“There is AI or Machine Learning in so many of the most popular websites, apps, and online tools – including the ones kids love! To understand, and to be safe in the modern world it’s so important for kids to know how computers can learn. It was great to be invited to join the Who Wants to Be a Twinner show and help the kids explore the world of AI in such a fun way.” Brendan Hills (Customer Engineer, Google Cloud)
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools were closed, upending children’s education across the globe. There on after, there’s been a ceaseless effort by educational institutions and parents, and everything in between, to identify and mitigate the issues brought on by the drastic changes to children’s school life and home life.
At Twin, we take this situation to heart – since our inception, our understanding of our role as an EdTech company has meant to us that we take active strides to becoming a leading member of the community, one that is committed to delivering a better education for the coming generations. With this in mind and being cognizant of the realities wrought on by the pandemic, Twin has taken concrete steps towards this goal by starting our STEM QUEST SHOWs in cooperation with Creative Futures Imperial College London and Royal Academy of Engineering. Every week, for a period of 12 weeks, we welcomed kids from around the world to spend an hour learning about science.
Who Wants to be a Twinner?
The idea behind STEM QUEST was to engage kids in fun and interactive activities while also teaching them about new fields within science. We welcomed kids from all over to join as our co-hosts, including from countries like Nigeria, United Kingdom, Turkey, Ghana, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, and many more. Each episode we reached over 200 students – all of which were joining our live Zoom sessions through our live chat.
We created a game-show type environment to encourage kids to speak up and be engaged in the Q&As while making sure to reiterate to those participating that the session was not a competition but a forum to discuss and explore new information and skills. Our co-hosts and moderators came from diverse backgrounds and were accompanied with years of experience in their fields, including years spent as educators. Throughout our interactive show, we asked questions about various fields of STEAM including physics, arts, zoology, space, and so much more! The kids were amazed to learn about all of these things and actively engaged in problem solving to figure out the how and why these things worked – and why they mattered.
Our team worked to find the most entertaining and suitable questions for kids aged between 8-13, but we were not alone! Thanks to our dream partners, Mr. Sunday, Kamini, Vargini and volunteers from Google, we came up with unique content each show. Volunteers from Google shared their work and knowledge on computer programming as well as artificial intelligence. Their insight and perspective of life inspired kids a lot, and their support was highly appreciated.
In each session we committed time to reflecting on what we learned and what we could do to continue discovering new things. A significant part of this discussion was talking about Twing, Twin’s flagship product, which is a free mobile app designed for children to discover scientific content using games and fun experiments. After each show we encouraged them to play and recreate STEAM experiments at home so they could share what they learned with us in the next session.
It was encouraging to see with each following episode kids came with renewed energy and sense of curiosity to discover more topics.
What’s Next?
The outreach we were able to accomplish through this show was very impactful. It was so successful that we were encouraged to continue the STEM QUEST into another season! Twin is committed to increasing its outreach, especially during these times. If you wish to join the upcoming season as a co-host send us an email ([email protected]).
Make sure you subscribe to our Youtube channel and follow us on Instagram to get the latest news. Until then, you can watch our very first season here:
“Really excited to see what’s going on a Twin Science Workshop. The children are all buzzing. They are all really excited for what they are doing. I think this is the future.”
In January 2020 our Twin Science team organized a workshop in cooperation with Knightsbridge School in London. The workshop itself was centered around exploring various fields of STEAM. With the students at Knightsbridge School, we designed a number of robotics projects with Twins Science Kits and LEGO® building blocks to learn how autonomous systems, namely self-driving cars, work.
What did we do?
Our team at Twin held a workshop with the brilliant students at the Knightsbridge School. There we met kids eager and excited play with our Science Kits and learn about robotics. The kids were assigned the task of designing and building an autonomous car. At first, the students were a little intimidated to be asked to do something like this, however, with some encouragement from our team and the prospects of accomplishing something so interesting, the students dove into the task at hand – and, well, they were amazed at what a little bit of critical and imaginative thinking could accomplish in just a handful of hours.
The Twin Autonomous Car Kit is the ideal way to introduce such interesting, yet complex concepts and technologies involved in the making of autonomous vehicles. Our team distributed the Autonomous Car Kit to groups of 4-5 students so they could review the informational sources and discover how the modules functioned and interacted with the LEGO® blocks contained inside the kit – this part really focusing on the science behind how our modules functioned. With the help of the kit’s instructions, a bit of creative thinking, and teamwork the kids were able to build the car’s structure. Each group showed just how many different ways the kit could be used, and after a number of trial and errors, each team was able to produce a fully functioning self-driving vehicle.
But it didn’t end there! After understanding the science behind creating the autonomous vehicles, it was time for the students to design and personalize their cars and “test drive” with their friends! The groups were encouraged to incorporate their own creative visions when designing their cars with LEGO® blocks (which are compatible with Twin Science Kits) and other materials! By the end of the workshop, the space was filled with excited students watching their home-made autonomous vehicles maneuvering around obstacles on their own!
What did we learn?
Besides the technology and the science behind the self-driving cars, kids developed an appreciation for teamwork. Though the objective of the workshop was to create a working autonomous vehicle, the underlying goal was to show the value of teamwork in achieving such feats. With some guidance and supervision from our team, the groups of students were cultivating a culture of open communication, cooperation and creativity – assembling their collective knowledge and proposing unique ideas all in order to complete the task. We saw that within each group, members were actively problem solving and taking the initiative to make the car. The students were beginning to learn that the greatest sources of knowledge were coming from themselves and from each other, in addition to the material provided in the kit. Our Twin team used this as a lesson to point out something important – that most often than not, the biggest and most important scientific discoveries in history were the result of teamwork and collaboration.
Another important takeaway for the students was asking them to reflect about their work and what they learned. We posed questions on how the students could improve their approach to challenges in the future; what kind mindset does it takes to tackle on tough problems? A big part of this discussion was discovering together that the challenges we face are actually opportunities to learn and grow. It was encouraging to see the students that had previously carried self-doubt within them gained confidence in themselves and their capabilities. By the end of the workshop, we had talked out the self-imposed barriers that the students were carrying with them before this event. After all, with Twin’s Autonomous Car Kit, the student did indeed discover how signals, DC motors and ultrasonic sensors worked by coding and learning the basics of programming. What an accomplishment!
“Coming to Twin Science workshop children are really engaged. They are really enjoying their new STEM activity.”
Katie Donkor (Head of Digital Learning, Knightsbridge School)
We would like to thank the Knightsbridge School for their partnership and contributing to our goal of spreading the joys of science. The Twin Science team thoroughly enjoyed working with the students and faculty and we hope to see them soon again!
Please watch our Youtube video here to see the work we did with Knightsbridge School!
Our Twin team strives to make every learning opportunity a success story! Our aim is to equip the coming generations with the right skills and values so they can excel and build a better future for themselves and the world. We accomplish this through our STEAM Kits and our Twing mobile app, along with STEM QUEST shows, and education workshops.
If you wish to have a workshop with us at your organization, please send us an email at: [email protected]
Each kid has a unique personality and they all follow different journeys for learning. However, their developments are similar in some parts. They all walk first then run! We came up with several tips that fit every age group for you. Remember not to compare kids with one another. This might demotivate them for their own interests since each kid is special in his/her own journey.
Pre-School
Let them make friends!
At the ages of 5-7, kids discover social groups and communication. Friendships gain high importance at this time of the development. They can discover what it means to be alone. Especially if they go to kindergarten they might experience this more than the other kids.
Boost their self confidence.
You can teach them how to take responsibilities by giving them small tasks. They can take the trash out or carry the keys when you go out. This way, they can have a high self esteem and grow up to be responsible adults.
Increase their attention span.
All these devices around them might have a negative impact on their focus. In order to increase their concentration span, you can develop games for memory or mathematics together. It is also nice to have a limit for electronic devices.
Let them run, let them jump!
Kids have a great energy at these ages. Do not put a barrier on their way of expressing their excitement. It is beneficial for them to do exercises at these ages for a healthy development. It might be tough to find areas to do sports in big cities. You can arrange weekly walks in such cases.
Improve their sleeping schedule.
Sleep has a great impact on healthy development of your kids. Make sure that they go to bed early so that they can get up early and have energy to start the day next morning.
Primary School
Encourage them to read more.
Your kids will learn how to read between 7-10. Maybe, they already learned it. It might be confusing to learn how to write and how to spell words. The best way to enhance this process is to read books. You can arrange reading hours every day as a family so that kids turn it into a habit at the early ages.
Help them discover themselves.
At these stages of life, your kids get to know more and more people. Friends are important to build an identity and feel belonging. Make sure to guide them softly these times. You can discover Twing for them to understand their area of interests. Twing is a free mobile application that serves hundreds of activities for kids to discover themselves.
Tell them rules with reasons.
As kids grow up, they learn the rules of society and how to implement them. At these times explain the idea behind each rule so that they understand why they need to obey these rules. This way, they can grow up to great citizens contributing to the world.
Middle School
Guide them during puberty.
Puberty makes a lot of changes physically and mentally in kids. Their perspectives of life develop at this stage and they start questioning abstract concepts such as love, faith and the meaning of life. You can guide them during these severe changes. Teach them how to cope with emotional up and downs.
Get a hobby.
Hobbies are beneficial for locating their energy and improving their attention span. Learn together what they like whether it is sports or arts. Having a hobby to spend some time on will surely help them relax.
Listen.
This stage is where the kids have emotional changes quickly with the start of puberty. Make sure you listen to their problems and stories. Provide them a medium where they can ask any question they have to you. Sharing is caring.
How do you think it would be if you had to go to school with a mask on your face in your childhood? Probably most of you will answer this with a clear “No.”. Just like you imagine, kids can be sad and nervous about the new normal period. Making sure that they can get through this period properly, parent-teacher relationships are crucial.
Understand each other’s perspectives of education
It might be tough for parents to start school this year. The risk of getting the disease and concerns about their children’s growth might be issues that take their time a lot. Such questions directed to teacher might also keep you busy for hours.
For teachers, a similar situation is valid. They did not know what a pandemic is when they were younger. It is a new experince for them as well parents. Besides, we know that they all missed their students a lot. They miss you too!
Now, it is time to cooperate in order to get through this situation as well as possible. The main idea is to understand how both parties think about the hybrid education system. This way, you can make sure that kids get the proper education besides developing themselves. We came up with 10 suggestions to guide you on this journey.
What can you do as a parent?
Share the information about your kid with his teachers.
Clearly state how you have been through the online education period. Tell them what you failed at.
Express how your kids seem to feel with online exams and homeworksç
Share your concerns about the whole period with them.
Never forget to make sure that you appreciate and respect the efforts of the teacher 🙂
What can you do as a teacher?
Ask the families and students about their concerns.
Share your experiences with them. Tell them what worked before and what didn’t.
Inform the parents with the true information you get from government officials.
Share online platforms that can encourage kids’ mental and emotional development with them.
Make sure you appreciate parents’ contributions to understand and help during this period.
You will go through a unique journey that no one has been before. Try to understand that it’s in your hands to make the most of it. Get as much learning from this period as possible. Twin is always here to guide you in good times and bad times. You can have a look at Twin Science Kits to add up a little bit of color to your homeschooling!
With homeschooling, kids spend a lot of time in front of the screen. We know many of you as parents are concerned about your children. We came up with 5 activities that do not require screen and teach one of the most important skills of the 21st century: CODING!
1- Morning Routine Practice
How to play: Get yourself a piece of paper and write down your morning routine. The keystone of algorithmic thinking is to break things down into steps. The game starts with the question of what everyone does when they wake up and what the order of this routine is.Think about having breakfast and washing your face. How does one pass from one activity to other one? It is the concept of transitions! How does one change these steps? In the end, kids should have a structure of their morning routine and understand how they can modify it. What you learn: Children will discover decomposition and transitions. They will learn how to break down a problem into smaller parts and define its pattern.
2- Teaching Robot Making Hot-dogs
How to play: Make a story about a robot just starting to work in a hot-dog restaurant. The kids are asked to teach the robot how to prepare these hot-dogs. Do not forget to mention that the robot is not a human, so it doesn’t know how to proceed with the food. They need to tell how they make a hot-dog. Then, you can ask them how they would tell these instructions to the robot. When they are ready, you can pretend to be the robot and make the hot-dogs according to their instructions. Let’s see if it tastes good. What you learn: Decomposition is an important term to understand coding. Breaking down a task into small tasks is the basics of code development.
3- Algorithm Cups
How to play: First of all, you need to print the piece below to start the game. The kids are asked to record their design on this printable. Give kids cups to start their design. They can use these cups later on to ensure that their algorithm is accurate. You should describe what each symbol means in the algorithm. They may use all of these symbols for their design. They will form their stack accordingly. What you learn: Children discover the concept of algorithms with this cup game.
4- Binary Messaging
How to play: Gather kids together and ask them to think of a secret message. Give them the ASCII code printable below. They need to transform their messages into ASCII codes as if they will store them in computers. Then, ask them to change their messages between one another. Now, they need to understand the message stored in their friend’s computer. Let’s see who is the fastest! What you learn: Children will learn how information is stored in computers as binary values.
5- If…, Then…
How to play: In this game, one of the kids determines the actions of the others. For example, if he looks at them they need to stand still. If he raises his left arm, they need to dance. Children all agree on these signals and the game starts. This way, kids pretend like computers. They obey the rules as if they are the commands pressed. The command makes them do the related move. The list of moves is endless! What you learn: Children will learn “If-Then” cause structure of coding. This is the logic that all computers were built on. Kids will discover how commands result in programming.
Technology is in every part of our lives including schools. There are many devices that can enhance the education for students. Such tools make it fun and more engaging for kids to learn while making it easier for teachers to teach and track their lessons. We came up with 5 classroom technologies you can adopt to your own lectures.
1- Smart Boards
The smart board technologies are evolving day by day and they are getting more popular. It is for sure that using smart boards is easier than white boards. With one click, you are able to clean the whole page in one second. The amazing feature that these boards have is the recording. Whatever you write or draw, you are able to record it and send it to your students or keep for yourself. Some boards are even able to turn a digital market line into a tangible visual element. For teachers, these smart boards are incredible tools for an easy, fast and colorful teaching experience. Students also enjoy these digital boards a lot.
2- Tablets, Laptops
The students of the 21st century live with their tablets and laptops. They play games or complete their homeworks with them. Many countries let students use their electronic devices in classrooms. Kids use them in order to take notes or to find the answer of a question that comes to their minds. These portable devices are easy to use compared to carrying 4-5 notebooks. These devices and apps are developed to function better regarding educational purposes.
3- Online Tools
With the growing edtech trends, many online tools are developed to make the classroom experience better. These apps or websites serve gamification to prepare a fun and fruitful learning environment. Quizzes are quite boring for children. You can use Kahoot to enhance competition and enjoy them more! Additionally, it might be tough for kids to ask questions during lectures. Use Google Forms and let them ask their questions anonymously.
4- Cameras
Cameras might be really useful devices for teachers. A camera that records the lesson can give a teacher an idea about how he performs. While teaching, it might not be easy to evaluate which words, which topics or which behaviours attract kids’ attention. A record of the lecture is a good tool for teachers to do self assessment.
5- Activity Kits
For kids of the Gen Z, reading and writing are not enough to engage with the concepts they learn. They want to discover these concepts with hands-on experiments. The best tool to enhance their learning is to provide them activity kits. For arts, you can buy a small but comprehensive instruments kit or a painting set. The whole class can share and enjoy being the owners of an artwork. For science, you can buy a robotics kit and develop your own cars and robots easily. Twin Science Kits have different options that might appeal to your students’ interests.
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