Power of disconnecting and doing nothing- Lawrence School

When was the last time you spent a day without the T.V or the phone or the computer? A day? It's impossible to be away even for an hour, you say. Even the tiny tots now play video games on the phone to 'pass time'. We are so addicted to screen time that we find it difficult to think of alternate ways of entertainment, should we be freed (god forbid!) of our gadgets.

How many kids today play with blocks or stare into the pictures in their book? They are constantly fed with outside stimulation and rarely know how to spend time alone, much less in a productive way. There is so much of activity stuffed into their schedule that they display withdrawal symptoms when none of the fast-faced accessory in life is made available to them.

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Take the kids out to a park, let them play in the sand, make castles, break bridges; let them be. Allow them to feel the warm sun on their skin without rushing them, teach them the pleasures of walking, strolling small distances and observing life as they see. Encourage them to describe their surroundings. Help them spot the various insects, birds that you may encounter on a vacation to a hill-station.

Which brings us to the point of taking a vacation or break periodically in a year. It need not be a long and/or expensive one. Just a couple of days spent in the nature will help you and the kids rejuvenate. And, most importantly, do not encourage the use of any gadget during the vacation!

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/  

Top reasons why social media is good for the student - Lawrence High School

We are aware of enough reasons why young children, especially, students should keep away from the internet and social media. However, since they already spend a considerable amount of time on these anyway, maybe it’s a good idea to turn that into a positive idea. Here are topmost reasons how the use of social media can actually benefit:

It’s all about connections: We all know that having a Facebook or twitter account is the easiest way to get connected to people within and outside your group and social circle. There is a high possibility of interaction and resultant exchange of relevant news and information from circles with the same area of academic or career interests.

Networking helps: building connections leads to building networks and this is an age where networking is sometimes more important than the skills themselves. The kind of opportunities that fall your way can depend a lot on how you sell and promote yourself.

Instant exchange of data: if the school encourages it, the teachers could set up a virtual platform where notes, lectures, and relevant research articles on a particular subject can be posted and shared across the student community. This will enable better and active interaction from the students who have the unique advantage of not having to miss any of the important data.

Support groups: students with unique interests or with a particular learning problem find it difficult to find support in the real world. However it is easy to find online support groups to connect with people with similar interests or problems. 

Social-skills: while it may sound ironical, effective communication via Linkedin or Facebook is actually a key asset to place oneself in the right place at the right time. Key contacts can be found and developed, so this is a skill that should not be taken lightly.

Lawrence School believes in bringing modernity and relevance to education while holding on to core educational values. Do visit our website at http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ for regular updates on the school activities.

The need to switch off - Lawrence High School

We have come a long way in the world of technology in terms of being connected. Those were the days of landline telephones and snail mails. The walkie-talkies, then the mobile phones and then the internet caught up with us and enveloped us all in a single enormous wave. We cannot function without google, Facebook and WhatsApp now.

While, the technology did bring in a lot of good, somewhere the social behavior in the real sense is being eroded, especially with young children and the teenagers. These have fallen prey to the technology in a not-so-positive way. Socializing has taken a new meaning for these youngsters, wherein they are extremely comfortable carrying on lengthy conversations with a stranger on the internet but clam up or turn into a recluse in real life.

Many youngsters can be seen poring over their smart-phones (who carries a basic cell phone these days?!) updating their Facebook statuses or chatting or browsing the net. Even when in the company of close family members, they seem uncomfortable to part with their gadgets. A pending online presence seems more important than conversing with parents or siblings or socializing during family functions. And, it is not uncommon to see young kids playing games on iPhone's or even being given a gadget as a treat for being good.

While, not everyone falls in the extreme case where medical help is needed, this phenomenon is slowly catching up to alarming levels. Even adults are not spared of being caught in the technological quick-sand. We are simply unable to switch off!

It is all about taking a deep breath and having a quiet introspection about our priorities. Is it really all that important to answer that email or respond to a Facebook status immediately? Will something untoward happen if the activity is pushed to some minutes later? We, as adults and parents serve as examples to our children and when we set ourselves boundaries, the children will follow suit or at least be willing to hear us out when they are pointed out to be in the wrong.

So, resist the urge to be a virtual person at all times and start living in the real.