Learning Keeps Us Alive

How to become a digital competent teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 08:01:00 +0000

With schools and colleges closed indefinitely, a viable alternative to classroom teaching has to be evolved. When face-to-face classrooms are not possible, online teaching, especially for higher classes, is an obvious option. Teachers have a new challenge before them. They need to learn the ropes of this technological pathway and update their skills in order to fulfil their role as effective teachers. The teacher’s voice, modulation, pause, emphasis on certain words or statements etc. are all essential elements here. The body language of the teacher, including one’s gestures, facial expression, and relaxed appearance establishes an instant ‘connect’ with the students.

The various social media and networking sites that students participate in have led to the belief that students are all tech savvy. This is a false belief. Recent research suggests that students are not well acquainted with ordinary desktop applications that have been taught to them. This generation of students uses technology to communicate with others frequently. This is quite different from using technology in education. It is more vital to enable students know how to learn than what to learn. Teacher in this e-learning era takes an entirely different role as a guide facilitating them to choose between right and wrong information, to enable them chooses the best and the most appropriate content amongst the abundant information available with technology.

Role of a teacher

One of the major challenges with online education is the changing role of the teacher. Four different roles are identified for online teachers:

Pedagogical role
Social role
Managerial role
Technical role

Pedagogical roles refer to teaching methods; social roles are the way teachers establish social relationships with the students; managerial roles include administrative and organizational tasks; and technical responsibilities are the technical support that teachers provide for students.

Responsibilities of a digital competent teacher

Teaching face-to-face and teaching online are both teaching, but they are qualitatively different. In comparison, driving a car and riding a motorcycle are both forms of transportation, but they have enough differences to warrant additional training and preparation when switching from one to the other. The same is true when teacher move from the traditional classroom to the online classroom. With this in mind, consider the following responsibilities of a digital competent teacher.

Making the material engaging
Encouraging facilitated discussions
Managing time
Assessing online learning
Preventing cheating in an online Exam
Choosing online teaching platform
Building student self-discipline

Making the material engaging

In both face-to-face and online environments, it is crucial to engage students with the course. Making the class interesting not only motivates student work, it also promotes student success. Competent teachers do this by intertwining interesting anecdotes, videos, and examples into the lectures. They offer their students variety. Students are different types of learners, so, having this variety will ensure the students get the same opportunities to learn. Varying the activities in class helps teachers keep their students engaged with the content and help them learn better. They create competitions with giveaways and prizes to motivate the students. By placing some multiple choice questions at the end of each lesson, they evaluate student’s engagement.

Encouraging facilitated discussions

Interaction is the backbone of online classes. It helps teachers connect with the students and get them engaged. Most live stream and e-learning platforms have chats. Competent teachers take advantage by using them during their live lessons. Taking polls and asking the students questions during live lessons are great for interaction. Students can also write their answers in the chat. Competent teachers also address students by their names and encourage them to interact with each other.

Managing time

One of the major issues faced by teachers is the demand on their time, as it takes quite a bit of time to prepare, plan, and teach an online class. Here are effective time management tips competent teachers use to effectively manage their online classes.

They develop a routine to begin and end work at the same time each day. A routine will enable them to effectively utilize their time, as well as serve as a signal to students that they are not available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
They set office hour to assist students with questions or review feedback on assignments.
They always follow a specific order of importance in the class that ensures all tasks are completed timely and efficiently.
They simply reuse what they have posted in previous semester/quarter, as long as the course material does not change, and as long as the previous announcements and posts are tailored to fit.

Assessing online learning

Assessing student learning is an essential component of effective teaching and learning in the online environment. Competitive teachers use assessment tools allow for both formative and summative assessment of student learning. Formative assessment tracks student understanding and areas of weakness during the learning process and allows the teachers to adjust teaching accordingly. Summative assessments are a test of learning, typically conducted at the end of the learning process (i.e. midterm or final exam).

The following are examples of assessments that have been shown to be effective in the online learning environment.

Written Assignments
Online Discussion: Asynchronous discussion activities
Presentations
Test/quiz/exam

Preventing cheating in an online exam

Taking online tests increases the chance of cheating in comparison with paper testing. What competent teachers do to prevent students from online cheating? Totally preventing students from cheating seems to be impossible with all the advanced technology out there today. Here are some tips and tricks that competent teachers use to prevent cheating.

Do not allow selection and copy-pasting
Randomize the questions
Set a timer
Use problem-solving questions, when possible
Use secure browser to prevent screen sharing or mirroring
Display one question at a Time
Allow only one attempt to take an exam

Choosing online teaching platform

Finding the right online teaching platform is just the first step. Learning how to use the various features correctly is important. But using a platform and its features to teach effectively and ensure that all students are indeed learning is paramount. Many want to know which platform to use. Is it Zoom? But aren’t there privacy issues? What about Google Classrooms? Is that better than Zoom because it is an LMS? What’s an LMS? What about Microsoft Teams?

Competent teachers check the following features that help them choosing the platform that best fits their learning needs:

Easy Access
Friendly Interface
Effectiveness of Teaching
Interactivity and Live Sessions
Content Security

Building student self-discipline

Self-discipline is the way to keep students focused on their study. Self-discipline is a learned behavior that not every student has. In fact, students with high self-discipline are also known to behave differently, have fewer absences, and do more homework than that of their less-disciplined peers. Self-discipline is not only found to be related to a student’s academic success, but to their behavior as well.

Competent teachers use the following tips to develop self-discipline in their students:

They help students eliminate distractions
Reward the students when they perform better in the class or on the tests
Support the students with timely reminder
Turn “must do” tasks into “want to” tasks
Instill the right mindset for tackling challenges and learning from failure
Encourage students to practice planning

Personalized learning is the secret to student success

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 21:21:00 +0000

Every child is different, so why should learning be the same?

Until recently, classrooms looked the same as they did long years ago. Teachers would teach a class of 40 or more students, and students would memorize information in order to pass exams. Some students who grasped the concept quickly had to slow their pace, while students who were struggling would have to adjust to a faster pace.

The old ways of teaching were no longer adequate for today’s changing technological world, and thus was born the idea of personalized learning. When the student is given personal direction, attention, and content catered to their specific needs, they learn more, faster. Meanwhile, online learning and tech tools make personalized learning easier for the students. Learning with technology will strengthen both personalized learning for students and professional development for educators.

What is personalized learning

Personalized learning is the key to engaging students, as teachers are leading the way toward making learning as relevant, rigorous, and meaningful inside classroom as outside.

Personalized learning tailors learning experiences to each student’s strengths, needs, and interests. Students learn in different ways and at different paces. Personalized learning is a teaching model based on that premise. Each student gets a “learning plan” based on how he learns, what he knows, and what his skills and interests are. It’s the opposite of the “one size fits all” approach used in most schools. However, the end goal and academic standards don’t differ. Each student must reach a certain mastery level by the end.

Personalized learning examples

Example 1

Pat really loves dinosaurs, so the teacher creates a reading unit based on books about dinosaurs combined with a writing unit involving research about dinosaurs. If Pat is weak on particular styles of charts and graphs, Pat may get an extra unit that works on organizing information about dinosaurs visually.

Example 2

Sam wants to be a concert pianist, so Sam's educational program approaches history from the perspective of the history of music, and Sam actually spends less time daily on science so that there's more time for music-related studies.

Teacher can also give students the choice between reading a short story or listening to an audio version while reading. Allowing these kinds of customized learning give students the ability to choose the process that best fits their needs.

Personalized learning vs personalized pacing

What many schools are actually talking about is personalized pacing not personalized learning. Pat and Sam complete exactly the same reading materials, they study the exact same units in math, and they study history out of exactly the same textbook. The only difference is the speed with which they move through the materials. There is nothing personal about their learning program except the speed with which they move through it. It's the oldest problem in education, and personalized pacing does not help solve it.

The Benefits of using a personalized learning in the classroom

Personalized learning has become one of the most talked-about strategies in education today. The old-school methods of conducting a classroom simply don’t work for today’s plugged-in students. Modern learning theory supports the shift away from antiquated, rote learning models toward personalized learning model. This model creates fun and engaging classroom atmospheres that benefit students and teachers alike.

Here are many benefits of personalized learning.

Students are effectively more engaged and highly motivated

Self-regulation skills are built in students

Students are equipped with the tools to learn

Constantly challenged students are academically advanced

Lifelong learning mindset will be developed in students

Teaching philosophies in education

What is critical thinking and why is it so important

Teaching philosophies in education

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 20:42:00 +0000

Teaching philosophies express your values and beliefs about teaching. It is a self-reflective statement that describes both what you believe and provides concrete examples of what you do in the classroom to support those beliefs. It must be written in first person and should convey a professional image of your teaching. Teaching philosophy should be brief and well written. While Teaching philosophy can be probably longer at the tenure level (i.e. 3-5 pages or more), for hiring purposes it can be typically 1-2 pages in length. A teaching philosophy is also a document in progress and it should change and evolve as your teaching experiences build.

Purpose of Teaching Philosophy

Your reasons for writing a teaching philosophy may vary. You might be writing it as an exercise in concisely documenting your beliefs so that you can easily articulate them to your students and peers. It might serve as the introduction to your teaching portfolio. Or, it can serve as a means of professional growth as it requires you to give examples of how you enact your philosophy.

Your teaching philosophy in education does several things for you. It can:

Clarify what you believe good teaching to be.
Explain what you hope to achieve in teaching.
Contextualize your teaching strategies and other evidence of teaching effectiveness.
Provide an opportunity for reflection on and the development of your own teaching.
Convey your teaching values, beliefs, and goals to a broader audience

How to write a Teaching Philosophy

It is important to start by describing where you want to end. In other words, what are your objectives as a teacher? The rest of your philosophy statement should support these objectives which should be achievable and relevant to your teaching responsibilities; avoid vague or overly grandiose statements.

Here are the questions to prompt your thinking:

Concept of teaching

What are your values, beliefs, and aspirations as a teacher?
Do you wish to encourage mastery, competency, lifelong learning, critical thinking?
How are the values and beliefs realized in classroom activities?
You may discuss course materials, lesson plans, activities, assignments, and assessment instruments.

Goals for students

What skills should students obtain as a result of your teaching?
Think about your ideal student and what the outcomes of your teaching would be in terms of this student's knowledge or behavior.

Teaching methods

What methods will you consider to reach your goals and objectives?
What are your beliefs regarding learning theory and specific strategies you would use, such as case studies, group work, simulations, interactive lectures?
You might also want to include any new ideas or strategies you want to try.

Your interaction with students

What is your attitude towards advising and mentoring students?
How to make students feel comfortable in the classroom?
How to encourage students to interact positively with one another?

Assessing learning

How will you assess student growth and learning?
What are your beliefs about grading?
What different types of assessment will you use (i.e. traditional tests, projects, portfolios, presentations) and why?

Professional growth

How will you continue growing as a teacher?
What goals do you have for yourself and how will you reach them?
How will you use student evaluations to improve your teaching?
How might you learn new skills?
How do you know when you've taught effectively?

Now that you've written down your values, attitudes, and beliefs about teaching and learning, it's time to organize those thoughts into a coherent form. Responses to all of these questions will require some reflective thought and you will likely benefit from discussing them with other faculty in your department. Consider bouncing your responses off of your colleagues, ponder their responses, re-evaluate your positions, revise, talk some more, etc. Over time your responses will change to reflect how you have grown and changed as a teacher. Think of your teaching philosophy as a work in progress over the course of your career.

What is critical thinking and why is it so important today

Learning in the 21st century

What is critical thinking and why is it so important today

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 21:05:00 +0000

What is critical thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze the way you think and present evidence for your ideas, rather than simply accepting your personal reasoning as sufficient proof.

Critical Thinking is, in short, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve a problem or make a decision.

Critical thinking is not a matter of accumulating information. A person with a good memory and who knows a lot of facts is not necessarily good at critical thinking. Critical Thinking skills teach a variety of skills that can be applied to any situation in life that calls for reflection, analysis and planning.

From solving problems in class assignments to facing real world situations, Critical Thinking is a valuable skill for students to master. It can also enhance their academic performance. Researcher Jane Qinjuan Zhang writes that critical thinking enables students to assess their learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, and allows them to take ownership of their education.

If you work in education, research, finance, management or the legal profession, then critical thinking is obviously important. Being able to think well and solve problems systematically is an asset for any career. You can also use critical thinking to free yourself from cognitive biases, negative thinking, and limiting beliefs that are holding you back in any area of your life.

Benefits of critical thinking

A well-cultivated critical thinker:

raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences;
Knows how to prioritize time and resources by systematically analyzing what is useful and what is not;
communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems;
understands the experiences & views of others and enhance the ability to work with different people.

Why critical chinking is so important today

We live in a world of accelerating change. New industries are constantly being born and old ones are becoming obsolete. It's true that automation could overtake many jobs in the future. To ensure you're not replaceable by a machine, you need strong critical thinking skills.

A study by Ball State University estimates that 5 million U.S. factory jobs have been lost to automation since 2000. A new McKinsey report warns that machines and AI could destroy another 73 million U.S. jobs by 2030, displacing up to 800 million workers worldwide.

According to Nick van Dam, global chief learning officer at McKinsey & Co., this is the best time for people who have the right skills and right education because there are tremendous opportunities. It’s also the worst time in history for people with ordinary skills and education.

Citing World Economic Forum research, van Dam said the Top 10 skills that will be in demand in the near future are:

Complex problem-solving
Critical thinking
Creativity
People management
Coordinating with others
Emotional intelligence
Judgment and decision-making
Service orientation
Negotiation
Cognitive flexibility

Learning in the 21st century

What is digital portfolio and how it helps students for career success

Learning in the 21st century

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 20:31:00 +0000

What do we need to make a 21st-century skills curriculum? Do we need to change the way we teach? Firstly, it doesn’t look like we really need to change that much. We have classrooms that are dynamic, with digital tech and highly creative activities. But we also have a problem because society doesn’t measure success in softer skills. Success is judged on rote learning, photographic memories and the ability to write under a time constraint. This system perpetuates an antiquated view of education. It could produce academically brilliant students, but they may lack the skills that make them employable.

Education is the key tool to manage the challenges ahead. That's why we must use education to help students ride this wave of change and give them the skills they need for the new jobs of the 21st century. The world in the 21st century is now seen as a place of constant change. In the world of today, students should know how to communicate, collaborate, and present their ideas to navigate through various challenges in the advanced life. As we move further into the 21st century, the call for pedagogies that promote 21st century skills to be adopted in Educational institutions and they should adopt pedagogies that promote the development of the following skills:

Critical thinking;
Problem-solving;
Creativity and innovation;
Collaboration and teamwork;
Leadership;
Communications and information fluency;
Computing and ICT fluency;
Career and learning self-reliance

Growth in connectivity, underpinned by rapid uptake of digital technologies, and the dominance of social media platforms, have informed visions of learning beyond formal school systems that are grounded in collaboration and networking. Educators should recognise the trends that are occurring with how students are learning and to integrate some of the features of this learning culture into their classrooms.

An educator in the 21st century should be able to anticipate and make plans for the future. He or she should be able to prepare the students for the unpredictable situations in life with the involvement of technology. You may discuss how life-long learning will be a way forward in the future world. Active learning, project-based education, learning through inquiry, reasoning and problem-solving skills are all imperative for the holistic development of students.

We can't teach our students for tomorrow in the schools that existed yesterday. Educators should explore the high-tech and high-touch landscape and pull up the kids with them. KOBE Learn is an app designed to help young users learn common words and phrases in Ojibway, Cree and Oji-Cree, the traditional languages of the northern communities served by the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Board of Education.

"The focus was on the 21st century learner," said Sarah Johnson, the native language lead with the board, "many of our children are focusing now on technology."

The app was developed by the board with the help of language teachers, elders and community members, she said, who worked together to decide on the phrases and the corresponding syllabics, and to make recordings of the words being spoken aloud.

What is digital portfolio and how it helps students for career success

Build robots with smarter sensors

What is independent learning and how to cultivate independent learner

What is digital portfolio and how it helps students for career success

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 11:48:00 +0000

In the 21st century, we are seeing a shift in views regarding how students can be tested and assessed based on their performances inside and outside the classroom. Students can also be assessed by creating and displaying their work online through social media, YouTube, and digital portfolios. Regardless of the format of assessment, technology is becoming a critical part of learning as well as student performance. So, how we can use technology to create better assessments?

Technologies are popping up everywhere that promise personalized learning through digital portfolio assessment, in which students showcase and assess their work and then post it online. The best digital portfolio processes do more than serve as an evaluation tool. It helps the student develop a stronger sense of themselves as a learner and see their growth over time. Students start to identify themselves as capable learners. If the digital portfolio has been maintained over several years, their progress is even more evident.

And isn’t that the ultimate goal of education? To develop individuals who can reflect on their actions and make changes for the betterment of themselves and those around them?

Digital portfolios came into prominence in the 1990s, around the time when computers became common place in classrooms. Digital portfolios cut the distance between student thinking and evidence of learning. There is no longer a need to represent understanding through a score or a grade. Digital portfolios allow students to learn the required material with depth and self-reflection.

Digital portfolios should be process oriented

A myth in education is that we should only showcase student’s best artifacts of learning. We might think of an artist’s body of work when considering digital portfolios as an alternative assessment. Yet how did that artist get to a point of success? The development of their skills and talent didn’t just happen. Many mistakes, quiet reflection, and new pursuits of learning had to have occurred prior to mastery.

So, it would be logical to expect a student’s digital portfolio to be process oriented. This means that at every critical stage of learning, something should be documented. Not everything is published, but there is reflection and context for the work that’s attached to the artifact. Families, peers, and the student themselves come to see that understanding does not come out of thin air. The result is an appreciation for the process of learning itself that is not dependent on an external evaluation.

Digital portfolios Prepare Students for career success

To thrive in the workforce, students must be able to differentiate themselves from other job candidates and show what they know in a way that goes beyond a transcript or static resume. The use of technology brings a job seeker to life and provides a connection point between employers and job candidates. Digital portfolios are a proven catalyst to employment for many students. The platform challenges the traditional resume and opens the door to a more holistic approach to cataloging achievements. For instance, a traditional resume allows a film student to describe a film they directed and produced, while a digital portfolio gives them the opportunity to actually show the film or clips from the film. This deliberate presentation of capabilities leads to increased confidence and accelerated progress.

Where the portfolios should be hosted?

Many inexpensive or free digital portfolio tools are readily available and can provide a low-risk opportunity for educational institutions to explore and refine the purpose of their digital portfolio program while beginning to establish a digital portfolio culture on campus.

Students can create an incredible portfolios using Google Drive, Portfoliobox, Dropr and Blogger. They can decide to keep the portfolios private, invite a specific audience to view them, or connect them directly with the worldwide audience.

A Glimpse about blogger

Blogs offer students the opportunity to create an online portfolio that documents success, progress, and achievement. In addition to a blog page, students share projects, investigations, and a bit about themselves. The sites allow the students to catalog their educational journey and provide opportunities to

Demonstrate mastery of content.
Reflect on the process of learning.
Develop 21st century skills – empathy, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.

A teacher can use Blogger to host a blog to his class and allows students to be guest bloggers to share their experiences. Teacher can also include the links to each of their student’s portfolios on the blog to connect them in one place. You can check out a blog “AP Bio Rockstars” that is an example of it.

What is independent learning and how to cultivate independent learner

Have a look on smarter sensors to build robots

Build robots with smarter sensors

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 14:00:00 +0000

The constant movement of fish that seems random is actually precisely deployed to provide them at any moment with the best sensory feedback they need any to navigate the world, Johns Hopkins University researchers found.

The finding, published on November 29, 2018 in the journal Current Biology, enhances our understanding of active sensing behaviors performed by all animals including humans, such as whisking, touching and sniffing, and demonstrates how robots built with better sensors could interact with their environment smarter and more effectively.

“There’s a saying in biology that when the world is still you stop being able to sense it,” says senior author Noah Cowan, a mechanical engineer and roboticist at Johns Hopkins. “You have to actively move to perceive your world but what we found that wasn’t known before is that animals constantly regulate these movements to optimize sensory input.”

For humans, active sensing is when we feel around in the dark for the bathroom light switch, or when we bobble an object up and down in our hands to figure out how much it weighs. We do these things almost unconsciously, and scientists have known little about how and why we adjust our movements according the sensory feedback we get from them.

To answer the question, Cowan and his colleagues studied weakly electric fish, fish that generate a weak electric field that emanates around their body and helps them with communication and navigation. The team created an augmented reality for the fish so they could observe how a fish’s movements changed as their feedback from the environment changed.

Inside the tank, the fish hovered within a tube where they wiggled back and forth constantly to maintain a steady level of sensory input about their surroundings. First, the researchers changed the environment by moving the tube in a way that was synchronized with the fish’s movement, making it harder for the fish to extract the same amount of information. Next they made the tube move in the opposite direction of the fish, making it easier for the fish. In each case, the fish immediately increased or decreased their swimming to get the same information. They swam harder when the tube’s movement gave them less sensory feedback and they swam less when they could get could get more feedback from with less effort. The findings were even more pronounced in the dark when the fish had to lean more on their electro sense.

Because Cowan is a roboticist and most of the authors on this team are engineers, they hope the biological insight can be used to build robots with smarter sensors. Sensors are rarely a key part of robot design now but these findings made Cowan realize they perhaps should be.

“Surprisingly engineers don’t typically design systems to operate this way,” says Debojyoti Biswas, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins and the lead author. “Knowing more about how these tiny movements work might offer new design strategies for our smart devices to sense the world.”

This work was supported by James McDonnell Foundation Complex Systems Scholar Award grant 112836; Collaborative National Science Foundation Award, grants 1557895 and 1557858 and National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant 1460674.

Watch How a Fish Explore the World

Read More:

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Artificial Intelligence in Chinese Classrooms

What is Independent learning and how to cultivate independent learner

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Sat, 10 Nov 2018 04:06:00 +0000

What is independent learning?

Independent Learning’ is often linked with other approaches to learning such as ‘personalisation’, ‘student-centered learning’ and ‘ownership’ of learning.

Independent learning is a process, a method and a philosophy of education in which students set their goals, monitor and evaluate their own academic development, so they can manage their own motivation towards learning. They make decisions about what they will focus on and how much time they will spend on learning both inside and outside the classroom.

Key ingredient in independent learning is to shift the responsibility for the learning process from the teacher to the student. Independent learning did not merely involve students working alone; teachers have a key part to play in enabling and supporting independent learning though, for example, structuring group work. A student can share a problem with another student on his course or even in another discipline to find a solution.

Benefits of independent learning

In independent learning environment, students are more motivated to learn and are more actively involved in their learning than those who study in more restrictive environments.

An independent learner has many benefits such as: -

Improved academic performance
Better Decision making
Increased motivation and confidence
Greater awareness of their limitations and their ability to manage them

How to promote Independent Learning

A teacher can avoid the pitfalls of spoon feeding by presenting active learning methods that will encourage students to become independent learners and thinkers.

“Spoon feeding, in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.” ~~ E.M. Forster.

A teacher wants to develop their students into independent learners. In so doing, he hopes that the students can take control of their own learning – both inside the classroom and beyond.

There are a number of practices a teacher can build into their teaching to encourage independent learning during every lesson. These include:

Inspire student motivation

Motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is a key factor in the success of students at all stages of their education, and teachers can play a pivotal role in providing and encouraging that motivation in their students. Of course that’s much easier said than done, as all students are motivated differently and it takes time and a lot of effort to learn to get a classroom full of students enthusiastic about learning, working hard, and pushing themselves to excel.

Use the power of your relationship with students to show a passion for learning. When you embody passion for learning, your students are more likely to have a powerful, positive emotional connection to learning that will inspire their motivation to continue to learn.

Encourage your students to set goals and develop a plan

It is easy to set an arbitrary goal for some point in the future; however, it is quite different to consciously choose a realistic goal to attain and develop an action plan in order to achieve it. Understanding how to set realistic goals and developing a plan to achieve these goals is essential in helping students understand who they are as learners and provides them with the opportunity to reflect upon their journey, instead of simply focusing on successes and failures.

Support them in making a commitment to themselves to get started on achieving their goals. Assist them in affirming their commitment to organize themselves, manage their focus over time, and limit time-wasting distractions.

Create Learning environment for the students

Every student learns a bit differently from the next, the environment itself plays a significant role in their development. Safe learning environments translate into comfortable learning environments. They are places where learners feel at home.

Allow students to be openly expressive and encouraging to others. In surroundings where students are willing to open their minds and actually listen to what you have to say, you can empower them to achieve their highest potential.

Let the Students Teach

Letting students teach is scary but it’s also a great way for them to learn. Research indicates that students learn better when they teach. As a teacher you’re someone who wants to help students improve their independent thinking skills. Simply telling students that they would later teach another student changes their mindset enough so that they engage in more effective approaches to learning.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open ended questions encourage extended responses, as opposed to yes or no, or one word answers. They invite students to reason, reflect and think. Instead of predictable answers, open-ended questions elicit fresh and sometimes even startling insights and ideas, opening minds and enabling students to build knowledge.

Provide written and/or oral feedback

Feedback is an essential part of effective learning. It helps students understand the subject being studied and gives them clear guidance on how to improve their learning.

Feedback is information that a teacher gives to students that helps them close the gap between where they are now with their work, and where they could be. The goal of feedback is to provide students with insight that helps them to improve their performance.

How to increase student participation in the classroom

Microsoft Partners Chalkup to make learning more collaborative

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 06:11:00 +0000

Microsoft has partnered with classroom collaboration startup Chalkup to drive better learning experiences for students globally. Microsoft has also hired Chalkup Co-founder Justin Chando to work on Microsoft's Teams product.

At Microsoft, Chando will be a product manager on its education team, focusing on helping Chalkup’s existing users migrate to Microsoft Teams. Some of Chalkup’s features, including its rubrics system for grading, will be added to Microsoft Teams, according to a blog post from Microsoft.

CEO Justin Chando founded Chalkup in 2015 to build a more compelling digital classroom experience for all students. As a class collaboration platform, Chalkup keeps students, teachers and parents connected.

Chalkup claims users in 1 in 5 high schools, and 1 in 3 universities, in the United States. The product aims to help improve the assignment workflow in the classroom, by allowing students to ask questions, leave comments and submit digital assignments. Teachers can also share resources with students, allocate assignments, hold discussions, and much more.

In an interview with EdSurge, Chando said his company had been engaged in conversations with several education companies and received multiple acquisition offers. Early this year, he decided to go with Microsoft.

He says Microsoft Teams for education is aligned with Chalkup’s original vision as a “class collaboration solution that was built on the idea that classes need to discuss and work together to get their questions answered and share more collaboratively.”

Microsoft began rolling out its Teams for Education collaboration service in March 2017. Microsoft Teams is a free add-on to Office 365 Education for users with an Education, Education Plus, Education E3 and/or an Education E5 suite plan.

Like Chalkup, Microsoft Teams shares many of the same principles for collaborative learning and includes seamless class discussions, chat, and integrated assignments and grading functionality. These are free tools that implement proven techniques to improve reading and writing for students regardless of their age or ability.

"In spending time with the amazing people at Microsoft, it was clear that we were completely aligned in our mission for connecting classrooms, sparking student collaboration, and finding new and innovative ways to work together," Chando said. "We knew Microsoft would be a great fit and we're thrilled for what the future holds for our customers," said Chando, in the official announcement.

As the two products compete in the same space – collaboration software for educators and students, both Microsoft and Chalkup realized they may join forces to continue their shared mission of helping every student and educator on the planet.

Chalkup will be ending its services on June 30, 2018. The existing customers of Chalkup will be able to continue to run their courses until the school year ends in June. It will also soon add the ability for users to export their course information and move to Microsoft Teams.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Chinese Classrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 19:53:00 +0000

You may have heard of artificial intelligence (AI), but you haven’t heard of what’s happening in Chinese classrooms (article in Chinese). Yi Xue, an education technology company in China, focuses on junior high educatio+n and uses AI to test students’ knowledge to an incredible level of detail.

Students start by taking a set of problems and Yi Xue’s system analyzes their capability for the skills required on college entrance exams. Based on the students’ abilities, the AI creates a tailored knowledge plan and helps the student train in the areas where they’re lacking via online work and offline tutoring. They use Bayesian networks for building up tailored profiles for each student and Yi Xue has been able to prove that their system can teach students more effectively than highly trained teachers.

In October of 2017, Yi Xue held a competition for real teachers versus their AI computer teaching system. Over four days, 78 junior high students and three teachers with an average of 17 years teaching experience each, were run through a test. The AI taught students raised their average scores by 36.13 points compared to the human teacher-led students who only raised their score by 26.18 points. Yi Xue’s AI-based system beat the experienced teachers by 38%.

In China, education is one of the most competitive and important aspects of a child’s upbringing. The education technology industry is heating up in China and with an additional $45 million in investment, Yi Xue looks poised to be one of the leaders. Stay tuned because we may just see the global education revolution take place in China first.

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How to become favorite teacher among students

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 20:32:00 +0000

There is no doubt that when we were students we had a favorite teacher, who made us love his or her class by creative way of teaching, Establishing a positive and supportive classroom environment and providing a platform in which students are encouraged and motivated to grow both academically and personally.

Ultimately, this is every teacher’s goal: to be the one who gets the control of the class, is always greeted with respect and is talked about in a good way outside of the classroom.

Here are some secrets that will make you the favorite teacher for your students.

Create comfortable atmosphere in the classroom

Teaching and learning should not be boring. Teachers should be friendly with students but not friends. If teachers become friendly with students, it will create a comfortable atmosphere where both students and teachers can share their ideas. Teachers should incorporate humor into their daily lessons. This may be sharing an appropriate joke related to the content you will be teaching that day. Students love teachers who incorporate creative, fun, engaging activities into their daily classroom.

Show your students that you care about them

When students feel their teacher is a caring person, then the classroom becomes a happier place for all the students. Showing students you care about them helps create a positive, supportive relationship and helps build an environment where creative ideas are more likely to emerge. Sometimes we underestimate the power of a smile, a kind word and an honest compliment. Taking time to listen to student concerns shows that you care enough about them to value their ideas.

Trust that your students have ability to do well

One of the greatest things you can do to build relationships with students is to trust them. When you tell your students you have confidence that they can handle a difficult assignment or improve their performance in the test, you impart a very powerful message to them. Students often will work hard and behave appropriately to prove that your confidence in them is justified. Every student needs to have at least one person in their life who believes that they can do well.

Promote equity in the classroom

When you call on students, there are several things to keep in mind. First of all, you must monitor the equitability of response opportunities. You will probably have several talkative students who tend to dominate the conversation so try to draw others in by asking them what they think. You may also need to gently ask the more vocal students to hold back occasionally to let other students have an opportunity to speak. Otherwise, they will believe that you don't expect that they will be able to answer your questions.

Protect your student’s self-esteem

How do you manage a classroom without taking away students' dignity? Make discipline corrections quietly and quickly. When there is misbehavior, keep your voice even. If you can deal with a problem in a joking or light manner, that's even better. Sometimes, a pause or look will settle the issue and nothing needs to be said. When leading a class activity, you may be able to talk privately about a discipline issue at the student's desk or catch him as he leaves class.

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How to Increase Student Participation in the Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 19:49:00 +0000

Getting all your students focused, eager, and on task in the class is challenging enough. Every teacher wants to know how to motivate students to participate in the class. Student participation not only adds interest to a course, it also provides a way for a teacher to promote active learning and assess understanding of students. Both teachers and students learn from active student participation in the classroom.

Class discussions prompt students to listen to another's point of view and adjust their thinking accordingly. Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning process increases their attention and focus, motivates them to practice higher-level critical thinking skills and promotes meaningful learning experiences. Teachers who adopt a student-centered approach to instruction increase opportunities for student engagement, which then helps students more successfully achieve the course’s learning objectives.

There are so many different ways to get students’ attention because there are so many different types of students. However, here are a few ways that can really make a difference in the class.

#1: Assess Students’ prior knowledge

This could be as simple as asking students, “What do you know about (topic)?” and writing their responses on the board. In classroom, students' prior knowledge is a key factor in students overall achievement and performances. When students have prior knowledge about a topic, they are able to make connections to new content more easily, and can understand and remember information more successfully. Both the teacher and the students benefit when teachers assess their students' prior knowledge. Teachers are able to form instruction based on what students know and need to know, and students learn what is necessary to succeed.

#2: Learn Students’ Names

Students will be more engaged if they believe that the teacher perceive them as individuals, rather than as anonymous members of a group. A teacher that doesn't take the time to learn their students’ names is often perceived as disinterested and unapproachable. By calling on a student by name, it gives the impression that the teacher cares about their success and develops a sense of trust. It also has an effect on student interactions. Knowing the names of peers by either activities in which they learn each other’s names or by hearing the teacher address them promotes interaction between students. Calling students by name communicates respect, helps them feel recognized as individuals, and helps to draw out and include shy students in class discussions.

#3: Effectively Communicate with Visual Aids

Most students need something to focus their eyes on (besides the teacher) when they are trying to learn a new concept. The use of visual aids (e.g., pictures, animation videos, projectors and films) is a motivational tool in enhancing students’ attention in the classroom. The teacher use different approaches and substantial to teach their students and their active learning. Visual aids arouse the interest of learners and help the teachers to explain the concepts easily. Visual aids are those instructional aids which are used in the classroom to encourage students learning process.

#4: Divide Your Class into Groups

Small-group discussions of developing strategy can be effective way to provide reflective learners and shy students a means ideas that they can then contribute to the class discussion. Especially good when reviewing before a test: divide the class into groups and give each group a topic. Set some guidelines and then let them teach each other. Groups of students with mixed learning styles promote greater collaboration.

Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making skills.

#5: Listen and Respond Appropriately

Give students 5-10 seconds to think and formulate a response. Be comfortable with silence! Eventually someone will speak up. There are many ways to hint to students that their initial answer might not be quite right without making them feel like they made a mistake. Make eye contact with students while they are speaking, and also use eye contact to encourage the quiet students. You will probably have several talkative students who tend to dominate the conversation so try to draw others in by asking them what they think. You may also need to gently ask the more vocal students to hold back occasionally to let other people have an opportunity to speak.

#6: Teach with technology

The term “technology” refers to advancements in the methods and tools we use to solve problems or achieve a goal. However, it can be challenging to select the “best” tech tools for student learning. When technology integration in the classroom is seamless and thoughtful, students not only become more engaged, they begin to take more control over their own learning, too. In the classroom, technology can encompass all kinds of tools from low-tech pencil, paper, and chalkboard, to the use of presentation software, or high-tech tablets, online collaboration and conferencing tools, and more. The newest technologies allow us to try things in physical and virtual classrooms that were not possible before. What you use depends fundamentally on what you are trying to accomplish.

#7: Debrief

The act of debriefing means to carefully examine and analyze upon completion, providing succinctness and summary of learning. Once class is over, review which students actively participated in the classroom. Consider if there are students who need more encouragement to interact in future classes, and make a point to draw them into the discussion in the next class. This can be done by asking them a direct question or in the case of extremely shy students, mentioning to them before or after class that you’d like to hear what they have to say. These routines not only ask students to summarize and justify what they have learned, but also to explore new topics and raise additional questions from what occurred during their classroom experience.

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Best 10 robots that grabbed world’s attention in 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 21:15:00 +0000

Will robots change our lives in the future? It's a funny question to ask when they're changing our lives now in so many ways and they have been for years. Industry has benefited drastically from the expanse of a robotic work force. Automated machines have taken over the duties of dangerous and mundane jobs from humans, allowing greater productivity.

Many fear that one-day machines may rise above humanity and trigger the so-called "robocalypse" but, over the last few years it has also become evident that it is nearly impossible to shut them off and live a life with no bots around to do things the better way. The fact now is we have to move ahead with them, doing things for the betterment of humanity.

Well, 2017 is coming to an end and it is the ideal time go back and see which machines got smarter or nailed some really complicated tasks this year — things that we never thought could be done in a better way.

So, here is a list of best robots that grabbed our attention in this year:

1. Sophia -World's first robot citizen

Developed by Hanson Robotics, humanoid robot Sophia came to the limelight earlier this year, spoke at the UN, appeared on the Jimmy Fallon show and then wooed the Saudi Arabian government with its phenomenal way with words to win a citizenship of the oil-rich kingdom. She became the world's first robot to have a citizenship.

The bot uses artificial intelligence to give some pretty interesting responses, animates a range of facial expressions, recognises faces and holds realistic conversations. Just a few weeks back, Sophia expressed its opinion on things like women's rights, starting a family, and bots joining humans at work sometime in future.

2. Handle — workspace robot

Boston Dynamics, the company Alphabet sold to Softbank, has developed a range of bipedal robots with the objective of simplifying complex workspace related tasks. The company has improved its humanoid robot Atlas, which was recently seen jumping over blocks. Handle is one such offering from the company that not only jumps and moves swiftly but also boasts abilities of performing physically challenging tasks. In fact, despite being under development, it can easily carry up to 50kg of load using its hands.

3. Guardian GT — the heavy lifter

If the job is solely about heavy-lifting, Sarcos robotics' Guardian GT is the one to call. The machine packs two 7ft long dexterous arms mounted on a track or wheeled base. A human controller with or without adequate training can then easily use these arms to perform delicate manoeuvres and lift as much as 450kg of load without breaking a sweat. The robot could also be used to take on dangerous tasks such as cleaning toxic waste or intricate processes like welding and joining.

4. Honda E2-DR — the bot to assist with disaster relief

In the arena of bipedal machines, Honda's much-improved E2-DR stands out from the crowd. This 5.5ft tall humanoid robot is aimed at helping in disaster relief. The machine is still a prototype but can already move over pipes, climb stairs and ladders, and crawl over scattered debris. The torso of E2-DR rotates at 180-degrees and it can even walk through 26 mm/hour of rain for about 20 minutes and operate in temperatures ranging from -10 to 40 degree Celsius.

5. Dobi — the record-holding dancer

This cute little two-legged robot, developed by Chinese company WL Intelligent Technology, cannot do heavy-lifting or assist with disaster relief but makes up a perfect package for home entertainment. It can dance, sing, box, play football, and show off some impressive kung fu moves using its 17 movable joints. In fact, when it comes dancing, the cute Chinese robot also holds a Guinness World record to its name for showing off super-cool dance moves in sync with more than 1,000 bots of the same kind. Dobi retails for about $330 in the market.

6. SpotMini — the lifelike robo-dog

Another eerily realistic creation from Boston Dynamics, SpotMini, is a novel but headless robot dog that can walk with seamless yet creepy lifelikeness. Though the company has not given away too many details about the robot, it describes the machine as a "nimble robot that handles objects, climbs stairs and will operate in offices, homes and outdoors".

7. Sony Aibo — the pet with emotions

Sony too has unveiled a lifelike pet. After more than a decade, the company decided to bring back Aibo – an AI-backed robot dog which it says "can form an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion". The puppy bot uses cloud-backed artificial intelligence to learn and interact with its owner and ultra-compact actuators to move smoothly. Aibo is aimed at forming a realistic bond with its owner by recognising and running towards them, detecting their smiles and words of praise, and knowing which actions will please them.

8. Vestri — the robot that can "see" future

Developed by University of California researchers, Vestri uses visual foresight — a type of learning technology — to predict what its cameras will see briefly in the future while performing a specific sequence of movements. The robot automatically learned to touch, feel and use its limbs to move objects while predicting what to do next to avoid obstacles and get best possible results. The robot is still under development and will learn more movements in near future.

9. Kuri — the smart home bot

Unveiled at CES 2017, Kuri smart home robot can understand context and surroundings, recognise people and answer questions with a range of facial expressions, head movements and sounds. The $800 robot is that cute little assistant for your home which will play music, dance and also capture candid moments of your family.

10. MIT's socially aware bot

MIT's cute little "socially aware robot" is a machine capable of navigating through public spaces, without hitting or disturbing people moving around it. The bot uses machine learning and range of sensors to maintain a safe "walking speed" while following the unsaid laws of pedestrian commute such as things like overtaking from the correct side (depending on the country) or leaving sufficient space while moving ahead of someone. It adjusts its path every tenth of a second.

Watch coolest robots in this video

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Playing Video Games could help Students be more Successful

Playing Video games could help students be more successful

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 19:14:00 +0000

Playing video games could help young people be more successful at university, according to a new study. A University of Glasgow trial found gaming improved communication skills, resourcefulness and adaptability. Researchers suggest this could impact on education success, with students seeing increases in attributes which help employability.

Lecturer Matthew Barr said many video games encouraged "critical thinking and reflective learning". "The findings suggest that such game-based learning interventions have a role to play in higher education", Mr Barr said.

Video games have become a part of life. They are now more than just leisure and entertainment. "Modern video games often require players to be adaptable and resourceful, and finding multiple ways of accomplishing a task. Therefore, it is not surprising that educators, policy makers, investors, and developers are trying to build games for students. However, the real reason game-based learning is so popular is not only because video games are extremely effective teaching tools; they are also relatively inexpensive to build and to distribute.

Video Games are potentially a useful learning tool. They have been found to promote student engagement, whether video games also promote subject learning and other benefits over the traditional classroom model. Video games have the potential to inspire learning, if they are used in the right way and can help students improve coordination and visual skills.

The Benefits of Video Games for Students

Contrary to the traditional belief that gaming is merely an addictive source of entertainment and diversion, recent research has proved that gaming has numerous benefits for children and adults. The following are some of the best benefits of playing video games.

1. Improves Brain Power-Research suggests that playing video games can change the brain regions responsible for attention and visuospatial skills and make them more efficient. Games that require players to search, negotiate, plan various approaches in order to advance to a new level, and implement strategies can help improve their brain development.

2. Improves Leadership Skills-Video games provide a place for players to express their competitive urges. In addition to building up friendly competition, many video games offer players the chance to take turns leading and following, something that can benefit them with their extra-curricular activities. The multi-player approaches allow players to participate in leading a team - a valuable skill to learn for the future.

3. Improves Decision making-Sometimes the player does this almost every second of the game giving the brain a real workout. According to researchers at the University of Rochester, led by Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world situations. The study suggests that playing action video games improves quick decision making in players.

4. Improves reading skills-The young gamer reads to get instructions, follow storylines of games, and get information from the game texts. A study of 10-year-olds who played 12 hours of an "action" video game found it improved their reading speed without any cost to accuracy. The researchers found those who had played the video games had better attention skills than before and they were able to read faster without losing any accuracy.

5. Improves cooperation with others–Many multiplayer games such as Team Fortress 2 involve cooperation with other online players in order to win. These games encourage players to make the most of their individual skills to contribute to the team. According to a survey by Joan Ganz Cooney Center, teachers report that their students become better collaborators after using digital games in the classroom.

List of Best Video Games in 2017

15. Sniper Elite 4

14. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

13. Yakuza 0

12. Destiny 2

11. What Remains of Edith Finch

10. Metroid: Samus Returns

9. Resident Evil 7

8. Nier: Automata

7. Assassin’s Creed Origins

6. Nioh

5. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

4. Horizon Zero Dawn

3. Persona 5

2. Super Mario Odyssey

1. Zelda: Breath of the Wild

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4 Amazing Benefits of Reading a Book

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 11:42:00 +0000

Reading is the best form of self-educating yourself, and there are no limits or boundaries to what you can learn and become in your life. If you want to be more successful in your life then reading is a best way because it improves your ability to focus, retain information, think better and concentrate.

The beauty of reading a book is, you can take it outdoors with you and enjoy reading. It also puts your worries and problems to one side and offers you all the positive and calming benefits.

Self-made billionaire Bill Gates reads about 50 books a year. “Reading is my favorite way to indulge my curiosity," he writes on his blog. "Although I'm lucky that I get to meet with a lot of interesting people and visit fascinating places through my work, I still think books are the best way to explore new topics that interest you."

Reading has many benefits, and just 4 Amazing benefits of reading are listed below

Acquire Knowledge

Gaining knowledge by reading is one of the best options that you have. Reading feeds your hungry mind with an endless supply of knowledge and can help to broaden your mind. When you don't stimulate the mind with new information, it can lead to boredom and a mundane way of life.

Everything you read fills your head with new information. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle the challenges of your life.

Reduce Stress and Improve Health

Of course, day-to-day life makes it impossible to eliminate worries and stresses completely, but there are many strategies to reduce them and stop them from becoming a serious health issue. One of the best strategies is reading.

Reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds, according to new research. No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other issues faced in daily life, reading can help you to feel better.

“It really doesn’t matter what book you read, reading reduces worries and stresses, boosts intelligence and improves sleep quality.

Improve Vocabulary and Communication Skill

Reading is an important step to increasing your knowledge of words. At least fifteen minutes a day of concentrated study on a regular basis can bring about a rapid improvement in your vocabulary skills. People who read more tend to have a better vocabulary with a greater understanding of the usage of those words, which in turn can increase your ability to communicate effectively and confidently.

At work, a better vocabulary will make it easier for you to communicate with customers, coworkers and supervisors. Whether you read for entertainment or education will improve your vocabulary and enhance your communication skills.

Stronger Analytical Thinking Skills

Reading helps you to become smarter and intelligent. The advantages of reading are limitless, one of the big advantages of reading a book is, it can stimulate your analytic thinking abilities and skills.

Critical thinking skills are essential, even in real life. They can be used at work, at home, with your family, friends and even your kids to solve problems. Books are small and compact; you can take a book with you anywhere you go. Active reading stimulates and expands your brain and allows it to think in new ways.

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Google Maps' new look with amazing features

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:20:00 +0000

“The world is an ever-evolving place. And as it changes, Google Maps changes with it. As roads close, businesses open, or local events happen in your neighborhood, you'll see it on Google Maps. When you schedule an event using Google Calendar, get a reservation confirmation in Gmail, or add a restaurant to your "Want to Go" list, Google Maps reflects that too. Now, we're updating Google Maps with a new look that better reflects your world, right now," Liz Hunt and Product Manager, Google Maps said in a blog post.

Google at the beginning of the year announced its all-new 'Lists' feature for Maps that gave users the ability to mark out places they want to recommend to family and friends. The feature was initially made available on mobile apps. After a good wait, the 'Lists' feature is finally arriving on desktop.

When you find places on Google Maps, you can save them to lists that will sync across your devices," said Google in a blog post on its Local Guides Connect site. This will mean that Google Maps users can now create and save a list from their desktops or laptops.

To create or share a list of places on Google Maps through desktop, users can find a place on Maps for desktop and then tap on Save. They can add it to one the existing lists or create a new one.

"Now, when you go to 'Your places' on Google Maps for Android, iOS, or the Web, you'll see places that you saved to lists from any device. And just like on mobile, you can click the three dots to share your lists with family and friends," added Google.

Google announced one another new feature in Search, one that is also coming soon to Maps. Google Search will now show you estimated wait times at restaurants, in a bid to arm you with that information before making your dining decision.

To see wait times for nearly a million sit-down restaurants around the world that allow walk-ins, just search for the restaurant on Google, open the business listing, and scroll down to the "Popular Times" section.

"There, you'll see the estimated wait time at that very moment. And by tapping on any of the hour bars, you'll see the estimated wait for that time period," Google said in a blog post.

"When it comes to a delicious serving of butter chicken or perfectly aromatic biryani, people are willing to wait in (long) lines for a taste of their favourite comfort foods. Now you can decide whether that Phirni is really worth an hour wait or plan ahead to get your fix at a time when you can avoid a wait entirely," the blog post adds.

As part of the new look, Google Maps will now only highlight local points of interest that are likely to be relevant to the type of map selected – driving, navigation, transit, and so on.

For example, petrol stations will be highlighted on the map when in navigation mode, but hidden when public transport is selected – since this is likely to be irrelevant.

Train stations will be displayed prominently when viewing the transit map.

Google also said that maps would get an updated color scheme with new icons added to more easily identify places like a church, cafe, museum or hospital not just by their symbol, but also with a corresponding color to make it even easier to identify.

For example, if you’re in a new neighbourhood and searching for a coffee shop, you could open the map to find the nearest orange icon (the new colour for Food & Drink spots).

These changes to the Maps feature will also be rolled out to the other apps that incorporate Google Maps information, like Assistant, Search, Earth and Android Auto. The changes also will be incorporated into the apps, websites and products that other companies have built using Google Maps APIs, the company said.

The company recently announced that one can now virtually visit all planets and moons in our solar system using Google Maps. Google Maps now enables a visit to Saturn's natural satellites such as Enceladus, Dione or Iapetus, Rhea and Mimas as well as Jupiter's Europa and Ganymede.

Google has also added to its lineup imagery of Pluto, Venus and several moons as well as made it easier to find them in maps.

"Google Maps can be downloaded from the App Store and Play Store for free"

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Microsoft Office 2019 is coming soon

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 20:38:00 +0000

The company announced that Microsoft Office 2019 will be available in the second half of 2018. Unlike Office 365, which has become an ever-updating service, office 2019 suite is for people who don't want their apps and services in the cloud. It will include the usual Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook client apps, alongside server versions of Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business.

Office 2019 will have more IT features and server upgrades to improve usability, voice and security, the company said at its Microsoft Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida.

Office 2019 includes several features for enterprise users who spend a lot of time in Excel and PowerPoint. Excel will also include new formulas and charts for data analysis, and PowerPoint will get new animation features. The apps will also come with better inking capabilities for mobile devices such as pressure sensitivity and tilt effects. Microsoft says it will share more on Office 2019 in the coming months.

How much will it cost?

At the moment, there is no confirmed price for Office 2019.

Single-user Office Home & Student 2016 for PC edition costs £119.99 but this package contains Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and OneNote, but not Outlook, Publisher, Access, Skype, or OneDrive.

For those who want everything, the only option is Office365. Presently this costs £59.99 per year for a one-user license, or you could opt for the monthly fee of £5.99.

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Attend Your Classes Virtually

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 11:36:00 +0000

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Skype and other online communications media have allowed billions of people around the world to share ideas in a matter of seconds, mostly at a very low cost. These advances in computer technology are as remarkable as they are familiar.

But most people are not aware of how computers and Internet technology are transforming the way students learn. This emerging education paradigm is often called “virtual learning” and it has the potential to improve student achievement, educational access and schools’ cost-effectiveness.

This is completely different than the classroom method of learning. Online courses can give you not only the opportunity to efficiently balance classes as well as time but also more freedom to engage in other activities outside of class like work, sports, etc. Because online classes are different, learning styles and goals may also be different as well. If you are considering online classes or are currently taking online classes and are looking for some advice on how to optimize your learning experience, these four tips will help!

1. Find your motivation, then use it!

Online classes, however, are different from regular classroom ones because they are 100 percent virtual and are attended at home. Because of this, you are way more vulnerable to distractions that can make it hard to be motivated to sit down at your desk for an hour or so and dedicate time to your online class. A great way to fuel your motivation is to write out a schedule of tasks to do each day for your online courses; include a time period and the length of time it will take you to accomplish your task, as this will help you to hold yourself accountable and stay on top of your to-do list!

2. Cut distractions

Speaking of distractions, when you are engaging in your online class, try to take preemptive measures to reduce distractions. Social media, texting, music, and television are all huge distractions that can affect your participation in online classes. One of the biggest tips I can offer is to take breaks when you feel that you deserve one, perhaps to get a snack or something, and set a timer. During your break you can have the freedom to be consumed by all of your distractions; however, once that timer ends, get back to work! Doing so again helps build self-discipline and pushes you to get your work done faster.

3. Evaluate the routine of your teacher/course

Not all teachers run their courses the same way, and when it comes to online courses, you will find that some teachers hold virtual meetings while others encourage discussion board participation. Because of the nature of online courses, teachers and professors have to be mainly available through email or some other form of contact, which allows for you to get in touch with them at any time to voice any questions or concerns you have about your learning pace or your progress in the course.

4. Be engaged

A great learning goal for online courses, though simple, is to be engaged. Review your course documents regularly, engage with students on a steady basis (not at the last minute every time), and participate not just when you need to, but when something sticks out to you in the material! Not only will this show your professor that you are interested and invested in the course, but it will also enhance your own learning experience!

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2018 Best Global Universities Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 23:46:00 +0000

When it comes to higher education, some students are willing or even eager to look beyond their own borders for the best universities options.

And it's becoming easier in some ways for students to earn a degree overseas. For instance, the number of English-taught bachelor's degree programs offered in Europe shot up from 55 in 2009 to nearly 3,000 in 2017, according to one recent study. However, it's still more common for graduate students to pursue a degree at a global university, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The overall 2018 ranking encompasses more schools than ever before – 1,250 universities located across 74 countries. This is an increase from the 1,000 universities in 65 countries included in last year's edition.

These institutions from the U.S. and more than 60 other countries have been ranked based on 13 indicators that measure their academic research performance and their global and regional reputations. Students can use these rankings to explore the higher education options that exist beyond their own countries' borders. These are the world's top 1,250 universities.

Top 1-10 of 1250 Universities sorted by Global Rank

#1 Harvard University, United States Cambridge, MA

Global Score-100

#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Cambridge, MA

Global Score-97.3

#3 Stanford University, United States Stanford, CA

Global Score-92.3

#4 University of California--Berkeley, United States Berkeley, CA

Global Score-90.8

#5 University of Oxford, United Kingdom Oxford

Global Score-87.3

#6 California Institute of Technology, United States Pasadena, CA

Global Score-85.7

#7 University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Cambridge

Global Score-85.3

#8 Columbia University, United States New York, NY

Global Score-84.6

#9 Princeton University, United States Princeton, NJ

Global Score-84.2

#10 Johns Hopkins University, United States Baltimore, MD

Global Score-83.4

Which countries performed the best in the overall Best Global Universities rankings?

The U. S. leads the rankings again this year, with 221 universities making the overall list. Behind the U.S., the following countries have the most ranked institutions out of the 1,250 on the overall list:

Country	Number of universities in top 1,250	Percent of universities in top 1,250
U.S.	221	17.7%
China	136	10.9%
Japan	76	6.1%
United Kingdom	73	5.8%
Germany	58	4.6%
France	57	4.6%
Italy	52	4.2%
Spain	46	3.7%
South Korea	44	3.5%
Australia	33	2.6%
Canada	33	2.6%
Turkey	30	2.4%
Brazil	29	2.3%
India	24	1.9%
Poland	24	1.9%
Taiwan	24	1.9%
Russia	15	1.2%
Austria	13	1%
Iran	13	1%
Netherlands	13	1%
Sweden	13	1%
Egypt	11	0.9%
South Africa	11	0.9%
Belgium	10	0.8%
Finland	10	0.8%
Portugal	10	0.8%

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What is the role of schools and teachers in student's life

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 14:47:00 +0000

The single greatest thing about humanity is its capacity to learn, introspect, and utilise that learning. Given that our being revolves around our abilities to enhance ourselves in the intellectual, physical, and emotional realms through which we survive, education is crucial.

Bill and Melinda Gates have poured billions of dollars into efforts to shape U.S. K-12 education over the past 17 years. So what’s $1.7 billion more?

In his keynote address at the Council of the Great City Schools conference in Cleveland this week, the Microsoft co-founder reflected on some lessons learned about education reform, along with plans to “invest close to $1.7 billion in U.S. public education over the next five years.”

Magdalena Slapik, a photojournalist working on an oral-history book project, has been interviewing public-school K-12 students across the country over the past several years to see what they have to say.

The Hechinger Report, which produced this project in partnership with The Atlantic, is running longer excerpts for 10 students, exploring questions such as: What do kids really think about school? How would they change it? Do they agree with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s conclusion that the U.S. school system is a “mess”? The Atlantic has published an abridged version of those excerpts to zero in on what students think their schools, teachers, and educations are for.

Ifetayo Kitwala, Grade 11-Baltimore School for the Arts—Baltimore, Maryland

What role should school and teachers play in students’ lives?

I feel like the teacher and the school share a similar role. When a student goes to a certain school, they all come from different backgrounds. I feel like school should be a place where I can learn about their culture and where they came from and them learn about mine.

If you don’t do it young, then you’ll never do it, in my opinion. If we don’t start appreciating the kid next to you who has a completely different family style or family structure and life experience, then you won’t do it when you’re older. You’ll look at it in a single-track way. I feel like that’s the role of a teacher and school as an institution. Just to create a space where students can fail, and still be like, “OK, I’m gonna try again, but in a different way.” Instead of saying, “Ok, I failed. I’m not going to be anything. Let me just quit.”

Jadaci Henderson, Grade 12-Dumas New Tech High School—Dumas, Arkansas

What do you think is the purpose of education, and what role should school play in a student’s life?

The role of school is to educate me, so that when I go out into society I can become productive. I can be a functioning member of society who can work, who can educate someone else, who can be a role model. That’s what I always thought it was. Now, I’m seeing the role of school—of education—[as] basically a pastime, like a public babysitter for whoever feels their children should be here.

Caleb Carman, Grade 11-Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School—New York City

What is the role school and teachers should play in students’ lives?

The role of education and the role of teachers is to empower students not just to do what they want, but to make mistakes. The more often you make mistakes, the more likely you will be to do something important. Messing up is something that we have to foster. Because, that’s how expressing yourself works—it’s when you get the chance to be wrong and to, you know, just sort of have a go at random things.

Emilia Olson, Grade 11-Palmetto Scholars Academy—North Charleston, South Carolina

What do you think the teacher’s role should be in students’ lives?

I think the teacher’s role is to engage the student and find what makes the student interested in the subject. It’s about finding passion, and I think this school does a really good job of that—allowing you to really search out what you want to do and find your passion. They don’t care if that’s in academics or art or sports. If you can’t find something that you’re actually interested in, you’re going to be living a life of lack, just going by. It’s the same with how I think the public-school system really fails with standardized testing. You’re just learning to take a test. You’re not learning to actually be happy.

Shamus Hayes, Grade 9-Mount Abraham Union High School, Bristol, VT

What do you feel is the purpose of education?

I think education is important, but it also depends. I don’t feel like you need to have an A+ in whatever, calculus, to just be able to work a normal job and make above minimum wage or anything. They teach you about all this stuff that happened hundreds of years ago, which, I like history, but they don’t really teach you about how to go and get a job, how to live on your own, pay this, pay that, when you actually have to do it. Or [they don’t] actually [prepare] you for college and dealing with that.

Lilianna Salcedo, Grade 10-USC Hybrid High School—Los Angeles

What role do you think school and teachers should play in students’ lives?

I think the role of teachers and education in general is to help us progress as a society. Not only in our smarts or technology, but to help us progress as a human race: preparing us to tackle the issues that [our predecessors] couldn’t defeat.

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A Look at Augmented Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 09:53:00 +0000

Magic Leap, the still-in-stealth-mode company developing an augmented-reality headset, announced that it has raised $502 million in Series D equity funding, led by Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings.

The funding brings Magic Leap, founded in 2011, to more than $1.8 billion raised to date — and the well-funded company has yet to publicly reveal what it’s working on.

Magic Leap is planning to ship an initial version of its headset — smaller than VR headsets like Oculus Rift but bigger than a pair of glasses — within the next six months, priced at $1,500-$2,000.

AR grew in popularity with the launch of mobile gaming sensation Pokemon Go and goofy Snapchat filters. But major tech companies—including Google, Facebook, and Apple—are now providing platforms and tools for developing AR applications. Beyond gaming and entertainment, the bigger promise for AR, which is estimated to become a $49 billion market by 2021, is for the professional hands-on workforce: Access to information and assistance on the go can make a huge difference in speed and efficiency.

General Electric is one of several companies quietly testing AR technology as a method for improving productivity and reducing errors. In the case of the wind turbine electrical cabinet, a first-time use of AR glasses by the operator has resulted in a 34 percent speed gain. This trend is finding its way into other large companies across different industries, driving noticeable improvements in manufacturing, warehouse management, equipment maintenance, design, and more.

Augmented-reality headsets have long promised to turn unskilled tinkerers into instant experts. Whether you want to change the oil in your car or cut an onion so it doesn’t make you cry, a headset or tablet will paint your surroundings with instructions guiding you like an experienced pro, patiently correcting any missteps along the way.

IOXP in Mannheim, Germany, can take a single video of someone correctly performing a task – and then with the help of artificial intelligence automatically convert it into an AR tutorial.

“The goal is that anyone who wants to fix something at home can download a tutorial to their AR device that shows them how to do so,” says Didier Stricker at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, and one of the co-founders of IOXP. There are already how-to videos on YouTube for every conceivable thing you might want to learn, but they won’t tell you when you’re doing it wrong.

To create an AR tutorial using the IOXP system, first you use a standard camera to film someone completing a task. This could be changing the oil in a car, installing a boiler or doing a cross-stitch. Then a host of computer-vision algorithms are set loose on the video to separate it into comprehensible chunks: detecting a person’s hands and what they are doing, recognising different objects, and so on. From this, the system generates a step-by-step electronic manual detailing how to do the task. Finally, that’s converted into an AR version.

Best of all, the AR instruction manual starts itself as soon as it recognises the task in front of you. For example, if an engineer goes to perform some basic maintenance on a machine, the camera on their AR headset will automatically identify the machine in front of it.

“You then see the hands of the expert in front of you showing you what to do,” says Stricker. If you grasp the wrong dial or object, your hands turn red and the system replays the action that you are meant to be performing, highlighting your hands, relevant knobs, dials, parts, all within an accuracy of half a centimetre.

Apple CEO Tim Cook thinks augmented reality is going to be something big, a fairly simple claim to make thanks to the company’s recent inclusion of its AR tech into every Apple device capable of updating to iOS 11. But when we talk about AR, the natural terminus isn’t the smartphone’s screen, but rather a perfectly immersive pair of AR glasses that have yet to come. Speaking to The Independent, Cook says the technology to create an AR headset in a “quality way” just isn’t possible yet, but when it is, Apple will be the best.

We don’t give a rat’s about being first, we want to be the best, and give people a great experience. But now anything you would see on the market any time soon would not be something any of us would be satisfied with. Nor do I think the vast majority of people would be satisfied.”

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A Glimpse of Future with Artificial Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 08:51:00 +0000

Very few subjects in science and technology are causing as much excitement right now as artificial intelligence (AI). It is becoming a greater part of our daily lives. Even our phones are not sentient little beings in our pockets. Many apps use parts of artificial intelligence to do things like recognize faces, react to context such as adding one’s location to messages, or understanding commands we give with our voice. Digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, along with Tesla’s Autopilot, are all powered by AI.

Right now a lot of money is going into the development of artificial intelligence. According to a paper from the McKinsey Global Institute Study reported by Forbes, in 2016 alone, between $8 billion and $12 billion was invested in the development of AI worldwide. A report from analysts with Goldstein Research predicts that, by 2023, AI will be a $14 billion industry.

If tech experts are to be believed, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the world. But those same experts don’t agree on what kind of effect that transformation will have on the average person. Some believe that humans will be much better off in the hands of advanced AI systems, while others think it will lead to our inevitable downfall.

Several world-renowned sciences and tech experts have been vocal about their fears of AI. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking famously worries that advanced AI will take over the world and end the human race. If robots become smarter than humans, his logic goes, the machines would be able to create unimaginable weapons and manipulate human leaders with ease. “Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stoked this fear at a meeting with Russian students in early September, when he said, “The one who becomes the leader in this sphere will be the ruler of the world.” These comments further emboldened Musk’s position — he tweeted that the race for AI superiority is the “most likely cause of WW3.”

Not everyone believes the rise of AI will be detrimental to humans; some are convinced that the technology has the potential to make our lives better. “The so-called control problem that Elon is worried about isn’t something that people should feel is imminent. We shouldn’t panic about it,” Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently told the Wall Street Journal. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg went even further during a Facebook Live broadcast back in July, saying that Musk’s comments were “pretty irresponsible.”

AI, like many technological advances that came before, isn’t without risk. “There are dangers which come with the creation of such powerful and omniscient technology, just as there are dangers with anything that is powerful. This does not mean we should assume the worst and make potentially detrimental decisions now based on that fear,” Pascal Kaufmann said.

Experts expressed similar concerns about quantum computers, and about lasers and nuclear weapons—applications for that technology can be both harmful and helpful.

Can you Reuse Your Solar Eclipse Glass

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Look directly at the sun through eclipse glasses

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 05:13:00 +0000

The easiest thing to see is going to be sunspots. These are dark patches on the sun’s surface triggered by powerful magnetic activity, and they wax and wane in frequency over an 11-year cycle (The sun’s temper varies on an 11-year cycle, typically taking about 5 1/2 years to move from the quieter period of solar minimum, to the more turbulent solar maximum).

The sun is now at a point in its cycle where sunspot appearances are decreasing — a trend that will continue until 2020 — but those spots that are visible can be bigger than the Earth.

This image of the sun, captured on August 25, 2017, shows sunspots AR2671 and AR2672.

To find a sunspot, you can visit the website Spaceweather.com to view a daily high-resolution image of the sun and pinpoint sunspots on the star’s surface. Then, you can look directly at the sun through eclipse glasses to locate the spots and track their movements over time.

“Watching the sun from day to day, those sunspots are going to move slightly but perceptibly. You can learn to recognize sunspots, watch them move across sun — you can see sun’s rotation with your own eyes pretty easily.

During sunrise and sunset, the shape and color of the sun are more distorted by Earth’s atmosphere. Looking at the sun through eclipse glasses could offer a more detailed view of how the sun is flattened by its proximity to the horizon, and how its colors are affected by scattered light.

Using eclipse glasses to look at the sun when it’s high overhead will provide the clearest view, with less atmospheric distortion. At the same time, the sunlight when the sun is at midday strength will also be more intense.

Be careful not to look for too long. You never want to stare at it, even with eclipse glasses, for more than just a few seconds at a time. High overhead is usually going to be better viewing, but it’ll also be more dangerous viewing — it’s still the sun.

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Can you reuse your solar eclipse glass

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 05:09:00 +0000

The 2017 total solar eclipse has come and gone, but another one is less than a decade away for North America. Of course, many people may have had such a life-changing experience during the eclipse that they want to re-create it as soon as possible. While a dedicated few may chase eclipses across the seven continents, people in the United States can sit tight until April 8, 2024, when the skies will darken over the country once again.

So if you purchased solar eclipse glasses for the Aug. 21 event last month, will they still be good to use in 2024?

“If the filters aren’t scratched, punctured, or torn, you may reuse them indefinitely.” Punctures, scrapes and scratches that might allow light to leak through the lenses render eclipse glasses unsafe, according to American Astronomical Society (AAS).

So the easiest thing to do with the eclipse viewers is to store them gently in a box out of the way, where they are unlikely to be damaged — and then unbox them in seven years in preparation for your next celestial party.

Looking directly at the sun without proper optical protection can cause permanent eye damage, and paper eclipse glasses must display ISO 12312-2 certification to be considered safe for use during an eclipse. Compliance with ISO certification requires manufacturers to include an obsolescence date alongside the official ISO logo.

“Some glasses/viewers are printed with warnings stating that you shouldn’t look through them for more than 3 minutes at a time and that you should discard them if they are more than 3 years old,” NASA said in a statement.

But even though you should probably replace your current glasses for eclipse viewing in 2024, that doesn’t mean you should just throw out the ones you have. The organization Astronomers without Borders is accepting donations of undamaged eclipse glasses to distribute to schools in Asia and South America for a solar eclipse that will cross those continents two years from now, in 2019.

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Smart Tips and Habits to Reduce Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Shobi Imran) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 10:37:00 +0000

Feeling stressed in today’s society is pretty much inevitable. During times of stress or adversity, the body goes through a number of changes designed to make us faster, stronger, more alert, more capable versions of ourselves. Our heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up, and adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormone) surge through the body.

So what can we do about it?

In this post I’d like to share some tips and habits that you can start using in your own life to reduce the stress and live a much lighter and more relaxing life.

Nurture relationships: Have a range of positive, supportive connections within and outside your family. If you don’t, take steps to improve the situation. Join a club, local group, volunteer group, or an evening class. Relationship is a good source of support and a sympathetic ear, while offering help and support to others can make you feel good about yourself.

Get enough sleep and exercise: When you take care of your mind and body, you’re better able to cope effectively with challenges in your life. Physical exertion helps counteract the effects of stress and can also lead to better sleep.

Learn to relax: easier said than done when you’re stressed, but setting aside some time to unwind can be a good way of easing the pressure. Whether it’s yoga or meditation, or even a walk in the park, time out of a normal busy schedule can help you get a new perspective.

Have fun: Including fun activities in life may be one of the best stress relief tips you can follow. While many responsible adults have adult-sized responsibilities that make it easy to put fun on the low end of the priorities list, letting your inner child come out to play can mitigate the effects of stress and keep you feeling vital and happy.

Positive attitude: focusing on how things could be better in the future, rather than the seemingly insurmountable problems in the present, can make them feel less daunting. Similarly, changing the way you look at a situation can take away some of its power to frighten you, while it could also be helpful to look at the positive things in your life, rather than just the negative ones.

Be decisive: Make decisions and take action rather than hoping things will get better one day. Even initiating small actions can give you a sense of empowerment, which can give you the confidence to take bigger steps.

Acceptance: some things you may not be able to change, at least in the short term, so instead of worrying about things that are beyond your control, focus on those things you can alter.

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