Federal Grants To Boost College Entrance Rates

Federal Grants To Boost College Entrance Rates How many college-bound students would like to have more financial support? Sounds pretty good right and not much of a catch. All you have to do is go to college to be eligible for funding from the Federal Government of the United States of America. This funding will be in the form of federal incentives (grants, funding, and financial aid), according to an article in the New York Times. The Obama administration is offering significant incentives in an effort to encourage people to go to college and earn a degree. It targeted college dropouts, asking them to go back and earn their degrees; then it targeted colleges, asking them to take individual measures to increase their enrollment; then it asked under-represented students. The government tried to make college more accessible to these groups and offered them significant funding. Now the Obama administration is begging all types of groups and students to go to college in efforts to add 8 million college graduates by 2020, to once again become the world leader in college graduates. The United States used to produce more college graduates than any other country; however, it now lags behind many foreign countries. Vice President Joe Biden announced in late March the governments plans to create a $20 million Comprehensive Grant Program for states that take steps to increase college graduates. However, the government will put even more dollars in education. It also proposed a $123 million First in the World program for colleges that keep tuition low, move students through college faster and produce more graduates along with $50 million in College Completion Incentive Grants that would reward states and schools that produce more college graduates. We all know that the best jobs and fastest-growing firms will gravitate to countries, communities and states with a highly qualified work force, said Secretary of Education Arne Dunca. To determine how much funding certain states receive, the Obama administration will calculate the states estimated share of the eight-million-graduate increase and consider its current college graduation statistics. Currently, only 28% of young adults in Arkansas, Nevada and New Mexico have college degrees, compared to more than 50% in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts and North Dakota. Essentially, the government is trying to make it easier for people to enroll in college. Its hoping to decrease the cost of college by keeping tuition costs relatively low, offering more funding to students and states and making it more accessible to people of all ages. Nearly three-quarters or young adults pursue some form of a postsecondary degree; however, fewer than half actually earn a degree or certificate within six years. For America to achieve its goal of ranking first in the world by 2020, every American would have to get at least one year of post-high-school education.

Reasons to Do Crochet

Reasons to Do Crochet Why Start Doing Crochet? ChaptersCrochet is EasyCrochet is CoolWhy Learn Crochet? It’s Fun!You Can Make a Lot with CrochetCrochet is PracticalCrocheting Reduces StressCrochet is Good for a Healthy BrainCrochet Can Improve Your DexterityImproving Your Self-Confidence with CrochetCrochet is Social“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.” - Albert EinsteinCatherine Bouenard holds the world record for speed knitting. She can do 264 stitches in three minutes. Of course, you don’t need to be that quick to do crochet correctly. The important thing is to enjoy doing crochet whether you’re making crochet hats, a tapestry, coasters, or dishcloths.So are you ready to get started with crochet?In this article, we're looking at the many reasons why you should start doing crochet and why it's good for you!You can also make lovely toys with crochet. (Source: andreame)There are also tutori als for everything and for all levels. So forget Jacquard jumpers and start creating a cuddly owl or other soft toys.There are plenty of different things you can make:a crochet baby blanketscarvesa granny squarea ponchoan infinity scarfAfghansbaby bootiesmittens RaySewing Teacher 5.00 (6) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PrincessSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnaSewing Teacher 5.00 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArianwenSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ShaziaSewing Teacher 5.00 (2) £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ZanetaSewing Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GianmariaSewing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JacquelineSewing Teacher £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsCrochet is PracticalYou don’t need to get lots of expensive crochet equipment to get started with crochet. A crochet needle, a ball of wool, a free crochet pattern and you’re ready to go! Crocheters can take their crochet projects everywhere with them and won’t need a huge bag to do it. A crochet hook is about 15cm long and barely weighs anything so you can carry it around in a handbag.Students have even been seeing crocheting in lecture halls. That said, your lecturers mightn’t like it so you might want to check with them first!Crocheting Reduces StressStudies have shown that crocheting and knitting can reduce your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, and increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin, the happiness hormones. By reducing stress, your body will relax, your heart rate will decrease, and you’ll feel better.Since you don't need much stuff, you can crochet anywhere. (Source: MabelAmber)Betsan Corkhill, a British therapist, has conducted research on the effects of knitting and crochet. A survey of over 3,000 knitters showed that knitting made them happier. Many even stated that the activity helps them relax, reduce stress, and improve creativity.This same study showed a relationship with how often you knit and how happy you were. Those who knitted or crocheted three times a week were calmer, happier, less anxious, and more self-confident. Corkhill concluded that knitting provides significant psychological and social benefits.Focusing on knitting allows you to enter into a meditative state because you need to count the stitches. Crochet allows you to take care of your mental health.“Knitting has significant psychological and social benefits, which can contribute to wellbeing and quality of life. As a skilled and creative occupation, it has therapeutic potential â€" an area requiring further research.”Given that you can easily find a free pattern and free beginner crochet resources, there's less to worry about financially, too!Find amazing sewing courses all over the country.Crochet is Good for a Healthy BrainIn addition to reducing, stress, crochet and other creati ve activities allow you to keep your brain healthy. Completing a crochet project can improve your cerebral abilities.You can overcome mental challenges.You can do mindful crocheting.You can improve your hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.You’ll constantly learn new skills and can pass these onto others.You’ll improve your concentration.You’ll become more patient and persistent.You just need to follow a crochet pattern and you’ll improve your memory and mental arithmetic skills.Even Albert Einstein was known to have crocheted between projects to clear his mind.Crochet Can Improve Your DexterityWhile crochet, knitting, and sewing are usually thought of as grannies’ hobbies, they’re great for improving your dexterity.  Crochet can reduce the risk of arthritis in the young and improve fine motor skills. These precise movements require a mastery of your hands. Additionally, you’ll get increasingly better with your hands.Crochet can develop your sense of touch, too. Sitting in an armchair with a cup of tea, your crochet, and a ball of wool all sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?Crochet is so hygge! This Danish lifestyle trend perfectly sums up crochet.Improving Your Self-Confidence with CrochetBy doing crochet, you’ll be able to create unique pieces and impress people with your custom wardrobe. You can tell your friends, “I made that!” when they ask you where you got that cardigan or top.Crochet brings you a sense of accomplishment and pride. By overcoming certain difficulties, you’ll improve your problem-solving skills and self-confidence.Crochet is SocialCrochet is coming back! You mightn’t know it, but there’s probably a crochet club in your town. Fans of crochet can get together, have coffee and cake, and chat away while crocheting.Doing crochet can also be very social. (Source: lolareyes)Having a shared passion is a way to create an instant bond with people. With social networks, you can even talk about crochet online in Faceboo k groups. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice if you’re struggling or show off your latest projects to get feedback.So are you ready to start doing crochet? When are you going to start?If you need help with crochet, visit sites like Red Heart, Ravelry, and Lion Brand Yarn and start looking for free patterns, a crochet tutorial on techniques like the slip stitch, Tunisian crochet, etc.There are also private tutors available to help you pick out the right yarns, an easy crochet pattern to get you started, and run you through the techniques you'll need to learn. There are three types of tutorial available on Superprof: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials. Each has its pros and cons and the best one for you really depends on your situation.Face-to-face tutorials are the most personal and have you and your tutor working together for the whole session. Of course, this bespoke service comes at a cost, making it the most costly type of tutorial available. However, it's also the most cost-effective as every minute of the tutor's time is spent helping you.In group tutorials, there are several students and just one tutor. With all the students sharing the cost of the tutor's time, these tutorials are usually the cheapest per person per hour but each student won't get the bespoke tutoring or one-on-one time that they would in the other types of tutorials.Online tutorials are similar to face-to-face tutorials with the main difference being that the tutor isn't physically in the room with you. Thanks to services like Skype, a tutor can teach you remotely using a webcam and an internet connection. Since the tutor isn't in the room with you, this can make hands-on skills like crochet a little trickier. However, without travel costs, the tutor can charge their student less per hour.

How can I automatically evaluate opinion essays

How can I automatically evaluate opinion essays Do you teach opinion essays? Many teachers do. It is a common practice in English Second Language teaching to ask college level students to write a 4-5 paragraph opinion essay on a range of topics. An opinion essay goes by many names. Often, it is called the hamburger essay, the 1-3-1 essay, the persuasive essay, or the opinion essay. Learning to write an opinion essay is quite straightforward and can be taught step-by-step. It is a lot like an argument essay but without a counterargument-concession-refutation paragraph. The form is quite consistent from one teacher to the next. Usually, an opinion essay begins with an introductory paragraph containing a thesis statement, two or three paragraphs containing supporting arguments, and a conclusion with a reformulation of the thesis. The 5-Paragraph Hamburger Essay Structure Automated Opinion Evaluation System If you assign this kind of essay to your students, you might like to try the Virtual Writing Tutors automated opinion essay evaluation system. This opinion essay checker can evaluate an essay on any topic in two seconds. Use it as a formative evaluation to help student revise their essays before they give it to you for a mark that counts. Its fast, easy, detailed, and free. By automating the provision of formative feedback, you will be able to assign more writing tasks and expect more revisions from your students while reducing your own workload. You will find that you will have more time and energy to for your students. Try this sample opinion essay with the essay evaluation system Download Opinion Essay Evaluation System Opinion Essay Instructions Instructions:Write a four-paragraph, 350+ word opinion essay on any topic.Use the Virtual Writing Tutorsopinion essay outliner. Make sure that your essay includes the following elements. First paragraph: introduction Opening: Begin the essay by engaging your readers interest with a question, a surprising statistic, a famous quote, an anecdote, or expert testimony. Context: Establish the importance of the topic. Use phrases like these: a vital factor in, the leading cause of, widely considered to be, set to become, undergoing a revolution, is responsible for.Thesis: End your introduction with a thesis statement that makes a strong claim about a controversial issue. 2 or 3 Body paragraphs: supporting arguments Topic sentence: Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and supports the claim you made in your thesis statement. Argue: Refer to facts, statistics, logic, what is reasonable, what follows from the evidence, and conclusions one can draw.Evidence: Give evidence from your reading and research using these types of words: according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, referring to, argues that, stated, wrote, argued, discussed, expressed the concern that, as written.Support: Give examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these: for example, for instance, suppose that, take the case of, that is, to be exact, to explain, to illustrate, to put another way, to show what I mean. Final Paragraph: conclusion Reformulation of the thesis: Restate the thesis in different words from the introduction.Build cohesion: Use expressions such as To sum up, To conclude, In closing, or For these reasons.Recommendation: Make a recommendation. Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to.Prediction: Make a prediction. What will happen if the reader follows your recommendation? Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to, or likely. Please follow and like us:

How can teachers promote achievement using persuasion secrets

How can teachers promote achievement using persuasion secrets We all want our students to succeed, but sometimes we encounter resistance. If we could persuade students to cooperate with us sooner without having to resort to rewards and threats, we might be able to get better results, right? Here are some sneaky persuasion secrets that marketers and advertisers use to influence behaviour. Teachers can learn them too and get better results from their students. As you read below, you will notice that I have inserted images of PowerPoint slides that contain mysteries to solve. The mystery itself is a persuasive technique because it engages the audiences curiosity. Students who are curious about what is coming next will listen carefully to your message. Attentive listening is, after all, a form of cooperation. Create Persuasive Introductions The first thing teachers should learn to do is to introduce themselves in a persuasive way. At the beginning of a semester or a lesson, it is important to get students to listen, trust and commit to cooperating with you. Here is an example of a series of comments intended to get conference goers on-side. An example of a persuasive introduction to a talk Of course, you will have your own script as a teacher, but it is wise to think about structuring your introduction in a way that will make them want to trust you and cooperate with you over the weeks to come. Liking Begin presentations and lessons by complimenting your audience. Compliments build trust. More important that getting your students to like you is demonstrating that you like them. People assume that those that like and admire them always have their best interests at heart. Unity Show support for a universally popular issue to unify with the group. A cohesive group will support its members. Credibility Build credibility by admitting to a weakness before mentioning a strength. Authority Share your credentials to establish your authority. Goals Tell people what you want, and then give them the steps they will need to take to achieve that goal. Commitment and Consistency Get them to commit to something early on to trigger consistency. People will want to remain consistent with prior decisions they made, especially when they make them publicly. Ask students the following. Youll do your homework this week, right? [Pause for confirmation.] Great! Thanks! Participation rates increase from 70% to 82.4% when phone operators wait for confirmation. Social Proof Demonstrate the popularity of your ideas with social proof. Get everyone to raise their hands and then look around the room at the universal support for your ideas or request. Pedagogical Persuasion Tips Ask individual students to let you hold their cell phones. This will elicit an initial commitment to trust you. It will also demonstrate to onlookers that you are trustworthy. You can do this casually as you walk around the class, giving feedback during an activity. Students wont realize that you are helping them associate you with an inclination to trust. It can backfire if you ask someone to look at their phone and they refuse. Onlookers might associate you with distrust. Usually, it works. Asking Do you consider yourself a helpful person? prior to asking him or her for help increased the likelihood of survey respondents to agree to help. Priming the notion of “helpful” before making your request for help can increase compliance. If you want someone to take a risk, plant the idea of adventurousness in their heads prior to asking them to do something risky. Being adventurous is a positive form of risk taking. Thinking about being adventurous will make the risk you want them to take seem positive. Putting the picture of someone winning a race at the top of fundraising script inspired fundraisers to work harder and focus on achievement. You can get your students to focus on achievement by asking students to write down the names of famous bilinguals. They will aspire to be like them. Research shows that girls do better in math when they see pictures of successful female mathematicians in exam rooms or on the cover of their exam booklets. Instead of thinking about heroes to motivate students to achieve, you can get students to describe successful moments in their lives and their academic successes. It, too, will orient them toward future successes. Pavlov could get dogs to salivate at the sound of a bellbut not when there were journalists in the room. The change in the dogs environment blocked associations from having their usual effect on them. Flip the lights to interrupt activities. Changes in the environment trigger an investigatory reflex (a.k.a. an orienting response). Students will stop talking to investigate why the lights are flashing. There are other elements in the environment that can compete for students attention. Avoid decorating your classroom. Highly decorated classrooms interfere with learning and cause students to learn less. Researchers have found that general daily prayers have no effect on fidelity rates among Christians. However, praying for their partner’s welfare every day has a big effect, significantly reducing instances of infidelity and keeping couples together longer. Why? Thinking about your partner’s welfare will make you less likely to do something to undermine it. Get your students to think about their partners’ welfare. Each week ask students to make a list of ways to help their classmates improve their English. Get them to rehearse the following phrases: Please, speak English; you can do it; don’t forget to do your homework. (See Actively Engaged Together.) When we encounter someone with a need, we feel we owe them help. The bigger the need, the bigger the obligation we feel. In other words, we owe help to people in proportion to their need. People interpreted the offer of money to cut in line as an expression of need rather than as a source of profit. They are likely to let you cut in and then refuse to take your money. For language teachers, pretending that you cant speak much of your students first language will trigger this same norm of social responsibility. The bigger your need for an English translation the more students will want to help you out by speaking English. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to sensitize your students to each others needs. Tell them that when their classmates speak French it means that they need encouragement. We owe encouragement and support to students who struggle a lot. Saying how common it is for people to steal inadvertently gives people the idea that it is valid and feasible to steal. Avoid saying that many people failed, plagiarized, or didn’t do their homework. Revealing the magnitude of the problem shows how popular failing, plagiarizing, and not doing homework is, and suggests it is valid and feasible. Remind the group how the majority did their homework, passed, avoided plagiarism, and never the contrary. We are inclined to do what is popular. If many people do it, we have proof of value, validity, and feasibility. Instead of using the magnitude of a problem to spur action, use simple prohibitions: Do not remove wood from the national park so that we can preserve it for future generations. Similarly, if someone claims that you are strict or demanding, say, “Im not the only one.” The multitude is the message. Chiune Sugihara’s parents ran an inn when he was young and living in Korea, feeding and housing many strangers and treating them as family. He disobeyed orders and wrote transit visas for Lithuanian Jews because he had come to see all people as family. Merging your identity with strangers makes you more likely to help them. Teachers can use the power of unity to enhance levels of cooperation in their classrooms. One activity that promotes the merger of identities into a unified whole is the Wedding Game from Actively Engaged Together. Divide the class in 2. Create 2 families with the bride and groom. Marry the couple and have students introduce themselves to members of the other family. This will teach family-related vocabulary and possessive forms (the grooms brother) and will help to unify the group. (See Actively Engaged at College and Actively Engaged on the Job for a job-related version using job titles.) Group cohesion increases the group’s productivity. Promote unity and cooperation with this wedding activityDownload Another great way to promote a sense of unity and group cohesion is to have students take group photos with their cell phones. This will unify the group and teach them polite requests and prepositions: Could you stand between Charles and Mary? Group photos promote the sense of group membership and group cohesion, leading to greater group productivity. Promote further group cohesion with group photosDownload Bluma Zeigarniks waiter forgot the orders immediately after successfully serving them. Why? Our minds quickly forget finished tasks. However, they are programmed to continually interrupt us with reminders to attend to unfinished tasks. One pedagogical implication is to never let your students finish their writing or reading assignments in class. The desire to complete what they have started will plague them until they get it done. These were the sneaky tricks teachers can use to maximize student achievement and cooperation that I talked about at the 2019 Rascals Colloquium in Rimouski, Quebec. There are many others. Additional Persuasion Techniques Here are a few extra persuasion techniques you may like. I would love to know if you enjoyed the talk (notice the single chute) and how you intend to use these techniques with your students (notice the request for a commitment). Use my email in the picture above (Mystery #10) or use the contact page on the Virtual Writing Tutor. Use contrasts Get students to draw a long line, then draw a short line, then write a big number. Next, tell them, “In this course, I will assign 3 hours of homework each week.” Three will seem small in contrast to the big number they wrote. Cognitive fluency Use rhyme to maximize lexical fluency. If its fast, use simple past. When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking and says its own name. Pronounce the final -ed of past forms as an extra syllable when Ted is Ded.Rhyme makes concepts seem easy and therefore true. The tendency to use cognitive fluency to decide if something is true can be used in another way to persuade or dissuade. Ask for one reason to accept a claim if you want the student believe it. Ask for 10 reasons if you want to make the claim seem less believable. It may seem counter-intuitive that more support for a claim makes it less believable, but the more people struggle to come up with additional reasons to accept a claim, the less convinced they will be of the reliability of the claim. In other words, the lack of cognitive fluency casts doubts on the reliability of a proposition. Make it personal People like hear about themselves, and they are attracted to their own name. Make feedback self-relevant use the students name, history, and other personal details, to add attention, interest, and seriousness to feedback on performance. Single chute surveys Use single chute surveys to keep assessments positive and favorable toward your lessons and course. If your goal is to gain your students’ trust and cooperation, single-chute surveys will help to elicit positive attitudes and reassure students that they are doing the right thing by taking your course. For example, do not ask, How interesting or boring did you find the course? Ask instead, How interesting did you find the course? Students will focus their attention on the positive aspects of the course only. Note that single chute surveys are marketing tools not science. Strengthen your relationship Send weekly emails to your students. Strong relationships produce the willingness to help. The effect size of strong teacher-student relationships on achievement is 0.72 (Hattie, 2009). Highly effective teachers maintain strong relationships with students. Act now! Create scarcity. If you dont act now, youll lose out. If you dont finish the online quizzes by week 13, youll miss your chance. A constraint on access increases the worth of what is being offered. Use consistency Connect decisions with prior expressed points of view. You said you wanted to make more money, right? French speakers who use English at work make twenty one percent higher salaries than those who dont. (See Actively Engaged Together.) Choose words with positive connotations If students ask you how much the textbook for your course costs, tell students that they will have to invest $60.00. Dont talk about costs. Talk about investments. The word “cost” suggests a loss rather than a gain. The word “invest” emphasizes the acquisition of something valuable. Download the PowerPoint Sneaky secrets that every teacher should useDownload References If you liked this, you might also like 10 Mind-blowing Research Findings to Supercharge Your ESL Lessons. Please follow and like us:

New Years Challenge Video Pledges

New Years Challenge Video Pledges See Whos Taking this Years Challenge If you are taking this years challenge were  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge. Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And dont forget to sign up for yourself, and get 2015 of to a great start! Cassie  from Australia is learning French She has been learning French for 12 months at University so far, though she has had little opportunity to speak French and practice her listening skills.  So despite facing the concurrent challenge of raising children, she will be taking the New Years challenge to continue to improve her French!  Provide advice and support on her notebook. David Jackson  from the UK is learning Mandarin   After going to Taiwan he became inspired to learn the language.  He would love to spend more time in Taiwan and also hopes to be able to converse with his girlfriend in Chinese.  While speaking a little already, he hopes to make great strides over the coming 2 months!  Help David out by commenting on his notebook. Jay Allen  from the United States is learning Japanese. Jay has been using italki for the past two years to learn Japanese!  Hes planning on going to Japan later this year and is afraid  his Japanese is not good enough to reach his goal: to speak in Japanese 85% of his time in Japan.  We were already very impressed with his Japanese and hope that he can continue to improve during the challenge.  Give Jay words of encouragement on his notebook entry. Jesee Calzalda from Texas is learning Spanish. Jesse has set a solid goal of being able to hold a 15 minute conversation with a native Spanish speaker in Spanish by April 12, 2015.  He is using the italki New Years Challenge to get a start on this task.  We wish him the best.  Give him advice by writing on his notebook. Jen Leigh  from the United States is learning  Spanish. Jens boyfriend is Chilean so not only does she want to be able to converse with him in his native tongue but also be able to speak Spanish when she goes to some weddings in Chile with him this year.  She wants to make sure she can order beverages and converse with her boyfriends family and friends.  Cheer her on here. Derek  from the United States is learning  Portuguese. Dereks wife is from Brazil and so are all of his non-English speaking in laws.  Therefore, Derek has resolved to get to a high level of Portuguese so he can communicate with his Brazilian family members.  We wish and the best and you can to on his notebook entry.  Good luck Derek! Sarah from the United States is learning Spanish Sarah wants to increase the fluidity of her speech this language challenge.  She wants to be able to formulate some of her thoughts in Spanish, without having to mentally translate everything before speaking.  She also hopes to learn more about the nuance of using the subjunctive.  Wish Sarah luck here. Sergio from New York is learning French. Sergio has taken 3 years of French in high school, but unfortunately has lost most of his ability to speak the language.   He  started up lessons 4 months ago and is looking for this language challenge to provide him with the necessary discipline to  get into the right routine.  He would like to be able to interview in French and write an op-ed in French.  Encourage him on his notebook.  Mark  from the United States is learning Spanish!   Mark is taking the challenge as it provides him the motivation he needs to keep improving his Spanish.  He wants to be able to to speak to his in-laws more easily and also hopes to get to the level where he is comfortable teaching a short 5 minute Spanish lesson himself.  Wish Mark the best here! Kevin  from the United States is learning Japanese. Kevin wants to take the challenge because he wants to use a strict time frame to help him study.  He wants to actually use the language as he often doesnt get many opportunities to do so.  Kevin mentioned that he hopes the challenge will bring him closer to the italki community.  Give him words of encouragement! Amy from the United States is learning Japanese, Korean, and Chinese! Amy is not taking just one language this challenge period, but three extremely difficult languages!   She is doing this while starting a new job as well!  This is definitely not an easy feat to pull off but we are sure she can do it!  She hopes to travel to these countries in the future so she would like to be able to speak the languages! Wish her the best on her notebook and be sure to follow her blog. New Years Challenge Video Pledges See Whos Taking this Years Challenge If you are taking this years challenge were  giving away 50 free ITC if you make a video challenge pledge. Life Hacks research  has shown that if you put yourself up to something by doing it in public, you follow through because others are watching.  So use peer pressure to your advantage!  So help out your fellow language learners participating in the challenge!  Leave them words of encouragement on their notebook entries!  And dont forget to sign up for yourself, and get 2015 of to a great start! Cassie  from Australia is learning French She has been learning French for 12 months at University so far, though she has had little opportunity to speak French and practice her listening skills.  So despite facing the concurrent challenge of raising children, she will be taking the New Years challenge to continue to improve her French!  Provide advice and support on her notebook. David Jackson  from the UK is learning Mandarin   After going to Taiwan he became inspired to learn the language.  He would love to spend more time in Taiwan and also hopes to be able to converse with his girlfriend in Chinese.  While speaking a little already, he hopes to make great strides over the coming 2 months!  Help David out by commenting on his notebook. Jay Allen  from the United States is learning Japanese. Jay has been using italki for the past two years to learn Japanese!  Hes planning on going to Japan later this year and is afraid  his Japanese is not good enough to reach his goal: to speak in Japanese 85% of his time in Japan.  We were already very impressed with his Japanese and hope that he can continue to improve during the challenge.  Give Jay words of encouragement on his notebook entry. Jesee Calzalda from Texas is learning Spanish. Jesse has set a solid goal of being able to hold a 15 minute conversation with a native Spanish speaker in Spanish by April 12, 2015.  He is using the italki New Years Challenge to get a start on this task.  We wish him the best.  Give him advice by writing on his notebook. Jen Leigh  from the United States is learning  Spanish. Jens boyfriend is Chilean so not only does she want to be able to converse with him in his native tongue but also be able to speak Spanish when she goes to some weddings in Chile with him this year.  She wants to make sure she can order beverages and converse with her boyfriends family and friends.  Cheer her on here. Derek  from the United States is learning  Portuguese. Dereks wife is from Brazil and so are all of his non-English speaking in laws.  Therefore, Derek has resolved to get to a high level of Portuguese so he can communicate with his Brazilian family members.  We wish and the best and you can to on his notebook entry.  Good luck Derek! Sarah from the United States is learning Spanish Sarah wants to increase the fluidity of her speech this language challenge.  She wants to be able to formulate some of her thoughts in Spanish, without having to mentally translate everything before speaking.  She also hopes to learn more about the nuance of using the subjunctive.  Wish Sarah luck here. Sergio from New York is learning French. Sergio has taken 3 years of French in high school, but unfortunately has lost most of his ability to speak the language.   He  started up lessons 4 months ago and is looking for this language challenge to provide him with the necessary discipline to  get into the right routine.  He would like to be able to interview in French and write an op-ed in French.  Encourage him on his notebook.  Mark  from the United States is learning Spanish!   Mark is taking the challenge as it provides him the motivation he needs to keep improving his Spanish.  He wants to be able to to speak to his in-laws more easily and also hopes to get to the level where he is comfortable teaching a short 5 minute Spanish lesson himself.  Wish Mark the best here! Kevin  from the United States is learning Japanese. Kevin wants to take the challenge because he wants to use a strict time frame to help him study.  He wants to actually use the language as he often doesnt get many opportunities to do so.  Kevin mentioned that he hopes the challenge will bring him closer to the italki community.  Give him words of encouragement! Amy from the United States is learning Japanese, Korean, and Chinese! Amy is not taking just one language this challenge period, but three extremely difficult languages!   She is doing this while starting a new job as well!  This is definitely not an easy feat to pull off but we are sure she can do it!  She hopes to travel to these countries in the future so she would like to be able to speak the languages! Wish her the best on her notebook and be sure to follow her blog.

Small Business Saturday - ALOHA Mind Math

Small Business Saturday Small Business Saturday is coming and ALOHA thought we would share a few reasons how and why we help your community. But first a bit of background from the SBA.gov website: The 23 million small businesses in America account for 54% of all U.S. sales. Small businesses provide 55% of all jobs and 66% of all net new jobs since the 1970s. The 600,000 plus franchised small businesses in the U.S. account for 40% of all retail sales and provide jobs for some 8 million people. The small business sector in America occupies 30-50% of all commercial space, an estimated 20-34 billion square feet. Several of the reasons that ALOHA is an integral part of any community in which they are located include: ALOHA is a leading provider of mental arithmetic and English Reading/Writing programs for children from grades 1 to 5. The ALOHA Mental Arithmetic is an after school program helping the children expand their horizons. The program is imparted by certified and qualified teachers employed by ALOHA adding to the economic growth of a community. Classes provide a fun filled and interactive learning environment keeping children engaged in positive after-school activities. ALOHA’s Reading/Writing program fosters literacy, providing meaningful opportunities for practice and application. We look forward to seeing you at one of our centers on Small Business Saturday or any day!

Android vs. iPhone for College Students

Android vs. iPhone for College Students Photo via Flickr user mujitra There are many brands, types and models of smartphones and tablets on the market right now. While the iPhone may be a smartphone giant of sorts, Android phones are plentiful, varied and in many cases, much cheaper than the Apple tycoons branded smartphone. For the average college student, here is a guide to deciding which operating system is best for you! User-friendliness Do you want to pick up a phone and be able to easily understand how to use it? The iPhone is probably for you â€" all you do is tap on the icon you want from your Home screen and press the Home button to return to that screen. The comfort of an iPhone is that its exactly the same as everyone elses â€" simple, clean and easy to use. Android devices can differ from phone to phone â€" different buttons, screen sizes, shapes, unlock screens, etc. The home screen differs from phone to phone and brand to brand. Android can definitely make a first-time user scratch their head as to where to find everything. Your Computer Are you all about the creativity and exploration of a Windows PC, or the carefully secure Apple interface? If youre a uber-customizer who loves to get down to the nitty gritty of your electronics, then Android is probably a more satisfying choice for you. If you want to not have to worry about your device and sync it with your Mac easily, then an iOS may be more suited towards your lifestyle â€" Apple makes sure that the iPhone integrated seamlessly with Macs. Photo via Flickr user johanl Do you hate Windows for the vulnerability to Trojans, spyware and malware? Android is probably not for you; the open-source development makes Android almost as vulnerable as Windows itself. If youre savvy on not clicking that Youve won an Amazon gift card! link and being smart about what apps you download, then youre probably set to go with Android. Also, if youre a Google user, highly invested in Gmail, Google Docs and Calendar, Android integrates quite seamlessly. I know that for me, an overly busy college student, Google makes my life much simpler, and having that Android integration really, really helps. Memory Your smartphone is used to download apps, store photos, music, video, etc. If you have too many of those, your smartphone slows down significantly.  The iPhone has great internal memory size options that you can choose at purchase. Android phones tend to have much less internal memory, unless youre looking at high-end Android phones like the Galaxy SIII. However, most Android smartphones come equipped with an SD card slot to add tons of extra memory. The iPhone does not have this capability.  The SD card is relatively cheap and removable, which exposes your data to possible corruption if handled improperly, while the iPhones purely internal memory is almost incorruptible. Personally, I prefer taking the card out, plugging it into my computer and being able to drag-and-drop, delete or add files wherever I want. The SD Card functions as a USB drive in this way. The iPhone needs a cable to sync up to my computer and iTunes to transfer music. I cant drag-and-drop any files. Photo via Flickr user sidduz Apps Lets be honest, touchscreens arent the only reason we love smartphones. Apps from Evernote to Angry Birds make our lives easier and less stressful, and for a college student, offer an escape from (or a focus on!) the world around them. With an iPhone, all app downloads go through the App Store. Each app is approved, controlled and monitored; some apps are rejected before they can hit the store. This makes the iPhone very secure. The App Store on iOS also has more apps than the Android Google Play Store, due to a much older, more prevalent market. Androids app market, through the Google Play Store, is a free-for-all, download-at-own-risk platform. However, with the SD card capabilities, you can also access the file system directly from your phone and  sideload apps from the SD card, all without jailbreaking the phone. Developers experiment more with their apps, with the freedom to do whatever they want. Cost Heres the cold hard truth: the iPhone 5 (16GB) starts at $199 with a mobile plan. Android phones often come for free with a mobile plan. Lets add up the other costs: if you want to upgrade the storage or get a new battery for your sputtering iPhone, you have to get a NEW iPhone. Android? You can just get a new SD card or battery on Amazon or at your local Best Buy. The security of iPhone due to Apples Apple knows best mentality comes with a literal price. Buying an iPhone or an Android phone isnt simple. Some people value certain things more than others. Whats most important to you in a smartphone? Tell us what phone you use, and why you love or hate it!