We are all dreamers, aren’t we? There would not be a single person who would not have fantasized about giving an award acceptance speech at least once during their daydreaming session. Achieving something grandiose is the dream of many, but how many of us really go about making the dream actually come to reality? Well, apparently Habitat Schools group seems to be the master of this exact same craft, during a short span of time they were able to break not one, but two Guinness world records. The first being the one for being the largest distributor of saplings in 2019, to now holding the record for web development video hangout with the most number of users anywhere in the world!
In a session that lasted for over four hours, the students from grades 4 to 12 from three Habitat Schools (International Indian School, Ajman, Habitat School, Al Jurf and Habitat School, Al Tallah) orchestrated the record attempt online on January 10 in a video meeting, where the students shared evidence of websites they coded and created on their own under the Hallmarks of Habitat School. The celebrated coding event consisted of 2,803 students from the UAE as well as other parts of the world. Children were able to exceed the previous records set in Jamaica by WiPay Jamaica with 542 users on May 16, 2021, thanks to a collaborative effort by Habitat Schools and Cyber Square. This vision and execution that has been ushered from Habitat schools and Cyber Square have been seen never before in any other coding sector in India or in the Middle East, making it truly one of a kind.
Significance of the World Record
Apart from signaling the long term vision of the school and the level of commitment that is put forward by the children, the record foreshadows the future of education and the importance of CS education for children. When you think about it, the entire world record was made possible because of the advancement in technology. It is through technology that almost three thousand participants were able to connect and contribute to making the world record possible, the seeds of which were planted by Cyber Square in the school years ago. Habitat Schools were the first to implement the Cyber Square academic scheme and curriculum, the effective curriculum designed by top tier engineers and academicians was found to be so effective that it was implemented in 17 schools across different countries later.
Role Of Cyber Square In The Achievement Of The Great Feat
This world record which can be considered as an important leap for computer science-based education in schools has put forward a message that the future of education should solely be based on the needs of the future. A good academic syllabus should not be aimed at helping children prepare for jobs, rather should be aimed at helping children equip themselves to face whatever challenges they might face in the future. After the implementation of Cyber Square academic curriculum in the school, there had been drastic changes in the way children perceived computer science. Children were taught the necessary STEM skills through a state of the art curriculum as well as assisted guidance. The introduction of programming to children through games caused them to break free from the monotony of learning through textbooks and actually learn to enjoy what they have learnt through hands-on learning and experimenting.
People and adults alike, learn better through play. This is one of the fundamentals that Cyber Square pushed forward while delivering its academic curriculum consisting of computer science topics. Through the gamified learning method, children were made more in touch with what they are supposed to be learning and become actively involved in the process. Further, through the hosting of digital fests and helping students become involved with the working professionals in computer sciences, they were able to understand more in-depth about what they are learning and develop a long term vision as well.
