've had enough. Lots of parents grew up big forced to finish the last grain on the plate, but that approach doesn't help kids listen to their own bodies when they feel full. When kids notice and respond to feelings of fullness, they're less likely to overeat. Note that overeating leads to obesity and sluggishness.

3. Drink 'lives' matter. Soda and other carbonated drinks come with a lot of calories and get in the way of good nutrition. Water and milk are the best drinks for kids. This is not to say you shouldn't treat them to soda once in a while.

4. Practice what you preach. Be a role model and eat healthy yourself. When trying to teach good eating habits, try to set the best example possible. Choose nutritious snacks, eat at the table, and don't skip meals.

5. Limit TV and computer time. A sedentary lifestyle leads to food cravings and overeating. When you limit time spent on the tv and computer and introduce physical activities, you'll avoid mindless snacking and encourage activity. When TV and computer time are limited, they'll find more active things to do. And limiting "screen time" means you'll have more time to be active together.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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Fun and games aren't just fun and games. A typical school day involves lots of sitting and academic work, but do you know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy? You probably do, but let us go further by adding that some games are more effective than others. When done properly, recreational activities can serve as stimulants for brain activity, tools for learning, and sources of motivation.

Here's a list of some fun and interactive activities that not only serve to entertain students, but stimulate their brains as well, and keep them engaged:

1. Bingo

A group stands in a circle and everyone takes turns saying a number starting with 1, 2, 3 and so on. The catch, however, is that at every number with a 5 in it or a multiple of 5, that person says "BINGO" instead of the number. The next person continues the series as normal.

For example: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - bingo - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - bingo - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - bingo - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - bingo - 21 - …

You can choose any number and replace the bingo with another word. This game is great for teaching the multiplication tables or teaching the concept of multi-tasking (thinking while listening for your turn).

2. Red Nose

The teacher calls out a body part and a colour. Students must find an item in the classroom that is of that colour and touch it the with the named body part. For example, if the teacher calls out “red nose”, students will have to find an item that is red and touch it with their nose. The teacher continues calling colours and body parts. The game can be made competitive by eliminating slow students and rewarding the last student in the game.

3. Lie Detector

This is a great way for teachers and students to get to know each other better. The game works like this: the teacher divides the students into groups and asks them to each tell three stories about their lives, two true an one false. The other students then guesses which stories are true and which are false. This is a great bonding exercise.

4. Scrabble

Yes, scrabble (or any of its digital formats like Words With Friends, etc). This is a great way of learning new words. The teacher can further make it into a tournament that runs the length of the session or term.

5. Countdown

Students have to count from 1 to 50. There is one rule though: there is no particular order. Students have to call the consecutive number whenever they want. But when two students call the same number, you have to start counting from 1 again.

These games are great not only for teaching or augmenting specific topics but for bonding and good old fun. Why not make your classroom more interesting by adding a couple of these (and more) games today?

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
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No, you’re not going to be able to slide your textbook under your pillow and automagically assimilate every word in it by morning. This is not a superhero movie. There are, however, certain ways with which you can maximise your sleep by utilizing it as a tool for further learning.

Several studies have been successfully carried out to determine whether humans can actually further their learning while asleep. While the studies were carried out on different people with different methods, they had some things in common: sound and smell.

In a study, a group of native German speakers started learning Dutch with some basic vocabulary and, while they slept, the researchers played back the sounds of those words to one group, while the other group slept without the playback. The group that had the words played back to them in their sleep could when tested, recall the words better than the group that had no playback.

Another study involved the participants learning to play guitar music from a video game. While asleep, one group had the music played back to them while the other didn’t. When tested, the group that had the melody played back to them in their sleep were able to recreate it perfectly, unlike the other group.

Now how do you go about learning with sound when studying for a math quiz or something without audio recordings? Create one. Record your teacher in class and playback the audio while sleeping. Get audiobook versions of your textbooks. Record yourself reading the chapter and play it back while sleeping.

Other research has shown memory recall linked to smells. For example, if you were studying a certain subject next to a particular source of smell, placing the object emitting the scent next to your bed when sleeping may influence your brain to work more on restrengthening the memories of the subject.

“Why is this possible?” you may ask. According to neuroscientists, our we enter a special phase during sleep called slow-wave sleep in which our brain activity slows down in specific shifts overnight. It is the phase of sleep where our short-term memories transition into long-term memories. They also believe that exposing yourself to sound overnight, be it a recording of your math teacher in class or an audiobook version of your history textbook, will prolong the time spent in slow-wave sleep, increasing the amount of information migrated to long-term storage.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
Request a trial today.

Digital devices have since been demonized as being sources of distraction to and causing loss of concentration in students. In this day and age, however, it is not only advisable, but imperative to incorporate technology in the education process because part of providing students with an all-round education is to get them acquainted and ready for the digital world and what it entails, and giving them the ability to work on their own and with others.

Making use of technology in the classroom is not just for the benefit of the students, it can also vastly improve the teaching process for educators. This may, however, require a mind shift from the current teaching models to new, tech-aided models. While it may seem like a daunting task for most educators and schools, embracing the use of technology in the classroom will greatly pay off in the long run.

To aid you in your decisions, we have compiled a list of reasons why you should make the switch to technology-assisted learning, and some highly-acclaimed technology tools that are of great help to educators worldwide.


THE WHY

Use of technology in the classroom makes learning more fun.

According to a study by CompTIA, students prefer technology-assisted learning because it makes the learning process more interesting and fun. Corroborative studies have shown that students are more likely to learn faster with visual aids and tools than plain note-taking from the old text-on-board teaching model.

Virtually unlimited resources.
Imagine, as an educator, having a virtually non-exhaustive stream of teaching aids, research done in your field available with just a few clicks to improve your knowledge, keeping you at the forefront of your discipline and making you a better teacher within and outside the classroom. This is what technology can bring to your classroom. A better, well-informed teacher.

Better student management.
Want to know how a student is faring in their courses with actual figures? Maybe you would like to compare their current learning data with past figures to gain a proper sense of progress? Or maybe you want to be able to engage a student’s parents in real time about their behaviour and progress? There is virtually nothing you cannot do with technology-assisted learning.


THE WHAT
There are lots of tools out there that claim to do a lot of things, but most are complete wastes of time. We sat down and sifted through the rubble to come up with 5 excellent tools that will be invaluable to both educators and students.

1. Slack
Email is old school. Slack is a team messaging platform that is way more efficient and user-friendly than email for team communication. It has separate chat rooms for different conversations called Channels, which can be public or private. You can attach files, have group video and audio calls.

2. Nearpod
An app that connects all your students iPads for seamless, interactive presentations. You open up a PowerPoint presentation and it instantly appears on all students’ tablets in the classroom. You can also add interactive content like polls and quizzes for the students.

3. Planboard
Want hassle-free lesson-planning? Planboard is the app for you. With individual blocks that display your schedule for the day during each class period, ability to insert links to outside resources, embed videos and attach files. It comes with a full-fledged text editor too.

4. Pocket
Scrolling through the web and come across an article you would like to incorporate into your lesson or read further at a later date, Pocket allows you to save it for later. It is easy to use and is available on all platforms.

5. BlueBic
This is the most comprehensive school management system ever. Want to track student progress, either as an educator or a parent? Want an easy and secure method to pay your ward’s fees? Want to effortlessly manage employee payroll and student admission? Anything you can think of that has to do with running a school, BlueBic has got you covered.

Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
Request a trial today.

It is a fact that most children detest homework and will respond by whining and procrastinating or even full-on tantrums. It does not have to be this way. Homework can be a fun activity for both the parent and the child, and an avenue for the parent to know what their child is being taught in school, discover what problems the child may be having in class, and generally bonding with the child.

Different parents have different ways that work for them, but the following are proven methods that will get your child to overcome their fear of homework and actually find it enjoyable.

1. Understand their disinterest
Are they having a tough time with the subject? Do they feel the subject is boring and a waste of time? Perhaps they just can’t sit down long enough to concentrate on it? You need to find out by talking with them and their teacher. The subject teacher is in the best position to furnish you with information about your child’s feelings towards the subject. Once you find out what exactly it is that’s wrong, you can then know how to tackle it.


2. A carrot and a stick
Motivation is key to getting things done. If your child lacks the proper motivation, create it for them. Give them incentives to drive them to do their homework. A little treat here for a job well done, be it snacks, extra TV time, or even money. The opposite goes for failing to do the homework.


3. Two or more heads are better than one
Get them to invite their friends over for a group study session. If they know their friends are doing the work as well, it will motivate them to do it too. Make sure, however, to lay down some ground rules at first so it doesn’t end up being a slumber party.


4. Do it with them
Some of the aforementioned benefits of homework can only be attained when you do the homework together with your child. Turn it into a question-and-answer session, or introduce some games to make it fun. Make sure they do the work, though, and don’t fall into the temptation of writing the answers for them. The goal is to get them to learn, after all.


5. There’s an app for that
Interactive apps are aplenty that can help your child learn various subjects and concepts. Most incorporate games and fun activities for easy and visual learning. A quick Google search will show you some of the top-rated ones.


6. Relax, take it easy
Do not drive your child too hard. Fear is never a good motivator. Make sure they understand why they need to do what. Doing is half of the equation, knowing why to do is the other.


Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
Request a trial today.

Examination stress is unavoidable, more so when it is a promotion exam, and even more so when one is unprepared. Panic comes easy the closer the exam gets, and students are then, more often than not, tempted to give up on preparation in favour of malpractice. This article will highlight a few proven ways of adequately preparing for an examination and combating examination stress.

1. Take a break
When it feels like your brain is full and you cannot assimilate one more byte of data, close your book and take a time-out. Take a walk, take a nap. The purpose of this is to return to the subject with a lighter head and a fresher perspective. Trying to cram everything into your head at once will result in understanding nothing.


2. Don’t cram
Speaking of cramming, don’t. Disregarding the fact that most teachers hate verbatim regurgitation of their texts and will mark you down, cramming results in a poorer student with no knowledge of their field. Cramming results in understanding absolutely nothing about the subject you’re reading, and it is very easy, under the high-stress environment of the examination hall, to lose track what comes next.


3. Listen to classical music
Research has shown that playing classical music increases concentration and improves your memory. This is known as the Mozart Effect. There are lots of classical music playlists on YouTube for your perusal.


4. Eat chocolate
Yes. Chocolate. Long demonized for being a cause of weight gain, chocolate, more especially dark chocolate that contains over 70% cocoa, releases endorphins, a natural anti-stress chemical, which has an overall calming effect on the body. Eat in moderation, though.


5. Plan your schedule
Draw up a timetable. Give more time to subjects on which you’re less knowledgeable. Incorporate adequate recess time too.


6. Distractions be gone!
What is distracting you? Social media? Movies? Games? There will be adequate time for those once the exam is over. Have a sense of priority and you will go far in life.


7. Don’t just read to pass exam
Read to know, not to pass. This means reading a little bit of the subject from the start of term, not reading everything you ought to have read once exams are approaching.


Source: Exercise Book, the BlueBic blog.

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BlueBic is the best school management system for nursery, primary and secondary schools, with features like Report Card Processing, Fees Management, Attendance, Assignment, Online Portal, etc.
Request a trial today.