Tag: edtech

Bluetooth Clickers Are Better. But Why?

Posted on by Jasmeet

Bluetooth clickers and IR (infrared) clickers are both remote control devices used for controlling different devices such as presentations, televisions, and multimedia devices. However, Bluetooth clickers are considered more advanced than IR clickers for several reasons.

First and foremost, Bluetooth has a much greater range than IR. Bluetooth technology operates on a frequency of 2.4GHz, which allows it to transmit signals up to 10 meters, while IR has a limited range of around 5-10 meters. This means that Bluetooth clickers can be used to control your device from a greater distance, giving you more freedom of movement during assessments or other events.

Another advantage of Bluetooth clickers over IR clickers is that they are less susceptible to interference. Bluetooth operates on a different frequency than IR, so it is less likely to be affected by other devices or environmental factors that can interfere with IR signals. This ensures that your device will be controlled accurately and consistently.

Bluetooth clickers also offer multi-device compatibility, meaning you can pair the clicker with multiple devices, allowing you to control multiple devices with a single clicker. This is particularly useful if you have several devices you need to control in different scenarios, as it saves you from having to use multiple remote controls.

In conclusion, they offer a more advanced and convenient solution compared to IR clickers. With their longer range, increased immunity to interference, multi-device compatibility, and rechargeable batteries, Bluetooth clickers are a must-have for anyone looking for a more efficient way to control their devices.

School girl using Class Saathi Bluetooth clicker in classroom for formative assessment
School girl using Class Saathi Bluetooth clicker in classroom

With 22 patents and registered trademarks, Class Saathi uses the world’s first and only Bluetooth-based clicker device. It allows you to experience seamless connectivity with all of the students. Reduce time spent on data analysis, attendance, and administration and conduct easy assessments, quizzes, polls, votes, and much more.

Our Moments | 2022

Posted on by Jasmeet

An end-of-the-year note from Pankaj Agarwal, Founder & CEO of TagHive.

Though a year may seem long, it is packed with big and small moments that stay with us forever. 

Moments that show resilience. Moments that show our world is rebuilding. Moments that show meaningfulness and help us reconnect with purpose.

Leading this resilience are our students and teachers, who we’ve realized are digital natives. They have clearly shown us what it means to be adaptable, further emboldening our firm belief in the power of education.

Today, I want to spend some time thinking and reflecting on those moments.

Students from Composite School in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Students from Composite School in Jaunpur, UP

As we’ve gotten the opportunity to reach more schools across the country, we have witnessed incredible things teachers are doing in classrooms. From Kerala to Kashmir, from Gujarat to Manipur, we have seen teachers push the boundaries of achievements for their students.

Map showing Class Saathi in 10 states of India
Map showing Class Saathi in 10 Indian states

Take Samiksha Singh ma’am, from Gautam Budh Nagar. She is using tech-driven learning materials to teach the application of Mathematics in daily life.

Samiksha Singh, Teacher in composite school in Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida
Samiksha Singh from Gautam Budh Nagar

In Chandauli, Varij Kapoor is reaching out to every student in his school and ensuring their circumstances don’t hinder their learning experience.

Viraj Kapoor, Teacher with his students in a composite school in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh
Viraj Kapoor with his students in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh

Fatima Hasan from Jaunpur is breaking stereotypes and inspiring her students to dream and achieve audacious goals.

Fatima Hasan teaching in K-8 school in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Fatima Hasan from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh

In Tappal, you will find Dev Shankar Shukla who stops at nothing to reach his students. He lives and breathes to teach his students.

Dev Shankar Shukla from Tappal, Uttar Pradesh
Dev Shankar Shukla from Tappal, Uttar Pradesh

There are endless examples! Teachers like Smita Rathore, Sandeep Kumar, Ramakant Pal, Santosh Kumar Yadav, and many more truly personify the Saathi that they are to their students.

This passion we see drives these teachers to strive to become better educators, and lead their students to become future changemakers. Hearing stories like these make me and everyone at TagHive reconnect with our purpose. It gives us hope and faith to do more. To do better.

We are humbled to be part of such meaningful moments that empower these Super Teachers and their students with Class Saathi. We would like to thank all of our partners, organizations and people who have been enablers of excellence in classrooms every day. Finally, we want to thank the entire TagHive team, each of whom has been creating magic behind the scenes.

At TagHive, we are excited to seize the moments of new possibilities to enable, engage and empower our teachers, and students.

Class Saathi enabling, engaging and empowering classrooms
Class Saathi enables, engages, empowers schools

From here on, it is only onwards and upwards!

Wishing you happy holidays and a prosperous 2023. Thank you!

Class Saathi Moments 2022

Class Saathi | Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas

Posted on by clusterone

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) is a system of central schools for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India. These students are selected through a rigorous entrance examination called the JNV Selection Test.

JNVs are fully residential and co-educational schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, with classes from VI to XII in English, Hindi, and Regional languages.

TagHive, a technology company founded by an IITian, and JNV schools are making joint efforts in increasing the learning outcomes of students and optimizing the classes for the teachers with our Class Saathi line of assessment solutions. We believe that for a classroom to be truly smart, the teacher needs to understand the voice of every student, and Class Saathi enables just that. Using the clicker device, teachers are able to engage every student and get insights into their learning to be able to create a contextualized strategy.

Teachers and School Principal from JNV, Sangareddy (Telangana) after Class Saathi Phase 1 orientation
Teachers and School Principal from JNV, Sangareddy (Telangana) after Class Saathi Phase 1 orientation

Currently, Class Saathi is deployed in 5 schools of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, namely:

  1. JNV Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
  2. JNV Mungeshpur, Delhi
  3. JNV Palghar, Maharashtra
  4. JNV RangaReddy, Telangana
  5. JNV Alleppey, Kerala

In the first phase of deployment, orientations and training sessions were conducted for 45+ teachers and principals from all 5 locations. These sessions were conducted during the early stages as well as post-mid-term examinations, in order to increase Class Saathi adoption. 

Teachers can’t wait to explore the Class Saathi solution in their classrooms and see how learning and engagement improve.

Class Saathi Phase 1 orientation for JNV, Palghar teachers
Phase 1 orientation for JNV, Palghar teachers

The orientation sessions that TagHive conducted, proved to be fruitful in developing a better understanding of the solution’s on-ground effectiveness amongst teachers. Here is a glimpse of some feedback that we received:

1) “The training was very useful. We think that Class Saathi can be beneficial for the students. For next term’s exams, we hope to conduct all revisions using Class Saathi only. We also hope to get in-person training so that our teachers can master Class Saathi.” – Kavya Ma’am (Principal, JNV Bhopal)

Class Saathi Orientation for teachers at JNV, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
Orientation for teachers at JNV, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

2) “Class Saathi is good, not just for testing students’ knowledge but the clicker system is very useful for creating interest in students for subjects. Quite helpful for teachers to conduct class in an interesting and effective way. The training has helped us understand the features better and I look forward to implementing it soon.” – Shivaji Sir (Principal, JNV Palghar)

TagHive team member explaining mechanics of Class Saathi at JNV, Mungeshpur (Delhi)
Class Saathi at JNV, Mungeshpur (Delhi)

3) “Our training was very beneficial. We have no complaints from the support team as well. Class Saathi has so many useful options (features). We can’t wait for the next refresher training session after vacation.” – Bhoop Sir (Technical Coordinator, JNV Rangareddy)

We are keenly awaiting phase 2 of our deployment with the JNVs wherein we will emphasize how to utilize Class Saathi assessment solutions during regular classroom hours, thus increasing classroom engagement and the performance of students.

Class Saathi, enabling the critical stakeholder: The Teacher

Posted on by clusterone 
“Yeh bachon ke padhayi ke level ko samajhne mein bohot zabardast hai aur woh bhi fataak se” (This device is too good at helping us understand student learning levels, and that too at lightning speed)

Mrs Meena, a Grade 5 math teacher in a Government School, Bhopal tells us even before presented with a question.

And this is precisely why we built Class Saathi. To enable existing teachers, who do not lack pedagogical knowledge, instead the hours lost in doing the administrative work. Class Saathi gives these teachers that one smart tool, with no need for electricity or internet, that enables them to take well-informed data-backed decisions to increase student learning levels, engagement and attendance.

Happy students using Class Saathi clickers in Raj Bhavan School, Bhopal
Classroom engagement increased after using Class Saathi clickers

With more than 7 million students dropping out of the Indian education system and the context of public schools in India, it’s impossible for conventional smart school systems to reduce the learning gaps. There is a dire need for a paradigm shift for teachers: from being Sage on the Stage, burdened by administrative tasks, to a side free from administrative tasks that allow strategic focus on learning outcomes.

Teachers and students benefiting from using Class Saathi clickers
Students and teachers benefit from Class Saathi

Class Saathi instantly connects all stakeholders and enables multiple feedback loops assisted by features using the power of AI. Enabled with a Learning Outcome Management System and Student Reports, students in a classroom learn effectively and increase teachers’ productivity. In one of the early pilot tests with over 1000 students in the experimental group and over 500 students in the control group, we found that attendance and learning outcomes increased with Class Saathi in action by 10% and 8%, respectively, in just 30 days.

School girl using Class Saathi for quick assessment
School girl using Class Saathi for formative assessment

Motivated by the early success, Pankaj Agarwal (HBS Class of 2021) and his team at TagHive (a Samsung funded spin-off) have been doing multiple iterations while adding more features to empower teachers in transforming their role from “a sage on the stage” to that of “a guide on the side”.

Class Saathi helps every student feel heard and enables teachers to understand their students better

Posted on by clusterone

Currently, in India, there is a gap of more than 20% between the literacy rates of folks from the tribal region, and the rest of the country. And with the context of public schools, it’s impossible for conventional smart school systems to reduce these learning gaps.

Class Saathi was created to do just this, to provide personalized education to students, irrespective of their demographics. It is a combination of a clicker for each student and a mobile app for teachers, parents and administrators.

Students in morning assembly in Haite Memorial Friendship School in Mualdam, Assam
Morning assembly at Haite Memorial Friendship School in Mualdam, Assam

Case in point, one of the tribal schools (Haite Memorial Friendship School) in Mualdam, Assam, serves 198 students from nearby ten villages, including a village of a rare and small tribe called Biate tribe. Run by The Sunbird Trust, an organization that empowers schools in conflict regions in the Northeastern region of India; this is a school that we wanted to explore working with since it is situated in one of the most remote regions in the country. TagHive demonstrated the ability of Class Saathi to take attendance and quizzes in the classroom that had no internet or electricity, with teachers of Maths and Science from the school.

Class Saathi orientation at Sunbird Trust school in Assam
Class Saathi orientation in a remote school

As teachers and students solved questions together, we saw teachers find the existing learning gaps and think about how they can plan their upcoming classes and strategies. While this happened, we noticed something beautiful happen parallelly. Students who were earlier shy to respond in a regular classroom were responding to questions by pressing the clicker. In a way, Class Saathi created a safe space for them to feel heard and understood. It will build more confidence in the students to express their opinions, and just like that, the engagement within the classroom would increase.

Pankaj Agarwal (HBS Class of 2012) and his team at TagHive (a Samsung funded spin-off) are now excited about upcoming collaborations with Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha state governments. These collaborations will allow them to build this confidence in over 5 million students while enabling over 100,000 teachers and administrators to analyse and execute student-centric education.

TagHive is also keen to continue exploring collaboration with even more schools in need with Sunbird Trust, and we’re very excited to hear from teachers in that school:

Hudson Ngamlai, Science teacher at Haite Memorial Friendship School in Mualdam, Assam

Hudson Ngamlai (Science teacher) –

Class Saathi has helped me prepare homework and check prior knowledge of the class. The AI-powered quizzes and concept notes allow us to understand a particular subject better. Class Saathi works without internet or electricity, which will, in turn, help our students a lot.

Ruby Sam, Lead Teacher at Haite Memorial Friendship School in Mualdam, Assam

Ruby Sam (Lead Teacher) –

I’m excited to use Class Saathi in our school. It enables us to find each student’s learning gaps & progress in no time. It brings an inclusive learning environment for all students and provides an equal opportunity for students to respond. Our school is located in a highly remote location, but since Class Saathi works seamlessly in such sites, I’m excited to use it.

Prevent encouragement from being pressured with these tips!

Posted on by clusterone

Sometimes in the excitement to encourage your child, you may put pressure on them. It can be tricky to toe the line between encouragement and pressure and to help you avoid a troubling situation later, we have put together a list of tips you can use to ensure your child feels only enough pressure to learn and nothing more!

Workload photo created by wayhomestudio
  1. Do not force your interests on them – It is only natural that you as a parent may want to pass on your passion to your children. However, you must remember that children have their own dynamic interests that you may have no awareness of. See this as an opportunity for you to learn a new skill, hobby, or interest and in doing so, you’re building something in tandem with your child!
  2. Give them space to explore – If you have catered to your child’s interests, be prepared not to see results or performance instantly. Skills and interests need to be honed and honing is a time-intensive process. If you monitor your child for results, then they feel pressured to perform without having had enough time or space to explore these interests and they may feel like they are not good enough to pursue them at all!
  3. Feedback time – One way to really encourage instead of pressure your child is to schedule a regular feedback session with them. Do this exercise once a week so they can tell you where they are struggling, if they need more support from you or if they feel burnt out by their workload. This is also a good time to teach your child that you are open to receiving feedback as well!
  4. Make outdoor activities compulsory – Any type of activity that gives them a break from chasing their academic pursuits should be a mandatory part of their day. Encourage them to fulfil their social needs and play outdoors. Essentially anything that takes them away from the grind at least for some bit of the day!
  5. Give space for failure – This may seem like a tough thing to do but children should be taught to accept failure as part of their learning curve. They feel more encouraged and motivated if there is space to fail along with room to grow. This is all evolutionary and equally important for children to experience.

Giving children space and time is never a threat to their growth. In fact, the only way you can ensure your child learns and learns with passion is if you give them enough space. There will always be times when you will have to step in and take the reins. But remember, pressure makes a diamond only if exerted in controlled measures and that is the kind of encouragement children also need.

How to teach your children foundational numeracy from a young age?

Posted on by clusterone

Foundational numeracy is the ability of a person to understand number systems in ways that are used in everyday life. What it also means is that a person who can make safe financial decisions and make sense of numbers that drives their everyday lives from being able to pay for things, to counting items that they purchase or making solid financial decisions about saving/ spending and the likes. Foundational numeracy relies heavily on a person’s mental Math skills and there are so many fun ways to learn it!

How soon can you teach a child how to do all these things? The answer is at the earliest! Here are some tips that you can use which will help your child not just learn foundational numeracy but also ace at it.

Follow these tips to help your child learn numeracy at a young age:

  1. Leverage the use of money – Currency is a good way to teach numeracy to kids. Children understand spending money to acquire an item of interest. Mix it up with savings and teach them how to manage their finances and boom, you have a successful mission. Help them set up a home savings account. You can also make it creative by helping them maintain a passbook that shows them exactly how much money they have on them. 
  2. Board games – Board games are not just fun, they are also informative. Aside from teaching children the virtue of patience and applied knowledge, what it also does is help students gather more refined skills such as foundational literacy. Invest in games like Monopoly to leverage their interest and then build on it!
  3. Give them minor accounting tasks – If you are at a grocery store and the cashier generates a bill, give it to your child and ask them to help you with calculations. When you’re doing any financial transactions, enlist their help in calculating the amount you need to pay or the amount you need to return. These are great ways in which you can sharpen their mental math skills as well!
  4. Use a mental math chart – There are plenty of resources available on the internet that allow children to pick up skills that are outside their school curriculum. There are websites from where you can download worksheets to teach and learn. If you attach a reward to this method, it makes it easier for a child to engage with the process also.
  5. Abacus – Sending your child to abacus lessons can be critical in helping them understand key mathematical concepts later on. Abacus classes help students learn systems that can simplify mathematical computations and it is essential that they are allowed to explore these diverse opportunities as well.

There are a lot of creative ways in which you can teach children concepts like functional numeracy. It is only a matter of engaging them in ways they want to learn. If you are a parent or teacher who enjoys creative ways of teaching and learning, then do write to us with suggestions! For the others, we are here to help you with tips and tricks that can make learning look easy!

AI is the future of education

Posted on by pankaj.harvard
Robotic brain
Brain technology photo created by rawpixel.com

The shift to tech-enabled learning was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and it may not have been the most desirable driving force but what the pandemic did was push tech integration into the field of education. Companies across the world are happy about this since they can now show the world what technology can do if used in its most essential forms. Before we get into how AI technology plays a role in education, we will understand what AI means!

AI System definition, history, and the likes:

There are certain areas where manual effort can drive very little change especially if it is required to be expended on a larger scale. Some human tasks can be automated in such a way that it drives maximum impact and at a much larger scale. For all those tasks, we make use of Artificial Intelligence. While AI systems may perform tasks that we generally associate with humans, it is humans who build the framework that allows for AI principles to function!

AI is a determining tool that uses data to make recommendations, and decisions and also arrive at evidence-based research findings all in seconds. AI can save time and a lot of valuable human resources that can be used in other domains of functioning. AI can also help people make decisions based on risks and rewards. So these are just a few of the vast capabilities that AI can power. 

With the right frameworks, AI can do things efficiently, very effectively, and on a massive scale.

Robotic hand
Robot hand photo created by rawpixel.com

AI in Education:

Keeping all the aforementioned points in mind there are a few things that we can be sure that AI does- 

  1. It helps teachers understand not just the needs of their students but also more personal things about their students. For instance, teachers can learn through AI where a student’s learning interests are.
  2. AI gives evidence-based reports to teachers rather quickly so teachers can foster collaboration with their students.
  3. AI is what is revamping and revolutionizing assessments right now. What AI does is use assessments as a diagnostic tool that reflects on a child’s learning needs instead of using it as an indicator of their capabilities.
  4. AI as a feedback tool is more reliable, free from bias and cancels out any human error in the estimation process. When feedback is communicated to a student purely based on their performance, students tend to rely on that more than any other form.
  5. AI helps eliminate boundaries. AI does not see geographical boundaries. It can be used anytime anywhere, truly inspiring the idea that AI is a global experience.

There is a lot about AI that is still under research and development but what we have in the markets and in access these days makes use of some very optimal tools to give students an experience they will enjoy. Artificial intelligence is driven by innovation and if coached well, students grow to enjoy the method behind it also. What AI also does is inspire and it is important now more than ever that students appreciate their opportunities to learn and act on them with performance, drive, and passion!

Help your child manage their learning with these tips!

Posted on by pankaj.harvard
Photo by javier trueba on Unsplash

Children require a lot of attention when they are pursuing academic interests and it is not the kind of attention that you think they need. Having parents spend every learning moment with them can cause children to lose focus, feel suffocated and also dislike the process. For the sake of this article, we researched and put together a list of 5 things that work in helping your child manage their schoolwork and here’s also why these are important.

1. Time management

Children need to be taught time management from early on as it brings discipline to the growing and learning process. Help them build a timetable and hold them accountable for it. Avoid being the one who fills in the timetable for them, that is for them to figure out. However, you can oversee to ensure there is school-play balance and also time for some extracurricular activities. It would also help if you had a time management chart so that you can lead by example!

2. Create space for open communication

When your child feels burnt out or pressured, they should be able to articulate it to you. Children who cannot do that grow up to entertain more stress and anxiety. Managing a timetable also means looking at the tasks at hand and being able to say “it is too much for today, I will work on it when I have more mental energy”. This also teaches them the importance of rest.

3. Befriend the school and teachers

Do not be one of those parents who calls their child’s teachers every day. Be friendly enough with the teachers to know how your child is doing in school, if they’ve noticed any behavioural changes or if they have some tips for your child to follow. It is important you do so primarily because you can intervene wherever necessary without badgering your child too much. It is also good if you communicate regularly with the school so that you are aware of all the developments and opportunities that are available to your child at school.

4. Help them think long-term

Management essentially means building a process today so that the outcomes are fruitful tomorrow. When your child is building their routine or expressing their interests, ask them to think about it long term as well. For example, if your child wants to learn a new language, first ask them if they can continue pursuing these interests through multiple other engagements and how they seek to benefit from it in the long term. You can also help them by finding the answers to some of these questions for them!

5. Do not overschedule

Your child may be good at multiple things but it is important for them to find time for it. Also as parents, you may want your child to fulfil each one of their interests but in the worst-case scenario, you may end up turning an interest into a chore. Helping your child manage their time also means teaching them to prioritise their immediate needs and make space for other pursuits in the future.

Parents, learning goes beyond teaching charts and sitting with them while they learn. It is also about giving space, learning when to hold your child accountable and also giving in to their interests if they show interest along with commitment. We hope these tips will help you and your child!

Teach your children to love Maths with these tips!

Posted on by pankaj.harvard
Math textbook page
Photo by Deepak Gautam from Pexels

Mathematics or Maths for short, has been an item of absolute terror for students across generations. There’s no easy way to say this but Maths, you are more feared than you are loved. Before you read the above sentences and agree with us, remember that this is the fear that you can prevent your children from embodying and you could break the bad spell surrounding Maths. Want to know how? We have a list of five tips you can use!

1 . Lead the change you want to see –

If you have had a bad experience with Maths and you constantly narrate it to your children, then they start internalizing a fear for the subject. This is something that you may want to prevent. Granted that Maths may not have been easy for you but the goal is to make sure your child does not approach the subject with any preconceived fears. Maths anxiety is real and very catchy.

2. Know what they need to know and by when –

Each grade or level is assigned a specific set of math skills a child needs to know. For instance, kindergarten Maths will require number recognition and your child will need to know how to conceptualize numbers through examples; they should be able to count out five apples in a basket of ten. Knowing what they need to know is useful when you want to complement their school learning with activities at home.

3. Allow them to learn through conceptual experiences –

Maths is best learnt as a life skill and not a textbook concept. If your child is old enough to own a bank account, help them set up one. Additionally, you could ask them to keep track of their savings with the passbook and also teach them to calculate various things such as interest rates. This is a fun way to see Maths being used live in action! Also dispels the fear if they are rewarded for it through their savings account!

4. Board Games are fun when it comes to Maths –

There are plenty of fun board games that require the use of applied Mathematics for victory. Games like Monopoly are not just great family games but will also teach your kids to appreciate the finesse with which Maths is being used everywhere, especially for fun!

5. Avoid Tuitions for performance –

Tuitions the way we have experienced are the most detrimental experiences for students who want to learn Maths. We send students for tuitions in the country only in the event that they are doing very poorly at it. A child forced into tuition will believe that they are incompetent at that subject. Introduce tuitions as a concept to help them hone their skills instead of a method to discipline learning. It may be difficult to find a teacher who can help your student this way but till you do, avoid standardised tuition practices.

Maths is only as scary as it is made to be and we must treat it with confidence and respect. There is no point fretting about a subject like Maths that is highly misunderstood. So much of Maths is a learner’s paradise and it is time we demystify the subject for now and forever! If you need help with that, get started with our app, Class Saathi: MCQ Revision App. It’s for students in Class 6-10, free with 25K+ practice questions!