A Great Research Resource for Country Statistics!

Happy Memorial Day! Speaking of Memorial Day, many people enjoy travelling to various destinations for vacation.  Some would like to spend their much needed break before finals or after APs completing their research projects. A great resource for a history, statistics or economics  project which involves the daily life of a country would be the website named Knoema.

Knoema provides country profiles, maps, country rankings, commodities of individual countries, and other topics of significant such as energy or national defense. All of these features on Knoema are free of charge and additionally, you can make a free account using your Google account. 

Country profiles are basically pages of each country which contain specific information regarding facets of daily life ranging  in subjects from the economy to crime to the environment. All of the information provided is statistically based  using trusted sources and because they only provide a statistical number, bias is limited and great for research. A good example of a global profile on Knoema would be the United States. 

All of the most important statistics are provided quickly and easily at the top of the profile. According to this profile statistically, the United States is quite a diverse nation.

Maps is another great feature of Knoema. Basically, Knoema has tons of statistics stored onto their servers for every nation. The maps features incorporate all of these statistics onto an easy to view map. These maps do not only apply to specific countries but also to individual states. This is great because it provides a more detailed view towards an issue because some nations such as the United States are quite large. 

Above is a color coordinated map  that shows the number of motor vehicles registered in each states. Several interpretations could be made by a raw, but simple map without any explanation. For example, the automobile industry is thriving in the mid-Atlantic where population is more dense than the Mid-Western states of North Dakota, South Dakota or Wyoming. A disclaimer for this argument is that an additional map with populations of each state would be more convincing. Click here to view a population map.

Knoema is a great resource for any student needing detailed data for research. The fact that explanations are limited is great because it limits bias. The raw, but simple statistics places the role of interpretation on the viewer and allows the viewer to explain his/her reasoning in a report without outside influences.

Exploratorium!

The Exploratorium is a museum about science, art and human perception located in San Francisco. Annually, over 1 million visits are made to the Exploratorium! It is a very intriguing museum with many fun and exciting exhibits to educate the general public on science, art or human perception. However, I understand not everybody reading this blog lives within driving distance of San Francisco, which is why I am going to write about the Exploratorium's useful webpage!

Above: An image of the Exploratorium! Source: http://www.exploratorium.edu/

The great part about Exploratorium's website is that it does a great job of bringing a museum experience to the online user. They educate the user about many of the things which are also covered in the actual Exploratorium. Even better, using the online website is completely free of charge, unlike entering the museum which requires an admission ticket.

The Explore Section on the Webpage

In this section of the webpage, there are different websites, interactive activities and more.

One of the items in the explore section is  regarding tides on earth. It provides a short and clear explanation regarding the reasoning behind the cause of tides then provides a fun activity.  The activity is basically an instructions page regarding how you can build a paper model to better understand  tides. This is what makes this webpage stand out from all the others. Instead of a boring article, it provides a visual example for  visually learners.

There is a also a sub-section to explore named apps. In my opinion, this is where the website gets extremely cool. There is an app available for Androids called Total Solar Eclipse, so therefore, I downloaded the app on my phone and started playing around with it. They have cool videos on solar eclipses and they even did a live webcast in March during an eclipse with representatives from both NASA and the Exploratorium.

In addition, you can also search by categories. For example, I found a page about avalanches. The page features a video with a detailed explanation to how avalanches are triggered and provides a demonstration with sand.

The exploratorium is a great museum. However, it may not be accessible for all, so their amazing staff there decided to bring the experience online. This website provides a wide variety of educational resources. Best of all, many of these resources are backed by visual and audio resources, guaranteeing an education for learners of all types. 

Seriously, this webpage is interesting! Feel free to browse through and I guarantee you will learn something new!

Interested in Science? Need Science help or ideas?

Science is a subject which is loved by many for its unpredictable and interesting results. For many, curiosity is the driving force for research and development in science. However, science is not always an easy subject to study. Many concepts must be understood and applied, in addition, many exceptions exist. Success in science requires much more than just memorization, it requires interest and willingness to indulge in a concept for an extended period of time.

A useful science webpage for junior high students, teachers, or simply enthusiasts is The Science Spot. The Science Spot offers classroom activities for 16 different fields of science. For example, chemistry, astronomy or ecology. These classroom activities are rather interesting. There is an activity for balancing chemical equations. The activity is called "Snowman Challenge Game" and students are asked to work in pairs to match equations using snowman cards. Everything for this activity is provided, even the snowman cards, free to print!

Another great feature of The Science Spot, is the "Science Starters". Simply, they are short PowerPoints created to "reinforce" the most important concepts of a topic.

These Science Starters are great because they are short and to the point. In addition, they require some thinking at first and if you can't figure the answer out there is an answer key on the next slide. Science Starters are provided for General Science, Physical Science, Biology, Earth Science/ Astronomy, and Forensic Science. So obviously, a wide variety of subjects are covered. 

The next feature of The Science Spot is called "Science Club". On this page, users will find different project ideas. For example, the classic egg drop experiment is suggested on this page. A description of the project is specified on a pdf file provided. In addition, they even provide a score sheet to make this experiment a competition. Science is fun, but when made into a friendly competition, it can be even more intriguing! 

The final important part of this website is its puzzles! Studying straight from a textbook is boring!

Like usual, many topics are featured by using these great puzzles. A few  examples are chemistry, physics and biology. These puzzles are important items that will be useful for high school students studying  any of these subjects at an introductory level. 

Science is fun and interesting. However, The Science Spot makes it competitive and interactive. An activity always benefits students more than a lecture. Teachers must face the facts that young adults have a short attention span and many student will not be able to absorb 100% of the information in a lecture. An activity which requires the student to perform a simple task will keep a student's attention. Even better, if the activity is a competition such as the "egg drop" experiment, then the students will be encouraged to win and perform their best! 

Math.com for exam help

Math has long been one of the core subjects in school. I would say almost every school in the United States requires math to graduate. For some, math is easy to understand  for others, math is the most difficult subject in school. Since middle school, no class other than math has required me to study as much in order to get an excellent grade on a quiz or a test. It's not that I find math difficult, I find it to be alright, but the fact is math requires practice. The great thing about math is studying in the short term actually works. If you are familiar with the questions before an exam, you are bound to get a decent grade. In contrast, subjects such as English when critical readings are given,  short term studying has a minimal effect on your grade. English tests would require a long term studying of many books to enhance a person's ability to read more critically. 

There are many great non- profit sites that help students study for exams. However, math.com is a great tool. The site is simply designed but nonetheless very helpful. In addition, math does not change too much over time so information remains very reliable over a long stretch of time. 

Math.com provides resources from Basic Math to Calculus. In addition, each subject has its own variety of formulas. For example: 

Overall, the formulas provided are fairly complete. It is every thing a student needs to be prepared for taking a big final exam. 

My favorite thing about math.com is that it has links to other sites for test preparations and study tips. A section of their study tips even addresses math anxiety! In my opinion, their math anxiety page is actually pretty funny and effective, I would encourage anybody to check it out. 

One last great feature math.com  provides is a page on finding the right math tutor. The information given is fairly extensive and I agree with the page when it says, "A good math tutor will need to have mastery of the material that he or she is teaching". 

Feel free to check out math.com! There's a lot of useful resources on there both for parents and students. And remember, the site is absolutely  free!

The financial benefits of using a Phone in Class

In today's world, when you look around, you will most likely find someone using an electronic device. From the restaurants to schools and even churches you will almost definitely spot a person ducking down and looking at their rectangle piece of plastic or glass.  Since the release of the iPhone in 2007, the world has changed drastically. Before the release of the iPhone, people had other things besides a smartphone to occupy their lives. Nowadays, people fill the pauses of their lives with a smartphone. Obviously, many things have pros and cons and smartphones are no exception to this rule. A positive use for a  smartphones  and one of the most important benefits of a smartphone is the financial benefit in a classroom.

Above: People filling their pauses in life with a smartphone. Source: www.theeast.org

Just several years ago, when I was still in middle school, phones were condemned from school. Students were not allowed to use any sort of electronic devices in the hallways or classroom. This included any time during school hours, even during breaks or lunch. If caught, a teacher may confiscate the device and require a parent to pick up the device at a later time. I have always believed that this rule was counter intuitive because if smartphones are used responsibly, they can be put to great educational use. Fortunately, the tide has shifted and schools now somewhat encourage the use of smartphones in the classrooms. In fact, it would rather be extremely inconvenient if a student did not own a smartphone. According to pewinternet.org in 2015, 88% of American teens between the age of 13 and 17 have a mobile device while 73% have a smartphone. If a smartphone is brought to school as an educational device, and the school acknowledges this, tons of money towards buying additional technology can be saved.

The number of times my teachers have asked me to take out my phone for class activities have increased exponentially each year. From Kahoot! to Quizlet Live to completing a school survey, I have used my device that my family paid for entirely. In wealthy school districts, bringing a personal device should be no problem for most students, however, in more impoverished school districts, bringing a personal device to school could be more problematic than helpful. Currently, school districts of less wealthy regions receive more state funding than a school district in a more wealthy region. I'm not promoting the raise or decline of funding towards any schools whatsoever. However, funding more technology  for students without the ability to purchase their own technology should be made a priority. In wealthy school districts, administrators should consider allocating more money for extra curriculars, or wherever the student body desires. 

Overall, smartphones can bring a financial benefit to any school district. Instead of rejecting them, administrators should embrace them and use them as a beneficial resource with the mindset that the school district just saved money on buying excessive resources.

Reading Online Notes for English Class- Is that considered cheating?

As a student, I can testify that online notes for English novels are extremely helpful and many students participate in using these notes. However, can they be too helpful? Do they provide an unfair advantage? I believe they are helpful and at the same time fair. Personally, my favorite site for English notes is Sparknotes, while many of my classmates prefer Schmoop or Cliffnotes.

So first of all, what kind of notes do these sites provide and what makes them so helpful?

My favorite site, Sparknotes, provides notes for many popular English classics, including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet and many more novels which are commonly found in a English class's curriculum. The Sparknotes editors are graduates of top schools and teachers with experience regarding literature.

In these online programs, you can find very detailed resources referring to  very specific parts of the book. In To Kill a Mockingbird's Sparknotes, you can find a video, context, plot overview, character list, analysis of major characters, themes, motifs, symbols, detailed summaries on sections of the book, important quotes with explanations, key facts, study questions, and a quiz.

The video is very good example of how Sparknotes can be utilized.

So is the use of Online Notes cheating?

Many will jump to say it is cheating with the vast amount of resources it provides for free. With the amount being so vast that students no longer have to read the book to get an understanding of the book. However, I believe that the use of online notes is not cheating, if you have read the book. Sometimes, reading is difficult and not everything is understood perfectly. Online notes are great because if there is a symbol that I do not understand within the book, Sparknotes will explain the meaning to me. In addition, online notes prepare me for tests and quizzes. Reading the book is not always enough and these notes, which are written by educators, provide me with more perspectives in understanding the reading.

The cons of online notes

While online notes can be a very useful study tool, it comes with its cons. Like previously mentioned, students may just read the notes rather than the book. In addition, online notes can also take away the self interpretation of a book. The beauty of reading a book is that anybody can interpret the same words differently. However, when a student only reads the online notes, he/she is subjected to the editor's interpretation.

While I believe online notes are a great tool for English tests and quizzes, they can easily be subjected to misuse and cheating for an assignment. However, with proper use, such as reading the actual novel and using online notes as a compliment, online notes are fair and resourceful.

Make YouTube a test! (EDpuzzle!)

In today's online world, there is a vast ocean of educational resources. A large amount of those resources are in the form of a YouTube video. Instead of discouraging the use of YouTube via internet filters,(like many schools do) EDpuzzle encourages using YouTube in an educational way. EDpuzzle is a classroom-like resource used by teachers that provides students with a class lesson using YouTube videos.

How does EDpuzzle work?

EDpuzzles are created by a teacher for the students. A no-cost account is required by both the student and the teacher to access the EDpuzzle. 

On the teacher homescreen  in order to create an EDpuzzle, a search on YouTube for videos is provided. Teachers can select a video for students and trim the video to the desired lengths and materials. 

As EDpuzzle states, trimming videos is a great feature because it reduces the amount of time spent by students watching irrelevant material having nothing to  do with the lesson.

The next step in creating an EDpuzzle is recording a soundtrack. This allows a teacher to teach the lesson to a student alongside a video. A student can access the teacher's voice at home or in the classroom. In addition, since everyone works at different paces, the student can rewind and hear/ watch the video again for a better understanding.

Another feature a teacher can also utilize in an EDpuzzle is notes. An audio note or a little comment which appears when the student is watching an education video can be very useful.

The last simple step to creating an EDpuzzle is making a quiz! Quiz questions can be multiple choice or open-ended. The teacher will choose a specific spot to freeze the video and ask a simple question. Below is an EDpuzzle quiz I created:

The correct answer is the first choice, "No. The person should be running to a safe, secure location". The EDpuzzle quiz will automatically score multiple choice answers for the teacher and leave open-ended corrections for the teacher's discretion. A student can only take a quiz once and a score is calculated based on how many correct answers the student has given. This can serve as an actual quiz given by teachers.

The teacher can make an EDpuzzle classroom where all students can join via an invite code. 

EDpuzzle is a great tool because it provides teachers with great flexibility. The teacher has the ability to select important sections of a YouTube video, provide audio commentary and create self graded quizzes for students. Instead of blocking YouTube entirely, EDpuzzle provides teachers with the ability to allow students to use YouTube free of other distractions in an educational way.