Teaching students to be creative, safe and responsible users of digital technology

At CIS, we integrate technology into classroom activities and the curriculum in order to provide rich and meaningful 21st century learning experiences. Our passionate group of digital literacy coaches help us ensure this is done in a responsible and balanced way.

One of their core tasks is to help our teachers incorporate the Digital Citizenship curriculum designed by the world-renowned Common Sense Media organisation, into all their teaching.

A major component of the digital citizenship curriculum is teaching students to be safe online,” explains CIS digital literacy coach Tim Studlo. “Educating and building trust with students so they can share their digital problems with teachers, counsellors or principles is a key objective. We want our students to be able to share their experiences even when things go wrong, so they know we’ll be there to help them no matter the situation.”

“Another important task of ours is advocating digital footprint awareness,” explains Tim. “We don’t use social media in any of our teaching, however we do recognise it plays a big part in many of our student’s daily lives. Making sure they understand the pros and cons of an online presence and how it can be perceived by a future employer is important to us. For example, we recently invited Olivia Lee, LinkedIn Talent and Learning specialist to speak to our grade 12 students about options for building an online presence for professional reasons.”

Working closely with parents is also important. “Helping our students be safe, responsible and respectful technology users is not a one-person job,” adds Tim. “It involves the support or our entire community - students, teachers and parents all working together. We hold regular sessions for parents to keep them up-to-date with the latest concepts and also a Digital Wellbeing week where we challenge our community to think about the amount of time they spend online and how they are interacting with their digital world.”

At CIS our goal is to develop our students into good digital citizens where they have the right skills and tools to think critically, behave safely and participate responsibly with the digital world.

To find out more about digital learning at CIS visit www.cis.edu.sg/learning/digital-literacy or contact their Admissions team on +65 6734 8088.

Ask the Dentist: Receding Gums

Q: Can my gums grow back after it has receded?

A: It is not possible for gums that have receded to grow back, which is why it is so important to take care of our teeth and gums. However, there are treatments available to prevent gums from receding further, and through surgical intervention, certain defects caused by gum recession can be repaired. I’ll cover one of each today:

Scaling & Root Planing

This is the most common non-surgical way to treat gum disease and prevent gums from receding further. During the scaling and root planing process, local anaesthesia is administered and all tartar (hardened plaque) above and below the gum line is removed. The roots of your teeth are smoothened out to provide a clean surface for your gums to reattach to the teeth. Depending on the extent of gum disease, a few visits may be required for the procedure to be completed.

Gum Graft Surgery

If your tooth root is exposed due to excessive gum recession, a gum graft surgery will help to cover it and protect the tooth from tooth decay and tooth sensitivity. The surgery involves taking a piece of tissue from the roof of the mouth or another donor source then transferring and attaching it to the gum defect.

To find out the treatment options most suitable for you, you are recommended to speak to your Periodontist / dentist. Remember, the best protection against receding gums is good oral hygiene routine and regular check-ups with your dental specialist / dentist.

Dr Daylene Leong is Dental Specialist in periodontics with Specialist Dental Group®. She received her training in the specialty area of Periodontology from the University of Michigan, USA. Dr Leong is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. She has a special interest in periodontal regeneration, gingival aesthetic and plastic surgery and dental implants.

www.specialistdentalgroup.com | (65) 6733 7883

New Work Pass Requirements

By Shennen Lim, Legal Associate and Franca Ciambella, Managing Director

The Ministry of Manpower recently tightened the work pass requirements to ensure that the criteria for work passes remains relevant and responsive to the current times, as well as to encourage employers to develop a strong local workforce.

A summary of the key revisions to the Employment Pass and S-Pass eligibility criteria are as follows:

• From 1 September 2020, the minimum salary requirement will be increased from S$3,900 to S$4,500 for all new EP applicants and from S$2,400 to S$2,500 for all new S-Pass applicants from 1 October 2020 onwards.
• From 1 December 2020, the minimum qualifying salary for applicants in the Financial Services sector will be raised to S$5,000 for new applicants.
• The qualifying salaries for older and more experienced applicants will also be revised upwards.
• For renewal applications, the revised salary criteria will take effect from 1 May 2021.
• From 1 October 2020, the advertising requirement under the Fair Consideration Framework (“FCF”) will also be extended to new S-Pass applications and the minimum advertising duration will be 28 days (if applicable).

Stay tuned for future changes!

FitBit: Fitness Learning Style - Auditory or Kinesthetic?

 By Jessica Gan

In part 1, we covered if your fitness learning style was visual. In part 2, is it auditory or kinesthetic? Discover which one you are.

AUDITORY – Voice. Both the instructor and the student.

Then you might like …
Zoom classes where the instructor pre-cues the move in details, talk about muscles groups engagement.

Tips...
Ask the instructor to slow down. Repeat to yourself what the instructor has just said, as you go through the movements. The advantage of doing this on Zoom is that you can mute yourself.

KINESTHETIC - Touch or feel.

Then you might like …
In lieu of full opening of studio classes, virtual classes that use props may also benefit you. E.g, resistance bands, Pilates circles.

Tips...
Omit classes that says “no equipment needed” as you actually like props and weights. Online class ideas that promote healthy partner workouts are fun too!

For more tips, email Jessica  at jessica.gan@alumni.utoronto.ca