How to Tune a Ukulele A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How to Tune a Ukulele A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners Sign up successful If youre looking for something specific, you can jump around throughout the guide here: Ukulele Standard Tuning How to Tune a Ukulele With a Piano How to Tune a Ukulele With a Chromatic Tuner How to Tune a Ukulele by Ear How to Tune Different Types of Ukuleles Alternate Tunings Ukulele Tuning Apps How to Tune a Ukulele If you know nothing about tuning a stringed instrument, check out this video on how to tune a guitar from world famous guitarist and songwriter James Taylor. This video covers a lot of details about tuning in general, and you can apply the same principles to tuning a ukulele. Standard Ukulele Tuning The ukulele is typically tuned to the notes G, C, E, and A. This has been the standard since the advent of the internet. Before the internet, you could find people who tune their ukulele to A, D, F#, B or even fiddle tunings like A, D, A, D or G, C, D, G. How to Tune a Ukulele With a Piano Today, most of the books and videos you will find use G4, C4, E4, A4 as the standard ukulele tuning. The fours behind the letters represent the octave that you will find on the piano. So if you happen to have a keyboard or a piano, C4 is known as middle C. If you tune your ukulele to match middle C, then the E above middle C, and the A above middle C, and then tune the first string to the G above middle C, you will be in what is known as standard ukulele tuning. Heres a good illustration of how to tune a ukulele with a piano from The Uke website. Image courtesy The Uke How to Tune a Ukulele With a Tuner So what do you do if you dont have a piano? Well, you will need to get yourself a chromatic tuner. I use a Korg chromatic tuner, and I love it! I have tried a lot of other tuners, but the Korg is my favorite. Korg CA-40 Electronic Chromatic Tuner  Image Courtesy Musicians Friend You can purchase several brands of tuners for a reasonable price at places like Musicians Friend and Sweetwater. You will find that there are different types of tuners, and not all tuners are chromatic.  Which leads us to our next topic, what exactly does chromatic mean? If a tuner is chromatic, it enables you to tune to all of the notes. Guitar tuners are not chromatic. Theyre calibrated to only pick up the notes that are used on the guitar in standard tuning. Which means they can tune E, A, D, G, B and E, but its hard to tune to C or F# or Bb, or any of the remaining notes that arent covered by a regular guitar tuner. For this reason, I advise all of my students to buy chromatic tuners instead of standard guitar tuners. How to Tune a Ukulele  by Ear If you get a used or vintage ukulele, you probably wont have a tuner. Instead you might get some really old books or brochures and something called a pitch pipe. A pitch pipe is a neat mini harmonica that plays one note at a time when you blow into it. In some cases, you may have a pitch pipe that wasnt designed for your instrument, so you have to know how to tune one string to the pitch pipe, and the other strings to the first string. This can be a bit of a challenge, but I’m going to walk you through it. First, you need a reference note. Typically your reference note is middle C. When you blow on the pitch pipe, or play the note on the piano, you hear middle C. Then, you must twist the tuner on your ukulele until it matches. If you twist counter clockwise on the first two strings, you will tighten the string, and make it go up in pitch. So if you start on B, and twist counter-clockwise, you will be somewhere between B and C. If you keep twisting, you will finally get to C. But don’t twist too far, or you will overshoot C and end up on C# or somewhere between C and C#. Likewise, if you twist clockwise, you will go down in pitch. So if you are on B again, and you twist clockwise, you will end up on Bb, or somewhere between B and Bb. So when you match middle C on your pitch pipe to middle C on your ukulele, youre ready to start tuning your ukulele to the notes on the fretboard on the C string. Now think about it for a minute: You have your ukulele tuned to middle C, and now you need to get an E sound, so you can try to tune the next string to that E. If you count up from C, you will eventually get to E. The first fret is C#, the second fret up from there is D. Then the third fret is D#, and then finally the fourth fret is the E youre looking for. If you hold down the fourth fret, you will hear an E that you can tune the next string to. Now remember, when you get to tuning that E string, youre on the opposite side of the neck, so twist in the opposite direction than you did before. Twisting clockwise will tighten the string and make it go up in pitch. Twisting counter-clockwise makes the string loosen or go down in pitch. Now that you have your E, count up until you find the G (which is before the A string) and tune it. The first fret on the E string will be F, the second fret F#, and the third will be the G. Once you get the G string tuned (which seems like you’re going forward and backward on the ukulele, but that’s OK), count up to the A note. The first fret is G# and the second fret is A. Now you can tune to that pitch, and you’ll be all in tune. A final note on tuning: Once you think you get your instrument in tune, your strings will probably have stretched a bit. Sometimes, depending on your strings, the humidity, the types of tuners you have, and the type of wood your ukulele is made of, your ukulele will not be in tune immediately after you tune it. So you have to go back through the whole process two or three times to fine tune your ukulele. Once youve done this, you’re ready to play! How to Tune Different Types of Ukuleles Now you might have one of several types of ukuleles. Theyre not all the same. Here is a chart that covers the various types of ukuleles and the notes of their standard tuning. Alternate Tunings You can create a few fun alternate tunings by tuning each string up or down two steps. I find that if you try tuning more than two steps, you will break strings. So if standard tuning is G, C, E, A, then try tuning the G to a G# or an A, and make chords out of the open tuning. What goes with G#? The E chord would work. So you could tune your C down to a B, leave the E alone, and keep the A or tune it to a G# as well. You could try Open C tuning and tune your top A down to a G. Or try C7 tuning, and tune the A to a Bb. There are so many different types of tunings that you can try. If you find an alternate tuning you like, let us know in the comments section below! Heres a refresher on basic ukulele chords. Ukulele Tuning Apps There are a lot of good ukulele tuning apps out there. Here are a few I recommend checking out: iPhone Free Chromatic Tuner This free app works for both standard tuning and alternate tuning. You can download Free Chromatic Tuner from the iTunes app store. Tuner Lite Tuner lite turns your smartphone into a chromatic tuner and pitch pipe. Android Fine Chromatic Tuner Fine Chromatic Tuner uses the built-in mic on your phone to help you get your uke in tune. Chord! You can download Chord! for both iPhone and Android.  Theres a free and paid version, and the app allows you to find multiple tunings for lots of different stringed instruments, as well as chords, scales, and other useful information. Now you know several ways to get your uke in tune. Ukulele tuning may seem difficult at first, but find the method that works best for you and keep practicing! Try practicing with these 10 easy ukulele songs. Have you learned any cool tricks that help you tune your ukulele? Share them with us in the comments below!   Post Author:  Willy M. Willy M. teaches guitar, ukulele, and mandolin lessons in Winston Salem, NC. Hes the author of the Dead Mans Tuning series of mandolin songbooks, and is a former member of the American Federation of Musicians. Willy has been teaching for 20 years, and his students have ranged in age from young children to folks in their 80s.  Learn more about Willy 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 How to Tune a Ukulele A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners Sign up successful If youre looking for something specific, you can jump around throughout the guide here: Ukulele Standard Tuning How to Tune a Ukulele With a Piano How to Tune a Ukulele With a Chromatic Tuner How to Tune a Ukulele by Ear How to Tune Different Types of Ukuleles Alternate Tunings Ukulele Tuning Apps How to Tune a Ukulele If you know nothing about tuning a stringed instrument, check out this video on how to tune a guitar from world famous guitarist and songwriter James Taylor. This video covers a lot of details about tuning in general, and you can apply the same principles to tuning a ukulele. Standard Ukulele Tuning The ukulele is typically tuned to the notes G, C, E, and A. This has been the standard since the advent of the internet. Before the internet, you could find people who tune their ukulele to A, D, F#, B or even fiddle tunings like A, D, A, D or G, C, D, G. How to Tune a Ukulele With a Piano Today, most of the books and videos you will find use G4, C4, E4, A4 as the standard ukulele tuning. The fours behind the letters represent the octave that you will find on the piano. So if you happen to have a keyboard or a piano, C4 is known as middle C. If you tune your ukulele to match middle C, then the E above middle C, and the A above middle C, and then tune the first string to the G above middle C, you will be in what is known as standard ukulele tuning. Heres a good illustration of how to tune a ukulele with a piano from The Uke website. Image courtesy The Uke How to Tune a Ukulele With a Tuner So what do you do if you dont have a piano? Well, you will need to get yourself a chromatic tuner. I use a Korg chromatic tuner, and I love it! I have tried a lot of other tuners, but the Korg is my favorite. Korg CA-40 Electronic Chromatic Tuner  Image Courtesy Musicians Friend You can purchase several brands of tuners for a reasonable price at places like Musicians Friend and Sweetwater. You will find that there are different types of tuners, and not all tuners are chromatic.  Which leads us to our next topic, what exactly does chromatic mean? If a tuner is chromatic, it enables you to tune to all of the notes. Guitar tuners are not chromatic. Theyre calibrated to only pick up the notes that are used on the guitar in standard tuning. Which means they can tune E, A, D, G, B and E, but its hard to tune to C or F# or Bb, or any of the remaining notes that arent covered by a regular guitar tuner. For this reason, I advise all of my students to buy chromatic tuners instead of standard guitar tuners. How to Tune a Ukulele  by Ear If you get a used or vintage ukulele, you probably wont have a tuner. Instead you might get some really old books or brochures and something called a pitch pipe. A pitch pipe is a neat mini harmonica that plays one note at a time when you blow into it. In some cases, you may have a pitch pipe that wasnt designed for your instrument, so you have to know how to tune one string to the pitch pipe, and the other strings to the first string. This can be a bit of a challenge, but I’m going to walk you through it. First, you need a reference note. Typically your reference note is middle C. When you blow on the pitch pipe, or play the note on the piano, you hear middle C. Then, you must twist the tuner on your ukulele until it matches. If you twist counter clockwise on the first two strings, you will tighten the string, and make it go up in pitch. So if you start on B, and twist counter-clockwise, you will be somewhere between B and C. If you keep twisting, you will finally get to C. But don’t twist too far, or you will overshoot C and end up on C# or somewhere between C and C#. Likewise, if you twist clockwise, you will go down in pitch. So if you are on B again, and you twist clockwise, you will end up on Bb, or somewhere between B and Bb. So when you match middle C on your pitch pipe to middle C on your ukulele, youre ready to start tuning your ukulele to the notes on the fretboard on the C string. Now think about it for a minute: You have your ukulele tuned to middle C, and now you need to get an E sound, so you can try to tune the next string to that E. If you count up from C, you will eventually get to E. The first fret is C#, the second fret up from there is D. Then the third fret is D#, and then finally the fourth fret is the E youre looking for. If you hold down the fourth fret, you will hear an E that you can tune the next string to. Now remember, when you get to tuning that E string, youre on the opposite side of the neck, so twist in the opposite direction than you did before. Twisting clockwise will tighten the string and make it go up in pitch. Twisting counter-clockwise makes the string loosen or go down in pitch. Now that you have your E, count up until you find the G (which is before the A string) and tune it. The first fret on the E string will be F, the second fret F#, and the third will be the G. Once you get the G string tuned (which seems like you’re going forward and backward on the ukulele, but that’s OK), count up to the A note. The first fret is G# and the second fret is A. Now you can tune to that pitch, and you’ll be all in tune. A final note on tuning: Once you think you get your instrument in tune, your strings will probably have stretched a bit. Sometimes, depending on your strings, the humidity, the types of tuners you have, and the type of wood your ukulele is made of, your ukulele will not be in tune immediately after you tune it. So you have to go back through the whole process two or three times to fine tune your ukulele. Once youve done this, you’re ready to play! How to Tune Different Types of Ukuleles Now you might have one of several types of ukuleles. Theyre not all the same. Here is a chart that covers the various types of ukuleles and the notes of their standard tuning. Alternate Tunings You can create a few fun alternate tunings by tuning each string up or down two steps. I find that if you try tuning more than two steps, you will break strings. So if standard tuning is G, C, E, A, then try tuning the G to a G# or an A, and make chords out of the open tuning. What goes with G#? The E chord would work. So you could tune your C down to a B, leave the E alone, and keep the A or tune it to a G# as well. You could try Open C tuning and tune your top A down to a G. Or try C7 tuning, and tune the A to a Bb. There are so many different types of tunings that you can try. If you find an alternate tuning you like, let us know in the comments section below! Heres a refresher on basic ukulele chords. Ukulele Tuning Apps There are a lot of good ukulele tuning apps out there. Here are a few I recommend checking out: iPhone Free Chromatic Tuner This free app works for both standard tuning and alternate tuning. You can download Free Chromatic Tuner from the iTunes app store. Tuner Lite Tuner lite turns your smartphone into a chromatic tuner and pitch pipe. Android Fine Chromatic Tuner Fine Chromatic Tuner uses the built-in mic on your phone to help you get your uke in tune. Chord! You can download Chord! for both iPhone and Android.  Theres a free and paid version, and the app allows you to find multiple tunings for lots of different stringed instruments, as well as chords, scales, and other useful information. Now you know several ways to get your uke in tune. Ukulele tuning may seem difficult at first, but find the method that works best for you and keep practicing! Try practicing with these 10 easy ukulele songs. Have you learned any cool tricks that help you tune your ukulele? Share them with us in the comments below!   Post Author:  Willy M. Willy M. teaches guitar, ukulele, and mandolin lessons in Winston Salem, NC. Hes the author of the Dead Mans Tuning series of mandolin songbooks, and is a former member of the American Federation of Musicians. Willy has been teaching for 20 years, and his students have ranged in age from young children to folks in their 80s.  Learn more about Willy 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

Online Rational Equation Solver Tutors

Online Rational Equation Solver Tutors Rational expression is an algebraic expression written in p(x) / q(x) form. An algebraic expression is an expression written using numbers variables and constants. The condition for the rational expression is the denominator cannot be equal to zero i.e. q(x) 0. The rational equation can be solved using different mathematical properties such as multiplicative property, associative property, additive inverse multiplicative inverse and many more. Example 1: Solve the given rational equation 2x/(x + 1) + 1 = 7/(x+1). Solution: Given is the equation 2x/(x + 1) + 1 = 1/(x+1). Here the left had side has the equation 2x/(x + 1) + 1. Take the common denominator that will be (x + 1) 2 x /(x + 1) + (x + 1) / (x + 1) = (2 x + x + 1)/(x+1) = (3 x + 1)/ (x + 1). This gives: (3 x + 1)/ (x + 1) = 7/(x+1). The denominator on both sides is (x + 1) equating the numerators. This gives: 3 x + 1 = 7. Subtract 1 on both sides. This gives 3 x = 6. Divide both sides of the equation by 3. Therefore. x = 2. Example 2: Solve the given rational equation 4x/(x + 12) = 1. Solution: Given is the equation 4x/(x + 12) = 1. Multiply both sides of the equation by x+12. This give 4x = x+ 12. Subtracting both sides of the equation by x. 3x = 12. Divide both sides of the equation by 3. Therefore. x = 4.

The History of Origami

The History of Origami The Complex Story Paper Folding ChaptersPaper: the Essential Ingredient of OrigamiOrigami: the Symbol of DisciplineOne Thousand Cranes for SadakoOrigami in EuropeOrigami Today‘Mary’ sat on a stool, a stack of glossy magazine pages beside her. Deftly, she manipulated each page until it was but a fraction of its original size.She went about her work swiftly and silently, only nodding a greeting as we arrived.Mary (‘my English name!’, she proudly boasts) lives in a small-ish Chinese city with her family. She and her paper crafts claim a prominent place in the household; as the senior household member, she takes her job of protecting and passing on traditional culture seriously.I just wondered why she was busily folding and refolding magazine pages.Later, around the dinner table, I got my answer. By each food bowl lay a paper bowl that Mary had folded  meant for table scraps: fish bones, peppers and slivers of ginger.There is some argument over whether the art of sculpting animals out of folded paper originated in China or in Japan but one thing is certain: the Japanese words for this practice are the ones that everyone knows.Come with us now as we explore how the Japanese learned to make paper, who the first origami artists were and why they practised their art.We’ll also look at how far origami has strayed from its iconic cranes and flowers. NanaJapanese Teacher 5.00 (3) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YukoJapanese Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EllyJapanese Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MomokoJapanese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MelanieJapanese Teacher £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JamesJapanese Teacher 5.00 (5) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PippaJapanese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarikoJapanese Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsPaper: the Essential Ingredient of Origami With a generous supply of colored paper, you too could make the origami star your trademark! Image by Gao Vang from PixabayNo matter how you cut it, paper had to be invented before anyone could fold it.Our first step to tracing the origins of origami is discovering paper-making, an act often credited to a Chinese inventor and politician named Cai Lun.Rather than inventing it, he refined the paper-making process; archaeologists found samples of a cruder type of paper along the ancient Silk Road that predates Cai Lun’s by about 300 years.Nevertheless, the relative ease and low cost of producing these hemp-fibre sheets in the manner he established meant that paper could be widely used. Soon, other provinces were making paper using a variety of fibres.The paper-making craft spread throughout Asia. In Korea, artisans discovered how to make paper out of seaweed, rice straw and bamboo fibres.Paper took the Korean Peninsula by storm! Soon, everyone had a use for paper and some envisioned e ven more paper possibilities: in 1234, Koreans invented the first metal movable type machine.The Chinese invented the movable type some 200 years earlier but they used wooden blocks.We’re getting much further ahead of ourselves than we should... the question we need to answer should be: how did paper making get to Japan?A Korean Buddhist monk named Don-Cho demonstrated the practice of paper-making to the Japanese emperor sometime around 610 AD. Soon, Japanese craftsmen were using paper to make fans, parasols and even body armour.In homes, windows consisted of rice paper; even the walls were sometimes made of paper!And then, someone had the idea to craft a keepsake box out of paper. Coating it with varnish and lacquer made it both beautiful and durable; thus an entire industry was born.In spite of its functionality, origami today still symbolises very specific aspects of Asian culture. what a personal touch a gift in an origami box would be! Image by Letterblade from PixabayOrigami: the Symbol of DisciplineEarly in Japan’s history of paper, it was very expensive so its usage was restricted to religious purposes. For instance, a wedding might feature origami butterflies. Such designs still feature in weddings today.Unfortunately, it is not known exactly when origami became a staple of Japanese culture.It is widely thought that the Shogun, an ultra-disciplined military force that ruled Japan (off and on) from 1185 to 1868 used the art of folding to teach discipline, precision and patience.Here, we have to make a distinction between two different types of Japanese origami: ceremonial and recreational.The aforementioned discipline exercises the Shoguns used would fall under the header of recreational origami â€" believe it or not. As for ceremonial origami, besides being used in weddings, this type had a more official purpose.Those samurai warriors were known to exch ange gifts. The recipient who would receive such a parcel adorned by a noshi â€" a type of ceremonial origami with a strip of dried meat or fish folded into the paper would have been a fellow well thought of indeed!Records of such gifts prove that, by the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573), origami was firmly ingrained into Japanese culture.Do you know why origami is so important in Japanese culture? Hiroshima Peace Park.Every year, millions of paper cranes make their way there from around the world, expressing a global wish for peace.Would you like to learn how to make origami animals? The origami crane has come to symbolise peace and hope Image by Ulrike Mai from PixabayOrigami in EuropePaper made its way to Europe via East Asia somewhere around the 11th Century but, here again, it was not used frivolously until a few hundred years later.The first recorded instance of an origami boat in Europe was in a book published in 1490.The next, most obvious example of origami in Europe came in John Webster’s play, The Duchess of Malfi, published in 1623, wherein a character alludes to ‘a paper prison’ - what is known today as a water bomb.Before paper made its way to northern European kingdoms, royal courts enjoyed displays of napkin folding â€" a decorative type of folding done with napkins.Some designs were rather simple; a diagonal pocket or what was known as a bishop’s fold. Others were quite elaborate: fans and roses; a fleur-de-lys fold was quite popular in France.Ironically enough, napkins were ideal for decorative folding because they were square; unfortunat ely, they lacked the rigidity of origami paper and, because of their use, quickly lost their form.That is why napkin folding was only a passing fad. After the 18th Century, it fell out of fashion, possibly because porcelain took its place as decorative tableware.Nevertheless, the ground had been laid for folding things into decorative shapes; all the royal courts needed was the right material.The next, most significant advance in European origami was surely Friedrich Froebel’s Kindergarten Method of instruction.He maintained that learning should be a hands-on activity rather than a passive exercise and rote repetition.He devised a system of student engagement that incorporates something remarkably similar to the day’s popular practice of napkin folding, except using paper rather than cloth.A few years after his death in 1852, when Japan opened her borders, they imported Froebel's method of learning and, oddly enough, adopted his recommendations for how to make an origami: double -sided square paper and no cutting or trimming allowed.Prior to the Japanese incorporating the educational benefits of origami into their schools’ curriculum, their origami practice permitted cutting (kirigami) and glueing or sewing (kusudama).To this day, Froebel’s style of easy origami using a square piece of paper is standard practice in Japan; in fact, it has opened up new avenues of industry to support the Japanese art.Japanese paper, specifically Washi paper has been voted the hands-down best by paper folders around the world. And did you know that they are now producing fold paper with crease patterns already imprinted?So, whether you are just learning how to fold or you already have several origami models under your belt, you can rest assured your paper art will turn out finer the higher quality paper you use. Today, you can make an origami butterfly by folding a dollar bill! Image by jordandemuth from PixabayOrigami TodayThe Japanese word for folding paper is universally recognised even though it was thought to have originated from the German language.It’s not so far-fetched that the German word inspired the Japanese one; it was likely imported, along with the Kindergarten Movement, sometime around 1880.Sadly, other words incorporating the Japanese ‘ori’ or ‘gami’ have fallen by the wayside:orikata: literally 'folded shapes'. Compare to martial arts katas which also involve assuming a pose or 'shape'.orimono translates to 'folded thing' (you might recognise ‘mono’ from the Japanese word ‘kimono’; that word's literal translation is 'wearing thing'.tatamigami: tatami is a straw floor matting common in Japanese homes; these mats are smaller; something we might use as place mats on our tables.kirigami: to cut paperStill, origami, at its purest, is not a lost art! Would you l ike for someone to suggest a few origami projects or maybe show you how to fold a tessellation? Perhaps point you to a few origami books for kids or talk you through a simple origami?Today, fans of the folding technique can get their origami on at clubs throughout the UK: the British Origami Society, the Folding Society; even NetMums has an origami club.And, just when you thought folding origami was merely a paper craft... would you be surprised to know that origami has engineering applications? Indeed, if you are in that line of work, you most likely have a few constructions you could bring to the next meeting...From a small town in China to a farm in rural Minnesota where I learned 3D origami (folding pages of a periodical to make a tree), origami folding has proven to be timeless, universal craft.And to think, if that Chinese politician hadn’t figured out how to make a thinner, more durable sheet of paper...We've now determined that, although origami is not strictly Japanese, i t has firm roots in Japan. Now we just need to know why...

How Do I Start Homeschooling My Child

How Do I Start Homeschooling My Child According to the United States Department of Education, about 1.8 million students were homeschooled in the U.S. in 2012, the most recent year that statistics were available. If you are contemplating homeschooling your own child, you might wonder how to begin. Great ways to get started with homeschooling include learning about the homeschooling laws in your state, connecting with other homeschool parents in your area, and creating a homeschool plan. Heres how to start homeschooling your child: Learn the homeschooling laws in your state Rules about homeschooling vary from state to state. While all states permit parents to educate their children at home, there are certain states, such as California, that may require parents to register as a private school. Other states, like New York, require students to take standardized tests at certain grade levels. You should also call your local public school district to see if you are required to officially withdraw your child from school in order to avoid an investigation from a truant officer. [RELATED: How Can Homeschooled Students Prep for the SAT/ACT?] Create a plan for homeschooling your child Homeschooling provides you with some freedom to tailor your childs education to his or her likes, dislikes, learning style, and needs. Two of the homeschooling structures that are used today include the traditional approach, where a student follows a structured, school-like curriculum created by his or her parent, and the unschooling approach, where students choose what and when they would like to learn. Many homeschool families also adopt techniques in-between these two approaches. Consider your childs personality when deciding which homeschooling route to take. Is your child an enthusiastic self-starter, or does he or she thrive with outside structure? Is your child artistic, or more focused on traditional school subjects like math and science? Consider these potential scenarios: Student A is highly self-motivated with creative tendencies. He may do better in a less structured educational environment. Student B positively responds to structure. She may do better in a more traditional homeschooling environment. [RELATED: 4 Educational Family Field Trips] Reach out to other parents who are homeschooling their children It can be challenging for first-time homeschoolers to determine which approach is right for their family. To gain more insight, you can reach out to homeschooling parents in your community and ask them how they developed their homeschooling approach. If youre having trouble finding parents who homeschool in your community, it can be helpful to chat with parents online through resources like homeschooling forums. Homeschool co-ops can also be helpful for first-time homeschooling parents. A homeschool co-op creates a space where parents can trade their expertise and experience. Look online and on social media to see if a homeschool co-op exists in your area. [RELATED: How to Enhance Your Student's Experience with Literature] Take your time when starting homeschooling It can take time for your family to adjust to homeschooling, especially if your child has already been to a public or private school. It will also take time for you, the parent, to acclimate to being a teacher. Patience is essential. Be observant of your childs progress and attitude. If something isnt working, re-evaluate it, and try different curricula or educational philosophies. Homeschooling can be very effective due to its flexibility and its ability to accommodate the needs of your child, your values, and your lifestyle. 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.

7 Tips to Take Your Career to the Next Level - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 7 Tips to Take Your Career to the Next Level - Introvert Whisperer 7 Tips to Take Your Career to the Next Level If you’ve been struggling in your current job for a couple of years now, perhaps it is time to prepare yourself for a new challenge. Of course, it is difficult to see the path your current career is leading you, unless you really took the time to plan every single aspect of it. Then again, you need not to fret about anything because the truth is that there are plenty of tips you can use to take your career to the next level. While some of these might seem too obvious, we are confident that they are really effective. 1. Find better jobs. Sometimes, you just really have to change things a bit for you to move up. If you have been in the same position for several years already, it is likely that your bosses wanted you there. Even if you worked so hard, it’s just that you can’t convince people that you have what it takes if you are still in the same role. Therefore, move on and take the leap. Find better jobs. 2. Hone your skills. The more skills you have, the more chances you’ll be up for a promotion. Whether you believe it or not, employers will value you more if you have more skills. And if they see your willingness to learn and improve your qualifications, they might even end up enrolling you to a new course. Well, that doesn’t mean you have to quit your job to learn things. Depending on your agreement with your employer, you can always ask for some time off work or maybe study at night. Just remember that knowledge is power. The more you hone your expertise, the more your employers will appreciate you. 3. Grow your network. Having great connections may give you an edge. When it comes to finding success in careers, networking is very important. Thus, you need to ensure you make new connections once in a while. Finding connections is never hard. You can attend conferences and participate in various seminars. You can also go out with your colleagues and bosses. As soon as you get the liking of the people around you, they’ll trust you more in dealing bigger responsibilities and projects. 4. Work even harder. Well, you should start working hard right now. You can begin by volunteering to stay late to meet deadlines. You’ll see that those extra hours could make a great difference in what your bosses think of you. Basically, you just need to go above and beyond. Be more initiative at work. Start projects on your own and impress your employers. By doing that, you will definitely stand out! 5. Consider changing industries. Okay, this one might be a bit tough, but more often than not, it can be the best decision you can do. If you think you have already reached the peak of your current career, take another ladder and find other opportunities. Some careers are just too easy to move up while others can be tough. Though changing your career is a difficult decision, you will get through it in the long run. 6. Take advantage of every single opportunity. As a professional, make it a habit of doing more than you are tasked to do. Find other opportunities you think may add value to your career. Understand why certain tasks are assigned to you. Know how these tasks will contribute to the betterment of the company. Pay attention to the bigger picture and find out how all your tasks affect the company’s goals and growth. 7. Your attitude matters. If you really want to succeed in your career, do know that your attitude matters. Arrogance and pride won’t help you in your career. Yes, your bosses can teach you about the technicalities of work, but they can never teach you how to act. If you ever find yourself caught up in a wrong situation, approach it openly and be willing to accept mistakes. Don’t act as if you know it all. It is about time to take a look at your present career. Once you decide to step higher, do your homework with diligence. Speak with professionals in your field and ask about what skills you need to be where you want to be. All your efforts will soon pay off. Author Bio: Crispin Magnus is a freelance writer in New York covering human resource management, and sales and digital marketing. When he is not working there is 99 % chance that he is planning his next trip to another country. Go to top CAREER ACCELERATION Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

3 Things Tutors Can Provide For SAT And ACT Prep That Teachers Cant

3 Things Tutors Can Provide For SAT And ACT Prep That Teachers Can't For students about to take the SAT as well as their parents, it can be a point of debate whether or not to find a tutor for test prep. Some think it would be unheard of to take the test without being prepared by a tutor or qualified teacher, while others seem to think it's an expense that can easily be spared as long as you do well in school. In truth, there are many things tutors can do for students they can't do alone or with the help of a teacher. 1. TUTORS CAN PROVIDE DISCIPLINE It's true that there are many bright students who may have the capability to prepare themselves for the SAT, but that doesn't mean they have the discipline to do so. It's also not safe to assume that teachers will provide SAT-oriented material. Having an SAT coach means that a student is held accountable for studying specified portions of material, and therefore, it gives the student the discipline needed to do so. There's no doubting that the right amount of studying will improve a test score, but some students need the incentive to actually study. 2. TUTORS CAN PROVIDE SPECIALIZED HELP Many students do extremely well in certain subjects but not-so-well in others. For example, some students are proficient in math and science courses, but struggle with writing. If this is the case, it can be helpful to find a tutor who specializes in a certain subject. You can't get all the helpyou need just from sitting in class, because lesson plans are designed to accommodate everyone. When you find a tutor, you can sit down and explain exactly what you're having trouble with. Specialized help is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a tutor or coach. 3. TUTORS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF COLLEGES The benefit of having SAT tutors is that they're familiar with what colleges expect of their applicants. Together, a student and tutor can reach goals that are both attainable and specific to the program that the student is applying to, making it more likely they will get into their top choices and excel in their programs. Get started with finding a tutor or learn more about Huntingtons SAT prep programs and how they can help you reach your SAT goals. 3 Things Tutors Can Provide For SAT And ACT Prep That Teachers Can't For students about to take the SAT as well as their parents, it can be a point of debate whether or not to find a tutor for test prep. Some think it would be unheard of to take the test without being prepared by a tutor or qualified teacher, while others seem to think it's an expense that can easily be spared as long as you do well in school. In truth, there are many things tutors can do for students they can't do alone or with the help of a teacher. 1. TUTORS CAN PROVIDE DISCIPLINE It's true that there are many bright students who may have the capability to prepare themselves for the SAT, but that doesn't mean they have the discipline to do so. It's also not safe to assume that teachers will provide SAT-oriented material. Having an SAT coach means that a student is held accountable for studying specified portions of material, and therefore, it gives the student the discipline needed to do so. There's no doubting that the right amount of studying will improve a test score, but some students need the incentive to actually study. 2. TUTORS CAN PROVIDE SPECIALIZED HELP Many students do extremely well in certain subjects but not-so-well in others. For example, some students are proficient in math and science courses, but struggle with writing. If this is the case, it can be helpful to find a tutor who specializes in a certain subject. You can't get all the helpyou need just from sitting in class, because lesson plans are designed to accommodate everyone. When you find a tutor, you can sit down and explain exactly what you're having trouble with. Specialized help is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a tutor or coach. 3. TUTORS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF COLLEGES The benefit of having SAT tutors is that they're familiar with what colleges expect of their applicants. Together, a student and tutor can reach goals that are both attainable and specific to the program that the student is applying to, making it more likely they will get into their top choices and excel in their programs. Get started with finding a tutor or learn more about Huntingtons SAT prep programs and how they can help you reach your SAT goals.

Ideas to Revitalize Your Teaching Practices

Ideas to Revitalize Your Teaching Practices If you have been teaching for some time, it is easy to get into a routine, but its just as easy to fall into a rut. Whether youre seeking better ways to reach your students or need to infuse a little energy into your processes, here are a few tips to revitalize your teaching practices: Choose professional development that really lights you up. Yes, PD is required, but when possible, pick classes that are relevant for your position and current challenges. Good PD classes can also get you thinking about new ideas, introduce you to innovative practices, and help you figure out how to apply evidence-based research into your practices. Take the initiative to learn from your peers. The other teachers in your building are some of your best resources. Pick their brains. Talk with others about what theyre doing, and share what youve been working on as well. Talk with your principal about instituting some sort of peer coaching program, formal or informal. Build bridges across your school district or with other schools. In addition to collaborating with teachers within your building, find ways to establish connections with teachers in other schools. Seek out ways to visit other schools to observe their practices. Infuse technology into your teaching. The opportunities to bring technology into the classroom today are seemingly endless. Spice up your units and lessons by taking a virtual field trip somewhere or by incorporating blogging, an app, or other tech tools. Get ideas from your schools technology teacher or see if he or she might like to co-teach a lesson. Read teacher blogs for new ideas, tips, and resources. There are many excellent ones out there that will get your creative juices flowing and get you excited about teaching and making an impact on students. Whether you seek instructional inspiration or technology tips, there are many blogs that can help you. Need a boost? Try one or several of the above. Youll get this school year off to a positive start, and your students will notice the difference!

Theres Actually Science Behind Losing Your Train Of Thought

Theres Actually Science Behind Losing Your Train Of Thought Photo Via: There’s Actually Science Behind Losing Your Train of Thought Ever lose your train of thought? It’s frustrating and annoying, but it’s happened to everyone at least once. But more than that, researchers have now linked that obnoxious tendency to an actual, scientific explanation. On a neurological level, researchers have surveyed the brain at the moment a human being is startled (and therefore loses their train of thought), and found a surprising link between the lost-thought and a very well known symptom found in those with Parkinson’s disease. Losing your train of thought can happen as the result of a variety of stimuli, such as being interrupted or being startled by a loud noise or other, unexpected event. According to Adam Aron, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego (also the researcher that led this study), “An unexpected event appears to clear out what you were thinking.” The experiment ultimately shows the brain sending out an order to physically stop, thus interrupting the train of thought. Aron said the following: “We know what the electrical signals look like when somebody has to stop a movement. The radically new idea is that just as the brain’s stopping mechanism is involved in stopping what we’re doing with out bodies it might also be responsible for interrupting and flushing out our thoughts. We are providing a neural mechanism by which that happens. The same stopping system that gives you that kind of jolt when you are getting out of the elevator, and someone else is in your way and you have to stop, that same stopping system is stopping your train of thought.” This stopping system in the brain is known as the “subthalamic nucleus.” The subthalamic nucleus also happens to be the main focus of this study. The experiment was conducted with volunteers that put on an electrode hat and completed memory tasks on computers. The first test determined whether a surprise could make the volunteers lose concentration on their task. To do so, the computer would show them a string of consonants, which they were then told to compare to another string and determine if they were identical. This requires mundane concentration. To throw the volunteers off, a tone was used before the test part of the experiment. However, sometimes the researchers would mix up this tone by replacing it with the sounds of birds singing. And this distractor worked. The 21 volunteers that participated in the study either slowed in their test taking or made errors in their comparisons. Then, 22 new volunteers did the same test with the electrode hat on while seven others (with Parkinson’s disease) did a similar test, though the electrodes were implanted surgically. These electrodes read the brain activity and gave a very precise reading in those with Parkinson’s while the electrodes in the caps gave more of a rough idea of brain activity. The study found that volunteers were more likely to make mistakes the more the subthalamic nucleus was engaged by the “startling” sounds. According to Jan Wessel, a cognitive neurologist at the University of Iowa that worked on the study, “We’ve shown that unexpected, or surprising, events recruit the same brain system we use to actively stop our actions, which, in turn, appears to influence the degree to which such surprising events affect out ongoing trains of thought.” This is ironically something Parkinson’s patients are all too familiar with. The subthalamic nucleus is at work in Parkinson’s as well, and is responsible for the “freezing” qualities of the disease. For instance, when patients can’t focus easily or can’t initiate motion, this is their brain’s subthalamic nucleous, quite simply, directing the body to stop. The electrodes mentioned above are referred to as “deep brain stimulation,” which is meant to treat these symptoms. Because this same action is happening in “healthy” brains, researchers are led to believe that this system is a universal one, perhaps further explaining the complexities of such neurological diseases. Of course, scientists don’t stop there either. This knowledge could help to treat depression or PTSD in the future. According to Wessel, “It might also be potentially interesting to see if this system could be engaged deliberately and actively used to interrupt intrusive thoughts or unwanted memories.” Of course, these ideas are far in the future, and for the most part, just wishful thinking. According to Aron, “We don’t want to stretch it too far to make big claims about treating anything. This is highly speculative, but it could be fruitful to explore if the subthalamic nucleus is more readily triggered in ADHD.” This research may just be scratching the surface of its potential, but if this study is any indication, the future might just hold some of the most valuable neurological information yet.