What is Internet Safety

What is Internet Safety What is Internet Safety? ChaptersLess is MoreProtect Yourself from MalwareHow to Maintain Online PrivacyGet Creative with PasswordsAlso known as cyber safety, internet safety is all about - yep, you guessed it - staying safe online.In this increasingly technologically reliant society we live in, it’s pretty much a given that most people will spend some time on the internet on a regular basis. As a result, it’s worth stopping to think about the steps you could take to ensure you aren’t at risk of internet scams, hacking, or on the receiving end of some other nasty digital wrongdoing.So you might be asking yourself, what are the steps I can take right now to protect my personal data and privacy?Luckily for you, we’ve compiled this list of actionable steps which will help you go from an internet safety novice, to a digital wizard. 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Phone safety dictates that we shouldn’t go around shouting personal information from the rooftops.You see it all the time these days, people in the limelight are made to regret things they said or did months or even years ago, even if they feel like they are completely different people. All you have to do is search for tweets celebrities regret posting, and you’ll have plenty of cringeworthy material to go through.It doesn’t only apply to celebrities though, since any one of us can have our old information brought to light. That’s why it pays to be a bit conservative with the amount of personal information we choose to share. Even cyber bullying can become an issue if someone you know chooses to use information against you.As tempting as it may be - especially with the meteoric rise of social media platforms li ke Twitter - to share every last detail of your life online, this can often come back to bite you later down the line. Social media safety is as important as ever these days.With regards to the information we share, it would be prudent to heed the words of Digital Responsibility, who in this article advise the reader: ‘assume that nothing you share online is private’. A sobering thought which provides a stark reminder that whatever you post online will likely be there for all eternity.Sharing less information online about your personal life helps not only avoid identity theft, and keep your professional persona intact for future employers, but it can also protect you from having private affairs used against you for whatever reason.All it takes is a flash of anger and you could be liable to open up your Twitter or Facebook account and post something you could very well later regret.The fact that these platforms, as well as Internet forums, are literally at our fingertips 24/7 is a scary thought. If our devices captured everything we ever said or did, it probably wouldn’t end well, so making sure we rarely use the internet to vent or channel anger is a good way to keep ourselves safe.Protect Yourself from Malware Malware can seriously harm your computer.Whether you’re familiar with the term malware or not, you probably know that there is software out there which is designed to mess with your device and ruin your day.There are several ways in which you can fight back against malware, and reduce the risk of being on the receiving end of it in the first place.Avoid Dodgy DownloadsSteer clear of websites which aren’t secure, and certainly don’t try to download from websites which your computer or device has warned you about. It’s best to err on the side of caution, as once you get malware, it can be hard to shake.There’s no need to refrain completely from downloading through the internet, since 99% of the time it will be completely fine, but for that off chance that something isn’t right, it’s worth making sure you are downloading from a legitimate source.Gone PhishingAs innocent as it may sound, phishing refers to the cybercrime of attempting to get you to click on strange links th rough e-mail.Always ensure you read through the text of the e-mail, check that who it’s coming from is a legit source, and if it’s a big company, check to see their e-mail address online to see if it matches up.If you have doubts, you should try to contact the organisation who allegedly sent the e-mail, to verify that it was actually them, and not someone phishing for your personal information or bank details.Buy from Secure WebsitesAn easy way to ensure that the website you are about to purchase something from is legitimate, is to check the URL.If the website has ‘https:’ at the beginning of the URL, then you know it’s secure. Why? Because the added ‘s’ stands for secure.Another way to know if the website is secure is to check for the padlock icon around the address bar.If you are going to purchase something from a website without these signs, then make sure you do a bit of research around the company, and find out if people have bought things through them before succ essfully.Install Anti-virus SoftwareThe best way you can protect yourself from malware right now though, is by installing some good anti-virus software on your device.Anti-virus, or anti-malware software works to identify and block out malware where possible, and at the very least, helps put your mind at ease.If you don’t currently have anti-virus software on your computer or laptop that you actively use, you are at a higher risk of catching malware, which I’m sure you don’t want.A nice way to think of the software is as a personal bodyguard, who is there to protect your device and your data from intruders.How to Maintain Online Privacy Keep on top of your device’s privacy settings.Most of us appreciate a level of privacy in our personal lives, yet we are happy to put our whole lives on the internet without even batting an eyelid.So what can we do to maintain our online privacy?Privacy SettingsFirst things first, next time you load up your browser (or once you’re done reading this article), take a look at the privacy settings.Find the settings tab for your browser, and you will be able to enable certain measures which will restrict what information marketers can find out about you from your browsing habits. We’ve all had that strange experience of loading up Facebook only to see an ad for those shoes we were just looking at.Consider Using a VPNA VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be a very valuable tool for those moments where you’re away from your home wifi connection, still want to access the internet while out and about.While you might not realise it, using the wi-fi in public places can be a recipe for di saster. Due to the insecure nature of some wifi connections, your data could be at risk, especially if you carry out transactions through it. Even if you don’t use these wifi networks for business, simply entering a login password can be risky.What’s more, and something that is easy to overlook, is the fact that you don’t necessarily know that the wifi you are connecting to belongs to the coffee shop you’re in for example. Of course the bigger companies take measures to have secure wifi, but what about smaller independent coffee shops?People can be so devious as to set up wifi under the name of the business in order to gain access to the data of any poor soul who connects to it.This is where the VPN comes in. What the VPN does is create an encrypted route between your device and the wifi router. This will protect your data by masking your IP address, and keep you anonymous.A simple way to think about is to imagine you have your own personal connection to the public wi-fi whi ch is inaccessible to anyone else. Whereas without one, you are risking your data flying around with everyone else’s, which can be targeted by hackers.Get Creative with PasswordsOne of the most fundamental elements of staying safe online, the importance of having strong and varied passwords cannot be stressed enough.Hackers love the opportunity to guess a password, so don’t give them an easy target. The stronger your password, or the more letters, numbers, and symbols it contains, the less likely it is that someone will be able to gain access to your account.It’s also important to vary your passwords from account to account too. While having a strong password should make it a lot harder for anyone to access your personal information, if they do manage to break through, you don’t want them then having access to all of your accounts.That is to say, it’s good to have a strong password, but it’s better to have a variety of different strong passwords. That way, a hacker gaini ng access to your e-mail account doesn’t also mean they have access to your bank account too.A few tips on creating a strong password:Make it long.The longer your password, the better, and the less chance a hacker has of getting into your account.Add numbers and symbols.Likewise, the more numbers and symbols, the better.Don’t write it downWhile it might be tempting to write it down, you shouldn’t write your password down for the same reason you shouldn’t write your PIN number down.

How to do Lotus Pose in Yoga

How to do Lotus Pose in Yoga How do I do Lotus Pose? ChaptersPreparationStep-by-step InstructionsPhysical BenefitsModifications VariationsLotus pose, or Padamasana, is often considered the ultimate yoga and meditation position for beginners to learn. This move is one of the most recognised yoga poses, and it’s so easy to learn!Lotus pose is a great starting point for your yoga routine â€" and even just for a moment of meditation. It’s great for posture and opening the hips, and a great way to start focusing on the meditative side of yoga.Seated asana is a great way to relax as it straightens the spine, relaxes the shoulders and opens up the hips. It’s a wonderful way to sit down and chill out at any moments in the day when you feel a bit tightly wound!We’ve put together a step-by-step guide to show you exactly how to practice your lotus pose, and how to perfect it so that you can start incorporating it into your daily life.Lotus pose can be practiced anywhere, anytime! (Source: Visualhunt)If you like, you can use a yoga mat, a thin pillow or a folded blanket for a bit of extra support or comfort on your lower back and buttocks â€" people with lower back injuries might find this especially helpful.If you’re using this pose every day, be wary that crossing your legs the same way could lead to discomfort or distortions in the hips. To avoid this, try alternating the legs you cross so that you don’t push one hip joint too much.You can find easy ways of remembering which legs you use on different days, such as left leg on top on days with an even number â€" or whatever works for you!If this exercise is fun for you then why not learn Tadasana.

A Day in the Life at University of Missouri

A Day in the Life at University of Missouri The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Grant is a New York City tutor specializing in AP English tutoring, History tutoring, all levels of French tutoring, and more. He graduated from University of Missouri in 2009 with a Bachelors degree in Economics. See what he had to say about his alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Grant: Columbia, Missouri is a safe college town, with about 89,000 permanent residents and another 36,000 students split between two private colleges and a university. All freshmen at the University of Missouri (affectionately called Mizzou) are required to live on campus, which is adjacent to the downtown area. Both are very walkable, and as dining and limited grocery shopping are available on campus, many freshmen forgo a car. After freshman year, there are housing options very close to campus (some across the street), but many students also move farther away to live in bigger or less expensive housing. For the latter, a car is necessary to get to and from campus. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Grant: This depends a great deal on the type of class (big lecture versus small seminar) and the school or department in which students are enrolled. Both teaching assistants and professors are required to hold a minimum number of office hours per class, but professors of large lectures may be more difficult to see during office hours (particularly close to exam time). Teaching assistants are generally easier to see, and many large lectures have online forums where students can post questions and receive responses from teaching assistants and professors, usually within 24 hours. Also, departments with smaller classes and programs (e.g. Romance Languages and mid- to high-level Economics) have greater contact time with professors and academic advisers. In general, higher-level courses across all programs have smaller classes and greater interaction with teaching staff. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Grant: Many dorms are new or recently renovated, and many have vibrant social scenes and many organized activities to help build a sense of community. There are also many dining options (some better than others), and both dorms and dining halls are all located on campus. There is also a larger sense of community forged by sporting events, when thousands of students attend football and basketball games. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Grant: The University of Missouri is perhaps best known for its School of Journalism. As the oldest journalism school in the country, it is one of the most popular and well-supported programs. The Trulaske College of Business is particularly well-funded, as well as life sciences (particularly related to livestock or agriculture). I studied Economics and French, both in the College of Arts and Sciences. While not exceptionally well-supported, both programs have attracted a number of excellent professors, and I was generally pleased with my learning experience. There are a number of other well-respected programs, such as the College of Engineering, and the Schools of Law and Medicine. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Grant: I was in a fraternity, so socializing was fairly easy. Greek Life has a very significant presence at Mizzou, with around 25% of students belonging to a fraternity or sorority. For those who don't think Greek Life is right for them, however, many students make their closest friends in their freshmen dorms, and there are also a variety of clubs and societies to suit the interests of students. It is definitely important to find a niche in such a large university! VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Grant: I cannot speak to the quality of the Career Center, as I never used their services. There are regular career fairs and networking events, sometimes organized by the Career Center and sometimes by individual schools or departments. In terms of other student support, there is an excellent counseling center, where students can see a trained counselor for free. There is also an excellent fitness center on campus and free tutoring for qualifying students (usually students with learning difficulties or from low-income backgrounds). VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Grant: Study spaces and the library become more crowded during exam time, but many of the classroom buildings are open late and are available for studying. I don't think I ever spent more than a couple of minutes looking for a place to study quietly. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Grant: Campus is directly next to downtown, which is the center of the city's social life. There are numerous restaurants, concerts venues, bars, and theaters. It's a very vibrant place during the academic year but can definitely get a bit boring during the summer. There are also some excellent outdoor opportunities, with easy access to the Katy Trail for hiking and cycling. The Lake of the Ozarks is 45 minutes away, and there are also a number of rivers and streams in that area for canoeing/floating. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Grant: There are about 27,000 undergraduates, and a few thousand graduate students. While most entry-level classes are large lectures, the all have small (~20 person) seminars. Many of my classes were much smaller (30 students or less), and by my junior year, I never had another large lecture. Some of my classes in high-level economics or French had a dozen students. Ways to avoid large classes are by taking honors courses, courses in small departments, and entering with advanced credit (e.g. AP/IB credit), which allows students to bypass many large, entry-level classes. Check out Grants tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Life Science Biology Online Biology Tutors Tutorpace

Life Science Biology Online Biology Tutors Tutorpace Study of living organisms is called biology. The study of animals and plants by man must have started, like other subjects, out of sheer curiosity and keeping in view the economic value of living organisms of man. Later Biology got established as a pure scientific pursuit in order to understand the mysteries of life, and then apply the information to understand the structure and working of mans own body. The subject biology is multidimensional and is divided into several branches each dealing with a specific field of study of living organisms. The secret of life lies in discovering the organization in living organisms. The organization occurs at all levels from molecular to the biosphere. In fact a living organism is a dynamic unit and its activities can be expressed in the terms of matter and energy for which it depend on the external environment. The subject of biology has progressed with the help of other natural sciences. The modern tools and techniques have changed the entire concept of biology which is preferred to be termed as life sciences of its amalgamation with the other sciences. Study of biology has several advantages. 1. It makes us understand ourselves. 2. We learn about the vast diversity of life and common features shared by all of them. 3. It creates a sense of responsibility towards our environment. Unlike other sciences, biology is a science of exceptions because no biological law or principles is universally applicable. Even then there are generalizations and theories in life science which can be accepted to be applicable nearly in all cases.

Time Management on the GMAT

Time Management on the GMAT GMAT MBA Admissions Blog How can you manage your time while taking the GMAT? I often get asked this question. For most people, the Quantitative and Integrated Reasoning questions pose the most significant time pressures, so in this post I will be focusing on those two sections. Perhaps surprisingly, my number one piece of advice is usually to worry less about time. I consistently see people make small mistakes when they get stressed about time and start trying to rush their work. If you do this throughout the entire test, you are likely to get more questions incorrect than you would if you go more slowly and don’t make it to the last few questions. It is more important to take your time and try to get all the questions you answer right than it is to answer every question. That being said, there are still a number of techniques â€" from guessing strategically to plugging in the answers â€" that can help you save time without feeling rushed. First of all, be aware of how much time you have. The Quantitative section has 37 questions, which you are given 75 minutes to complete. This means that you have about 2 minutes per question. The Integrated Reasoning section has 12 questions, which you are given 30 minutes to answer. This means you have 2 ½ minutes per question â€" not a lot of time, considering that most questions have 3-4 parts. In the Integrated Reasoning section, rushing can be especially detrimental to your performance, because if you get just one part of a question wrong, you will miss the entire question. On many standardized tests, the best time management strategy is to skip questions that confuse you and then return to them later if you have time. Unfortunately, that technique does not work on the GMAT, because you are not allowed to skip around and answer the questions out of order. Therefore, you must be able to quickly determine whether you can solve a problem or not so you can move on if necessary. If you encounter a problem you have no idea how to solve, guess and then move on to the next problem immediately. You do not want to waste valuable test time stressing over a problem that you cannot solve. If the problem seems difficult, but you do have an idea of how to solve it, try it. It is okay if you spend a little more than 2 minutes on a math problem (or 2 ½ minutes, for Integrated Reasoning). Some questions may take less than 2 minutes to solve, and the questions you quickly guess on will also give you a little bit of extra time. However, if you are still struggling when you hit the 2-minute mark and you are nowhere close to finding the answer, it is probably a good time to guess and move on. When you do have to guess, using strategic guessing techniques (as opposed to random selection) can help increase your chances of getting questions right. Watch out for trap answers; wrong answers are carefully chosen based on mistakes that GMAT test takers expect you to make. When guessing, use estimation and critical thinking to your advantage. For instance, let’s say a problem involves combining two mixtures â€" one solution that is 1/4 bleach and 3/4 water and another that is 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water. The bleach content in the resulting solution will be between 1/4 and 1/3 of the total volume. Knowing this will probably help you eliminate many, if not all, of the wrong answers, increasing your chances of getting the question right. As GMAT Mantra states, sometimes, instead of seekingthe correct option, eliminate the wrong to arrive at the right. Another important guessing strategy is to watch out for questions that begin with the phrase “Which of the following…?” The answers to these questions are almost always D or E. For instance, a sample question might read “Which of the following cannot be equal to X when Y?0?” This is because the test writers want you to spend time working through all the wrong answers before you finally reach the correct one. The Two-Part Analysis questions in the Integrated Reasoning section often follow a similar pattern. For example, if you have a column of possible X values on the left and a column of possible Y values on the right, the correct X value is almost always one of the last two choices in its column. The correct Y value is usually the first or second choice. Knowing this, you can save time either by working through the X values backwards (starting from the bottom) or by plugging in possible Y values first. All these techniques can help you save time on test day, but the most helpful strategy for learning to manage your time on the GMAT is to take a lot of timed practice tests before test day. When you are prepared, you will manage your time more effectively â€" and you will feel less stressed about time on test day! If you're interested in hearing more GMAT tips like these from our Director of Online Tutoring during our free GMAT skills webinar, click here to learn more and sign up.

A Guide To ACT Scoring

A Guide To ACT Scoring ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Understanding how the ACT is scored is one of the most fundamental aspects of taking the test. Before even stepping foot into the classroom on test day, knowing the scoring for the ACT can help you to outline your studying and set realistic score goals as you are planning for the big day. Let’s dive into our guide for ACT scoring and what you should know right now: Scoring For Multiple Choice The most important feature of the ACT test that all students need to know is that you are not penalized for guessing or incorrectly answering a question. You will get one point for each correct answer and no points for each incorrect answer. This combination for each correct answer totals to the raw score for each section. The Raw Score The raw score of each section is how many correct answers you get on each section. Let’s imagine, for example, that you correctly answered 60 questions on the English section. This means your raw score for English is 60. Pretty simple so far, right? The Scaled Score The scaled score is the final score for each section (English, Math, Science, and Reading) once the raw score is “scaled.” The scaled score is more familiar to most ACT test takers, as it ranges from 1-36. The metric for scaling the test is determined by the test administrators based on how difficult they deemed the section to be. This is commonly thought of as the “curve.” The bigger the curve, the more difficult the test was considered. Unlike most curves that depend on how well other students do on the test, the ACT’s curve is set based on difficulty and not raw scores of test takers. The Composite Score The composite score for the ACT is super easy to calculate, as it’s simply the average of the scaled section scores (English, Math, Science, and Reading) you received. This score is rounded to the nearest whole number. This means any score with a decimal greater than or equal to .5 is rounded up and a decimal less than .5 is rounded down. Scoring For The Writing Test When you complete the optional writing test, two readers will score your essay based on 4 specific criteria: -Ideas and Analysis -Development and Support -Organization -Language Use and Convention According to the ACT, this is exactly what the readers are looking for in your writing: Ideas and Analysisâ€"Scores in this domain reflect the ability to generate productive ideas and engage critically with multiple perspectives on the given issue. Competent writers understand the issue they are invited to address, the purpose for writing, and the audience. They generate ideas that are relevant to the situation. Development and Supportâ€"Scores in this domain reflect the ability to discuss ideas, offer rationale, and bolster an argument. Competent writers explain and explore their ideas, discuss implications, and illustrate through examples. They help the reader understand their thinking about the issue. Organizationâ€"Scores in this domain reflect the ability to organize ideas with clarity and purpose. Organizational choices are integral to effective writing. Competent writers arrange their essay in a way that clearly shows the relationship between ideas, and they guide the reader through their discussion. Language Use and Conventionsâ€"Scores in this domain reflect the ability to use written language to convey arguments with clarity. Competent writers make use of the conventions of grammar, syntax, word usage, and mechanics. They are also aware of their audience and adjust the style and tone of their writing to communicate effectively. Each criteria is given a score out of 1-6 by each reader. 1 being the lowest and 6 being the highest. The score from both the readers for each criteria is added together to form a criteria-specific score between 2-12. If there is sharp contrast between the reader’s scores (more than 1 point), a third reader will come in and score in order to make the scoring fair. The domain scores are then added together and scaled on a 12-point scale.If you notice your writing score was out of 36, then you probably took the ACT between September 2015 to June 2016, when the ACT made some short-lived changes (it was too confusing for many) on how to grade this portion of the test. If you have a score out of 36, it’s no problem, you can just convert it to a 12-point scale using the ACT’s chart. The scoring for the optional writing test is not averaged with the other section scores to create the composite score. The optional writing test’s score is actually combined with the English and Reading scores, averaged, and scaled to create the English Language Arts (ELA) score. This score is out of a 36-point scale. Without the optional writing test, however, there is no ELA score reported at all. Having a solid grasp of how the ACT is scored is very helpful when preparing for the test as well as understanding how you need to do on practice tests to translate into the score you want for your dream school. Good luck!Kristine Thorndyke works for Quesbook, your go-to for FREE online ACT prep and test-specific as well as college admissions resources.

Top Secret 10 Surprising Facts About the U.S. Militarys DLIFLC GLOSS

Top Secret 10 Surprising Facts About the U.S. Militarys DLIFLC GLOSS 10 Facts  You Didnt  Know About the  DLIFLC  and GLOSS Quick! Take 5  from your books, podcasts  and flashcards.You’re in for a treat today.Because today, we’re gonna be talking about a language learning site that is truly in a class of its own.Unlike so many language learning brands that populate the internet, this one’s not backed by angel investors or venture capitalists. It’s backed by Uncle Sam himself.It’s no freemium site with fancy graphics, but if you truly wanna go deep, and I mean really deep in learning your target language, you cant  afford to skip the site we’re gonna talk about here: the DLIFLC GLOSS.DLIFLC GLOSS huh?Well, the acronym stands for Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), Global Language Online Support System (GLOSS). Now that’s a mouthful!The DLIFLC  is the institution and  GLOSS  is one of its many programs.The DLIFLC is the language school where the U.S. military trains the interpreters that it sends all over the world (cue patriotic music and the entrance of colors).Okay, so now that weve got our letters straight, let’s dig a little deeper and learn what those acronyms are really all about.We’ll start first with some backgrounders on the DLIFLC itself, and then later in the list, we’ll zero-in on DLIFLC programs like GLOSS. 10 Facts  You Didnt  Know About the  DLIFLC  and GLOSS1. It’s DoD territory.The DLIFLC is under the Department of Defense.It is regarded as one of the finest foreign language learning institutions in America. Located in Monterey, California, this premier language provider considers its mission deadly serious.Exactly how serious?Seven  hours a day serious. That’s the length of time students spend in classes, supplemented by 2-3 hours of nightly homework. This continues  for 5 days a week in a 26 to 64-week basic course.Why the intensive course?Well, because this is where America trains the people who talk to the world. The center churns out military linguists who serve on federal agencies like the Federal Bureau of Inv estigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Border Patrolâ€"which means you can’t get in the program unless you’re a member of the Armed Forces or are sponsored by a government agency.So think: James Bond meets FluentU.(And by the way, if thats the  first youre hearing of  FluentU, heres what the excitements all about:  FluentU is an online immersion platform that takes  real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.FluentU is designed to get you comfortable  with everyday  language, by combining all the benefits of complete  immersion and native-level conversations with easy-to-read subtitles.)2. The first language it taught was Japanese. (Know why?)The DLIFLC started in 1941, on the eve of America’s entry into World War II. It began as a secret language  school with 60 carefully selected U.S. soldiersâ€"mostly of Japanese ancestry. Why? Because it was a reflection of the realities on the ground. Japan was on a war footing in Asia, and America needed soldiers who understood enemy intelligence.The programs in the center often reflect world affairs. During the Cold War, many programs were geared towards the Slavic languages. Today, in the post 9/11 world, Arabic, Dari and Pashto (Afghanistan) are getting a lot of focus.3. They have their own immersion facility.When you want to immerse yourself in your target language, one of the things you can do is spend a few months abroad and soak in all the learning experiences at your country of choice. Or, if budget and time are not permissive, you get creative and engage in online language immersion  through websites like FluentU.  Others watch foreign TV shows, read foreign books or chat up native speakers through Skype.But do you know how Uncle Sam does immersion?Well he builds a whole simulationâ€"furnishing a whole facility with kitchen and sleeping quarters where students can live for 1- 3 days.So for example, if you’re learning German, the DLIFLC immersion program will isolate you in a world that only understands German. Not a word of English will be spoken while you are in the immersion facility. So you may be on U.S. soil, but it will really feel like you’re in Germany. And you’ll be put in real-world situations like bargaining for food and clothing at a market place.How cool is that? You don’t have to get creative with your imagination. The simulation is so real, it’s like you’re there.4.  The GLOSS is unparalleled anywhere else.So at this point, you may be thinking, “What does all this have to do with me? I’m not a member of the Armed Forces, so I’ll never be in that program anyway.”Well, you stand to benefit more than you think.The DLIFLC has an online component which can be freely accessed  by you and me.This is where the “GLOSS” of “DLIFLC GLOSS” comes in. The Global Language Online Support System was especially designed for indep endent online learning.Since  not everyone can go on campus and attend the classes, DLIFLC has developed online lessons for its students.And like I said, that material is  open to anyone. Which means we can participate in the intensive learning program intended for the select language learners of the armed forces of the United States.If that doesn’t make you rejoice, I don’t know what will.5.  There are 7,000 lessons in GLOSS.There are lessons for 40 different languages, including lesser-known tongues like Balochi, Pashto, Hausa and Dari. The lessons are divided into two modalities (Reading and Listening) and seven learner levels.Each lesson contains 4-6 tasks. So for example, in a listening lesson, one of the tasks would be to match an image with its correct audio. Another task might be to type in an answer to an audio  question.GLOSS lessons cover a rich variety of topics that include: culture, economics, environment, geography, military, politics, science, security, society a nd technology.6.  The lessons are interactive (and come with certificates too).GLOSS’s lessons are interactive. Meaning, you’re very much involved in your learning process and you’ll probably be busy doing something at any point in time.So let me tell you beforehand, the lessons are not for the faint of heart. The tasks in GLOSS might just be some of the most challenging ones you can have online. The “beginner” modules here are considered “advanced” in other websites. (You’ve been warned.)Other sites mark the learners’ progress through a “points” system. More points means the further you are in the lessons. The lessons in GLOSS come with “certificates,” which are given to you after every lesson. Certificates  are proof of the hard work you put into learning your target language. You can print them out and collect as many as you can. It will be a nice pat on the back.7.  The audio recordings and conversation examples will set your ears ablaze.DLIFLC is one o f the few language learning sites that gives a fitting nod to the importance of listening in  language acquisition. A testament to this are the GLOSS’s listening lessons themselves.As mentioned previously, GLOSS lessons can either be about listening comprehension or reading comprehension. (DLIFLC focuses on these two because they are the most important skills on the field.)GLOSS is one of the most comprehensive resources of language audio recordings online. Where can you find, for example, 140 audio recordings of Albanian conversations, 69 for Uzbek and 111 for Hindi?In addition, DLIFLC has an accent library for Arabic and Spanish languages. I ask you again, where can you find the same text read in 11 different Spanish accents (eg. Argentinean, Chilean, Columbian, Honduran, Mexican, Peruvian, Venezuelan) or 10 different Arabic accents (eg. Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Saudi, Tunisian, Sudanese)? Only at GLOSS.8.  Their Online Diagnostic Assessment can take around 1-2 hours.Think GL OSS lessons aren’t challenging enough? Or do you simply want to know what areas need more  work for you?DLIFLC developed the Online Diagnostic Assessment for that very purpose. It will identify your strengths and give you feedback on sticking points.Create an account and you can take the assessment. There will be two kinds of tests. One is for reading comprehension,  and another for  listening ability.  You will read/listen to sets of passages followed by 4-6 questions. The questions will not only test your comprehension of the passages/recordings, they will also test you on vocabulary, sentence structure and text structure.Sometimes you will be asked to give your answer in a multiple-choice format, but most of the time you will be asked to type in your answer.The tests take 1-2 hours per skill and are available for 13 major languages. So if you’re itching to know where you stand on the issue of comprehension, I challenge you to take the assessment.9.  GLOSS actually teaches bot h language and culture.If you take a look at DLIFLC’s other programs, you’ll quickly notice that the center is as serious in teaching culture as it is in teaching language. One can quickly sense this in programs like “Cultural Orientations,”  â€œFamiliarization Modules,”  â€œCountries in Perspective”  and “Cultural Awareness Assessment.”GLOSS, in its listening and reading lessons, espouses the philosophy that you can never divorce a language from its culture. You can never distill language from the people who speak itâ€"their history, experiences and aspiration as a group.You don’t sense this from the other language learning sites. This is one of the biggest advantages of learning in DLIFLC. You don’t get cultural lessons as interesting asides, instead you get heavy doses of it. Because of this, you acquire not only a new set of vocabulary or grammar rules, but an enduring appreciation for the culture that produced the language that captured your imagination.10.  GLOSS champions the concept of “language maintenance.”DLIFLC believes in the importance of maintaining competency in a language. Just because you have already acquired French, for example, doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for you. Nope, you need to continually review, practice  and pile on to your skills. Otherwise you’d slowly backslide and lose those language gains.You need to go back in order to move forward. That’s why for 4 hours a week, DLIFLC allows its analysts and linguists to go into independent study.In line with that belief, the DLIFLC created GLOSS not only as a teaching tool for first time learners, but as a refresher course. It was made available online so that former students, assigned and dispersed in the far reaches of earth, won’t have return to campus to get the highly needed language refresher and reviews.DLIFLC GLOSS is quite unique in that it emphasizes the importance of “language maintenance,” regardless of skill level.So, you now know 10 things about the DLIFLC and GLOSS. I’m sure you can’t wait to give those listening and reading lessons a shot. Enjoy! And One More ThingIf youre digging this resource, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse Screen.FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.Interactive transcript for Carlos Baute song.You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs learn mode. Swipe left or right to see  more e xamples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store.

Words...Their Way

Words...Their Way If you teach Kindergarten, or any primary grade, have you ever noticed that sometimes the students really struggle with common patterns in words? Something as simple as rhyming can sometimes be a huge task. Words and word parts can be such an abstract concept for little minds to grasp. Luckily, there is help! Words Their Way is a fabulous resource that I first learned about while completing my bachelor’s degree. I used it during my final internship and fell in a deep, academic, slightly nerdy love with it. It is a resource that teaches orthography to benefit spelling, vocabulary, reading and writing. This is an amazing tool for differentiated instruction and to allow students to engage in word meaning and word patterns as opposed to simply memorizing the spelling.I am currently using this version:I purchased this copy from Amazon because I know that all of my little Kinder Friends are emergent spellers without using the diagnostic assessment. If you teach a mixed level or ESE group s, you absolutely need to purchase the book that has all of the assessments and how to score them. This will let you know which book and whichword sorts to use with your students. It may sound like a lot of purchasing in the beginning, but it is well worth every penny!At the beginning of the school year, each of my students decorate their Sort Book. I found these adorable labels on Pinterest.I have found that labeling every notebook really helps my students with organization and being independent.We begin the school year with sorting pictures that begin with like sounds.Words Their Way designed their productlike thisso the students get comfortable with the idea of sorting. Each page in their notebooks has a new sort and they get progressively harder as the year goes on. Also, I often am able to find themed sorts on Teachers Pay Teachers. We have done sorts with the theme of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, syllables, rhyming, fiction and non-fiction illustrations and even sorts from other content areas. I include all of these in their sort book.The sort we completed today piggy backed off of the classic nursery rhyme “one, two, buckle my shoe…three, four, shut the door…” Weused theillustrations provided from the bookto help us create rhyming words with numbers. I could not believe how much the students loved this! were singing the little rhyme for the majority of the day.Currently in my classroom, weare completing one sort a week that compliments our phonics work of the week (short and long vowel sounds, rhyming, dipthongs, digraphs). One of my goals for next school year is to take Words Their Way one step further and to incorporate the sorts in our lessons as spelling lists and to create meaningful games for small groups.This would also be a fun and E A S Y activity for students to do while on summer vacation. It will keep the little wheels running in their minds without feeling like they are doing work, work, work.