Organic Chemistry Tutor - Charles Humphrey Bohr

Organic Chemistry Tutor - Charles Humphrey BohrThe organic chemistry tutor Bohr was a brilliant scientist and thinker. He would be best known for being a co-inventor of the atom bomb, and indeed the information technology that brought about his achievement. He is also noted for being the inventor of several biological processes and formulas, notably the methods for both purifying substances and adding them to liquid.All of these accomplishments are due in large part to the fact that he was a gifted student who took on a profession that was very demanding but yielded great rewards. He was a student of Frederick Soddy, the tutor of Beethoven and Liszt, and was appointed by both men as their experimental assistant.Bohr worked at Harvard from the time he was fourteen years old, making himself aware of all the advances in science and mathematics. It was this effort that earned him the respect of many other young scientists. Although Bohr never did anything to support his claim, he did see himself as a genius. He enjoyed being recognized as such, and it is clear that this was a motivating factor for him in pursuing a career in science.After graduating from Harvard, Bohr attended the University of Göttingen, where he joined a teacher in a teaching school. There he studied under an eminent professor of philosophy, G.W. Hume.According to historians, Bohr's work with Hume was responsible for a number of significant contributions to the science of chemistry, including the chemical bond, the factor, and the theory of hydrogenation. In addition, his work was instrumental in the development of the atomic theory of matter, which eventually led to the discovery of nuclear fusion.While working at Göttingen, Bohr met another pupil, Johannes Brahms, who made the choice of Bohrto continue his studies with him in Vienna. Brahms went on to become the greatest composer in music history, who composed works such as the Ninth Symphony, the Seventh Symphony, and the Fifth Symphony.In 1 844, Bohr returned to Göttingen, and he stayed there until 1848. During this time, he came to the attention of other European researchers who saw potential in his work. In particular, it was Friedrich Brunel who considered Bohr to be the most important chemist of his time.

Promoting a Growth Mindset

Promoting a Growth Mindset My previous post discussed strategies for teaching Growth Mindset principles to your child. And while this is an important first step, the real power comes in reminding your child of these principles and promoting them on a day to day basis. Helping your child develop a Growth Mindset involves first making sure that he or she has the tools and strategies that he or she needs in order to be successful, and then remind your child that when he or she pairs these strategies with hard work and persistence he or she can grow their brains and become better at anything that he or she puts their mind to. When it comes to making sure your child has access to strategies and tools that work for him or her, I recommend setting up a meeting with your childs teacher. Find out which areas they think your child needs to improve in the most, and what suggestions they have for accelerating this improvement. If your childs teacher suggests that your child receive additional help outside the classroom, then seek out additional learning services at school or in an after-school learning or tutoring program. Also, ask for suggestions about what you can do at home each week to help your child improve. When your child is trying out new strategies and working on things that are hard for him or her, encourage a Growth Mindset by taking the following steps: Remind your child that when he or she works hard they are growing their brain. When we lift weights our muscles grow stronger. We know they are stronger because over time it becomes easier to lift heavier weights. Remind your child that when we challenge our brains by working on things that are hard for us, our brains get stronger too. We know theyre getting stronger because math problems, books, and writing assignments that were hard for us become easier over time. And we get more answers correct the first time around. Praise Growth Mindset goals. When your child is working hard, tie your praise to our Growth Mindset goals. Praise your child for stepping up to a challenge, trying out new strategies, working hard, and improving. Overall, youll be most successful at fostering a Growth Mindset when you focus your praise on your childs process rather than on your childs grades and achievement. Counter Fixed Mindset thoughts with Growth Mindset alternatives. When kids are frustrated they are likely to have a whole host of Fixed Mindset thoughts that get in the way. When they voice these thoughts, try to come up with Growth Mindset alternatives that can help your child think differently about his or her situation. Your child may not seem too receptive in the moment, especially if he or she is feeling very frustrated. But over time, your child will hear you and will start to come up with these Growth Mindset alternatives on his or her own. Here are some examples to help you get started: Fixed Mindset: I always make mistakes!Growth Mindset: When we correct our mistakes, we grow our brains. Fixed Mindset: I cantGrowth Mindset: You havent done it yet! Fixed Mindset: This stuff is easy for other kids.Growth Mindset: With new strategies and practice it will become easier for you too. Helping your child develop a Growth Mindset will take time. After all, your child has probably been living with a Fixed Mindset for years. Be persistent and look for small, gradual improvements. Mindsets are fluid, so dont be surprised if sometimes your child is able to maintain Growth Mindset and other times he or she is firmly stuck in a Fixed Mindset. The goal is to help your child spend more time in a Growth Mindset framework than he or she was able to in the past. Over time, his or her motivation and self-esteem will improve, and youll notice that he or she is more willing to take risks and step up to challenges at school and in life. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Alexa for Kids with ADHD

Alexa for Kids with ADHD One of the most popular gifts of this past holiday season, according to CNN Money, was Amazons Echo Dot, featuring their digital assistant, Alexa. If you are one of the millions of people who recently brought Alexa into their home, then you are now learning that Alexa can do all kinds of things, from giving you the weather forecast to turning on the lights in your home or operating any number of Internet of Things connected devices. If you have a child with ADHD, then youll be happy to know that Alexa can also help with many of the challenges that you and your child face every day. Kids with ADHD are typically slow to gain independence in their daily activities, like getting ready in the morning, completing their homework, and getting ready for bed in the evening. Parents often find themselves micromanaging their childs day, making sure that things get done well and on time, even when their child is of an age when they should be managing these activities independently. The need for constant reminders and double-checking frustrates parents, and on the flip side, kids often complain that their parents spend too much time nagging them. This is where Alexa can be helpful. Alexa can essentially serve as an independent third party that provides reminders, alarms, and lists. Kids can easily learn to use these features in Alexa, building independence and confidence, and reducing conflict and negotiations with parents. After all, when a parent says, Youre going to need to leave for soccer practice in 10 minutes, it can feel like nagging to a child, but when Alexa says t he same thing, its not emotionally loaded or the source of immediate conflict. There are many ways to incorporate Alexa into your childs daily routine. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Alarm clock. Help your child set an alarm with Alexa, and customize the alarm with his or her favorite song. For example, Alexa, please wake me up at 7am every weekday with Let it Go from Frozen. If your child is generally slow to wake up, then let him or her know that he or she will need to be out of bed by the time the wake-up song ends. By having your child tell Alexa when to wake him or her up and which song to play, he or she is taking responsibility for his or her morning alarm and gaining independence. Getting out the door on time. Alexas scheduling functions can also help your child keep track of time in the morning. In the Alerts Alarms section of your Alexa app, create custom reminders that are scheduled to repeat at the same time every morning or afternoon. For example, you can create a reminder called Ten Minute Warning and then program Alexa to remind your child at 7:50am every day that its almost time to leave the house, Dylan, I just wanted you to know the bus is coming in 10 minutes. Again, by leveraging Alexa to provide the reminder, youre helping to break the cycle of conflict that may be dominating your mornings. Homework Time. You can also use Alexas scheduling and alarm systems to help manage homework time, either by using the Timer Feature, Alexa, please set a homework timer for one hour or the Alarm Feature, Alexa, please set an alarm for 4pm when homework time is over. Your child can also ask, Alexa, please tell me how much time is left on my homework timer, without involving his or her parents in the discussion. To-Do Lists. To-Do lists may seem like an organization strategy that is geared toward adults, but they can also be very helpful for kids with ADHD. For example, if your child mentions that he or she needs to return a permission slip to school by Thursday and attend a Science Fair on Friday he or she can easily add these items to his or her to-do list. Alexa, please add permission slip to our to-do list for Wednesday or Alexa, please remind me about my science project on Thursday afternoon at 3pm. As Alexa and similar technologies begin to play a more central role in our daily lives, kids with ADHD will gain access tools that can help them gain independence, manage their ADHD symptoms more effectively, and reduce conflict at home. And one of the best features: Alexa is screen-free! These digital tools are all available without a distracting tablet or phone that can derail any childs best intentions. So, help your child get started with Alexa, and see what this technology can do for your family. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

How to Level Up Your Skills with the Best Foreign Language Audiobooks

How to Level Up Your Skills with the Best Foreign Language Audiobooks How to Learn Faster with the Best Foreign Language Audiobooks Want to level-up your language skills?First tip: give your headphones and speakers the workout of their life.Now listen up while we convince you that audiobooks are an awesome  language-learning tool to get you on track with those ambitious goals youve set.Think about it! Audiobooks can help you:Take advantage of wasted time. You can listen to them while doing  almost anythingâ€"commuting  to work or school, walking the dog, cleaning the house, even shopping.Learn new vocabulary words and everyday phrases you can put to use right away.Practice your listening  and speaking skills at the same time.Improve your pronunciation.Learn more about the culture  of people who speak your target language.And the best way to learn with audiobooks is to choose a book that interests you and is at the level that suits you the best.Need  some hints?All right, you win.Here are some tried-and-true tips on how to get the most from learning with audiobooks, along with some guidelines  for finding the best foreign language audiobooks at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. 5 Study Tips  to Make Audiobooks Work for YouFirst, a  few general tips to  give you a great head start.1. Take notes. If you hear new words you want to remember, write them down. This will help you retain information and make it easier to reference in the future. Its much easier to find a word in a notebook or computer document than it is to search through an  entire  audiobook to find the place you heard it!2. Get a hardcopy. Choose  an audio language course with an accompanying hardcopy book, or try to find a hardcopy of the childrens or adult book you are listening to. Even though you shouldnt get into the habit of reading along every time you listen, having  the hardcopy material available is helpful when you come across  new words and  phrases that you just cant catch.3. Listen first. Written material can help you learn and retain information, but it can also be a crutch. One of the advantages of an audiobook is that it forces you to learn by listening, a skill you need in order to communicate  that a lot of people underestimate. Use your notes, a hardcopy book and a dictionary as you learn, but try to listen to an entire section or chapter before you start to rely on written material.4. Repeat again and again. The more you listen, the more  youll learn. Most audio language courses are designed to repeat material for this reason. If youre listening to  a childrens or adult audiobook entirely in the foreign language youre studying, you will  need to repeat sections for yourself. Listen several  times so that  you grow  comfortable with what youre hearing.5. Practice in real life. If youre taking a class or meeting with a conversation partner, bring along your list of new vocabulary words, and practice using them with a native speaker. Engage your friends in conversation about the audiobooks youre listening to, and learn more about what they think. When you practice words in different contexts, you help yourself remember them better.How to Learn Faster with the Best Foreign Language AudiobooksBeginner Level: Audio Language CoursesThe best type of audiobook for a beginner is an audio language course. Theyre  typically tailored for beginners and travelers  who need to learn phrases quickly so that they can  communicate on a  trip. Youll find that an audio course teaches you useful everyday words and phrases in a pleasant, enjoyable format, while giving you lots of practice listening to native speakers.Youre probably familiar with audio language courses, since these are the most common and accessible foreign language books available. Youve probably even impulse-bought  an audio phrasebook of some kind  before!To choose the best audio language course:Check out your favorite library, bookstore or website. Its easy to find audio language courses for most of the commonly studied foreign languages. Look for titles like Spanish for Dummies, Pimsleur, Collins or Earworms.Take advantage of  textbook CDs or audio files.  Many textbooks offer access to online audio files for practice listening. Investigate this option if youre already using a textbook to study.Ask your friends for recommendations.  If you know someone who has studied a foreign language (even if its not the one youre studying), ask which audio language course they liked best.Once youve got  your audio language course, turn it on and start  learning! But before that,  here are some more little tips to ease the process.Make it work for you:Supplement with grammar materials. The everyday words youll learn with an audio course will help  you ask simple questions and understand the answers. But most audio courses focus on stand-alone phrases and dont provide detailed grammar instruction. If you find yourself wanting to say not  just, Im going to the museum, but, Yesterday I went to the museum, you may have to look further than your audio course.  Build on the phrases in  your audio book by supplementing with a grammar book or website that explains grammar rules.Dont be afraid to skip ahead.  If you discover that the material most important to  you is in one of the later chapters of an audio course, skip right to it! Although most audio language courses build on the material taught in previous chapters,  theres no reason why you need to wait if what you want to learn most is 45 minutes into the audio course. Go ahead and listen to what youre drawn to!Make an  audio course part of your larger language-learning routineâ€"not the entire routine.  Most of us retain information best when we get it from a variety of different inputs. Look up new words in a dictionary, use a textbook for additional learning, watch videos online and talk with a conversation partner for a complete picture of how the language is used in different contexts. The more varied your language inputs, the better chance you have of retaining information and learning how words are used in differen t situations.Intermediate Level: Childrens BooksIntermediate-level language learners are ready to move beyond the basics and will probably enjoy the challenge of authentic audio materialsâ€"the type of audiobooks native speakers might use themselves.An adult audiobook in a foreign language can  be daunting even to the most confident language student, so its best to start with childrens books. Youll find that they are approachable, fun and remarkably useful for learning.To choose the best  childrens book  for you, follow these suggestions:Have fun! Childrens books are meant to be fun. Luckily, most are designed to be engaging, educational, and interesting, so it shouldnt be too difficult to find a good one.Ask native speakers which books they like best.  What do native speakers read to their children? What books do they remember from childhood? Choosing books that are beloved by native speakers is a good way to ensure you dont pick a dud and may mean that youll find an audience inter ested in discussing it with you.Avoid archaic language. Some of the best childrens stories are folktales, poems and stories passed down for centuries. While these provide wonderful opportunities for cultural learning, its best to avoid archaic language when you first start out. Archaic  language is likely to be confusing to language learners and will not be as useful if you plan to use phrases you learn to speak with people on an everyday basis (you probably dont want to tell your friend the equivalent of, I bequeath you this piece of cake). Start with more  modern stories, and work your way up to stories with more complex language.Of course, the easiest  way to start learning with  an audiobook is to simply turn it on and listen. But having a plan and some resources will help you keep on track.Make it work for you:Focus on the story.    Dont worry about looking up every single word. Instead, look up a few key  words and then listen again to see how much more you can understand. It might  be overwhelming if you try to look up every word you dont know.Learn like a child. Childrens stories form the basis of language and reading development. Children usually pick up phrases from books and try them out in new settings.  This is exactly what you should do.Emulate the narratorâ€"but not too much. Childrens book narrators are fantastic storytellers. Emulating the narrator is great practice, but just remember that  you dont want to sound like youre talking to children every time you speak!Advanced Level: Novels and Non-Fiction for Young Adults and AdultsWhen youve got the hang of childrens audiobooks, its time to start listening to novels and non-fiction.Give a little thought to what you plan to listen to. It will likely be much longer than a childrens book, so its important to select something that will hold your attention.Here are some things to consider:Choose  a book  native speakers are reading. Look for lists of top-selling books in your target language, and as k  native speakers what they like to read. A book that native speakers have appreciated is more likely to be interesting and will offer more opportunities for discussion with native speakers than an obscure book will.Consider starting with a book youve read in your native language.  Youll already be familiar with the characters and plot, so you may be able to follow along easier without looking up as many words. If youve read a book in translation that was originally written in your target language, this is an ideal book to start with. Reading the book in the language it was written in will provide you with a new and more complete perspective of the story.Take a gander at young adult novels.  Young adult novels often have mass appeal and are written in plainer language than adult novels. These can be fun to read and a little bit less daunting than starting with an adult audiobook.Avoid classicsâ€"at least for a while. Classics are enduring stories and have great cultural value, but they can be difficult to understand, even for native speakers.  Unless you know that a certain classic novel is written in language thats easy to understand, its best to start with books written in more colloquial language. After youre familiar with the audiobook format, then you might start trying to listen to classics.After youve selected the audiobook youre going to read, its time to get started!Make it work for you:Get a hardcopy in your native language, if possible. Although you shouldnt rely on the book in your native language, having one to consult may help you feel confident you are following the story correctly and getting all the nuanced information. Just  remember not to attempt to translate word-for-word or even sentence-for-sentence because the exact phrasing may be different.Move on!  Listening repeatedly improves your comprehension and helps you memorize new words, but a full-length book is too long for you to spend too much time on any one section. While you may be able to listen again and again to a childrens book, an adult book is much more about flow and overall comprehension than it is about the specifics of any single section.Focus on the big picture. Your goal should be to understand the story and learn a few new words in the processâ€"not to look up every single word you hear. You will hear some of the same words repeated again and again and will begin to form an idea of what these words mean and how theyre used in different contexts.  Recognize that its okay to get the gist of it without understanding all  the nuances.Audiobooksâ€"whether language courses, childrens books or adult booksâ€"are a great way to learn and practice your language skills. Theyre fun, inspirational and may  fill a void in your language-learning routine.As you begin to listen and become more comfortable with the best foreign language audiobooks, consider trying increasingly difficult  ones. You may surprise yourself with your level of comprehension and will lear n a lot in the process.Time to level up! And One More ThingIf youre digging these learning strategies, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like 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 your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoA nd 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.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store.

Sharpen your study skills

Sharpen your study skills It's one thing knowing that you need to study, but do you actually know how to do it? Study skills are a relatively new addition to the curriculum, and indeed they may still not be taught in all schools. If you went to school some time ago then you may not even know what they are. Study skills are the techniques that everybody needs to learn effectively and to manage their own learning. Study skills can be applied to any sort of learning and by learners of any age. Whether it's a five year old doing their first piece of homework, or a 30 year old revising for professional exams, everyone can benefit from study skills. It is particularly important to learn study skills in this day and age not just because of the huge amount of information that we are presented with: we are also given this information in many different formats, and we need to know how to process and organise this. For example, you may be learning a language and this would involve watching videos, doing written exercises and reading newspapers in that language on the internet. These are three different multimedia ways of learning and can all be approached in various effective ways with the help of a study skills tutor.

Tips From An OC Tutor Keeping a Study Session on Track

Tips From An OC Tutor Keeping a Study Session on Track Tips From An Orange County Tutor: Keeping a Study Session on Track Many students choose to work in groups because it allows for socialization but it also helps students pool together their different talents and skills to comprehend difficult subject matter. Additionally, students are often encouraged or required to work in a group to finish a project. Group study is nothing new and its a helpful way for students to complete high quality work in a timely manner. However, having friends nearby makes it easy for some students to get distracted, which makes the study group more about socializing and less about learning. For instance, it may take a group five hours to complete what was meant to be a three-hour project. Distractions also leave students with less time to complete their other solo assignments. So how can groups keep their study sessions on track? 1. Elect a note-taker Elect a person who is responsible for taking basic notes at any given study session. Students will then be able to identify how much the group has already completed as well as how much is left to be covered. The person taking notes will be responsible for letting the group know if they are on track to finish on time or if they need to pick up the pace. 2. Assign different jobs to different people If there are five people in the group, each person should be responsible for about one-fifth of the study material. Every student should be required to present a summary of information to the group, as a result each individual knows that they have to self-regulate so that they are an equal contributor to the group at the end of the session (READ: The Students Guide to Study Breaks). 3. Assign a study leader for the day Students can take turns being the leader of the study group for the day or for a particular project. This person will be responsible for helping students keep each other on track and completing their share of the assignment in a timely manner. This person is not meant to take the place of a teacher but rather provide friendly reminders to their classmates to help them manage their time as well as decide how much time the group should allocate for  each section of the assignment (READ: 5 Steps for Surviving Literature Class). 4. Meet for a set amount of time Some students will meet at a coffee shop or library with no particular end time to their study session. This can be a good thing or it can lead to procrastination, preventing the project from being completed in a timely manner. Students can set a specific amount of time for their session, for example 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., this way they know they should reach a certain point in their studies by 6 in the evening (READ: 7 Tips For Studying While Traveling). 5.  Plan something fun after the session If students know they are going straight from their study session back home to do more self-study, they will be tempted to procrastinate and chat with friends. However, if students plan to chat at a coffee shop or go for frozen yogurt or pizza after their session, they are more likely to self-regulate their time during the study session. In short Although working in a group can be fun and also helps students complete projects without feeling the isolation self study, study time can become more social and less productive without basic organization and time management. Students deserve time to socialize with friends and classmates as well as take breaks. However, its important that assignments are completed in a timely manner to ensure high grades and test scores in the classroom. 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 post about. Tips From An OC Tutor Keeping a Study Session on Track Tips From An Orange County Tutor: Keeping a Study Session on Track Many students choose to work in groups because it allows for socialization but it also helps students pool together their different talents and skills to comprehend difficult subject matter. Additionally, students are often encouraged or required to work in a group to finish a project. Group study is nothing new and its a helpful way for students to complete high quality work in a timely manner. However, having friends nearby makes it easy for some students to get distracted, which makes the study group more about socializing and less about learning. For instance, it may take a group five hours to complete what was meant to be a three-hour project. Distractions also leave students with less time to complete their other solo assignments. So how can groups keep their study sessions on track? 1. Elect a note-taker Elect a person who is responsible for taking basic notes at any given study session. Students will then be able to identify how much the group has already completed as well as how much is left to be covered. The person taking notes will be responsible for letting the group know if they are on track to finish on time or if they need to pick up the pace. 2. Assign different jobs to different people If there are five people in the group, each person should be responsible for about one-fifth of the study material. Every student should be required to present a summary of information to the group, as a result each individual knows that they have to self-regulate so that they are an equal contributor to the group at the end of the session (READ: The Students Guide to Study Breaks). 3. Assign a study leader for the day Students can take turns being the leader of the study group for the day or for a particular project. This person will be responsible for helping students keep each other on track and completing their share of the assignment in a timely manner. This person is not meant to take the place of a teacher but rather provide friendly reminders to their classmates to help them manage their time as well as decide how much time the group should allocate for  each section of the assignment (READ: 5 Steps for Surviving Literature Class). 4. Meet for a set amount of time Some students will meet at a coffee shop or library with no particular end time to their study session. This can be a good thing or it can lead to procrastination, preventing the project from being completed in a timely manner. Students can set a specific amount of time for their session, for example 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., this way they know they should reach a certain point in their studies by 6 in the evening (READ: 7 Tips For Studying While Traveling). 5.  Plan something fun after the session If students know they are going straight from their study session back home to do more self-study, they will be tempted to procrastinate and chat with friends. However, if students plan to chat at a coffee shop or go for frozen yogurt or pizza after their session, they are more likely to self-regulate their time during the study session. In short Although working in a group can be fun and also helps students complete projects without feeling the isolation self study, study time can become more social and less productive without basic organization and time management. Students deserve time to socialize with friends and classmates as well as take breaks. However, its important that assignments are completed in a timely manner to ensure high grades and test scores in the classroom. 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 post about.

Game On 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective

Game On 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective Game On: 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective Before you begin to read this post, ask yourself these two questions:Do you love playing games?Do you love learning new languages?If you’ve answered yes to both of these questions, then definitely keep reading because this article is just for you!If you said no to one of the above questions, then youre in for a treat: Games make language learning extremely enjoyable, and language learning adds a whole new nuance to playing games.There are tons of awesome ways to learn a foreign language using media such as watching movies, listening to music or even reading foreign magazines. However, most people can agree that  playing games is definitely by far  one of the best ways to learn a new language.If youre trying to teach yourself a new language, learning through games is a solid method because not only are they usually appropriate for (and enjoyed by) learners of all ages, but many are also wonderful for get-togethers with friends and family. This can lead to multiple people learning fo reign words and phrases all at the same time without using those boring books and mind-numbing tests that typical classes come with.For those who prefer to learn solo, fear not! There are a few games mentioned that can be played alone as well.This post is also worth reading if you’re an ESL teacher looking for new activities to help teach your students foreign languages. Several of the games featured on this list would be perfect language learning tools in the classroom (especially the board games, card games and games that you can create on your own). Students will love these activities and most likely they’ll retain the information faster than ever.So, if you’ve never used games to boost your foreign language vocabulary before (or even if you have and are just looking for more options), prepare to be blown away by this list of thirteen games that can help you build your foreign language vocabulary fast! Game On: 13 Foreign Language Games That Are Actually Fun and Effective Board Card GamesBoard games (such as Chess) and card games (such as Poker) have been around for centuries, and are excellent ways to interact with others in person while working your cognitive skills.While activities that feature more modern technology such as video games have stolen some of the shine away from these type of games, both board games and card games have a certain old-school charm to them that can’t be beat and theyre still preferred by many as interactive tools to unite people around the world even to this day. Here are three great games to help you learn languagesâ€"no computer or Internet required.1.  KlooKloo is an award-winning educational card game that is loved by many including: children, adults, teachers and self learners. It can be played either alone or with others, and the game even comes with three sets of instructions on how to playâ€"based on the number of players.The Kloo game consists of two decks of cards and the goal is to create a sentence that m akes sense using only the cards that you have in your hand.According to their website, people who have used Kloo have built their vocabulary, on average, up to ten times faster than people who haven’t, so it definitely might be something worth checking out. This is something Ive personally had a great deal of success with.Languages You Can Learn: English, French, Italian, Spanish2.  Scrabble (Foreign Language Edition)Scrabble is a highly popular word finder board game developed by Hasbro that has players earn points by creating words using four to twelve letter tiles in a crossword style. There are usually only about 100 tiles that can be used in gameplay, so players will need to use creativity to cook up new words each turn as the letter tiles begin to dwindle.Each tile is worth a certain number of points and the person who has the most points on their board after all of the tiles have been used up wins. Any words are okay as long as theyre defined in a standard dictionary and th e longer the word, the more points the player receives.Most people play Scrabble in English, but with some slight modifications, you can play in various languages. Want  to learn how? Click on this title for more information on how to play in the language of your choosing.Languages You Can Learn: Numerous languages (30+)3.  Spot It! Basic English/French/Spanish  GameWhat this game lacks in quantity (in terms of how many languages you can learn with it), it makes up for in quality. Spot It! Basic English Game (or French or Spanish, depending on the version you choose) is a fast-paced card game created by Rainbow Resource and is great for teaching learners basic vocabulary words related to a variety of subjects such as animals, clothing, family, foods, transportation and even the weather using both words and pictures.To play, take two cards from the deck and try to match a picture to its word. This is easy to do since theres always one matching symbol between any two cards. Spot It! i s great for young learners, and players can use it to strengthen their vocabulary skills with repetition and reading comprehension.Each set comes with 55 cards in a colorful tin.Languages You Can Learn:  English, French, SpanishApp GamesThese days almost everyone has access to some sort of mobile device, whether it’s a smartphone, an iPod or a tablet. If you own one of these devices and you use it regularly, then try to strengthen your vocabulary in a foreign language with a few of these games designed to be mobile-friendly. Some of the app games listed can even be played while offline, so keep that in mind.Please be aware that the games listed here are for Apple iOS devices only. Click here for foreign language app games that can be accessed on other smartphones such as Androids and Windows.4. FluentUFluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. All the video content here is made by native speakers of your target language  for  native speakers. This is stuff that natives actually watch and enjoy on the regular, so youll get exposed to real, authentic language the way its used every day in the modern world.After choosing an individual video based on your skill level and personal interests, youll be prompted to choose between watch and learn modes. If you opt for watch, youll watch your videos as normal with interactive subtitles that are translated both by word and by sentence.If you click on learn, then youll go straight to the personalized flashcard content using  key vocabulary from  the video, giving you a chance to practice either ahead of time or after watching the clip. This learn mode actually integrates pictures, video clips and example sentences into the flashcards, making for truly memorable in-context learning experiences.You can also access FluentU on the main website,  but thanks to the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  st ore,  you can now take all this entertaining learning with you wherever  you go!Languages You Can Learn:  French, Spanish, German, English, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese5.  MindSnacksThe MindSnacks gaming app series makes learning foreign languages easy while on the go with gaming apps that help you to not only build your vocabulary, but also aid you in strengthening your conversational skills.Each app usually offers around eight colorful games to help you master over a thousand words and phrases and harbors over fifty language lessons available, all of which are designed by Ivy League instructors. (Only the first couple of lessons are free however. To have access to all fifty lessons you have to upgrade which does require money.)They also have game apps related to other educational subjects like U.S. Geography and Math and on their website, there is a blog that is updated regularly. The MindSnacks series is adored by millions of language learners all over the world and was ranked as o ne of the Best Education Apps of the Year by Apples App Store in 2011.Languages You Can Learn: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Chinese, Japanese6.  Learn with Lingo ArcadeAnother terrific language gaming app series for Apple users is Lingo Arcade by Innovative Mobile Apps. While the Spanish version of this app is the most popular among learners, Lingo Arcade has versions in  Spanish,  English, French  and German. The app has been praised by many for how user friendly it is and its arcade style format.Each app comes with four different games with five difficulty settings to help players learn more than just basic vocabulary. With LingoArcade, users can practice word mastery, understand complex phrases and work on sentence building all at an affordable price.Languages You Can Learn: Spanish, English, French, German7.  Count to TenCount to Ten International Numbers Game is the app game by BidBox which teaches users how to count from one to ten in whichever language they choose within minutes. Although the only vocabulary words that can be learned revolve around numbers, this is still a very useful app to use. The game is simple yet challenging and players can even compete against others in duels to get the highest score possible.Languages You Can Learn: Multiple (23+)Online GamesWhether you’re a serious online gamer or you just play online games every now and then, these three games are sure to please the inner gamer in you while helping you build your vocabulary.8.  InfluentLooking for an educational game that almost doesn’t feel like youre actually learning anything? Youll definitely want to check out Influent, a 3D free-form game developed by the indie game company Three Flip Studios, and hosted on digital gaming platform sites like Steam and Humble.This awesome game is about a fictional inventor named Andrew Cross who after having his language learning deviceâ€"the SanjigenJitenâ€"stolen, decides to prove to the world that he is the rightfu l owner by learning over 300 words in any language that he chooses to help raise money via the fictional crowdfunding site, FireStarter.Players can learn new words by using Andrews device to scan items that are scattered throughout the game and create their own customized vocabulary lists comprised of nouns, verbs, adjectives and more. So far the game can be played in over sixteen different languages, but each version is sold individually for around $10.Languages You Can Learn: Multiple (16+)9.  Digital DialectsIf you want to use a website to play some online language learning games that involve more than just simply learning vocabulary, then DigitalDialects is the site for you! The website is free to play and you can learn phrases, vocabulary words, numbers, spelling, the alphabet and even verb conjugation in over 70 different languages. While the graphics on the website aren’t the most spectacular, DigitalDialects offers great value for its usersâ€"especially considering that it ’s completely free.Languages You Can Learn: 70+ languages10.  LanguageGainThis is another helpful language learning website with a simple design layout, making it easy to navigate. LanguageGain offers several unique matching games to help players learn words relating to greetings, food, animals, clothing and other topics.LanguageGain also has flashcard options so that users can get some serious practicing in before they play, though note that Java must be enabled to play these games. While they have over ten available languages, some of them don’t have any games listed yet (although the site owners claim that they’ll add more in the future), so please keep that in mind while browsing through the website.Languages You Can Learn: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, SpanishGames You Can Create on Your OwnHere are a few games to try for those of you who love to put your creativity skills to good use. The best part of creating games on yo ur own is that the only limit you have is your imagination! These games can be used to learn any language (even Pig Latin).Most of the games require more than one player, so it’s encouraged to get as people involved and have a blast!11. The Matching Game (Home Edition)Tools That You’ll Need: Sticky notes or flashcards, a vocabulary listWhen you’ve got some down time at home, why not use the free time to boost your vocabulary skills with fun home activities such as playing the matching game? It’s simple to play and doesnt require much to get started.All you need are sticky notes, a vocabulary list and something to write with (or you can get fancy and print out flashcards  that you made).How to Play:  Pick any category in the language you would like to practice and create a vocabulary list of the items in your home that match the category.  This can be food, clothing items, rooms, the options are endless.For example, say that you’re trying to learn Spanish and you’re inter ested in learning clothing items in Spanish.First, create a list of vocabulary words.  Heres an example of a Spanish vocabulary list involving clothing items.hat = el sombreroshirt = la camisapajamas = el pijamapants = los pantalonesshoes = los zapatossocks = los  calcetinesunderwear = la ropa interiorjacket = la chaquetashorts = el pantalón cortoOnce youve created your vocabulary list, write the Spanish words on sticky notes in the sequence of one word per sticky note.Lastly, here comes the most exciting part: Try to label the items with the correct sticky note within a certain amount of time without using your vocabulary list or other notes (after studying, of course). Try to get the highest score possible and then play again to try to beat that score!To make sure you cover the most important words with this game, you can use a Vocabulary Stickers set, which gives you color-coded labels in your target language for common household items. You can even leave the labels on when your e not playing, allowing yourself to learn words just by seeing them on the items you use every day.12. BingoTools That You Need: Vocabulary list, construction paper (or any kind of paper), scissors, a ruler, pictures of the objects that will be on the cards (optional), some method to choose and  call out the words in a random order individuallyAlmost everyone has heard of Bingo. It’s a fun game that lets you gamble and is based purely on luck (and your language skills). While it might take a little time to gather your list and prepare the game cards, the game can be played repeatedly, so the effort is worth it.To successfully create your own version of this classic game, you’ll want the cards to be randomized but still have the same group of words used repeatedly.  Say you’re interested in learning French words related to foodâ€"specifically fruits and vegetables.  First you’d create a vocabulary list of common French fruits and vegetables and their English meanings, like th is:zucchini = la courgetteeggplant =  l’aubergineapples =  le pommesgrapes =  les raisinsonions =  les oignonscarrots =  les carottescherries =  les cerisescelery =  le céleri  tomatoes =  les tomatesbeans = les haricotscorn =  le maïsspinach =  les épinardslettuce =  la laituebananas =  les bananeswalnuts =  les noixpineapple =  les ananasvegetables =  les légumesfruits =  les fruitscucumber = le concombresalad, leafy greens =  la salade  watermelon =  la pastèquetomato  =  la tomateradish  =  le radiscorn  =  le maïsstrawberries =  les fraisesThen, you would arrange the words randomly and write them on the 55 card. Specifically, you would write five of the words under each letter: B, I, N, G, O. The BINGO card would then look something like this:         B                      I                       N                      G                      Ola courgette      les carottes    le maïs              les ananas          la pastèque l’aubergine      les cerises      les épinards    les légumes          la tomatele pommes        le radis            les bananes      les fruits              le céleri les raisins        les tomates      la laitue          le concombre      le maïs les oignons      les haricots      les noix            la salade              les fraisesThe example shown above can be one Bingo card. Mix up the words to create as many different cards as you like.Once you’ve created your Bingo cards, congratulations! You’ve completed the hard part. Next is the fun part: actually playing Bingo!How to Play:  To play, first assign someone the role of Bingo host, which is the person who calls out the words. Next divide the group of people who are participating into a small number of teams (the smaller the team, the better so two to four teams is ideal).Just like with regular Bingo, in order to win, you have to be the first to get fi ve in a row in the assigned direction. This can be in an direction, vertically, horizontally, diagonally, even the whole card as long as its what is agreed upon before gameplay.13. Guess That Language (Vocabulary Word Edition)Tools That You’ll Need: Blank flashcards, something to write with, a vocabulary listIn a way, this game is plays a lot like Bingo except you don’t need Bingo cards to play, and its based purely on knowledge and skill rather than luck. Also, similar to other games on this list, the Guess That Language Game can be played by yourself  or with others.How to Play:  If you want to just practice alone, Guess That Language can be used like  flashcards (but then it wouldn’t really be a game now would it?)For two people, the name of the game is simple: One  person says a word to you from the list (or card if youre using flashcards), and you have to guess what it means on the first try. You dont need to  worry about getting words in a specific order to win here! For beginners or young learners, it might be a good idea to give a couple of hints to help them figure out its meaning. If youre the one giving hints,  dont give away the word, but you want to encourage them to really use their critical thinking skills to find the correct answer.For a group, this game plays out a lot more  like Bingo. First divide the entire group into teams. Then pick one person who reads the words aloud from the vocabulary list, one by one in a random order. All of the words from the list  must be said and each word can be worth one point.In order to win points, a team has to be the first to say the correct meaning. To make sure everyone playing gets a fair chance, have one person per team compete against the other person on the other team(s). After every round, new people from each team need to be chosen to play against each other. This will ensure that the active players on each team are rotated properly, allowing every person to have at least one turn to answer.To answer, players either have to raise their hand first or (if dry erase boards or chalk boards are involved) write the answer first. Buzzers are also a fun idea to use as answering tools. By the end of the game, once all of the words on the list have been called, whichever team has the most points wins!The thirteen games listed here are only a handful of the language learning games out there. There are plenty of other amazing games you can play that are just as fun and as the ones listed here. Check out FluentU  for even more creative ideas on how to learn a new language by doing fun games and other activities.Good luck with learning a new language!