The Importance of Language Exchange When Learning English

The Importance of Language Exchange When Learning EnglishWhen learning a new language, the best way to understand it is to try and practice everyday. In fact, some would say that trying to learn a new language is not only good for your language skills but also for your mind. A word of caution though: you must be cautious enough when you first try to learn a new language, so that you do not confuse yourself too much or waste too much time.The great thing about speaking English and learning English is that it allows for the possibility of trying out various different phrases and words in different situations, not just in the classroom. What's more, when you find it hard to express yourself, you can actually go out on the street, try out new words and phrases, and make up your own sentences. However, to keep things exciting and interesting, let's use different types of language exchange to really test how well you understand the language.If you're not that much adventurous, you can simp ly use the English version of the dictionary. If you have never used a dictionary in your life, you will probably find it hard to understand the English language as well as the grammar, however the practice alone will make you feel more comfortable with learning English. To show the fact that you've learned your words and grammar correctly, you should compare it to the translations of the English words in your native language.The English phrase 'Today I feel' could be a bit difficult to explain to someone who speaks English very well. It can be a lot easier to just hear it than to actually try and pronounce it. All you need to do is try to let out some words like 'Shit'Pizza' and see if it makes you feel the same way that it did for the English speakers.There are a lot of different ways to practice English, however the best way to begin is to simply hear what an English speaker says and then repeat it back in your own language. This can be difficult for beginners, as they might want to say it correctly, but it is actually quite easy. If you do this on a daily basis, you'll start to get more comfortable in the language and will be able to talk more confidently about different subjects.If you don't have a dictionary handy to teach you the English words, the next best thing is to put it to use by just memorizing the English words and phrases that you're being asked to say. However, this should only be done in situations where you don't want the other person to notice your pronunciation.Remember, learning English is always fun, even if you start off trying to memorize English vocabulary. With proper exposure to it, you'll start to get more fluent in the language without even knowing it. Take advantage of all the opportunities this great language has to offer by just practicing and listening to other people.

Why Students Need To Hire Online Biology Tutor For Final Exams

Why Students Need To Hire Online Biology Tutor For Final Exams Biology is a very interesting, broad and important subject, encloses a variety of sub-disciplines. It is a main stream of science with precise information about life forms, the varieties of living organisms and wonderful sketches. Students find this subject more difficult as it takes a lot of time to understand, learn and keep in mind. So, college students first need to clear their concepts enhance knowledge by hiring an expert online biology tutor from an accredited online tutoring service provider. The one-to-one interaction with online tutor helps you in homework and assignments. Certain topics of subject biology are lengthy as well as need complicated extensive research. To overcome the subject difficulties of college students, several online tutoring sites nowadays are offering excellent biology tutoring services. It is becoming more popular across the globe among the college students. The 24/7 availability of well-qualified highly experienced online tutor makes online tutoring very comfortable and useful in each manner for students. They help college students in subject areas that many of them find to be more difficult to get better score in final exams. The main motto of Chicago Biology Tutors is to improve the basic knowledge or concept with innovative teaching styles techniques. Let’s Explore Advantages of Seeking Online Biology Homework Help College students have now started to understand the advantages of seeking online Biology homework help. Online tutors are always ready to assist their students in the completion of projects, assignments, worksheets as well as in test preparation. Indeed, they use new techniques, proven methods and arrange innovative online programs to solve their problems effectively. Let’s have a look at some benefits: Learn Afresh For Exams With Online Tutors After A Great Spell Of Holidays Well-qualified Tutors Biology is a very extensive subject and can’t be covered by a single teacher. Thus, there are several trustworthy and accredited tutoring websites recruit certified expert teachers, who help students on different topics, including Human anatomy and progression, Environmental biology and bio diversity, Natural selection and physiology, Plant and animal kingdom and separation, Organic compounds and all other minor topics of biology. All tutors are well-versed in the different topics of respective subject to provide appropriate solutions. Use of Innovative Techniques One of the biggest advantages of online biology tutor is the utilization of innovative techniques teaching styles to present a hard topic of subject in easy way in front of the students. They first analyze the homework or assignment problems thoroughly and present detailed solutions in an interesting manner. As well as, they focus on clarity of basic fundamentals and concepts. During a session, tutors create a comprehensive comfortable learning environment and offer effective tips and new ideas for better understanding as well as motivation. Read More - Learn Biology From Online Tutors At Tutorpace For Final Exams 24/7 Accessibility Personalized Instructing By hiring an online tutor, college students can get 24/7 availability of experts for biology assignment help, which is affordable, reliable unique. Indeed, the cloud based technological assistance gives an excellent approach to get solutions for their homework within a few minutes. Due to one-to-one approach, online biology tutor give individual attention to each student. Online tutoring is great fun with instant solutions for homework assignments and test prep. We are mobile friendly with easy access to tabs, I pads, laptops and desktops. 24/7 availability with flexible timings at affordable rates is what we offer to every needy student. Grab the opportunity and get the most from us. All aforementioned advantages urge you to get the assistance of expert online biology tutor for the preparation of final exams. They will help in improving learning skills and grades.

Asking questions and listening - The key for introverts to become influential - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Asking questions and listening - The key for introverts to become influential - Introvert Whisperer Asking questions and listening The key for introverts to become influential You would be surprised with the amount of great leaders that are actually introverts. You don’t need to be the loudest to influence people. Take Gandhi, Einstein, Bill Gates or even Richard Branson. (Check out his story about overcoming his introversion here.) The best way to become influential as an introvert is to leverage your communication skills. You don’t have to put an extrovert mask and talk over people to make their point in order to become a great leader. But focusing on listening to people will give you a great advantage over extroverts and become emotionally intelligent. Extroverts are often outgoing, socially confident and like get their message across. But they can also lack listening skills and empathy. Introverts, on the other hand, are great listeners. Instead, asking the right questions and listen carefully to their answer will help you connect better with clients, co-workers and even total strangers. Questions that you pose will give you valuable information to facilitate discussions and the strategic outcome of your conversation. If you ask the right questions, people will open up to you. If people open up to you, you will build rapport and earn their trust. Once you earn their trust, you will be able to influence people and get their buy-in easily and effortlessly. Invite people to chat in your ideal environment. It’s important to feel comfortable when you are presenting to people. And if you feel uncomfortable in your setting, change the environment to one that you prefer. This might see you request a one on one meeting or to do a virtual chat over the telephone or computer. Whatever the setting is, make sure it is one that you are happy with. Let strategic signs do the communicating for you. An introvert friend of mine had a store in a conference and couldn’t put himself to engage with a stranger. As an alternative, he invested in a sign that would attract people to his business. The sign simply said, “Do you need to feed your hunger?”He didn’t have to actively engage with strangers, but instead invited them to approach him with clever use of his signage. This can be done with the use of signwriting, lightboxes or even neon signs. Even though this was done in a business setting, the same concept can be applied when being a vendor at a conference or attending a trade show. Let go of any expectations. Don’t get hung up on the expectation that you feel that others should have of you. Instead, focus on delivering what you want to say with boldness and confidence. Leadership is not about being vocal. Leadership is about decisively being vocal when you have weighed pros and cons. When comes a time when you have to speak up but don’t feel like it. That doesn’t mean that you have to become more extrovert. It only means that from time to time, you must come out from your comfort zone when you have been applying the previous advice. There are some times when asking questions and listening is not enough and you have to voice your opinions. In this case, let go of fear and voice your opinions. Susan J. Jeffers says in her book “Feel the fear and do it anyway”; that you can handle anything that comes your way. Your coworker interrupted you while you were making a point, don’t dwell on it. Take the habit that when you need to make a point, do it! You will see that it will get easier and easier over time. Introverts don’t have to be outshone by extroverts. There are different ways to become influential and to share the same spotlight and recognition that extroverts work towards as well. Remember, it is about creating an opportunity for dialogue and making an impact. And it doesn’t just happen by being the loudest one in the room. Author bio. Mark Bourke is the Managing Director of Concept Displays, a signage company based in Melbourne Australia. When he isn’t working, you can find him enjoying life by the beach, park or near a BBQ. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Improve Your Acrylic Painting with These Tutorials and Resources

Improve Your Acrylic Painting with These Tutorials and Resources Improve Your Acrylic Painting with These Tutorials and Resources ChaptersMaster the BasicsStep Up Your Acrylic Painting GameWherever you’re currently at with your acrylic painting, there’s always room for improvement. If you’re looking to brush up on your technique, and take your painting to the next level, then you’re in luck.We’ve gathered some of the best acrylic painting tutorials and resources out there, to give you the best chance of success in your painting endeavours, whether you’re just starting out, or proficient in the craft.Before we get stuck into the resources that will prove invaluable in your quest to become more adept with acrylics in your work, we’re going to briefly go over the basics to get you up to speed. FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tut ors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsMaster the Basics What’s painting if not a little messy at first?Like with any skill or hobby, with acrylic painting you’ll need a solid grasp of the basics in order to reach any level of proficiency. To learn the basics you might find luck in a variety of sources, ranging from beginner video tutorials online, to lengthy written guides, or a good old-fashioned instruction book to take you through the paces.We all have our own unique learning styles, so the efficiency with which we can pick up a new skill or hobby can often depend on the type of resources we consume. Some thrive off consuming multimedia sources like videos and audio, while others prefer understanding the material cognitively through text and written guides.With that being said, let’s dive into some of the different approaches to picking up the basics in acrylic painting.Multimedia SourcesOne of the most popular ways to acquire new skills in this modern age of technology is through multimedia sources such as the huge video sharing platform YouTube, or online course websites like Udemy, or Skillshare.Being able to see a skill demonstrated visually through the form of video is hugely helpful when it comes to replicating it yourself. For some people, myself included, written instructions are far more difficult to act upon than an instructive video.Will Kemp Art School Free VideosOne such source for acrylic painting tutorials is the Will Kemp Art School. Established by award-winning, English-born artist Will Kemp, the art school has plenty of videos to get you started out in acrylic painting, and help you get the basics down from the get-go.The astounding library of free video tutorials covers everything from still life painting to landscape painting, so whatever it is you enjoy painting, you’ll find a class for you.Udemy: Acrylic Painting for Beginners CourseAnother way you can dip your toes into the world of acrylics, is by investing some money in a prestigious online course like this one on Udemy.Although s ome of the courses on Udemy can seem pricey, there are frequent discounts and sales throughout the year, and you are getting great value for your money. In addition to an extensive video library, you’ll also have an established art teacher talk you through the basic supplies you’ll need to get started, various techniques, and the many applications of acrylic paint.This more thorough approach will see you making great strides in no time, provided you put the work in. This is definitely one of the best ways to get a head start in acrylic painting should you wish to become proficient in the field within a relatively short period of time.Written GuidesIf your preferred method of learning is through written word, then you’ll likely be best served seeking out a through online guide which can talk you through the basics of acrylic painting so you can wrap your head around the core concepts.Will Kemp Art School Written GuideProving to be a great resource for all styles of learning, th e Will Kemp Art School is home to a fantastic written guide in PDF format.This 50 page guide will lay out the fundamentals of acrylic painting in a clear and concise manner; perfect for those who want to sit down and get a clear idea of what’s involved in the craft before getting started.Covering basic supplies, core painting principles, and some of the best paid painting courses out there, this guide should have plenty of content to get you off the ground.Jackson’s Art Acrylic Paint GuideA lengthy online article, the acrylic paint guide from Jackson’s Art (a large fine art supplier based in the UK) provides plenty of value to the reader and the beginner acrylic painter.Nicely laid out, the article details the history of acrylic painting, the science behind why they dry so quickly, as well as some of the techniques you can use.This guide can serve as a nice introduction into acrylics, and give you a great starting point, or helpful refresher.Illustrated Books You just can’t beat a coffee and a good book.Lastly, there are those of us who like nothing more than to sit down with a nice hardback book and a cup of coffee before diving into a new hobby.Learn to Paint in Acrylics with 50 Small PaintingsAvailable for purchase on Amazon, this well-rated acrylic painting book for beginners is a fantastic way to get up and running and figure out the basics of the art medium.Taking a hands-on approach, this book by Mark Daniel Nelson will have you attempting to recreate 50 impressive acrylic paintings. Perfect for anyone who enjoys following along and practising the new skills they’re learning on the fly, this book provides an entertaining introduction into working with acrylics.Step Up Your Acrylic Painting Game Working on the finer details.After getting the basics down, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to challenge yourself further. It’s often the case that after working hard at a skill for a long time, we reach a plateau, or a stage in which we feel that progress is coming much slower than before.It’s at this point that many people choose to tap out or begin to lose interest as progression seems so difficult. For that reason, it’s important to enjoy the hobby of painting without worrying too much about the end result, since this can be discouraging at times since we’re very critical of our own work.If you’re still plugging away at it though, then here are some handy resources and tutorials that could re-invigorate your progress and give you some extra motivation.Intermediate and Advanced Video TutorialsThe following video tutorials take a more in-depth approach to acrylic painting with a view to helping you make the jump from intermediate to advanced, and beyond.YouTubeYou Tube is a true goldmine for acrylic painting, with a wealth of video tutorials and step by step guides which will give you plenty of material to work with.If intermediate and advanced acrylics tutorials are what you’re looking for, this YouTube playlist from fine art painter and experienced art instructor Angela Anderson contains over 60 videos falling in the intermediate and advanced levels of difficulty.If your acrylic painting is good, but you want it to be great, then these lengthy video tutorials can help you step up your game and master more advanced skills and techniques.Before long, you’ll be painting everything from boldly coloured Cardinals, to intricate flowers, and floral deer with these videos.There are plenty of other great YouTube channels out there too offering so much free value that can take your acrylic painting to the next level.ColorByFeliks does incredibly detailed step by step tutorials so you can impress your friends with amazing landscapes or other natur e scenes using acrylics.Another channel of note is Acrylic Painting Techniques, which, as the name suggests, demonstrates many different techniques in the medium.This channel will familiarise you with a variety of techniques which could be just what you need to break through the plateau and make progress with your acrylic painting work.Skillshare Acrylic Painting CoursesI won’t single out a specific acrylic painting course on Skillshare since there are a variety of great courses to choose from on the popular online course platform.Depending on your interests, you could take a course in everything from modern acrylic painting techniques, master abstract painting with acrylics, or become proficient at painting flowers and floral designs.These courses are great for zeroing in on a niche within acrylic painting and truly honing your skills.SuperProf Online ClassesFor something a bit more personalised, you can use the find a tutor near me function on our website to see if there are any art tutors able to help in your area.Even if there aren’t, you can learn from our fully qualified and experienced tutors online, which can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and work towards making solid progress in acrylic painting.Written Word MaterialThere are plenty of great acrylic painting books and guides that will provide you with a solid knowledge of how to improve in the medium.Complete Guide to Painting in AcrylicsThis book is a comprehensive guide to everything related to acrylic painting and working with the medium.Any question you have about the medium will be answered in this book, along with step-by-step guidance to help you master the techniques that can prove so difficult to grasp.Invaluable: 14 Acrylic Painting Techniques Used by the MastersThis simple guide of advanced acrylic techniques will give you a good idea of some of the effects you can achieve when you get to a more advanced level.Complete with illustrated examples, the article makes for a great read for anyone looking to up their game by exploring the many techniques accessible through the use of acrylic paints.

Becoming a Great Guitarist

Becoming a Great Guitarist How Can You Become a Master of the Guitar? ChaptersFirstly, What Do You Need To Play Guitar?How To Choose Your GuitarTune Your GuitarThe Basics of a Guitar NeckWhat Are the Inlays on the Neck of a Guitar For?How Can You Find the Notes on a Guitar's Neck?Other Techniques for Familiarising Yourself with the Neck of a GuitarLearn The Basics Of GuitarWhat Will I Learn In Guitar Lessons?“Music is the literature of the heart; it commences where speech ends.” - Alphonse de LamartineMore and more Brits are taking to the stage.  But before they do, they have the long and arduous task of learning how to play guitar.  They need to learn the notes, the chords, rhythm, and even harmony.Your first guitar may as well be from an alien planet if you've never owned a stringed instrument before. Each guitar player will have to get used to playing guitar, learn how to strum a chord, finger frets in a certain way, and tune a guitar with or without a tuner.To help those who just started learning how to play the guitar and are still finding the ir way around the neck, we've got some tips and advice for you. It's a good idea for any musician to familiarise themselves with their instrument over a few guitar lessons before they start strumming some power chords on their new Stratocaster or Les Paul copy.Plenty of Superprof guitar tutors offer lessons one-on-one or in small groups and have no trouble coming to your home for lessons. And, perhaps best of all, most Superprof tutors offer their first hour of lessons at no charge, just to see if you get along well enough to learn from them! That's right, they all offer free lessons!Superprof is an excellent way to cut out all of the running around you would otherwise have to do to find the ideal guitar teacher for you! And, many of our tutors offer video guitar lessons and guitar lessons online.What Will I Learn In Guitar Lessons?As a guideline of what you could expect to learn when you start out playing the guitar, here's a rough timeline:to start out, you will learn about the ch ords, strumming patterns, and tabs. Your teacher will start to teach you different techniques like licks, barre, and fingerpicking. Then, you will most likely learn simple songs to practise again and again.once you are well-rehearsed in the practical aspects of the guitar, your teacher will guide you towards learning about musical theory and more technical aspects.further down the line, you will learn more complicated sequences, possibly even be encouraged to play in a band alongside other instruments or asked to sing whilst you play the guitar.Classes will help give you both a good theoretical base and practical experience of playing the guitar.During the more practical lessons, in-depth focus will be given to the basic parts of the guitar, including the guitar neck and how to place your fingers, the fretboard, and learning to tune your instrument. Therefore, after several lessons, you will be well on your way to playing (almost) like a pro!Good luck!

Singing Lessons Before and After [Best Transformation Videos]

Singing Lessons Before and After [Best Transformation Videos] Jessica Dais The transformation in vocal students before and after singing lessons is truly inspiring.  As a singing teacher, it really is amazing to watch students learn to do everything from match pitches to mix belt like a Broadway star. Have you ever wondered what you would sound like if you took voice lessons? Although every singer’s results will be different, YouTube has a variety of before and after singing lessons videos, so you can hear the typical results of vocal study. These three transformation videos leave no doubt: voice lessons definitely work! Singing Lessons: Before and After Troy Donavan’s Singing Transformation In Troy’s older videos, one thing stands out immediately: his significant jaw tension. It almost looks like he is holding something in his mouth, and he is afraid that if he opens his mouth too wide, something will fall out. Try to notice his masseter muscles clenching as he sings. In addition to the jaw tension, his muffled, uncomfortable tone suggests tongue and throat tension. Now check out this second video. Even by watching Troy’s “after singing lessons” videos without sound, it’s obvious that he’s starting to relax his jaw and open his mouth more while singing. His face looks much more comfortable, and forming words looks much easier. His tone is also clearer and has lost that muffled quality, suggesting that the tongue and throat tension he struggled with has largely dissolved. Congratulations, Troy! This is truly an inspiring singing transformation. Polina Lesik’s Singing Transformation Polina Lesik is a professional singer from Russia. Although her video does include some footage of live performances, most of the older clips are audio only. Even so, the difference in technique is abundantly apparent. In the older singing clips, Polina’s singing shows significant pitch problems. While she was always in the ballpark of the correct pitches, she was off just enough to give the singing an amateur quality. She also exhibited no vibrato in the early years. However, she was studying classical voice during that time, and by 2007 (as exhibited at 3:11 in the video), her head voice technique had markedly improved. She was also showing better pitch accuracy and vibrato. Even still, Polina was not working on her chest voice technique yet, and that showed in her singing. While her head voice was improving, her chest voice technique from the same period sounds forced and thick. This sounds like a result of tension in the throat and tongue. It wasn’t until 2010, when Polina again started studying with a voice teacher (this time for jazz voice), that her rock and pop sound improved. The forced sound disappeared, and she was left with greater pitch accuracy, steady vibrato, and a clearer timbre in both her chest and head registers. Her later videos also exhibit an ability to mix her chest and head voice (called modal voice) in order to hit belted high notes without any strain. Great job, Polina! Rached Hayek’s Singing Transformation Rached Hayek is a singer and songwriter from Sydney, Australia. This video’s “before” example is a cell phone recording that doesn’t include video. But just like with Polina, the noticeable difference is enormous. The song in both the “before” and “after” recordings is “Walking Away” by Craig David, sung a cappella. In the “before” recording, Rached’s tone is pleasant, and it’s clear that he has talent. However, he was not able to successfully navigate the runs and register changes in the song. When he tried to change notes rapidly, he went out of tune, and because he was singing a cappella, this threw the whole song off balance. In addition, his runs slid together, at times resembling a vocal slide rather than individual notes. The “after” recording tells a different story. The runs are now clean and distinct, each note precise. As a result, even without a back track, Rached is able to stay in tune. Wonderful work, Rached! Transform Your Voice If you’re serious about making vocal progress, find a singing teacher near you or start taking online singing classes  today. With the proper guidance, you’ll learn how to sing comfortably in whatever style you choose. And soon, you’ll be able to make your very own “Singing Lessons Before and After” video! Post Author: Elaina R. Elaina R. teaches opera voice and singing in Ypsilanti, MI, as well as through online lessons. She received her Master of Music from the University of Michigan, and has a B.M. from the University of Southern California. Learn more about Elaina here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Features of Educational Technologies facilitating Distance Learning Education

Features of Educational Technologies facilitating Distance Learning Education 0SHARESShare Online tutoring is currently on high demand with advanced educational technologies and feature that it offers to give enhanced meaning to tutoring. While providing online instructions to the students, it is important for online tutoring service provider to consider the level of concreteness of distance learning and choosing an appropriate technology to deliver effective tutoring. The blog is meant for students to check the concreteness of various educational technologies before choosing the right tutoring services. When study materials like hard copy, notes, worksheets, practice sheets, test papers is asynchronous form of imparting learning. Often tutor mail study materials to the student or allow them to download the recorded audio or video tutoring sessions. In this case also, student does not interact with tutors in real-time as it follows asynchronous form of tutoring. Tutor passes single-sided real-time audio tutoring session which is similar to radio broadcast or Pod cast. This is synchronous tutoring where tutor delivers lecture and student is silent listener.   Use of more advanced techniques like online tutor takes tutoring sessions with two-way real-time audio/video communication.   It is synchronous learning made possible using Skype. Often, private online tutors teach lessons playing recorded video sessions to their students where both student and tutor communicate by live text or audio messaging. Two way real-time video communications is also offered by several tutoring websites where both student and tutor communicate by real time audio message like MSN. Use of multimedia PowerPoint files to assist two-way audio-video communication is also synchronous tutoring. This is all about features of educational technologies that facilitate distance learning; however, it is student and parent responsibility to check the concreteness of each of these methods and find out one which is suitable for them. Ultimately, the new paradigm of educational technology     should help building teacher-student relationship, good learning atmosphere and learning effectiveness. [starbox id=admin]

2017 NAEP Scores - Heart Math Tutoring

2017 NAEP Scores - Heart Math Tutoring 2017 NAEP Scores 2017 NAEP Scores April 12, 2018 This week, results from the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) became available. NAEP is administered every two years and serves as a common metric for states and selected urban districts. In 2017, Charlotte fourth grade math proficiency rates ranked second out of the selected urban districts and exceeded North Carolina and nation averages (below). Overall, 46% of fourthgraders in Charlotte are performing on grade level in math. For Economically Disadvantaged Students (EDS) however, 29% areon grade level. In 2017, fourth grade math proficiency rates fell for both EDS and non-EDS peers in Charlotte (below). There is a 30% gap between proficiency rates for EDS and non-EDS peers in Charlotte (above). The proficiency gap between black students and white students in Charlotte is larger than the gap between EDS and non-EDS peers (below). Addressing the need for math proficiency must start early. Without foundational math skills, scores decline as difficulty increases (below). Many students leave eighth grade below grade level in math and unprepared for Math I (algebra), a high school graduation requirement. Heartsvolunteers, donors, and school partners areaddressing this critical needfor math proficiencyat the foundational level. With just a few more weeks of tutoring left this school year, we are looking forward to sharing 2017/18 program results on our blog in June! Read more analysis on 2017 NAEP scores from the Charlotte Observer here.

GradSense A Tool For Your Future

GradSense A Tool For Your Future Photo by Simon Cunningham on Flickr.com According to the Project on Student Debt, 71 percent of college graduates in the class of 2011 had student loan debt, with an average of $29,400 per student. With the average debt increasing by six percent each year, these numbers can be very scary for undergraduate students, especially for those planning to continue on to graduate school. Debt is one of the biggest issues on the mind of your average college student, and many don’t know how they’re going to handle their increasing financial problems. Luckily, the Council for Graduate Schools (CGS), in collaboration with TIAA-CREF, a national financial services organization, has created a new tool called GradSense that is designed to help students manage their debt and plan their financial futures after graduation. “The GradSense website is really designed to help students make decisions about their finances with respect both to graduate education and undergraduate education,” said Daniel Denecke, Associate Vice President for Programs and Best Practices at CGS. According to this press release, GradSense’s primary tool is the Debt to Salary Calculator. The Debt to Salary Calculator combines two data setsâ€" federal data on education debt, and federal data on the median salaries for specific occupationsâ€" to help students get a comprehensive understanding of what their financial status really looks like. Photo by Tax Credits on Flickr.com “We’re bringing together two national data sets that have not been unified before,” Denecke said. “It’s designed to help students borrow money responsibly and to think about their future and the value of higher education.” Using the Debt to Salary Calculator is very simple.   Students simply enter their degree type, desired field of study, and preferred career. Then, they get to see what the average debt for students graduating in this degree field is, plus the low, middle, and high salaries that they can expect within their desired occupational field. “GradSense provides students with crucial financial information that was never easily accessible or available before,” said Debra W. Steward, president of CGS, in a press release. “This clear, customized tool empowers students to make more informed decisions about their educational and career pathways.” GradSense fills a need that federal data sets can’t. Although the government does provide information on education debt and median salaries, the information is in separate databases, making it hard for students to find, access, and, most importantly, compare. The Debt to Salary Calculator combines this information in a way that makes it very easy for students to use and understand. GradSense also provides a number of other tools for students to use to fully understand their monetary status after graduation. The site includes advice for repaying student loans and transitioning from school to career. In addition, it features tips for evaluating job offers, as well as a compound interest calculator, which shows what the long-term effect of common financial decisions (like that daily trip to Starbucks or your weekly Chinese food ritual) is. Photo by Tax Credits on Flickr.com “We’re trying to help students figure out the long term impact of some choices, like living more frugally, making your coffee at home, or buying a frozen pizza instead of going out,” Denecke said. The site is extremely accessible, and is designed to be easy and understandable for students to use. Complete with helpful links, colorful graphics, and an easy-to-navigate system, the site is the perfect tool for any student who is having trouble with their finances. GradSense was created as a part of CGS’ Enhancing Student Financial Education project, a program, in collaboration with TIAA-CREF, which gave grants to 15 colleges across the country, ranging from Cornell University to The Ohio State University to the University of South Florida, to try to develop programs that will help students create successful financial plans for their future. The project also has 19 affiliate university partners. The project was created because CGS saw a growing need for students to learn how to deal with debt. The goal of the project is to help encourage students to continue their schooling by showing them the value of pursuing higher education, specifically graduate school, and how getting a degree could transfer into future earnings. Photo by 401(k) 2013 on Flickr.com Although CGS designed the program to be aimed at graduate students, it is an extremely useful tool for undergraduates as well. “Each of the graduate deans on the campuses that we’re working with is partnering with the head of undergraduate programs at their university,” Denecke said. “We’re working to develop programs that will address the needs of both graduate and undergraduate students.” Because the project was just launched, there is still a lot of room for the tools to evolve and grow as users give feedback to the company. “We’re just really excited to be working with institutions to be very proactive in helping to address the financial situation that students are finding themselves in these days,” Denecke said. “We’re looking forward to developing this tool throughout this project.” If you’ve been wasting your valuable college years worrying about whether or not you’ll ever be able to pay off your loans, then GradSense is definitely the tool for you. Stop worrying, and start really planning for your future.