Significance Of Libraries For Knowledge Dissemination

The word library means a collection of books. A place where a very large number of books are stored is known as a library. The practice of storing books in libraries is as old as ancient times. In libraries books are generally stored in shelves made of wood or metal. The shelves are classified on the basis of various academic fields like arts, commerce and science.

Modern libraries also store newspapers, magazines, movie DVD's and also provide internet facilities to their members. Cognita Independent Schools stack some of the finest resources in their libraries for students to benefit from. Library provides access to its books, periodicals and DVD's to the general people in return for a fixed monetary amount. The membership could be for a certain period of time like half yearly or yearly. Certain libraries also provide lifetime membership to their employees. Schools, colleges and universities also possess wonderful libraries whose facilities are enjoyed by the students and faculty members.

Some of the most important features of libraries are:

1. Access to a large amount of books, DVD's and periodicals- Purchasing a large number of books and DVD's would prove to be a costly affair. Libraries provide access to a large quantity of material to its members at a very low cost. A member is literally the owner of all the material available in the library. He can get a book or a DVD issued for a certain number of days and returns it after having read or watched it. This allows people from economically weaker sections of society to enjoy facilities which they would not have been able to afford.

2. Helpful for students and professionals- Libraries are extremely beneficial for students and professionals. Students can get books issued related to their field of learning easily and at lesser costs. Similarly professionals can have access to a large number of books related to their profession. This can help in improving their professional efficiency and taking them to new heights. Cognita Schools continuously strive to inculcate reading habits among the students to broaden their perspective about various subjects.

3. Help in fulfilling hobbies- People with high intellect are generally interested in either science or literature or both. Libraries provide easy access to books related to these fields. Libraries are generally full of science books, novels and poetry books. Libraries also enthrall sports lovers by providing access to sports magazines and biographies of great sportsmen. Movie buffs can also spent their time in a leisurely manner by watching movies issued from library.

4. Encourage reading habit in young children- Most of the libraries have a separate children's section. The children's section is generally full of children's novels, comics, general science and sports books. Libraries help in inculcating a reading habit in children from an early age. That is why schools like Cognita maintain excellent libraries for their students.

6 Benefits of Imparting Physical Education in Schools

It is said that health is wealth. People with good health generally live longer and enjoy their life more than people who suffer from health problems. Good health is also linked with good performance in studies and efficiency in work. Many young children around the world suffer from obesity. Schools can play a key role in ensuring good health by including physical education as a part of their academic syllabus. Physical education plays a key role not only in ensuring good health but also in the development of a strong and positive personality. The advantages of including physical education as a part of the academic syllabus are:

1) It ensures physical fitness
During the physical education periods, the students have to participate in various exercises and outdoor sports like cricket, basketball, football etc. Participating in these sports helps in improving physical stamina, strength and endurance.

2)  Aids in controlling diseases
People who participate in sports and exercises during their young age don't suffer from health problems like obesity in their later years. Obesity is the main cause behind heart ailments and cancer. In the physical education books knowledge regarding foods and drinks which are beneficial for health is imparted. Similarly foods and drinks which should be avoided like fried food, alcohol, cold drinks which must be avoided are also mentioned in physical education books. So physical education makes a child aware of the advantages and disadvantages of various dietary products at an early age.

3) Presents sports as a career option
In the modern world there is cut throat competition when it comes to attaining good jobs on the basis of your academic qualifications. Every person would not be able to make a lucrative career on the basis of his academic qualifications. Physical education helps in attracting a child towards sports and opens sports as a career option for him or her. Most of the great sportsmen in the world were introduced to their favorite sport by their physical education instructors. The leading sportsmen around the world not only earn millions but also earn great fame and name. Most of the leading sportsmen are remembered even after their death. Cognita schools are known for encouraging young children to take up sports.

4) It promotes academic learning.
The physical education period provides a welcome relief to the students in between their academic learning. It helps in refreshing their mind and removes mental fatigue. This allows the students to concentrate better in their later academic periods. That is why schools like Cognita duly concentrated on sports and athletic activities.

5) Promotes team spirit and discipline
Sports are all about team spirit and discipline something which Cognita independent schools inculcate among children. In team sports you have to at times make up for the failure of others. Similarly there would be occasions when others will make up for your failure. This helps in building team spirit. Sportsmen have to undergo regular fitness regimes, attend training sessions and follow a dietary regimen. This makes a person disciplined.

6) Helps in development of  sportsman spirit
In sports one day you emerge victorious, another day you lose. You succeed one day and fail another day. One day, you are a hero, another day you will be condemned. All these experiences help in forming a balanced approach in life. People who have participated in sports don't get depressed by failures and criticism. They also don't get overjoyed by success and appreciation. This prevents them from becoming complacent during happier times and sadistic during tough times.

Empower By Getting Educated

Education is among the most important activities in a person's life. After food, clothing, shelter and air it is the most important necessity. In fact there is hardly any difference between an uneducated person and an animal. Like an animal an uneducated person can only do labour work, eat and sleep whereas highly educated people work at prestigious positions. Educated people are treated with immense respect in society. All the great men that appeared on earth in flesh and blood were highly educated people.

All the great inventions of science like electricity, cars, television, internet, mobile phones etc. which have made human life comfortable were made by highly educated people. All the great leaders, nation builders and visionaries were highly educated people. Most of the ingenious entrepreneurs who set up vast business empires which played a key role in the economic development of their nations were highly educated people. All the great men of literature who produced great novels, plays and poetry were highly educated people. Cognita Schools are renowned for imparting quality education.

Some of the advantages of being educated are:

1. An essential human attribute
A man is nothing without education. However rich and good looking a person might be, but without education he would still be lacking in confidence. Education makes a person complete and         Cognita independent schools fosters comprehensive education.
 
2. Helps in building social status
A man is known in society mainly by his educational qualifications and professional status. So a man's social status depends entirely on his education. Everyone enjoys the company of an educated and knowledgeable man. People with high social status can enjoy the company of elite class people.

3. Refines a person
Well educated people are generally refined and sophisticated in their behavior and mannerisms. Their cultured behavior attracts other people towards them. They can also enlighten other people with their knowledge and wisdom.

4. Keeps a person away from superstitions and false beliefs
Illiterate people generally believe in many superstitions and false beliefs. Due to their ignorance they are easily duped by unscrupulous elements. Most of the developing countries around the world where the illiteracy rate is high suffer from problems like poverty, unemployment, overpopulation and disease. Whereas developing countries with high literacy rate don’t suffer from any such problems.

5. Makes a person self-reliant and independent
Education allows a person to earn his or her livelihood and live independently. While an uneducated person mostly dependents on others for sustenance. Thus education provides a person the chance to live with dignity and independence.  

6. Helps in building economic status
Educated people work in prestigious designations with lucrative remuneration. A lucrative salary helps in enjoying not only the necessities but also the luxuries of life.

Organizational Characteristics of Schools

The move to create an alternative form of education has readily gained momentum in different parts of the world. The number of alternate schools like street academies, international schools, primary schools, open universities etc has successfully established and continues to increase. These alternate schools differ from the traditional schools on the basis of various organizational differences consisting of the way the students are grouped, the arrangement of these groups in schools and the instructional techniques adopted and implemented by the school staff.  The alternative schools vary by the flexibility they have in student grouping or by the absence of the organizational constraints in free schools. While technique adoption and implementation varies in different schools, let’s chart down the different organizational characteristics of such schools and how it impacts the student performance:
Procedure of student enrolment: The public schools have absolutely no terms and conditions for the student enrolment, while the private and independent schools check student’s background, abilities etc before enrolment. Though, such selection criteria are deemed as unfair by many, but on the brighter side, it provides your child with a regulated environment comprising of the students with similar tastes and abilities.

Physical Organization: As traditional schools provide with the series of equal sized classrooms, the learning tends to get monotonous. While the teachers rotate, the students are confined to a single classroom throughout the day. Thus, understanding its negative implications, the alternate schools like Cognita Schools, provide the students with different class room sizes and shape, thus keeping the students interested and entertained.
Grouping techniques: The traditional schools group the students as per the horizontal and vertical criteria. The vertical criteria are the grades that they attain and the horizontal criterion is their age. Thus, this restricts student interactions and wrongfully categorizes them. The alternate schools on the other hand provide the flexibility of choice to the students. For e.g. if a student wants to pursue an advance course, they can do so with an older students. In present times more educational institutes and schools including Cognita are trying to create conducive learning environment for students with better techniques.

How Technology Expands Learning Ability In Classrooms?

We stress the word ‘Electronic’ because it can be seen seeping into every thing in the present era. This digital revolution has changed the perspectives of young generation completely. Be it cell phones, digital cameras, tablets, laptops or computers. The 2G’s are moving to 3G’s and to 4G’s at a very frantic pace making children more technology oriented than their parents were.

If we start from a very simpler level, we find out that students are no more into paper work; they submit assignments and all such documents online. If students are enjoying this technical environment the teachers are enjoying there roles too in creating technology oriented education.  There has been remarkable advancement in this field too. Let’s throw some light on some promising techniques that teachers can use to improve their way of teachings:

·         Presentations: Sometimes it turns boring to just work with manual assignments and listening lectures. So you can allow your students to prepare presentations for their peer groups. Tell them to present on their favourite topic, this way they will be confident in delivering the presentation and the other peer groups will listen if someone of their age will teach them. You can tell your students to use pictures and animations in the presentations so as to make them interesting.

·         E- libraries: Some of the schools also offer interactive environments by providing a special area for video conferencing and I pad reading. This is the easy way by which children can have access to all the things going on world wide. This technology integrated curriculum has raised ability’s of students to use technology effectively. More and more schools including Cognita are making use of innovative technologies to enhance learning ability of children.

· Electronic White board: These interactive white boards are excellent tool in imparting education to plenty of students in one go. It increases the scope of flexibility and imaginative lesson planning in the classroom. According to researches it has been analysed that children grasp visual things quickly than the things they hear. Such boards capture the attention of learners and enables teachers to use internet with the whole class. This makes the teaching process simplified and quick.

· Distance teaching: This technological wave is now driving remarkable changes in the ways of teaching and education. The electronic performance support systems are helping education providers to expand the horizons of teaching. These computer based devices helps students a lot to learn new things from the comforts of their classrooms.

Perhaps some people may think that these new methods of teaching can seldom replace the conventional methods but the fact not be denied that electronic tools make the classes more efficient, interesting, informative, appealing and easy. Most of the good schools like Cognita school and City of London School have already incorporated these activities in their curriculum and are creating brilliant minds each day.

Benefits Of Independent Schools

Independent schools are often characterized as an educative luxury.  Its difference from the public schools can be easily marked with the world class infrastructure and high level of education it provides. Being self funded and governed, these independent schools do not have to rely on the state or federal government to stay funded. They in turn accept donations or charge for the tuitions to meet their ends. Furthermore, there are few advantages of such schools which are not dependant on government for its funds, which are as follows: -

     Independent schools offer a year round world class education. They are carefully budgeted with the money they have or will receive from the benefactors while the public schools are dependent on the government funds. During the slow economies, they get deprived of the basic funds as it’s the tax money that they run on. Thus, there can be unexpected cuts which may restrict the subject variety for the students.

    Their self dependency proves to be advantageous in the extra curricular field as well. Since independent schools have the control on their budget, they can provide students with many extra-curricular options.  Schools like Cognita put an extra effort to create that edge in your child through these extra-curricular activities. This facilitates in all round development of your child and gives additional skills to reflect in their college applications. As, now days colleges look for extra skills in their applicants apart from academic excellence.

    Thirdly, the salaries offered by the Cognita independent schools are attractive with huge benefits involved. In addition, as they have a well structured budget, the chances of unexpected cuts are also low. Thus, more and more experienced teachers opt for independent schools over the public ones. The teachers in independent schools are experienced and well learned than the college graduates who apply in public schools out of their job desperation.

    Independent schools are your best option if your child has special learning needs. The student-teacher ratios in such schools like Cognita Schools are so low that it readily facilitates the students with one on one interaction with the teachers. The public schools on the other hand cannot regulate the student intake and usually end up with the teacher student ratio of 1-70. This way your child ends up being apart of a huge class and misses the direct interactions.