Using AI to prepare for the new school year
The coming academic year will perhaps be the first time that artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be comprehensively used in some form or the other in schools and colleges. After all, it was only...
Film vs Novels: The debate continues
With the worldwide craze over the twin film releases of July – ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, commonly called ‘Barbenheimer’, the debate about whether a film is better than the book it is...
How to beat procrastination using soft skills
We are all guilty of procrastination – the tendency to postpone chores, usually of the routine or dreaded kind. Assignments, reports, even fixing the slightly leaking tap at home, all are found to...
How emojis are changing the way we communicate
We have all used emojis by now – smiley faces, hearts, winks, and red hot angry faces. The best? The eye roll for when nothing else will do.Language experts have studied the various ways in which...
Strike a balance between passion and utility
As the General Education (High School) diploma results were announced in Oman on Thursday, there has been much talk about future options, and mainly about which majors to choose in college or...
AR in education doesn't have to be daunting
With fast paced innovations in education, it is often difficult to keep up. Gone are the days of white chalk and a blackboard today actually means a digital educational platform. We have also moved on...
Understanding the creative potential of boredom
Before the internet became just another part of our lives, ‘I am bored’ would be a common refrain from children during the long, hot summer holidays. That may or may not be the case now, but...
Reading the magic of the monsoons
It may sound strange sitting in the sultry heat of Muscat, but the southern tip of Oman is presently experiencing the mystic, magical weather otherwise known as the monsoons.Derived from the Arabic...
Enjoying a productive summer break
With a long summer break awaiting school and university students, there is much anticipation of how to spend the days and nights: long hours of shared family time, socialising with friends and of...
How the criteria to choose the right university has changed
It is admission time for colleges and students often follow a variety of websites with suggestions on how to choose the right one for their purpose. Their choice is mainly determined by location,...
Coping with challenges is an important life skill
This is the season for a variety of academic results – school students get their final grades before going into their new classes, university students move on to another year and some of the...
Reviving the art of letter writing for the digital age
Facing a class of students, all in their early 20s, I was casually explaining a postcard in the context of a poem. Looking at their blank faces, I realised they didn’t know what a postcard looked...
Learning new languages is a rising trend
Many people are making mental and physical plans with the summer holidays fast approaching. These include visiting home countries, discovering new places or even indulging oneself with a...
How real is the fear of losing jobs to Artificial Intelligence?
Geoffrey Hinton, now 75, a man commonly labelled as the “godfather of AI” recently resigned from his job at Google Inc, warning that the future with Artificial Intelligence (AI) was “scary”....
Coronation marks a modern diverse Great Britain
In 1953, when Queen Elizabeth was crowned Queen of Great Britain at the age of 25, the kingdom was predominantly Christian. Women were just beginning to join the workforce in large numbers, the...
Earth Day reminds us of our shared responsibility
As people in Oman celebrated Eid holidays by travelling through the length and breadth of the country, it is not only the awe-inspiring beauty of nature that strikes us but also the trail of plastic...
Digital detox is necessary for the body and the mind
As the Eid holidays have been announced, many are dreaming of a long time off work commitments, maybe spending time with family and friends. But many are also looking forward to endless days of...
This Ramadhan, explore culinary memoirs
As a long day of fasting ends in the midst of family and friends during Ramadhan, there are prayers by the faithful, but also stories shared across tables. For Ramadhan is about spirituality, but it...
The implications of AI on higher education
Its seems that there is no end to the hysteria erupting from the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. While some have celebrated this as a grand leveller, giving access to information and...
Compulsory teaching of environmental literature
With Earth Hour just having been observed this year, it dawns on us that its symbolic importance is not enough to create awareness of climate change and environmental degradation.In order for the...