Friday, March 27, 2020

Gmat Tutoring Online Using Reddit

Gmat Tutoring Online Using RedditA very new tool for gmat tutoring is Reddit. A blog is probably the easiest and cheapest way to interact with your students online, but some of the students may not be very comfortable writing a blog because they feel insecure or are too shy to communicate. With Reddit you can simply post a comment or two and let the students know what you think of their assignment. That way you can learn a lot more about them and what they like to do while in class.Reddit has a very large community that is devoted to learning new things. Students on Reddit can read the posts of other students and add their own comments, and they can talk about their homework as well. This allows for more interaction and allows the students to get more personal with one another. It also allows you to build trust and friendship between students, which is important in any type of class.When you first sign up to Reddit, you need to sign up for a free account. When you have signed up you should be able to search for the students you want to contact. You will need to put in a name of the student, their email address, and the name of the subreddit they belong to. When you find them, you can start an email conversation with them.While in class you should make a profile in the subreddit and post a picture of yourself, a picture of the work you did on the project you assigned them, and a picture of the assignment you assigned them. It is also helpful to have a few links to your website and ask your students to visit the site to view the pictures and read the assignments. Ask them how they felt about it and if they found it useful. By doing this you will build a better relationship with your students.Ask them what they learned from the project. Ask them what they enjoyed about it. Share stories and anecdotes that will make them laugh and get their attention. This will make the class more interesting and fun.Teach them something interesting while you are online with them, and find out what students have posted. Some of the students on Reddit have pictures that are funny, and they should definitely post them on the subreddit so you can find them. The more they share, the more time they will spend chatting with you. The more they are comfortable talking, the more they will learn while they are learning.Be sure to give your students the best feedback from your Reddit experience. This is the way to really learn more about the students and the better relationship you will develop. You will have to do this at home with your email, but this will give you a lot of practice and it will make all of your future interactions with students a lot easier.

Friday, March 6, 2020

What is it Like to Attend University of Denver

What is it Like to Attend University of Denver The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Nadine is currently a sophomore at University of Denver majoring in Spanish and Communications. She specializes infirstgrade throughninthgrade Math tutoring, as well as English tutoringand Spanish tutoring. Check out what she had to say about University of Denver: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Nadine:The University of Denver campus is quite small, so transportation never seems to be an issue. I personally longboard around campus, and many of my friends bike, but you can get from one side of campus to the other with a 15-minute walk. Students are given free RTD passes, which enable us to use any form of city transportation (i.e. buses and the light rail), but it is honestly unnecessary unless you are living very far from campus. University of Denver is located on the outskirts of the city. It is a very safe campus, but a 15-minute light rail ride can take you right into the heart of Denver. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Nadine:The professors and advisers I have had so far have been very available. If you email with a question, they will undoubtedly respond within 24 hours. If you are looking to meet during hours outside of their normal office hours, they are more than willing to work with you and to find a time that suits you both. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Nadine:Although I currently live off-campus, I thoroughly enjoyed my dorm experience. I lived in a Living and Learning Community, which anyone is able to apply for, and that is where I met the majority of my friends here at University of Denver. Living in the dorms is a great way to socialize with new people, but there are also plenty of clubs and organizations that one can become involved withI have also made a large amount of friends through my club involvements. There are two main dining halls, which serve a variety of food, as well as a few other places to each at, such as Subway or the late-night pub. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Nadine:University of Denvers Daniels College of Business is by far the most represented and supported here; many students come here specifically to study Business. However, I am currently double-majoring in Spanish and Communications. I chose these two majors because I am genuinely interested in them, and I know that I will choose a more specific subject related to teaching when I get my Masters degree. Although the main focus is Business, University of Denver supports all majors, and it even has an opportunity where you can create your own. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Nadine:Because I was very involved in clubs, club sports, and my Living and Learning Community, it was very easy to meet new people and make new friends. I would say that as long as you are willing to put in the effort to try new things, you will be successful in finding compatible friends. About 20% of students at University of Denver are involved in Greek life. I have many friends who enjoy it, but I personally decided not to be a part of it, and I have never felt my social life has suffered because of that choice. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Nadine:Although I have limited experience with the Career Center, the few times that I have visited were very helpful. The counselor I met with provided me with advice on applying to certain internships, and she goes out of her way to inform me of company opportunities that I may be interested in. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Nadine:I spend a lot of time in our library, which was built about two years ago. The library is beautiful and very spacious. There are multiple floors with varying silence levels. During midterms and finals, the library becomes much more crowded than usual, but there is never a problem finding a quiet place to study and get work done. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Nadine:We are very fortunate to have Denver very close to our campus. It is a very unique and spacious city with a lot of opportunities. Some choose to go downtown for various reasons, but there are many choices around the general campus in terms of restaurants, bars, etc. If there is something you are looking for that is not near University of Denver, I am sure you will be able to find it with a quick ride on the light rail. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Nadine:The undergraduate population at University of Denver is around 5,500, which I believe is the perfect size. It is small enough where you are always running into someone you know, but also large enough where you are always meeting new people too. I have been very pleased with my class sizes so far. My largest class, which was a general science class, had about 60 students, and my smallest class had about 8. This year, my largest class has been about 25 students. I am very happy with the class sizes here. It was a large factor in picking University of Denver for my undergraduate education. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Nadine:For my Freshman Seminar Class, I took a course called Revolutions and Revolutionaries in Latin America, which I very much enjoyed. The professor was absolutely wonderful, and I learned a tremendous amount. One day in the spring, I was with a friend throwing a Frisbee around before our biology class, and my professor and his friend saw us and joined in. We played for about 15 minutes together, discussing random current events and joking around. I do not believe that at many schools I could have a close connection with a professor like this. I believe that the professors genuinely enjoy what they teach here, and it makes it much more enjoyable to be a student when the professor is passionate about what he or she is here for. Check out Nadines tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

What are your principles A listening exercise

What are your principles A listening exercise What are you principles? How do they affect decisions you make at work? We hear  of large corporations and governmental corruption so often that I wonder: What happened to these peoples principles? When did they stop caring?Would you not take a job based on your principles? Would you stand up to your boss based on your principles? Where do you draw the line?Listen to Morgan Freeman discuss losing  job opportunities based on his principles, then see if you can answer the questions.Answer the questions below in comments, and well respond.1. How often did Morgan Freeman go to the movies?2. What observation does he make about disaster movies from this period?3. Why didnt he get much work in the early 80s?4. ______ to say, I didnt get that job.5. How did he feel about the movie Glory? Why?6. What does he need in his acting roles?7. What type of roles or movies does he refuse to take part in?Tell us  about corruption in your country. What causes corruption? Do you have a solution?

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Teacher Tip When to Refer Students for Tutoring Help

Teacher Tip When to Refer Students for Tutoring Help Teacher Tip: When to Refer Students for Tutoring Help When a student is having difficulty in school, intervening sooner than later can make a world of difference. Here are a few signs that a student may need one-to-one, personalized tutoring: The student is just getting by. Some struggling students fly under the radar because theyre not failing and theyre not overly troublesome, yet they frequently miss important concepts and have a hard time keeping up. Students like this are often slow to finish work and constantly seem overwhelmed. The student has become despondent or angry. If the student is unusually moody or unhappyon top of being disengaged in classit may be time to investigate whats going on. This is especially concerning if the student previously had an optimistic disposition. The student is highly disorganized. No student is perfect when it comes to keeping things neat and orderly, but if you have a student whose disorganization interferes with learning on a regular basis, some targeted attention to study skills improvement could help. The student just doesnt care. Often, students who are apathetic about school feel that they are past the point of help. Their self-esteem has taken a nose dive, and their school problems seem insurmountable. The student who fails despite lots of studying. If the student who seems to complete homework and participates during class performs poorly on tests and quizzes, it could be that the student is struggling to understand concepts independently. The student who doesnt complete assignments. Clearly, a student who stops doing homework or reading assignments altogether may have grown apathetic due to repeated struggles to understand what you are teaching. If you have a student who is showing one or more of these signs, call Huntington at 1-800-CAN LEARN. Well share more with you about our supplemental education services and how best to help your student.

Errors and Mistakes in Language Learning A Field Guide

Errors and Mistakes in Language Learning A Field Guide Errors and Mistakes in Language Learning: A Field Guide You never see them coming.They get you LOLing and even ROFLing.Lets face facts: sometimes messing up is the highlight of your day.While some language mistakes are funny, if your goal is fluency, youll have to work hard to cut out mistakes and errors. Thats because errors in language learning  can have some serious consequences.Language acquisition  comes with a lot of laughs, but that doesnt mean its all fun and games.Linguists, psychologists and language teachers have studied language acquisition extensively, so if this is a topic that interests you, you might want to sample the abundant literature on the topic.For instance,  Second Language Acquisition by Wolfgang Klein discusses the process of learning another language.  Errors in Language Learning and Use by Carl James focuses more squarely on the role errors can play in language education.For now, though, lets dive in head-first with a basic primer in common mistakes and errors you might encounter on your learning journey. Why Its Important to Be Aware of Common Errors and MistakesFirst, its important to be aware of typical errors and mistakes in order to avoid falling into common issues. For instance, if you know that many language learners avoid difficult constructs, you can try to prevent this error by putting extra effort into studying the most difficult concepts, like the subjunctive mode.Think of errors and mistakes as potholes in the road to language learning. If you spot them up ahead, you can swerve. If not, youre in for a rough ride.Plus, being aware of common errors and mistakes will  remind you that youre not alone when you stumble upon them. Language learners can be pretty hard on themselves. When you encounter a roadblock, it can be easy to feel defeated.Knowing that a lot of learners encounter these problems will help you remember that it happens to nearly everyone. Even people who have  learned multiple languages  have likely stumbled into mistakes and errors at some point.Errors and Mist akes in Language Learning: A Field GuideColloquially, we might use mistakes and errors interchangeably, but in linguistics, theyre two distinct concepts.Mistakes entail failing to apply the rules consistently. This means you know the rule, you just dont always follow it. People often make mistakes in their native languages, too.Between errors and mistakes, errors are the more threatening adversary. Theyre a result of lack of proper knowledge.Lets look at mistakes first.Common Mistakes in Language LearningFailing to use proper verb tensesWhen conjugating verbs in a foreign language, students might stick with simpler verb tenses than are necessary since theyre more familiar. This usually means using the infinitive or simple present tense. For instance, students learning English might slip up and say I am sick even if the want to indicate that it has been ongoing, which would be better captured with I have been sick.Since important information such as time frames and conditionality can be conveyed through verb tenses, its important to use the right tense for your intended meaning. Completing verb exercises and using a wide array of verb tenses through speaking and writing practice will pay off in droves.Misusing vocabularyMany students often misuse vocabulary. You  memorize words  and chances are you really do know what they mean, but if youre speaking or writing quickly, you might sometimes slip up and misuse a word or forget it altogether.For instance, even when you know that the Spanish word embarazada means pregnant, you could slip up and try to use it to mean embarrassed.  Luckily, practice makes perfect. The more often you use the words youve learned, the less likely youll misuse them.Subject/verb agreementDepending on what language youre learning, there will be different verb endings to go along with different subjects. Ensuring that your subject and verb agree will help clarify which subject goes with which verb.For instance, a student learning English mi ght say they eats. However, learners may struggle with this due to lack of practice. The more writing and speaking practice you have, the less likely youll struggle with subject/verb agreement.Gender agreementMany languages have gendered nouns and adjectives. Since this is something that English lacks, students may find it a little tricky. To avoid mistakes with gender agreement, its important to make gender an important part of your word study. Another valuable trick is to pay attention to gender patterns.Often times, words of a particular gender will share a similar ending. For instance, someone studying Russian might not remember if ?????? is masculine or feminine. However, if theyve studied that the -???? ending is masculine, theyre less likely to slip up. Over time, studying endings will make it easy to identify the gender of a word without having to consciously think about it.Common Errors in Language LearningSecond Language Learning Errors Their Types, Causes, and Treatment b y Hanna Y. Touchie identifies several of these common errors in language learning. For additional details on their causes and treatment, you might consider referring back to this helpful study.Applying rules from your native language (also known as L1 interference or language transfer)Its widely accepted  that language students take some elements of their first language and apply it to their second. While the exact nature of the transfer varies between languages, it may often include grammatical rules.Its only natural. Since youre more familiar with your native language, it can be easy to transfer rules from one to the other.What can you do to prevent it? Sadly, the verdict is out on this. Researchers continue to study L1 interference/language transfer looking for a solution.Inaccurate or incomplete educationWhether its from faulty teaching or simply not learning enough, a flawed education can result in errors.To avoid this, be sure to use quality resources and/or seek a well-prepar ed teacher. To ensure you have sufficient education, you can continue taking courses or using other learning materials until you reach your desired level of proficiency.If youre studying a language yourself, you might consider an online language teacher to help fill in the gaps or clarify certain concepts.AvoidanceAvoidance occurs when a language structure is particularly difficult. For instance, native Chinese and Japanese speakers often avoid relative clauses when speaking English.Ironically, avoiding difficult structures is self perpetuatingâ€"they wont get easier if you dont practice themâ€"so try to use the most appropriate structures possible even if they require extra effort. Set a timer and plan on spending 15 minutes a day studying this topic. Soon youll find that it isnt as overwhelming as you once thought.SimplificationSimplification is similar to avoidance in that it often stems from a structure being to difficult. Learners use a simpler form in place of complex structur es because they dont quite get it.For instance, some learners may consistently use simpler verb tenses in place of more challenging tenses. While using a wrong verb form can also be a mistake (when a learner has the knowledge, but fails to implement the rules correctly), consistently choosing simpler verb forms is an error of simplification.OvergeneralizationOvergeneralization occurs when a learner incorrectly applies a rule to a situation in which that rule does not apply.  One study  indicated that this may be more common in elementary students than intermediate students.For instance, if a Spanish student conjugated the present tense  yo (I)  form of  estar  (to be) as  esto, this would be an error of overgeneralization. While a similar conjugation would work for most verbs,  estar  is irregular and doesnt follow standard rules.To avoid overgeneralization, it helps to pay particular attention to exceptions to rules, such as irregular verbs.HypercorrectionHypercorrection (also call ed induced errors) occurs when students have been over corrected, ironically pushing them to make new errors.For instance, since many Spanish words begin with  es, you may hear some Spanish speakers begin English-language words with a similar sound. For instance,  especial. However, native Spanish speakers who are diligently studying English may go to the extreme to avoid this, hypercorrecting by avoiding  es even when English words call for it. For instance, they may say sential instead of essential.FossilizationLike fossils, fossilization errors occur when something has been around for a long time. In this case, fossilization refers to how errors that have been repeated over and over can become fossilized, and therefore hard to get rid of.Remember: Language learning builds on itself, so starting out with a strong foundation is important.False concepts hypothesizedFalse concepts hypothesized refers to errors that stem when learners make incorrect assumptions about their target lang uage. Because they believe these assumptions are correct, errors will consistently occur.For instance,  one example  would be a student learning English who thinks is is necessary to indicate present tense. Therefore, he/she might say She is read book.Obviously, avoiding assumptions is helpful, but having a teacher or tutor who can correct you before these habits become ingrained is also useful.Remember, dont take yourself too seriously, but keep an eye out for these mistakes and errors on your path to fluency! And One More ThingSo now you know what not to do in learning a language, but what should you do?Authentic media like the kind on FluentU helps you avoid and train yourself out of common errors and mistakes over time, since it gives you important context you cant ignore along with the language.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, including movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive Transcripts You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

Turn off the Music - Tutor Hunt Blog

Turn off the Music Turn off the Music or risk getting lower grades Turn off the Music or risk getting lower gradesSchoolsHeadphones and earphones are now so ubiquitous we hardly take notice of them, but future historians may well regard these micro speakers as the beginning of an all encompassing synergy between humans and electronics. So many people cannot leave their homes for a short trip without their ears being plugged, while longer journeys certainly require the construction of an extended playlist, lest sounds of the outside world creep into their consciousness. Despite my recent sighting of an octogenarian sporting a pair of Dr Dre`s beats, it`s the younger generation who are most keen to be sporting earphones while out and about. Live streaming, social media, Spotify - these are used many by the under 25`s. It saddens me to think how many hours I spent making mixed tapes - painstakingly fast forwarding and rewinding, copying songs from albums, and methodically transferring them onto my compilation tape. These days of course it is so easy to make a playlist - and there can be one for every mood, every event. A playlist for exercise, for travel - and also for study. Many students claim that listening to music helps them learn - and though thousands of parents may believe otherwise, there had never been any scientific proof that it impeded study and understanding. There were only a few studies focussing on this issue - a 1988 paper by Martin, Wotalger and Forlano seemed to suggest that lyrical music impaired reading comprehension though these findings were contradicted by a broad range of music and cognition literature, which opined that cognitive performance is enhanced when listening to music one likes. A study conducted at the applied psychology department of Cardiff Metropolitan University seems to have finally addressed this issue once and for all. Nick Perham and Harriet Currie have published a paper entitled `Does listening to preferred music improve Reading comprehension performance?` Their study consisted of four groups of students: the first revised in silence, while the second revised listening to music they liked; the third listened to music with lyrics they didn`t like (the study mentions they listened to extreme heavy metal music), and the forth group revised while listening to music without any lyrics. The students were studying a piece of English literature, and their subsequent test was one of basic comprehension. After the examination each student was asked to predict how well they thought they had performed. The report summarised its four main findings: Those students who were revising in silence scored on average 60% higher in the exam than those who were revising while listening to music containing lyrics. Students who had revised in silence gained the highest marks in the exam, as well as making the highest predicted grades. Students who revised listening to music without lyrics performed better in their exams than students who listened to music containing lyrics. Perhaps most surprisingly - there was no discernible difference in exam results between students studying listening to music they liked, compared to those listening to music they disliked. It seems that silence is most conducive to an environment that will facilitate learning - hardly a revelatory statement. To learn is to change the mind: to refine it, to reshape it - if we are distracted, if our mind is attending to other things (such as music) then the lesson can have only limited impact. There has been related research showing that certain music can have a positive impact on an individual`s mood: a study by Petri Laukka and Lina Quick in 2011 revealed this, along with music being able to motivate and help people stay focussed during certain forms of exercise. It seems parents finally have the scientific validation to demand that their children turn off their music while studying. 23 months ago0Add a Comment

Improve Your Kids Writing Skills This Summer - TutorNerds

Improve Your Kids Writing Skills This Summer - TutorNerds Tips From an Irvine English Tutor: Five ways kids can improve their writing skills this summer Summer is in full swing and kids are enjoying some time outside of the classroom. English and writing are probably two of the farthest things from their mind, but kids can benefit from improving their core subjects over the summer. Writing is one of the essential skills that kids will use throughout their education as well as in any career field they might choose. Written communication helps students express themselves creatively, get a clear point across to a classmate or teacher, and persuade the reader to agree with their point of view. Whether a young learner needs to catch up to grade level or wants to excel beyond their current capabilities, there are some great ways students can improve their writing skills over the summer our in-home Irvine English tutors are here to improve your kids writing skills this summer. 1. Create a publication Creative students enjoy creating their very own publication based on their current interests and curiosities. Perhaps theyre going to write a magazine about monster trucks or a book about every species of bird living in their home state. It doesnt matter what kids write about but simply that they write. Kids can write a first and second draft, create pictures to go with their writing, ask parents or friends to read their publication, and increased their love of learning. When students write for fun, theyre more likely to enjoy the practical applications of the written word and want to pursue this intellectual task in the future. 2.   Write summaries Most students have a reading list for the summer. One great way for students to get in a bit of writing practice is to write a summary after each chapter. They can discuss any growth or conflict the main characters had in that chapter, talk about important plot points, and ask questions about things they didnt quite grasp. Its important for students to go beyond the basic summary so they can expand their knowledge and make predictions about what will happen in the rest of the book. 3.   Work with a one-on-one tutor Another great way for kids to increase their writing skills over the summer is to work with a one-on-one tutor. Many students excel in certain areas of writing but need some help with the basic mechanics. Lacking these skills can hold students back from communicating to their full ability and enjoying writing in general. When kids work with a one-on-one tutor in their home, they can focus only on what they need to improve and advance their skills quickly, moving on to other summer activities (READ: 5 Reasons to Hire a Los Angeles Summer Tutor). 4.   Expand vocabulary A sure fire way to improve general writing skills is to expand a student’s vocabulary. Countless students will write reports or assignments using the same word over and over again. This becomes distracting to the reader and also stops the writer from producing effective communication. When students have a broad vocabulary they can be descriptive using varied language, keep the reader interested and start to attach emotional meaning to different words that are most appropriate for specific situations. 5.   Read for fun Students who read tend to be better writers because the two subjects are directly connected. During the school year, students have myriad mandatory assignments, but the summer offers a unique opportunity for students to read about topics they love. Reading for fun increases the student’s ability to comprehend language as well as use it to express ideas. As long as students are reading books or articles at their current level, they should have a chance to choose what they want to read about. Its not important if they read about something specific but simply that their reading skills improve consistently and that they continue to love reading rather than viewing it as a chore. Summer is the perfect time of the year for your kids to improve their writing skills. Call us today and we will match you with an experienced Irvine English tutor from TutorNerds. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.