To Learn More Keep Testing Yourself

To Learn More Keep Testing Yourself It turns out that taking a test isnt just a teachers easy way of finding out where students stand or forcing them to read a chapter in a textbook. Testing might actually boost student learning and improve memory retention, according to a report cited in the New York Times. The report, published in the journal Science, concluded that students who read a passage and were then tested a week later on what they read retained about 50% more of the information than students who used other, common study methods. The other methods students used were repeatedly studying the material cramming and creating detailed diagrams of the information, connecting it all together in students own words and thoughts. Many teachers believe that the latter method is an effective method for studying because it forces students to create connections among information points. These two methods can give students the false belief that they know the information better than they actually do, according to the report. The results surprised many cognitive psychologists and other educational scientists who long believed that creating connections among information was the best method of learning. For the test, researchers placed 200 college students in two experiments, both experiments had them read several passages about scientific subjects, like the digestive system or muscle tissues. In the first experiment, students were separated into four groups. The first simply read the passage in a five-minute session, the second read it in four separate, five-minute intervals, the third engaged in concept mapping, creating hand-drawn diagrams and bubbles to link the information they read in their own, personally-organized fashion, the fourth group took a retrieval practice test, where they free wrote every thing they remembered for 10 minutes. This group then reread the passage and took a second retrieval practice test. All four groups were than given a short-answer test a week later, assessing how much of the information they could recall and the logical conclusions they could create about what they had read. The students in the fourth group, who performed the retrieval practice tests, outperformed all other groups. The second experiment focused only on concept mapping and retrieval practice testing. Students were separated into two groups. One group created a concept map, and the other group took tests, asking them to recall information. Similar to the first experiments results, the students who took retrieval tests recalled more information a week later, even when they were asked to draw a concept map from memory. Cognitive psychologists cannot exactly pinpoint what causes these results. But, many believe its because taking preliminary tests gives our brains practice. Our brains can create contextual cues and patterns for remembering information during the preliminary tests, making recall easier because the brain can then remember the cues and the patterns, which can then lead to remembering the information itself. Then once the second test is administered, our brains can easily recall these patterns or context cues because they were previously in our minds. These results have practical applications as many teachers administer quizzes or practice tests before larger, more-weighted exams, or even when teachers administer mid-term exams then final exams. Students who were previously tested on material will be able to remember it more effectively when they are tested again.

5 Steps To Build A Personal Brand When Youre An Introvert - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 5 Steps To Build A Personal Brand When You’re An Introvert - Introvert Whisperer 5 Steps To Build A Personal Brand When You’re An Introvert Personal Branding starts with how well you speak about YOU.  I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook â€" The Definitive Guide to Creating and Using an Elevator Speech.  In this guide, I give you simple to follow instructions for creating a “wardrobe” of ways to talk about you â€" to leave a lasting impression. Get your copy now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

4 Educational Fourth of July Activities

4 Educational Fourth of July Activities July is the heart of summer vacation, filled with warm weather and quality family time. This month is also marked by the nations biggest holiday: the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. This holiday signifies the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and the creation of the United States. Aside from celebrating the birth of the nation, the Fourth of July is a great opportunity for the whole family to learn more about the United States through educational activities, such as visiting a historic site, participating in a parade, or cooking a traditional colonial meal. Looking to make the most of Independence Day? Here are four educational Fourth of July activities that are both patriotic and educational. Educational Fourth of July activity #1: visit a historic American city If you would like to visit a historic American city, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are two great places to explore on the Fourth of July. You can schedule an organized tour around these cities or explore on your own. Philadelphia is home to many pieces of U.S. history, including: The Liberty Bell The Betsy Ross House. As the nations capitol, Washington, D.C. is home to many historic monuments, such as: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial The Washington Monument. Even if youre unable to visit Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. this Fourth of July, there are many other historic American cities. Check with your citys historical society to discover what local sites you can take advantage of this Independence Day. [RELATED: 4 Educational Family Field Trips] Educational Fourth of July activity #2: attend a parade Cities and small towns all across the country host Fourth of July parades. These parades are inclusive, with people of all ages participating. They may include educational activities and speeches that tell stories about the founding of the United States. Check your local events directory to see whether theres a parade happening near you and how you can get involved. Educational Fourth of July activity #3: learn songs of independence Singing songs of independence can be both fun and educational. Many of these songs tell stories about the founding and creation of the United States. This can be a great activity to illustrate to young children the history of America. Search for an existing playlist online, or compile your own to share with your family. Popular favorites include The Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful. [RELATED: 6 Activities to Keep Students Learning This Summer] Educational Fourth of July activity #4: eat like a colonist Colonists diets in early America were quite different than whats seen today. Give the whole family a taste of early American cooking by trying some classic recipes this Fourth of July. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation publishes a list of 18th century recipes every two weeks. They offer a full menu of colonial dishes, from shepherds pie to tidewater chili. This is a great way for students to learn more about colonists eating habits and to gain a deeper appreciation for the lives of early Americans. [RELATED: 3 Educational Summer Road Trips] Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee Kayla Matthews November 15, 2019 Career Development, Networking No responses Go to top No workplace functions without a system of recognition. People want to work hard at their jobs and stand out from the rest of the office to earn that end of the year bonus or raise, but they need encouragement more than once a year. The only way employees will keep up their productivity and maintain a high-quality workload is by frequent encouragement and recognition. At the end of every project or major effort, employees should know that their hard work is seen and valued. The issue is that not everyone wants the same kind of recognition. If you have a number of people in your office who hate being the center of attention, there are other ways you can recognize their hard work. Check out these four easy ways to reward and recognize an introverted employee, so everyone can feel appreciated at your workplace. 1. Do Something Private Introverts dont like being in the spotlight, especially around an office full of people where they only have one or two close friends. Instead of sending out an office email congratulating them or throwing a party in their honor, do something private for your star introverts. Depending on their personality, that could look like a couple of different things. You might write a personal note to them and leave it on their desk before they arrive in the morning. Maybe theyd appreciate a verbal confirmation of their work or a small gift, like a fruit basket. Think about what your introverted employee enjoys and tailor your private recognition around that. 2. Buy Them Lunch It gets old to bring your lunch everyday or order from the same lunch spots. Thats why its extra nice to treat an introvert employee to a free lunch. Order in for them or give them a gift card to a nice restaurant in town. Studies have shown that providing employees with free food increases workplace morale and energy, because everyone loves a delicious bite of something tasty and free. 3.  Celebrate with People They Know You may want to do something big for your introverted employees because they did something big for the company. If thats the case, consider gathering their closest friends, family, or teammates to help them feel comfortable. For instance, you can  host an employee picnic  so everyone gets to have fun without there being a focus on the one individual. You can send out an email letting everyone know why the picnic is happening, but let the introvert mingle as they want and not be forced into the spotlight. This is a great spring or fall idea, especially if your business is located near a public park. 4. Allow Work From Home Days Heading to the office every morning can be a challenge, but its especially hard for introverts. They need longer periods of time to rest after social events and their energy drains quickly during the workweek. Thats why you should consider rewarding your introvert by allowing them to work from home occasionally. Studies have shown that allowing employees to work from home just once a month boosted their workplace happiness  by 24%, which can only be higher for introverted employees. If the work they do doesnt have to happen in the office, letting them work from home could be the reward that means the most to them. Ask Their Friends Sometimes its hard to make close friends with your employees when youre the boss. You may not know the introverted employee well enough to make a personal preference call for them. Dont be afraid to ask their friends for their opinions and keep the reward a secret until its presented. Theyll want to help recognize their friend as well, especially when they see management going to great lengths to keep in mind the introverted persons level of comfort. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Helping Children Learn

Helping Children Learn Some children understand the purpose of homework, studying, school and learning. They realize that school is a worthwhile endeavor that will help them achieve their life goals, and they consider the acquisition of new knowledge important and often, enjoyable. Unfortunately, other childrenparticularly those who are strugglingthink that going to school is a waste of time. They do not understand or appreciate why they should learn algebra or history or how to write papers. It is helpful to guide students like this toward the meaning of learning, since the task itself is not compelling enough. How can parents help their childwhether he or she is a smart, but uninspired student, or one who struggles with school workbecome more excited about and engaged in learning? Here are a few tips on how to promote learning that stays with a child for his or her entire education: Develop the critical thinker In todays educational environment, students are expected to be able to apply the knowledge they learn in school to a range of real-world settings. So, to help your child succeed in school and help him or her overall - you should draw out the inner thinker whenever possible. Ask him or her questions about passages and books he or she reads. Encourage your child to think about where certain skills and knowledge might be useful in real life. Encourage your child to express his or her opinion Passion fuels learning, so encourage your child to talk about his or her feelings and ideas and why he or she sees the world or a topic a certain way. Often, students who form strong opinions about various topics are more motivated to express those feelings through speech and in writing. Nurture this skill-building at home by working with your child to make arguments, express those arguments logically and reason with others with different opinions. These skills become more critical as your student progresses through school and eventually goes to on to college and the workforce. Embrace challenges From the time your child is young, encourage him or her to dream big. Let your child know that you genuinely believe that people can accomplish anything with hard work and perseverance, and that he or she is no different. Often, students find school uninteresting because they feel forced to do it. However, having a small or big goal in mind can make school feel more worthwhile because your child will start to realize that most endeavors in life require skills gained in the classroom. As your child progresses toward his or her goals, he or she will gain confidence, vision and drive. Build up the confidence If your child comes across as apathetic or negative about school (even if he or she seems confident as a person), he or she may lack self-efficacy, the belief that he or she can achieve or learn. Students who have little or no self-efficacy often lack motivation, too. Without motivation, students dont learn easilyor at least, they dont take ownership or interest in their own learning. As your child masters new skills and experiences success, his or her confidence will rise. Always let your child know that you believe in his or her abilities. If your child is one who struggles to find the meaning in school and views learning as a have to, it can be challenging to engage him or her. Share with your child that the goal of school is to learn, not to earn straight As on every test or report card. Explain that you are less interested in that sort of evidence of his or her knowledge and more concerned with his or her effort, persistence and curiosity. Above all, your objective should be to help your child acquire and retain knowledge so that he or she can apply that knowledge throughout his or her life. As you strive to achieve that goal, your child will increasingly come to value and appreciate learning.

11+ Tutor Training Day

11+ Tutor Training Day Daniel, a published writer, and experienced English tutor describes his experience of Tutorfair's 11+ Training Day for professional tutors. Around 30 tutors gathered in Marylebone for an in-depth training  day on the 11+ Maths and English exams. It was Tutorfair’s second such event on this topic, and already a bigger venue was required. Fast-paced and engaging from start to finish, the day was a hands-on masterclass in tutoring at its finest, not surprising given the calibre of the teachers and the eagerness of the tutors in the room, most already practising and here to hone their skills. The 11+ tutoring market in London continues to grow as parents take advantage of the extra skills a stint of one-on-one teaching gives to their children. This proved a highly instructive and useful course, packed with tips, techniques and sound advice, and delivered â€" it’s got to be said â€" by some of the nicest,  brightest people in the business. The collective wisdom of the Tutorfair team makes for a powerful ally to help youngsters get into the schools of their choice in what is an ever more competitive entrance system. Unflaggingly bright and positive, the staff tutors share as much about the right attitude it takes as about the topics themselves. And this gets to the heart of effective tutoring: It’s better to impart knowledge in a way that lights up the will to learn in the student, that opens up that special place where confidence can grow and develops an openness to learning. It felt, too, like Tutorfair really knew how to make the day as effective as possible. Everyone in the room was encouraged to join in and to get the most out of it. Often, the separate tables, made up of between 4 to 6 of us, were given tasks to work out together, and then to present to the rest of the room. I can’t think of a quicker or better way to learn. We covered both the Maths and English parts  of the exam, as well as verbal and non-verbal reasoning and interview techniques. Respect to the 11 year olds who take it. It’s no breeze! All in all, a brilliant and effective  one-day course, full of takeaway tools and  wisdom. Thank you, Tutorfair team.? Sign up and get published as a Tutorfair tutor and you will receive more information about our tutor training events!

5 Reasons Why Youre Not Getting the Internship

5 Reasons Why You're Not Getting the Internship pexels.com Never following up This may seem like a minor thing, but many employers think highly of candidates who follow up after an interview. If you forgot to follow up or just thought doing so would be unnecessary, have no fear you can try it out for the next internship. Within at least a few days after the interview, simply send an email, keeping it short and sweet, to thank the interviewer for his or her time. You may be surprised by how much of an impact this could have. After initially getting rejected from an internship I applied to, I sent a brief, simple email to the employer thanking her for her time and wishing her a good summer. The following week, she contacted me again to tell me she thought a lot of my thank you email and was reconsidering me for a position. (I ended up interning at that company for the whole summer.) In some cases, a little goes a long way. It’s just not the right fit for the company or for you Sometimes, not getting the internship is out of your control. It may not have been anything you did specifically, but perhaps the company or the position itself is not the right fit for you. And that’s totally alright. Keep your chin up and always remember, there will be many other opportunities for you to impress future potential employers.

How to Learn a Language Fluently from Scratch

How to Learn a Language Fluently from Scratch How to Learn a Language Fluently From Scratch Learning a language is more about the journey than the destination.Its about stopping to smell the roses along the way, right?No, just kidding.If you wanted to smell the roses, you would go take a walk in the park. You wouldnt be spending hours hunched over foreign language books.The hell with the journey. You want results, and you want them nowâ€"or if thats overly optimistic, you at least want them in the foreseeable future. You want to get fluent fast.Of course, some people will tell you that if youre just starting out with a new language, its too early to even think about fluency.They might even tell you that fluency is a pipe dream for adult language learners.Those people can take that attitude and put it, well, the same place as those roses we were just talking about.If youre just starting to learn a language, now is the time to come up with a plan for getting yourself from zero to fluency. If you were driving across town, would you just start taking random turns in hopes of ev entually arriving at your destination, or would you want your route mapped out from start to finish before even stepping foot outside the house? Call me unadventurous, but Id rather know where Im going and get there as soon as possible.Its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you just study the language youre trying to learn really hard, youll eventually become fluent. But the reality just aint so. If you study the language youre trying to learn really hard, youll just become a really good student of that languageâ€"which is different from  being fluent in that language.The earlier you start deliberately working towards fluency, the less time youll have to spend on the transition from being a good student to a capable, confident speaker in the end. And the more likely you are to avoid the dreaded mid-language learning crisis, that point when youve spent countless hours memorizing vocab and internalizing grammatical structures only to realize that despite all your hard work , youd probably run screaming for the nearest translator if you were unexpectedly airdropped into a country where you had to rely on the language youve been diligently learning.So to help you keep any such unpleasantness out of your language learning experience and to give you some ideas on how to start building towards fluency from day one, here are some tips on how to learn a language fluently from scratch. How to Learn a Language Fluently From Scratch1. Make as Many Connections Between Listening, Speaking and Writing as PossibleOne major difference between language learners versus people who speak a language fluently is that listening, speaking and writing tend to be very separate activities for learners, but are much more interchangeable for fluent speakers.As a learner, making connections between listening, speaking and writing reinforces the work youre doing on all three and moves your mentality closer to that of a fluent speaker by breaking down the boundaries between these different ways of using the language.A simple but powerful technique for making connections between the three is to listen to some material, then respond to it both in speech and in writing. If you have a Skype partner to do the speaking part of this exercise with, try the following three steps:Listen to a podcast or radio show or watch a film that your language partner is familiar withWrite a reaction to the podcast, radio show or filmDiscuss the podcast, radio show or film with your language partner and compare your reaction to theirsIf youre doing this exercise solo, heres another way it can go:Listen to a podcast or radio show or watch a filmGive an immediate, spontaneous spoken reaction to the podcast, radio show or filmWrite up a more structured review of the podcast, radio show or filmOne of the points of this exercise is that you end up working with some of the same ideas and vocab across all three steps, tying together your listening, speaking and writing practice.Even whe n you arent doing this exercise, though, you should still try to do some listening, speaking and writing every day. Keeping all three skills hot in your mind will go a long way towards making sure youre really learning a language rather than learning to listen to a language, learning to speak a language and learning to write a language separately.2. Use the Language for Things You Care AboutIf you want a disturbing insight into the foreign language learning process, try reading through a textbook on a language youre already fluent in, like an English textbook if youre a native English speaker. Youll find that the content is excruciatingly boring. In fact, Ill wager that most fluent English speakers simply could not read an ESL textbook cover-to-cover.Of course, when youre learning a new language, the dullness of the content you work with as a beginning language learner is a little less grating because you have your hands full actually trying to learn the language, but that doesnt me an you arent missing a huge opportunity to learn faster and more fluently. No matter what level your language skills are at, youll internalize the language youre working on much more deeply if you use it for things you care about.Its true that when youre getting started, a certain amount of “Hello, my name is Niels. I am a person. I am eating a green apple.” is necessary to get the basics down, but you should aim to break away from focusing on this kind of dry good-for-language-learning-and-nothing-else content as much as possible, as soon as possible. Here are some ideas for ways to do that:Cook a mealCook a meal (bonus points if its a meal traditional to a country that speaks the language youre learning!) using only the language youre studying from start to finish. Translate the recipe or find a recipe online in that language, write a shopping list and describe the process of cooking the meal out loud as you go along. All the better if you can get another language learner or a fluent friend to do this with you.Keep a journalTheres one interest we all have in common: ourselves. Keeping a journal about your life will let you use the language youre learning to talk about a wide variety of topics you care about. Complaining about your coworkers and lamenting the state of your love life will never have been so educational!Visualize your vocabularyFor many language learners, translating is inherently boringâ€"after all, the point of translating is simply to repeat something thats already been said, just in a different language. Worse yet, translating does nothing to help you towards fluency because it encourages you to use your native language as a reference point, rather than start thinking in terms of your new language.So next time youre learning vocab or translating a text, try translating into images rather than another language. Its one thing to tell yourself that el parque means “the park” in Spanish. Its an entirely different thing to visualize your self lying in the lush, green grass with your eyes closed while the sun warms your face from the pristine blue sky and a deep, soothing voice says in your ear “el parque.”Instead of just shuffling words between languages when youre translating and learning vocab, challenge yourself to associate the words with images that have some sort of emotional significance to you. Visualize sentences as scenes unfolding in your minds eye rather than strings of words waiting to be changed into English on the language translation assembly line. Visualizing instead of translating is a technique that can save you countless hours if you start using it from day one.Read about topics youre interested inIf theres a topic youre interested in, read about it in the language youre working on! Just head over to the Google homepage for a country that speaks the language youre learning and look up whatever youre curious about.It can seem easier just to follow along textbooks and language courses as long a s possible, but the sooner you go from learning the language to actually using it for things you care about, the more direct your path to speaking fluently will be. Techniques like cooking a meal, keeping a journal and thinking in pictures are all ways of doing this from the very early stages of language learning.Reading about topics youre interested in might require having a little more vocab and grammar under your beltâ€"but with the help of a dictionary, not as much as you might think. In language learning, “no pain, no gain” is sometimes true, but in this case you stand to both gain a lot and save yourself some pain at the same time by making the process as interesting as possible.3. Put Yourself out ThereThe biggest difference between learning a language and using it in real life is that textbooks are structured, linear and predictable while real life is anything but. The best way to make your mindset more like that of a fluent speaker than a language student is to start pu tting yourself in situations that stretch your language skills.Dont feel ready to do a Skype language exchange? Great, nows the perfect time to start one!Think youre not ready to order a meal? Great, head on over to the nearest restaurant where they speak your new language! (Just make sure you go somewhere authenticâ€"dont try ordering in Italian at Olive Garden.)By putting yourself out there and even sometimes ending up out of your depth youll be building a more flexible and, yes, fluent relationship with the language youre learning.4. Force Yourself to Think in the Language Youre LearningThe easiest way to stop yourself from learning a language fluently is by continuing to think in your native language even when you speak in the new language.A good technique Ive already talked about to avoid falling into this trap is to start “visualizing instead of translating” from day one. But you should also go out of your way to use the language youre learning internally even in situation s where youre not translating.Some effective ways to do this are:Do an end-of-day recapAs you get ready to go to sleep at night, do an internal recap of the main events from your day and the things you want to do tomorrowâ€"in the language youre learning.Besides acting as a sort of journal-in-your-mind where you can use the language to describe a range of different events you care about, doing an end-of-day recap lets you harness the benefits of language study right before bed.Narrate mundane tasksEvery mindless task you do is really an opportunity to use your idle brain for language learning! Try narrating your actions next time youre washing the dishes, for example. It makes life more interesting and helps you get used to thinking in your new language.Being able to draw on the vocab and grammar youve learned automatically, intuitively and effortlessly is an important part of learning a language fluently. Getting used to not just communicating in a language but using it in your min d will fast-track your path to fluency.Studying Smart to Learn a Language FluentlyIn the end, if you want to start working towards learning a language fluently from the first step of your language learning journey, youll have to study hardâ€"but more importantly, youll have to study smart. Fluency is about really internalizing a language, not just memorizing it.Using the language for things that have personal meaning to you, making as many connections between writing/speaking/listening as possible, making yourself think in terms of your new language and putting yourself in situations that push your language skills to their limit will all help you really own the language you want to know fluently, rather than just speak it superficially.But even if you didnt really care about learning a language fluently, I would still say you should try these techniques. Why? Because the most effective fluency-building techniques are actually techniques for getting yourself to care about what youre learning. The more you care about something, the more deeply you learn it. And regardless of whether your goal is to work all the way towards speaking fluently, caring will make your language learning experience more fun!So I guess what Im saying is that even though your aim is to get fluent fast, not necessarily to stop and smell the roses along the way, using these fluency-promoting techniques from the outset of your language learning journey will make the roses smell sweeter anyway.Thats why ultimately the single most important, totally serious, kind-of-corny-but-still-pretty-darn-useful rule for learning a language fluently from scratch is: fun and fluency go hand in hand!