“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.
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.
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 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”.
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.
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 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) –
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) –
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.
Mathematics or Maths for short, has been an item of absolute terror for students across generations. There is no easy way to say this, but Math, you are more feared than 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 –
We assign a specific set of math skills that a child needs to know for each grade or level. 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 –
Learn Math as a life skill, not just 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 fun way allows you to see Math being used live in action! It also dispels fear if you reward 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.
Math is only as scary as we make it, and we must treat it with confidence and respect. There’s no point fretting about a subject like Math 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, start using our app, Class Saathi: MCQ Revision App. It’s for students in Class 3-10, free with 30K+ practice questions!
Exams are a terrifying experience for everybody so you cannot blame children for being scared of it. However, times are changing and the way we examine student abilities has changed considerably. For that reason, we need to change the way we perceive examinations and have conversations about them that dispel the fear surrounding them. Here are some ways you can make examinations look like activities instead of a doomsday spell.
1. Teach them skills that will help them ace their exams –
Examples are a reflection of a disciplined process. If you teach your students or children essential skills like time management and priority-based learning, you are giving them a golden lesson in making the best use of time and resources.
Most often it is how you prepare more than what you prepare that gets students acing exams. If you focus on skill development such as this, it lifts the focus from having to score more to a more balanced teaching experience where they learn essential skills that will help them long term.
2. Be careful with your words –
Students in the world today know the pressure and challenges like nobody else. The competition is higher these days and school curriculums have changed to test for multiple dimensions of learning.
All this can really stress a student out and prevent them from learning to the best of their needs. Be careful not to use words like “pass” or “fail” around them. Replace that with “growth” and “support”.
It helps if your child knows your process and it is also a bonding experience in itself. When adults help students gather skills and teach them their ways, they are passing down a moment instead of a lesson! Look at it that way and help them strategize learning based on tips that worked for you!
Understand how your child has performed in their examination by asking them questions about their feelings instead of asking them how much they will score. For instance, ask if your child felt confident after writing the paper. If they say no, ask them why and help them figure out a strategy to address the same!
5. Stop worrying for them –
No amount of you worrying as an adult will benefit your child/student. Children are like sponges and they absorb the energy they receive or see. If you radiate a world of worry, they will embody it and treat exams with a detrimental amount of fear!
There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to helping children learn but examinations are tricky and if done incorrectly, it can scar children and affect their motivation to learn. What we need to do is make examinations a diagnostic tool for them to reflect on instead of seeing it as an encapsulation of their abilities.
Let us know what tips you have discovered that work magically for your child or students. Write to us in the comments below or you can write in at [email protected].
Many children find it very difficult to perform in school. This is not an accurate reflection of their abilities; however, it becomes something they are recognised by. To make matters worse, this distinction hurts a student’s self-esteem and demotivates them which further declines their chances of performing well in class.
The traditional schooling system may not always have the necessary tools to deal with this. However, parents can do the work at home! Read on to find out how better you, as parents can support your child if they are indeed struggling at school.
1. Keep school evaluations in school: For instance, if your child’s teacher has made remarks about your child being slow, avoid reiterating those conversations at home. Not only does it reinforce your child’s insecurity, but it will also destroy the home environment, which children usually associate with safety and comfort.
2. Your child’s intelligence is not their academic report: School reports do matter. However, we must understand that they also come with their limitations. Most schools standardized assessments for convenience and not to suit each child’s individual learning styles.
3. Identify the problem: Many factors, some more complicated than others, influence learning outcomes. For instance, a child may find it difficult to perform in class if they do not relate to their teachers or they may have other, more deep-rooted difficulties like stress or a special need.
Do not discount the help of a professional in either case. To address the first, hire a tutor who can make learning fun for your child and for the other, consider doing a profile with a child specialist.
4. Be up to date with school news: Staying informed about the latest events in school will help you as a parent, make sure your child is prepared beforehand for the event. It will also help you recreate a school-like learning environment at home so that your child can familiarize themselves with the situation at hand before approaching it in school.
5. Reward effort and not outcomes: If your child does not respond to outcome-based evaluations in school, chances are they will detest it at home. As a parent, you must move away from this technique by rewarding them for their efforts instead.
For instance, if your child has spent 30 minutes with a school-based activity, say, “good job on investing so much time and effort into your activity” instead of “good job, your activity looks great.”
The important thing is to always make sure learning is a desirable experience for your child. In school, it becomes very difficult for teachers to help students achieve that since they deal with it on such a large scale.
However, as parents, it is important for you to ensure that the home environment supports what schools don’t. Always remember that each child has different needs and that is true especially when it comes to their education.
Let us know what you think and give us feedback on our write up in the comments, or at [email protected].
We often confuse a child’s youth for their resilience. It is the year 2021 and a year and half into the global pandemic that forced the world to shift on its axis. While we have all lost precious time and experience to the pandemic’s siege, the one demographic that has had it worse, in terms of adaptation, is the student population.
Learning is an inherently social experience. While the prime objective of sending children to schools may be to improve their academic performances, there are other, very vital skills students pick up in school.
Children learn to reason, to socialise, to validate their opinions and interact with a diverse range of people in their learning environment that sets the stage for their adulthood. Children have lost out on all these over the pandemic.
Experts believe that there is scope for this generation of learners to be more anxious and fear riddled than the ones before and it is only natural since they have experienced a catastrophe of such a global nature.
Schools reopening around the world have transformed classrooms into dystopian film sets, abandoning the previous environment of group seating, conversations, and close interactions.
A school in South Korea opens classrooms with Covid protocols in place
Images have surfaced of classrooms following the covid upgrade with each desk shielded by a plastic case, students required to wear masks and large gaps in seating arrangements to avoid crowding and milling. Although we understand the necessity of safety measures, students may perceive this environment as stressful and intimidating.
As mentioned previously, learning is an inherently social experience with many children fulfilling their social needs at school through their teachers and classmates. Now with the mandate requiring fewer conversations interpersonally and teachers cutting down on instructional time by using digital tools, how best can we make the current situation the most optimum one?
At TagHive, we have a solution to this problem! We make classroom solutions that don’t break covid mandates by also making it a fun and safe space for children to come and enjoy their learning. Here’s how:
1. Clickers for the student Our clickers gather student responses in real-time, eliminating the need for verbal communication. The idea is to gamify teaching in such a manner that students are excited about giving their responses through a toy-like clicker system while also creating value for learning.
Our clicker in a school in South Korea after schools reopened with Covid protocols
2. Clickers for teachers Teachers can save a lot of time and energy by using the teacher clicker as a regulator in conducting sessions. Teachers can use the clicker to manoeuvre through the desktop app from a distance.
This reduces the amount of time teachers have to spend speaking; they can use it instead to conduct quizzes over the desktop app, engaging students and retaining student attention.
3. Reports Time spent on COVID protocols often overlooks the crucial element of report gathering. The new mandates are all physically and emotionally exhausting, leaving teachers with very little time to conduct quizzes and spot student lags quickly.
With Class Saathi, teachers can gather real-time evidence of student performance in the classroom as the system records student responses to quizzes instantly. Teachers can review both individual and class performances and take corrective action instantly. We, thereby reduce the burden on teachers by taking away one very daunting task off their list!
Self-study statistics by Class Saathi
4. Our features Who says there needs to be a sacrifice of group time in class with all the covid mandates? Our desktop app has group project and quiz features that allow students to interact with each other without breaking any protocols. What’s even cooler is that students can use the clickers to give real-time feedback to their peers, making the classroom as interactive if not exactly interactive as before.
5. Our fully malleable system Our product is so versatile that it can adapt to any environment seamlessly. The clever design of our system enables it to seamlessly integrate into any educational setting.
The thought is to make classrooms a less stressful experience for both students and teachers and we have managed to deliver on these promises even with covid being a surprise guest in this mix.
Our prime objective is to make classroom interaction a happy experience for all involved. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, parents worry about the safety of sending their children back to school, while teachers fear that new protocols will distract and stress students. Administrators express concerns that these combined factors will hinder student performance.
Class Saathi eliminates these worries by effectively addressing all concerns and ensuring students excel academically. For this reason, it has become a product of choice, especially in the post covid world, for schools in South Korea with over 750 schools trusting Class Saathi to keep students happy.
When schools in India are finally ready to re-open, we promise that our products will demand space in the learning environment. Want to see how? Mail us at [email protected] for a demonstration!
