Gamification in Education Its Time Education Leveled Up [Infographic]

Gamification in Education It’s Time Education Leveled Up [Infographic] Brooke Neuman Explore the exciting world of education through gamification. See how and why it works on kids and adults for improved retention, knowledge, and more in this guest post from our friends at JoyTunes How many students have been scolded by parents to put their video game away and get their homework done? It’s been a common household quarrel for decades, but kids across the globe are finally celebrating the new data that supports gamification as a means of advanced education and learning. Check out how it’s being applied to students young and old who are learning to play the piano for the first time. Gamification:  What it is Why it Works Gamification is the process of utilizing gaming elements outside the standard gaming model to present an idea or achieve a goal. In the field of education, gamification is currently being used to help students learn better. Jane McGonigal enlightens the world to the benefits of education through gamification in her TED Talk here: In short, gamification techniques allow students to relate to the material and learning process in a whole new way, a way that is more engaging, interactive, attractive, and quite frankly, fun. Kids and adults can tackle issues from new angles, relate to the assignment more personally, visualize the problem at hand, organize and compartmentalize tasks, and achieve success based on motivating factors that speak to the individual. This is Your Brain, This is Your Brain on Gamification Here are a few facts about gamification that might clue you into the popularity, efficacy, and power of this under-utilized educational tool: By 2015, the gamification industry is projected to exceed $2 billion dollars, while the projected rates are meant to reach $5.5 billion by 2018. Close to 80% of students unilaterally stated that a more game-like atmosphere would increase productivity. 89% of people polled liked the point system for upping their engagement during an eLearning app session. People enjoy the charge that comes from scoring points, out ranking others, and being able to measure their accomplishments with concrete numbers. Skill-based knowledge assessments increased 14%, factual knowledge went up 11%, and retention was even improved by 9% for adults who used eLearning tools with gamification. Of course, not all gamification methods work as well as others. Some less popular techniques for getting the job done (or in this case the lesson learned) included receiving virtual gifts, being part of a story, and avatars. Music Gamified Learning to play the piano or any instrument is a challenge, no doubt. But mastering this beautiful art is easier, more manageable, and a lot more fun when you combine the strengths and incentives implied by gamification to your music lessons. Innovative music apps, like JoyTunes, use gamification to help kids and adults learn to play an instrument faster. The principles are simple: Games make learning more fun: The piano lesson is taught in the form of a game. We all like earning points: Points are gained when scales are performed properly. Games require repetition: Repetition makes for good music incorporation and learning. Hence, games equal excellent musical training grounds. Pretty smart, huh? Give it a Try! The infographic above tells the long story of gamification at a glance. The extent of this processing is yet to be discovered, but one thing can be said of gamification for sure: those who tap into this innovative method for teaching, learning, and training are guaranteed to see extraordinary results. And those that don’t…well, they’ll just be left in the dark. Guest Post Author:  Mya Achidov This is a guest post from JoyTunes. Mya Achidov is the Blog Editor-in-Chief at JoyTunes, a company that develops award-winning apps to teach you how to play music. 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

What Does it Take to Become a Music Therapist

What Does it Take to Become a Music Therapist Sign up successful Music therapists work with all kinds of people, from those with physical or mental disabilities to those dealing with terminal illness. By applying music in a scientific way, these professionals are often able to achieve impressive results. Whether you want to become a music therapist or simply looking to hire one, it helps to understand what it takes to become a music therapist. What is a Music Therapist? A music therapist is a therapist who uses music to treat patients. Unlike other therapists, who often work in offices (think of the stereotypical “therapist’s couch”), music therapists often work directly in hospitals, clinics, and other centers where their services are needed. They sing and play guitar and piano during sessions. What Are the Benefits of Music Therapy? Music therapists often work with specific demographics of people for whom normal therapy is less effective. This includes people suffering from mental illnesses such as autism and Alzheimer’s disease; drug and alcohol abuse patients; young children; and crisis and trauma patients. Plenty of research has been conducted on the subject, showing that music therapy is effective for treating dementia, anxiety, depression, and numerous other conditions. How to Become a Music Therapist There are two steps to becoming a music therapist: getting a degree in Music Therapy and passing the American Musical Therapy Association’s exam to become board certified. There are dozens of universities that offer degrees in Music Therapy across the country. The Music Therapy Degree Since music therapy is a combination of musicianship and psychology, music therapy students are required to study both. You are also required to perform internships in clinics, where youll get hands-on experience working with patients. Here’s a quick breakdown of what that means. The Music Side: Music therapists take many of the same courses as music majors, including conducting, music history, theory, and composition. You are also required to study voice, piano, and guitar, as well as perform in ensembles (such as choir). The Therapy Side: Expect courses in human development, therapy, and psychopathology. Music therapists also have to study the psychological effects of music, learn how to apply music in therapeutic situations, and practice applying them through internships. The Internship: During internships, youll work with patients under the supervision of licensed therapists. It’s a pretty serious commitment involving 1,200 hours â€" that’s about 150 8-hour days â€" of working in clinics with patients with a variety of ailments. You will work in at least three different places during these internships, and advanced students perform supervised music therapy sessions. The Test Once you get your degree in Music Therapy, you are eligible to take the American Music Therapy Association’s exam. If you pass the exam, you earn a Music Therapist Board Certification that allows you to become professional music therapist. The Power of Music If you want to become a music therapist, know that it is arguably even harder than becoming a traditional therapist. Not only will you have to study therapy and psychology, you will have to study music as well (and become adept at three different instruments). But music is a powerful force, and musical therapists get to use that power to help others in an extremely rewarding career. Elaina R. teaches opera voice and  singing in Ann Arbor, MI, as well as through online lessons. She is currently  working on a Master of Music at the University of Michigan, and she has a B.M. from the University of Southern California.  Learn more about Elaina 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 Wm Andrew Murphy

How to Overcome Fear and Ask for an Increase From the Boss - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How to Overcome Fear and Ask for an Increase From the Boss - Introvert Whisperer How to Overcome Fear and Ask for an Increase From the Boss Employment is a paramount survival technique for many people. It allows for the generation of income, which is essential for survival. Without a stable income, basic needs, and all other luxuries of life can be a nightmare. Living conditions can quickly move from comfortable to deplorable. As such, employment is a matter of grave concern for most people. People treat it with trepidation. They’d rather lose their arms than lose their jobs. Managers, bosses, and anyone with the power to hire or fire are therefore revered as they could terminate a contract and leave you unemployed. The fear can be so much that it silences one from complaining about apposite issues. A relevant example is asking for a pay rise from the boss. Many people fear that in the course of asking of that which they deserve, things could go wrong and end up with unemployment. However, that shouldn’t be the case. Everyone should be rewarded according to their abilities and productivity. Here is how to overcome fear and ask for an increase from the boss. Know Your Worth To overcome the fear of facing the boss about an increase in salary, you need to know your worth. You should see the worth of your skills and services. You should know the contribution of your skills and services to the company. Would there be a difference if they hired someone else? Is there a possibility of finding someone else with your set of skills for lower pay? The above questions will be a guide in helping to overcome the fear of approaching the boss. It will give you the courage to make the giant step of walking to the boss’s office to discuss a pay rise. Knowing your worth doesn’t only help you overcome fear. It helps you unlock your full potential. It rejuvenates your energy and motivation to work smarter and even harder. With such qualities, the fear of asking for an increase from the boss will be an impossibility stacked in oblivion. Know When to Move On As it is in relationships, we tend to hang on jobs that no longer recognize our worth. You stay because of an array of factors that are binding, attaching, and preventing a deliberate action from moving on. It may include elements like it was your first job; therefore, your loyalty prevents you from moving on despite the low pay you are paid. Knowing when to move on will help you overcome the fear of the boss as you will be unafraid of frustration. It kills the frustration that by asking for an increase, the boss will be mad at you. That by asking for a raise, you will frustrate yourself incase your employer rejects your request, and it all ends in unemployment. Overcoming that frustration results in knowing that its already time to move on. The realization that probably your time with your employer is over where there isn’t a revision of terms equips you with courage, not even the strongest storms of life can take away. Do You Deserve an Increase? Human wants are insatiable. Everyone, if asked, would say they need an increase. Nobody is comfortable with their position, as far as money and other necessities are concerned. There is always a conviction to make, have more. But the big question is, do you deserve an increase? Establishing whether or not you deserve an increase will help you overcome the fear of asking for a raise. For instance, when you were employed, the tasks you performed were minimal and correctly resonated with your pay. However, over the time you’ve been an employee, the company has grown, and workload has increased significantly. In the instance above, you deserve an increase. The complexity of your task to your employer changed. Other factors like how consistent you’ve been, how professionally you’ve handled responsibilities, and your contribution to your employer will be a confidence booster. Always determine whether you deserve an increase before asking for a raise. Prepare a Pitch The quality of being prepared to execute a task is an underrated virtue. It helps you smile in the face of panic and unpreparedness. It gives you the confidence to stand and perform your job with maximum joviality, exploring all potential, therefore, delivering it in the best way possible. The same applies to asking for an increase from the boss; you have to prepare a pitch. The pitch will help you outline all that you think qualifies you for an increase. It allows you to list all the reasons why you deserve a raise. Preparing the pitch will help overcome the fear that asking for an increase isn’t a great move. In writing the pitch, you can ask for ideas from friends or seek professional help from  subjecto. Preparing a pitch gives you adequate time to think through. It prevents you from blundering your way into asking for a raise. It enables you to walk to the boss confident and proud of yourself. Get the Timing Right There is a time and season for everything. When asking for a pay increase, there is the right timing, which, if you send your pitch, it is highly likely that it will be considered. However, there are times, a period of the year in which your pitch for an increase may not be successful. When it comes to an increase, you have to understand that it is about your employer and not you. If you need a raise because you are having a hard financial time, then you don’t deserve an increase. The increase should be based on your services to the employer and its ability to affect the changes. Most employers do annual increases. If you need a raise, make your case known to your boss three months before the rise. It helps you get the timing right, and your pitch will likely be considered. Being at the right time will help remove the fear that maybe you’re bothering your employer with extra costs. In conclusion, overcoming fear and asking for an increase depends on several factors. It is mostly about your productivity to your employer and how you present your pitch. It also involves booking a proper appointment, on official premises. Fear is a construct of our minds. If you can conquer your mind, so can you fear. Author Bio: Lisa R. Taylor is a 32-year-old self-driven specialist who enjoys blogging in the IT field. She writes and manages Subjecto and Panelhc. She is kind and considerate, but can also be very evil and a bit stingy. She is American. Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has a post-graduate degree in literature. She grew up in an upper class neighbourhood. Her hobbies are: writing, sports, website management. She is inspired by travelling. Follow her on Facebook. Go to top Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.   But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will? If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote. Start watching now by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Huntington Learning Center Celebrates National Parental Involvement Day

Huntington Learning Center Celebrates National Parental Involvement Day This month, the Huntington Learning Center of City will celebrate National Parental Involvement Day on November 16, a day that honors the powerful contributions that parents and caregivers provide in support of students success. This annual celebration held on the third Thursday in November each year was founded in 1995 by Project Appleseed, a nonprofit educational advocacy organization. Eileen Huntington, Co-founder and CEO of Huntington Learning Center says that the center encourages family involvement every day. Parents and caregivers can have a tremendous impact on their childrens school experience, she says. Some of the simplest activities help the mostlike showing an interest in what children are learning at school, helping children prioritize their homework each night and encouraging children to give their school work sincere effort. On National Parental Involvement Day and every day, we express our appreciation to parents who care about their childrens education and want to be a part of it. Huntingtonadds that there are many ways parents can foster their childrens academic success. Here are several suggestions for enhanced parental involvement: Ask teachers about academic milestones for this school year and keep tabs on how your child is progressing toward grade-level standards and checkpoints. Monitor homework time to ensure your child is managing his or her time effectively and working on the most important (i.e. due the soonest) tasks first. Check your childs homework each night for neatness and obvious errors. Set goals together for the semester, school year and longer term. Ask questions each day about what is going well and what is proving challenging in school. Take advantage of opportunities to meet with teachers and staff at back-to-school nights, open houses and conferences. Read all communications from your childs teacher and respond in a timely manner when he or she requests information. Make reading a daily habit for the entire family. Ask your childs teacher(s) if you can volunteer in the classroom or in other ways from home. Huntingtonreminds parents that parental involvement is easier than it might sound. While volunteering in the classroom and for the schools Parent Teacher Organization are great things, there are lots of ways to support your child, she says. Parents should make clear to their children that they believe school is important and encourage them to make it their top priority. Those who communicate this to their children and hold high expectations for them as students will see the positive influence. Learn more about National Parental Involvement Day at www.projectappleseed.org. For more information about Huntington Learning Center, visit www.huntingtonhelps.com. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader.Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2017 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

Child Struggling in School 7 Tips to Solve That Now! - Private Tutoring

Child Struggling in School 7 Tips to Solve That Now! BobbiM May 24, 2015 There’s nothing worse for a parent than to watch your child struggling in school. No matter what the situation or subject, we would all love to be able to ease their burden and resolve any problem that comes along. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way and there are times when we simply have to step aside and let them work through it. Sometimes the effort is on their own and sometimes with the assistance of a private tutor or teacher. So what are some basic steps you can take to assist? 1 â€" Check in with the school or teachers that your child currently sees. See if something is going on that they have noticed? Are there social issues? Or is it academic? Are new topics or studying methods being introduced? Like a detective, you want to see what has changed or is different that might be causing the impact on your child. 2 Review grades and homework. How consistent is the work and grades that you see for the last month or several months? If you notice any changes that you can pin point, now is the time to address them. Perhaps it is one course in which case certain topics might have been introduced that are not being fully understood by your son or daughter. If there’s a general downward trend then that takes additional digging to find out the cause of that issue. Are your child’s friends and acquaintances the same or have there been changes? Is there a change in free time usage? New sports, activities or work can have impacts as well. Whatever the case, the burden falls on you to determine what has happened and what options exist. 3 â€" Talk, talk, talk When dealing with teens this can become more difficult since they are not the most chatty of creatures but whatever age, it’s now time to start finding out from the source if there’s anything happening. You might have to be subtle and wait for the best time to have this talk but it is critical if you want to help them to help themselves. Check in on what is going on, use any and all tactics to get them to share what is the latest with school and their classes.     Asking direct and specific questions can help you get the information out of them. Many times they are aware of what’s going on but at a loss as to what to do about it. 4 â€" Determine what are some options? Once you have an idea of what is the root of the cause for the drop in grades you can start taking actions. It always feels better to take action! (At least I’ve found that to be true) If it’s social pressures or other topics along that lines, you want to find the assistance to help cope with and resolve those types of issues. If it’s academic, you can now create a game plan to help your child get back on the road to academic success. 5 â€" What assistance from your school is available? Depending upon your perspective of your child’s school and district, you might want to again ask them for options and assistance. Many schools have tutoring or after school programs that can provide assistance to their students. Based upon what your child needs, this might be an avenue for exploration. Make sure that you check out these options in advance and see if there is a fit. You know your kid and what will work well for them. 6 â€" What outside tutoring or study skills assistance are there? Depending upon what your child needs, you might want to explore private tutors or even private tutoring at home depending on the crazy schedules that we all are keeping these days! This option allows you to hone in on exactly what is needed and the tutor will provide focused programs designed to address exactly those areas. Like PrivateTutoringAtHome.com offers, these types of tutors cover just about every subject you could think of from early education through graduate university studies. Best of all, you can find the right tutor in your area which makes it even more convenient. Tutors provide individualized attention that fits a childs learning style, and many tutors work to make the sessions fun enough that the students actually want to be there, says Fleming. The fun and games teach the student that learning can be a positive experience. Positive tutoring can help a child learn the material, get better grades, and even form a better attitude about school. Having a positive attitude about school and being interested in it really has a tremendous impact on the results that a child gets in school. Any assistance that you can provide will help insure your child is one of the students that thinks of their education in a positive light. 7 â€" Implement and monitor Just because you started a plan for your child doesn’t mean you can rest easy. Now is when you have to help your child stay on track. In addition, monitoring and seeing if there are positive results is critical. If your child has fallen behind, there will be a catch up period that might include additional struggles. Playing catch up is never fun and it’s frustrating for you to watch as a parent and for the child to go through. However, both of you will make it out the other side with a little bit of time, patience and focus. Getting through school successfully is frequently a group effort. Parents, children, schools and various other resources like tutors all combine to help make it a successful educational process. By initiating the first steps today, you can insure that your child will continue to grow, learn and flourish and with an education, be successful later in life as well. And, after all, isn’t that what we each want for our kids? I know that I do! Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We’d love to hear your stories. Find the Best Private Tutors At Reasonable Rates - Get Real Results Fast! Choose Your Subject - Add Your Zip Code - Find Top Rated Tutors Today InPerson or Online Online InPerson

Internat Solling

Internat Solling Internat Solling Our Philosophy Internat Solling is a private boarding school in Lower Saxony funded by a charitable foundation. The original reform concept of the schools foundersstill valid today was to facilitate the development of young adults through holistic education so that they become responsible citizens. A sense of mutual trust, spirited cooperation and belief in each other as unique individuals are the very qualities that define how we live with each other. Our goal is to empower our pupils so that they can fulfil their dreams while also learning to be responsible towards themselves and society as a whole. We also strive to provide our pupils with orientation and to encourage them to pursue their intellectual curiosity and become motivated to perform. Our pupils learn to develop strong yet responsible personalities and remain engaged and conscious of their roles in tomorrows society. Location Campus Our boarding school is located in the beautiful rolling hills of Solling above the town of Holzminden in southern Lower Saxony. The venerable school building is situated on spacious grounds with 50 ha (125 acres) and is the home to our special education programme. Click this article to view a slideshow. Our three large old buildings Lower House (Unterhaus), Middle House (Mittelhaus) and Upper House (Oberhaus) represent our central idea of life and learning: boarding rooms, teacher apartments, classrooms all are located under the same roof. It is no coincidence that we have never had plans to separate the classrooms from residences of both the pupils and teachers. History If Internat Solling were to have been founded in current times, it would have called a parents initiative. Thanks to the dedication and seed money from a group of mothers and fathers, our school was founded more than 100 years ago. This group was lead by Dr. Hermann Schmilinsky, a medical doctor from Hamburg, who encouraged four teachers to found their own school.. These four educators hat previously taught at Germanys first rural boarding school in Ilsenburg that offered new approaches in contrast to the typically authoritarian, militaristic approach of other schools during the Wilhelmine era. Following a dispute with this schools founder Hermann Lietz, they were dismissed but nonetheless remained dedicated to their educational reform concept wherein daily life is to be unified with learning and children are to be taught through the head, heart and hands. At the same time, they also sought a holistic approach to education within the larger context of man and nature. The creation of the first rural boarding schools (Landerziehungsheime) represented a break from urban living to what was then understood to be the healing forces of nature. On 11 November 1908, the four teachers met for a goose dinner on St. Martins day in Wernigerode, Saxony-Anhalt and decided to actually start their own school. It was no accident that they distinguished themselves from other rural boarding schools by founding a school more closely focussed on education. To this day, we still celebrate this occasion with a large goose dinner. View our Brochure

5 things to write about on a scholarship application - TutorNerds

5 things to write about on a scholarship application - TutorNerds Tips from an Irvine college admissions consultant: 5 things to write about on a scholarship application Spring is the season when high school seniors find out where they have been accepted to college. Now that theyre in they just had to have to figure out how to pay for it and that can be quite a feat when students include tuition, living expenses, books, etc. There are so many scholarships available out there ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Many students avoid filling out scholarship applications because they dont know what to write about or whats important to include as part of their personal statement. Students who need a little help brainstorming can look at these five tips to help them get started. 1.   Your intended field of study Many scholarships focus on a particular field and so students should start out by writing about the major they intend to go into. Students can be broad and write about something like medicine, engineering, or art or they can get more specific and talk about the sub field or specialty they’re especially interested in. Students can benefit from writing this type of personal statement in advance of actually filling out a specific application because they should get comfortable talking about their passions and goals. Students can easily edit for word count or applicability later on. 2.   Career goals Another important thing for students to write about is their future career goals. This is related to their field of study in many ways, but career goals are often more specific and involve a linear timeline. Perhaps a student wants to start out as an intern or volunteer and lead up to being the CEO one day. Maybe a student wants to travel the world or learn different languages and study diverse cultures. Career goals can be financial and practical, or they can be creative and diversified. However, scholarship committees want to make sure that a student is driven and that they know what they want for their future before they write a check to anyone (READ: 5 Things to do Before You Go Away to College). 3.   Volunteer experiences Another thing scholarship committees love to hear about is the student’s volunteer experience. When students have been giving back to their community and have compassion for those in need they are more likely to be a great candidate to receive what is essentially free money. This is another thing students can write about upfront because its specific to their situation but can easily be edited for word count later on. Students should talk about why they chose a particular activity and why it was so important to them. If a particular volunteer commitment is related to an applicant’s intended career field, its especially important to mention that. 4.   Personal interests and hobbies Another great thing for students to write about is anything specific to their personal interests or a hobby that relates in some way to college or career. Hobbies dont have to be the same as a students intended major, however; students might be going into English and communications but love to paint or they might be going into math but volunteer at a soccer camp. Hobbies make students more diversified both on paper and in real life, something that many scholarship committees’ dont see when they look at a simple resume and personal statement. Writing about a personal interest is a great way for an applicant to stand out amongst the crowd. 5.   Your worldview One of the most difficult things for students to write about, but one of the most essential, is their personal worldview. Many students haven’t completely developed a worldview at this age, but they should have feelings about certain issues that are important to their age group or their life. It can be something hard to write about, but students are encouraged to sit down and think about what matters to them and how they want to change the world in front of them. Do they want to work on solving the problem of poverty in their local community or do they have an opinion on international politics, for example? A worldview can be related to the entire world or a small local community, and there isnt necessarily right or wrong opinions. However, it’s important that a student has an opinion and that theyre able to discuss why they feel this way. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write