Wednesday, March 25, 2020

What Is An App To Help With Algebra Homework?

What Is An App To Help With Algebra Homework?If you are in need of a math tutor for your child, it may be a good idea to consider using an app to help with algebra homework. This way, you don't have to worry about which app to download and what works for math.This way, all of your math activities can be done from the comfort of your own home. Many parents find that their child's ability to do math has been affected by time management issues. An app to help with algebra homework can help by giving you access to resources and questions when you need them.There are many apps available to help with math that can provide you with all of the things you need to do in order to get a solid foundation in math. You can even be able to print out the answers to a question. All of these features make it easy to get a great deal of help on algebra homework.These apps are great for math homework and also for other areas of math as well. The apps are more than just a website that you can access. They are a full-fledged program that you can download onto your iPad or iPhone. So instead of having to go into a computer, to get information, you can simply turn your device on and get right to work.Of course, if you do not need all of the tools at once, you can save them up until you really need them. Then you will only need to turn on your device and use the app to help with algebra homework. And it is very convenient, because there is no other device you need to keep on hand for that particular app.This is one app to help with algebra homework that will allow you to get a solid foundation in math right from the start. Other apps may provide help with math, but if you are looking for one that is free and gives you a ton of other features, this is probably the best place to look. It is also the easiest for your children to use, so they can get it right away.If you need help with algebra homework, or are looking for something a little different to help with your math and other aspects of the subject, it is time to consider using an app to help with algebra homework. There are so many good apps to help with algebra homework, you should be able to find the one that is the best for you and your child.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Dos and Donts for Teaching with Technology

Do's and Don'ts for Teaching with Technology As you know already, technology can enhance your lessons and empower your students. But there are effective and less effective uses of technology in the classroom. Here are a few dos and donts: Do embrace technology that furthers student learning. Use tools that are relevant to what you teach and have a clear purpose. Talk with other teachers to learn what they use and how they find it beneficial. Dont abandon successful traditional teaching methods. Technology use for the sake of technology use isnt the goal. Find ways to amplify your teaching with technology, not completely upend an approach that works. Do use technology to make your administrative tasks easier. Many tech tools and apps allow you to be more efficient at what you do every day: grading, answering questions, offering research resources, tracking student progress, and more. Take advantage. Do make sure any apps used do not replace deeper thinking. There are so many different learning apps available that can help students quiz themselves, reinforce concepts, and much more. But be sure these apps are used appropriately and not in place of other activities that facilitate deeper analysis. Do use technology to engage students. Technology allows you to infuse exciting, dynamic content into your daily lessons. Digital storytelling, interactive lessons, live surveys the list of options to transform your classroom is long. Dont consider technology an add-on. Its easy to stick with what works, but be careful not to just do what youve always done plus add in some technology. Ultimately, technology should help you achieve learning outcomes and improve your instruction. Technology can strengthen your teaching and your students learning. Take the time to ensure any tools you use will help you to achieve your objectives and to be the most effective teacher possible.

4 Online Course Struggles To Be Aware Of

4 Online Course Struggles To Be Aware Of Image via Pexels.com Time management Having a flexible schedule is definitely a benefit of taking an online course, but this requires much more  time management skills  than some people may realize. You need to give yourself enough time to complete short-term coursework like textbook practice pages on top of long-term assignments like term papers. Rememberâ€"in a traditional course, your professor sets class meeting times two or three days a week. You’ll probably get some work done during class time. In an online setting, this is not always the case. You must designate appropriate times for “classwork” and “homework.” Procrastination is your worst enemy! Avoiding the struggle:  Your planner is your best friend. It’s a good idea to invest in a planner with monthly calendars as well as daily to-do logs. Write down important due dates in the monthly calendars, and then divide work into your daily logs. While you should plan out your week ahead instead of taking it day-by-day, it can get a bit overwhelming. To avoid this, only plan out one week at a time if you can. Keep a schedule and stick to it. You should pick one, two, or three days a weekâ€"however many days the coursework will demandâ€"and a timeframe to complete lessons. This will act as your “class time.” Show up to your online course as you would an actual class! Communication via technology In an online course, it’s possible you may never see your professor or classmates in person. This can make communication a bit difficult. You may need to rely on e-mail or online course forums to ask your professor questions, which doesn’t always guarantee a quick response. You should keep this in mind when doing assignmentsâ€"if you have a question, ask it as soon as possible for a better chance that you’ll have an answer before the work is due. If you feel that your professor is being unreasonable with their response times, be clear about your concerns so that it doesn’t have a negative impact on your grade. Likewise, however, you need to be prompt with your responses, too. A conversation will only go smoothly if both sides are efficient. If you work better with face-to-face communication, you may be better off in a traditional course. Avoiding the struggle: Use virtual communication to your advantage! If you know any of your classmates, see if they would be interested in studying on a Skype call, or even meeting up in person if everyone is nearby. You should also try to download an email app on your phone if you don’t have one already. This way, you can read emails as soon as you receive them and reply on-the-go. If you really need to see your professor in person, you can always ask if they have on-campus office hours. Self-discipline You are responsible for how well you do in an online course. It can sometimes be difficult to find the motivation to sit through lessons and participate in classwork when there’s no professor watching over you. Catching up in an online course may seem easy enough when you’re swamped with traditional coursework, but you’ll regret procrastinating later. Don’t fall into the habit of putting your online course last! It is just as valuable as any traditional course you’re enrolled in and should be treated as such. Image via Pexels.com Avoiding the struggle: An online course will require you to  stay organized in  every  sense of the word. Keep your notes in order, stay on top of due dates, and keep up with the textbook readings. If you primarily use your laptop for these things, you should have a neat folder for your online course. It may help to have subfolders as well for homework, notes, term papers, and anything else you can think of. Stay in contact with your professors and classmates. Knowing that you aren’t alone in the course may help you maintain your motivation. If your professor has time limits for completing lessons, stick to them and set reminders for yourself to do the work. Computer issues You’ll need to know your way around a computer if you want to succeed in an online course. Contrary to popular belief, not every student is technologically savvy. The class may simply entail logging into a course website like Moodle or Blackboard, but you might come across some technical difficulties. Wi-Fi is another common problem. If your laptop is holding on for dear life, you may want to have a back-up plan, such as using a library desktop for coursework. Avoiding the struggle: Don’t get frustrated if you do run into problems. Contact your school I.T. department or the support team for your class website as soon as possible to get the issue resolved. You can also look at some troubleshooting guides online for quick fixes. Sometimes, solving the problem is not as hard as it seems! Now, taking an online course isn’t all badâ€"here is the value of taking an online course.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Dual Subtitles How Language Learning Can Be Twice as Nice

Dual Subtitles How Language Learning Can Be Twice as Nice Dual Subtitles: How Language Learning Can Be Twice as Nice Give me a foreign language video and subtitles to match and I will learn that language. Archimedes, probablySubtitles are the unsung heroes of language learning.But youre not here to hear about plain old ordinary subtitles.Because as helpful as those can be, it gets much better.Youre here to make use of what seems like it should be such a simple, effective language learning hack but is surprisingly rarely used: dual language subtitles for authentic video content.Maybe you thought of this concept yourself.Maybe it just popped into your mind while  you were watching a vlog in the language youre learning and for the umpteenth time found yourself in the position of switching back and forth between two sets of subtitles that werent even necessarily accurate.Or maybe you snuck a glance at a video on someone elses phone that was running dual subtitles and thought to yourself, What is this wizardry?Well, good news: Having the option of not just one, but two sets of subtitles working for you â€"one in a language you know and another in the language youre learningâ€"as you watch the kind of content thats intended for native speakers of your target language is not an impossible dream.In this post, well show you how its possible.And we wont just show you how to have instant translations for all the content in movies or videos you watch, but also how to use this tool to fully grasp the structure, grammar and writing of your target language.Without further ado, lets dive in. Dual Subtitles: How Language Learning Can Be Twice as NiceHow to Set Up Your Own Dual Subtitles Home TheaterNow that you know dual subtitles are possible, you may be champing at the bit to get started. However, using dual subtitles is a little tricky, and requires a little bit of technical literacy and patience to get right. Theres no such thing as a free lunch!Or is there?A  Really Easy Option: Just Sign Up for FluentUActually, if youre not tech-savvy and would rather not mess around with video and su btitle files on your computer, theres a super simple solution for obtaining dual subtitles on a huge number of select authentic videos: FluentU.The minds behind FluentU have chosen authentic and interesting native content  and turned it into personalized language lessons that include painstakingly-created dual-language subtitles just for you. Youll find all kinds of content on FluentUâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news, commercials, vlogs, cartoons and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interacti ve captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.A Still-not-too-hard Option: Setting Up Dual Subtitles for Video Files on Your ComputerBut maybe you already have FluentU, and in addition you want to be able to watch full movies and TV shows in a dual-subtitle format. Or youre learning a language thats not yet a vailable. Or you just want to geek out over as many options as possible.Not a problem!Heres a short tutorial on getting and using dual subtitles with the video files on your computer:First, youll want to download subtitle files from  OpenSubtitles.org. There are a few different sites where you can download subs, but OpenSubtitles is the oldest and most respected. The collection is enormous, spanning around 50 languages and thousands of films and TV shows.They even have their own forum and blog for advice. But all you really need to do to get started is search for the name of the movie or show you want.Then, select the language of the subtitles and download the SRT files you need. One SRT file is one set of subtitlesâ€"simple!Put the SRT files in the same folder as your video file, and make sure they have a similar name.  For example, if youre watching Toy Story, maybe your video file is toy-story.mp4, your English subs are toy-story.en.srt, and your Spanish subs are toy-story.es.srt .Next, make sure you have or download a good media player, like  KMPlayer,  VLC  or  Kodi, that will automatically allow you to choose between your sets of subtitles when you play the file. In the Toy Story example, youll see options for subtitles in English and Spanish.But how to play them at the same time? Some players already include options to play more than one file at once, but you can also  take the additional step of combining two sets of SRT files into one using a free service like DualSub.Depending on your media player, you may get smoother results by combining your two  SRT files into one ASS file.Enjoy your dual subtitles!Now, lets look at what you can do with them.How to Use Dual Subtitles to Learn LanguagesUse Dual Subtitles to Improve Your Listening ComprehensionFirst off, let me be clear that all dual subtitles all the time arent for everyone. This is why both of the options we recommended above can easily be adjusted to accommodate single-subtitle or no-subtitle wat ching. If youre advanced enough in your studies, you may not need subtitles anymore at all. Just watch and understand and enjoy your hard-earned fluency.But for the rest of us, when a native speaker opens their mouth in a target-language video, it can be overwhelming.Simply listening along with a transcript is one of the best ways to get used to natural speech. But if you listen just one time, it might be tough-going.Listening multiple times and following along with the subtitles or a transcript will bake those language patterns and vocabulary words into your brain in no time.Use Dual Subtitles to Learn Foreign Alphabets and Tough Spelling SystemsDid you know that same-language subtitling can boost literacy?The applications for second-language learning are enormous. If youre struggling to get your head around unfamiliar writing systems or complicated spelling, take a break from laboriously copying out the alphabet.Switch on some videos with dual-language subtitles and just concentra te on the sounds and the writing.  You can use the translations for understanding, but its the target language youll want to mainly be focusing on. Then go back to your instructional materials and watch as you make astonishing progress in reading your target language.Use Dual Subtitles to Check Your UnderstandingWhen you watch a video in your target language, you may think you understand everything.And when you read the target-language subtitles, you may also believe youre following along perfectly.But what dual subtitles bring to you is a way to instantly check if youre actually understanding your target language or just getting the gist.Cover up or turn off the answer (your native language) and play a short section of the video. Rewind and check to see if you got it right. Its that simple! (With a FluentU Plus plan, Quiz Mode takes care of this part for youâ€"and keeps track of the vocab youre learning so it knows when you need to review something.)Then repeat over and over. With hundreds of lines of dialogue in any film or TV show (and so many YouTube videos in existence!), this might be the most efficient and convenient listening practice exercise out there.But what else can you achieve with dual subtitles?Use Dual Subtitles to Compare Two Foreign Languages at OnceLots of language learners like to double things up and study more than one foreign language at the same time.Thats great, and Im all for it. Learners like this have a special way to benefit from dual subtitlesâ€"listening to content in their native language and comparing two different translations.Let me explain: Youll hear your native language, which is effortless to understand. Then you’ll see translations of what was just said in both of the languages you’re studying.This way you can get reading practice in both target languages and see where they might differ in terms of vocabulary.Norwegian and Danish, for instance, are very similar in their written form.By comparing the subtitles line b y line, you can get a sense for where they do differ and strengthen both at the same time. Talk about efficiency!Use Dual Subtitles to Understand Nuances in Target Language ContentHeres another tip that can work for multi-language learners.Imagine youre watching a film in one of your target languages and you understand it at a high intermediate level.You know what the characters are saying, what theyre thinking and how they relate to each other.If you put on subtitles in your native language, youll understand the meanings of the lines.But if you add subtitles in a different language that you also understand, youll see how another translator from a different background rendered those lines, too.This can actually add a lot of depth to your understanding of the film and the language.Oftentimes films from other cultures have nuances that are hard to appreciate from the outside.Lets say youre watching a film in Italian, and you understand French well, too. By comparing French and English subtitles for the filmâ€"youll see how the Italian lines were understood by two different translators and interpreted for two different audiences.With a second opinion on the language used in the film, your understanding will be a lot more complete.However, even if you dont have a third language or set of subtitles for this extra context, youll still gain understanding of a lot of nuance from comparing a target-language transcript that you already understand to a full translation your native language. This is one way that advanced learners can still benefit from translations, and it also shows the value of another simple exercise: Working out a translation yourself and then comparing it to someone elses translation.Of course, there are a million and one ways to learn a language.Whatever gets you thinking in and thinking about the languageâ€"thats the best way to study.Dual subtitles are just one of many tools available to you, but theyre one of the best.Try them out today and see h ow they work for you!

Race to the Top Why Album Sales Dont Matter

Race to the Top Why Album Sales Don't Matter Both the regular and deluxe version covers of J Coles sophomore album, Born Sinner    Both albums were very successful. I would say that J Cole selling 297,000 copies of  Born Sinner in week one is nothing to be ashamed of. Another thing to think about is that  Born Sinner is much more likely to increase sales over the month while  Yeezus  will likely plateau sooner. While J Cole is undoubtedly one of the best up and coming rappers, everyone who could know of Kanye has already heard of him. Therefore, it is more likely that people will hear of  Born Sinner  from friends, go out, and make the purchase. Kanyes album will have seen a majority of its sales already. The simple cover art of Kanyes sixth album, Yeezus That is why, individually, and perhaps compared to previous albums by the same artist, album sales are a great gauge. However, head to head comparisons are pointless. My best advice though? Dont read into the hype of reviews and album sales. Go out and listen to the album yourself!

Chatfest Shanghai

Chatfest Shanghai For italki Shanghai members, were organizing its first event for all of its members in Shanghai to come out and meet each other face-to-face. This will be a great opportunity to: Meet some of the people you chat with Find new language partners Meet the italki team Learn about different cultures, and Indulge yourself with a Dunkin Donut! Well have activities to help you mix and mingle and meet new people. Speakers and students of all language welcome! We look forward to meeting all of you at Dunkin Donuts! Date: Wednesday, March 25th Time: 7-  9 pm Location: Dunkin Donuts ShiMen Yi Lu 239, near Weihai Lu Metro Line 2: Nanjing Xi Lu Chatfest Shanghai For italki Shanghai members, were organizing its first event for all of its members in Shanghai to come out and meet each other face-to-face. This will be a great opportunity to: Meet some of the people you chat with Find new language partners Meet the italki team Learn about different cultures, and Indulge yourself with a Dunkin Donut! Well have activities to help you mix and mingle and meet new people. Speakers and students of all language welcome! We look forward to meeting all of you at Dunkin Donuts! Date: Wednesday, March 25th Time: 7-  9 pm Location: Dunkin Donuts ShiMen Yi Lu 239, near Weihai Lu Metro Line 2: Nanjing Xi Lu

Open Stacks Chemistry Lab - A Great Solution For Those With Limited Space

Open Stacks Chemistry Lab - A Great Solution For Those With Limited SpaceAn open stacks chemistry lab is a great option for those who have limited space and/or if space is an issue. Although not as large as the closed stacks lab, it still can offer the same types of information, but with more space. This space is generally made up of open shelves and dividers, which are great for teaching resources that are readily available.Labs like this are perfect for the homeowner that does not have enough room to fit in a traditional classroom setup. Often they are not accessible to people that need to work on complicated lab equipment or materials. The open shelves can help keep the storage of supplies and equipment organized and available.Typically, the study areas are limited in the room they occupy, and usually there are no windows. This is perfect for studying since it is easily viewable by students and other instructors. But sometimes it is not convenient to study here since there is no a ccess to a computer or printer.Open stacks labs often are a lot larger than normal classrooms, so they are a little more expensive. Since they are basically the same room, there is usually only one desk per student, so finding extra desks might be difficult. Also, the glass doors and glass dividers can be a little costly to replace.If you are considering purchasing an open stacks chemistry lab, look into the options available to you. There are many classes available for open stacks, including physics, biology, chemistry, and more.Open stacks are often found in certain schools that are located in suburban areas. These types of labs do not usually have to be a great deal bigger than the standard classrooms. They can easily accommodate an entire school, so they are easy to fit into a smaller space if space is an issue.Many science departments have started to use these labs to supplement the classes they offer. It is a nice solution for those teachers that want a great classroom but do not have enough room for a traditional classroom setup.