How to Deal With Attitudes Towards Learning English

How to Deal With Attitudes Towards Learning EnglishSome attitudes towards learning English can leave the learner feeling uneducated and inadequate. Some may feel that they are not ready for the English language. For some, English can be too intimidating and troublesome.I would like to tell you what attitudes towards learning English can do to your experience in the English language. These attitudes can make the difference between gaining an immense amount of benefit and being more frustrated than before. Some people are quite impatient with their efforts to learn a new language. This can be both good and bad.When you are impatient with learning a new language, this is a good thing. You want to get it over with as soon as possible. Unfortunately, some people take this way too far. They put it off even longer than they should. This can result in them becoming frustrated with learning the language and consequently avoiding going out into the world and living among others.These attitudes towards learning English can cause you to have unrealistic expectations of your English proficiency. By not doing this, you can end up being highly stressed out when you do learn the language. You may end up ignoring the language completely, which can cause stress to your body.The good thing about the former is that it can leave you with a great deal of confidence when you do eventually learn the language. The bad thing is that this can result in you doing things you don't really want to do. Many times, people who feel such intense levels of discouragement over the lack of proficiency will choose to turn to drugs, alcohol or food to escape the fear. They often find themselves either in trouble or not seeing progress for years. What you need to do is find a good balance in your approach.You can accomplish this in two ways. You can either learn more than you ever thought possible or you can simply learn how to cope with being self-conscious about how well you are speaking and writing English. I encourage you to practice both methods in order to achieve the best results.By learning the attitudes towards learning English, you can increase your self-confidence in speaking English and improve your performance when you are talking in a meeting or doing anything else. By doing this, you will be able to make the most of your time in an English-speaking country. This can be very rewarding and will let you experience life in ways you never could before.

Tips To Become Adept At Solving Physics Problems

Tips To Become Adept At Solving Physics Problems Physics problems are troublesome for most students and poor performance in the subject is the key reason for poor GPAs. Tackling physics problems and learning a few tricks and tips to solve them with ease. Thus it is a good idea for students struggling with their physics grades. Here are a few top tips recommended by esteemed online physics tutors . There are tutors to help students become better at problem solving in physics; read on to learn more. Tip 1: Relax and approach the physics problem calmly This may sound cliched but it actually helps you focus better on the problem at hand. It is a proven fact that when you fret about something. Your mind is disorganized and you are more likely to miss important details while doing physics. Calming yourself and approaching the problem without fear will help you see the problem. Its entirety different and gather all the relevant info required for solving it. It is after all very much there in the problem statement! Tip 2: Try to come up with a diagram and write down the physics info gleaned neatly Coming up with a diagram based on the given info and labeling it neatly with details. This will help in problem solving. In fact, even when you are working on your homework, do this and it will turn out to be the best physics homework help there is for you! Read the problem statement more than once and write down all the information that can be obtained from it. Taking time out to do these things will help you solve quickly as opposed to jumping into solving it by just reading the problem once. Tip 3: Write down the formula applicable even if you are know it inside out Even in cases where you know the formula thoroughly, writing it down will help you solve the problem better as this helps you avoid careless mistakes. Pick the right formula to be used, substitute the unknowns and known variables and solve with the utmost care. Also, remember that when you solve the equation, whatever you are arriving at may not be the answer to the problem and you may have to work further to derive at the answer. Tip 4: Review your answer quickly before moving on to the next problem This will help you in avoiding careless mistakes. A review is any day better and can help you be more confident and sure before you proceed to the next problem. Tip 5: Try to plan your time in each section before you begin answering the paper When in exams, it is important to go through the paper quickly, plan your time and then work on every section. Sticking to your original plan will help you with time management and also give you the confidence that you can answer every question in the paper. Summary Dealing with physics problems requires a structured approach. Taking time to read through the problem, coming up with diagrams and practise is essential to score top marks in this tough subject. Working in homework problems, being attentive in classes and getting physics assignment help and homework help when necessary are recommended to conquer physics fears and score top grades.

5 Hard Songs to Sing - and the Exercises to Master Them

5 Hard Songs to Sing - and the Exercises to Master Them Megan L. Ask any experienced vocalist for a list of what they consider to be hard songs to sing, and they can probably provide you with five or six examples without much thought.  However, there are as many examples as there are different voices, and every individual singer will have individual vocal hurdles to overcome with their repertoire. On the other hand, it is possible to identify a few examples across a few genres where a majority will agree that, yes, those are hard songs to sing. Here are five of them, along with a few suggestions for exercises that will help you master them for yourself. Opera â€" Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro â€" Porgi amor (Countess Almaviva) This beautiful aria is the soprano’s first appearance at the beginning of Act II. It looks incredibly simple on the page; a clear melody in 2/4 time, with no difficult passages. However, that very simplicity is what places it high on any operatic soprano’s hard songs to sing list â€" with no ensemble or recitative to warm up with, and no colleagues with you on stage, it’s a nerve-wracking experience even for a seasoned professional. How to improve: An adequate physical and vocal warm up will help you.  Make sure that you open your ribcage by stretching gently from side to side, and touching your toes a few times.  A gentle walk will also set you up well, as you’ll clear your head and warm up your muscles. Vocally, gentle humming through intervals up to the fifth and back to the tonic each time will warm your voice up. Easy Listening â€" Brodsky: Be My Love Made popular by Mario Lanza, this is a song requiring an open sound and intelligent negotiation of register breaks. What really adds this to the list of hard songs to sing, however, is the necessity of being absolutely certain of where to place the notes. How to improve: Learn the pitches first without the words; use a good open vowel sound, and check the pitches against a keyboard. Next, practice on the vowels of the words only, and make sure you’re singing a smooth line. When you add the words as a third step, imagine that each phrase is one long word, and think of joining your final consonants to the beginning of the next word. Popular/Film â€" Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over The Rainbow Everyone knows this classic from The Wizard of Oz, made famous by a young Judy Garland! So what is it that makes what appears to be such a simple song on a list of hard songs to sing? Think again about where youve heard it â€" not only does it appear at a particularly poignant point in the film, it’s common fare at weddings, parties, and other events. The emotional control required is considerable. How to improve: Learning how to show passion and emotions, while at the same time not letting it distract you, is an important skill. To help with this, make sure youre practiced any emotionally-charged songs a ton before performing in front of others. With enough practice, youll get to a comfortable level with the song, so that you feel more in control. Musical Theater â€" Schonberg: I Dreamed a Dream (Les Miserables) Five years ago, an unlikely looking Scottish woman stepped on stage in a national talent show and silenced the audience’s laughter with vocal power that astonished the judges as well as the viewers at home. Following that, this wistful anthem to missed chances immediately became a popular choice with singers everywhere. However, it too requires the same level of emotional control as the Somewhere Over the Rainbow, as well as considerable vocal power. How to improve: You cannot “make” a big voice; all you can do is hone the one you have until you’re using it properly. Although opening your mouth unnaturally wide can encourage your voice to spread, make sure you are actually giving it space to escape! Stand up straight, and make sure that your weight is distributed evening on both feet. Imagine that your audience is at the other end of a playing field, and that your voice has to carry there â€" don’t be tempted to shout or oversing, as a good, projected power will be enough. Singing long phrases to open vowels will encourage you to make economic use of your breath and also help your voice open up. Classical song â€" Frank Bridge:  Een as a lovely flower This beautiful example of an early twentieth-century English song is full of the post-Victorian harmonies and pastoral key changes that color not only the likes of Vaughan Williams and Walton, but are also apparent in the work of Bridge’s famous student, Benjamin Britten. This one joins the list of hard songs to sing because of its gently shifting tonality and therefore tricky pitching issues but once you learn how to fix that, it is absolutely rewarding for its simple beauty. How to improve: Take each page as a single unit, and work out which notes you need. Fix them in your head, and learn the “map” between them. Finding security over the intervals will help you. When tackling any difficult piece of music, there will likely be some technical demand that you can’t cope with on your own, or that your stage of vocal development can’t tackle even with relevant exercises. Keep in mind that finding a good teacher is always the best way to help you tackle hard songs to sing and become a better singer!  Good luck, and keep on singing! Need help with your technique? Check out other ideas for songs to sing  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by U.S. Army

Why Thought Leadership Is A Buzzword These Days - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Why Thought Leadership Is A Buzzword These Days - Introvert Whisperer Why Thought Leadership Is A Buzzword These Days   A thought leader is someone who creates something before people realise that they need it. Best example, of course, is Steve Jobs. Richard Branson too.” Guy Kawasaki, Marketer and Venture Capitalist Thought leadership is a phenomenon in which leaders use their experience and passion for addressing the issues faced by the target audience. In recent times, this term has earned the ire of many new-age marketers. When done right, it can inspire widespread transformation. It can open up an abundance of opportunities and help in establishing long-term relationships. A thought leader has to put in efforts to prove his/her worth. It isn’t an overnight phenomenon, and there is no instant gratification involved. Thought leaders must be able to offer newer insights into the different aspects of their expertise. Let us read this post to understand why thought leadership is important and how to become a great thought leader.

Improving Technique on Guitar Exercises to Try

Improving Technique on Guitar Exercises to Try Suzy S. In a previous post,  Guitar Basics: Why is Technique Important?, guitar teacher Blake C. discussed  the importance of utilizing proper technique, along with examples and ways to check your guitar playing technique. Here in Part Two, he continues with a helpful guitar exercise to try   If you want to improve your technique, there are a few guitar exercises you can try. I call the first exercise “1-2-4 Exercise” merely because of the fingers used. This exercise is designed to improve multiple aspects of guitar playing technique for beginners or even more advanced guitar players. The first improvement aspect is fret-board balance, which is practiced as you focus your attention on utilizing proper finger position â€" pressing each note with the fingertips of the left hand (for right-handed guitarists or pressing with the right hand for left-handed guitarists) while not collapsing the joints of the fingers. Refer back to the pictures in this post to see the difference. It is critical for guitarists to develop dexterity and nimbleness in order to attain a higher level of mastery of guitar playing. The “1-2-4 Exercise” addresses these skills as you increase the rate that the exercise is performed, while maintaining proper technique. That in mind, begin this guitar exercise at a relatively slow tempo â€" for example, the 50 bpm setting on your metronome â€" allowing you to center your attention on proper technique. Keep in mind, if you simply play this exercise without concentrating on proper guitar technique, your efforts will not accomplish nearly as much in the long run. Below are the notes and tab for the exercise. Although I began on the “A” note located at the 5th fret on the 6th string, the 1-2-4 pattern is obviously a moveable pattern. Beginning the exercise at the 5th fret is a better starting point than the first few frets because of the additional space your fingers must reach, as well as the additional distance your arm must reach. Conversely, beginning beyond the 12th fret creates a different dilemma as you begin the exercise â€" your fingers are crammed together! So let’s begin the exercise at the 5th fret as shown here: Music and Tab written using Guitar Pro 6 Remember, pick each note at a relatively slow rate when you first begin practicing. Focus your attention on pressing with your fingertips and not collapsing any joints of your fingers. As you practice this exercise, play one note for every metronome click. After you are confident in your ability to play the notes fluidly without a pause when you change from one string to the next, increase the tempo in increments of 10 bpm on your metronome. With time and diligent practice, you will be able to play the exercise at a tempo exceeding 320 bpm. After you successfully accomplish the exercise at the 5th fret, practice at other locations on the fretboard. In addition to improving your fretboard balance, dexterity, and overall nimbleness, this is one of the guitar exercises that is an excellent lead into soloing. Blake C.  teaches songwriting, singing, and  guitar lessons  in Lowell, IN. He specializes in classical guitar technique as well as modern rock and blues styles. Blake has been teaching for 20 years and he joined the TakeLessons team in July 2013. Learn  more about Blake  here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by Juan Barahona

The Benefits Of Writing

The Benefits Of Writing Discover the Advantages and Benefits of Writing Every Day ChaptersWriting Benefits Focus ProductivityWriting Helps Expand Your VocabularyWriting Prepares You For Global CriticismWriting is RelaxingWriting Improves your MemoryHealth Benefits of WritingWriting has numerous benefits, and daily writing only magnifies these huge rewards. Whether you are aiming to publish a novel, want to improve your vocabulary, take satisfaction from keeping a diary or you simply wish to benefit from the freedom that putting your creative thoughts down on paper gives you, you will find that writing every day has a positive effect on your life.As is very often the case, people go into work feeling very tired and unmotivated. If only there was a way to warm your brain up and dismiss that negative energy bringing you down… you' E got it!Writing gets your brain ticking and, by nature, forces you to focus on a subject giving you some stability as you start your busy day.If you are unsure what to write about, remember that what you write is not the key. The act of sitting down in a calm environment and putting pen to paper (or fingertip to keyboard, as is more likely to be the case) is what gives your mind the wake-up call it needs.Just think of your brain as any other part of your body â€" you wouldn't jump straight into a physical exercise without first warming up and stretching, would you? Just like these muscles, your brain needs and deserves to be eased in to a work mindset rather than waking up, rushing to your desk and just expecting to be sharp and feel productive from the offset.Starting your day off right is paramount to being sharp and productive. Writing every morning can be a great exercise for the brain. Photo credit: Soon. via Visual huntHow you write down your thoughts has little importance, and neither does the quality of what you write. Simply jotting down a ‘to do’ list on your mobile phone can bring about the benefits we speak of above, but if you do want more of a challenge, you could try using prompts found online t o encourage creative thinking.You never know, you might get really into writing a story or poem and look forward to writing more than you could ever have imagined! Find a private English tutor to help you unlock your literary potential.Entrepreneur Online confirmed that businessman and multi-millionaire Richard Branson strongly believes in the benefits of daily writing. If it works for Richard Branson...why not you? To start off easy, why not read our  guide to improving your writing?Writing Helps Expand Your VocabularyOne of the best ways of widening your vocabulary and improving your writing style is to practice, and do lots of it! The more writing you do, the better your technique will be and the easier you will find communicating your thoughts into words.That is why writing on a regular basis is a good idea for those who really want to improve their skills, and particularly those who want to graft their writing and make a career from it should be writing every day.As is the case for the maintenance of one’s additional languages, you must use your language skills to avoid losing them.By using English, we mean structuring complete sentences and making use of the various tools at your disposal. The reason social media is not the best way to encourage writing flow is that the limitations of tweeting or providing Facebook status updates often mean that language is curbed in order to express a thought within a restricted number of characters.For starters, improving your spelling may be quite motivating! According to this blog Britons need a lot of help with their spelling and writing. 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As such, you must be prepared for critical comments to be made about how and what you write as this is part and parcel of the writing industry.Writing is RelaxingThere is no denying that we live in a world where there are many reasons to feel stressed. In an age of body-shaming, the urge to constantly work on the go and knowing others’ every move thanks to social media updates, writing can provide us with time to switch off from everything.With so much stress and anxiety on our minds, it can be hard to find time to dedicate to tasks like writing. More often than not, if you get a break from your busy schedule, you are more inclined to read an article or take a nap than to pick up a pen.For this reason, keeping a notebook by your bed is a great idea as it allows you to put some words down before bed, when there is nothing else you could be doing with your time. It is then also there should you wake up in the night and struggle to fall back off to sleep.Writing can be very soothing, so you may even find additional benefits to your ability to unwind and sleep more deeply.It is a good idea to keep a notepad beside your bed so that you can jot down notes before bed or after you wake up. Photo credit: mariahfleming via Visualhunt.comNot only can writing allow you t o enter your own world and forget everything on the outside, it can also help with putting negative feelings to rest. Why not find an English tutor London wide or UK wide to help your creative writing. For Manchester check for an  English tutor here and for a Glasow English tutor check here.Writing about your emotions can offer you a huge sense of relief and in turn lift your spirits.  Can you write a thought-provoking essay?For example, if there is something you feel too ashamed to speak to your partner, friend or family member about, writing it down can feel like you are getting it off your chest without the worry of any questions or repercussions.Writing Improves your MemoryDon’t you just hate that feeling when you rouse from a great dream and then, as if by magic, all memories of it disappear within minutes of waking up?This is where the idea of keeping a pen and notepad by the side of your bed comes in again. Try to write down everything you can remember about a dream, as eve n things that first appear insignificant could crop up again and again while you sleep. This exercise might enlighten you to what you are thinking about as you nod off but also may highlight key concerns that you didn’t even realise you were worrying about.You may notice patterns or themes to your dreams which, in addition to being very telling, can also provide some brilliant ideas for stories if that is something you take an interest in.Dreams allow your imagination to run wild and often play out situations that would never happen in your day to day life. Try to capture these surreal events and you might have the foundations of a great book (even if people say that there is nothing more boring than hearing about other people’s dreams…)!By repeatedly noting down aspects of your dream state, you may find that you are able to remember parts of your dreams far easier in future. This is because, in the past, you might have brushed these fictitious thoughts off whereas now you are taking more of an interest in how the illusions pan out.Studying what your mind focuses on during periods of unconsciousness can be truly fascinating. So can seeing how the English language has changed over time!Health Benefits of WritingAs we have mentioned, writing can have a significant impact on your mood however research has shown that daily writing can also pay off in the long run, with huge benefits to overall mental and physical health.Writing expressively is said to lift one’s mood, which in turn can cause their well-being to improve drastically whilst cutting out stress and depressive symptoms.As you can expect, the effects that these mental attributes have on the body are extremely desirable, with blood pressure remaining lower, lung and liver functions working well and, as a result, less time being spent visiting doctors or being admitted to hospital.In addition, the sense of release associated with expressive writing can aid sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorde r, or indeed those patients coming to terms with cancer and other illnesses, to improve their outlook on life.Furthermore, the Live Science website confirms that the key to stronger memory in old age is the belief that you can control and influence this.Approaching old age with a positive attitude towards mental health can have huge benefits, according to scientists. Photo via Visual HuntAlthough many see the effects of memory loss as irreversible, scientists suggest that individuals can counter this theory and that writing is just one great example of keeping our minds active and exercised as we approach old age.If the possibility of better health isn’t enough to get you writing more regularly, then hopefully the sense of achievement, comfort and pure pleasure of communicating with words can encourage you to write daily.For an extra sense of achievement, you can learn how to help others become better writers, too!

English Listening Exercise I Bought a Little City

English Listening Exercise I Bought a Little City One of my all-time favorite English podcasts to listen to for a long time is The New Yorker magazines fiction podcast. It features modern writers reading their favorite short fiction pieces from past issues of The New Yorker, and then discussing them with the magazines fiction editor. Ive always thought the podcast would make a good English listening exercise, and finally got around to putting one together.Donald BarthelmeFor the first one, I chose one of my all-time favorite short stories, by Donald Barthelme, I Bought a Little City. The story is very eccentric, and takes the reader into a strange world, where the narrator has somehow bought the city of Galveston, Texas, and begins to make changes to it.This is a fairly advanced English listening exercise, but the great thing about podcasts is that they can be listened to over and over again. You can listen to I Bought a Little City by clicking here. The podcast is free, and can be downloaded and listened to on an mp3 player, or lis tened to on your computer.Below youll find a list of questions about the reading. Enjoy! If you would like to take a class on this listening exercise, and review your answers, click here to contact us.And told everybody that ______ had to move we were _____ __ __ __ just ________.What a ____ little city, it _____ __ ___. It suited me fine, __ _ _______ __ ______ __.What did he do with the people on I street?What does he mean when he says We planted it all to hell?What happens with the bongo drums at the park? What do you think about the actors reaction? What does he say about Democracy in this part?So I ___ to talking to one of _____ ______._____ how much ______ are you _____ __?What is the problem with ground?Well, I said, get a pencil and lets see what we can ____ __.When you look, you dont want to be able to look at ___ ___ _____ , you want to be able to _____ your ____.How many things does the narrator think you need to look at?How does Bill Caufield solve the problems for the n ew neighborhood?______ here, he said. If each piece of ground was like a piece of ____ ____ puzzle, and the ____ ____ on each piece of property followed the outline of a piece of the puzzle, well ____ ___ ____ __, ___, and ______ ___ ___ _____.What do the last three phrases spoken by Bill mean?What 3 problems does the narrator see with Bills proposal?What was the only thing the narrator didnt like in the end?What did he wonder?How did he solve this?What did Butchs owner say he felt like doing to the narrator?How does he describe Sam Hongs wife?I took a ____ on that deal, theres no _______ it.What does the previous sentence mean?Where does he think he went wrong?How does he describe his feelings for Hongs wife?How would you describe the style of this story? Do you think the author was trying to make a point? How are democracy, god, capitalism and government portrayed in the story?

Computer Science Glossary

Computer Science Glossary Computer Science means the study of the principles and use of computers. To learn more about computer science, a good place to start is Wikipedia. For other field-related glossaries, look at the vocabulary section oft his blog. To make your own field-related glossary, click here. Activities Listen and matchMatch audio definitionsMatch terms definitionsComputer Science vocabulary card game Listening resources Careers: The Real World of Computer Programming Reading resources A Day in the Life of a Computer Operator/Programmer Role Plays Computer Science role plays for learning coding concepts Grammar resources Online ESL grammar checker Computer Science Glossary appletA small utility or other simple program, often written in Java language and attached to HTML documents. applicationAn end-user program designed to perform a specific function. arrayData saved in a sequential form on a computer system. backupThe procedure for making extra copies of data in case the original is lost or damaged. bitA binary digit, either a 0 or a 1, used to represent computerized data. blogA regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style. browserA program that can display HTML files, used to navigate the World Wide Web. bufferA RAM storage location for temporary data to speed up an operation such as disk access or printing. byteEight bits. classAn extensible program-code-template for creating objects. clientA program or computer that asks for information from other programs or computers. cloud computingThe practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. compressionThe re-encoding of data into a form that uses fewer bits of information than the original data. Computer ScienceAn academic field that studies the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. cursorA movable pointer on a computer screen identifying the position that will be affected by clicking a mouse button or where typed text will be inserted. daemonA computer program that starts when a system boots that runs in the background, rather than under the direct control of a user. dataDistinct pieces of formatted information. databaseA collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed, managed, and updated. defragmentationThe process of consolidating fragmented data on a hard disk to make it work more efficiently. domain nameA name consisting of an alphabetical or alphanumeric sequence followed by a suffix and used as an Internet address to identify the location of one or more web pages. downloadThe transmission of requested data from another computer over a network. encryptionThe transformation of electronic information into an unreadable state by using algorithms or ciphers. fileA resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and remains available for other programs to use after the program that created it has finished using it. file extensionA group of letters occurring after a period in a file name, indicating the format of the file. folderA virtual location where files can be kept. hardwareA set of physical objects such as a tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and so on. iconA small picture representing an application which can be activated by clicking on it. InternetA large computer network that facilitates the exchange and transfer of data between computers. Internet service providerA company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet. kernelA program responsible for managing requests from software and translating them into data processing instructions for the central processing unit and other electronic components of a computer. memoryThe internal data storage on a computer. motherboardA printed circuit board containing the principal components of a computer or other device, with connectors into which other circuit boards can be slotted. networkA group of computers connected to each other in order to send and receive data. Open SourceThe production and development of software by a public development community that is freely available to anyone who would like to use it or modify it for their own purposes. operating systemThe software platform required to run various applications and responsible for managing memory storage and data security. packetA portion of a message or data that is transferred over a network. peripheral deviceAny auxiliary device such as a computer mouse or keyboard that connects to and works with the computer. pixelOne point within an image. portA mainly hardware component that enables two computers to connect and share data. protocolA set of rules followed by two devices while interacting with each other. queryA request made by a computer to a database. renderThe process of using a computer program to generate an image from the information contained in a file. routerA device that forwards data packets along networks and located where two or more networks connect. scriptA list of commands that can be executed without user interaction. serverA computer or computer program that manages access to a centralized resource or service in a network. social mediaOnline tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, pictures and videos in virtual online communities. softwareA program containing computer code that directs hardware to carry out a range of functions. software bugAn error or flaw in a computer program or system that causes it to behave in unintended ways. speech recognitionThe ability of a computer to identify and respond to the sounds in human speech. speech synthesisThe artificial production of human speech. support ticketA computer software package that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization. touchscreenA display device that allows a user to interact with a computer by touching areas on the screen. upgradeA new version of a product designed to replace an older version of the same product. uploadThe transfer of data from one computer to a remote computer functioning as a server. URLThe unique resource locator address for a file that is accessible on the Internet. virtual memoryUnused memory on the hard disk employed by certain applications that need more RAM than is available. virusA program that can copy itself and corrupt the computer system or destroy data. web hostingA service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. wikiA website that allows anyone, using a web browser, to edit, delete or modify content on the site, including the work of other authors. word processorSoftware used to create, edit, format and print documents. Please follow and like us:

5 Best Middle Schools in Austin

5 Best Middle Schools in Austin Austin is a great place for families to raise their children, and there are a lot of fantastic schools for Austin children to attend. Frog Tutoring was curious to know the most impressive middle schools in town, so we decided to take a look at the data.After researching the best middle schools in Austin we now have the concrete proof just how great they are. For our first ranking in our school district series, we’ll show you how we calculated the Texas Education Agency’s metrics from the most recent report (2014) to rank each school that met their standards. While the TEA Index is pretty comprehensive, Frog Tutoring decided to evaluate a couple additional factors in the study we found. The following methodology was used in calculation:STAAR Expectations (48%): When taking the STAAR test into consideration, we look at the percentage of students who met or exceeded the expectations of the test in a given year.TEA Index (48%): We utilized the Texas Education Agency’s 4 areas of ac ademic excellence, which consist of Student Achievement, Student Progress, Closing Performance Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness.Class Size (2%): Student-to-teacher ratio is important for an individual’s learning, so we took this into consideration.Online Reviews (2%): We have weighted each school’s popularity score based on Facebook reviews, Greatschools.org reviews, and K12.Niche.org reviews.If you’d like to see a more in-depth look at the TEA’s metrics for accountability standards, please click here. To determine a definitive ranking for the top middle schools in Austin, we combined these 7 factors to create one number to compare and contrast the success of each middle school.We can't wait to share with you what we've found out about the 5 best middle schools in Austin!1. Richards SchoolRichards School comes in at number one, with an 22:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a school size of about 764. In the most recent report card from the Texas Education Agency, Richards was recognized in the following areas of distinction: Math, Science, Social Studies, Top 25% Student Progress, Top 25% Closing Perform Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness. Because of all of these distinctions, it’s no wonder that 61% of Richards students have met or exceeded the standards of the STAAR test.2. Fulmore MiddleFulmore Middle School comes in at number two, with an 22:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a school size of about 952. In the most recent report card from the Texas Education Agency, Fulmore was recognized in the following areas of distinction: Math, Science, Social Studies, Top 25% Student Progress, Top 25% Closing Perform Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness. Because of all of these distinctions, it’s no wonder that 55% of Fulmore students have met or exceeded the standards of the STAAR test.3. Kealing MiddleKealing Middle School comes in at number three, with an 21:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a school size of about 1188. In the most recent report card from the Tex as Education Agency, Kealing was recognized in the following areas of distinction: Math, Science, Social Studies, Top 25% Student Progress, Top 25% Closing Perform Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness. Because of all of these distinctions, it’s no wonder that 77% of Kealing students have met or exceeded the standards of the STAAR test.4. Lamar MiddleLamar Middle School comes in at number four, with an 23:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a school size of about 895. In the most recent report card from the Texas Education Agency, Lamar was recognized in the following areas of distinction: Math, Science, Social Studies, Top 25% Student Progress, Top 25% Closing Perform Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness. Because of all of these distinctions, it’s no wonder that 56% of Lamar students have met or exceeded the standards of the STAAR test.5. Burnet MiddleBurnet Middle School comes in at number five, with an 18:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a school size of about 1138. In the most recent re port card from the Texas Education Agency, Burnet was recognized in the following areas of distinction: Math, Science, Social Studies, Top 25% Student Progress, Top 25% Closing Perform Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness. Because of all of these distinctions, it’s no wonder that % of Burnet students have met or exceeded the standards of the STAAR test.Frog Tutoring Austin Tutors are proud to present the best middle schools in Austin based on statistics released by the Texas Education Agency. Please share in the comments any personal experience that you have had in the Austin Independent School District!5 Best Middle Schools in AustinCreate your own infographicsNote: We wanted to take a second to explain our methodology, and how we arrived at factoring in each area of success for our rankings. First, we made an extensive spreadsheet (which you can take a look at for yourself here), and collected all of the data that we needed for our results. Then we converted each factor into a perc entage and multiplied that number by the percentage of how much it’s worth in our ranking system. Let’s look at an example: LASA High School’s TEA Index ranking is 318/400.235 / 400 = 79.50%Since this is 22% of our total, we used the percentage above to measure how much it’s worth in our ranking system. Which in this case is 22% of the total score.79.50 x .22 = 17.49%If you’d like to know more about this process, please contact our coordinator, Judith, at judith@frogtutoring.com.