How does a student benefit by taking NCO ?

Participants of NCO are ranked on the basis of marks obtained. Hence, after taking the first level of the test, students can judge themselves academically at four different levels - within the school, at city and state level, and above all at International level. Finally students are suitably awarded based on their international ranking. Prizes include cash prizes, computers, medals, CD’s, etc.. The prizes for the first 3 toppers of each class are awarded at a grand prize distribution ceremony presided over by an eminent personality. Rest of the prizes are either sent to the schools or can be collected from the Foundation’s office after announcement. State level prizes are also being initiated to award state toppers.

Who all are eligible to sit for the NCO?

Students of classes 2nd to 12th are eligible to appear for the NCO. There is no other eligibility criterian like minimum marks. The top 500 All-India ranked students of the first round from each class and 10 state toppers class wise are eligible to appear in the 2nd level online / offline exam.

I am interested to take part in the NCO. Tell me how will I come to know about the details of the exam?

All the relevant information is sent to the schools all over the country along with prospectus, registration forms and posters before the first round and then as the date and venue of the second level is decided, the information is sent to the relevant schools again. The students come to know about the necessary details from their school teachers or through the Foundation's official website www.sofworld.org

Myself and few of my friends are interested to take part in the NCO but our school has not yet received any information regarding the Olympiad. What do we do?

Let us know the complete address of your school. We will send detailed information and registration forms to your School so that your Principal / Computer Teacher can register your names for the exam.

What is the syllabus for the NCO?

The syllabus of the NCO is the Computers and Mathematics syllabus as is prescribed by the CBSE, ICSE or various state boards. If you sit for the second level and have moved onto the next class, the syllabus will remain the same (i.e. of the previous class). The syllabus is also posted on the Foundation’s website.

Are there any special books which the participants should refer to for the NCO preparation?

There are no special books as such. In general, NCERT books/course books prescribed by the CBSE/ICSE/STATE BOARDS are sufficient for the preparation. Your computer curriculum book is good enough to prepare you for NCO. MTG NCO Class wise Workbooks contain useful matter including exercises and previous years paper of NCO.

My school does not want to register for the NCO, but I am very eager to write the exam. Can I do it on my own?

SOF does not encourage individual participation. Students have to register through their schools only.

I have already appeared for the NCO while I was in a lower class? Can I appear again?

Definitely yes. This will give you an opportunity to improve your previous rankings, and if you are successful in doing so, you will again be eligible for certificates and prizes.

My school has already despatched the registration form. I am left out and I want to register myself for the NCO...

You can request your school authority to send your exam relevant details and fee immediately to us. We accept it if it reaches us before the last date of registration (usually 4 weeks before the exam).

I am going to write the NCO for the first time. Can I get sample papers?

Sample Papers are sent to all the registered schools. SOF website also contains these papers (link for NSO / NCO / IMO). Sample papers sent to the schools prior to the first level test are helpful and can be used for both levels of NCO.

for more Visit SOF

Before you have children, you have a certain set of responsibilities, but you don’t have anywhere near the same type of worries that a parent has. The minute a child enters your life, you suddenly realize how fragile the world is and how easily you could lose the child that you brought into this world. For some parents, the fear of losing their child is enough to stop them from allowing their child to experience anything new, such as a high school student exchange.

The fear can consume parents, but the reality is that if you prevent your children from doing the things that they long to do, especially safe things such as a high school student exchange, you are taking them away from the experiences that could shape their future dramatically. If you’re worried about letting your children become high school exchange students, there are a few things that you should know. The Family

The families that are chosen for a high school student exchange are, for the most part, your average, everyday families. When a family decides that they want to host an exchange student, there is a process that they have to go through in order to be considered a qualified family. If they have not gone through the process, which includes a great deal of paperwork and an inspection, they are not allowed to host a student. The safety of the student is the most important thing for any high school student exchange program, and they are going to make sure that whatever family takes care of your student will do so as well as they possibly can.

Your Child

Many parents are concerned that, just like a child’s first sleepover, the student will get to the foreign country and will decide that they don’t want to stay the required amount of time. Unlike that first sleepover, it’s almost impossible to go and retrieve your child, especially if you don’t have the financial resources to afford a trip to Germany, Italy or wherever they may be. If you support your child and keep in contact with them, they should be able to handle the separation as well as, if not better than, you can.

There are many reasons that most parent can come up with as to why their children shouldn’t become high school exchange students, but the truth is that most high school exchange students get so much out of their experiences abroad that you should tear down the excuses and allow your child to enjoy experiencing the world.

High School Students Drinking Fewer Sodas

One quarter of US high school pupils are drinking one soda every day, fewer than in the past, says a new report issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The authors explained that water, fruit juices and milk are considerably more popular among teenagers than sodas.

The report, titled " Beverage Consumption Among High School Students - United States, 2010," involved 11,429 nationally representative high-school students from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS). The report appears in the CDC's publication MMWE (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report).

The students completed a questionnaire, which among other things asked how often they had consumed the following drinks during the previous seven days: energy drinks, regular sports drinks, diet soda (or pop), regular soda (or pop), 100% fruit juices, milk, and other SSBs (sugar-sweetened beverages).

However, when other sweetened drinks are included, such as Gatorade, approximately two-thirds of high school students have at least one per day. Towards the end of the 1990s over three-quarters of teenagers had one sugary drink each day.

US health authorities and health care professionals have long linked the country's high childhood obesity rates to the consumption of sugary beverages.

29% of American teenagers consumed at least one soda a day in 2009, compared to 24% in 2010, the authors reported.

Some experts wonder whether teenagers are underreporting their soda consumption. Among young people today there is much better awareness regarding the health consequences of over-consuming sodas.

Below are some facts from the study:

72.4% drink a serving of water daily

16% have a sweetened sports drink each day

17% have a flavored milk, sweetened tea, or some other kind of sugary drink each day

African-American teenagers tend to consume more sugary beverages than their Caucasian or Hispanic peers do

Boys on average consume more sugary drinks that girls

42% consume at least one glass of milk each day

15% have a minimum of one cup of coffee or tea each day

7% have at least one diet soda each day

30% have a 100% pure fruit juice each day

The authors write that 100% fruit juices and milk are sources of key nutrients, such as vitamin C, calcium, as well as water. On the other hand SSBs have very poor nutritional value, and are only really seen as a source of water. SSBs are the single largest source of added sugars in the diet of young Americans.

The report urges parents, schools and youth-oriented institutions to take measures to reduce SSB consumption by teenagers, while at the same time encouraging them to consume healthier drinks.

The authors inform that water, low-fat, or fat-free milk are healthy drinks. 100% fruit juices are too if low amounts are drunk. They add that according to the American Academy of pediatrics, children should avoid routinely drinking sports drinks. 

"Beverage Consumption Among High School Students - United States, 2010"

Nancy D. Brener, PhD, Caitlin Merlo, MPH, Danice Eaton, PhD, Laura Kann, PhD, Div of Adolescent and School Health, Sohyun Park, PhD, Heidi M. Blanck, PhD, Div of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. Corresponding contributor: Nancy D. Brener

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) June 17, 2011 / 60(23);778-780

Written by Christian Nordqvist 

Copyright: Medical News Today 

INNOVATIVE METHODS OF PROMOTING READING IN PRE-PRIMARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.  ~Charles W. Eliot

We're always telling children that books and reading are good for them,

but have we ever really thought about the learning outcome of reading ? 

Does reading matter ? According to me, it's true, reading really is

important, and that there are some solid reasons why that is so. Let's

begin with the practical benefits of reading supplemented by real-life examples from my pre-primary and primary schools.

·        Books help children develop vital language skills.

Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children.

Not only is it necessary for survival in the world of schools, but in adult life as well. The ability to learn about new subjects and find helpful information on anything depends on the ability to read.

The more children read, the better they become at reading. It's as

simple as that. The more enjoyable the things they read are, the more

they'll stick with them and develop the reading skills. Reading should be

viewed as a pleasurable activity - as a source of entertaining tales

and useful and interesting factual information.

Being in the field of education for so many years and being associated with so many educationists, I have observed that the more the young children 

are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading.

I would like to highlight some of the innovative methods that we follow in 

schools for promoting reading in primary classes.

·        Class Library

The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television.  ~Andrew Ross

Each section maintains a class library with the collection of age appropriate selected books which may include fiction, non-fiction, classics, poetry, 

encyclopedias, biographies, etc. Reading books from the class library has 

opened doors to factual information in different subjects and gives them an easy access to books.

·        Reading Time

Amity strongly believes that ‘reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body’ and so we have made reading an integral part of our curriculum by 

following ‘Reading Hour’ every Thursday between 7:50 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. 

wherein everyone in the school including the teachers and children indulge 

in reading books.

·        Book Review

Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.  ~James Russell Lowell

It is a ritual for every class to make a presentation in the assembly in which book review holds a place of vital importance. A presentation is made on 

the book eliciting its key points like author, interesting characters and 

incidents and moral values thereby acquired. This helps in promoting and 

popularizing books amongst similar age group.

·        Reader’s Club

One of the USPs of Amity is the introduction of Reader’s Club where a 

parent or a grandparent reads a story aloud which provides a great opportunity for children to socialize and to give a full run to their imagination.

·        Various activities in library

* Quiz on books and authors

*  Creating magazines and newspapers containing self-composed articles.

*  Summarizing the story books read in the library.

·        Book Allowance

*  Setting aside a book allowance is an excellent idea. Even if the allowance allows for the purchase of one paperback book or magazine a week, you would motivate your child to develop the reading habit.

·        Incentives

* At home  Praise your child for completing a long or a difficult book

* At school  To announce the best reader of the week.

‘Let books be your dining table,

And you shall be full of delights

Let them be your mattress

And you shall sleep restful nights.’

Hence we come to the conclusion that reading provides children with endless 

hours of fun and entertainment and acts as a lifelong source of pleasure and 

learning.

With all the homeschool curriculum choices, the lesson designs, the organization, the planning of the calendar, you know, putting the whole homeschool program together, the time involved, my goodness the time involved, the area of schooling that can not be overlooked is teaching the kid to read. Get them to create lovely reading habits. Reading is the lynch pin of all schooling. When a kid masters reading and gains an enjoyment of this powerful skill, they have built a foundation on which they can learn any subject. When you have learned to read, you explore any subject your mind takes you to. Give it some thought, reading is the basis for understanding any subject matter. Even learning arithmetic is based on the ability to read each chapter and it is instructions. Reading and comprehension is a must. Even beyond the classroom, reading instructions on operating or assembling something, to navigating with a map involves this skill.

"Encourage" is the only word that kids understand. Everyone likes to be praised for successes they have. Your kid is no different. Teaching reading is no different.

In case you are having trouble getting your kid interested in reading, try first to find out what interests them. What you think they ought to have an interest in may not be what they are necessarily interested in. Early on, take them to the library and watch what section and types of books they gravitate to. Keep in mind, I said watch. No need to recommend. 

Also, often overlooked when working with babies and reading is the shortage of vocabulary development. Be sure to merge vocabulary building with their reading and match the kid's vocabulary level with the books you need them to explore. Lots of times babies get discouraged from reading because they get frustrated by not knowing the meaning of words. Vocabulary building is fun and can be comic. Taking words and putting them in to comic and ridiculous sentences helps the kid learn.

Reading is a foundation worth building. A foundation that carries the kid through all subjects, and all their life. Take some time to know how to teach reading. It is a lovely investment.

Making effective presentations in the classroom takes practice, but with some tips you are easily ready for the challenge. 

1. Know you topic

Students usually want to charge right in and start using the presentation software immediately. Do the research first and know your material. Think through what you will present before beginning the project on the computer. Creating the slide show is the easy part. The best classroom presentations are created by people who are comfortable with what they are going to talk about.

2.Use key phrases on the subject

Good presenters use key phrases and include only the most important. Your theme can be huge, but choose only three or four points and made several times during the presentation in the classroom. 

3.Avoid Using Too Much Text on the Slide

One of the biggest mistakes students make presentations in the classroom, is in writing your entire speech on the slides. The presentation is intended to accompany their oral presentation. Written in the form of taking notes, known as bullet points on slides. Use simple language and limit the number of three or four bullets per slide. The space around it will be easier to read.

4.Limit the Number of Slides

Too many slides in a presentation will rush to get through them, and your audience may end up paying more attention to the slide in exchange for what he is saying. On average, one slide per minute is about right on a class presentation.

5.Slide Layout is important 

Make your slides easy to follow. Put the title at the top where your audience expects. The sentences should be read left to right and from top to bottom. Keep important information at the top of the slide. Often, the lower portions of the slides can not be seen in the back rows, because the heads are on the road.

6. Avoid Fancy Fonts 

Choose a font that is simple and easy to read like Arial, Times New Roman or Verdana. You can have a very cool font on your computer, but save for other uses. Do not use more than two different sources - one for headings and another for content. Keep all fonts large enough (at least 18 points and, preferably, pt 24) for people in the back of the room will be able to read easily.

7.Use contrasting colors for text and background 

Dark text on a light background is best. This combination provides greater visibility. Sometimes, however, you may want a dark background for effect, to dazzle the crowd. In that case, make sure that the text of a light color for easy reading in a class presentation. 

The text is often hard to read on textured or patterned backgrounds. 

Keep your color scheme consistent throughout your presentation in the classroom. 

8. Try a slide design template to maintain the consistent look 

When using a design template, choose one that does not detract from its presentation in the classroom. Try before time to ensure that the text is readable and the graphics are not lost in the background.

9.Use animations and transitions with restraint in classroom presentations 

Let's be realistic. Students love to implement animations and transitions of each place they can. This will certainly be entertaining, but the public rarely pays attention to the message of the presentation. 

Apply animations to graphics to make a point, not entertain. Using an animation preset system applies to action titles and points, holding the slide show consistent and interesting. Remember, the slide show is a visual aid and not the objective of the class presentation.

It is not news that iPods have a large following and can be literally everywhere. But is it right for use in the classroom? (Educators everywhere collective sigh and shake their heads in disapproval.) 

It is quite obvious that students read more (if not entirely) to the iPod that allowed at school, while most educators unequivocally ban. Let's see how everything is weighed out and get a glimpse of ourselves, if our children should not take them to school. 

Cons: 

a. Teachers resent that students might be too distracted and unable to listen to them while carrying out their lessons in class. 

b. Students can download multimedia files pornography or inappropriate and take them to school where other students may be affected. 

c. iPod can be used as a tool for cheating. Some teachers have heard students planning to download the formulas for math tests and the like. 

d. iPod could be a target for theft. 

e. Some educators worry that students are isolated and antisocial. Instead of tuning into other people, who are left on and tuned in themselves. 

f. Students can become so absorbed in listening to music that can be adjusted completely to what is happening around them, causing unnecessary setbacks. 

g. Students could be playing his music too loud and could damage your hearing. 

Pros: 

a. Students find that listening to music calms down and improve in school work. 

b. It gives students something to do when there is no downtime at school, or on the bus to or from school. (Watch a movie or an educational video, perhaps?) 

c. Students are able to show their individuality by the type of music they hear. 

d. Students agree not to become antisocial, in fact, believe it is a good way to connect with peers, to share their music with them (since there are two headphones from a friend.) 

e. iPod can be used to record lectures in class and heard in the review of the exams. This is also favorable when the teacher speaks too fast, you can only rewind and listen again. 

f. There are no educational podcasts that students can tune to help them in their learning. 

g. Students can install educational applications, such as dictionaries, Bibles, and calculators eliminating added bulk to their backpacks / lockers. 

h. Audio lessons can be heard before the class allowing students more time to work during class. 

i. May be more beneficial for teachers (who has been teaching the same lesson over and over again) to record your podcast and lesson. Thus not be lost, including important points in your topic. 

j. recorded lessons can be shared with students who are absent. 

k. Podcast lessons are much more accurate instead of reviewing the notes. 

The great debate continues about which students have to wear school uniforms? There is no definitive answer, because everything depends on the beliefs of people. There are benefits for some children who wear uniforms and disadvantages for others.

The main reason for the schools in the United States decides not to allow their students to wear their own clothes is because of the gangs. Have a uniform stop displaying gang colors and clothing. Schools are also thought to help stop violence and helps instill a sense of pride in students. It also helps break down barriers between different socioeconomic groups.

Some views taken from a message board on the subject:

"I feel that we have with the uniform. This is an example of the school. It represents the community. It is easy to point to different people. There will be more fights / bullly 's due to the lack of "fashion." "

"Many schools throughout the U.S. force students grades kindergarten through twelve to wear uniforms. Students who attend public schools should not have to wear uniforms for four reasons.

1. School uniforms inhibit students individuality. Young people often express their feelings through the clothes they wear. Uniforms remove this form of expression. Why should school districts try to make everyone look the same?

2. A school uniform policy inhibits a student's freedom of choice. Schools teach students that our country is free. But when the school board that students use what they say as well - that limits the freedom of students.

3. There is the question of costs. Many parents store their children's clothes at discount stores used . Uniforms can cost more money these families could afford. In addition, these students would have to buy clothes for use after school and weekends. That is double the amount of money a family would spend than they would without the uniforms.

4. The last reason I do not like the idea of school uniforms is comfort. Students enjoy comfortable clothing to school. Uniforms are not necessarily comfortable. In addition, wearing a uniform can make students uncomfortable with people outside of school do not have to wear a uniform.

If you want individuality, freedom and convenience for students, keeping costs down for families, we should not have a school uniform policy for students attending public schools. "

"In my opinion, right up to the year 11 students / children should have to wear school uniform, to stop all arguments about who has the latest fashions, etc.