Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2015
More Interactives
You can browse a list of more than 300 educational interactives right here. Sort by grade level and/or subject to find the one that's just right for what you're looking to learn today.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is an amazing search engine that serves as an advanced calculator, online dictionary, and virtual database of people, events, statistics, countries, nutritional information, weather, maps, science, art, technology, and more. To see examples of what you can look up with Wolfram Alpha, click here. Follow this link to go straight to the search engine itself.
The search engine is free, but if you'd like to take it on the go with you, you can download the Wolfram Alpha app for your tablet or smart phone for a small fee.
The search engine is free, but if you'd like to take it on the go with you, you can download the Wolfram Alpha app for your tablet or smart phone for a small fee.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Why it's Vital to Supplement School with Home Learning
In today's increasingly global, intensely competitive, and dizzyingly fast-paced society, it is vital to supplement what you learn at school with home learning. First of all, let's define what I mean by 'home learning.' I don't mean homework, and I don't mean studying for school-related tests or quizzes. Nor do I mean sitting down and reading your entire biology book in one session. (Seriously, don't do this. You will wake up in terrible pain several hours later regretting every life choice you ever made. I speak from experience. Possibly; it could have been a dream for all I know.)
What I do mean by home learning is going to the library and finding a novel that captivates your attention. I mean tuning into the science channel for a little while. I mean going online to watch educational videos that inspire you. I mean sitting down and writing a poem about what's outside your window, or writing a short story about what your cat does when you're not looking (spoiler: he licks everything you own), or writing a series of novels about alien dinosaurs that may or may not be planets.
Find a topic that interests you and learn everything you can find about it. Admittedly, that's probably an impossible goal in this day and age. If you try to learn everything you can find about volcanoes, say, you'll have to sort through fifty million webpages, videos, articles, pictures, ads, etc, etc. When I was a child, all I had to do was take out five books from the library and watch a 45-minute documentary and presto, I had explored every possible avenue of volcano-related knowledge that existed in my small corner of the world. Perhaps a better bit of advice would be to explore the topic of your desire until your curiosity is throughly satisfied.
Find something you're passionate about. If you like art, take a virtual museum tour. Do some research about galleries that offer free or reduced-price or optional admission, and politely request that your caregiver organize a day trip in the near future. If you want to try your hand at art, see if you can borrow some art supplies from your school or local library. If not, you may just have to settle for sketching with a pencil or pen and drawing online until you can save up enough to explore some other mediums like pastel, watercolor, or sculpture. See if you can apprentice with a local artist or if you can negotiate a work-for-knowledge sort of employment.
You might want to explore film-making or photography. Even if you start with the camera in your phone, you can still play with light and shadow, theme, mood, tone, composition, and subject. Experiment. Mix it up. With your parent's permission, you might even be able to start a Youtube channel. Enlist the help of your friends to interview elders in your community. Gather stories from the people around you, or find an beautiful little place of isolation where you can record the swaying of trees or the blossoming of flowers or the ebb and flow of the urban environment.
Volunteer. Find out if there are any local animal shelters or hospitals nearby that accept volunteers. If you love working with animals or helping other people, this might be a great way to gain experience, give back to your community, and start building your resume or CV.
Spend a day at the library with the goal of exploring something completely new. Go to the geography section and find a book about a country you've never heard of. Wander over to the history section and pick out a few books about time periods you know little about. Make your way over to the science isle and find materials about a theory you've never even knew existed. Either do it the old-fashioned way and leave your electronics at home, or bring along a tablet or laptop for additional research. (Just make sure it's silenced beforehand, or you might find yourself on the receiving end of a very disapproving SHHH!)
If you're interested in computers, electronics, engineering, or robotics, see if you can find a really old desktop computer from the '90s. You might have to look around your neighborhood on trash day or ask around to see if anyone is looking to get rid of a broken computer, or you might have to settle for buying one. A general rule of the thumb is the older, dingier, dustier, and more broken it is, the cheaper it'll be. Your goal here is to take apart the computer, so don't spend more than 10 or 15 dollars. If you can find a tower as well, great. (For those of you too young to remember what a tower is, it's a big, loud, noisy black box that used to run our computers and stub our toes back in the days before laptops.) I took one of those bad boys apart a few years back, and it was pretty awesome. I am, however, contractually obligated to inform you that you will find fifteen years of dust, pet hair, and other assorted debris, so consider yourself warned.
If you're interested in coding, that's another story entirely. I'm planning a post about online resources for students just like you, so keep checking back over the next week.
You might be interested in geography as well. Try starting a rock collection, and learning about the origin of each rock, how it was formed, approximately how old it may be, and how professional geologists would classify it.
If you love nature and find yourself inspired by trees and flowering plants, there's a couple of things you can do to foster that interest. Ask your caregiver if you can start a small garden in your yard, or, if you don't have a yard, ask if you can dedicate a windowsill or corner of your room to a small garden. You might want to try growing herbs, flowers, succulents, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or even bushes and small trees. You might even want to start a butterfly garden or a compost pile. (Please remember that unless you're living on a piece of property that you yourself own, you will either need to ask your landlord and/or caregiver for permission.) You can also join Arbor Day foundation and get ten trees delivered to your house when you purchase a year-long ten dollar membership. You'll be helping the environment, beautifying your community, purifying your air, and providing a place for local birds to nest. And I will stress again that you must ask your caregiver to borrow their credit card before purchasing a membership, unless you are an adult or are old enough to have a high school checking account with a debit card.
If you're interested in writing, you might want to start a blog, or contribute to an existing forum for young writers. If your school has a journalism group or newspaper, enquire about joining.
I'm sure that there are other interests I've missed. If you'd like a personalized recommendation for home learning ideas for your personal interest or hobby, leave a comment and myself or my co-partner will be more than happy to help you.
My point here is that you should find something you love. Find something that excites you, something that inspires you, something that matters to you, something that speaks to your heart and your mind and your very being.
This isn't just important because it'll boost your grades. (Though, it is likely to help you perform better in school. That's just a bonus.) It's important because you are young and full of excitement and curiosity. Right now, you have so much potential. Make the most of it by exploring the world around you and learning as much as you can. If you're doing what you love, it won't feel like 'work' or 'learning,' but it'll still prepare you for your future years of schooling and for your future career. If you find that thing that inspires your mind to soar to new heights, you can start thinking of the kind of job you'll want when you grow up. If you love nature, you might become a botanist. If you can't go a day without animals, consider researching a veterinary career. If you're a computer whizz, think about becoming an engineer or a coder.
The best part of finding what speaks to you is that you'll start to see the world in an entirely new light. The more you know, the more connections you can make. The more you bring into the classroom with you, the more knowledge you'll leave with. Please don't think of learning as a chore. Learning... Learning is a box holding a key to a whole new world. So get out there. Learn something, even if it's one little thing every day, and watch as the world opens itself to you. It won't happen overnight, and it might not happen for years. But if you make a habit of learning, and if you learn to love learning, one day you will look down and find that key in your hand. See where it takes you. You might be surprised to discover where it leads, but I promise you this: you will not be disappointed.
What I do mean by home learning is going to the library and finding a novel that captivates your attention. I mean tuning into the science channel for a little while. I mean going online to watch educational videos that inspire you. I mean sitting down and writing a poem about what's outside your window, or writing a short story about what your cat does when you're not looking (spoiler: he licks everything you own), or writing a series of novels about alien dinosaurs that may or may not be planets.
Find a topic that interests you and learn everything you can find about it. Admittedly, that's probably an impossible goal in this day and age. If you try to learn everything you can find about volcanoes, say, you'll have to sort through fifty million webpages, videos, articles, pictures, ads, etc, etc. When I was a child, all I had to do was take out five books from the library and watch a 45-minute documentary and presto, I had explored every possible avenue of volcano-related knowledge that existed in my small corner of the world. Perhaps a better bit of advice would be to explore the topic of your desire until your curiosity is throughly satisfied.
Find something you're passionate about. If you like art, take a virtual museum tour. Do some research about galleries that offer free or reduced-price or optional admission, and politely request that your caregiver organize a day trip in the near future. If you want to try your hand at art, see if you can borrow some art supplies from your school or local library. If not, you may just have to settle for sketching with a pencil or pen and drawing online until you can save up enough to explore some other mediums like pastel, watercolor, or sculpture. See if you can apprentice with a local artist or if you can negotiate a work-for-knowledge sort of employment.
You might want to explore film-making or photography. Even if you start with the camera in your phone, you can still play with light and shadow, theme, mood, tone, composition, and subject. Experiment. Mix it up. With your parent's permission, you might even be able to start a Youtube channel. Enlist the help of your friends to interview elders in your community. Gather stories from the people around you, or find an beautiful little place of isolation where you can record the swaying of trees or the blossoming of flowers or the ebb and flow of the urban environment.
Volunteer. Find out if there are any local animal shelters or hospitals nearby that accept volunteers. If you love working with animals or helping other people, this might be a great way to gain experience, give back to your community, and start building your resume or CV.
Spend a day at the library with the goal of exploring something completely new. Go to the geography section and find a book about a country you've never heard of. Wander over to the history section and pick out a few books about time periods you know little about. Make your way over to the science isle and find materials about a theory you've never even knew existed. Either do it the old-fashioned way and leave your electronics at home, or bring along a tablet or laptop for additional research. (Just make sure it's silenced beforehand, or you might find yourself on the receiving end of a very disapproving SHHH!)
If you're interested in computers, electronics, engineering, or robotics, see if you can find a really old desktop computer from the '90s. You might have to look around your neighborhood on trash day or ask around to see if anyone is looking to get rid of a broken computer, or you might have to settle for buying one. A general rule of the thumb is the older, dingier, dustier, and more broken it is, the cheaper it'll be. Your goal here is to take apart the computer, so don't spend more than 10 or 15 dollars. If you can find a tower as well, great. (For those of you too young to remember what a tower is, it's a big, loud, noisy black box that used to run our computers and stub our toes back in the days before laptops.) I took one of those bad boys apart a few years back, and it was pretty awesome. I am, however, contractually obligated to inform you that you will find fifteen years of dust, pet hair, and other assorted debris, so consider yourself warned.
If you're interested in coding, that's another story entirely. I'm planning a post about online resources for students just like you, so keep checking back over the next week.
You might be interested in geography as well. Try starting a rock collection, and learning about the origin of each rock, how it was formed, approximately how old it may be, and how professional geologists would classify it.
If you love nature and find yourself inspired by trees and flowering plants, there's a couple of things you can do to foster that interest. Ask your caregiver if you can start a small garden in your yard, or, if you don't have a yard, ask if you can dedicate a windowsill or corner of your room to a small garden. You might want to try growing herbs, flowers, succulents, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or even bushes and small trees. You might even want to start a butterfly garden or a compost pile. (Please remember that unless you're living on a piece of property that you yourself own, you will either need to ask your landlord and/or caregiver for permission.) You can also join Arbor Day foundation and get ten trees delivered to your house when you purchase a year-long ten dollar membership. You'll be helping the environment, beautifying your community, purifying your air, and providing a place for local birds to nest. And I will stress again that you must ask your caregiver to borrow their credit card before purchasing a membership, unless you are an adult or are old enough to have a high school checking account with a debit card.
If you're interested in writing, you might want to start a blog, or contribute to an existing forum for young writers. If your school has a journalism group or newspaper, enquire about joining.
I'm sure that there are other interests I've missed. If you'd like a personalized recommendation for home learning ideas for your personal interest or hobby, leave a comment and myself or my co-partner will be more than happy to help you.
My point here is that you should find something you love. Find something that excites you, something that inspires you, something that matters to you, something that speaks to your heart and your mind and your very being.
This isn't just important because it'll boost your grades. (Though, it is likely to help you perform better in school. That's just a bonus.) It's important because you are young and full of excitement and curiosity. Right now, you have so much potential. Make the most of it by exploring the world around you and learning as much as you can. If you're doing what you love, it won't feel like 'work' or 'learning,' but it'll still prepare you for your future years of schooling and for your future career. If you find that thing that inspires your mind to soar to new heights, you can start thinking of the kind of job you'll want when you grow up. If you love nature, you might become a botanist. If you can't go a day without animals, consider researching a veterinary career. If you're a computer whizz, think about becoming an engineer or a coder.
The best part of finding what speaks to you is that you'll start to see the world in an entirely new light. The more you know, the more connections you can make. The more you bring into the classroom with you, the more knowledge you'll leave with. Please don't think of learning as a chore. Learning... Learning is a box holding a key to a whole new world. So get out there. Learn something, even if it's one little thing every day, and watch as the world opens itself to you. It won't happen overnight, and it might not happen for years. But if you make a habit of learning, and if you learn to love learning, one day you will look down and find that key in your hand. See where it takes you. You might be surprised to discover where it leads, but I promise you this: you will not be disappointed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Khan Academy
A while back, one of our readers suggested that we add Khan Academy to our list of resources.
Khan Academy offers an amazing variety of learning resources. Students can brush up on their math or science skills, learn about economics and finance, dive into the world of computer programing, prep for the Big Test, or access partner content offered by world-renowned museums.
Khan Academy is an awesome resource for learners of all ages. Kindergartners through college students can benefit from using Khan Academy, as can their caregivers and teachers. Adult learners can enjoy these resources as well. Whether you're 5 or 125, Khan Academy will help you learn something new.
Khan Academy offers an amazing variety of learning resources. Students can brush up on their math or science skills, learn about economics and finance, dive into the world of computer programing, prep for the Big Test, or access partner content offered by world-renowned museums.
Khan Academy is an awesome resource for learners of all ages. Kindergartners through college students can benefit from using Khan Academy, as can their caregivers and teachers. Adult learners can enjoy these resources as well. Whether you're 5 or 125, Khan Academy will help you learn something new.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
University of Minnesota Digital Archive
The University of Minnesota offers an amazing free resource that allows anyone with an Internet connection to browse their extensive collection of digital materials. Students can learn about anything from horticulture to the history of computers. Art students can browse a beautiful collection of landscape paintings, drawings, and sketches done by Minnesota artist Francis Lee Jaques. An extensive collection of maps lets students find the perfect compliment to any history paper. Students can also browse a Children's Library, a collection of African American literature, an immigration archive, and a variety of Native American related documents.
The site is here: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/node/88821
Remember, if you use any of the resources on this site, be sure to cite them accordingly! (The same goes if you use any other resource on this blog, or on the Internet in general, in the course of gathering information for your research paper.)
The site is here: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/node/88821
Remember, if you use any of the resources on this site, be sure to cite them accordingly! (The same goes if you use any other resource on this blog, or on the Internet in general, in the course of gathering information for your research paper.)
Friday, January 16, 2015
iTunes U
In their own words, "iTunes U is the best way to create and experience courses on iPad. The iTunes U app gives you access to complete courses from leading universities and other schools — plus the world’s largest digital catalog of free education content — right on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Whether you’re majoring in molecular biology at a university, taking Spanish in high school, or just interested in European history, you now have a valuable tool to help you learn anytime, anywhere."
Check it out here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itunes-u/id490217893?mt=8
Check it out here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itunes-u/id490217893?mt=8
Free Books
Many sites provide free digital books. A few are listed below.
Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/
Penn State Electric Classics: http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/jimspdf.htm
The Online Books Page: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
You can also try searching the Amazon Kindle Store for free books. Amazon has thousands of free digital books, and you don't need a Kindle to access them, either. All you need is some kind of electronic device (a computer, tablet, or smart phone) and the free-to-download Kindle app.
If you're looking for a specific book, you might want to try a quick Google search using the keywords 'Title pdf' or 'read Title online free.' Use your judgement when doing so, however, because searches like these can direct you to virus-laden downloads if you click on a suspicious site.
Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/
Penn State Electric Classics: http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/jimspdf.htm
The Online Books Page: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
You can also try searching the Amazon Kindle Store for free books. Amazon has thousands of free digital books, and you don't need a Kindle to access them, either. All you need is some kind of electronic device (a computer, tablet, or smart phone) and the free-to-download Kindle app.
If you're looking for a specific book, you might want to try a quick Google search using the keywords 'Title pdf' or 'read Title online free.' Use your judgement when doing so, however, because searches like these can direct you to virus-laden downloads if you click on a suspicious site.
Open Learning Resources
The following resources are primarily for high schoolers or adult learners.
Open learning resources and open courseware are wonderful tools that enable curious minds to explore any topic of their choosing for absolutely no cost.
The Open University is a great resource that provides short and compact yet informative excerpts from actual university courses. Check it out here: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses
edX is a similar such resource. However, edX generally offers full-length courses that follow a similar pacing and format as paid online courses. Students work with a volunteer professor to learn, complete coursework, and discuss relevant topics. Check it out here: https://www.edx.org/
Open Yale Courses: http://oyc.yale.edu/
Coursera offers a variety of classes from many of the world's top universities: https://www.coursera.org/
Open Course Library: http://opencourselibrary.org/course/
Open learning resources and open courseware are wonderful tools that enable curious minds to explore any topic of their choosing for absolutely no cost.
The Open University is a great resource that provides short and compact yet informative excerpts from actual university courses. Check it out here: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses
edX is a similar such resource. However, edX generally offers full-length courses that follow a similar pacing and format as paid online courses. Students work with a volunteer professor to learn, complete coursework, and discuss relevant topics. Check it out here: https://www.edx.org/
Open Yale Courses: http://oyc.yale.edu/
Coursera offers a variety of classes from many of the world's top universities: https://www.coursera.org/
Open Course Library: http://opencourselibrary.org/course/
Friday, March 28, 2014
Oh the Places You'll Go - Focusing on College
High school students should start looking at their choices for college as early as possible. Students should attend college webcasts and schedule college tours with local colleges to get a general sense of what college life and the college application process is like in their freshman year. Freshman year should also be spent preparing for the SAT and ACT tests, taking courses that will look fantastic on a college transcript, and engaging in extracurricular activities that will enhance college applications.
Sophomore year should be spent researching different colleges, continuing to take all the steps mentioned for freshmen, and starting to decide on a college. Don't worry; this will not be your final decision! People change a lot between 10th and 12th grade, and you might change your mind, but having an idea of what college you want to go to early in the game will make things easier for you when everyone else is panicking about what college they want to go to. Sophomore year is also when you take your PSAT's for the first time, which is a good indicator of what you will get on your actual SATs and which will allow you to pinpoint what topics you need to focus on when studying.
Junior year is when the college search gets serious, and also when you'll be taking your SATs. In junior year, you should make a list of the colleges you're thinking about, and research each one carefully. Consider the following things:
Sophomore year should be spent researching different colleges, continuing to take all the steps mentioned for freshmen, and starting to decide on a college. Don't worry; this will not be your final decision! People change a lot between 10th and 12th grade, and you might change your mind, but having an idea of what college you want to go to early in the game will make things easier for you when everyone else is panicking about what college they want to go to. Sophomore year is also when you take your PSAT's for the first time, which is a good indicator of what you will get on your actual SATs and which will allow you to pinpoint what topics you need to focus on when studying.
Junior year is when the college search gets serious, and also when you'll be taking your SATs. In junior year, you should make a list of the colleges you're thinking about, and research each one carefully. Consider the following things:
- Cost. How much can you afford to spend on college? Are you expecting to get a scholarship based on need or based on your awesome grades? Are you expecting financial aid from FASFA or another organization? How much are you expecting your parents or guardian to contribute to your tuition? Do you have a job, or money saved up for college?
- Distance. Do you want to go away for college, or stay close to home? Are you considering going abroad for college? Remember that tuition for out-of-state students is a lot higher than tuition for in-state students.
- School community and atmosphere. If possible, talk to a current student or look up reviews online. Research things to do in your college town. See if it is a place you'd be willing and eager to spend the next four years.
- Academics. How strong is the college's academic program? How strong is the program you're looking to go into in a particular school? Even if a school is great overall, if you want to go into economics and the school's economics program is weak, you may want to reconsider.
- Majors offered. You don't have to decide what you want to do with your life at the age of sixteen or seventeen, but it may be a good idea to start thinking of what career you want to go into when you graduate. A major will prepare you for that career, so if a college doesn't offer the major you're looking for, you'll definitely want to reconsider.
- Future prospects. What percent of people graduate from the college you're looking at? How many of them have job offers in the first few months after graduating? These are all things to consider when looking at potential colleges.
Senior year is when you start applying to college. I would personally recommend applying early decision or early action. Ask you college counselor more about these terms. Generally, you will get a decision earlier and have a better chance of getting into your chosen college, both of which are clear benefits. Waiting for a decision can be stressful, so the earlier you get one, the better. Even if you don't apply early action, apply as early as possible. Don't wait until the night before the deadline, and don't end up like me. I spent my entire Christmas break, Christmas Eve included, finishing my applications. Trust me, it wasn't fun.
When you've applied to all of your colleges, all that is left is to wait for a decision, something that is a lot harder than it seems, as I've been finding out as of late. While you are waiting, focus on your school work and don't fall into the trap of senioritis - something that is, as I've been told, is a real disease, though not one I am suffering from.
When your decision finally comes, you'll have a lot of tough choices to make. Where will you go? Hopefully, you've been accepted into more than one college. Look back on your notes from junior year when you did all that research about potential colleges. Hopefully you'll have looked at each college carefully and ordered your list. Maybe you've even fallen in love with one particular college, as I did. My advice to you is to visit every potential college, especially if they are close to home or in your home state. College visits aren't an option for me, as I applied to schools out of the country and across the my home nation, which is rather large, but they might be an option for you.
And afterwards, when you've made your choice, you are off to start a brand new life! Congratulations!
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