Archive for the ‘Guest Posts’ Category

Seven Digital Tools to Make Your Students Better Writers by Antonio Tooley gives you the skinny on writing tools your students can use immediately. Creative writing is a process that happens in the human brain, and no technology can replace a good writer. However, the right technology can help you become a better one. It is a shame not to take advantage.

Antonio Tooley

• Antonio is a hopeless optimist who enjoys basking in the world’s brightest colors. He loves biking to distant places and occasionally he gets lost. When not doing that he’s blogging and teaching ESL. He will be happy to meet you on Facebook and Twitter.

Introduction

• The personal computer has not been around that long, and neither has the Internet. Despite their relatively recent entry into society, these two have become so important in daily life that students cannot imagine a world without either. They use both tools to socialize, play games, keep up with the news, keep in touch with friends, and otherwise keep themselves entertained.
  However, very few people actually appreciate the potential of computer technology to serve a more complex purpose than finding out what their favorite celebrity had for breakfast. Digital technology is useful in everything – from organizing tasks to controlling the International Space Station. Using it for solving problems with creative tasks like writing is right up that alley. Students are lucky that information and useful apps are so accessible. It was not always like that. The great thing about digital technology is that most tools that can be of help for the research process are free to use or require just a little cash outlay. These apps are just out there, waiting. Here are seven of these tools to help students become better writers.

1. Trello

• Managing projects just became easier with this simple and intuitive online task manager app. You can use it for creating a to-do list for each of your writing assignments (in separate boards), set deadlines for each task, make an outline, and even organize your references by attaching files. Best of all, you can invite people to help you through each task. All these functions can be done from one free account that syncs on all your devices so you can work on the go. Trello has a pretty neat interface so that all the task “cards” are on the dashboard allowing you to easily move everything around. The free account is fully functional. However, if you want more features, you can choose the paid version for $5 a month.

2. Ideaflip

• Group writing assignments can be hard if you all have busy schedules and nary a common time to come together to discuss your action plan. Ideaflip is a cloud-based tool you can use to collaborate with group members to generate and organize ideas wherever you are, in real time. It uses post-it type notes that you can create, edit, drag and drop anywhere on the idea space. You can upload PDF, image, and CSV files, and even screenshots of websites. You export your collaboration as a slide presentation. All you have to do is simply create an account, invite your group members, and use the free 14-day trial version. The monthly subscription is $19 a month or $199 a year.

3. Edugeeksclub

• If you are on your own – without a clue as to what to do and your friends are of no help – there is no need to panic. You can collaborate with the professional writers and editors of Edugeeksclub at any stage of your writing process. They can give you a crash course on what a polished, well-researched paper or essay looks like. If you just need research or editing help, they can do that, too. Rates vary depending on the work, the level of expertise required, and the urgency. The price range is from $1.99 to $29.99 a page.

4. Ilys

• Ilys may possibly stand for “I love your style” because that is the whole message of this app to all writers. It seems to say, “Just keep writing, and whatever it is it will be wonderful, typos and all.” Well, maybe not wonderful, but the tool does get you writing until you reach your word count goal just to see what it looks like. You will probably edit a lot at first, but once you get used to the weird one-letter-at-a-time interface, you will start making fewer mistakes and need fewer edits. It is a great tool if you are a perpetual “I’ll do it later” type of writer, or if you have writer’s block. The trial version lets you compose up to 3,000 words, after which you pay $10.08 a month to continue using it.

5. Blankpage

• One of the nightmare visions of all writers is staring at a blank page. This tool prevents that horror from becoming a reality because it helps you become productive by letting you write without distractions, and do so whenever and wherever you feel like it. In fact, this web-based app lets you set daily writing goals and nags you until you reach them. The minimalist interface harks back to paper and pen days when all you had to do was put one word after another in succession. You can jot down topics and ideas that you can go back to when you are ready to write it. It will also tell you how long it takes to read out the text, which is a useful feature when you are writing your valedictory speech. The downside is that there is no free trial version of this app. You can try it for $5 a week (plus VAT). If you like it, you can upgrade to the $10 a month or the $100 a year plans (plus VAT).

6. Dailypage

• Most people need a nudge to start writing, and this online app does just that by giving you daily prompts. You can chose to respond or not, but either way, it does give you writing ideas. You can choose to make your response private or public. You can also check out what other users are writing about the same topic. It can help you develop your writing skills day by day, and you can even take one of their paid online writing courses if you want. It is free to use after signing up on the site.

7. Onlinecorrection

• This is a cool free online tool for finding spelling, grammar, and stylistic mistakes. You don’t even have to sign up to use it. Just copy and paste the passage you want to check, or type directly on the window. OnlineCorrection will then go through each gaffe and error with you and give suggestions for correction or improvement. It does not catch all mistakes, but it does catch a lot.

Seven EdTech Tools That Make It Easy to Teach Writing Skills by Lucy Benton offers great tools to advance the writing skills of your students. All you have to do is give them the links that are contained here.

Introduction

• Writing skills are critical for students. They need them not only for English class but across different subject areas because these skills give an opportunity to express ideas clearly and concisely. Whether you have the time to teach writing skills in your class or not, your students should always continue to improve them. As a teacher, you can give an excellent opportunity to take advantage of various online resources for mastering writing. Each of them is unique and targets specific areas of writing to help the user become an expert. Let your students become the experts as well! Let’s see the tools right now!

1. MindMup – for Constructing ideas

• Writing an academic essay without a clear idea of the structure should be avoided. At some point, you will get confused about what to write next and stumble into the wall of different ideas. As the result, it may take additional time and effort to complete the work. Teachers could advise their students to use MindMup to avoid these issues. It is a mind-mapping tool that allows creating an outline for the paper that helps students to stay focused on the topic.

2. Cliché Finder – for originality

• As a teacher, you are always happy when your students submit original essays without all those cliché phrases. Of course, they may sound pretty cool but in many cases, they are used just to reach the word limit plus they undermine originality. To help your students always make original works, you can recommend this tool. It detects cliché phrases, so the user can think of other options to replace them. Also, be sure to advise your students to use it after the first draft of the paper in order to make it simpler to provide corrections.

3. Purdue Online Writing Lab – for academic writing skills

• For everything related to academic writing this is the most comprehensive source of knowledge. Formatting, referencing, style, advice, templates, you name it – everything could be found there. Students from all over the world use this tool for guiding their academic writing effort. Purdue should also be used by your students as well, regardless if they are in a high school or college. This guide has all answers regarding academic writing.

4. Best Essay Tips – for individual writing coaching

• In many cases, it is impossible for a teacher to provide every individual student with attention. This means that a remote help source should be used to play the role of an educator. This tool offers an individualized advice services regarding academic writing. It employs both recent graduates and professors to ensure that the writing advice is relevant and timely.

5. Thesis Generator – for creating thesis statements

• All students should master the art of generating thesis statements that guide the composition of essays and research papers. This tool from Ashford is great for this task because it provides detailed instructions on creating a thesis.Furthermore, it provides examples and explanations of every detail to make sure the user understands everything. By using this tool, your students will become skillful in writing effective theses!

6. Citation Machine – for citations and references

• Citing and referencing could be hard. There are so many rules and formats to follow, it’s easy to forget something. However, even a couple of silly mistakes could influence the grade, so this skill should be mastered. The good news is, it can be automated! When learning APA, MLA, and other formatting styles, recommend this tool to students to improve their skills. As a result, they will properly cite the sources plus learn the importance of citing works of others.

7. Word counter – for writing discipline

• Do some of your students have the tendency to go over word limit when they write essays? If the answer is yes, you will definitely benefit from this tool. It is an online writing environment that shows the number of words as the user writes them. It is super easy to watch the progress and think ahead. Plus, it has some cool stats like speaking time, keyword density, and setting limits.

Lucy Benton

• Lucy is an writing coach, editor who finds her passion in expressing her own thoughts as a blogger, who currently works at Admission service. She is constantly looking for the ways to improve her skills and expertise. If you’re interested in working with Lucy , you can find her on Facebook.

7 Ways to Get More Women into Engineering and Tech by Alyssa Johnson covers many current fields in science and engineering that are increasingly available for women who are willing to pursue the proper education, either informally or independently. Alex is a blogger and freelance writer based in Wilmington, DE. 

Introduction

• With the development of feminism women are now players all the spheres of science and technologies. Schools were rearranged and women in the workplaces doubled. The world was shocked by great minds like a mathematician – Ada Lovelace, electronic engineer – Edith Clarke, computer scientist – Grace Hopper, NASA space program coworker – Evelyn Boyd Granville, and graphic designer – Susan Kare who created Apple Macintosh icon elements. Today women don’t have to fight for human rights. They are widely involved in the tech industry but in terms of administrating, managing, recruiting, monitoring, and other, where did all the female developers go?

Smart is hot

• Today science is everywhere. The EU provides a list of easiest engineering schools to get into and acquire not only high-quality specialized education but also valuable experience and a high level of self-realization. Women in engineering are as desirable as men because technologies are growing incredibly fast today and fresh new brains are only a plus to every perspective tech, IT, or research company. HRs are always fighting for the best heads. They understand that one talented engineer can make a big difference for the company’s development and as a result – income. Smart people are always in demand.

2. Go online

• YouTube is full of tech video(vlogs) like Kurzgeagt and Vsauce, which feature educational videos and experiments, which everyone can use to acquire desirable knowledge. If you need help getting accepted to a university, the guys from Eduzaurus can help. There are plenty of opportunities online. Coursera, CodeAcademy, and other online platforms provide plenty of courses for consulting help or remote education, which can be found on the websites of Barkley, Cambridge, and other world education rock stars.

3. Define what is Tech

• Under the engineering and technology umbrella, there is work connected with IT (instructional technology). Developers, designers, engineers, operations specialists, quality assurance specialists, and others, are professions strongly associated with information technologies. We don’t say software engineer anymore, we use engineer, and this means the one who works for a software development company. Today this is and excellent field to get into. On the other hand, we still have so-called “traditional” engineering, which includes civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical. The latest updates in the academic world include genetic engineering. The female part of humanity has a potential for employment in all these industries along with males.

4) Answer the question “what matches women’s interests?”

• This question is always hard to answer in both professional and personal lives. Today, in spite of science popularization, some women still define themselves as a housekeeper and then change their minds and proceed with education after the age of 30 or 40. Hopefully, most universities allow this privilege. Unfortunately, the percentage of girls aged 14-23 can hardly imagine themselves in building industry, developing high-speed trains with a magnetic cushion or discovering all pros and cons of a single and multi-rail. The answer lies in poor distribution of information.

5. School programs

• Every parent knows modern problems with school education involving pupils in the academic world. The network of secondary education establishments often has a bad interaction with non-formal education programs which teach young people to explore themselves. If formal education were perfect, non-formal wouldn’t have appeared. It is necessary to explain to children how the modern developed world works and encourage their interest.

6. Get rid of prejudices

• Times when families had seven children, huge houses, livestock, and only one mother to handle it all, are far behind. Women today are educated persons who can be both housekeeper and a director of a corporation. We don’t have strict distinctions in the modern professional world. Be it the South or the West, we are the same when it comes to emerging technologies. The more educated people get involved in it, the faster we develop alternative sources of energy, stop wars, prevent poverty, prevent global pollution and make our world a better place.

7. Try and fail and try again

• Many women believe that they won’t obtain the same logical way of thinking as men. This is no more that another prejudice. After acquiring an HNC (Higher National Certificate) women can try one specialization, then another, try different courses and find the one which works the best. No one knows what excitements are waiting in future when you follow your interests, but one thing is already defined – you will never be bored.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Confidence as a Writer by Brenda Berg offers advice for beginning and experienced writers along with several tools that can get you going and ignite your passion for getting your message out. Also, check out Brenda’s blog.

Introduction

• Writing is one of the most peculiar and intriguing careers for an individual to pursue. You could be writing for blogs, websites or maybe you’re thinking of writing your own best-selling novel? Regardless of what platform you’re writing for, the concept and practice remain the same. You spend a lot of time writing for people you’ll never meet and a lot of time online in front of a screen or empty book.
• As with any profession, there’ll be times when you feel like the world is against you. Writer’s block, low self-esteem or lack of confidence in your work are all feelings that come naturally to the job, but it’s worth remembering that these feelings are only temporary. If you’re starting feel like you are in a rut, here are some solid tips to get your head straight and to help get you back on your feet!

Believe In Yourself

• There’s no such thing as an aspiring writer. If you write for your passion or as a career, you are a writer. The only way to move forward is to believe in yourself and push yourself to become a better writer, a published writer or even a critically acclaimed writer. You are what you are, use this knowledge to make the most of your opportunities.

Balance Your Feelings On Feedback

• Yes, as a writer, client feedback is crucial to your success and will be one of the most important features to securing those high profile jobs. However, it’s vital that you remember that every client is different and will have different thoughts and feelings on your work. You may have written an article for a client that thought the work was okay or had a ton of revisions to make but that is just one client.
• There are countless clients out there who are in constant need of content. It’s your job to get out there and find the ones for you. As a word of advice, the vast majority of publications demand to see written and referred sources to verify the authenticity of the written work. A vital tool to help you achieve this professional is the online tool Cite It In. This godsend of a tool allows you to add citations and sources to your work whilst maintaining a professional and formal style.

Balance Your Life

• As mentioned above, writing is a lonely activity. It can be hard to concentrate in busy or public environments which is why writers tend to shut themselves off from the world to work. Although vital, this can cause writers to feel down, isolated and even disconnected from their loved ones.
• To combat these feelings and to put a smile back on your face, balance your lifestyle. Everybody has the same amount of hours in the day to find the time to cook meals you want to eat, find the time to spend with family, friends and loved ones, and find the time to exercise and sleep well. It can be stressful to think how many deadlines you have approaching but the trick is not to worry. Take a deep breath. Things take time and your clients will understand that.

Share Your Work

• This is particularly important if you’re writing content such as a book or novel that may not be published for some time. Confidence in yourself and your abilities can plummet if you don’t receive some kind of feedback and you can begin to doubt yourself and your skills. As the old saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. This means that you don’t have to constantly be working on your project for it to be a success.
• Work on other projects such as a blog or writing articles. Not only will this improve your writing skill and bring variation to your workload, you’ll be able to communicate with other people through your work, initiate conversations and connect with like-minded people that can help to boost your confidence tenfold.
• For example, you can use community resources like State of Writing and Viawriting for writing help and information, and share work and communicate with other writers from around the world. Use this tool to become a part of an exclusive online community that can rebuild your confidence and help you get your head back in the game.

Live For Your Passions

• Many writers began their writing careers because it was their passion to write. The ability to communicate with friends and strangers using your own voice to air your opinions, thoughts, ideas, concepts and ultimately, change the world for the people we have engaged.
• Whatever the reason you began writing, don’t lose heart. Return to the source of your motivation and rediscover that spark you felt in the first steps of your career. It could be a novel, an article, or some sort of content that inspired you to pursue a career in writing. By reigniting that flame, you can experience those feelings once again and regain confidence in your work.
• If you’re finding it difficult to get motivated to write, use an online tool such as Easy Word Count. (Doug: You word processor also probably will do word counts.) This is a great tool to help you make writing a daily part of your life and therefore become a habit. Set yourself a word target and track your efforts using the tool. A good starting point would be to write a 1000 word blog post every day on a subject of your choosing.
• To summarize, every writer will go through these feelings at one stage or another. The best advice I can give is to take a step back, breathe, evaluate your lifestyle and your work and make the decisions that are best for you, empowering you to get back on your feet and carry on the path to your own success!

Brenda Berg

• Brenda is a professional with over 15 years experience in business management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. She is based in Phoenix, AZ, USA. She is a part-time freelance writer, who is encouraged to travel around the world and share gained experience. She is passionate about covering topics on writing, business, and self-development. Check out her blog at Letsgoandlearn.com and follow her on Twitter @BrebdaJBerg.

Six Ways To Improve Your Focus At School by Craig Middleton offers tips for students of all ages for paying better attention in class. Please share with any students you know.

Introduction

• You know how important it is to pay attention in class. Your teacher or professor is likely explaining concepts that you cannot grasp just by reading the textbook. Yet it is easy for your mind to wander during a lecture. You may get distracted by your classmates, or you might start thinking ahead to your extracurricular activities.
• If you have your cell phone or laptop nearby, you might start texting or checking social media instead of listening to your class. To survive grade school and college, you must understand how to focus during boring lessons. Learning this skill will also help you concentrate during work meetings as an adult. Here are some tips to help you pay attention during your classes.

1. Eat Right

• Your brain needs certain nutrients to function. If you are not eating properly, then you will struggle to concentrate no matter what else you do. Your diet should include lots of vegetables, healthy whole grains, lean proteins, and some fruit. Limit your caffeine intake, as too much coffee, can make you jittery. You can further maintain the health of your body and mind with supplements from USANA Singapore

2. Prepare Before Class

• As you sit at your desk and wait for class to start, you should get in the right frame of mind for learning. Read your textbook, look over your homework assignment or review your notes from the prior day. This should get your brain into “learning mode.” Similarly, you should spend a minute or two organizing your desk and ensuring you have everything you need. This way, you will not get distracted looking for a pencil or eraser during the lecture.

3. Participate and Take Notes

• Once the class begins, keep your brain engaged by participating in the discussion. This should prevent your mind from wandering. Specifically, asking questions can help you better understand confusing material. Just listening for concepts that you want to be clarified can force you to pay more attention.
• If you are not comfortable speaking in class, you should at least take detailed notes as the teacher speaks. (Doug: Some research indicates that taking notes with pen and paper is better than taking them on a computer. It also allows you to draw graphic organizers.) This should help you better remember the material and connect personally to what the professor says. You can also use the notes to help you study for tests later. There is no one right way to take notes. Instead, find the technique that works best for you. If you learn best from images, use pictures and diagrams to convey certain topics. If you stick to written notes, use color-coded pens or bullet points to organize the information.

4. Stay in the Present

• As mentioned before, your mind can easily wander during a boring lecture. To pay attention in class, you need to stay focused. If you find yourself daydreaming or stressing about your personal life, manually get those thoughts out of your head. Even thinking about future tests or assignments during class can cause you to miss important information from the teacher. To truly absorb the information, you need to keep your undivided attention on the day’s lesson.

5. Remove Distractions

• It is not just random thoughts that can distract you during class. Physical items, particularly electronic devices, can make you lose your focus. The best way to deal with distractions is to physically remove them from your presence. That means keeping your phone or tablet in your bag until class is over. If a window or a chatty classmate is distracting you, try sitting in a different seat. (Doug: I also recommend sitting in front. This way students in front of you can’t distract.)

6. Get Enough Sleep

• It is almost impossible to focus if your brain does not get enough rest. Most people ages 12 and older should get eight to nine hours of sleep per night. Figure out what your ideal sleep schedule is, and stick to it. Avoid getting too much sleep, as this could also make you feel overtired during the day. If you do not focus properly at school, you could end up failing your classes. The above tips should help you concentrate during lectures so you can achieve your academic goals.

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

Smart Tips for Using Student Loans to Pay for College by Craig Middleton offers the kind of advice that anyone seeking financial assistance for higher education needs to follow. While you need to spend a great of effort selecting a college and a major, don’t cut corners when it comes to researching your student loan options. Thanks, Craig.

Intoduction

• Taking out loans is a common part of going to college. Many students are unable to meet the rising costs of higher education without this additional assistance. Before you apply for a loan, there are some things you should know. Educate yourself on your options so you can make an informed decision that is right for you and your future.

Choose Your School and Major Carefully

• If you are going to take out student loans to pay for your education, you should be fairly certain that the risk of taking on the debt will be worthwhile. Not all colleges and career paths have equal opportunities. Before you obtain a loan that you will need to repay, you should do some research.
• Find out what the placement rate is from the degree program you are considering. Are there plenty of jobs available? Does your school offer job placement assistance, help with securing internships, or other resources to make finding a good job more likely?
• Also, take a look at the growth rate of the career you wish to train for. Are new jobs being created in this field? Is the career in high demand? Or is the market oversaturated and finding employment will be tough due to high levels of competition? 
• It’s best to find out the answers to these questions before you begin your studies. If you don’t like the answers that you find, you can adjust your plans and choose a different path before you invest time and money in a career that may not be as marketable as you think.

Calculate How Much You Need

• Some lenders allow you to borrow more than the amount of tuition that you need. They consider expenses such as housing, meals, books, and supplies to be education-related and eligible for a loan. You can take advantage of this if you genuinely need the funds, but you should only ever borrow the amount of money that you need. 
• Did you receive any grants or have some money saved for college? Use that first and deduct the amount from the loan you will need to apply for. Can you find an apartment with several roommates to lower your housing and meal costs? Find other ways like these to reduce the money you borrow. You will end up saving on interest and can lower the expected monthly payment obligation. 

Determine Which Loan Type Is Best for You

• There are many different types of loans available. Spend some time reading about them so you can choose the best option. You may qualify for federal loans backed by the government, or you could need to take out private loans. There are also options for parents to borrow the money, or you can take on the debt yourself as a student. Compare your choices and make the selection that works for you.

Know Your Repayment Terms

• Before you sign a loan agreement, make sure you understand what the repayment terms are. These will differ for each lender. Find out when repayment will begin after graduation. Do you have a grace period or are you required to start payments immediately? Does your career offer any options for loan forgiveness?
• You should also have an idea of what the interest rate will be and what repayment plans are available. It can be tough to predict what your income situation will be like, especially when you first enter into employment. A loan that has a variety of repayment plans could be the best choice. Ask your lender if it is possible to change your terms depending on your financial situation. Some servicers will allow you to extend the length of your loan, or even calculate your monthly payment based upon your income.
• When you go about it in the correct way, student loans can be a huge help. They give you the opportunity to pursue the life that you desire by being able to afford the training you need to secure the job of your dreams.

Craig Middleton

• Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.