Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Organic Chemistry Tutors Vertical Asymptotes

Organic Chemistry Tutors Vertical AsymptotesThe long-term goal of an organic chemistry tutor is to help you master the topics on organic chemistry. This includes learning the basics, understanding the theory, and preparing you for one of the much-anticipated tests. This may sound like a fairly straightforward task but it can be quite difficult at times. Luckily there are a few ways to improve your learning experience.One way to improve the efficiency of your organic chemistry tutor is to use a material that offers improved options. Many test takers use test prep materials that offer multiple choices in comparison to traditional practice materials. You should think about getting some test prep software that lets you experiment with different techniques and topics. This may not sound like much but by experimenting with your questions in multiple ways, you will be able to apply the tips that you have learned from your tutor. This will help you get through the sections more quickly.Anoth er way to enhance your organic chemistry tutor is to look at his or her personal online profiles. You will want to look at their experience with the material, whether they have written any workbooks or lab notebooks. You will also want to find out if they have any recommendations. Many people who take the first few organic chemistry classes before taking the exam will receive some form of good recommendation from the tutor.Lastly, the best way to improve your organic chemistry tutor is to be aware of his or her strengths and weaknesses. When you are dealing with someone who has many different sections to learn and multiple tests to prepare for, you should approach the material differently. Your organic chemistry tutor is likely experienced with this material and is probably quite well prepared for the different test sections.If you still aren't convinced that an organic chemistry tutor is right for you then you may want to consider hiring a private tutor instead. It is possible to g et several months of online help with organic chemistry by hiring a tutor who specializes in organic chemistry and offers you personalized tutoring.With online tutoring you will be working with an organic chemistry tutor who lives in the same city as you. This means that he or she can be very accessible when it comes to answering your questions. Your online tutor will also help you master the different sections of organic chemistry more quickly. It is true that some tests are written in such a way that they take up a lot of time but at least with this form of assistance you will be getting additional assistance from a professional.Now that you know a little bit more about the organic chemistry tutor vertical asymptotes, you can now decide if they are right for you. You will need to make sure that you are evaluating all of your options so that you can choose the one that will provide you with the most assistance.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Application Essay Tips

Application Essay Tips More than 800 colleges and universities in the United States use the Common Application, which keeps the entire application process organized. Many colleges require students to submit an essay using one of the Common Application essay prompts. For 2019-2020, there are seven prompts to choose from, one of which is to share an essay on any topic of the students choiceeven one they have written for another essay prompt. The other six essay prompts cover a range of topics: A students background, identity, interest or talent Lessons learned from obstacles, setbacks, and failures A time when a student questioned a belief or idea Problem(s) a student would like to solve (intellectual, research, ethical or other) An accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth A topic or idea the student finds engaging and captivating While some teens might immediately gravitate to one of these topics, others find the process of writing an essay overwhelming. Here are seven tips to help your teen approach the task methodically and create a poignant, powerful essay: Read all prompts thoroughly. We described the Common Applications 2019-2020 essay prompts briefly above, but the first thing your teen should do is read them in full and allow some time for them to simmer. Encourage your teen to have a pencil on hand in case any possible ideas pop into his head right away. Develop a schedule. The essay takes time and finesse. Remind your teen that it should not be the task that she puts off until a couple of weeks before the application is due. Encourage your teen to put together a detailed timeline that allows sufficient time for outlining, multiple first drafts, editing, getting feedback from a teacher and/or you or another family member, revising and proofreading. Too often, teens run with a topic because it is the first one for which they had a tangible idea. Many students select the choose a previous essay topic because it seems easiest. Encourage your teen to build in some brainstorming time. The point of the essay, after all, is to share a little about who your teen is and the qualities he possesses that would be valuable to the colleges to which hes applying. Put pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard! The point is that your teen should let some ideas flow before trying to write or edit too much. Yes, an outline is important, but for many students, its easier to get a few ideas out before circling back to what they have to create a logical flow. Infuse some structure. As mentioned, an outline is important once your teen has a topic idea and a few thoughts going. Encourage your teen to plan out 1) the overarching desired takeaway 2) the hook at the beginning 3) the supporting details that articulate the values or traits about your teen he wants to share 4) the conclusion of the story that brings things full circle. Show, dont tell. Your teen has anxiety and has learned how to manage it? He should show how rather than simply say soperhaps he found peace in the yoga mat. Remind your teen that the details of the essay are what make it special and unique. Whatever he is trying to share about himself and his experience, he should do so by using specific, vivid examples vs. generalities that could sound like any other student. Re-read after setting it aside for at least a few days. That timeline your teen develops is important for several reasons, but a big one is that it allows for reflection time. Your teen needs to read a close-to-final draft of the essay with fresh eyes to check for important things like: How it flows. How readable it is. Whether it is entertaining/interesting to read. Whether it has any obvious clichs. Whether it is memorable. The college admissions essay might not make or break your teens application package, but it can certainly set your teen apart. Encourage your teen to approach it thoughtfully and give it her best effort. When shes holding a college acceptance letter in her hands, the hard work will have been worth it.

Five Tips to Create Your Childs Summer Learning Schedule

Five Tips to Create Your Child’s Summer Learning Schedule Its summer break, which means relaxing, recharging and plenty of fun for students. Even though your child is probably eager to toss the backpack into a closet until September, Elieen Huntington, Co-Founder ofHuntington Learning Center encourages parents to develop a summer learning schedule that will deter regression (learning loss), and maintain a schedule. There are many advantages to incorporating a little structure into your childs summer schedule, says Huntington. Children who continue to exercise their brains have a far easier time going back to school in the fall, plus, keeping the mind active during break can remind children about the fun of learning. Huntingtonoffers parents five tips to developing a summer schedule that will guide their children all summer long: Tip #1: First, take a break. Before you get out the calendar and schedule each week with educational activities, plan to take a week or two off completely. Enjoy some family time, head to the pool and allow your child to truly decompress from the school year. Its fine to talk about ideas for summer learning opportunities, but be sure to let your child enjoy some down time. Tip #2: Set aside time for daily reading. Summer is a wonderful time for children to explore their curiosities through reading. Load up on books that interest your child. Be flexible about the type of materials your child chooses, but make it a summer rule that your child reads for 30 minutes a day. Incorporate a weekly library trip into your summer schedule. Tip #3: Pick weekly themes. Engage your child in learning by choosing weekly themes. What kinds of themes? Anything! Africa, the seasons, the zoo, mystery, inventors or insects, to name a few. Weekly learning themes work best for younger children, but you can certainly adapt them for older, more independent students as well. Each week, plan a simple outing, a craft, a writing activity and a math assignment. Tip #4: Review last years work. Studies show that many students math skills take a nose dive during summer break. One of the easiest ways to stay fresh on the math skills is to review some of the previous years assignments or tests. If you havent saved paperwork throughout the year, ask your childs teacher for copies of assignments covered throughout the year. If you purchased a math book, review sections each week together. Tip #5: Set goals and milestones. Sit down at the beginning of summer and talk with your child about his or her goals. Perhaps your child just wants to learn to enjoy reading. Maybe your child could improve in math. Choose an area of focus (or several) and discuss where your child would like to be by summers end. For reading, lean on the help of a summer reading program put on by your school, library or local bookstore. Summertime is a perfect opportunity for your child to explore some interests while keeping the mind active. You can make an enormous difference by developing a simple summer learning schedule with tasks and goals for each week, says Huntington. For more information, call Huntington Learning Center at 1-800-CAN-LEARN. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help 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 at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Cheating Using Mobile Phones - Tutor Hunt Blog

Cheating Using Mobile Phones Cheating Using Mobile Phones Cheating Using Mobile PhonesSecondary SchoolsWith so much importance being placed on just a few exams during their teenage years, is it really a surprise that that many pupils decide to try to cheat their way to a higher grade? Ofqual, the exam regulator from England, have just published a report disclosing how the number of pupils involved in `exam malpractice` more than doubled between 2017 and 2017. The most common form of illicit exam behaviour was smuggling `unauthorised materials` into the venue. This could be small pieces of paper containing relevant information (cheat notes as they were called in my day), but were usually mobile phones or other internet enabled devices. With a store house bigger than the library of Alexandria in a small, easily concealable device, the temptation to sneak a phone into the exam hall must be overwhelming. I suspect that if mobile devices were available when I was a student, may grades would have been far higher. I`m jesting of course - I received top grades in all my exams. The report made it clear that `In most cases, it was a mobile phone or other electronic communications device,` that led to a student being censured for misconduct. 80% of all cases we down to the use of a phone during an exam, while plagiarism accounts for 17% of misdemeanours. Ofqual have said that in the majority of cases cheating students were penalised with a reduction in their grade. Exactly how these reductions are calculated hasn`t been disclosed - perhaps the browsing history on the offender`s mobile device is examined, so the extent of their nefarious deeds can be determined. Even though there has been a 25% rise in the number of offenders caught cheating, the actual proportion of students engaging in this activity is very low. The 2,715 penalties given to 2,585 students make only a mere 0.015% of the 18 million exams sat in 2016 and 2017. The percentage is extremely low - either the students are extremely adept in surreptitiously squirrelling away smart phones about their person, or very little cheating is actually occurring in the exam hall. The latter case seems to me to be the more likely: the stark, fearful environment of the exam hall does not strike me as a place where it would be easy to secretly scour the internet on a small screen. Apparently most exam venues are now decked out with CCTV cameras, so even if your activities escape the notice of the patrolling sentries, marching with slow and steady step down the aisles of desks, you may still come unstuck when footage of your iniquitous deeds are later discovered. Many exam questions resist being aced by mere google intervention, as they strike a more opinionated tone, rather than a mere factual one. Instead of asking `in what year did Hitler reoccupy the rhineland`, the question might be `in your opinion what were the causes of the second world war?` A more concerning detail of the Ofqual report is the increase in college and school staff involved in exam malpractice. The numbers increased from 360 during 2016, to 895 in 2017 - a disconcerting rise indeed. Actual details of the misdeeds of the staff is not present in the report, but is likely to include failure to ensure strict conditions are maintained in exam halls. Ofqual said one of the reasons for the increase in staff malpractice is different exam boards, the AQA being one example, have recently taken a tougher position against individual misconduct. `Exam boards are more likely to issue formal written warnings for similar offences rather than informal advisory notes this year. This still involves a very small proportion of the total number of staff in England,` the exam regulator Ofqual said. The report offered a more detailed breakdown of the cheating relating to each academic subject: maths and computer science came out on top, together accounting for a third of all cases. In relation to plagiarism, computing GCSE was by far in the lead, hardly surprising given that the assessment tasks for the GCSE exam had been leaked and circulated online. In response to this Ofqual announced that the computing coursework would not count towards the student`s final grade, and this would be the case for future academic years, until significant reforms had been made. 2 years ago0Add a Comment

The Pros and Cons of Online Tuition

The Pros and Cons of Online Tuition Many articles have been written about the disadvantages of online tuition. Parents and students have a natural tendency to assume that online tuition can hardly match face to face tuition. Our experience reveals that much depends on what subject is being taught, the age of the student and if the student has good organisational skills and self discipline. Below are a few pros and cons that we at First Tutors think are important points to consider before deciding if online tuition is the most suitable option. Pros Online tuition can be the perfect solution for older students who are comfortable with computer technology and virtual environments. Online tuition is convenient, it can save time, travel expenses and in some instances can be slightly cheaper than face to face tuition. Online tuition has been working successfully since 1998 with The Open University. Computer software permits users to record, save and access information at a later date. The whole lesson could even be recorded and kept on file. Students using digital pens can allow the tutor to see what is being written in real time. Parents feel calm knowing their child is safe at home, they can even monitor the quality of online lessons. Cons Online tuition can't substitute human interaction and observance of facial expressions in the same way as face to face tuition. Some complex subjects are more difficult to explain online. When teaching a young child how to multiply, subtract or similar, the tutor can't physically show the child with actions what they are trying to explain. Students will need to acquire new technical skills to handle frozen computer screens or server downtime - this can cause added frustration. If the student becomes frustrated or upset over a certain task, it's not easy for the tutor to console the student without being physically present. (again lack of personal interaction) Online tuition is on the increase but First Tutors have noticed that the majority of requests for online tuition come from older students - from the age of 16 and upwards. This does not mean that younger children cannot successfully engage with a private online tutor but we do think that parental assistance and guidance could be necessary to help the child overcome any possible technical issues. If you and your child are tech-savvy then why not try it out! First Tutors is primarily focused towards face to face tuition although online tuition is available from our registered tutors who have already received positive feedback from providing face to face tuition. This provides a certain peace of mind for parents and students approaching a stranger online for the first time. If you live in a remote area where transport is a problem, online tuition could prove to be a good alternative.

6 Tips for Effortless Language Learning with Foreign Movies

6 Tips for Effortless Language Learning with Foreign Movies We all love movies.And finding  foreign language movies poses no problem in the modern world.Were not cavemen weve got Netflix and Redbox.That means youve probably heard all the buzz about learning a foreign language through movies.Its supposed to be ideal for learning new vocabulary in context, understanding culture and all-around supplementing our language learning in an enjoyable way.Theres just one catch. After a while, watching movies in another language can start to become a chore.It’s happened to me a few times.My initial enthusiasm with starting a new language had passed. The first excitement that came when I began to understand some bits of movies had been replaced by irritation at all the bits I still couldnt understand.  I kept trying to push myself to watch more difficult movies, but every time movie night actually came around I found myself reaching for a movie in my native English.You know what the problem was?Foreign movie night had started to become Too Much Work.I t’s no wonder that I’d started to lose interest! For most of us, watching movies or TV shows is a reward after a long day of work. If we start to treat it like “yet more work,” then of course it’s going to become a chore.But, never fear!I’m going to give you 6 great ways to re-engage with your foreign movie night and keep learning without it becoming a chore. 6 Tips for Effortless Language Learning with Foreign Movies1. Become “That Annoying Person”Are you one of “those people” who sit through a movie and give a running commentary on everything that’s going on in the plot?If you’re not, you should be!Provide a running commentary.Providing a running commentary on a movie in your target language is a great way to get more engaged in the movie and practice your speaking at the same time. The more engaged you get, the more you’ll enjoy watching the movie.Okay, so this might be controversial advice, and it’s not applicable in every situation I wouldnt recom mend you start chatting in a movie theater for example.However, most of us watch loads of movies at home. When I’m travelling I often watch foreign movies alone on a computer. This is a great time to start chatting to the screen and getting really involved with what you’re watching.What to talk about?It might seem an odd question, but what should you say when you’re commenting on a movie?Comment on those things that interest you! The same things you would comment on in your native language.Personally, because I write short films, I’m interested in the “nuts and bolts” of a movie and its script. I talk about story structure and technique in English, so that’s exactly what I talk about in my target language. I practice talking about things that interest me.Maybe you prefer to predict what’s going to happen later in the movie? Maybe you like commenting on the characters, costumes or the actors?Whatever interests you about the movie, just say it right there when you’re watching it. Get a dialogue going with yourself. You’ll get great practice speaking about those things that really interest. The more you pay attention to details that youd like to chat about, the more youll be getting  engaged in the movie.How to avoid annoying othersPeople talk throughout movies more than you might realize. When you’re watching movies with friends you’ll often find that people add their own comments. It’s a communal act!However, in case you’re bothered about annoying people, these 3  tips can help:1. Save the commenting until you’re on your own. I don’t always talk when watching movies with others, but when I watch movies alone I really chat a lot. It allows me to try out vocabulary, and I can always rewind if I miss something.2. Only comment on “less important movies.”  If youve all been waiting for ages to watch this one special movie, don’t feel like you have to talk all the way through it, just enjoy it. But, don’t hold yourself back if you have a quick comment (as long as its in your target language!).3. Save all your comments for afterwards. Maybe you’re with a crowd that  likes silence throughout movies. That’s fine. Just wait until the end and have a good chat about it.2. Quick Tip: Write ReviewsOne quick tip to get really engaged in foreign movies is to write a quick review online after youve finished, in your target language of course. It won’t take you very long (between 20 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on your level of detail) and youll develop some really useful vocabulary to talk about the movie (and others) in conversations.3. Find Familiar FacesWe often think that difficult language is what stops us understanding a foreign movie, but it it’s only half the problem.One of the most overlooked issues when watching movies in another language is the difference in “cultural background.”Cultural knowledge can be much harder to acquire than linguistic knowledge.The culture that you live in currentl y or grew up in has given you a rich and varied set of life experiences. These make your view of the world different from the country in which the movie was made, even if you understand all of the vocabulary.Foreign movies often feel strange and unfamiliar because everything about the movie is new the actors, the “normal” home life of the characters, the locations, the type of humor, etc.Even when I watch movies from Spain, a country where Ive lived for years, I still sometimes get the feeling that “this is not my culture,” so I dont get as involved in the movie as I would if it were in English.This challenge can make watching foreign movies quite a chore.How to connect with the countrys movie cultureThe best way to combat this cultural disconnect is to get as involved in the target culture as possible.Here are 3  tips to connect with the culture and enjoy the cultural background of movies:1. Keep your movie choices consistent.  One of the quickest ways to feel familiar in the movies culture is to watch several movies with the same actors and/or director. When you start seeing lots of familiar faces or getting a familiar vibe, that feeling of cultural strangeness goes away.2. Watch movies set in your home country, or in the United States. Wherever you’re from, these days we’re all very familiar with the United States because of the far reach of Hollywood. Watching films in your target language with familiar locations is a sure way to feel connected to the cultural background of the movie.3. Watch dubbed movies from your country. Sometimes it all gets too much and you just need a “rest” from foreign movies. Watching a dubbed movie set in your home country is a great way to feel connected to the culture of the movie, while still learning your target language.4. Original Version vs.  DubbingIn general, you should be watching as many movies that are originally in your target language as possible.Original versions are better for a variety of reason s:You learn the real vocabulary in context.You get used to the rhythm of the language in a way that dubbed movies don’t allow.You have the added visual stimulus of being able to read the actor’s lips, which you don’t for a dubbed movie.You learn the culture as well as just the language.On the flip side, dubbed movies have some advantages:The voice actors sometimes (not always) speak more clearly than the actor on screen.The culture of the movie might be more familiar to you, especially if it’s a US import.The best advice is to “cycle” watching dubbed movies and original versions. Get the best of both worlds.5. Pick Movies by “Difficulty Cycling”How do you pick which movie to watch in your target language? Really, its going to vary day by day.Some days youll be thinking, “I just want to watch something easy and relax.I realized that on those days when I felt too tired to watch a film in my target language, I’d usually reach for the English movies. They were an eas y choice for my tired mind.The thing is that when you’re learning a new language, movies in your native language will always seem an easy choice. But it doesnt have to be like that.The three types of movie difficultyThe relative “difficulty” of foreign language movies comes in three different flavors:1. Difficult language.  The level of the language is hard for you to understand.2. Difficult cultural background.  The cultural background of the movie is unfamiliar or uncomfortable to watch.3. Difficult subject. The subject matter is harrowing and/or the story is complex.When you’re picking movies in your target language, try not to make everything hard for yourself at the same time. When you want to watch something easy, only pick a film that’s “difficult” in one of these categories.  If you’re feeling really lazy (it happens) then pick a film that’s easy in all of these categories, like a dubbed action film or kids animation.  This way, you can watch films in your target language even when you don’t feel like watching a foreign film.Not sure where to start in terms of difficulty levels? Try out FluentU.  FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"including clips, trailers and behind-the-scenes commentary from your favorite foreign moviesâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.  Its there to help you discover video content thats perfectly suited to your skill level, learning style and personal interests.You can stop browsing Netflix and YouTube for decent moviessimply hop on over to FluentU for personalized suggestions. The site will  keep track of your viewing history and figure out the best routes to continual learning and improvement.The best part? Well help you learn how to actively study language through movies. While you watch your chosen content, FluentU adds your newly-encountered vocabulary to flashcards and a running vocabulary list, so you can always go back to practice even more.6. Watch “The Classics”In any lang uage there are “classic” movies which you have to watch. The best way to find these is to search for “top 100 movies in (insert language here)” into Google. Youll get the best results by searching in  your foreign language and reading lists on sites written in that language. Once youve track down a good list, pick a few to start with.Here are some of the great reasons you should watch the classics:1. They’re called “classic” for a reason. You’ll watch some wonderful movies.2. Each country has its own distinct movie culture. You’ll understand the movie culture in that country far more deeply than you did before.3. You can see whats popular. You’ll begin to recognise some of the best actors in that country.4. Everyone knows about them.  You’ll have a sure topic of conversation when talking to someone from the country.Now that you know all the joys and rewards of watching movies in your target language, pick a few cool flicks to start with and  get to learning!

Teacher talk Teaching overseas as a person of color

Teacher talk Teaching overseas as a person of color Alexandra Capistrano, one of our placement coodinators here at Teach Away, took some time to tell us more about her experience teaching English in Japan as a person of color. Read below to gain insight into her day-to-day interactions and how she felt her experience may have differed from others. In the summer of 2012, I hopped on a plane to teach English in Japan. I stepped out of the airport in Nagoya into the suffocating humidity with a heart full of good intentions and wide-eyed naiveté, excited for this new chapter of my life. I fumbled my way through setting up a bank account, acquiring a cell phone, and explaining to a disgruntled streetcar driver why I had dragged a double-sized futon onto his vehicle from the local Nitori. It was hard, but I knew that it was what I signed up for. Positivity was my mantra. I suppose it’s important to mention that for all intents and purposes, I identify as a person of color. My parents immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in the 1980s and I was born in Vancouver. I never really had to think twice about my perceived racial identity due to Canada’s settler history, but being transplanted to a largely monoethnic country was a completely different story. My students in general were very polite and genuinely interested in the new strange, English-speaking creature teaching them Old MacDonald. Generally my students and their parents asked if Canada was cold (some parts), if I liked maple syrup (yes), or if I liked hockey (no). Things did change for me though when one person bluntly asked, “If you are Canadian, why aren’t you White?” The blonde, blue-eyed ESL teacher is an archetype rampant and perpetuated throughout the industry, and in retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have been so caught off guard by the question. It wasn’t the last time my suitability for the role masked by questions of my identity were posed to me, and as much as I tried to brush them off, they became very wearing. I let these micro-aggressions build and at some points I just wanted to go home. My positivity mantra had taken a back seat to frustration. I was sick of having to explain to salary men why I speak English but have “Asian face”. Broken Japanese and charades only got me so far when trying to explain immigration to people who, for the most part, only knew what it was like to live within a homogenous country. It hit me eventually though, that the majority of these questions were posed out of candid curiosity, and not with the malicious intent to make me feel unwelcome. As a racialized ESL teacher, you may have to explain why you look the way you do and speak the way you speak. Occasionally you’ll have to draw maps on bar napkins, with arrows indicating the journey of your ancestors to the English-speaking country you’re from, and it will likely be hilarious. You may even have to apologize for not being able to speak the language, even though your facial features may indicate that you should. It can be wearing and its fine to feel frustrated, but don’t let it cloud your day to day life. Some words of advice: Focus on your work and being the best teacher you can be â€" a caring, knowledgeable teacher is a great teacher regardless of where you come from. Meet someone who still makes you feel unwelcome? Be patient and walk away if you have to. You’re not going to broaden everyone’s mind, and that’s okay. Take these questions of your identity as an opening to widen someone’s perspective of what an ESL teacher can look like. Or rather, an opening to someone’s perspective of life.