TIn
every university, students are required to write an essay t gauge how well they
understand a certain topic. Academic essay writing may seem easy to tackle but
many students go wrong because they do not understand basic guidelines and
often they omit some important aspects. Any person can produce high-quality
academic essays provided there is a proper understanding of the essay writing
requirements. Every essay should have a thesis with concrete supporting
evidence that can be either from researched and written sources or you can
carry out your own research. Below are some major and useful essay writing
tips
Get a topic and outline the essay contents
A
lecturer often assigns a certain topic that allows you to know the exact kind
of paper ought to be written. In such a case, ensure that you focus on the main
points that give an overview of the topic’s analysis.
Other
times, you may have the freedom to get your own topic. While this calls for
more work and research on the best topic, it allows you to write n a topic that
you understand best and it will be easy t explain on paper. If you have not
been given a topic, there are a few steps that you should follow to ensure that
you get the right topic that you can write easily. Defining the essay’s
ultimate purpose should be your first step on how to make a good essay.
This can be either to persuade or to inform. If the goal of the essay is to
inform, get a topic that you have already studied but if you are looking to
persuade your readers, ensure that you are really passionate about the topic
you chose to write.
Ensure that you have an outline of the details of the essay
Failure
to plan is actually planning to fail and in essay writing, you should always
ensure that you have a laid-out plan. This is one of the most important tips on
how to write a good essay. A plan is very important before you can
commence writing the essay. You should include a created argument in your
outline. Also, your essay should contain an introduction part, often covers the
thesis of your essay. A body that has various paragraphs with supporting
evidence for the thesis in the introduction and a great conclusion that
combines everything covered in the topic together.
Ensure that you properly use grammar, punctuations, and overall
sentence structure.
Having
proper grammar and sentence structure plays an important part in writing
essays. It ensures that you are understood by the readers. In addition to
having proper grammar, punctuations, proper use of tenses, etc, it is
recommended that you ought to use an active voice. This is a great way of
making your essay is stronger. “Can
I pay someone to do my homework?”This is a question in
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Bottom Line
As
mentioned earlier, writing an academic essay is not as easy as it is perceived
and it requires you to have a proper understanding of the above writing
essay tips. By knowing the best practices to implement the above tips, you
can rest assured that you will produce high-quality academic essays.
Teaching can
be a very rewarding career, and with the advantages of modern technology, it
can also be extraordinarily convenient. As technology becomes more heavily
integrated into the education industry, the practice of learning through a
screen will only become more common, leading to a demand for great teachers in
the digital space. Here are a few things you should know before embarking on a
new career path in education.
Stock up on equipment
Just like an
ordinary classroom, the average home office will need a few extra supplies
before it’s ready to support your teaching endeavors. The basics include things
like an efficient computer with a webcam, a desk and chair, and any other
educational materials you would like to refer to in your lessons. It’s also
worth investing in decorative elements like useful, colorful posters to
brighten up your surroundings and make your sessions visually interesting for your young
students.
Get qualified
A bachelor’s
degree is often a requirement for aspiring teachers, but that’s not always the
case when your ambition is to work with young children. Educators of
pre-school-aged children can get
a leg-up into the industry with a diploma [1] that covers all the basics of creating
a safe, nurturing environment for children. From
there, your quest for employment in an early learning center or preschool will
be that little bit smoother, but keep in mind that a role with a heavier focus
on teaching may require a higher qualification and further education.
Develop your course content
You probably
have a fair amount of knowledge on the subject you plan to teach, so it
shouldn’t be too difficult to come up with content for your course, but
optimizing it for your intended audience, especially an audience of young
children, is another thing entirely. You’ll need to tailor it as much as
possible to their interests, whilst also highlighting all the gold nuggets of
information which will come in handy down the track. To minimize mental
fatigue, especially amongst young children, try preparing shorter sessions with
more condensed content, and avoid filling your lessons with an overload of
text. Also, remember to alternate text-heavy slides with images or diagrams to
mix it up and hold your students’ attention for longer.
Stay in touch
When you can’t
be present with your students in a physical sense, the importance of
communication cannot be understated. You should ensure that each of the
families you work with are aware of all the possible avenues of contact
available to them, so that they can always reach you when they have a concern
or a burning question. Of course, it’s also acceptable to set your own
boundaries in terms of contact times and methods, as long as you make those
boundaries known and establish a great reputation for responding promptly and
effectively to questions and concerns.
Create a safe space
Developing an environment for your students to feel safe to express their ideas and opinions can be
challenging, especially when you aren’t face to face with them, but this is
where communication comes to the fore. If you’re going to truly engage with
each of your young pupils, you need them to feel comfortable, so consider orchestrating
an e-meeting to establish connections with both students and parents in the early stages of the
course. Meeting the other students should go some way to make each student more
comfortable in the classroom environment, no matter how unconventional it may
seem.
Provide structure
Compared to a
bricks-and-mortar
classroom, the challenge of establishing a sense of control in a virtual
environment can seem intense, but that only makes it all the more important. As
a teacher, it will be your responsibility to set a standard for communication,
participation, and conduct, so don’t let your students or their parents have to
guess where they stand. It’s also important to
acknowledge that this kind of communication goes two ways, and that you have
certain responsibilities to the students in your classes, so be sure to let
them know what they can expect from you as their teacher.
Be open to feedback
There’s no
doubt about it – critical feedback on your work can be difficult to stomach.
Even if you don’t enjoy the experience of receiving it, such feedback is the
fastest route to improvement, so don’t let your ego get in the way of your own
growth as an educator. Ask every stakeholder you can think of to offload their
ideas for improvements – your employer, your fellow educators, the parents of
the children in your classes, and even the pupils themselves. Before you know it, you’ll be growing and developing in ways
you may not have ever thought possible through theoretical education alone.
Becoming a
teacher in an electronic capacity can still be just as rewarding as teaching at
the head of a physical
classroom, but like any career, you’ll get out what you put into it. As long as
you’re passionate about and committed to providing a great start to life for
the next generation, the rest can be learned.
Conducting research is a very specific direction in
the academic world. Today, more and more universities are trying to grab
attention by their theses, master’s papers, and term papers on innovative and
contemporary topics that haven’t been yet investigated. For you as a student,
it’s quite important to know all the ins and outs of research making,
regardless if you choose to link your future with science or not.
Here, in this small article, we are going to show you
how to deal with academic research tasks easier than as usual, saving your
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accustomed to this kind of help, we will reveal some benefits of the service
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How a
Writing Service Can Actually Help You out With Academic Assignments
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There is no chance of plagiarism
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Plagiarism is the
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Most assignments in colleges these days ask the students to research a topic, examine the ideas and then present a critical review. Irrespective of the subjects you are going to major in, they make you produce many assignments and reviews in your entire college course. The objective of critical thinking is to maintain an unbiased stance on any given topic. Critical reviews make you weigh all sides of the argument and evaluate how effective all the sides are. Through this article, we will tell you how to write a concise critical review in college.
What is a Critical Review?
Students often tend to confuse a critical review with a simple summary. As the name itself suggests, the critical review requires you to analyze a given idea or piece of information and express your viewpoint. In the process of writing a critical review, you learn how to use old concepts to create new ideas, recognize trends and evaluate outcomes.
Structure of a critical review
No matter what the length of the review, its structure remains the same. Before beginning to write a review, check for any specific formatting or structural instructions given to you by your professor.
1. HEADINGS: It is not mandatory to give your review a heading. However, you may optionally give your longer review headings to facilitate a better understanding of the reader.
2. INTRODUCTION: The length of the introduction of a critical review is generally one paragraph for a shorter review; and two to three paragraphs for a long and detailed review. Start with a couple of opening sentences that briefly explain the topic and include its primary objective.
3. SUMMARY: Briefly explain the intentions of the author of the piece of information given to you and talk about the organization of the text. Make sure you include all the key points along with a satisfactory number of examples.
4. CRITIQUE: The critique is the main highlight of the review and it should be a balanced concoction of your analysis of the strengths and weaknesses, key points and noteworthy features of the information. Specify the sources and references of your arguments. In long reviews, talk about each argument in a separate paragraph. You are also free to include suggestions as to which points could have been stronger, which sources could have been referred to, etcetera.
5. CONCLUSION: Conclusion is generally a very short paragraph where you have to recapitulate your overall impression of the text provided to you. Conclude your review with a short explanation of your judgment. This will make your critical analysis sound reasonable.
The best approach for writing a review
Research: To write critically, you much research on every bit of information provided to you and ratify it. Also, make sure that the sources you use are reliable and the information provided by them is credible enough to be used in your review. A great example of such reviews could be seen on the Omnipapers blog.
Segregate: Use the tools of collation and contrast, cause and effect and preferences to break down the arguments into smaller parts that are easier to understand.
Plan and Organise: Brainstorm and organize all the smaller parts in the order of their priority for the review. Use your judgment to create a plan that does not sound vague or unorganized. Make sure your plan of action demonstrates your thinking abilities.
Strategize: Not only does critical thinking require proper planning and organization, it also requires you to make a comprehensive strategy to present your thoughts in the most effective manner possible.
Circumscribe: Limit your arguments and thesis to the topic provided to you and don’t add information that is not vital for the review. Choose the best structure to suit the requirements of your review.
Some extra tips:
Read: Thorough reading is crucial to achieving an unbiased stance on the text provided to you, Before you start writing your review, read and analyze all the aspects of the text such as the structure, methods, reasons, evidence and references and especially the rational connections between all these different aspects.
Summarise: After you’ve thoroughly read your text, locate the sentences that best represent the idea of the text and highlight them. Make separate notes of the main points.
Paraphrase: Paraphrasing refers to putting the quotes taken directly from the text into your own words. Review the notes of your main points and rewrite them in your own words. Make use of reporting verbs. If you choose to include any special phrases from the text, use quotation marks.
Follow all the steps given above to write a critical review. We hope this article was helpful for you to understand that with just a little effort, anyone can easily write a critical review in college.
Graphic designers can fulfill many roles. From designing
company logos and capturing the message of a brand to designing flyers,
billboards, and webpages, there is no shortage of work to be done. Graphic
designers are usually one part of the process. Professional
writers for hire also may collaborate with them for content or
SEO-friendly writing. Here are a few tips that will help graphic design
students ease into the field.
1. Inspiration is Everywhere
Even though graphic
design is something done using digital graphics, inspiration is everywhere. You
can use real-life photos and ideas to inspire something new. Put simply, any
visual image that communicates a message describes what is graphic
design. Often,
graphic designers use pictures (both natural and edited) and typography to
achieve this. The way that designs are displayed affects the message received
by the intended audience.
Get in the habit of keeping a notebook and a camera (or your
phone) handy when in public. Inspiration can come from anywhere—it’s the people
who find it who will be the most successful in this field.
2. Keep Your Portfolio Current
A picture is worth a
thousand words. As the world of graphic design is constantly changing, its
important that up-and-coming designers showcase their awareness of trends when
applying for jobs. You should regularly create logos, banners, brochures, or UI
designs and put them in a portfolio. Including a wide variety of subject matter
is also helpful. As you show what you are capable of, it proves that you have a
solid foundation in graphic design. It also shows that you have a lot of
learning potential and that you’re capable of learning new trends as they
become apparent.
3. Follow Design Blogs
There are many
graphic designers who already have a large following. Often, leaders in the
industry are aware of how things are changing and the latest trends. By
following graphic design blogs and following graphic designers on social media,
you can become more aware of what is trending at the time. They often share
industry tricks and tips that can increase your design intellect. Often,
professionals can give you a greater insight into the world of design than even
your graphic design teacher can.
Meeting design
professionals is as easy as mixing with the crowd. Attend graphic design conventions and be prepared to talk to professional
designers. Prepare beforehand by becoming familiar with their work. This will
give you something to talk about. Once they are talking, you can ask for
feedback or talk about the latest trends in graphic design. By making their
work the focus first, they’ll be more likely to reciprocate by looking over
your work too.
5. Redesign Other People’s Ideas
Nobody is perfect.
There are even published logos that can be improved on or where the designer
made a mistake. As you become more familiar with the world of graphic design,
you’ll develop an eye for mistakes and improvement. Use this to improve on
existing designs and showcase them in your portfolio. Of course, you should
always be careful not to criticize or humiliate the original designer. It is
possible to notice errors or offer constructive criticism without coming across
rude.
6. Take Advantage of Resources
There are countless
online courses and videos available for graphic designers to develop new skills
and build on their existing knowledge. You are only limited by the amount of
work you are willing to put in. Take your time to get familiar with graphic
design and be interested enough to learn new skills. Then, be sure you are
putting them to practice and not just watching the content.
Graphic design has a
place in logo and billboard design, webpage development, and more. It is a
competitive field, so its important to stay current with knowledge. By
following the tips above, graphic design students can learn the best way to
stand out in their field.
Teachers, parents, and students should take responsibility
and find ways to change whenever academic performance is particularly poor. Whether
certain students are failing to achieve their targets, dropping grades, or
simply performing poorly on one class, it is never too early or too late to
apply changes or find ways to develop their academic performance. Various Online
resources, such as cheap essay
writing, offer practical tips on the art of essay writing, as well as ways
to develop students’ academic performance.
It is important to understand that certain approaches will
work for one student and fail to produce a positive effect on another. However,
the ideas and strategies discussed in this article can help students from
different age groups and backgrounds achieve better academic performance.
According to Scott D, a prominent educational consultant, academic coach, and professional tutor with a passion for helping students develop their academic performance, certain aspects of each student’s academic performance are unique to him/her. According to Scott, two of the most important aspects that can help develop and accelerate student performance are natural aptitudes and learning styles.
Some of the most effective ways to develop students’ academic
performance include:
Improving
Student Attitude and Behavior
According to academic experts, strategies to develop
academic performance should start with improving the attitude and behavior of
students in the learning environment. This might seem like a difficult
undertaking; however, teachers play an important role in fostering an
environment that improves student conduct, encourages active learning, and advances
academic performance at all stages of education.
Giving
Practical Assignments
It is always a good idea to involve and encourage students
in practical projects such as real-life activities, research, and other types
of hand-on assignments. When teachers encourage their students to do research,
for example, it leads to the development of their guiding principles, practical
abilities, and knowledge.
Afterward, teachers can use the research findings to improve
or change their teaching practices and competences, as well as their students’ learning
process. This should lead to a significant improvement in academic performance and
outcomes. Practical projects also help students develop their critical thinking
skills, which is important for many fields and disciplines of higher education.
Focusing
on Achievement
Teachers should focus on strategies that will yield better
results and achievements. They should follow a well-structured curriculum and
focus on the specific needs of each learner. This will give their students the
ability and desire to perform better in each area of academics, especially in those
areas they find challenging.
Setting
Goals for Students
Academic experts believe that educators should help students
set both long-term
and short-term goals to help further their success outside the learning
environment. These should consist of both non-academic and academic goals. Unfortunately,
this is something that is missing in many education systems around the world.
In the process of motivating students and encouraging them
to have self-drive, teachers should also emphasize the possibilities and
opportunities ahead. They should encourage their students to set targets for
all tasks, and this should begin as early as possible to allow them to set
their own milestones and strive to achieve them.
Cultivating
Belief and Offering Support to Students
It is important to provide quality teaching to students
because it is one of the most important influences on effective learning. Educators
should also care for the welfare and future of their students. This involves showing
genuine affection and concern, in addition to fostering clear, open, and honest
communication between them and their students.
This is particularly important when it comes to dealing with
problems and misunderstandings. Effective communication, which includes active
listening, gives students the ability and freedom to express themselves openly
on any problems or challenges they might be facing. Educators should also have
the ability to communicate what they expect and want. This will help improve
student understanding, which will subsequently lead to better performance.
Some of the ways to develop students’ performance are
relatively simple; however, they are extremely effective when implemented
correctly. Teachers should do everything within their power to improve their
students’ academic outcomes. Their roles are not limited to the school
environment; rather, they should influence their students’ learning habits and
behavior outside school.
In the age of information technology, everything is about interactivity.
Take, for example, user experiences we
get with smartphones. You get to understand that people need things that make
them feel part of vital learning processes. In this post, we answer the
question, how can we make lessons more
interactive and informative.
First off, we should admit that interactive lessons have become
the norm these days. Teachers do not want to sound or act boring. And given
that students also seek immersive learning experiences, things like interactive
whiteboards wouldn’t have come a better time. Moreover, using academizedto write an essay on the best
interactive education practices sets the pace for implementation. Now, when it
comes to actualizing interactive and informative classroom lesson practices, we
did some homework and compiled the following:
Gamification of learning activities
While gamification of
education is a relatively new concept, it has gained traction worldwide. Most
importantly, its impacts on learning are profound. Gamification applies to all
levels of academia as it seeks to make difficult concepts easy to understand.
It also makes learning fun and interactive.
From storytelling
games in literature classes, card games in maths to memory games in history, gamified
learning experiences offer students limitless possibilities. With governments
now focusing more on STEM subjects, you should expect gamification of learning to continue taking
precedence in academic institutions.
Integration of technology in learning
Impacts of technology
on academia continue to evolve. Take, for example, reading applications such as
Kindle Fire, and interactive classroom management systems, you realize that education technology in classrooms continues to get a facelift even today. Moreover, Blockchain and 5G
technologies account for powerful ways of making lessons more interactive and
informative. Students and teachers can now access learning/teaching materials
in the nick of time, which is a good thing.
Outdoor learning
Teachers who want to
make learning more informative and interactive should not restrict students
within four walls of a classroom. Outdoor learning is an approach that works
all the time and in the best interest of learners. When you move classroom lessons
outdoors, you are not only creating a unique experience for students but also
making them more relaxed. When students feel relaxed, you can bet on the fact
that they engage more in learning activities.
Use Learning Apps
If you thought books
and pens will never outlive their significance, get ready for a rude shock.
Today, books are only valued based on their vintage significance. As technology
takes shape in academia, modes of learning are changing. We now have e-books
and digital libraries, places where students can access thousands of learning
materials instantly. Study Apps that enhance productivity are replacing old
techniques of measuring output.
Game-based learning
You should understand the difference between gamification and game-based
learning before employing any
of the approaches. In the case of game-based learning, the bottom line is
introducing games into classroom sessions. Take, for example, use of
checkerboards, chess and scrabble games. The good thing about game-based
learning is that they make learning fun, informative and integrative. Scrabble
improves spelling prowess of students while Chess, according to several
studies, boosts the cognitive abilities of learners.
Make teaching more conversational than instructional
Instructional learning is becoming obsolete. As
students and teachers seek new ways of becoming involved in academic projects,
the best approach is talking to each other. Conversations are more like dialogues.
They make learners realize immersive learning experiences. Conversational learning environments transcend
situations where students are strictly respondents. It gives students the power
to ask questions, explore new ideas, discuss problems with teachers and find
solutions.
Final Thoughts
Lessons should be interesting and engaging. Thus, students and
teachers who explore the above approaches to interactive and informative
learning should realize improved performance. Interactive learning environments
open up the minds of students so that they can explore more beyond classroom
notes and lectures. It triggers an urge to learn, discover and solve problems.
One of the worst things
that can happen to a student is using plagiarized content. Plagiarism is
considered academic dishonesty so it may lead to very serious consequences. To
avoid plagiarism in your papers, you should properly cite all the sources
according to the necessary citation format. In addition, various styles require
you to format the entire paper in a certain way.
In this article, we are
going to consider the APA (American Psychological Association) format, which is commonly used in education, psychology, and
other social sciences.
General Features
When formatting your
paper according to APA style, you should use double spaces, one-inch margins on
all sides, and a simple font, such as 12 pt. Times New Roman. You should also
include a running head at the top of each page. The running head must contain a
shortened title of your paper written in all caps and a page number.
Title Page
The title page must
include the running head, the title of your work, your name, and affiliation.
Use both upper- and lower-case letters, and provide this information at the top
half of the title page. According to the APA guidelines, your title shouldn’t
be longer than 12 words. Don’t use unnecessary words that don’t add any meaning
to your title, such as “a study of…” or “an investigation on…” You should
also avoid using degrees or titles (Ph.D., Dr.) before and after your name.
Reference Page
The reference page must
include all the sources that you’ve cited in your paper. This is the last
section of APA papers. It must begin on a new page and be titled “References,”
with no quotation marks. The References title shouldn’t be italicized or
underlined.
When listing authors,
sort them in alphabetical order, starting with their last names. The first line
of a reference must be flush left, while the following lines should be
indented. When citing articles, you should only capitalize the first letter and
a letter that follows a colon. However, when writing the title of a journal,
you need to capitalize all the major words. Titles of journals should also be
italicized, along with the volume number. If there are several sources written
by the same author, sort them chronologically, starting from the oldest one.
Begin each entry in the
Reference page with the author’s last name, followed by their initials and the
year of publication in parentheses. After this, provide the title of the
source. When citing articles, the title of an article must be followed by the
title of the journal. After this, provide the volume number and page number, as
well as a DOI, if it’s available. When citing books, an italicized title of a
book must be followed by the city where the book was published and the
publisher.
Wrapping Up
APA is one of the most
common academic formats, which is used in numerous disciplines. It may seem a
little bit tricky, especially if you’re writing your very first paper in APA
format. But no need to worry! It’s actually easier than it might seem.
To learn more about the
rules of APA format, please check out the official APA website. If it doesn’t help, you can always find a professional writer or
editor to help you with it. Review websites like LegitWritingServices can help you find an
essay writing service to format your essay according to the required format or
write it from scratch. A professional editor will give you a sample of what you
need and explain all the peculiarities of the APA format.
Many
institutions of higher learning try to recruit students into challenging STEM
fields. If you’re the parent of a young child, how can you ensure they have the
requisite skills to succeed in the area if they choose? If you’re a teacher,
how can you prepare your students?
The
earlier you begin preparing children for STEM careers, the higher their chances
of future success. Early math education provides the building blocks for future
knowledge in engineering and coding. When students experience success in the
subject during their formative years, they develop confidence in their
abilities.
STEM Careers Remain in High Demand
Today’s
generation faces a highly competitive job market. The rise of the gig economy
has gutted traditional benefit programs, and wages haven’t
kept pace with inflation in many sectors. STEM careers offer a path to financial prosperity,
but only if students have the requisite background to succeed in
them.
Fortunately,
a natural window
of opportunity exists between the ages of 5-7, when children begin forming abstract concepts
and create a picture of the world in their heads. As parents and educators, you
have the solemn responsibility to seize this chance to foster a love of math in
young learners. The attitudes they form toward the subject now will influence
their future success.
That
accomplishment extends beyond the classroom. Already, STEM careers make up some of
the hottest job fields for millennial workers. As technology continues to advance, these
paths will expand. Students who embrace the attitude that math is fun will have
the best chances of entering these challenging but lucrative fields.
Early Math Education Provides Critical Cognitive
Building Blocks
Many
educators and parents alike consider STEM classes something children enter in
their teenage years, and in some ways, they are correct. However, before teenagers
can decipher complicated engineering formulas, they need to know how to perform
necessary computations. If the mathematics demanded aren’t
appropriate for the grade level or aren’t explained conceptually, students will
struggle with how everything fits together. A solid foundation in mathematics
is key to success in engineering or programming.
This
need for a solid mathematical foundation doesn’t mean teachers should treat the
subject as a vacuum. It does mean they need to recognize the importance of
mastering concepts like addition and subtraction. The best way to prevent
future frustration in students is to ensure they understand basic principles
before moving on to more advanced topics.
Early Math Achievement Inspires Confidence in Future
Success
Why
do some students choose to pursue a STEM education later in life while others
claim they’re “too bad at math?” Early exposure — when tied to
achievement in some cases — proves key. One recent study found that among white
and Asian students, early exposure to math and science influenced their later
decisions to enroll in higher education. However, among underrepresented
minority students, math achievement at a young age had a more significant
influence on their belief
they could succeed in the subject.
To
encourage greater participation in STEM, especially among underrepresented
groups, parents and educators can praise children for math achievement. They
can promote activities such as the following:
Math Bingo: In this activity, you
begin by creating 25
math problems
and writing the answers on a Bingo card. Use 5×5 cards and quiz little
learners.
Pizza fractions: In this activity, students
create a pizza out of paper or a discarded pizza box. Then, they add toppings
to their pie to represent different fractions. For example, they might make one
that is one-half pepperoni and one-quarter mushrooms.
Survey and graph: Children love learning
about themselves through surveys, and you can use that motivation to inspire a
love of math. Have children survey their classmates or family members on a
subject, and then create a visual representation of their
responses.
To Pique Student Interest in STEM, Start With Early
Math Practice
Early
math practice provides the cognitive and emotional framework for success in
STEM. If you want your children and students to embrace this challenging field,
start inspiring them when they’re young.
About the Author
Alyssa Abel is an
experiential education writer who focuses on developmental learning, college
and career prep and unconventional education. Follow her work on her blog, Syllabusy.
I was giving the amazing opportunity to take a look at the IPEVO IS-01 whiteboard system and see how well it worked in the classroom. I always love the “out of the box” experience and this product did not disappoint. The system comes in a very well presented and fairly small package with all the components easy to unpack and setup.
The initial setup was very straightforward and the “easy setup guide” helped to get the system up and running very easily. However, I am pretty “tech savvy” so that may have helped the process! The most difficult part of the setup was the calibration, but if you have used an interactive board system in the past, then this eventually becomes self explanatory.
I initially set up the system at home and then done the same in a classroom environment. I found setting up the product for the second time even easier and found that the interactive board worked better in a classroom environment where there was a lot more space and I could manage light coming into the room. After the calibration using the system and pen is a little tricky but after a bit of trial and error it becomes easier to use. It is worth noting that the product requires a projector of your own to work, I say this as a colleague of mine thought that my projector came with the product and we had a little laugh about the fact that the HD projector was actually mine.
I would suggest making sure that you practice using the system for a while before you use it in a lesson. I was highly confident and used it in a lesson and ended up embarrassing myself a couple of times. Although I was very impressed with the technology I decided to get some colleagues to test the product too. We were all in agreement that the product is useful in terms of a device that is mobile but writing on the board was not as free flowing as other interactive board systems. This may improve the more we use the product and become familiar with it.
One member of my team actually wanted to purchase the product for his home tutoring business and another was intrigued about the next version of the product. We all felt that for the price you pay for the system, it is definitely good value for your money. I found the pen a little too long for me, and it did not feel as good as other pen devices that I have used in the past. Also, standing in front of the projector meant that the device was in a state that you could write on the wall until the projected image was visible. This although, a little frustrating took a bit of time getting used to.
If your school has a limited budget and you need an affordable and easy to use whiteboard system then this product may be a solution to look into. The fact that it is mobile and will allow you to take the system wherever you go is a great advantage.
For more information on the product and how it works you can visit the IPEVO website or visit their youtube channel for some great videos on the product. Please feel free to leave comments and questions below and I will be more than happy to respond to them.
You’re busy and the to-do list is only getting longer.
It’s hard to find the time to think about your classroom environment. But just a few simple considerations can help maximise learning and even improve your results.
Here are 5 simple ways you can make your classroom work
effectively for everyone:
Get the basics right
Make your room flexible
Sort your displays
Decide your seating arrangements
Organise your resources
1: Get the Basics Right
It’s hard to
learn if the physical environment isn’t right. Make sure the ‘big four’ fundamentals are perfect for your learners.
Ventilation
On a freezing day, it’s tempting to
keep the windows and doors firmly shut. But stuffy rooms can stop your class
from performing at their best. To avoid moans from the children when the
weather is cold, open the windows at the start of the day and break times.
Light
Often classrooms alternate between
stark strip-lighting and semi-darkness. Try to let as much natural light into
your room as possible by fully drawing the blinds. Don’t be tempted to stick
posters onto your windows as this can reduce light levels.
Indirect sources of light work best
for learning. Make sure sunlight doesn’t stream down onto your whiteboard or
shine in students’ eyes.
Acoustics
Are you working in a loud echoey
room or do you have a noisy neighbouring class? It can make listening hard for your
students.
Try:
Using fire-proof fabric instead of backing paper on your display board to absorb noise
Adding large rugs or sections of carpet on the flooring
Keeping the internal doors between classrooms shut
Discussing noise levels in staff meetings and agreeing on procedures to reduce corridor noise
Temperature
Your class won’t get much work done if they’re feeling too hot or cold. Talk to your caretaker if the heating in your room isn’t working effectively to see if adjustments can be made.
If your classroom gets too hot, keep windows open, even a small amount, to allow fresh air in. Portable fans can circulate air but make sure they are safety checked before use.
Typically, it is in wintertime that
heating systems decide to break down! If your classroom is too cold, consider
letting students keep their coats on whilst working. Add in physical activities
to warm them up before, during and after lessons.
2: Make Your Room Flexible
The best classrooms allow you to make changes to suit the learning that is happening. If you have space, consider creating zones to allow different activities to take place at the same time.
If you have limited space, think about how you could rearrange your equipment to change the layout. Train your class to move furniture into different positions with minimum disruption.
3: Think about Wall Displays
Too many visual distractions on walls can have a negative effect on learning. Often classrooms can become cluttered and overwhelming with the number of resources on display. Make sure you have plenty of empty plain spaces to break up the busy displays.
Avoid using lots of bright colours in the same space. This can
make your classroom feel cluttered and overwhelming. Instead, use muted neutral
colours on most of the walls. Bright colours aren’t banned but limit them to
one bold display or feature wall for a positive impact.
Only display resources that are currently being used so your
class notice and use them. Keeping displays current can have a big
impact on learning.
Give your children a sense of classroom ownership by
presenting their work on display boards. They will love seeing their best work and
feel like a valued member of the class.
4: Consider Seating Arrangements
Every teacher has a favourite way of arranging the tables. The jury is out on which layout is best, but there are simple ways to make most work effectively.
Think about:
Can all the children see the board?
Can you see the class?
Is everyone able to move safely around the classroom?
Think about if you prefer your students to work alone, with
a partner, in a small group or as a whole class in most lessons. This will help
you decide whether to arrange your tables in rows, a horseshoe shape or clustered
into groups.
5: Organise your Space
Classrooms can be busy places. It’s easy for them to become
messy with resources piled up in every corner. Your class will show more
respect if everything has a place it always gets returned to. Label storage
containers and encourage the class to help themselves to any equipment they
need.
Think about where you store resources to make them easily accessible for everyone. In smaller classrooms, you may need to use table monitors or helpers to set out and return items.
Organise resources into three separate categories:
Rarely used topic specific
Keep these in a central location outside of your classroom. Most schools will have a resource area for these types of items.
Often used
Find a sensible place in your room for storing these items. You will need to access them, but they shouldn’t be in the way of daily teaching.
Everyday items
Consider keeping these out on display for children to use independently. Labelled drawers, tabletop boxes, and bookcase units are tidy and effective.
Classrooms easily become cluttered with outdated resources that will never be used. Resist the temptation to keep things just in case they come in handy in the future.
The Perfect Classroom Environment
Unless you’ve been given a budget to use, don’t spend your
hard-earned wages on items for your classroom. Think creatively and look to
repurpose things to meet your needs. Use local selling markets online and ask friends
and colleagues for resources. It’s amazing what you can source for free.
The perfect classroom environment will always be a compromise. It is unlikely that your room has the space for lots of zoned areas or perfect light and heating all year round. Instead, make simple changes where possible to make it work for you.
NOTE: I’m from the U.S., and will use the many-centuries-old abbreviation “math.” You Brits are welcome to continue using your newfangled, one-century-old alternative “maths.”
Every math lover hears it: “Oh, I’m bad at math.”
I get why people say it. Math can put people ill at ease. It can make them feel stupid. By disavowing your own mathematical ability, you cut the conversation short. You avoid the painful encounter with the thing you feel inept at.
The drawings help explain the concepts, too. But a big part of their purpose is to put the reader at ease. Anyone who draws this bad can’t be a threat!
When the drawings are bad – and the artist is so obviously out of his comfort zone – you can forget about who’s good at what, and just enjoy exploring new ideas.
In this book, the math got heavier, but the approach stayed light. The U.S. sees calculus as the culmination of secondary math education. The subject has an intimidating reputation. But I hope that my silly pictures can put the reader at ease.
I think there’s a lesson here for every teacher of any intimidating subject: don’t be afraid to show a little humanity. We’re all learners, and the road to expertise is paved with a million mistakes. (In my case, those mistakes are silly-looking, long-necked stick figures.) There’s no better way to invite folks into the project of learning than to model it ourselves.
Getting kids into maths can be
challenging, especially if you’re not into it yourself! So, if you’ve ever
wondered how you can get your children to enjoy maths, then keep reading to
discover three of the best ways to get them excited about one of the most critical
subjects on the planet.
1. Be passionate about maths
Research shows that maths is one of the most universally
hated school subjects. As a result, many parents unknowingly pass on their
hatred of maths to their children. So, if you’re one of the many that disliked
maths at school, try not to let your feelings influence your kids! This is
easier said than done, but with perseverance, you will no longer have to scowl
when your son or daughter asks for help with their maths homework!
Leading by example will mean that your
children won’t go into school with preconceived notions about how tricky or
tedious maths is, and they will be able to formulate their opinions about the
subject based on their own experiences. Remember, just because Mrs Smith made
your high-school maths lessons memorable for all the wrong reasons, doesn’t
mean your kids will have the same experience!
2. Consistency is key
During holidays, especially the long
summer break, children forget things that they have learned during term-time.
In fact, an estimated 11 weeks worth of maths skills are lost over the summer!
According to MyTutor, summer learning loss means that a whopping 6 weeks of the autumn term are used to simply
relearn everything from the previous year, meaning that the real learning
doesn’t begin until October.
You can help combat this problem by
making sure your kids are actively learning throughout their school holidays.
Active learning encourages student interaction and participation in the
learning process, as opposed to passive learning, which involves merely reading
or listening. You could always do this yourself, but if you really hate maths
or struggle with doing long division, then the best option is to hire someone
who is not only good at maths but is also genuinely passionate about everything
maths-related. Enthusiasm is catching, so exposing children to people who love
maths is an excellent choice if you want to get them excited about it too.
3. Make it fun
Making maths fun is the number one means
of getting children excited about maths. Many people don’t like maths because
they find it dry, dull and overly abstract at school. They can’t see the point
of doing trigonometry or learning about the Pythagorean Theorem. So, try to
make your child’s experience more positive by showing them the relevance of mathematical
theories and the potential fun that can be had with them.
When teaching kids about the importance
of trigonometry, you could walk around your town and work out how high the
buildings are. Or if you are super creative, you could create your own rocket
out of a plastic bottle, baking soda and vinegar, and then get kids to work out
the projectile angle. There are so many ways of making maths fun and
interesting for kids, but also remember to have fun yourself!
Is your child is preparing for the 11 plus exam in the UK? Maths skills need to be strong, as it’s one of the main topics that will be assessed.
In the 11 plus, the maths
section tests your child’s numerical skills, as well as other core maths
concepts.
What is the format of the
test?
In, short – it depends.
The maths test varies based
on the area and also the school.
For example, some schools
set out multiple-choice style maths tests, while some others set a single paper
that is a combination of both maths and English types of questions.
The test varies a lot from
school to school, therefore it’s important to consult with the school to
understand what assessment they do.
Some schools do the GL or
CEM Assessment, while others will do a combination and write part of the test
themselves.
Some schools will
exclusively write their own 11+ assessment.
It’s important to know what
test your child is doing, so you can prepare them in the best possible way.
How long do the tests take?
The time varies from school
to school, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour. Some schools also set numerical
reasoning tests as a way of making the exam harder to revise for.
The reason for this is that
assessment boards want to remove bias from learning, to give everyone an equal
chance.
What can you do to help your
child prepare?
Incorporate
gamification into learning: Really, this is a biggie. Most children lose focus on
learning, due to the many distractions that exist nowadays. Phones, tablets,
games are all distractions for everyone and attention spans have never been
shorter. As a result, we need to find fun ways to keep our children’s
attention. Through the use of games, your child will learn and enjoy themselves
simultaneously! Maths based learning games are particularly useful and help
prepare for the 11+.
Use
Past Papers. While hitting the
11+ books too early is a bad idea, it’s never too early for your children to
start practicing and preparing for a test environment. There are many e-resources for past papers available online. You can set your child a
past paper a week, well in advance and measure their progress. Overall this is
useful as it flags areas they need to improve, as well as areas that they are
strong.
Timed
Work. Exams are usually under
strict timed pressure, so you have to be on your game todo well. Having
knowledge is one thing but being able to do the work in a structured manner is
equally as important and something that children should prepare for. When exam
day comes around, your child will be comfortable working under times pressure
which will benefit them.
Don’t
put too much pressure on your child. You might be lucky and find your son or daughter sails through
the 11+ preparation and exam without any hiccups along the way, but I’ve yet to
speak to a parent who hasn’t had to deal with at least the odd issue along the
way. Don’t worry about it; it’s natural. It’s best to keep offering
encouragement and support.
Make
lots of time for enjoyment and try to keep life as normal as possible. At the end of the day, it’s important
to not put too much pressure on your child, everyone learns in different ways
and it’s important to not put pressure on your child and to not overwhelm them.
Developing
their Critical Thinking Skills: Regular practice and workbooks are a good way to help children
understand what to expect. This can be done through puzzles, games, and
activities to help keep your child stimulated.
What
types of Questions are involved?
Problem-solving and
critical thinking is key for the 11 plus exams, the
test is focused on key
mathematical concepts and the basic
principles of maths.
As mentioned above the
test differs from school to school, but are focused
around fractions and
decimals, numbers, shapes, problem-solving, data
handling and
measurements.
Conclusion
The
foundation of 11 plus learning should start from a young age is
important
to get your child familiar with a test environment.
Knowledge
is accumulated over time and is built on a strong
foundation,
so children should prepare well in advance to have the
“Mathematics is not about equations, numbers, algorithms, and computations. It is about understanding.”
Mastering
math technique not only helps the students to do math quickly, but it also
develops greater confidence within them, sharpens their math skills, and
deepens their understanding in math.
“Its math test time. Goodbye, calculators!”
If you are
not allowed to carry calculators in the math tests, then you have to rely on
some math techniques to solve complicated math problems with speed and ease. It
can make the calculation less daunting. Instead of depending upon the
calculators, students adopt some interesting strategies which can improve their
estimation skills and concentration.
When you are
attending a quiz session, you must submit all the answers quickly. Here, we
will discuss nine techniques to assist the students in solving math problems
faster.
#Technique 1: How to add large numbers?
You can add
the large numbers in your head. But this is difficult as well as time-taking.
Here, you will show you how to simplify the addition by turning the numbers a
multiple of 10.
Some numbers
are hard to deal with. If you can round them up, the numbers will be more
manageable.
For example,
Q) 746+ 187
Ans-
Suppose you
have only a few seconds of time to solve this! What will you do? Rather than solving
it in a conventional way (from right to left), learn this trick.
Here we go-
Step1:
Round up
both the numbers by making them multiple of 10.
So, 746
turns into 750 and 187 become 190
Step2:
Add 750 and
190 together. The total would be 940.
Step3:
This is not
the answer to the original equation. Hence, determine how much you have added
to the numbers for rounding them up.
750-746= 4
and 190-187=3
Step4:
Add two
remaining results together 4 and 3. The total is 7
Step5:
This is the
final step. Subtract 7 from 940 to detect the answer of the original addition.
940-7=937
Hence, the answer is 746+187=937
#Technique 2: How to Subtract 3 digit numbers from 1,000
quickly?
This is one
of the simplest techniques you can apply while doing a quick calculation.
When you are
subtracting a three-digit number from 1000, the basic rule is to subtract the
final number (the extreme right) from 10 & subtract the rest numbers from 9
individually.
For example,
1,000- 737
Step 1: Subtract 7 from 9=2
Step 2: Subtract 3 from 9=6
Step 3: Subtract 7 from 10= 3
Hence, the answer is 263.
#Technique 3: How to multiply any number with 5 without
knowing the table?
What will
happen if you forget the table? Or Do not sure about the answer while
multiplying in a hurry?
If you
multiply any number with 5, then the scenario is quite different. It is even
not necessary to know the multiplication table of 5 if you follow this
technique.
Multiplying 5 by an even number
As an example,
Q)5 X 6
Step 1:
Consider the
number which is multiplied by 5 and make it half. Here, 6 digits are being
multiplied by 5, and it becomes 3.
Step 2:
Put a zero
to the number to find out the answer. In this instance, the answer is 30.
So, the answer is 5 x 6 = 30
Multiplying 5 by an odd number
For instance,
Q)5 X 7
Step 1: Subtract one from the digit being
multiplied by 5. Here, 7 turns into 6. Step 2: Now, you have to cut it
half. Here, this 6 becomes 3.
Step 3: Place 3 in the first place and make
5 the last one.
Then, the answer is 5 x 7 = 35
#Technique 4: Squaring any two-digit numbers ending with 5
A square is an outcome of multiplying any number by itself.
Squaring two digit numbers is quite difficult. Every student invests a little
more time on this kind of problem in the math tests. However, the time slot for
most of the online math tests is very low.
So, you must master a unique technique to find out the
answer quickly. Squaring the two-digit numbers that end with 5 is easier if you
only follow two or three math tricks.
1st Step:
You can
always place 25 at the end of the product.
2nd Step:
You must
multiply the first digit with itself after adding 1 with it.
For
instance, if you are given 85 squared, you must solve it like the following
method:
85 squared = [8 x (8 + 1)] & 25
8 x 9 & 25
72 & 25
7225
Hence, 85 squared= 7225
This is how;
a time-consuming multiplication can turn out to be an easy one with this
magical math trick.
#Technique 5: How to calculate the squaring of a two-digit
number ending with 1 easily?
Working out
on the multiplication of the squared two-digit numbers is an arduous process.
Only an effective short cut can save your time. You have to make sure the last
digit is 1. The students need to follow four vital steps to find out the short
cut.
As an
example,
Q)612
Step 1: Subtract
1 from the two-digit number, which is given to you for calculation. Here, 61 –
1 = 60
Step 2: Square the number which has become
comparatively easier: 60 x 60 = 3600
Step 3: Now, add 60 with the resulting square
two times: 3600 + 60 + 60 = 3720
Step 4: As in the 1st step, you
have subtracted 1, so now in the final step you also have to add 1 with the remaining
result. : 3720 + 1 = 3721
This shortcut
abolishes the complications surrounding the second digit. It allows the
students to calculate the squaring easily as the number turns into a multiple
of 10.
#Technique 6: What tricks to follow for multiplying any
number by 9 quickly?
The math
students, however, brilliant they are, get tensed when they solve maths
question papers. Besides, they tend to misplace numbers and forget some formula
while solving the problems.
Suppose you
cannot recall the 9 times table in the exam hall, an easy method will help you
to solve it correctly.
How does it
work? Scroll down!
This method
can be applied for the one-digit number, which is multiplied by 9.
Let’s take an example of 9 x 8
First, cut off 1 from the number which
is being multiplied by 9
Here: 8 – 1
= 7
Number 7
would be the first number to place in answer to the equation.
Secondly,
Cut off that
number from 9. In this instance, 9 – 7 = 2
Put the
result in the second place. It is the second number in the equation.
So, the final answer would be 9 x 8 =
72
#Technique 7: How do doubling and halving help to multiply
two integers?
When you
have to multiply two integers, you need not spend much time on the calculation.
If you follow a unique technique, you will take lesser time to solve the
problem.
You can
speed up the multiplication if one number is an even number.
You have to
halve the even number and double up the other number.
You can
continue the process until the equation becomes manageable or you cannot halve
the even integer,
Check out
this example to adopt the whole process:
Example: Q) 53 x 32
53 x 32
106 x 16
212 x 8
424 x 4
848 x 2
1696 x 1
1696
The answer would be 53 x 32 = 1696
The only
requirement to successfully solve the equation by following this technique is
the 2 times table.
#Technique 8: Can one calculate percentage easily with any
trick?
You must
develop cross multiplication skills to solve these types of problems. If you
can master this math skill, then there is an easier way to find out
percentages.
Let’s go
through the following example,
If the
students want to find out what 45 % of 225 is, they will have to multiply the
two numbers together by following cross multiplication. Then, they must move
the decimal place and put it two digits to the left.
In this
case, 225 x 45 = 10125
After
placing the decimal at the right place, the answer would be 101.25, which is
the accurate answer.
This
shortcut is indeed a time-saver at the math quiz sessions and online math
tests.
#Technique 9: Division tricks to solve some math problems
easily!
These
division tricks will surely help you in the math tests to find a route of the
problem solution. It is a quick way to know when you can divide a number evenly
by certain numbers:
A number that ends with 0, then it
can always be divided by 10
How will you know a number is
divisible by 9 or not? You have to add all the digits and need to detect whether
the total is evenly divisible by 9
If the last digits are 000 or evenly
divisible by 8, then the number can also be divided by 8.
You can divide a number by 6 if it
meets two parameters. Firstly. It has to be an even number. Secondly, the total
of all the digits is divisible by 3.
You can divide any number by 5 ending
with a 0 or 5.
A number that ends with 00 is
divisible by 4. If the last two digits of the number can be divisible by 4,
then also we can divide the number by 4 as a whole.
One can divide a number by 3, when
the result of the all added digits is evenly divisible by 3
If the numbers end with 0, 2, 4, 6,
8, then we can divide the numbers by 2.
Hope these 9
techniques can guide the students to tackle tricky math questions. Practicing
these techniques helps one to construct logical and critical thinking. These
can also be stated as ‘mental math exercise.’
However, you
can grasp all the math tricks at a time. You may face many hurdles to solve the
math problem correctly. Besides, some students also have no time to invest
their thinking about learning these tricks. They can acquire MyMathLab answers from the online math experts to
submit 100% error-less answers within minutes. This is a more relaxing process
and probably the best one to get excellent marks without giving much time and
hard work!
