Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Choosing a Math Tutor in Minneapolis

Choosing a Math Tutor in MinneapolisIf you are looking for a quality math tutoring service, you might consider hiring an algebra tutor in Minneapolis. These tutors offer a unique mixture of physical and intellectual stimulation that will help you become more successful in your math classes.There are several advantages to the Minnesota tutoring center that make it the best place to go to school or take your math. The tutor can answer any question that you have. He/she can also provide different types of math games and learning activities that will help you learn as well as stimulate your mind.Algebra students who enjoy being with other students who are taking the math class tend to be more interested and more dedicated to the subject. Algebra tutors usually offer a one on one experience that is really different from traditional classroom instruction.Sometimes, math is easier than many people think. Many students are not comfortable with math and are not the math specialist they should be. An algebra tutor will help a student learn math in a stimulating environment that will help you excel at math.Once you have mastered the algebra skills that are necessary for a college level math class, you will feel more confident about math. Many people who take the math class will choose this subject because they find math is more fun than many other subjects.The tutor will help you develop your particular interest in the subject. Many tutors will offer you a trial lesson so that you can see if the algebra tutoring program is right for you. You can use the lessons to help you get ready for your algebra class, which is really important for many students.This is not the only math service you can look into. You can also choose a math tutor in Minneapolis if you need extra practice in your math classes. Be sure to look into other options so that you are sure you are choosing the right math program for you.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Better Pedagogy and Time-Savings through Automated Feedback

Better Pedagogy and Time-Savings through Automated Feedback Automated Feedback Solutions Chichikovs teacher looks miserable about all the corrections he has to do If you teach ESL, you may have encountered any number of disparaging remarks from students and teachers alike about language instruction. For example, when I challenged my students a couple of weeks ago to spend a little more time on their English homework, one of my college students said to me, No  offense, but it is ONLY English. I countered, Isnt English the most important language in the world for business, travel, and research? Yes, came the reply, but I live in St-Jerome.  There was some nodding and general agreement that followed.  Apparently, in St-Jerome, Quebec, English does not seem to be a pressing need for some eighteen-year-old Francophones. Years earlier, in South Korea, during a department meeting about adding a writing component to our Freshman English Program, a colleague declared with a grin, Whats the point? They dont learn anything away. There was some nodding. General agreement that followed that remark, also. Apparently, adding writing correction to the list of ESL teachers duties does not always seem like a particularly effective use of time in all contexts. Obviously, motivation can ebb and flow on both sides of the teachers desk. Learning, for example, when to use the  Present Perfect Progressive can seem like more trouble than it is worth. Also, correcting the same error in a students writing multiple times can be disheartening to even the most patient of teachers. Such problems! Are ESL teachers doomed forevermore to be the workhorses of the academic world? Automated Feedback Solutions Computers can provide solutions to some of the problems one encounters in ESL. If you think English is irrelevant to your day-to-day life, YouTube and Facebook might persuade you otherwise. If you are starting to feel that correcting quizzes and writing assignments is getting tedious,  Moodle and Virtual Writing Tutor can help. Lately, I have been using Bokomaru Publications  Moodle-Assisted English Language Learning site called Labo danglais. I do almost all of my testing online with automatically graded quizzes and peer-reviewed writing assignments. As a result, students get scores quicker than they did when I did all correction by hand, and I notice a significant reduction in the amount of tedium in my job. To provide my students with faster corrective feedback on writing errors, I use  Virtual Writing Tutor. When my colleagues complain that they spent the weekend giving corrective feedback on student essays, I sympathize, a little. I think back to the years when my weekends were gobbled up by stacks of writing corrections, and then I smile at how the most repetitive and tedious aspects of providing corrective feedback are now handled by a machine. Correction without Tears Step 1 To illustrate one way that my job has gotten easier without sacrificing good pedagogy in the process, I would like to share a little about my approach to teaching Francophone College students the Present Perfect Progressive. In week one of a fifteen-week semester, I ask my students to find and correct the errors in a short introduction forum post written by a former student. This is the text: my name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in sciences humans since 2 years. Me, i like to do party with my friends. My best friend make me smile. This text contains some pretty common errors made by Francophones writing in English.    In French, you are born somewhere. In English, you were born somewhere.  In French, you live at a city. In English, you live in a city.    In French, you have so many years. In English, you are so many years old.    In French, you study in a program since so many years. In English, you have been studying a subject area for so many years, and so on. Back to my method Step 2 Then, I ask students to introduce themselves to the class using an online forum.  Of course, despite having done the correction exercise, they still make many of the same kinds of errors, so I  ask them to check their own introduction for errors using the  Virtual Writing Tutor. They get the same amount of corrective feedback (or more) on errors as they would get from me if I were to collect the paragraphs on paper, bring them home and return them the next week covered in red ink, but they get the feedback in in less than a second from the machine. Here is what you get when you submit the above text into the  Virtual Writing Tutor: You wrote:  my  name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in lavFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  my name is  sophie  Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live at MFeedback:  Proper names, days of the week, months, cities, provinces, countries, languages, and nationalities all begin with a capital letter. For this reason, the word sophie should probably be uppercase: Sophie.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon.  i  am born in laval. i live at Montreal. iFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon.  i  am born in laval. i live at Montreal. iFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.     Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in  laval.  i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. iFeedback:  Proper names, days of the week, months, cities, provinces, countries, languages, and nationalities all begin with a capital letter. For this reason, the word laval should probably be uppercase: Laval.       Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  e is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval.  i  live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i stFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  e is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval.  i  live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i stFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  phie Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live  at Montreal.  i have 17 years. i study in sciences hFeedback:  The usual preposition used before town, city and region names is in. Did you mean in Montreal ?      Link:  Preposition error-correction practice activity You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym. You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i have 17 years.  i study in sciences humans since 2 yearFeedback:  Did you mean I am 17 years old? You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym. You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:   i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i  study  in sciences humans since 2 years. Me, iFeedback:  Use the Present Perfect to express durations of time that include the present. Did you mean i have been studying Social Sciences for 2 years? You wrote:  t Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in  sciences humans  since 2 years. Me, i like to do party wFeedback:  In English, plural nouns do not require plural adjectives. Adjectives and noun modifiers must remain singular. Did you mean ? You wrote:  t Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in  sciences humans  since 2 years. Me, i like to do party wFeedback:  You have used the French name of college program. You wrote sciences humans, but in English it is Social Sciences.Link:  Program name translation activity You wrote:  ve 17 years. i study in sciences humans  since 2 years.  Me, i like to do party with my friendsFeedback:  Use for not since for a duration of time. Did you mean for 2 years?Link:  Preposition error-correction practice activity You wrote:  study in sciences humans since 2 years.  Me, i  like to do party with my friends. My beFeedback:  Please choose either me or I not both. Its awkward.Link:  Pronoun error-correction practice activity You wrote: y in sciences humans since 2 years. Me,  i  like to do party with my friends. My beFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity Step 3 Later in the course, I ask my students to create an unusual character and write an introduction for that character using the first person. Again, I ask them to share it online and then check it for errors using the  Virtual Writing Tutor. Step 4 On the final exam, one of the six sections of the exam asks them to write a paragraph where they introduce themselves. This time, it is me who uses the  Virtual Writing Tutor  to check for errors. By the end of a semester with me, most of my students will write a paragraph containing a correct instance of the Present Perfect Progressive in response to the following writing prompt: Introduce yourself. Say where you are from, where you live, how long you have been living there, the name of your program, how long you have been in the program. Also, describe your usual weekly routine, your job, and how long you have been doing it. The Virtual Writing Tutor Makes Good Pedagogy Possible All in all, the students get much more corrective feedback on errors than I would be willing to give without the help of a machine. The goal is to throw so much negative evidence at an error that the interlanguage rule in students heads that produces the error will begin to destabilize. Once that happens, they might then be able to resist the urge to map English words on the French structures, and finally introduce themselves in Standard Written English. To provide that much feedback by hand might negatively affect my motivation as a teacher. The Virtual Writing Tutor Saves Time Just consider how long it would take you to provide the same amount of corrective feedback as the  Virtual Writing Tutor  can provide  on 125 students paragraphs. Assuming you are a well-rested teacher with a two day weekend ahead of you and assuming you could correct one error every 15 seconds, and assuming each text has 21 errors like the one above, it would take you only about 5 minutes per student. Not so bad. Assuming you had five groups of 25 students (my groups have between 27 and 29 students this semester) and spent five minutes on each text without any interruptions, meals, or breaks, it would take you 625 minutes, or 10 and a half hours to correct them all. Your weekend is gone, and your kids are now complaining to their mother/your wife that you never make time to play with them. Your motivation to provide corrective feedback might start to wain by week two of the semester. Now, times that 10 and a half hours by three. I have learned, as I hope you will too, that the  Virtual Writing Tutor  saves ESL teachers time. How much time do you spend on providing corrective feedback on ESL students writing? Leave a comment. Please follow and like us:

5 ways to help your kids finish their homework on time

5 ways to help your kids finish their homework on time 5 ways to help your kids finish their homework on time It seems like young students are getting more and more homework these days and many kids find it difficult to get assignments done on time. Whether they are reading several chapters in a textbook or completing math problems to prepare for an exam, its essential that kids get things done on time so they can be successful academically and enjoy a general balance in their young lives. Its important that kids have a chance to be outside, spend time with family and friends, and explore extracurricular activities. Time management is an essential skill for todays busy academic life. 1.   Improve focus Many young kids get distracted by any number of things in their environment. There might be a lot of noise in their study space or social media might be playing a role in time management issues. Having excellent focus is essential to getting homework done on time so this is one of the first things parents might want to look at. Perhaps a student needs to work in an environment like a library to avoid distraction or maybe they need to sit down and eat a snack so their brain is functioning at its best level. 2.   Provide adequate brakes Students also have trouble getting assignments in on time if they dont have appropriate breaks. Many students try and finish their entire assignment and end up running out of steam or taking a break at a less than ideal time. When a student has finished a particular sub-topic or chapter they should consider taking a short break so their brain can relax and refocus. Finding a good stopping point is essential to time management because students who stop at random intervals often have to go back and reread information in order to get caught up; all of these things take up time. 3.   Arrange outdoor or exercise time Kids also have trouble concentrating if they havent gotten enough fresh air and exercise in a given day. Kids might need to run around outside for a little while before tackling their homework or they might need to participate in a regular exercise program so their general concentration improves. On the other hand, some kids struggle to transition from playtime to homework time and may need help from a parent or tutor to get started on longer homework assignments (READ: Irvine Tutoring Tips: 5 Tips For Coping With Summer Stress). 4.   Encourage organization Good organization is essential to finishing any task on time. Most students need to learn which assignments take a long time, which assignment is due first, and how much energy they might need for each task. Kids who can organize themselves, or who have help with organization, have a much better chance of improving their overall time management and getting their homework done at a reasonable hour so they can enjoy balance and time with family at the end of the day. 5.   Help kids become self-starters Although younger kids will need a lot of direction from parents and teachers, the best thing is for them to develop their time management skills so they can become a self-starter and get things done on time by themselves. At what age and level this occurs will depend a lot on personal circumstances, but its something that every kid should work towards. As kids get older, its ideal for them to be able to know how much homework they have, about how long it will take to complete, and which assignments are most important to their successful learning. Independent study habits help kids maintain higher academic standards throughout all levels of learning. Our private San Diego academic tutors are here to help your child finish their homework. Call us today to learn about our San Diego in-home summer tutoring. 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.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Find an Online Spanish Tutor

Find an Online Spanish Tutor Meet our new Online  Tutor Hector O. He specializes in  Spanish, project management, Microsoft Project. Hector is a Civil Engineer. He has  worked in the construction field for 5 years. During  all this time Hector has been  using Microsoft Project in most of his  projects. His  experience with teaching started when his  co-workers started to ask Hector “How to……” simple questions.  Hector would like to help students and professionals who are either struggling with this software or just looking to get the most of it. Hector is also a Spanish tutor. Hi is very patient when it comes to helping his students.  He can help you set up a combination of learning resources to help you move from beginning Spanish to fluency. Whatever your personal Spanish learning goals and needs are, know that our tutors  are always here for you. We believe in a balance of affordability and quality customized to your individual learning needs.

32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave You

32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave You 32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave You Imagine if we were all named Bob or Sue.From  Bangkok to Montreal, say every man and every woman had the exact same name.Bob and Sue.Feeling a little uncomfortable about the idea of global name homogeneity? Yeah, me too.Of course, theres  nothing wrong with Bob and Sue. Theyre great names that are surely attached to some great people. Still, the idea of everyone being labeled with these two  designations  sounds  like something out of a young adult dystopian novel.Thats because we value diversity. We seek out what weve never seen or heard before. We want to experience something different. We yearn to be enriched by the foreign and new.Luckily were not all named Bob or Sueâ€"that would be boring. Were fortunate in that we can actually taste the rainbow. You wont find a pot of gold at the end of it,  but youll get to satisfy your  craving for  foreign culture (which is worth way more!).All it  takes is one simple question: Hey, whats your name?Here youll find 32 awesome foreign names, plus why they  should matter to  you, a  dedicated language learner. Why Youll  Be Extra  Interested in  Cool Foreign Names as a Language LearnerWe dont think about it too often, but names are a major part of our being.When it comes to naming babies, expectant parents spend countless hours poring over  baby-naming websites,  making up lists and receiving adviceâ€"whether  invited or notâ€"from pretty much anyone who feels bold enough to offer up their opinion on such a personal matter (at least in some cultures, more on that in a second).The reason that this process  becomes so involved is  because theres a general awareness of how important names are. They are deeply tied to our identities. Everyone wants to make sure that they get it right, since, really, you  only get one shot. Therefore, choosing  a name  that the parents, the child and even society can live with can turn quite stressful.This is especially true in the Western  cultures where parents have the freedom to name th eir child almost anything that they want. From the biblical to the bizarre, when your options range from James to Jermajesty, things can get a bit overwhelming.In other cultures, names are chosen more ceremoniously.  Parents  pick from the family tree, they look to events that occurred during or after pregnancy, they perform  rituals, magic and incantation, and a whole host of other processes to decide the perfect name for their person-to-be.Its clear that no matter the avenue chosen for naming a baby, every culture takes this process very seriously.So what does this have to do with learning a language?Lots.  In addition to  personal significance, names bear huge cultural significance as well. They dont just represent you, they represent where you come from, where your parents came from, entire ethnic groups and nationalities. Its tribal.There are names that we instantly associate with a culture or region just by seeing or hearing them.  Take a  look at the  name John  in alternate forms: Juan, Jean, Giovanni. No doubt you automatically made the associations with Latin America/Spain, France  and Italy.This is intentional.  Theres a reason  why we dont know a  ton of French Giovannis. Were hard-wired to preserve our cultural identities, and, generally, the first place people start is with the name.Keep that in mind  when youre learning a new language. You arent  just learning nouns, adjectives and verbs. Youre learning a new culture. Youre getting a taste of how people in that culture think, what they believe and how they express themselves. Names are an important part of that.Therefore, taking the time to appreciate the significance of foreign names is going to set you on the right path, and that path continues right on to authentic language learningâ€"i.e., learning with materials where characters names in dialogues arent exactly the same in every language. So find out whats really behind the interesting-sounding names in the language you want to learn by sta rting with the real-world videos on FluentUâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, interesting talks and moreâ€"which double as personalized language learning lessons.There is, however, another aspect that we shouldnt overlook. Foreign names are just  freakin cool.Yes, sometimes they can be shocking to our ears, and maybe they can be a little hard to pronounce.  Ill give you that.  However, putting pronunciation aside, there are many that just have an awesome sound, or  an interesting meaning or are attached to some pretty significant people.Its okay if youve felt a little bit of foreign name envy on more than one occasion. Weve all been there. You may  feel your simple  English  name is dull and uninteresting, but just remember  two things: (1)  Its your name. Celebrate that everyone else in the world doesnt have  it (even if you have to share it with a couple thousand others), and (2)  You may come across a list, just like this, written by someone thousands and thousands of miles aw ay, and your name might just be on it.Lets dive in.32 Cool Foreign Names You Wish Your Parents Gave YouChinese1. Ai (f)Pronunciation:  EyeShort and sweet. The meaning of this name changes depending on the accent. When spelled  Ã i, the name means love, affection. However,  ai means friendly. All around, its a pleasant name no matter how you say it.2. Tao (m)Pronunciation:  TaoThe Chinese dont need too many syllables or characters for a name to make a huge splash. Brief, yet bold, Tao translates to large waves.French3. Apolline (f)Pronunciation:  App-oh-LEENWho says only boys can be named after the son of Zeus? Certainly not the French. Theyve taken the god of musics name and given  it a feminine and melodic twist. Move over Apollo. Girls rule.4. Rapier (m)Pronunciation:  Rah-pee-AYThis name is about as badass as it gets.  Rapier is the term used for slim, pointy swords.  Ladies with bad-boy fever will be swooning for sure.German5. Leisl (f)Pronunciation:  LEE-slLiesl has been cool s ince the Von Trapps sang their way into Americas  hearts  all those years ago. It almost sounds like the name Lisa, but that extra sl sound at the end gives it a fun twist that we dont get to hear often in names that have more Anglo-Saxon based origins.6. Peppi (m)Pronunciation:  PEH-peeWhen you say this out loud doesnt it just make you want to skip? Or, dare I say, make you want to add some  pep to your step?Greek7. Cathenna (f)Pronunciation:  Cath-EN-naThis strong, bold, beautiful name  is a variant of the name Athena. If youre unsure of  who Athena is, she just so happens to be the strong, bold and beautiful goddess of wisdom and war in Greek mythology.8. Hrisovalantis (m)Pronunciation:  Hri-soh-vuh-LAN-tisI know exactly what youre thinking. Gosh, this name sounds a lot like the name Chris.  Well, youre on the right track. Thats because, in English, thats exactly what this name translates to. Upon first glance it looks impossible to pronounce, but its phonetic, so its a lot  easi er than it looks.Hawaiian9. Malia (f)Pronunciation: Muh-LI-yuhIt should be of no surprise that Barack Obama gifted his daughter with  a name from his home state. Its a sweet variant of the  name Mary.10. Ahe (m)Pronunciation:  Ah-HEHThe only onomatopoeic name on the list. Ahe nearly sounds like what it means, which is soft breeze.Hungarian11. Katoka (f)Pronunciation:  Ka-TO-kaJust as its meaning is pure, the name Katoka is also a pure delight to say. It easily rolls off the tongue, but also has a warrior princess feel to it.12. Arpad (m)Pronunciation:  AHR-padSpeaking of warriors,  if someone were to tell me that an Arpad is leading a  charge against my  enemies, Id feel like I were  in safe hands. Its just as well, Arpad is also the name of  a 9th-century Hungarian war hero.Indian13. Bhavika (f)Pronunciation: BAH-vih-kahIndian names always have the coolest sound, and this one is no different. Who wouldnt want to introduce her to every passerby just for the sheer pleasure of getting to say her name over and over again?14. Dev  (m)Pronunciation: DaivAlternate Pronunciation: swag. Just kidding.  Dev oozes cool.  While we may typically think of Indian names as being longer, this one is short and hip. And if it looks familiar to you, thats because it belongs to a popular actor of the same name. Ever heard of Slumdog Millionaire?Irish15. Radha (f)Pronunciation:  ROH-aIn the English language were all for the silent consonant. This is next level though. These letters  dont correspond to the sounds that were familiar with. All the fun in Irish names lies in getting the pronunciation downâ€"which tends to be quite simple in the end.16. Seamus (m)Pronunciation: SHAY-musDid your hearts skip a beat, Harry Potter fans? Youre welcome. There will always be great affection for the beloved, Gryffindor, Seamus.  So go ahead, flutter away hearts, flutter away.Israeli17. Elanie (f)Pronunciation:  Eh-LAN-eeFor a name that means oak tree, its one of the lighter sounding names on th is list. Elanie  is rooted (sorry, had to) in strength and fortitude.  Its an airy feminine name with the strength of  a forest to back it up.18.  Moshe (m)Pronunciation:  MOH-shehYou might not recognize this name in its Hebrew form, but youre probably familiar with the guy attached to it. He did this whole thing with the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments,  and  saved a whole race of people.  Some would say that hes  kind of a big deal.Italian19. Marielia (f)Pronunciation:  Ma-ri-EL-ee-ahLike the Italian language itself, this name is very melodic. Its a combination of both a female and a male name: Maria and Elia (Mary and Elijah). Whats not to love?20. Drago (m)Pronunciation:  DRA-gohIf the French Rapier is as close to tough  as a name can get, Drago  goes even further still. It means dragon. Enough said. With a name like this, any little boy  can conquer the world.Japanese21. Chiyo (f)Pronunciation:  CHEE-ohIn Japanese it means a thousand generations, which is both haunting and beauti ful.  It also might ring a bell for many, as its the name of the protagonist in the popular book and movie Memoirs of a Geisha.22. Fumio (m)Pronunciation: FOO-mee-ohDoesnt it have a bit of an Italian ring to it?  Did you just imagine pasta and wine?  The name is actually quite Japanese. It belonged to  several notable people in  Japan  such as writers, musicians, politicians, artists and athletes.Middle Eastern (Arabic)23.  Zahra (f)Pronunciation:  ZAH-raThis name is appealing to many native English speakers, perhaps because its both simple  and exotic. Ive come across  several people whove mentioned their admiration of the name Zahra. It has two meanings. In Arabic it means white and in  Egyptian it means flower.24. Driss (m)Pronunciation:  DrissThe name alone evokes the image of a dude on a  motorcycle, wearing aviator sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. Ironically though, Driss comes from the Arabic verb darassa which means to study. But studying is cool too, right? Yeah, you kno w what,  scratch the irony.  Lets go with studying is cool.Nigerian25. Uchenna (f)Pronunciation: Oo-CHEN-aThis euphonic bit of Nigerian goodness is perfect for the modern monotheist. It means gods will. Shes got some big shoes to fill, but at least shes got a great name she can flaunt while filling them.26. Ajulo (m)Pronunciation:  Ah-JOO-lohMost of us probably would not want to be labeled by our birth order, unless that label was Ajulo. The name means second born, and the Ajulos of the world surely revel in it because of the awesome name that comes with it.Scottish27. Ailsa (f)Pronunciation: ALE-sahAilsa Craig is a tiny island off the coast of Scotland. The name Ailsa means Island of Alfisigr. Alfsigr means elf victory, so really, the name is quite enchanted on all fronts.28. Coinneach (m)Pronunciation: CON-akWith a name that means handsome and sounds like the name of a popular brandy, this Scottish moniker  screams masculinity.Spanish29. Adelina (f)Pronunciation:  A-deh-LEE-nahSpa nish names tend to always have a melodic sound that rolls off the tongue. This one is no different. Its both sweet and grandiose, two traits anyone would want in a name.30. Lucero (m)Pronunciation:  Loo-SER-ohLatinos love light. For example, in Spanish when you say to give birth, you say dar a luz which  literally means to give light. Also, Luz is a very popular name for girls in Spanish-speaking countries.  So, there  was no way the boys were being left out of this light show. Lucero is sure to shine with a name meaning bright light or bright star.Vietnamese31. Tuyet-Hanh (f)Pronunciation: DWIT-hahnHeres another combo name. Tuyet means snow or snow white and Hanh means apricot tree (lucky its not an apple tree!). Lame joke aside, youll find that this exotic name is quite fun to say, and youll be wishing that you had a friend named  Tuyet-Hanh so you could shout her name incessantly, like I do with my own Tuyet.32. Vinh (m)Pronunciation:  VinWho doesnt love a Vinny? Anytime American s hear the name Vin or Vinny, were thinking of the actor Vin Diesel or a slick-talking Brooklynite. Its unlikely that they make the same associations in Vietnam, but that  doesnt make the name any less exquisite.So, maybe youve heard some of these names before, and maybe theyre all brand new. Either way, your world has expanded and it can keep expanding. Go out and meet new people. Introduce yourself. Have a conversation. Embrace the similarities and differences between you and the people you meet. Most importantly, have fun.Now get out there and start making some foreign friends. And One More ThingIf you dont just want to talk the talk, but well, actually talk the talk, youll love learning foreign languages that can help you meet new people with FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

?? The Importance of Technology in Education

?? The Importance of Technology in Education The Importance of Technology in Education Technology is a big part of our everyday lives now and, for younger generations, that has always been the case. Since many of our students choose online lessons through Tutorful, we’re interested in other ways technology can support education.Rachel Hall, Managing Director at online educational resource providers Busy Things, has put together this article for parents, teachers, and tutors to explain how tech can be used as a learning tool to engage with children. Being taught how to use technology early in life means that children grow up to become more computer savvy able to keep up with the world's increasing need for digital literacy. Plus, there are many new and exciting ways that technology is being used to facilitate learning, which is perfect for a generation of pupils who have been born into a digital world. Here are some of the ways that technology has had a positive effect on education and how it could have a positive effect on children’s futures as well.Do children spe nd to much time behind screens? We all know kids are obsessed with technology! A report by the Children's Commissioner found that 3â€"4 year olds spend over “eight hours a week online!”Even more worryingly it found “12â€"15 year olds spend over 20 hours a week online” on average. It’s not all doom and gloom! Technology provides access to a vast array of knowledge through online news articles, digital encyclopaedias and other informational websites opening up the whole learning experience. Unlike previous generations, the new generation of learners are no longer reliant on what's in stock at the local library. Textbooks, revision guides, activities, worksheets and tools can be interacted with at the touch of a button on most smart devices. So whilst it’s important for you as a parent to be aware of your child screen time but it's possible to utilise this fondness for screen-time by finding creative and innovative digital formats for learning. It means that our tech-savvy kids are more likely to engage with educational material. Making Learning Fun With Educational Games and SimulationsThere are activities available online for every subject on the curriculum. Interactive games can teach literacy, maths, music and art skills, while simulations like virtual l abs and atlases are great for science and geography lessons. Using the same learning strategies every day can get very stale for students and lead to boredom and disengagement. The use of games and the integration of computer learning can break the monotony, and make the classroom fun again. Simulation software helps to bring to the classroom real activities that would be impossible to see without technology. There are tools that can allow students to see the movements of planets in the solar system, how weather systems develop and how the earth formed over millennia. The Growing Role of MultimediaThe days of chalk and blackboards are long gone! Almost all classrooms are now equipped with projectors and often smartboards. So much teaching is now done in the form of presentations, and more and more teachers are using video. Tools such as Prezi can really add the ‘wow’ factor to presentations. Read our Top 20 Tech Tools for Teachers hereVirtual reality may seem like a thing of the future to many of us, but it is here and the possibilities are truly endless! Imagine a school where there is a field trip every day without any of the stress of loading students into a bus and no boredom of travelling. This is all possible with VR. VR tech is getting becoming more advanced and cheaper and more accessible by the day. It's not unimaginable that all schools in the UK will be able to conduct VR lessons within the next 10 years. Online Tutoring and LessonsOur tutors use technology to deliver online lessons that are more convenient and often cheaper than in-person lessons. Video and functions are used to see, hear and speak to tutors in real time, and live screen-sharing and whiteboards can be used by both parties. This means that tutors can use images and draw diagrams to help with their teaching and children can receive feedback on their work instantly.Do Tech Skills Help my Child’s Job Prospects? Looking ahead, job candidates with strong computer skills and knowledge are in high demand. It's important that children are given adequate exposure and training with regards to technology in order to increase their digital skills for the sake of their futures and for the UK economy. Many sources of primary school-level education now include coding in their programmes to teach children how to create, run, and debug simple computer programs so they can begin to understand how computers work, what they can do, and how to solve problems logically.By using technology in the classroom and at home, children can develop skills that are essential for the 21st century. Almost 100% of modern careers require a degree of tech literacy and getting started with these skills early is essential to get a head start.Using technology while teaching can bring a wealth of knowledge, resources, and new experiences, as well as excitement, to young learners. Bear in mind the positives of developing a child's computer skills â€" it will serve them well in the future.You can read our comprehensive list of our favourite edTech tools here.Keywords - Technology, Education, Importance, Benefits, edTech, Online Tutoring, Online Lessons

Chemistry Arrowheads - Finding the Right Chemical Formula and Arrowheads

Chemistry Arrowheads - Finding the Right Chemical Formula and ArrowheadsIt was only a matter of time before chemistry arrowheads started to become available at craft shows. It's always been a mystery why they've been so difficult to find, but that is starting to change. People are finally becoming more aware of their significance.In the past, the quark was the only thing that was being made out of the element named after the particle itself. When quarks came into the picture, the remaining elements were no longer necessary and were removed from existence, leaving the beautiful pattern of quarks that we know and love. But, there are still plenty of other things to be made with the same element, and you can now make them at home using the right chemical formula and items.You don't need to spend a lot of money to have a beautiful bow. There are several places on the internet where you can get everything you need to make an arrowhead, but these should not be the only place you go for you r supplies.Even though we can't eat them, we still need them for some natural thing to help us stay healthy. They serve as the natural stepping stone in any high school science experiment, and are the real key to coming up with new chemical compounds.If we stop to think about it, the way that our society was formed was through the processes of the Russian Rocket Scientists. Their discovery of nuclear fission, the perfect union of a neutron and a proton, provided the spark that ignited our civilization.If we continue to dig in the right direction and step in the right direction, we might be able to set things right in our world once again. Let's not only look back in a positive way, but to look forward, as well.The thing that really makes an arrowhead is the presence of carbon, along with oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and a small amount of magnesium. Each one of these has its own unique properties, which make them perfect for making arrowheads. So, get to work!