Marbella moments with Nicole King: It’s a new world

Just days ago I was running around in flowy dresses and carrying the fan everywhere I went in the apartment. This past week I’ve had to find my sweaters and the heater.  Yesterday was the height of summer and suddenly they’re advertising Halloween; can it really be that time does fly when one’s having fun?  Although a rhetorical question, the answer is, yes.  In fact, when we’re having fun not only does time seem to pass quicker, we’re more capable too.  

Research shows that happiness and enthusiasm make us far more productive than if we’re feeling overwhelmed or bored.  Companies like Google are so aware of this that they provide free perks, such as gourmet meals, laundry, gym and on-site childcare facilities and generous maternity leave and pay, just to help free their employees’ minds of all stress and encourage their creativity to flow.  If a successful company such as Google feels this worthy of serious investment, seemingly therefore validating the studies that indicate this also to be true, why are we not applying this philosophy immediately in our schools and in the way we educate and talk to our kids?  Times are changing and so must we.

We live in a world that is pressuring our children to lose their individual identities and their childhood to sit in classrooms and be lectured about things that in today’s world bears very little significance or relevance to the world that awaits them.  So high are these antiquated expectations that many feel that their entire self-worth and value is dependent and in accordance with their academic achievements, with comparatively very little significance put on their time for enjoyment, discovery and self-development.

Again, research strongly suggests that superior learning takes place when classroom experiences are enjoyable and relevant to students’ lives, interests, and experiences. Happiness and positive emotions create dopamine and serotonin and, when released into the brain, have positive effects on our memory as well as our brain’s ability to learn. These chemicals increase the brain’s capacity to make connections and to make them faster, helping in all other areas of cognition.

All this only came to mind as my CIT Marbella guest company of this week on Marbella Now is Sabi of Logiscool. This award winning company offers coding courses for kids, suitable for any age once they know how to read and write.  Their goal is to establish a solid foundation of digital literacy and coding knowledge in an entertaining and engaging way, which in turn also improves the children’s analytical and creative thinking.  With a view to future careers this knowledge seems to be very on point as there is an ever-increasing offer for computer literate job opportunities. For example, Google are opening cyber security offices in Malaga and will need many tech savvy employees, this could be a great opportunity for many.

To find out more on Logiscool, the opportunities available at Andalucia Lab and films presented at this year’s Marbella International Film Festival, please watch tonight’s show.

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