4 Educational Fourth of July Activities

4 Educational Fourth of July Activities July is the heart of summer vacation, filled with warm weather and quality family time. This month is also marked by the nations biggest holiday: the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. This holiday signifies the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and the creation of the United States. Aside from celebrating the birth of the nation, the Fourth of July is a great opportunity for the whole family to learn more about the United States through educational activities, such as visiting a historic site, participating in a parade, or cooking a traditional colonial meal. Looking to make the most of Independence Day? Here are four educational Fourth of July activities that are both patriotic and educational. Educational Fourth of July activity #1: visit a historic American city If you would like to visit a historic American city, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are two great places to explore on the Fourth of July. You can schedule an organized tour around these cities or explore on your own. Philadelphia is home to many pieces of U.S. history, including: The Liberty Bell The Betsy Ross House. As the nations capitol, Washington, D.C. is home to many historic monuments, such as: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial The Washington Monument. Even if youre unable to visit Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. this Fourth of July, there are many other historic American cities. Check with your citys historical society to discover what local sites you can take advantage of this Independence Day. [RELATED: 4 Educational Family Field Trips] Educational Fourth of July activity #2: attend a parade Cities and small towns all across the country host Fourth of July parades. These parades are inclusive, with people of all ages participating. They may include educational activities and speeches that tell stories about the founding of the United States. Check your local events directory to see whether theres a parade happening near you and how you can get involved. Educational Fourth of July activity #3: learn songs of independence Singing songs of independence can be both fun and educational. Many of these songs tell stories about the founding and creation of the United States. This can be a great activity to illustrate to young children the history of America. Search for an existing playlist online, or compile your own to share with your family. Popular favorites include The Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful. [RELATED: 6 Activities to Keep Students Learning This Summer] Educational Fourth of July activity #4: eat like a colonist Colonists diets in early America were quite different than whats seen today. Give the whole family a taste of early American cooking by trying some classic recipes this Fourth of July. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation publishes a list of 18th century recipes every two weeks. They offer a full menu of colonial dishes, from shepherds pie to tidewater chili. This is a great way for students to learn more about colonists eating habits and to gain a deeper appreciation for the lives of early Americans. [RELATED: 3 Educational Summer Road Trips] Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee Kayla Matthews November 15, 2019 Career Development, Networking No responses Go to top No workplace functions without a system of recognition. People want to work hard at their jobs and stand out from the rest of the office to earn that end of the year bonus or raise, but they need encouragement more than once a year. The only way employees will keep up their productivity and maintain a high-quality workload is by frequent encouragement and recognition. At the end of every project or major effort, employees should know that their hard work is seen and valued. The issue is that not everyone wants the same kind of recognition. If you have a number of people in your office who hate being the center of attention, there are other ways you can recognize their hard work. Check out these four easy ways to reward and recognize an introverted employee, so everyone can feel appreciated at your workplace. 1. Do Something Private Introverts dont like being in the spotlight, especially around an office full of people where they only have one or two close friends. Instead of sending out an office email congratulating them or throwing a party in their honor, do something private for your star introverts. Depending on their personality, that could look like a couple of different things. You might write a personal note to them and leave it on their desk before they arrive in the morning. Maybe theyd appreciate a verbal confirmation of their work or a small gift, like a fruit basket. Think about what your introverted employee enjoys and tailor your private recognition around that. 2. Buy Them Lunch It gets old to bring your lunch everyday or order from the same lunch spots. Thats why its extra nice to treat an introvert employee to a free lunch. Order in for them or give them a gift card to a nice restaurant in town. Studies have shown that providing employees with free food increases workplace morale and energy, because everyone loves a delicious bite of something tasty and free. 3.  Celebrate with People They Know You may want to do something big for your introverted employees because they did something big for the company. If thats the case, consider gathering their closest friends, family, or teammates to help them feel comfortable. For instance, you can  host an employee picnic  so everyone gets to have fun without there being a focus on the one individual. You can send out an email letting everyone know why the picnic is happening, but let the introvert mingle as they want and not be forced into the spotlight. This is a great spring or fall idea, especially if your business is located near a public park. 4. Allow Work From Home Days Heading to the office every morning can be a challenge, but its especially hard for introverts. They need longer periods of time to rest after social events and their energy drains quickly during the workweek. Thats why you should consider rewarding your introvert by allowing them to work from home occasionally. Studies have shown that allowing employees to work from home just once a month boosted their workplace happiness  by 24%, which can only be higher for introverted employees. If the work they do doesnt have to happen in the office, letting them work from home could be the reward that means the most to them. Ask Their Friends Sometimes its hard to make close friends with your employees when youre the boss. You may not know the introverted employee well enough to make a personal preference call for them. Dont be afraid to ask their friends for their opinions and keep the reward a secret until its presented. Theyll want to help recognize their friend as well, especially when they see management going to great lengths to keep in mind the introverted persons level of comfort. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Helping Children Learn

Helping Children Learn Some children understand the purpose of homework, studying, school and learning. They realize that school is a worthwhile endeavor that will help them achieve their life goals, and they consider the acquisition of new knowledge important and often, enjoyable. Unfortunately, other childrenparticularly those who are strugglingthink that going to school is a waste of time. They do not understand or appreciate why they should learn algebra or history or how to write papers. It is helpful to guide students like this toward the meaning of learning, since the task itself is not compelling enough. How can parents help their childwhether he or she is a smart, but uninspired student, or one who struggles with school workbecome more excited about and engaged in learning? Here are a few tips on how to promote learning that stays with a child for his or her entire education: Develop the critical thinker In todays educational environment, students are expected to be able to apply the knowledge they learn in school to a range of real-world settings. So, to help your child succeed in school and help him or her overall - you should draw out the inner thinker whenever possible. Ask him or her questions about passages and books he or she reads. Encourage your child to think about where certain skills and knowledge might be useful in real life. Encourage your child to express his or her opinion Passion fuels learning, so encourage your child to talk about his or her feelings and ideas and why he or she sees the world or a topic a certain way. Often, students who form strong opinions about various topics are more motivated to express those feelings through speech and in writing. Nurture this skill-building at home by working with your child to make arguments, express those arguments logically and reason with others with different opinions. These skills become more critical as your student progresses through school and eventually goes to on to college and the workforce. Embrace challenges From the time your child is young, encourage him or her to dream big. Let your child know that you genuinely believe that people can accomplish anything with hard work and perseverance, and that he or she is no different. Often, students find school uninteresting because they feel forced to do it. However, having a small or big goal in mind can make school feel more worthwhile because your child will start to realize that most endeavors in life require skills gained in the classroom. As your child progresses toward his or her goals, he or she will gain confidence, vision and drive. Build up the confidence If your child comes across as apathetic or negative about school (even if he or she seems confident as a person), he or she may lack self-efficacy, the belief that he or she can achieve or learn. Students who have little or no self-efficacy often lack motivation, too. Without motivation, students dont learn easilyor at least, they dont take ownership or interest in their own learning. As your child masters new skills and experiences success, his or her confidence will rise. Always let your child know that you believe in his or her abilities. If your child is one who struggles to find the meaning in school and views learning as a have to, it can be challenging to engage him or her. Share with your child that the goal of school is to learn, not to earn straight As on every test or report card. Explain that you are less interested in that sort of evidence of his or her knowledge and more concerned with his or her effort, persistence and curiosity. Above all, your objective should be to help your child acquire and retain knowledge so that he or she can apply that knowledge throughout his or her life. As you strive to achieve that goal, your child will increasingly come to value and appreciate learning.

11+ Tutor Training Day

11+ Tutor Training Day Daniel, a published writer, and experienced English tutor describes his experience of Tutorfair's 11+ Training Day for professional tutors. Around 30 tutors gathered in Marylebone for an in-depth training  day on the 11+ Maths and English exams. It was Tutorfair’s second such event on this topic, and already a bigger venue was required. Fast-paced and engaging from start to finish, the day was a hands-on masterclass in tutoring at its finest, not surprising given the calibre of the teachers and the eagerness of the tutors in the room, most already practising and here to hone their skills. The 11+ tutoring market in London continues to grow as parents take advantage of the extra skills a stint of one-on-one teaching gives to their children. This proved a highly instructive and useful course, packed with tips, techniques and sound advice, and delivered â€" it’s got to be said â€" by some of the nicest,  brightest people in the business. The collective wisdom of the Tutorfair team makes for a powerful ally to help youngsters get into the schools of their choice in what is an ever more competitive entrance system. Unflaggingly bright and positive, the staff tutors share as much about the right attitude it takes as about the topics themselves. And this gets to the heart of effective tutoring: It’s better to impart knowledge in a way that lights up the will to learn in the student, that opens up that special place where confidence can grow and develops an openness to learning. It felt, too, like Tutorfair really knew how to make the day as effective as possible. Everyone in the room was encouraged to join in and to get the most out of it. Often, the separate tables, made up of between 4 to 6 of us, were given tasks to work out together, and then to present to the rest of the room. I can’t think of a quicker or better way to learn. We covered both the Maths and English parts  of the exam, as well as verbal and non-verbal reasoning and interview techniques. Respect to the 11 year olds who take it. It’s no breeze! All in all, a brilliant and effective  one-day course, full of takeaway tools and  wisdom. Thank you, Tutorfair team.? Sign up and get published as a Tutorfair tutor and you will receive more information about our tutor training events!

Life, Liberty and Property Day

Life, Liberty and Property Day Today, December 10th is Human Rights day. While the concept of human rights are beacon in human thought, amendments to this concept are necessary. How so? Any human right that is an expense of another constitute an aggression. For example, article 25 of the human rights declaration grants Adequate Living Standard. In other words, if my living standards are inadequate it is impossible to precisely define adequate living standards â€" you will have to be taxed. This will lower your living standard and raises mine â€" given that during the wealth distribution there is no leakage of funds. Do you think this is fair? Of course not, me forcing you â€" usually by means of a powerful state â€" to pay for my rent, my food and my Internet is an aggregation against your life, liberty and property. Thomas Jefferson writing his famous sentence pursuit of life, liberty and property. In fact, philisophers such as Murry Rothbard, Ayan Rand, Albert Jay Nock developed the Nonaggression principle. Here is Murray Rothbards version: No one may threaten or commit violence (aggress) against another mans person or property. Violence may be employed only against the man who commits such violence; that is, only defensively against the aggressive violence of another… The non-aggration principle is a modern-day version of the bibles olden rule: one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. The Human Rights Declaration includes the right to Social Security, Education, Cultural Life, Public Hearing, Rest, and even Leisure. These rights can only be grated at the expense of other human beings. Thus, they shouldnt be in the Declaration at all. This is, however, not to say humans shouldnt engage in education, culture, rest and leisure. By all means we should! But the way to get education is by spending our own property (money) on books, lessons and tutoring. And when the state gets out of the way of education, the teachers, tutors and text book writers will cater to the needs of the students and parents hereby creating a much more diverse, interesting, personalized and smarter education system. And TutorZ is a part of this industry serving you as our education client. We at TutorZ think of December 10th as the Life, Liberty and Property day and recommend the readings of Ludwig von Mises on this day: https://mises.org/library/liberty-and-property

Daystar Academy

Daystar Academy Daystar Academy Daystar Academy Beijing founded in 2002. Since then Daystar Academy has grown and now has over 600 students on roll ranging in age from 3 years to 15 years. We are a inquiry-based bilingual school offering an infused curriculum based upon the Chinese National Curriculum standards and the US Common Core State Standards. Using the International Baccalaureate framework and philosophy of teaching and learning, students graduate Daystar with not only a strong international education, but with a deep sense of our Daystar core values. Daystar Academy focuses on developing the whole child through cultivating empathy, building a strong sense of character, encouraging excellence in academics through two languages, English and Chinese, and building mastery in 21st century skills. Our student body is diverse, coming from many different countries around. Our excellent teaching faculty are equally international representing 16 nationalities. They are a community of talented, passionate and committed staff with 25% of them having been at Daystar for 5 years or more. We have strong global ties with various partners around the world. Daystar staff and leadership present annually at conferences around the world and have an incredibly strong partnership with our sister-school, Washington Yu Ying PCS located in Washington, DC. Daystar had two campuses within Beijing. Daystars suburban campus is located at northeast of Beijings city center, and just fifteen minutes from the airport. This campus has extensive sports grounds and state of the art facilities to support all aspects of our curriculum. In the fall of 2017, Daystar Academy opened a second campus located in the heart of Beijings embassy area, Sanlitun. The Sanlitun is a great location that allows our students to have many experiences outside the school. Many visitors comment on the atmosphere on all of our campuses which is open and friendly with students and staff working co-operatively together.

6 Unique Sources for Language Learning Videos That Are Off the Beaten Path

6 Unique Sources for Language Learning Videos That Are Off the Beaten Path 6 Unique Sources for Language Learning Videos That Are Off the Beaten Path The common path to learning a language is well worn.You study. You practice. You study again. You practice again.If youre a more  intrepid language learner, sometimes you feel like doing something new and excitingâ€"something off the beaten path.There may not be a map to guide you, but that doesnt mean you cant find your way!Using technology to learn a language  is a popular route to follow. There are lots of great  sources for language learning videos out there. Plus, theyre super addictive. You sit down to watch one and, before you know it, its midnight and youve missed the season premiere of The Walking Dead.Regardless of your learning needs or degree of attachment to technology, there are some terrific videos out there for you. You can use videos to improve your vocabulary, grammar and other skills, making them a well-rounded learning tool.And luckily, there are lots of video resources out there, meaning you never have to follow the well-worn path. You can forge your own way and still find your way to fluency. Why Language Videos Are GoldminesOne reason why youll never have too many language videos in your life is that hearing different speakers is an important way to hear  your target language in a real-world context. Each speaker sounds different. Variations can occur due to gender, regional origin or just personal speaking styles.If you havent listened to a wide variety of people who speak your target language, you may struggle to understand native speakers in real life. The more accents and regional variations you expose yourself to now, the more likely youll be able to understand any possible variations you may encounter.Plus, watching videos helps you improve a wide variety of skills  like  pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and speaking skills. Thats a lot of bang for your buck!Finally, watching videos is often more engaging than textbook study. Videos incorporate the use of both images and audio and are much more engaging since they use both sense s.6 Unique Sources for Language Learning Videos That Are Off the Beaten Path1. Innovative Language Looking for a less-common language learning option? Innovative Language has your back with 34 different language offerings.Innovative Language is a subscription service that offers downloadable lessons that use videosâ€"most notably its popular LanguagePod101 series. These lessons focus on getting you to speak right away through practical examples.However, you can also benefit from Innovative Language even if you dont want to pay a dime. Each week, Innovative Language offers new free audio and video lessons. For easy access to the videos, you may want to subscribe to its YouTube channel. Lessons are about three minutes long and feature native speakers covering thematic topics like introducing yourself.Innovative Language offers videos in more common languages like Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish and German, but it also covers languages that are more difficult to find videos for like Bulgarian, Nepali and Malaysian.If you prefer to watch videos from your favorite device, you can also download the Innovative Language app for iOS or Android. The app is free to download with additional in-app purchases available.2. FluentUIf you like the language-learning powerhouse of watching authentic videos but would benefit from additional learning support, FluentU is the perfect balance of the two.FluentU provides authentic, real-world videos like movie trailers, news, music videos and more. But unlike most authentic video resources, you wont be left to fend for yourself! This is because each video on FluentU is captioned, and these captions are annotated. Youll have any words definition, example sentences and an associated image at the tips of your fingers. Plus, if you want to see how a word is used in other contexts, you can click that word to see how its used in other videos.To make the videos even more useful to learners, FluentU offers learn mode. This mode combines vi deos, images and example sentences into flashcards and exercises for a fun, engaging learning experience unlike any other.Plus, FluentU is appropriate for any level of language learner. You select your videos and your pace, while FluentUs algorithm takes into account your learning history to ensure youre presented with level-appropriate questions.FluentU can be with you wherever you want to learn. You can use  FluentU online  or  download the FluentU app for iOS or Android devices.3. SocialbakersChances are that youve found some of the great learning channels on YouTube, but have you tried watching authentic YouTubers? These are native speakers of your target language who make videos intended for other native speakers. They may not be designed with language learners in mind, but you can definitely use them to your advantage!If youre looking to add these types of videos to your playlist, one of the easiest ways to find them is by looking at a list of the most popular YouTube channels by country.  Socialbakers  offers just such a list. Select a country where your target language is spoken and youll see their 10 most popular channels.You can even specify the types of channels youd like to see from a drop-down list of categories. Whats more, if your target language is spoken in several countries, you can select one particular country to hear regional variations.There are huge benefits to this resource. First of all, you get to hear authentic, colloquial speech. Whats more, YouTube is a self-replenishing resource. Even if you binge and manage to get through all the videos in your target language, by the time youre done, dozens (if not thousands) more will be uploaded. Your learning binge never needs to stop!4. InstagramTheres so much more you can do with Instagram than just posting pictures of the last meal you ateâ€"its also a great source for language videos!While Instagram is clearly most known for pictures, there are also plenty of short videos. In many cases, these videos are useful for supplementing your language studies.To find language learning resources, it helps to search various hashtags (i.e., #learnspanish, #easyspanish, #learnspanishphrases). From there, you can peruse resources to find the right one for you.To get you started, here are a few Instagram pages that feature language videos:Spanish with Vicente  â€" Spanish teacher Vicente frequently posts helpful images, but his videos are real standouts. He speaks slowly and clearly to provide valuable lessons on grammar and vocabulary.Mandarin HQ  â€" Angel Huangs videos focus on a wide variety of topics like regional accents, common characters and even street interviews. The light, fun format makes them easy to watch. If youre also interested in non-video resources, Mandarin HQ provides images to teach you useful phrases.Sound French â€" Sound French provides useful videos that cover topics like pronunciation and vocabulary. In addition to its videos, Sound French also provides vocabulary words with images, which are often funny as well as vivid.5. VimeoThe video-sharing website Vimeo is another handy source for language videos. Some videos need to be purchased, though most at least offer a free preview.To find the right resource for you, try using different search terms. Terms like learn Russian, learn Korean, learn Dutch, tend to work the best.Here are a few pages you might want to check out:Master Communications  â€" Master Communications is an educational media distributor. Its video offerings combine language and culture, covering a number of world languages including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Korean.ProjectExplorer.org  â€"  This channel features videos from the award-winning educational series ProjectExplorer.org. Videos include lessons in basic Dutch, Spanish, Thai, Kriol, Bahasa Melayu and more. Other videos are great for learning more about cultures around the world.Talk To Me In Korean  â€" Talk to Me in Korean offers a nice selection of Ko rean videos that include listening practice and basic Korean lessons.6. Annenberg LearnerWant to watch the sort of videos youd watch in a conventional classroom from the comfort of your own home? Annenberg Learner is the option for you!Annenberg Learner is a company that provides teacher resources, but (luckily for you) they have an online video library that anyone can access. Languages covered include Arabic, French, Latin, Russian, Spanish, German, Chinese, Japanese and Italian.All the options are clearly laid out on the main page, so you can easily peruse whats offered for your target language. If youre learning French, for instance, you can see that Annenberg Learner offers videos called A Cajun Folktale and Zydeco,  Chicken Pox, as well as several others.All you have to do is select your preferred title to access the materials. Once you click the link, you wont be taken to the video immediately. Instead, youll see a summary first, and all youll need to do is click View Analyze the Video on the menu to start watching.These videos fuse culture and language education. For instance, one lesson focuses on attractions in Japan. Plus, each video comes with questions to help you think more about what youre seeing.Youre never alone in the dense jungles of language learning, but that doesnt mean you have to walk the same path as everyone else.Try these off-the-beaten-path sources for language videos and decide which route is right for you!