Digital Learning Tools

Digital Learning Tools Digital education: Its growing. Its exploding. Its the future of learning. But, what exactly is it and how can it help the classroom? Here are several digital tools that can be great resources to help teachers and students create successful learning environments. Feel free to add to this post with digital tools you have used or heard of. Electronic textbooks: Mainly used by college professors. These allow professors to digitally edit and change the information in textbooks. This helps professors create a textbook that is fully customized to each class. Also, they are much cheaper. Moodle: A virtual learning environment for students. Some educators can use it to create online classes and educational discussions. It is a free, open-source software platform, meaning users can edit and upload their own content. Teachers can upload practice tests as well. iMovie and other multimedia programs: Instead of writing the standard research report, students can create a video or photo collage for a project. Studies show students learn better by creating visual and digital projects. Also, some colleges are allowing students to submit a video application; rather than a standard essay. Blackboard: An online program that allows teachers to upload class notes, syllabi, grades, assignments and other information. Students can also take practice tests on Blackboard. It is essentially an online database that can contain any information that a teacher feels is relevant to the class. Web site templates: Google sites, Wix, Intuit and other sites allow people to build their own Web sites. These programs are very user-friendly and can be easily completed with minimal technology skills. This could be a great tool for both students and teachers. Students can create an online resume and portfolio, showcasing their work and strengths. Teachers can build a site for their class that can be more attractive and creative than the standard page Blackboard would allow. Most of these programs are free, and they offer many templates to choose from. SMART Board: An interactive white board/computer projector screen with Internet input capabilities. Teachers and students can easily write and erase on the board, upload and project class notes or show Web sites, online videos or other educational materials from the Internet. Teachers can project digital textbooks to the class, large enough so every student can easily read them. There are other, similar digital projection screens. Skype: This is an online, person-to-person video chat. Teachers and students can use this to easily bring guest speakers into the class or clubs without paying travelling expenses or taking up too much of the speakers time. Students can easily ask questions, and the speakers can respond instantly. Some foreign language teachers are using Skype to video chat with students of that native language. So, American students who are learning French can Skype with French-speaking people. Cest super! YouTube: Many teachers are video taping their class lectures and uploading them to YouTube for free. This allows students to hear the lecture again or see it if they were absent. Students can even watch lectures from other professors or teachers at different schools. Also, YouTube offers many tutorials that could be helpful or beneficial. Wikipedia: It is a free, online encyclopedia that is fueled from user-generated content. People can easily edit, change and create new posts. It is a quick and easy way to learn about nearly anything. However, some do not find Wikipedia to be a credible source. Social networking sites: Twitter, Facebook, Ning, Blogspot, etc can all be used to create conversations and easily share educational information. These sites can create social atmospheres around a topic. Google docs survey tool: As part of gmails google docs, this allows students or teachers to create a unique survey and send it out en-masse over the internet. It also automatically creates summary charts. Online Blogs: Blogpost, LiveJournal, Blogger and others allow anyone to create an online blog. This can help students market themselves to college admission offices by showing strong writing skills and standing out from their peers. Teachers can blog about their topic of expertise and help educate more people than they teach. Its a great way to get heard. Leave a comment about all the other digital tools that have benefited you as a student, teacher or someone else involved in education!

Boston University A Student Interview

Boston University A Student Interview Mano earned his bachelors degree in international relations from Boston University. He specializes in French tutoring, SAT tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, he shares his experience at Boston University: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Mano: Boston University is a prime example of an urban college campus. On its outskirts, you can find the Charles River, The Red Soxs Fenway Park, Kenmore Square, and Allston. Its a very safe campus with a prime location in an iconic city; the BU Police Department works diligently with the Boston Police to ensure the safety of students, faculty, staff, and everyone on campus. The tramway runs through the middle of Boston University and is easily accessiblethough the schedule varies and slows down in the winter months. I wouldnt say one would need a car in Boston or while attending BU, as public transportation is easily accessible. In addition, BU has its own shuttle that runs through campus from one end to the other, free of charge. Bikes are also very useful for students living off-campus and can easily be parked anywherejust be careful for cars on Commonwealth Avenue. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Mano: As you progress throughyour academic years, classes start to decrease in size and you can easily get to know your professors and teaching assistants. In my experience, BU professors have gone out of their way to set up flexible office hours with their students, even increasing their presence on campus prior to finals weeks. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Mano: Living arrangements are not the best during the first two years of college at BU; though, they do get better when you become a junior and senior. In dormitory-style housing, students have to leave their dorms during the holidays and breaks, which is a hassle for someone living very far away from home. On campus apartment-style options are better than dormitories, but still expensive compared to off-campus housing. Though many might disagree with me, the quality of food at the universitys dining halls was not the best compared to other schools, despite the many options offered to students. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Mano: I studied international relations at Boston University. Its one of the most prominent departments at the university. I was fortunate to study and practice what I was learning in the classroom during a semester internship abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. Other well represented majors and programs include the School of Management, the School of Engineering, economics, and human physiology/pre-med. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Mano: Making friends at BU is very easy. Make sure to meet as many people as possible during the first few weeks of freshman year at orientation, activities, and club meetings. Some might end up being your friends for the entirety of your college life. Another great way to make close friends at the university is to build connections and friendships during your semester abroad, which was my case. Greek life isnt a major facet of student life at BU, but those who choose to join fraternities and sororities end up enjoying their experiences. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Mano: Many companies and alums recruit BU students. The emphasis is mainly on students majoring in business, engineering, and computer science. Liberal arts majors usually have the challenge of finding employment on their own; however, the Career Center provides resources and services to update and tailor resumes and cover letters to help students find internships or entry level jobs. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Mano: The university has a great number of libraries and study lounges spread all around campus. Its main library, Mugar, gets very crowded during midterms and finals season. This is why many go to smaller libraries and lounges in dorms for quiet study rooms. VT: Describe the surrounding town. Mano: Boston University is located in the heart of the city of Boston and just across the river from Cambridge, MA. The city is yours to explore, especially with the availability of the subway, tramway, and buses running around town. Boston is a cultural hub, as it harbors a variety of museums, concert venues, shopping districts, restaurants, and sports venues. The downtown area is 10-20 minutes away from BU, and students usually go out from Thursday to Sunday nights. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Mano: BU has around 16,000 undergraduate students. You are bound to take large classes your first two years, with around 200 students in each. But, as you become an upperclassman, class sizes start to shrink and you get to better know your professors and peersespecially during seminar-style advanced courses. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Mano: My best experience was with professor Abigail Jacobson who was visiting from the MIT history department. Her class on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led toan opportunity to assist her in research on her project on the relations between Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. I eventually decided to pursue opportunities in foreign policy research in several think tanks as a result. Check out Manos tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Are Men Better at Science English Listening Exercise

Are Men Better at Science English Listening Exercise The video for this weeks English listening exercise is amazing to me, as a mother raising a daughter.In recent years, it has been suggested that women are not involved in science, engineering and programing because of genetics. In this video,  Neil deGrasse Tyson, a well-known American astrophysicist,  does an excellent job  criticizing this argument.1. Does anyone want to ____ that question?2. I__ ____ _____ female.3. How old was Neil when he wanted to become an  astro-physistist?4. The fact that he wanted to be a scientist was ______ ____ the path  of most resistence.5. Teachers said, _____ you want to be an athlete?6. How did the thief in his story escape?7. Before we start talking about genetic difference, weve got to _____ __ with a system where there is equal opportunity.Do you agree with what Neil deGrasse Tyson says in the video? How does your country deal with the gender gap?

Toys For Tots

Toys For Tots Huntington Teamed up with Toys for Tots for 3rd Consecutive Year Oradell, NJ -- January 2015-- Huntington employees participated in the 2014Toys for Tots Holiday Campaign. Huntington has a long standing tradition of giving back to the community and participation in the Toys for Tots program is an exciting way to get everyone involved. Huntington collected boxes of unwrapped toys and books over the last few weeks of 2014 which were donated to the Toys for Tots organization. The mission at Huntington, a leading provider of tutoring and test prep services to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, istogive every student the best education possible. By teaming up with Toys for Tots, a program run by the US Marine Corps Reserve, Huntingtons is able to expand the mission and give back even more, by putting smiles on the faces of those in need during the holidays. Through the generosity of Huntington employees, the holiday season was a little brighter for many children About Huntington Huntington Learning Center is a tutoring and test prep leader with certified teachers providing individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry and other sciences. Huntington preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams.The skills, confidence, and motivation developed by Huntington helps students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards.Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible.Learn how Huntington can help atwww.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visitwww.huntingtonfranchise.com.

Using Your Universitys Career Center In Your Internship Search

Using Your University's Career Center In Your Internship Search Image via. https://pixabay.com/en/road-sign-town-sign-success-career-798176/ Most university career centers offer the same services: (1) writing a cover letter, (2) writing/editing your resume, (3) asking for letters of recommendation, (4) interview practice, (5) putting together a portfolio, (6) how to start your job/internship search, and much more. In order for these services to be useful to you (in my opinion), you need to make a few appointments with a couple of different career counselors and student volunteers to make sure you find someone who you connect with. Yes, it’s helpful to just make an appointment in general, but if you continue going to the same person he/she will already know what you are looking for in an internship and there will be no need for introductions that ultimately just take up valuable time that could be spent on finding an internship. Go through all of the steps with your career counselor… by this, I mean use all of the services offered to you. In order for your trips to the career center to be effective, you need to come prepared as well. Your counselor cannot and will not do all of the work for you… this is your internship and your future, you need to remain accountable. If you want to work on your resume and/or cover letter, make sure you have a rough draft. If you are ready to hit “Apply” to an internship, make sure you have your computer charged and ready for your career counselor to check over it. If you are prepping for an interview, come in your potential interview outfit and a list of questions that you researched that are asked by the particular company. Your appointments with the career center will only work if you put in the time and effort. Think of it this way, your career counselor has no stake in whether or not you land an internship, only you do. Therefore, you will need to go the extra mile. I know that may sound harsh, but tough love is the best kind of love when it comes to internship search time. Starting early in the year to search for an internship is step #1 in preparedness. Make appointments ahead of time and begin networking and researching before your very first appointment. Image via. https://pixabay.com/en/bulletin-board-stickies-post-it-3127287/ Last, but certainly not least, remember that the career center is there to help students, like you. If you are afraid of asking a company or friends a silly question about your internship research, then ask your career counselor the question. He/she is there to help and he/she has definitely heard a lot worse. You want to go into this process confident and excited, and that can only happen if all of your questions are answered. If you don’t know what to ask, here are some great questions to ask your career center: Is this a nice format/template for my resume and cover letter? Is it professional? Is this a good outfit for an interview at a company that dresses business-formal? What are some good places to find internship listings? How can I differentiate a real internship from a scam on the internet? How can I personalize a different cover letter for each of the places I apply to? What information should I definitely include? How far back can I go when noting my experiences on my resume? Is it okay if I have an experience from high school on there? What are some major questions that are asked in most interviews? Are websites, like Glass Door, useful? What are the pros and cons of an unpaid internship? Ask your questions, go prepared, and start the process early. Keep organized and stay on top of your internship search. I have no doubt that all of you will land the internship of your dreams. One last piece of advice from me… keep an open mind and apply to a bunch of different types of internships! Good luck!

Back at Home for the Summer 5 Ways to Adjust

Back at Home for the Summer 5 Ways to Adjust 5 Ways to Adjust to the Transition of Going Home For the Summer Being back home presents a huge transition for a college student who has just completed their freshman year. For the most part, new college students hit the ground running and dont get a chance to stop until the year is over. Sometimes, students will arrange for an internship or part-time job while other times students simply need to rest and recuperate from the previous semester. It can be difficult to adjust to being in a different town or state, but there are several things students can do to keep their summer at home productive and prepare themselves for their sophomore year as a university student. 1. Short-term internships Students who would like to participate successfully in an internship but also want to have some rest should consider getting a short-term internship. Many internships are only a week or two weeks long and allow students to get a sneak peek into what a longer internship would be like down the road. For the most part, these positions simply allow college students to see the office environment they might be working in while they help out with support tasks. Students who are feeling overwhelmed after their first year of college are encouraged to consider a short-term internship and enjoy the remainder of their summer (READ: 5 ways to learn about art this summer). 2. A Paycheck Getting a paycheck over the summer can make the school year a whole lot easier. Many students work part-time every week throughout the school year, but others will only work during the holiday break and summer. If this is the case, every dollar becomes more important, and summer work allows students to have more fun and flexibility during the year. Additional funds give students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs and organizations and avoid additional part-time work during the year so they can focus on academics. Students may even save up a little bit of money for a study abroad opportunity. 3. Volunteer work in your field Another excellent way for students to make a summer at home productive is to do some volunteer work within their major field of study. This is a little bit more complicated than filling mandatory volunteer hours to graduate high school in that the student will have to do a fair amount of research to find the best fit for them. There are many websites that help match potential volunteers with appropriate organizations, and once students turn 18, there are more things they can participate in within a professional environment. Some volunteer work is casual, and students can just attend a few hours a week while other positions are full-time and require an application similar to that for a paid job (READ: Why you should get a test prep tutor over the summer). 4. Road trip Another great way for students to fill their time while living at home during the summer is to go on an educational road trip. Depending on where a student lives, there are tons of things from natural habitats to state parks to national monuments that are of educational and historic interest. If a student travels to a neighboring state, they will be able to broaden their horizons and view life a little bit differently. Road trips are often ‘just for fun’ but they can also hold educational and cultural value. 5. Rest and recuperate Freshman year of college can be extremely draining because students need to adjust to the advanced academic rigors that are required. In many ways, just resting and relaxing after the first year of college can be of great benefit to students so they can fully participate in their sophomore year. Hopefully, college students will show up to their second year on campus with a renewed interest in education and ability to participate in more advanced educational courses. Now that youre back home for the summer, catch up and get ahead for the next academic year with the help of an Irvine summer tutor from TutorNerds. Call us today for more information. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

italki Climbs a Mountain

italki Climbs a Mountain Over the weekend italki got to get away from Shanghai. We wanted to get away, see more of China, and get to know each other a little better. In the last year italki has doubled in the number of staff.  The company filled up a bus and embarked on a two-day journey to the ??? (Ox-head mountain) national park, in the heart of Zhejiang.   The area is a magical place. High, wild peaks are covered in a lush green that is rare to see in the sprawling city of Shanghai. The fog, seemingly present all day, but most poetic close to dawn, rolls down the steep inclines. Apparently shredded by the tops of the mountains, the fog dissipates into eddies and currents. It is a cloud that, much to its confusion, has suddenly discovering something entirely unfamiliar to it the ground. The entire italki collective sleepwalked onto  the  bus at 6:45 am, and embarked on our journey. After a #jampacked #weekend in #zhejiang #cowshead #mountain the #italki #team took a #6hour #busride back to #shanghai #totallyworthit #somethingsmellsinhere #whenisthenextreststop #wakemeupwhenwegetthere #cominghome #happycampers #companytrip #openthewindows #??? #backtowork A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Aug 23, 2015 at 5:37am PDT As the Chinese countryside rolled by in our windows, still half asleep, we could see the pace of life change, bustle of the city and it’s 21+ million disappeared in our rear window. A few hours passed and the terrain changed, dramatically. The bus grunted and moaned  its way  up, fighting against  the thin air against a steep grade. Out of the windows we could see the bottoms of the mountains. Seemingly close but sinking deeper and deeper into the earth. The mountain roads took us up and along. The bus huffed away, skirting around the edge of the precipice, giving us long, thoughtful look down. As far as “corporate togetherness” events go, our trip  was far from the usual fare. It was remote, physically challenging, and actually fun.   Our first stop was the “rafting” (not counting a very traditional Chinese lunch in a speck-on-the-map sort of town). If you have images of going down rapids, 6 8 people to a boat, anchoring yourself with your foot while you paddle this was not it. We separated into groups of two, picked a boat, picked a wooden paddle which resembled a two-by-four, and got into the water. The course of the river itself seemed to resemble a log flume ride more than river-rafting. Each set of rapids was built up and secured with concrete, creating a … nozzle of a sort. Each of these choke-points was manned by several guys wearing conical straw hats, and operating a long stick of bamboo with a metal hook on the end. They would corral the hapless rafters towards the drops, regulating the timing to prevent collisions. Once your turn came up, the raft would be sent through the concrete nozzle and ride the vigorous foaming water through to the level a foot or three below, and further downstream.   italki went wild. Splashing each other and finding the best ways to obstruct the progress of their peers through the rapids. Xiao Hui and Jim on a #whitewater #raft in the middle of #zhejiang #companytrip #soaked #italki #activity #teambuilding #waterfall #raftingtrip #6hourbusride A photo posted by Italki (@italki) on Aug 21, 2015 at 7:46am PDT We played in the water and sun, before finally settling into the hot baths with herbs stuffed in industrial-sized tea-bags made of fabric. There we socialized further. Moving between flavors of baths, one could hear the bantering in a dozen languages. The Official Proceedings: The next morning we had a typical company meeting. Each department presented their work for the month and quarter. We talked about the work we expect to do in the future. Each one of these meetings we get a little bit better, a little closer to new features, capabilities. Its a giddy feeling to see progress. In a building on top of a mountain, here, in the depths of China, the atmosphere was also perfect for the next activity. We have almost doubled in size in terms of staff within one year. A quickly-growing company often risks its warm, personable atmosphere with rapid expansion. It’s also easy to lose a sense of history, of the team’s historical mission in these circumstances. That’s why, at this celebration of our work and beautiful nature around us, we learned about the history of the Company. We heard stories from those who have started italki: the  struggles, the numerous offices, the small, incremental triumphs that brought us here. We connected to our historical mission again, and took that momentum further trying to envision our futures. As always, the future is uncertain, but we see the impact of our work. In all the stories of success we hear from our students, in knowing the amount of struggle that went into creating the meaning behind the little pink speech bubble, we are reminded of what we stand for, and why we work. Climbing the Mountain This trip was fundamentally not about the usual go team exercise one expects from any sort of corporate togetherness event. Any go team moments came from a genuine enjoyment of the company and the sense of shared mission. More than that, though, it is the insights that we gained about one another that really created a sense of  belonging.    We finished up the meeting to get to the most challenging part of our trip: Climbing the mountain. As an aside I must tell you that Chinese national parks are designed in an odd way. The slopes of natural mountains and lush greenery are crossed by  well-paved concrete sidewalks. These often take the shape of an endless staircase. They are kept at altitude, resting on a series of blocks embedded directly into the the face of the mountain. Park visitors climb. There are no dirt trails marked off by logs. The contact with nature is not direct, and feels a bit like a set piece from Bradburys A Sound of Thunder. Indeed, at times it feels like one can be looking hundreds years into the past, watching a side of the hill or a rivulet in the rock formation.  Swaying to their own thoughts, the branches speak with the wind. We set off to climb.  Thousands of steps snaked endlessly through lush greenery. Breathtaking drops and sights interspersed with desperate sprints, up.  The climb was brutal. After 2 hours, Iker is now #struggling #companyretreat #hike #theytoldmeitwasonlyanhour #nopainnogain #youcandoit