Getting students motivated: gamification in the classroom

One of the most difficult aspects of education is keeping students motivated. Within the past decade, researchers have been exploring gamification of the classroom. Gamification turns the learning experience into a game with rewards to keep students motivated. Information technology researcher Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah and her team define gamification as “the application of game-design elements to non-game activities.” In traditional learning environments, students are reprimanded for their shortcomings. This makes learning appear punitive to the student, incentivizing them to do the bare minimum required to avoid reprimand. Gamification, on the other hand, provides positive reinforcement, rewarding good behavior. The success of gamification lies in providing instant gratification for learning. It not only makes learning fun but also makes doing the bare minimum seem less appealing. At JEI, we incorporate elements of gamification into our program. Many of our Centers use a reward system that involves prizes. Ruma Varshney, the Director of our Hillsborough Center, uses what we call “JEI Money” to incentivize students to develop good study skills. “[Students] get JEI money in every class based on their performance, homework, tests, and focus in that class, which they can use to buy things from our prize cabinet,” Varshney explains. “If anything is not 100%, they don’t get the expected amount of money in that class.” At Varshney’s Center, the prize cabinet is filled with toys, games, art supplies which students can buy for $20-$1000 in JEI money. She even offers gift items for parents around Mother’s and Father’s Day. Many of our locations, including Hillsborough, also award a student of the month. Varshney explains that the student of the month is awarded for showing a positive attitude towards learning. Criteria include focus, willingness to learn, consistently completed homework, and classroom engagement. “They are given a trophy, and we put their picture in our lobby for the entire year,” Varshney told us. “This has been a great motivator, and introduces a positive competition among students.” And this competition pays dividends. A research team led by Anthony Brewer showed in a lab experiment that gamification using a scoring system and prizes increased task completion from 73% to 97%. We see similar results in our JEI Learning Centers. “Both of these things have really helped us to keep the children motivated and get the best out of them,” says Varshney. Our scientific approach to learning is what makes JEI the leading provider of supplemental education worldwide. To get started with our program, find a JEI center near you today!

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How writing haikus can benefit your child

In the twilight rain these brilliant-hued hibiscus . . . A lovely sunset - Matsuo Basho   Poetry can be overwhelming for young children, with its flowery writing and loose structure, but if you want them to move on from Dr. Seuss’s fun rhymes, you know what makes the perfect stepping stone? Haikus, the concise form of poetry created by the Japanese.   Traditional haikus follow a rigid set of rules. Each one is composed of three lines. The first and third lines must include exactly five syllables while the second line must have seven. Introduce your child to the unique art form this month to celebrate National Haiku Poetry Day on National Poetry Month! There are many benefits to doing so... Can be therapeutic Fight anxiety and fear with haikus! Haikus are about the here and now; they ask you to view your situation objectively. The focus on the present and “what is” rather than “ what ifs” is a great way for your child to practice mindfulness instead of regretting the past or worrying about the future. Maybe before they take an important test, they can write a haiku first! Fosters an appreciation for nature Haikus are not only about the present moment but also nature, from flowing rivers and towering mountains to blossoming flowers and iridescent moons. This asks children to observe their surroundings and grow more interested in their home, the earth. Having children dedicate these poetic homages to nature will get them to see the beauty of their natural surroundings.   Provides a fun challenge The set rules of structure for haikus enable children to improve their language skills and gain confidence in expression. Children face the challenge of fitting what they want to say within the 5-7-5 syllable format. This experimentation with syllables should inspire children to look up new words or synonyms and stretch their creative minds. Helps ease them into poetry Writing haikus allow children to express themselves creatively, yet in a more cut-and-dry fashion than more complex forms of poetry may allow. The set rules for the structures of haikus make them great stepping stones into forms of poetry with much looser structures, which could initially be overwhelming for children. Start with haikus, and then give your child free rein to experiment with all different forms! #JEIHaikuChallenge If you are you up for a challenge, this weekend, take your child into nature, whether it is your favorite hiking trail or the backyard, with a pen and paper. Then, share what s/he wrote on social media using hashtag #JEIHaikuChallenge! We look forward to reading your child’s masterpiece! If you want to further your child’s study of poetry, literature,  vocabulary, language, and writing skills, JEI Learning Center provides great programs that will do just that!  Visit a center near you to find out more about the JEI English and JEI Reading & Writing programs.

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2019 #JEIMathOlympiad winners announced!

We want to congratulate everyone who participated in this year's contest. JEI is proud to announce this year's Math Olympiad grand-prize winner, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place winners by grade, as well as those who were awarded for their merit. We encourage all JEI students to continue practicing their math skills and challenge themselves every day! Grand Prize Winner (8th Grade): David Lee (Austin, TX) EAST COAST WINNERS: 1st Grade: 1st: Ian Schlicht (Eagan, MN) 2nd: David Seok (Cresskill-Tenafly, NJ) 3rd: Ashkan Ahmed (Hillsborough, NJ) 2nd Grade: 1st: Victor Xu (Warren, NJ) 2nd: Sidharth Tumu (Parsippany-East, NJ) 3rd: Paravi Jain (Old Bridge, NJ) Award of Merit: Sahasra Chennady (Cumming, GA), Ved Jhunjhunwala (South Plainfield, NJ), Kavya Mehta (North Edison, NJ) 3rd Grade: 1st: Arusha Bhargava (Hillsborough, NJ) 2nd: Sribala Arunachalam (Cary, NC) 3rd: Ishanth Movva (Cary, NC) Award of Merit: Aryan Mittal (North Edison, NJ), Myra Vankar (Princeton, NJ), Connor Li (Livingston, NJ) 4th Grade: 1st: Sathvik Kasarla (Bedminster, NJ) 2nd: Anish Krishna (North Edison, NJ) 3rd: Haripriya Arulprakasam (Eagan, MN) 5th Grade: 1st: Aryan Ahire (North Edison, NJ) 2nd: Ryan Zhu (Livingston, NJ) 3rd: Aaditya Mittal (North Edison, NJ) 6th Grade: 1st: Ishan Raghavenda (Princeton, NJ) 2nd: William Jin (Princeton, NJ) 3rd: Gurkeerat Singh (North Edison, NJ) Award of Merit: Swathi Bodduluri (Levittown, PA) 7th Grade: 1st: Saaketh Ananthoju (Levittown, PA) 2nd: Kevin Ha (Livingston, NJ) 3rd: Ashwin Guda (Levittown, PA) 8th Grade: 1st: Jack Xu (Livingston, NJ) 2nd: Ashrith Athmaram (East Brunswick, NJ) 3rd: Mishty Mishra (Levittown, PA) WEST COAST WINNERS: 1st Grade: 1st: Koyel Das (East Fremont, CA) 2nd (tie): Aadi Dixit (Union City, CA) 2nd (tie): Arya Kantamaneni (East Fremont, CA) 2nd (tie): Danielle Manford (Folsom, CA) Award of Merit: Colin Seungwon Cho (Austin, TX), Sritan Kudaravalli (South San Jose, CA) 2nd Grade: 1st: Thaman Venigalla (Milpitas, CA) 2nd (tie): Anika Chaurasia (East Fremont, CA) 2nd (tie): Elaine Gu (Dublin, CA) Award of Merit: Ananya Ganji (East Fremont, CA), Tanush Kondragunta (East Fremont, CA), Claire Moon (Austin, TX), Amrutha Padmaraju (South San Jose, CA), Sriya Ailnani (Austin, TX), Atiksh Jena (Cupertino, CA), Sania Pandya (East Fremont, CA), Sanvi Sharma (East Fremont, CA) 3rd Grade: 1st: Anthony Wan (East Fremont, CA) 2nd: Varun Harith (Austin, TX) 3rd: Nikhil Srinivasan (San Diego, CA) 3rd (tie): Sudhish Siddan (San Ramon, CA) Award of Merit: Spoorthi Madhava (San Ramon, CA), Akhil Gupta (Folsom, CA), Diya Sharma (Folsom, CA), Kenneth Kwon (Austin, TX) 4th Grade: 1st: Sanjay Harikumar (East Fremont, CA) 2nd: Arjun Thakur (East Fremont, CA) 3rd: Benjamin Oh (East Fremont, CA) Award of Merit: Mihir Das (East Fremont, CA) 5th Grade: 1st: Allen John (Pleasanton, CA) 2nd: Ritvik Urkude (Pleasanton, CA) 3rd: Hiresh Siddan (San Ramon, CA) 6th Grade: 1st: Julian Yang (San Diego, CA) 2nd (tie): Tvishi Medathana (East Fremont, CA) 2nd (tie): Mahathi Harith (Austin, TX) 7th Grade: 1st: Claire Shin (San Diego, CA) 2nd: Minseo Kwon (San Diego, CA) 8th Grade: 1st: Alicia Shin (San Diego, CA) 2nd: Yeonsoo Kang (Coquitlam, CAN) CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR WINNERS!

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