O/A Level Computer Science Blog

PRM - CS9608 - P2/P4 - Oct/Nov 20 - All Variants

2020-07-09T10:40:00.001+05:00

Pre-release Material - CS 9608 - P2/P4 - Oct/Nov 20 - All Variants

Complete Solutions

Using Python, Visual Basic.net, PROLOG, Pseudocodes, Flowcharts & Structured English.

Simulators (Executable files) made in VB.net are also included for hands-on experience.

LIVE VIDEO DISCUSSIONS TO FOLLOW

CAIE - AS & A Levels

COMPUTER SCIENCE 9608

PRE-RELEASE MATERIAL

October/November 2020

P2 & P4 | VARIANT 1,2 & 3

https://bit.ly/al-prm-oct20-zak

#CAIE #PRM #PreReleaseMaterial #AL #AS #A2 #ComputerScience #CS9608 #AllVariants #zakonweb #ZAK

PRM - CS2210/0478 - P2 - Oct/Nov 20 - All Variants

2020-07-09T10:39:00.002+05:00

Pre-release Material - CS 2210/0478 - P2 - Oct/Nov 20 - All Variants Complete Solutions Using Python, Visual Basic.net & Pseudocodes. Simulators (Executable files) made in VB .net are also included for hands-on experience. LIVE VIDEO DISCUSSIONS TO FOLLOW CAIE - O Level COMPUTER SCIENCE 2210/0478 PRE-RELEASE MATERIAL October/November 2020 P2 | VARIANT 1,2 & 3 https://bit.ly/ol-prm-oct20-zak#CAIE #PRM #PreReleaseMaterial #OL #ComputerScience #CS2210 #CS0478 #AllVariants #zakonweb #ZAK

The CS Show | Computer Science Live YouTube Streamed Show

2020-05-10T07:03:00.002+05:00

The CS Show is a 2020 O/A levels lecture cum discussion based streamed live show on the YouTube from Karachi, Pakistan. It was launched in April 2020 during the COVID-19 lock down to help O/A levels students with the toughest subject topics. It is hosted by a variety of computer science teachers and mainly run by Zafar Ali Khan, a Pakistani computer science teacher from Karachi, Pakistan.

The CS Show is a series of YouTube program shows covering mainly O/IGCSE/AS/A2 Level syllabuses for P2 and P4 and sometimes P1 and P3. These will be discussion based YouTube shows that will be hosted by experienced CS teachers. These teachers will take on many tough topics one by one every week.

https://zak.social/the-cs-show

What can COVID-19 teach us?

2020-04-21T06:49:00.002+05:00

Superiority complex, especially where few think that they are better because they make more money and have more work capacity than others, needs to end. We should know what living below the poverty line is like and that small scale or minimum wage work is not an indication of a person’s value, intelligence, work ethic, or character. Honest work is honest work. Never look down on anyone for the job they have. Every person is important and their contribution in any capacity to society matters.

Paramedics, watchmen, drivers, food panda delivery persons, grocery store workers, dairy shop owners and workers, maids, garbage collectors, backers and labours etc. are the ones taking us through this corona-virus crisis. They are making it sure we have the necessities to survive on and even risking their health.

I hope COVID-19 will teach us not to judge people based on their status, title and earnings.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON TEACHERS

2020-03-20T15:12:00.000+05:00

Before hotels, restaurants, public transport, borders, gatherings, processions, mosques, churches, marriages and cinemas were asked to observe lock down by government, all schools and tuition centres were closed down on one day notice.

State's education system weaknesses gave birth to private schools and that catered for a big number of households, women got a profession to support their families, specialisation acquired, standards were raised, money poured in and many many people opted in for full time teaching in private education sector.

Then the coronavirus changed everything. 29th February 2020, was a nightmare for teachers as tuitions disappeared suddenly and schools closed down. Teachers are hit big time without any notice. Now few schools have already notified for stoppage of future salaries, a big percentage of parents have stopped paying specially at tuition centres and if they have paid then planning to stop paying any further.

Its a 360 degree threat to teachers. They are in Coronavirus firing line. No one would have ever thought that it will come so profoundly that all sources of income will brought to halt at once.

This is giving birth to new ideas both for teachers and schools like online teachings, at home assignments and papers, hidden calling of teachers at schools, reduction or denial of salaries. Many teachers lack the connections or hardware to teach remotely. More will confront the same reality as the outbreak spreads. The coronavirus pandemic could shut down schools for months, leaving some teachers wondering about their bread and butter and are already dropping far behind their needs. I see a thinning line between teachers and below poverty line ex educators. Depression, efforts for alternative arrangements, financial pressures, diminishing hope all are across the corner.

I request parents to not to take advantage. They must pay tuition fee of their children and schools must pay to their teachers on time. Schools support their teachers verbally, emotionally and financially. At least until they can.

I also suggest teaching fraternity to come forward and found a temporary fund to support each other.

I also suggest teachers to cut down on their expenditures, keep your savings handy, plan accordingly and for unlimited time. Go for online teachings, opt for alternative professions like careem etc., never feel down as it is you who have to bring bread and butter to your house tables. Most importantly, be vocal about your immediate needs as other teachers, who could help, come forward and give a hand. For teachers keeping a sense of perspective and sourcing information and advice from credible sources like school admin will help stave off anxiety. It’s important for teachers to be open about what they are experiencing, to reduce any possible stigma or embarrassment attached to it.

These circumstances are unpredictable and dangerous in their nature. Economic damage is mounting across the country. Teacher's family sit down and devise a family mechanism, have a discussion that what do they think will be the biggest challenges? What are the strengths that each family member can help out with? Discussing concerns and expectations about the quarantine/lock down, and what role each person can play to make it better, can be helpful.

Lastly for schools, it is important for schools to listen to and empathise with their teacher's fears, speak truthfully about the situation in a situation-appropriate manner and put it into context. Please have conversations for facts and feelings. Critical to allaying fears will also be allowing teachers a sense of control.

Dealing with Exam Results’ Anxiety

2019-08-12T23:28:00.000+05:00

You have just started enjoying the essence of Eid, you’re having a good time with your Friends and Family when out of nowhere, it hits you; CAIE results are just around the corner. All your excitement and happiness melts away as if it was never even there to begin with, and the infinite thoughts of all the possible outcomes overwhelms you, leaving no room for any other emotion or thought, hence ruining a perfectly good day.

Result anxiety is a common and devastating feeling every student has to go through at multiple points in their academic life, though it sounds inevitable and is put forward as a feeling that you just have to withstand, but there are things that you can do to deal with this anxiety. Here is a list of things that will make you feel better and can help you deal with your Fears and Anxiety effectively:

Identify What’s Important:

It’s essential to know the things that you should be stressed for and the things that shouldn’t bother you. This doesn’t in anyway means that you should not care about what your CAIE result will be, but stressing early or late is stressing wrong. It’s very important to realize that in life, the only important time is “now”, and you should only worry to make that better. Focus on the moment that you’re currently in and cherish it, make it your best, because that matters.

Identify Your Fear:

Identify what scares you the most, is it Failing? Is it how it will impact your future career?
When you have identified it, ponder upon what is the worse that can happen and how you can handle it. Whether you can handle it or not is never a question, even if it is, the answer will always be Yes You can, because you have handled bad, and you will have to handle even worse in your future professional lives. You will turn your mistakes into your best learning moments and that’s how you’ll morph yourself into a successful leader of the future, that’s how you’ll excel in every moment of your life, not just by scoring better grades. Denis Waitley said:

"Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success."

Personal Reflection:

Despite what the surrounding voices say, you know yourself better than anyone else. You know what you do best, you know where you need to improve, you are the only one who can accept your flaws and improve yourself. This works similarly when you’re stressing over your result, you know how hard you have worked, where you lacked and where you excelled, just come to terms with the fact that you have done the best you could, and if you didn’t, there’s a whole life ahead to learn from your mistakes and be the best version of yourself you can be.

In the hope that these few ideas will help you cope with the stress and anxiety that you’re feeling these day, it’s an everlasting prayer that you always muster the courage to pick yourselves up whenever you trip and fall, and run even faster and steadier than you did before.
This inspiration comes from the famous book “Shoe Dog”, written by Phil Knight (founder of Nike) that the only time you have to succeed is the last time you try.

Best of Luck!!!

By Zafar Ali Khan

=============

Zafar Ali Khan "ZAK" is an O/A levels Computer Science Pakistani Educator, Entrepreneur, and former Programmer. He supports a free online education platform to impart O and A level resources. His resources include a website, lecture notes and videos, online discussion groups, an upcoming AI based virtual teaching assistant, Android and IOS apps.

ZAK also has the Presidential Role in an upcoming AI based Start-Up known as ByteCorp. He aims to revolutionize Industries using AI based products and solutions, while working on Modern Technologies to change the conventional way of developing Software Solutions.

ZAK is teaching a wide spectrum of learners, mainly focusing on Computer Science 0478, 2210 and 9608. ZAK has a stellar online following, which is evident from his 50,000+ online followers. These exist wherever CAIE CS is offered.

ZAK has taught and teaching in many auspicious and renowned institutes throughout Karachi for the past 22 years. They include Nixor, BSS, FPS, TCS/PAF Chapter, Highbrow, Alpha High & Credo etc. His teaching methods coupled with his most innovative digital resources helped students achieve outstanding grades including distinctions in CAIE. ZAK has 11 CAIE distinctions.

ZAK is an associate of The Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), which is a Parastatal body, working under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources of Mauritius. As MIE is the body in-charge of developing the curriculum, textbook writing and evaluation, ZAK's writings are their official curricula for O/A level Computer Science. ZAK's yearly seminars and one-day marathon classes, namely Zakathon, are very famous among the learners.

Before opting for a full-time teaching profession, ZAK has had the privilege of being associated with renowned organizations. He has worked in a diversified array of large local and International corporations, both as a part of them and as a consultant. Organizations ranging from Pakistan Army Engineering Corps to the Galileo Emirates, Dubai and The Acutus NY, USA. Industries that ZAK has experienced with are engineering, pharmaceutical, digital video R&D and customer reservation system (CRS). His expertise as application developer, IT administrator, project manager and IT teacher in a wide variety of business applications has always helped him in innovating teaching styles and resources.

Website:

www.zakonweb.com

Online Discussions Group:
OL www.zakonweb.com/ogroup

AL www.zakonweb.com/agroup

Android:

www.zakonweb.com/androidapp

IOS:

www.zakonweb.com/iosapp

YouTube:

www.zakonweb.com/videos

Blog:

www.zakonweb.com/blog

Workshops:

www.zakathon.com

Facebook:

/olevelcomputer, /alevelcomputer

Email:

zak@zakonweb.com

WhatsApp/Call:

+923 111 222 ZAK (925)

O/A Level Computer Science Online Resources

2019-07-27T20:29:00.001+05:00

To help students further for preparation of Computer Science subject and for the reinforcement of knowledge gained during class lectures following resources should be used:

Website:

www.zakonweb.com

Online Discussions Group:
OL www.zakonweb.com/ogroup

AL www.zakonweb.com/agroup

Android:

www.zakonweb.com/androidapp

IOS:

www.zakonweb.com/iosapp

YouTube:

www.zakonweb.com/videos

Blog:

www.zakonweb.com/blog

Workshops:

www.zakathon.com

Facebook:

/olevelcomputer, /alevelcomputer

Email:

zak@zakonweb.com

WhatsApp/Call:

03 111 222 ZAK (925)

Zafar Ali Khan's Introduction

============================

Computer Science zakonweb app for Android

2019-04-10T02:15:00.002+05:00

Computer Science zakonweb app for Android

The new Computer Science zakonweb app for Android is here. Exciting new features are added like direct contact by ANY mean and in app notifications. App offers all what www.zakonweb.com website covers and more. Another iOS based app is in pipeline. http://www.zakonweb.com/androidapp

5 signs that scream you Procrastinate too Much

2018-12-12T17:03:00.000+05:00

5 signs that scream you procrastinate too much

You have an exam tomorrow, you had five days to cover your whole syllabus, but you “calculated” that you can complete it in five hours and decided to watch some movies instead. The calculation failed miserably, and now you know it might be your turn next; welcome to the most common end result of procrastination. Procrastination is often confused with laziness, but laziness is when you willingly don’t do anything. Procrastination is an active process of prioritizing something else over what you should really be doing at that moment. Mason Cooley said that,

“Procrastination makes easy things hard, and hard things harder.”

Where some students learn to efficiently manage delay while procrastinating, it does more harm than good to others. Here are 5 signs that might help you realize that you’re procrastinating too much, and should really start to take control of things:

1. You do Everything at the Eleventh Hour:

We all know that bravery is good, but there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity. You can complete your assignments at the eleventh hour? Good enough! but when you attempt to prepare for a whole exam in the same amount of time, that’s just simply irresponsible. Just start to get things done in their appropriate time and you’ll witness that positive change in your life yourself.

2. When taking a day off turns into a week off:

We all need rest, it’s really productive in the long run to take a day off, but when that day turns into a week and your to-do list has only gotten bigger, that’s when the problem starts. Maintain that difference between resting and hibernating, it’s high time you realize that!

3. You’re suddenly interested in everything else:

That television show you never found interesting, now seems interesting, that book you always planned on reading seems so tempting now, but what doesn’t intrigue you is the task at hand, the work that’s meant to be done NOW! When you have strengthened your mind enough to fight these distractions, only then you’ll be able to escape the maze of procrastination.

4. Your Social Media News feed have completed a whole cycle:

Don’t know how much time you have been spending on social media lately? Well, when you start to see the same posts most of the time, that’s a probable indication of too much social media. You start to prioritize other people’s life interests over your own! You don’t need anyone else to tell you how wrong that is.

5. You Start to believe your procrastination is actually worth it:

When you re-evaluate if the exam that you have been preparing for in the last nick of time is even worth it, but don’t realize the huge amount of time you have wasted while doing things that could have been done any other time, this is when you think that procrastination is worth the loss you’ll probably face. This is when the danger is real, if you don’t turn back and take control of things, there’s a high chance that you never will.

Stephen King, a famous writer, said,

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and get to work.”

By: Zafar Ali Khan

--------------------------------------------------------------
Zafar Ali Khan (ZAK) is an O/A level Computer Science Pakistani educator, entrepreneur, and former programmer. He supports a free online education platform www.zakonweb.com to impart O and A level resources. His resources include notes, video lectures, online discussion groups, an artificial intelligence based virtual assistant, upcoming Android and IOS based apps and a website.

ZAK is teaching a wide spectrum of learners, mainly focusing on Computer Science 2210, 0478 and 9608. ZAK has a stellar online following, which is evident from his 50,000+ online followers. These exist wherever CIE is offered.

ZAK has taught in many auspicious and renowned institutes throughout Karachi for the past 23 years. His teaching methods coupled with his most innovative digital resources helped students achieve outstanding grades including distinctions in CIE. ZAK is an associate of The Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), which is a Parastatal body, working under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources of Mauritius. ZAK's yearly seminars and one-day marathon classes are very famous among the learners.

Before opting for a full-time teaching profession, ZAK has had the privilege of being associated with renowned public and corporate organizations. He has worked in a diversified array of the large local and international corporations both as a part of them and as a consultant. This wide array of organizations commence from Pakistan Army Engineering Corps to the Galileo Emirates, Dubai and The Acutus NY, USA. Industries that ZAK has experienced with, before opting for a teaching profession, are engineering, pharmaceutical, digital video R&D and customer reservation system (CRS). His expertise as application developer, IT administrator, project manager and IT teacher in a wide variety of business applications has always helped him in innovating teaching styles and resources.

To reap a maximum result out of Zak’s efforts it is important to understand his point of view. In simple words, he wants to showcase his research to widest possible audience, enhance subject’s reputation, fulfill social responsibility – provide education for all, share best practice locally & internationally, allow his work for peer review, maximize the use and increase availability of O/A CS educational materials, and to raise standards of educational resources by gathering more contributors.

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

To save costs for students, provide access to more quality choices, help preparation for CS courses and retention of knowledge gained after course completion, more clarity and certainty regarding reuse of materials, Zak has developed few of the following resources so far:

YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:

Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Football Club, Karachi Intrepid FC: Zak being owner and president. Up-and-coming football club from the central region of Karachi, who soon will make in your hearts, gather your support, and will have the whole region glow with the memories it will make, and the echelon of success it will win!

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAKathon, Education Tomorrowland (www.zakathon.com): Initially started as a random experiment, these workshop classes in five years’ time have evolved phenomenally in strength and fame. ZAKathon are longer hours’ revision workshop classes that are held just before the CIE paper days and purpose is to help students increase their understanding of O/A level subjects, bolster knowledge gained during these classes and leave students fully prepared for their exams. Certainly it can be termed as "Education Tomorrowland".

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

How Schools With No Tuition Policy can help Hobbyists, Lowering Tuition Culture and Put a Stop To The Death of Social Life. A students perspective...

2018-12-12T16:59:00.000+05:00

Wake up at 7AM, reach school at 8AM, get home at 3PM, reach tuition center at 4PM, back home at 10PM and repeat. This is what represents the life of most O/A level students nowadays. Private tuitions murdered the social life of students and a typical family working day ends late night instead of early evening. Think about it yourself. After such a hectic routine, do you think that it is possible for a sane, normal person can enjoy with his family or friends, given that the same schedule is to repeat the next day?

Many of you would still be managing this routine along with your social interactions, but the problem lies with the majority of you who are unable to do so. Hobbies, whether sports or video games, and healthy night sleep are necessary factors in students' life. They give you a way to take your mind off the stresses of everyday life, allowing to relax and find some time for what you love. If you do not have any hobbies, you’re a mess.

Evening tuitions are leading to a stressful life. A jinx that has been imposed by the students onto themselves. Attending classes in schools and colleges has fallen out of favor of the pupils. Bunking classes, feeling sleepy during classes and falling asleep, also carrying out pranks within the class has become common because most of the students are not ready to pay attention.

Result, no focus to the lectures at school despite the heavy amounts of money that is being paid by the parents charged by institutions. The harm that the students are inflicting upon themselves is one that they do not realize. Losing social interactions, giving up limited precious teen time and wasting their parent’s hard-earned money are not a quality life that they actually require. It may seem for the time being that they’re making most of it in education terms, but such in the longer run hampering studies, mounting stress, taking quality sleep time away, and ultimately they miss out on what they actually should be doing; going out with family, playing any sport that they love, being mentally healthy and education gains.

Many factors contribute to the half hearted education efforts at school like disliking school teachers or institution policies, not trying to study themselves, relying heavily on evening teachers efforts and thus after wasting their time for small activities that sum up to huge amounts of time, students are left with no option but to sacrifice their actual free time going to private tuitions to cover up for their loss at school and in order to make sure that they can pass with acceptable grades in their examinations.

In addition to the wastage of time, an extra sum of money is also to be paid by parents. The worrying thing is the endorsements for such institutions by influential individuals who are also a model to follow for our students. When a 36 A grades holder student in CAIE Examinations opens up a center for private tuitions, the students are further compelled to believe that this is the only way that they can succeed at this level. It is not such individuals who are to blame. Simply put, you need to earn your life back. You need to break this cycle of tiring routine and live your life as it is meant to be.

Do what is required, when it is required. Choose a school with no tuition policy as such schools are trying hard to deliver what's best in their students favour.

By: Zafar Ali Khan

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:

Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

You’re Who You Surround Yourself With

2018-12-12T16:06:00.001+05:00

You’re Who You Surround Yourself With

We meet a lot of people throughout our lives, but there are a few we decide to call our friends; but as we’re advancing in time, it is witnessed that the word “Friend” has become underrated and is often misinterpreted. If students realize the huge impact that Friendship has on academics, they’ll think a thousand times before calling someone their friend. Thomas Fuller said,

“If you have one true friend, you have more than your share.”

To understand this, we have to know the difference between a Friend, and an enabler. An enabler will allow you to do everything, let it be good or bad, as they don’t care for you; while a true friend will never allow you to harm yourself, let it be in academics, or in any other way. It is not necessary that if your friend is a high achiever, you’ll magically become one yourself, it doesn’t work like that. But, it is a fact that he will advice you to study on time, will help you whenever you’re in need of it, and will always enable you to push your limits. A better company can be judged in many ways, one judgment can be made by your habits in the company you keep, as if the company you keep enables you to indulge in healthy activities such as sports, and are not indulging in health ruining activities like drugs, you can consider yourself in good hands. But that is not the only factor, another factor can be the usual topic of discussion between you and your preferred company, as the famous Eleanor Roosevelt said,

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.”

The quote itself is enough insight on defining the judgment criteria of the company you surround yourself with. How you’re treated in good or bad times can be one of the greatest factor on judging the company you keep, as it is extremely easy to be there for someone in good times, but to be there for someone in their bad times, when they really need a helping hand and have nothing to offer in return, this is the stunt that only a true friend will pull. Lastly, if we try to simplify this whole dilemma of what a friend actually is, we can say that a friend is someone who stays, no matter what. It is as simple as that.

To find a friend that is true to you, it is easier said than done; but once achieved, it can serve as a support system in not only academics, but in every aspect of your life, through every thick and thin and through any hurdle that life throws at you, because it is a bond that transcends all barriers, and all it asks for in return is the same. Helen Keller said,

“Walking with a friend in the dark, is better than walking alone in the light.”

By: Zafar Ali Khan

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:

Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

A rich Septennial history of signature #Zakathon events

2018-10-24T15:24:00.004+05:00

Zafar Ali Khan & Computer Science Marathons ------ Zakathon

The marathons that you usually hear about start off with multiple candidates but only one winner. It is every man for himself and there are plenty of those who don’t make it. The marathon that I’ve been leading my students on since a span of seven years is slightly different though.

Every journey of a successful venture has fond memories attached to it. Spanning over 7 years from 2012-2018, the journey has been an incredible one for us. I came up with the concept of Zakathon —marathon sessions of Computer Science revision classes held prior to CAIE exams in the month of May. In Zakathon, we all operate as a single team. We do not run against each other, but with each other. Here there are no tracks for you to run — just O/A levels computer science lectures that you must grasp for hours on end to reach your ultimate goal. My students are athletes but of a different kind — they put in their blood, sweat and tears for a different cause—to enhance their understanding of O/A levels Computer Science to a new level altogether.

Zakathon session in progress

It was in 2015 that thing turned around for Zakathon and it became a booming success with the introduction of Zakathon webinar. Students and teachers from various schools belonging to different cities and countries were invited to live stream Zakathon webinar sessions. The innovative concept was well-received as it opened the doors of learning to many students across the CAIE world. This led to the rise of Zakathon and ultimately, it spread to 900 students locally and webinars across the globe were offered.

Zakathon session at Suffa university

The bond established with the students over these 12-hour long sessions is one that we would always cherish. From 2 schools in 2012 with 22 students to 70 schools and 900 students in 2018, the journey is one which seems improbable and magical. It all started off with me delivering the lectures in a simple way—physically standing in front of the classroom with attentive students. Now, Zakathon has progressed to a new level altogether and makes use of modern educational tools to instruct and inspire students which also includes using webinars.

Schools are offered free Zakathon sessions

To further ensure that the effects of the event were far-reached, alongside students and teachers around the country and abroad it was decided to keep the webinars free of cost around the globe for schools’ students’ collective sessions at school premises. In the commercialized world, this step was something that could not be expected to happen. However, with the grace of Almighty God, it was made sure that no one should miss out on an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills.

One of the most pleasant experiences of Zakathon has been that teachers locally at the venues and from around the world have participated in these sessions in order to get a firmer grasp over the subject of Computer Science. I must commend these teachers for not being egotistical at all and being humble enough to learn from Zakathon. Such attitude from teachers demonstrates that at the end of the day, they have the best interests of their students at heart. Hats off!

Zakathon High Achiever Prize Distribution Ceremonies

Along with providing all the participants with souvenirs and free-of-cost provision of the services for those students who are in need and those attending the session through webinars at registered schools, an extraordinary step was taken to reward those students who achieved exceptionally well results in their CAIE. So another feather in Zakathon’s cap has been the steady rise of the list of high achievers. Every year, those who tend to strive and produce excellent results are presented with awards and prizes in recognition of their best results. To encourage, embolden and boost the morale of my students, I invite industry leaders to Zakathon’s annual prize distribution ceremony where those who have achieved well in the CAIE and academic spheres are presented with awards and prizes. From 1 such high-achiever in 2013 to 20 exceptional students in 2018, the success of our efforts was speaking for itself.

Friends, Colleagues and Memories

Nothing gives me greater joy and affection than to look back over the years at the start of Zakathon and to witness where it stands today. I’ve made many friends, colleagues and memories over the years—not one which I have regretted. It is my vision to keep Zakathon up and running for as long as I can so that many can benefit from its sessions and Pakistani children are able to score stellar grades. So, if you’re fretting over your upcoming CAIE exams and seem to be grappling with Computer Science, register for the upcoming Zakathon to ensure you do justice to your preparation!

Related Links:
Website: www.zakathon.com
Event: www.zakathon.com/event
Prize Distribution Ceremony: 7th #Zakathon 2018 - High Achiever Awards

By: Zafar Ali Khan

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:

Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

Students and Stress

2018-10-15T15:03:00.000+05:00

Student life, a stressed commodity where supposedly every thing is in chaos, but amidst that chaos, some students emerge like the knight in shining armor. The debatable point here is that how’re those students different than those who’re always stressed but are not achieving enough in their academics. It is absolutely true when Albert Einstein said that:

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

But it is also a fact that hard work always overcomes talent. There are a few important factors that come into play when students think that they are not achieving well because of the “Stress of education” in their lives, the most important being time management. The distinguishing line between a high achieving student and a stressed student is that the high achiever doesn’t start to study at the 11th hour. Studying before hand can be a game changer for any student, but if you prioritize your social circle and spend hours scrolling and switching between the same apps on your phone rather than studying, than you’re bound to get stressed when push comes to shove. Another factor that can be counted is the sleeping pattern of a student. This might not sound like a big deal, but an improper sleeping pattern initiates an uncontrollable chain of events, as the student who sleeps late will wake up with the mind of a zombie, a mind that is already struggling to keep the eyes open long enough for the class to end and will not be able to absorb the information that is being delivered at that time, thus failing to understand the lecture, which will ultimately lead to the student lacking behind on his studies.

Being attentive in class is another factor that can be taken into account. There is a vast amount of students who’re physically present in class, but mentally, they are in their own bliss. Students who find different activities do in class, such as using mobile phones and talking unnecessarily rather than concentrating on the lecture are the same students who stress over every course being difficult. Lastly, one of the most important factors to be stated here is that students should take responsibility for their own actions. Playing the blame game, pointing fingers on the teacher and blaming your failures on certain circumstances will never result in the betterment of the situation, it can only make things worse. Things will only change when you stand up, dust yourself off and take charge of things, because the world doesn’t owe you anything. Mark Twain said:

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”

The game is simple, if you want something, you can either stress over it and have nothing, or you’ll have to go after it until it’s yours to possess forever. The best advice that can be given to any student is to always try one more time, because you lose only when you give up.

Related article: Theory of 24 Hours of Learning

By: Zafar Ali Khan

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

An Artificial Intelligent Chat Bot (www.zakonweb.com/zbot): An effort to enhance 24/7 help, a virtual tutor A.I bot is on the way; not perfect though, it will keep you busy learning and may be entertaining.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:
Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Football Club, Karachi Intrepid FC: Zak being owner and president. Up-and-coming football club from the central region of Karachi, who soon will make in your hearts, gather your support, and will have the whole region glow with the memories it will make, and the echelon of success it will win!

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAKathon, Education Tomorrowland (www.zakathon.com): Initially started as a random experiment, these workshop classes in five years’ time have evolved phenomenally in strength and fame. ZAKathon are longer hours’ revision workshop classes that are held just before the CIE paper days and purpose is to help students increase their understanding of O/A level subjects, bolster knowledge gained during these classes and leave students fully prepared for their exams. Certainly it can be termed as "Education Tomorrowland".

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

Computer Sciences vs Computer Engineering. What to choose?

2018-10-06T20:56:00.001+05:00

Computer Sciences vs. Computer Engineering. What to choose?

Its nearly that time of the year, when A2 and Second Year Students are searching for options and universities to apply in for their higher education. Where many fields are clear that in what they are offering, curriculum in Computer fields are unclear to students. Students interested in the field of IT are utterly confused between Computer Engineering and Computer Sciences as the boundary between the two fields is thought to be blurred. However, this is not true, as we shall see.

You people would probably know the difference between hardware and software, right? That is simply the difference between ENGINEERING and SCIENCES.

In Computer Engineering, the main focus is towards the hardware side, such as designing new and better processors, storage mediums, etc. There is some focus towards the software side as well, though. So, it can be thought to be a mixture of Electronics Engineering and Computer Sciences, where you are required to work both in the hardware, which is actually the main area of study, and in software, which constitutes some part of the degree program.

Computer Sciences, on the other hand, focuses more towards the software side. You want to make games, you go for Computer Sciences (CS). You want to make any software for a firm, you’ll require Computer Sciences. And the list goes on. So, for all geeks out there who plan to sit in front of their laptop screens and simply change the world from there, then what are you waiting for? Simply sign up for the best CS degree you can get out there and be ready to fulfill your dreams. Kudos!

It’ll also be good to tell you a bit about the Accreditations of degrees for both the programs:
Computer Engineering, as the name suggests, is granted a degree by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) once you’ve completed the program from any of the recognized universities. So, all in all, you can go out there and boast about it without thinking about “Log Kia Kahenge” as after all, you’ll still be an ENGINEER.

Computer Science, on the other hand, is not an Engineering Degree. Instead, it is something much bigger. Ever heard of a scientist, guys? Those Nerdy looking, Big Spectacle people who are carrying out crazy experiments and blowing up things? That is exactly what you are called at the end of the degree program. A. COMPUTER. SCIENTIST. Though, neither are you nerdy looking, nor (expectedly) blowing things up. Instead of the PEC, you’re accredited by National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC), which, in case you are wondering, is also recognized by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

So now comes the decision of which one to choose. However, it is surprising, that the choice is fairly simple for most of the people out there, both because of the job market and the work involved in the respective fields.

Computer Engineering, due to its nature of work, offers little in innovation. Its more or less about improving the existing technologies, or producing those which are similar in functionality to the previous ones.

Computer Sciences, on the other hand, is more about innovation. You’re a scientist, that’s what you’re supposed to do right? Create new things. Whether it be a solution to any real-world problem, or a game, or even a new operating system faster than Apple’s iOS, you need to use your innovation, which, as you can see, is more polished in this direction.

So, if you believe that you want to go for something more mainstream and settled, with a clear vision of what you need to do, and of course, the title of an engineer, you may go for Computer Engineering.

But, if you believe that your innovation and ideas can change the world, then go for being a scientist. No Second Thoughts!!

Related article: Why choose Computer Science as a Career?

By: Zafar Ali Khan

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

Online Subject Discussion Groups (OL www.zakonweb.com/ogroup, AL www.zakonweb.com/agroup): For good understanding of a subject, learning never ends without sharing own and contributing to others’ efforts. These groups make that possible effortlessly. With several hundred teachers and thousands of students from many countries this group will never put you behind when you are in need of CS related help.

YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

An Artificial Intelligent Chat Bot (www.zakonweb.com/zbot): An effort to enhance 24/7 help, a virtual tutor A.I bot is on the way; not perfect though, it will keep you busy learning and may be entertaining.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:
Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Football Club, Karachi Intrepid FC: Zak being owner and president. Up-and-coming football club from the central region of Karachi, who soon will make in your hearts, gather your support, and will have the whole region glow with the memories it will make, and the echelon of success it will win!

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAKathon, Education Tomorrowland (www.zakathon.com): Initially started as a random experiment, these workshop classes in five years’ time have evolved phenomenally in strength and fame. ZAKathon are longer hours’ revision workshop classes that are held just before the CIE paper days and purpose is to help students increase their understanding of O/A level subjects, bolster knowledge gained during these classes and leave students fully prepared for their exams. Certainly it can be termed as "Education Tomorrowland".

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

Why choose Computer Science as a Career?

2018-09-30T18:03:00.003+05:00

Computer Science as a Career?

Almost every teenager in Pakistan after completing their High school education goes through the stressful thought process of choosing a career path. It’s a fact that there are those who seem like they have their whole lives planned out, but the majority struggles and seeks guidance to select a field that will help them fulfill their desired goals in life. The intent of writing this article is not to tell you that selecting Computer Science (CS) as a career will suddenly fill your life with rainbows and unicorns, the intent is to tell you the hows and whats of what one can achieve by selecting this career.

In it’s core definition, Computer Science is the study of the theory, experimentation, and engineering that form the basis for the design and use of computers, but to understand CS in its practical paradigms, we have to look at the bigger picture and the pathways that branch out after entering the door of CS. The first reason to choose Computer Science is simple, it’s a digital age! (if you might not have noticed), so the world will always need more Computer Scientists. Want another reason? Name one Industry which is working without the help of computers today, let it be science, health care or engineering. If they have a problem, it’s up to the Computer Scientist to design a specific software solution for them.

If you’re not a huge fan of the common 9 to 5, CS provides you with the necessary skills required to initiate your own innovative startup; it can be a website or mobile application, you won’t have to reach out to anyone else for these startup boosters. This field will not only teach you the skills that will help you land a better job, the problem solving mindset that one develops through out this field stays forever, and the value of an efficient problem solving mindset can not be stated in mere words.

Another motivator to choose CS can be the fact that this field is filled with amazing sub-fields to choose from. Who wouldn’t love to make an artificially intelligent bot to do their work for them? Who wouldn’t want to escape reality and roam around in another dimension through the power of Virtual Reality? Who wouldn’t want to develop games that can be a source of entertainment for hours? Developing Websites and Mobile Applications in your free time and earning a decent amount of money from it, who wouldn’t love that? And these are just some of the immensely large number of work areas in the magical world of Computer Science. Lastly, the point many students ponder upon; Yes! Computer Science pays excellently, but the catch is quite simple, like Confucius said:

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

It is a fact that selecting a career path is a tough decision, and I would never suggest anyone to select Computer Science as a career because they might think it’s easy, it’s unquestionably not, but if anyone is remotely interested in this field, I can claim without a doubt in my heart that it can be a long road, but it is definitely worth it. In the end, the equation is quite simple as put forward by Hamilton Holt:

“Nothing worthwhile comes easily.”

By: Zafar Ali Khan

--------------------------------------------------------------
Zafar Ali Khan [ZAK] is an O/A level Computer Science Pakistani educator, entrepreneur, and former programmer. He supports a free online education platform www.zakonweb.com to impart O and A level resources. His resources include notes, video lectures, online discussion groups, an artificial intelligence based virtual assistant, upcoming Android and IOS based apps and a website.

ZAK is teaching a wide spectrum of learners, mainly focusing on Computer Science 2210 and 9608. ZAK has a stellar online following, which is evident from his 50,000+ online followers. These exist wherever CIE is offered.

ZAK has taught in many auspicious and renowned institutes throughout Karachi for the past 18 years. His teaching methods coupled with his most innovative digital resources helped students achieve outstanding grades including distinctions in CIE. ZAK is an associate of The Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), which is a Parastatal body, working under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources of Mauritius. ZAK's yearly seminars and one-day marathon classes are very famous among the learners.

Additional O/A Computer Science Resources:

A Detailed Website (www.zakonweb.com): For O/A level computers all of the resources possible are built, optimized and made available through this website. These resources include but not limited to notes, lectures, assignments, and topical past papers etc.
Online Subject Discussion Groups (OL www.zakonweb.com/ogroup, AL www.zakonweb.com/agroup): For good understanding of a subject, learning never ends without sharing own and contributing to others’ efforts. These groups make that possible effortlessly. With several hundred teachers and thousands of students from many countries this group will never put you behind when you are in need of CS related help.

Topic Lecture Videos YouTube channel (www.zakonweb.com/videos): Modern learning is half done without online lectures’ videos. Here it all ends to seal the deal.

An Artificial Intelligent Chat Bot (www.zakonweb.com/zbot): An effort to enhance 24/7 help, a virtual tutor A.I bot is on the way; not perfect though, it will keep you busy learning and may be entertaining.

Mobile Apps: Coming soon, these Apps will keep learners on toes when it comes to support seeking.

Student Encouragement & Support:
Education Fund: Not a big one though but in personal capacity and with friends’ help many students are given support for their tuition fees at schools, centers and universities.

Football Club, Karachi Intrepid FC: Zak being owner and president. Up-and-coming football club from the central region of Karachi, who soon will make in your hearts, gather your support, and will have the whole region glow with the memories it will make, and the echelon of success it will win!

Online & Offline Tuition Classes: Reinforcement classes for school students and primary source of CS education for private students.

ZAKathon, Education Tomorrowland (www.zakathon.com): Initially started as a random experiment, these workshop classes in five years’ time have evolved phenomenally in strength and fame. ZAKathon are longer hours’ revision workshop classes that are held just before the CIE paper days and purpose is to help students increase their understanding of O/A level subjects, bolster knowledge gained during these classes and leave students fully prepared for their exams. Certainly it can be termed as "Education Tomorrowland".

ZAK can be reached at:

Contact Card

6 Habits of Students-Centric Teachers

2016-07-08T03:46:00.000+05:00

Teachers may use these habits to take their "student first" mantra beyond lip service and compete for bigger market share both in school/college jobs and personal tuition market.

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time talking to different teachers about how they teach their classes.

I've noticed something interesting in these discussions: Even though there's universal agreement that teacher success is centered on finding the right strategies, many teachers use a teacher or lecture-centric approach--rather than a student's-centric approach--to operating their classes.

Over the course of almost two decades as teacher, I myself have evolved toward a more students-centered style of teaching. With a background in software engineering and business, I once assumed that most problems could be solved with enough available data and some logical thinking. But I've learned that a Spock-like, numbers-driven approach doesn't work, at least now that we're out of the stick and carrot approach era.

Here are six habits of successful and influential teachers who value students over lecture data presentations (nothing against data, of course). These habits have gone a long way toward helping me build and operate several successful teaching plans.

Student-centric teachers set a few clear priorities and share them with the students. The lecture-centric teacher has trouble prioritizing: If he can measure something in the lecture, he's going to try and manage it. The result is an ocean of books and metrics, with students treated like proverbial cogs in the machine, or left out of the equation altogether. The student-centric teacher, on the other hand, starts with a clearly articulated vision, then selects a few key priorities and metrics for the class to focus on. S/he's able to tell a story about what they are trying to do--one that resonates with students across the classes.
Student-centric teachers make sure everyone knows the "why" behind their lecture. As someone once has argued, a sense of purpose is one of the keys to motivating teachers. Unfortunately, data-centric teachers often fail to give this to their students. Students-centric leaders, however, give students greater purpose by tying individual work to the broader priorities of the subject. Your requirement doesn't have to be preserving the mangroves or saving pandas; simply cascading topic priorities down into goals for students helps them see the context and purpose of their daily work.
Student-centric teachers don't just look at data--they ask the right questions. Data-centric teachers tend to separate the numbers from the pupils doing the work. They're more likely to pore over books than actually talk to students. The students-centric approach, on the other hand, involves asking individuals for their unique insights and perspectives. What can student tell you about the future? What issues do they see from their vantage point? What do they think we can do to keep things on track?
Student-centric teachers make students' interest their responsibility. Nowadays schools and their HR departments always on the lookout for teachers who can bring significant value to the organization, and schools principals and higher ups actively participates in interviews for nearly every hire. They won't turn down a game-changing hire just because there's not an empty box on the org chart--and s/he acknowledges that hiring is a strategic priority, not an admin function. Remember, they can do otherwise too.
Student-centric teachers know who their key students are? Can you name the top five performers in your class? A student-centric teacher always can. He understands that he must stay abreast of the students who create the most value for the class. He continually invests in their development and works to align their interests with the subject's and to some extent school's.
Student-centric teachers understand the importance of good school heads. They know that good school management is a rare and underappreciated art. They also know about the widespread disengagement one uninformed principal can cause. Student-centric teachers reach out school heads and invest in overcoming communication gap.

In these times, teachers who can influence, motivate, and bring students together are the ones who outpace their competitors and embark on more job & work opportunities. Mastering these habits is a great place to start.

By: Zafar Ali Khan
========================

Zafar Ali Khan [ZAK] is an O/A level Computer Science Pakistani educator, entrepreneur, and former programmer. He supports a free online education platform www.zakonweb.com to impart O and A level resources. His resources include notes, video lectures, online discussion groups, an artificial intelligence based virtual assistant, upcoming Android and IOS based apps and a website.

ZAK is teaching a wide spectrum of learners, mainly focusing on Computer Science 2210 and 9608. ZAK has a stellar online following, which is evident from his 50,000+ online followers. These exist wherever CIE is offered.

ZAK has taught in many auspicious and renowned institutes throughout Karachi for the past 18 years. His teaching methods coupled with his most innovative digital resources helped students achieve outstanding grades including distinctions in CIE. ZAK is an associate of The Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), which is a Parastatal body, working under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources of Mauritius. ZAK's yearly seminars and one-day marathon classes are very famous among the learners.

Before opting for a full-time teaching profession, ZAK has had the privilege of being associated with renowned public and corporate organizations. He has worked in a diversified array of the large local and international corporations both as a part of them and as a consultant. This wide array of organizations commence from Pakistan Army Engineering Corps to the Galileo Emirates, Dubai and The Acutus NY, USA. Industries that ZAK has experienced with, before opting for a teaching profession, are engineering, pharmaceutical, digital video R&D and customer reservation system (CRS). His expertise as application developer, IT administrator, project manager and IT teacher in a wide variety of business applications has always helped him in innovating teaching styles and resources.

ZAK can be reached at:

5 Powerful Habits of the Most Influential Teachers

2016-06-27T05:30:00.001+05:00

There are plenty of teachers who dream of having their big name, but few of them achieve the expert status often needed to gain students and peer support, recognition and turn the dream into a reality. Unfortunately, the sheer amount of information students consume makes it easy for talented teachers to appear faceless or identical to their peers.

Behind Every Genius is A Thought Process

Expert status requires a commitment to gain knowledge and energy to engage with students in your field, which can be daunting to a busy teacher. But wouldn't the benefit of a strong personal brand and established credibility go a long way in that pitch meeting you're sweating bullets over?

Here are five habits to foster in order to cultivate your expertise and influence as a successful teacher:

1. Own your subject.
Though the time needed to develop expertise can vary, you need enough experience to understand the history of your subject, the different perspectives on it, and the direction it's moving toward. In-depth knowledge of your subject demonstrates your credibility and strengthens your contributions to the field.

As your knowledge increases, produce relevant content to share and be open to those who challenge you. Share articles and commentary (yours and others') on social media. Participate in debates, conferences, and webinars. Ask questions of other experts and be available to answer questions.

Strive to become the go-to person for insights related to your subject.

2. Plant your flag.
Once you understand the different perspectives in your subject, formulate your own position. If your viewpoint is controversial, stand your ground. Students and other teachers will listen if you're honest about your opinions and back them up with strong evidence, but a neutral voice is often lost in the noise.

A healthy debate will always draw attention, so be willing to enter into tough conversations with positivity and respect in your classes. Offer to co-host a webinar or write a guest blog post for someone with a different viewpoint, then invite them to do the same for you.

3. Share your expertise.
When you've made your views and expertise clear, people will look to you for insights when your subject changes or faces problems. Opportunities to share your knowledge strengthen your expert status, so stay in your student's line of vision.

True expert status is conferred by third parties, not just declared by you.

Booking consistent speaking engagements, leading workshops, or making yourself a regular presence on Social media are great ways to demonstrate your knowledge and to share your contributions to your subject. A publicist can help with the heavy lifting here, even if you only engage their services periodically.

4. Demonstrate measurable results.
As your efforts begin to pay off, your speaking and result histories will be invaluable in confirming and increasing your expert status. Highlight these accomplishments on your website and social media pages, and be prepared to give brief, clear explanations of your successes in classes and conversations with peers.

5. Stay relevant.
If you were expert in your subject in 1998, it doesn't mean that you're still an expert in 2016. Keep up with subject changes to keep up your expert status.

Attend conferences, develop new skills, read current subject articles, and participate in online conversations. Seek out the new teachers in your subject and learn from their fresh perspectives. Set aside time annually to evaluate how your goals align with the state of teaching field in your area, and ask yourself what you need to do to grow and maintain your expert status.

Is it time to write a few articles for media placement? Finish off that advanced degree? Take a leadership position in a school association? Write a book?

Earning respect as an expert is a fulfilling, if at times exhausting, process. By investing your time and energy in developing your knowledge and sharing your ideas and insights with others, you will ultimately build a personal brand that speaks for itself.

By: Zafar Ali Khan
========================

Zafar Ali Khan "ZAK" is an O/A level Computer Science Pakistani educator, entrepreneur, and former programmer. He supports a free online education platform to impart O and A level resources. His resources include notes, video lectures, online discussion groups, an artificial intelligence based virtual assistant, upcoming Android and IOS based apps and a website.

ZAK is teaching a wide spectrum of learners, mainly focusing on Computer Science 2210 and 9608. ZAK has a stellar online following, which is evident from his 50,000+ online followers. These exist wherever CIE is offered.

ZAK has taught in many auspicious and renowned institutes throughout Karachi for the past 18 years. His teaching methods coupled with his most innovative digital resources helped students achieve outstanding grades including distinctions in CIE. ZAK is an associate of The Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), which is a Parastatal body, working under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources of Mauritius. ZAK's yearly seminars and one-day marathon classes are very famous among the learners.

Before opting for a full-time teaching profession, ZAK has had the privilege of being associated with renowned public and corporate organizations. He has worked in a diversified array of the large local and international corporations both as a part of them and as a consultant. This wide array of organizations commence from Pakistan Army Engineering Corps to the Galileo Emirates, Dubai and The Acutus NY, USA. Industries that ZAK has experienced with, before opting for a teaching profession, are engineering, pharmaceutical, digital video R&D and customer reservation system (CRS). His expertise as application developer, IT administrator, project manager and IT teacher in a wide variety of business applications has always helped him in innovating teaching styles and resources.

ZAK can be reached:

For O/A Level Computer Science resources visit www.zakonweb.com.

Theory of 24 Hours of Learning

2015-05-01T20:09:00.000+05:00

Twenty four hours of learning has a different efficacy level for students if those hours are spent during last 2 days, last week or last month before the exams. Human mind has different response to the anxiety felt because of the short time before exam and calmness when still there is time before exam. Mind absorbs more while learners try in short bursts and over a longer period of time and loses more when learners try in longer hours over a short period of time.
Not everyone is made the same. Observation has shown that many students procrastinate and study when it gets too close to exam under pressure. Too much of pressure felt results in anxiety, less or no sleep and adrenaline rush that ultimately crashes human body exactly when it is time to produce; may be on exam time exactly.

I as a teacher when look at the answers scripts can easily realize that who has studied in what length of days. For example best answers are given by those students who mostly study a little but steadily throughout the term, average answers without much of the brain are mostly from students studying during last few days and failure probable are those who tried to revise or learn during last hours before exam.
So, let’s say you want to produce best result possible in exam and you want to spend 24 hours for one subject. Best strategy is to spread these 24 hours over a month time, which is one hour per day per subject. This gives you few free days to enjoy and best learning possible according to your intellect. If you spend these 24 hours in a week then you lose chance of retention by 50% and further during last couple of days you will be able to retain only 20% of all studied and that is only when you had studied the same, may be briefly, sometime before.
These 24 hours over a month also give you chance to think about the topic studied, research and inquiring from teacher and fellow students. This is completely impossible when studied at last hour. CIE nowadays giving concept based questions more than straight ones and any of the rot learned topic is not sufficient to answer such questions.

For O & A Level Computer Science resources visit www.zakonweb.com.

Computer Science Marathons; Motives and Behind the Scene Thought.

2015-04-30T17:19:00.000+05:00

I have developed a series of resources that include websites, online discussion groups, social media initiative that includes constant encouraging images, challenges and responses, notes, learner's challenges (assignments), presentations, mock up questionnaires, blogs and lastly the marathons to lift up the computer science subject at O/A level. I have done all of this to encourage students to opt computer science as a subject at O and A Levels and develop their careers in IT, schools accept this as a credible subject and it's usual overall acceptance. I am happy to announce that marathons 2015 are now being offered online to cater the need of overall worldwide O/A level audience.

The http://zakonweb.com team is organising a series of O/A level Computer Science Marathons. The aim has been to support O/A level students who are committed to be confident, resourceful and are enthusiastic learners of computer science. This is a two-day marathon and broadly speaking, I will be interested in ways to engage students, promote independence and challenge learners. I would like to share few issues that I usually identify, found, together with the ideas that came out of the early years marathons:

Develop positive attitudes towards Computer Science and learn to program by:

Use of wide range of online tasks and resources
Enthusiastic teacher, with a 'can do' positive attitude
Plenty of opportunities for students to experience success
Hands-on approaches to learning during and after marathons
Use real life examples and explore links with other boards questions repository
Offer positive role models
Online discussion groups - e.g. older students and sound teachers from varying backgrounds mentoring younger students
Motivating wallposts and tweets publicising computer science
Share learning with parents (e.g. computer science after hours/extra/evening classes to encourage positive attitudes amongst parents)
'Make it enjoyable': computer science challenges, competitions, puzzles of the month, celebrate achievements (like distributing Tablets among the high achievers)

Develop confident learners who are able to work independently and willing to take risks by:

Acknowledge all contributions positively, encourage learning from mistakes, welcome wrong answers to new understanding
Use positive language
Encourage independent and small group research
Value different approaches to solving problems

Develop good communicators - good at listening, speaking and working purposefully in groups:

Plan marathons which focus on group work
Set 'online group-worthy' tasks that offer plenty to talk about
Set a rule that groups are not 'allowed' to move on until all the students understand
Allow time for presentation of findings
Set the rule: "Don't ask the teacher - ask at least three other students first"
Teacher take a step back and ask students to explain to the class their methods and reasoning
Teacher question the answers, rather than answer the questions
Ask students to prepare challenges
Ask students to make a post for others on a given topic

Develop students who have appropriate strategies when they get stuck by:

Offer higher-order, open ended tasks to get students used to being 'stuck'
Encourage students to explain their difficulty to the rest of the class or online group
Offer easy access to a variety of resources like online discussion groups and website
Offer tasks in which students have to identify and correct errors and encourage similar reflection on their own work
Create a culture in which 'thinking outside the box' is valued

Develop website, tasks, notes and environment that maintain the complexity whilst making the computer science accessible, by:

Gradually increase the complexity of tasks
Give plenty of time to engage in and 'solve' problems - the process is more important than the answer
Use investigational tasks which can be accessed by everyone but can have different levels of outcome
Be positive about any steps students take towards solving the problem, however small
Present tasks in different formats (6 formats being developed as of yet to solve pseudo-codes)

Develop students' ability to make connections by:

"Where have we seen this before?"
Present problems that can use many areas of computer science and related lecture
Present open problems which allow students to ask their own questions and develop the need to learn something new
Present problems based on real life and cross curricular contexts

Develop critical learners who value and utilize differences (e.g. different approaches/ routes to solution) by:

Encourage group work, peer assessment, rotation feedback, discussion
Change the composition of groups regularly
Ask key questions; like:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of this method?
When might you use this method?

Encourage contributions from all the students
Require students to explain their solution
Emphasize method rather than outcome
Bring students together for mini-plenaries to share and compare approaches
Set problems which can be solved in a variety of ways
encourage no-talkers to participate

O/A Level Computers: Notes/Books, Websites, Blog, Discussion Groups & Fan Pages.
For Computer Science 2210/9608: www.zakonweb.com
For Computing 9691: Google "9691"

New Website For O/A Level Computer Science 2210 & 9608 Resources.

2014-11-13T20:40:00.005+05:00

I am pleased to announce the launch of my new website www.zakonweb.com. This product is the result of a lot of work done by my team over the past 6 or 8 months.

Our goal with this new site is to provide our visitors with an easier way to learn and access O/A Computer Science Subject resources, notes, videos, frequently asked questions, topical questions and blog writings. We will be adding newly researched resources on a regular basis, and feature a blog that will present information on current “hot topics” related to Computer Science 2210 and 9608. Look for it in the coming months!
I hope you find the new website has a fresh look, is easy to use and is informative. Please send me your feedback through "Contact Us" section of the website (www.zakonweb.com).

--Zafar Ali Khan (0336 281 0241)
O/A Level Computers: Notes/Books, Websites, Blog, Discussion Groups & Fan Pages.
For New Computer Science www.zakonweb.com
For AL Computing resources Google "9691"

Get an Accredited Masters Degree from Georgia Tech US for just $6,600 While Sitting in Pakistan

2014-10-04T17:29:00.003+05:00

A lot of you who have done BS in CS ask me from which university in Pakistan should we do our master? I always tell the students no matter how much we love Pakistan we should always face reality. The reality is that we don't have world class computer science faculty in Pakistan. But the question is what should we do? I had usually advised students to go to USA for their masters.

The advice has two issues:

The high cost which most students cannot afford ($40,000 for a top University) and
The difficulty of getting the Visa.

How would you like to get a master's degree from Georgia Tech which is one of the Top 10 Computer Science programs in USA? It is one of the best universities in the world:
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/news/college-computing-builds-upon-us-news-top-10-ranking

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/georgia-institute-of-technology-139755

Now you can get an accredited Master degree from Georgia Tech for just $6,600 while sitting in Pakistan:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2013/05/15/georgia-tech-udacity-shock-higher-ed-with-7000-degree/

http://www.gizmag.com/georgia-tech--graduate-computer-science-degree-mooc/28763/

https://www.udacity.com/courses#!/georgia-tech-masters-in-cs

https://www.udacity.com/georgia-tech/faq

As these courses are accredited therefore it means it will be recognized by all universities in the world and you can even transfer course credits if later you decide to get admission in some other university.

I am sure about one thing, you will learn much more than if you did your masters in Pakistan.

By: Zafar Ali Khan

========================

Zafar Ali Khan [ZAK] is an O/A level Computer Science Pakistani educator, entrepreneur, and former programmer. He supports a free online education platform www.zakonweb.com to impart O and A level resources. His resources include notes, video lectures, online discussion groups, an artificial intelligence based virtual assistant, upcoming Android and IOS based apps and a website.

ZAK can be reached at:

O/A Level Computers Marathon Workshops '14

2014-05-04T11:12:00.000+05:00

O/A Level Computers Marathon Workshops '14
by: Zafar Ali Khan
Boat Basin - Bahadurabad - Gulshan

Limited seats available through registrations Only.
Forms for registrations are available online below and at respective centers.
Visit the respective center and submit your filled forms.
Receipts must be collected & submitted on the day of marathon to qualify entry.
Terms & conditions apply*.

Registration Form: http://goo.gl/2hi6l4
Fee & Days Schedule: http://goo.gl/6lHl3M

Call direct @ 03362810241 or centers below:
1) ZAI Clifton: 0324 202-0175, 3583-2743
2) ZAI Bahadurabad: 0321 242-6192, 3412-4557
3) Excel Gulshan: 0345-324 4912, 3483-2606

*Terms & conditions are mentioned on page 2 of Registration Form downloadable above.

My Flipped Classroom :)

2014-02-12T11:31:00.002+05:00

The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed.Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions. The video lecture is often seen as the key ingredient in the flipped approach, such lectures being either created by the instructor and posted online or selected from an online repository.

While a prerecorded lecture could certainly be a podcast or other audio format, the ease with which video can be accessed and viewed today has made it so ubiquitous that the flipped model has come to be identified with it. The notion of a flipped classroom draws on such concepts as active learning, student engagement, hybrid course design, and course pod-casting. The value of a flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities. During class sessions, instructors function as coaches or advisors, encouraging students in individual inquiry and collaborative effort.

(http://vimeo.com/channels/665413) This education channel on vimeo.com covers video lectures by Zafar Ali khan on O & A Level Computing and Computer Science. It covers CIE 9691, 9608 & 2210.

O/A Level Computers FREE Resources

Video Lectures: http://vimeo.com/channels/665413

Websites:

O/A Computer Science 9608/2210: www.zakonweb.com

A Level Computing 9691: https://sites.google.com/site/computing9691/

Discussion Groups:

A Level: https://www.facebook.com/groups/computing9691/

O Level: https://www.facebook.com/groups/olevelcomputer/

Fan Pages:

A Level: https://www.facebook.com/ALevelComputer

O Level: https://www.facebook.com/OLevelComputer

Unlocking Knowledge: Providing Computing 9691 on-line, all for free. VIDEOS too.

2014-01-14T16:51:00.002+05:00

As Dick K.P. Yue, Professor, MIT School of Engineering for their MIT OCW said:
“The idea is simple: to publish all of our course materials online and make them widely available to everyone.”

Our website for A-Level computing 9691 is a web-based publication of virtually full Computing 9691 course content. It is open and available to the world and is a permanent activity. Recently I have started uploading classroom video lectures to make whole effort more effective.

Through openly available content educators improve lectures, making their classes more effective; and students find additional resources to help them succeed.

O, AS & A Level Computers FREE Resources
Websites:
A Level: https://sites.google.com/site/computing9691/
O Level: https://sites.google.com/site/computerstudies7010/

Discussion Groups:
A Level: https://www.facebook.com/groups/computing9691/
O Level: https://www.facebook.com/groups/olevelcomputer/

Fan Pages:
A Level: https://www.facebook.com/ALevelComputer
O Level: https://www.facebook.com/OLevelComputer

Source-code errors found during compilation

2013-10-19T09:52:00.000+05:00

There might be questions in CIE from chapter 3.2 asking about errors found during lexical, syntax and semantic stages of compilation. Below I describe found errors

Errors during Lexical Analysis:

There are relatively few errors which can be detected during lexical analysis.

a) Strange characters

Some programming languages do not use all possible characters, so any strange ones which appear can be reported. Note however that almost any character is allowed within a quoted string.

b) Long quoted strings (1)

Many programming languages do not allow quoted strings to extend over more than one line; in such cases a missing quote can be detected. Languages of this type often have some way of automatically joining consecutive quoted strings together to allow for really long strings.

c) Long quoted strings (2)

If quoted strings can extend over multiple lines then a missing quote can cause quite a lot of text to be 'swallowed up' before an error is detected. The error will probably then be reported as somewhere in the text of the next quoted string, which is unlikely to make sense as part of a program.

d) Invalid numbers

A number such as 123.45.67 could be detected as invalid during lexical analysis (provided the language does not allow a full stop to appear immediately after a number). Some compiler writers prefer to treat this as two consecutive numbers 123.45 and .67 as far as lexical analysis is concerned and leave it to the syntax analyser to report an error. Some languages do not allow a number to start with a full stop/decimal point, in which case the lexical analyser can easily detect this situation.

Errors during Syntax Analysis:

During syntax analysis, the compiler is usually trying to decide what to do next on the basis of expecting one of a small number of tokens. Hence in most cases it is possible to automatically generate a useful error message just by listing the tokens which would be acceptable at that point.

Source: A + * B

Error: Found '*', expect one of: Identifier, Constant, '('

More specific hand-tailored error messages may be needed in cases of bracket mismatch.

Source: C := ( A + B * 3 ;

Error: Missing ')' or earlier surplus '('

Errors during Semantic Analysis

One of the most common errors reported during semantic analysis is "identifier not declared"; either you have omitted a declaration or you have misspelt an identifier.

Other errors commonly detected during semantic analysis relate to incompatible use of types, e.g. attempt to assign a logical value such as true to a string of characters. Some of these errors can be quite subtle, but again it is easy to automatically generate fairly precise error messages.

Source: SomeString := true;

Error: Can't assign logical value to character string

The extent to which such type checking is possible depends very much on the source language.

PL/1 allows an amazingly wide variety of automatic type conversions, so relatively little checking is possible.

Pascal is much more fussy; you can't even assign a real value to an integer variable without explicitly specifying whether you want the value to be rounded or truncated.

Some compiler writers have argued that type checking should be extended to cover the appropriate units as well for even more checking, e.g. it doesn't make sense to multiply a distance by a temperature.

Other possible sources of semantic errors are parameter miscount and array subscript miscount. It is generally an error to declare a subroutine as having 4 parameters and then call that routine with 5 parameters (but some languages do allow routines to have a variable number of parameters). It is also generally an error to declare an array as having 2 subscripts and then try and access an array element using 3 subscript.

O, AS & A Level Computers FREE Resources

Discussion Groups:
A Level: https://www.facebook.com/groups/computing9691/
O Level: https://www.facebook.com/groups/olevelcomputer/
Fan Pages:
A Level: https://www.facebook.com/ALevelComputer
O Level: https://www.facebook.com/OLevelComputer
Websites:
A Level: https://sites.google.com/site/computing9691/

O Level: https://sites.google.com/site/computerstudies7010/