Learn to Draw for a Career in Graphic Design

Learn to Draw for a Career in Graphic Design Learning to Draw for a Future as a Graphic Designer ChaptersWhat Type of Work Does a Graphic Designer Do?The Path to a Career in Graphic DesignTaking a Step Back in TimeThe Proliferation of Graphic DesignA Word on DimensionsWhat Training and Credentials are Required?Are you intent on a career where you can make full use of your creativity?Could your ability to draw lead to a satisfying and rewarding profession?By developing your drawing skills, you may find many doors open to you in the world of graphic design.Before you start banking those fat paychecks, you will need expanded education in drawing art.With this article, we hope to point you in the right direction.The graphic designer is a professional artist who works with a well-developed aesthetic sense, complemented by solid technical knowledge of drawing and painting.Technical know-how?Generally, when one discusses pen and ink drawing, pencil and paper drawing, charcoal drawing or drawing in any type of medium, drawing technique is invoked, rather than technical knowledge.Unless you are talking about graphic art.Let us find out now what this job entails and how you could train for it.How could a talent for drawing not be enough to work as an artist?We'll answer that question, and discover everything you ever wanted to know about the profession vaguely labeled graphic designer.Graphic designers are busy throughout the year. Photo via Visualhunt sharpening lines and contrast between coloursTypeface: font settings and adjustmentSimple shapes, coalescing them to create a coherent whole.Sounds like we're casting a wide net, doesn't it?In spite of the far-reaching realm of the graphic designer, s/he operates under specific guidelines.As such an artist, you might be tasked with enhancing and fine-tuning a proposed concept to create a brand-specific image, logo, poster, flier; or design fine art for packaging.The graphic designer works on all types of print media, but also creates online art for the world wide web.Designing banners, callouts and adverts; s/he could even be credited with designing and creating the layout of entire sites!With the year's peak shopping season currently at hand, you'd better believe that such artists are working double and triple time to make sure their clients secure the lion's share of this year's holiday spending!If you are planning your future around this type of lucrative engagement, here is what you will have to be capable of:Working under/against a deadlineManaging stress and pressure from client (or supervisor) demandsWorking on a team, with other artistsBe willing to scrap all of the work you've done and start anew, if your customer so wills it.That makes your glorious future career as a graphic designer sound like any other job, doesn't it?The field of graphic design is as yet undefined; limitless in creative and earning potential.What that means is that the profession is constantly evolving.Doesn't that make it sound more exciting?And, graphic design is not the only career field you can ply your figure drawing in.Your path to a career as a graphics designer starts in art school Source: Pixabay Credit: LarisaKThe Path to a Career in Graphic DesignWhy would anyone learning how to draw want to do so on a computer?The benefits of drawing in achieving a meditative state are well known - the feel of charcoal on your hand, the smell of oil pastels and pencil shavings; the warm reassurance of a sketchpad across your knee: aren't these expressive of the artist's milieu?  Not necessarily, although your drawing lessons will most likely require you to work with those drawing materials, at the outset.Every idea the contemporary artist embraces as his next subject begins its journey to realisation with a pencil sketch: an unformed idea thrown on paper through a series of random strokes of the pencil.We'll bet you have filled a sketchbook or two!From there, your work turns into a powerful message, whether for advertising, brand recognition, entertainment or any other objective.That is why it is vital to know how to draw well by hand, and ply your skill through digital drawing, too.To do so effectively, you would need to have:intimate knowledge of colour and what each shade symbolisesfor example: pink for girls, blue for boys, red for passiona sense of balance in art; of proportion and aestheticsideas for the effective use of spaceeven negative spacea way to achieve textures, for example: through cross hatching or shading.The best graphic designers master these fundamentals of art drawing and more, which gives them the artistic  intuition to render exactly what their client is looking for.Often, the most successful artists outdo their clients' expectations.With proper training as an artist, you could be one of them!Because the profession of graphic design is constantly changing, breaking new ground in visual feasts and treats, the field has been cited as one of the most exciting to work in, in this new millennium.And, because the career field is so hot, new drawing tools to render this cutting edge of art are invented and designed every day.Maybe that could be a career field for you!  If you're searching for art classes in the UK be sure to check out Superprof for drawing lessons London to Edinburgh and in between.appeal even to those who were not privileged to have learned how to read.To continue that trend, and in addition to adverts, cartoons and caricatures started appearing in newspapers around the middle of the nineteenth century.The practice expanded â€" and the art styles evolved in the early twentieth century, with the appearance of advertising posters, some of which are now considered works of art.Surely you know of Toulouse-Lautrec posters? At least the Moulin Rouge one?It was after the second World War that advertising, a visual feast, exploded!Economies were desperate to recover from devastation, and people were hungry for beauty and novelty.Ad agencies delivered.Full page spreads hawking the latest kitchen appliance or household convenie nce. For the gentlemen: how about a sleek new car?Rosy-cheeked children spooned pudding into their cartoon faces while doting parents looked on...For decades, not much changed, other than the themes of the renderings: women were buying cars more, and working in offices.For that, entire wardrobes were drawn and marketed.And then, along came the computer; a more advanced way of rendering, and graphic design would never be the same.Neither would advertising.With training as a graphic designer, you too could render pencil sketches digitally Source: Pixabay Credit: PtraThe New Frontier for Graphic DesignFor today's graphic designer, whether in advertising, web page design or in the exciting and stimulating industry of vector graphics for gaming, the sky is the limit.Software applications from Adobe, Quark and Corel permit graphic designers to reach new dimensions; far beyond the limited perspective drawing required of the illustrator of the past.The Wacom Tablet and other computer drawin g equipment have mostly replaced traditional pencil and paper drawing, but the mechanics of basic drawing have not changed.Why not discover how online drawing techniques can help you refine your sense of art?The Proliferation of Graphic DesignAccording to the site Career Addicts, the world of graphic design is one of the most lucrative and diverse.If you aim to work in any of the following fields, you too will enter that world to seek your fortune.Here are some blatantly obvious, and some not-so-obvious career choices your love of step by step drawing could lead you to:Advertising (of course!)Television and cinema â€" special effects, cartoon and other animated featuresWeb designComic book artistManga artistVideo game designerProduct labelingDecoration and furniture designArchitectNo matter where you look these days, computer generated imagery is everywhere.Someone has to design it! Why not you?A Word on DimensionsJust now, anyone who can execute flawless 3 dimensional work is in hi gh demand.In fact, if you are any kind of gamer, that is the type of graphics you may wish to specialise in. It requires a good understanding of maths to draw in 3D.However, we offer this caution: don't forsake every other drawing course to settle on this particular field.It would be far better â€" more valuable in the long run for you to learn the basics: still lifes and how to draw faces.Once you have established yourself as a graphic designer of some renown, you can always transition into this field that, even as we write this, is in flux.Or, you just might find that you prefer being a portrait artist!What Training and Credentials are Required?It would be nice if, like great masters of the past, you could land an exciting and lucrative position simply because you have nurtured artistic talent all of your life.The fact is that graphic designers today must be highly educated to specialise in their field.Fortunately, there are plenty of courses for you to certify your drawing skills .Before you get to that level, you should take all  drawing classes available to you, to learn:sketchingone point perspectivehow to draw peoplehow to draw hands, an eye, the haircontour drawingforeshorteninghow to accurately draw animalsYou will also need to experiment with various media: colored pencils, Conté crayons and pastel oils.Do you know the difference in drawing with a charcoal pencil versus a graphite pencil?  Under which condition would you use a kneaded eraser? What about a plain eraser?It might seem unnecessary, as you envision three dimensional work in your future, still: remember what was said about the mechanics of drawing?If you can render a life drawing realistically, using traditional art materials, you stand a much better chance at furthering your art education than if you merely draw cartoons or caricature.If you know how to create sketches that leap off the page â€" or screen; if you have attended art school and know more than drawing basics, your skill and t alent may be eagerly sought after.Does the idea of becoming a graphic designer give you additional motivation to continue learning to draw?In embracing these different, modern drawing techniques, you will be perfectly prepared for your future artistic assignments.For you, who spend your days doodling and finding subjects that are fun to draw, what could be better?

What is it Like to Attend University of Cincinnati

What is it Like to Attend University of Cincinnati The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Vince earned his bachelors degree in biology from the University of Cincinnati in 2012. He currently specializes in a number of subjects including biology tutoring, ACT science tutoring, earth science tutoring, and more. Check out his review of the University of Cincinnati below: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Vince: At the University of Cincinnati, the setting is just north of downtown Cincinnati, so it is a very urban setting. Most students live within walking/biking distance of campus and the campus itself is very compact, so it makes getting around very easy. There are multiple shuttles provided by UC that run routes in the surrounding neighborhoods, which are free for all UC students. The campus has a reputation for being a little unsafe, but there have been many changes since I attended to improve campus safety. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants at University of Cincinnati? Vince: Professors and TAs are available regularly since they have scheduled office hours and I highly suggest taking advantage of them (building relationships with these people will make life a lot easier). However, academic advisors, in my experience, have been hard to get a hold of and many different advisors have given me very different advice during my time at UC. How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Vince: The living situations since I attended have changed a lot. It used to be that first year students were required to live on campus, but now they can live in many places around campus that are very nice. Besides living situations, UC has many socialization opportunities and a wide variety of clubs to get involved in Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Vince: UC is traditionally known for their engineering, architecture, and business programs. When I attended UC I originally chose to study education, but found that there were a lot of hoops to jump through in order to get into a classroom. I heard about a program that was recruiting people that had a degree in science or math to teach, and paid for a masters degree in curriculum and instruction. I then changed my major to Biology and graduated with a bachelor in Biology and pursued the graduate program. I was not the traditional Biology student because I still wanted to go into education, while most Biology majors go into a medical field, so I do not know how the university would support a traditional Biology student. 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? Vince: In college, its always easy to meet people and there are many clubs and activities to interact with new people. UC does have a Greek life and I was a part of it while I attended. I very much enjoyed being Greek and it was a great experience all around. I feel that going Greek enhances the social aspect of college, because each Greek organization has events, dinners, and socials that interact with other Greek organizations on a weekly basis which provides a wider social network than any other organization could. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services at University of Cincinnati? Vince: The career center did a great job on things like proofreading resumes, but as far as exposure to companies and possible job openings, students normally find more success through their specific colleges tribunal. Tribunals would organize meet-and-greet sessions with companies or alert students of upcoming job fairs. I do remember that the college of engineering had a very good tribunal that was known for bringing in many reputable companies to recruit UC students. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Vince: UC has tons of places that you could study. The most common is the library and can often be tough to find a place to have to yourself. However, I like to explore many other places to study where I could have lots of space. Many of the lecture halls and classrooms are open 24/7 so I would go into the classrooms and use the projector and white boards to help study. In addition the engineering building just built a floor dedicated to studying and it is amazing. They even used a special paint that makes any wall a whiteboard. So I suggest exploring campus to find your own private room to make your own. Describe the surrounding town at University of Cincinnati. Vince: The surrounding neighborhood is called Clifton. Most of the fun places are in this neighborhood because it's close to campus. Students who are over 21 tend to visit the surrounding bar districts where there are many establishments, such as Over the Rhine, Mount Adams, the Banks, Newport Kentucky, and Hyde Park. Regardless of your age, there are many many fun places and great food within 15-20 minutes from campus. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Vince: The student body is very large. When I attended, I believe that around 40,000 were in attendance. I didnt mind the large size of the student body because there are always new people to meet and lots of things to do. The only downside to having a campus so large is that some of the classes that everyone has to take can be over 100 students in a single lecture all, so it may be hard to get individual attention. However, like I said it will really pay off if you seek out your TAs or go to the professor's office hours to get the attention you need. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Vince: The hardest class I ever took was organic chemistry. While the professor was young and easy to relate to, he wasnt the best with one on one help. So in order to get more help, a few students and myself went to an open tutoring session and formed a bond. Throughout the three classes in the organic chemistry series, we all studied together and became good friends. We all bonded over the fact that it was a tough class and there were a few times where as a group we were able to have more influence with the teacher which bought us a few extra days to study or a few points on a test on questions we thought were unfair. It was a very tough class, but having a group of people to bond with makes hard classes much easier to endure. Check out Vinces tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How does Home Schooling Work

How does Home Schooling Work How To Start Homeschooling ChaptersLegal Requirements Of Homeschooling In The UK8 Benefits Of Home EducationIdeas For How To Create A Homeschooling CourseThe Pros And Cons Of CurriculumsTop  3 Tips For Successful Home TutoringIn life there is never a one size fits all solution, which will successfully benefit the entire population equally. But as parents and guardians, have become busier with their careers, trying to make ends meet. Public and private schools have excelled and become the popular choice for children to receive the core of their education. While homeschooling has become the popular alternative to mainstream education.While there are many benefits to private and public school education such as interpersonal skills, diversity, inter-peer problem solving and the ability to learn about routine. There are some definite downsides to traditional education such as overfilled classrooms, impersonal curriculums, overworked teachers, irrelevant subjects and cookie-cutter thinking.But what do you do if you r child isn’t enjoying school, finds it hard to engage or is falling behind despite their obvious intelligence? Perhaps your child has a unique talent that makes it difficult for them to attend school or maybe they have had a negative learning experience such as bullying or peer pressure.If you think mainstream education is not suitable for your child. You might want to consider a different type of education. Homeschooling or unschooling is education which separates itself from the mainstream school system, and is located outside of 'real' schools. Homeschoolers may be taught   in the personal home of the parent or guardian. But as home schooling is more of a concept and not a location in the same way that a public or private school is, the home school education can actually take place anywhere.Homeschooling is a beautiful way to teach your child academically, especially if you have the time, dedication and creativity to create a robust homeschooling curriculum that suits your chi ld and supports their talents.PROSCONSMake your ownPersonalised to your child's interests, strengths and skills; very flexibleNeeds planning and timeCurriculum kitsYou can buy a program for an entire yearOften expensive; not personal to your childTutors â€" Live or onlineAllows your child to interact with different people with different expertiseMay take time to find the right tutor willing to commit to a school term/year; multiple tutors may get hard to manage and expensiveOnline CoursesGive you access to learn anything you can think ofYou need access to equipment such as an internet compatible device, and an Internet connectionTop  3 Tips For Successful Home TutoringPay Attention To Your Child's Interests, Skills Strengths And WeaknessesIf you are able to capitalise on the interests that your child already has you are going to make it easy for your child to become engaged in the curriculum that you have created for them. You can also allow them to earn access to their interests a s rewards which can be given in line with an achievement or success from the learning activities.Be Organised But FlexibleIf you are able to take a flexible approach to creating your curriculum you will have better success. You can try and test many things such as learning styles, different resources, learning mediums, locations and times of study. However, you decide to create your classroom, be aware that the goal is to support your child to excel to his or her maximum potential. So if you need to change something to maximise their potential then be committed to doing that ASAP.You Are Not AloneJoin up with homeschool support groups and communities, you can find these on and offline. Be prepared to share and learn to network with other parents who have been or are doing the same thing that you are doing. These chosen local support groups will be an invaluable resource for you, and they will also provide the opportunity to have group sessions, perhaps a homeschooler field trip and regular socialising for you and your child.Break each outcome into bite-sized chunks. Photo Source: UnsplashAll parents and guardians want the best for their children, but the best is not always the most obvious or convenient choice. In a world where the global economy is more volatile than ever. It is sensible to assume that the children who can achieve their maximum potential will have the most opportunities available to them in the future.With education being a critical factor in nurturing the potential and future opportunities for your child. How will you assure their success? Will you manage their education or hand the control of your children to a qualified stranger? Homeschooling, online tutoring, mainstream education or perhaps a blended approach. Whatever you decide, the decision on how to educate your child,  for their maximum happiness and success rests in your hands.What will you choose?

Video Games and ADHD

Video Games and ADHD Videogames are everywhere - on our phones, online, in our homes, at friends houses and even at school. Parents of kids with ADHD often ask about the effect that videogames may be having on their child. They want to know if videogames will make their childs ADHD worse, or if spending too much time playing videogames may have caused their childs ADHD in the first place. Some parents have such a hard time getting their kids to stop playing videogames that they wonder if their children are actually addicted to their screens. For starters, theres no evidence to say that videogames cause ADHD. There are some studies showing that kids with ADHD spend more time playing videogames than kids without ADHD, but the relationship isnt necessarily causal. It might be the case that kids with ADHD choose to spend more time playing because they crave activities that are highly engaging and provide immediate rewards. Parents of kids with ADHD may also allow more videogame time. It can be so challenging to get some children with ADHD to turn off videogames, that parents can understandably get worn down by all of the battles and negotiations. While videogames may not cause ADHD, growing evidence suggests that playing videogames regularly may in fact make ADHD symptoms worse. This may be because of the way that videogames interact with the ADHD brain as well as the documented negative impact of regular gaming on sleep, academic skills, social skills, and physical activity. Time spent playing videogames is time devoid of social interactions that teach kids with ADHD important social skills that dont come naturally. Its sedentary time with an absence of the important physical activity needed to help keep ADHD symptoms in check. And its highly stimulating time in the evening which makes it harder for kids with ADHD to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Equally concerning is evidence showing that kids and teens with ADHD are in fact at increased risk for developing problems with videogame and Internet overuse or addiction. If as a parent you are concerned about how much time your child spends playing videogames, or the way they react when they arent allowed to play, then I would encourage you to trust your instincts and take action. You can start by setting firm limits around the amount of videogame time you allow. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids over the age of two spend no more than 2 hours watching screens each day. Since videogames represent a fraction of a childs daily screen time, I recommend limiting videogames to no more than 30 minutes per day. If your child refuses to turn off videogames after 30 minutes, then you may need to eliminate videogames altogether for a few weeks. Then reintroduce them with a firm 30 minute rule in place. If the struggle continues, then you will need to take the videogames away again until your child learns that you mean it when you say, Its 30 minutes or nothing. Without a doubt your child is going to complain that other kids get to play vid eogames all the time! Just remember those other kids may not have ADHD or parents who are as informed and diligent as you are about setting the limits that their children need. While videogames themselves are not to blame for their ADHD, videogames unfortunately exacerbate ADHD conditions and prevent kids with ADHD from pursuing activities needed to help manage their systems and build skills to overcome their symptoms. Prioritizing activities that build social skills, as well as activities that include physical activity, will help kids with ADHD manage their condition. And setting firm limits now on your childs screen time videogames included will pay off immediately and in the long run. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center 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 of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Effective Ways to Improve Your Students Study Skills

Effective Ways to Improve Your Student's Study Skills Effective Ways to Improve Your Students Study Skills A students success in school isnt just based on how well he or she can understand material; rather, academic success also depends on the effectiveness of a students study skills. These important skills include adequately preparing and reviewing material for tests, staying organized and exercising proper study habits. When these skills are weak or lacking in a student, that student is prevented from reaching his or her academic potential. While study skills are often seen as crucial for managing academics at the high school level, they can also foster or impede the success of elementary and middle school students, and developing proper study skills at a young age can pave the way for beneficial habits for the duration of a students academic career. The good news is that improving a students study skills can be achieved relatively easily when parents are able to identify which skills their students are struggling with, and consistently implement the following strategies. Organizing Materials If your child struggles to keep track of his or her handouts and homework assignments, a binder can help contribute much needed organization to his or her daily routine. Together with your child, select a sturdy, sizeable binder (nothing too large) that will be divided into clearly labeled sections for notes, homework, handouts, tests and quizzes. For elementary students, a single binder will likely work well, while middle school students should have an individual binder dedicated to each subject area. Coordinating binders, folders and notebooks by color according to each class can also help middle school students more effectively organize their materials and lessen the chance of accidentally bringing home the wrong materials. The Planner Planners have long served as a tried-and-true approach to improving student study skills, and for good reason. Planning is a foundational skill students need for success in both academics and the real world, and by actively writing down responsibilities on a daily basis, students also strengthen their time management skills. There are now so many planner layouts and formats geared toward all age levels that your student can easily find a planner that best suits his or her individual preferences. However, a planner should always have ample space for students to record all of their homework assignments and extra-curricular commitments on a daily basis. Keep in mind that the key to successful use of a planner is consistent use and active parent review. An Optimal Study Environment Students need quiet, private environments to efficiently complete homework or best prepare for upcoming tests, which is why parents should encourage their child to utilize a space in the home that is well-lit and free of distracting noises, passersbys or unnecessary technology. While your child may not have any qualms about working at the kitchen table or in front of the TV, the reality is that theyll achieve far greater focus and comprehension when they have a space of their own. Establishing a specific study time each week night for students can be another helpful strategy for improving study skills. For middle school students, limit access to cell phones or laptops during homework time, and for elementary students, its not a bad idea to check in often to note progress and offer assistance if needed. Study Skills Tutoring Professional tutoring is another effective option for improving a students study skills that will complement strategies implemented at home and at school. Study skills tutoring programs, like those offered from the Huntington Learning Center, are available to elementary, middle school, and high school students. While study skills tutoring will always be individualized to meet a students specific needs, our program for elementary students often focuses on improving dictionary skills, outlining, general communication and referencing skills. For middle school students, our program frequently targets time management skills, test-taking strategies, note-taking tips and general study strategies. For high school students our program focuses on advanced study skills, such as self-quizzing, test anxiety management, and research paper writing. Learn more about how you can help your student improve his or her study skills, or enroll in one of our proven-effective study skills programs by contacting the Huntington Learning Center at 1-800-CAN-LEARN.

10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love

10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love 10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love Did you know that Bob Dylan is a visual artist?Or that Vladimir Putin can play Russian classics on the piano?Or that Angelina Jolie is a licensed pilot?And hey, did you also know that Facebook is a language learning powerhouse?Yep, you just need to approach it with the right mindset  to fully harness its educational potential.In this post, were going to show you how to master a language through strategic Likes, friendly Follows and other Facebook-based tricks.Below are 10 ways to make your Facebook account burst with language lessons and insights that get a big thumbs-up from us. Learning a Language Through Facebook? For Reals?!We all know Facebook as a social networking site. In fact, its the biggest of them all, surpassing Twitter, Instagram and other social media, with more than 2 billion active monthly users.Despite the funky press its received over the years, many find it hard to imagine life before Facebook. The social network has practically embedded itself in almost all asp ects of life. But all this success aside, Facebook is still often an untapped resource when it comes to learning a new language. When our idea of Facebook is primarily a place to tag our friends, post cryptic I hate somebody, guess who updates and watch viral videos, we miss out on huge learning potential staring us right in the face.The thing about Facebook is, youre already there, and you already know how it works!So you might as well make it count.Think about it. The world is on Facebook: the native speakers you seek, the language content youve been looking for. All the big language content producers are there. And in a place like Facebook, unlike with standalone websites, you get to talk to everyone. You get to comment. You get to ask questions. You have a say in things. Its very democratic.But people have not yet woken up to the idea of Facebook as a major language learning resource. The language learning taking place, if it happens at all, happens tangentially, or by chance. T his shouldnt be the case, however, because if you think about it, Facebook is practically designed for the language learner. (It has translation capabilities, for goodness sakes!)Its time we take this platform by the horns and milk it for all its worth.So here are 10 things you can do today to re-discover Facebook as the awesome language learning platform its always been.10 Facebook Language Learning Ideas Youll Like or Love1) Join language learning groups.Facebook is a very good platform for people with similar interests to find each other, interact and, ultimately, become a community. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of groups that cater to language learners. You can join general purpose language groups that welcome learners of all tongues into their fold. You also have language-specific groups like those interested in Korean, Arabic  or  German.To find these learning communities, simply go to the search bar and use search terms like [French, Spanish, etc.] language learning groups. This will bring up relevant results for groups you can instantly join.To maximize these communities, be an active member of your groups. This goes from the very day you join. Give everyone a hearty, Hello! Newbie here! The people who wave back will likely be the ones who are the most active in the group, and you should take the opportunity to strike up a conversation with them.Language learning groups can be wellsprings of information and opinion. You can ask for reviews for certain language products, you can be pointed to resources you would otherwise have never heard of and you can make friends along the way!2) Like pages that deal with your target language.Want your FB feed to be an automatic learning machine, continually serving you up language learning opportunities? Like those pages and posts that relate to the language youre studying. Smashing the thumbs-up button on these babies will let Facebook know that youre interested in topics related to your target language an d will prioritize displaying them on your feed. Facebook goes, Oh, so you like that, huh? Well, heres moreSo how do you find out about content to Like and Follow in the first place? Well, its best to step out of Facebook and use Google for this. For example, lets say you want to get to the major Italian newspapers. Type in Italian newspapers in Italian on Google and youll get the names of their major dailies. Pick one newspaper, say, Corriere della Sera  (Evening Courier). Copy and paste its name into the Facebook search bar to see if the publication has a FB presence. When you see they do, dont hesitate to smash Like on their page. Do this for several newspapers, and soon, your feed will be populated with updates and news in Italian.Try this method for any type of content youd like to have on your feedâ€"for example, foreign language TV shows, like the German Der Tatortreiniger  (The Crime Scene Cleaner), or foreign language magazines, like the French Le Point.Now your feed might b e populated with friends or acquaintances whose love life or daily lunch pics dont interest you that much. You can tell Facebook not to show things like this on your feed so your language-related content doesnt get buried under the rest of the noise by choosing to Unfollow people or groups (you can still remain friends with them, but just not see their content).This way, your timeline will show language learning content thats worth a real look.To really have more control over what shows up on your timeline, click the downward pointing triangle found at the top right corner of your screen. Click on News Feed Preferences. Youll then be shown options like Prioritize who to see first, and Unfollow people to hide their posts.3) Watch viral videos from people that speak your language of interest.Youre already watching videos on Facebook, right? Might as well watch those that have something to do with your target language. Viral videos are highly memorable, and so they make the language th ey come in memorable as well. Maybe one shows a Chinese couple arguing about some silly thing, or a French boyfriend explaining an oncoming prank or even a Spanish sketch about the lovely differences between being single and attachedâ€"milk these visual contexts for language lessons.To find these viral videos, its again best to search through Google. Type in Spanish viral videos Facebook, for example, and you’ll see an assortment of hits. You can also add search terms like funny, inspirational, top, amazing, etc.This method can lead you to whole pages of videos and images. For example, Spanish learners can get to pages like Mexican Funny Videos, which curates humor content. There, youll find videos like La Jefa (The Boss), which shows a mother telling a son to clean the house, or else face terrible consequences.Dont forget to Like the pages or accounts containing the videos so their updates get locked into your Facebook feed.If you enjoy learning with videos on Facebook, youll def initely want to check out FluentU, which curates the best of YouTube in your target language for you. FluentU tracks down real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons.4) Add native speakers to your Friends list.Native speakers are your ultimate language insiders. They can teach you their language in a way a textbook never can.And the cool thing about native speakers is that you basically just have to find one. And that one will be connected to loads of others.One way of finding native speakers is through the language learning groups we talked about earlier. Be on the lookout for native speakers who simply joined a group because they want to help everybody else. When somebody in the group asks a question and somebody else addresses the query with something like, Im a native speaker, and the answer to your question is, thats a green light for you to add that person as a friend. Theyve already signal ed willingness to help, and are therefore a high-quality friend add.And like I said, you just need one connection, and this will likely open up a whole network of native speakers for you.5) Study status updates and posts by your newfound friends, and write your own.Lets say you already have several native speakers added to your list. Milk their profiles by following them and studying their updates and posts. (What an easy way of learning with authentic content!)They wrote something? Theres a language lesson for you! Find out what its all about. Like social media posts in your native language, it may be short, silly and mundane. Heck, they might just say that they just finished a good cup of coffee, but thats a gold nugget right there for a language learner like you.They posted pictures? Read those captions and learn the fastest ways of describing things!As long as were on the topic of posts and updates, did you know that you can write your own posts in your target language? Just act ivate Multilingual Posts in the Language section of Settings, and every time you send out a post, you can choose to write it in French, Spanish, etc. This is an excellent way to practice writing in your target language.Dont worry that your friends might think you weird when their feed shows inscrutable French from you. Facebook will automatically translate your blurbs into English and your friends will be none the wiser.6) Read (and write) comments.Comments sections are a treasure trove of language gems waiting to be discovered. They can get even longer and more detailed than posts and updates, so theyre perfect for intermediate learners wishing to flex those linguistic muscles.Whether youre on a language learning page or a native speakers account, reading replies to updates will teach you things like vocabulary, common phrases, common expressions, sentence construction and idiomatic expressions. When youve got native speakers chatting back and forth, their language on full display, oh, thats simply a masterclass in the language.Just make sure that Facebook doesnt automatically translate your target language into English. To do this, go to Settings and click Language. Under News Feed Translation Preferences, edit Which languages do you not want automatically translated? Type in your target language and save those changes.This will allow you to view the comments and post in the original language that it was written. And dont worry, if you need it rendered in English, you can always click the ubiquitous See Translation.7) Check out pages for language learners.Earlier, we talked about language learning groups, right? Lo and behold, there are also pages and accounts run by polyglots, language bloggers, language content producers and institutions that give you heaps and heaps of free material.Youll find pages like polyglot Luca Lampariellos The Polyglot Dream  or, for Spanish learners, Señor Jordans Spanish Videos.Every Tom, Dick and Harry who produces language le arning content is probably on Facebook. And guess what, you often get richer information from their FB pages or profiles than their websites. With standalone .com websites, you have a one-sided flow of information. Its the company presenting their stuff. On Facebook, theres a lot more interaction happening. People get to comment and write in their reviews, suggestions and queries.So do check these out. Follow FluentU on Facebook and well keep you updated on our latest posts with language learning tips and resources.8) Pursue your hobbies and interests but in the target language.You have hobbies and subjects that grab your attention, right? What if I told you that you can pursue those wide-ranging interests and your love for languages at the same time?Because Facebook is such an international brand, people all over the world are using it. And guess what, theyre Facebooking in their own tongue, posting content in a variety of languages.Say youre passionate about food and scouting for great recipes. Instead of hobnobbing with the FB accounts of your favorite cooking shows in your native language or your go-to native-speaking chefs, search for chefs and shows in the language youre interested in. Youll not only get to see a different set of fare from an authentic perspective, youll also learn a new language along the way. Even a one-minute video that time-lapses the process of making a simple dish, flashing the different ingredients on the screen, can be a great vocabulary lesson.So whether you have an unmatched affinity for DIY projects, gardening, stamps or cars, Facebook can help you learn a language and engage your other passions at the same time.9) Watch some live streams in your target language.Facebook has launched live streaming capabilities on its platform, which means real-time language learning opportunities for those who know how to properly look and listen.You can find videos that are currently playing live by scrolling down to the Explore section loca ted on the left-hand side of your screen and clicking on Live Video. Follow enough language-related pages and youll have more opportunities to catch an interesting live feed in your target language.However, the live streams you watch dont necessarily have to have anything to do with language learning, as long as theyre in the target language. Hey, one could be about a French lady selling the contents of her closet online, or a German knife manufacturer exhibiting the virtues of his productâ€"the smart language learner uses these events as learning opportunities.They listen to whats being said. They listen to the tone and inflection of words. They watch for the most commonly repeated phrases and expressions. They have a dictionary or translator app ready just in case.Because live streaming doesnt come with subtitles or transcriptions, its best suited to intermediate and advanced learners out to hone their listening and comprehension skills.And if youre bold enough, you can test your writing chops by joining the live chat and asking a question or two of the host, all in the target language. Theres no guarantee that your comment or question will be answered (much less read), but its still good practice for communicating your thoughts in written form.10) Unleash the beast: Set your Facebook language to your target language.And last but not least, you can simply go all the way and immerse in the target language by changing the language FB comes in. Go to Settings and click on Language. Edit the section What language do you want to use Facebook in by choosing your target language.Click Save changes. (It will change your world.)So for example, if you change the language settings from English to French, the whole Facebook interface now is in French. The Like button becomes J’aime  and See translation becomes Voir la traduction. (And you will never be the same.)Youll feel like a fish out of water initially, maybe even thinking, This isnt Facebook! But resist the urge to navigate back to the settings and change back to English. Stop yourself, because very soon, youll get the hang of it. Soon, youll be breezing through the French interface without even missing a beat.So there are 10 things you can do to your Facebook to turn it into a language learning site. Each is powerful in and of itself, but use three or four in unison and youll really be beginning to harness the platforms language-enriching capabilities.But of course, dont forget to Like that picture of your friends cat. Itll make her day!Hope this post made yours. And One More ThingIf youre looking for even more ways to fully immerse yourself in a second language, then youre going to love learning with FluentU!FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them.Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the web site  with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the  iTunes store  or  Google Play store.

?? Top 20 Tech Tools for Teachers

?? Top 20 Tech Tools for Teachers Top 20 Tech Tools for Teachers We understand that many teachers want to use the latest technologies in schools, but it can be difficult to decide what's best to use. That's why we've pulled all of the best new sites and tools together into one place.We're keen that education is pulled into the 21st Century, so check out these sites and give them a go today! If you have any more suggestions, let us know!Khan Academyhttps://www.khanacademy.org/This is a fantastic tool which enables learners to tackle subjects at their own level and you to flip the classroom. By regularly testing users on their chosen subject, the program recollaborates the activities to be undertaken to make sure that students are always being challenged, whilst supporting them with explainer videos and top tips. You can easily monitor students in your classroom to track their progress. Best of all… it’s free to use!Duolingohttps://www.duolingo.com/ Language learning made fun - any language teachers out there should be getting their children on Duolingo, as it’s a really fun, addictive way to learn languages. The range of languages is brilliant and the gamified approach means learners or all ages will love it - we’re hooked!Mangahighhttps://www.mangahigh.com/en-gb/ This games-based learning platform, allows teachers to engage students in learning through interactive challenges. With a maths focus, this is one way that you can use technology to bring learning to life.Educreationshttps://www.educreations.com/ Allowing you to record your voice and ipad screen, this tool allows you to create video tutorials and share them with your students, who can reply them at their own leisure. It means that they can catch up at home and take another look at topics they found more tricky. The free initial package is easily enough to get started with.Socrativehttp://www.socrative.com/ Okay, so this is an American platform, but the quiz functionality is just as applicable to UK-based teachers. Simply create your own quizes for students and get real-time feedback on how they are getting on. This is a great tool for the plenary (wrap up) section of your lesson, or even as the intro for a follow-on lesson, to check that students understood the learning you’re about to build on.Quizlethttps://quizlet.com/ Similar to Socrative, Quizlet allows you to build your own quizes to test students’ knowledge - we really love the layout of the site for each section, which allows you to create flashcards and then play games on the back of the information you’ve created. I can see how this would become pretty addictive and could be a great revision tool.Synaphttps://synap.ac/ Another quiz-based apprach is taken by UK-based Synap. Their algorithms means help users learn more in less time, by pulling out questions which are targeted at the gaps in their knowledge. It’s a clever system and a great cross-over between Khan Academy and Socrative or Quizlet.Lumici Slatehttp://lumici.co.uk/ We featured these guys recently in our EdTech companies to watch series - see (link). This is a great lesson creation, sharing and analytics tool, which can help you shed loads of time in planning! It also lets you work in teams and collaborate with other teachers. Created by a teacher, it’s well organised and another great tool.Planboardhttps://www.planboardapp.com/ A similar product is Planboard, which allows you to map out your week’s timetable and even a whole curriculum. It means that, rather than having tonnes of folders on a memory stick, you can order all of your lessons and resources, before sharing them with other teachers in your department - great stuff! Edmodohttps://www.edmodo.com/ With intuitive features and unlimited storage, quickly create groups, assign homework, schedule quizzes, manage progress, and more. The Edmodo parent mobile apps make sure whatever you teach during the day gets reinforced at night.Timetoasthttp://www.timetoast.com/ This is a great way for your students to create their own timelines - a history teacher’s dream! Pupils can create their own account for free and then start creating a super-slick timeline, which allows them to get a visual understanding of the chronological events. Perfect!Prezihttps://prezi.com/ Okay, so I’m a little biased here as I’m sure this got me a job at one point! Prezi adds the ‘Wow!’ to ‘Wow! That was a good presentation.’ Seriously, this really does make presentations look awesome, as new slides appear from zooming into an image or by spinning out of a word. Maybe it’s not one to use for every lesson, but if you’re looking to make a great impression at the start of a new topic, delivering a large assembly, or are just tired of watching fifteen dull Powerpoint presentations, get on it!Glogsterhttp://edu.glogster.com/?ref=com This is another wonderful presentation tool. This time, you can create interactive posters which embed videos, text and links to other websites. With an ipad app to go alongside it, this is an easy way to showcase pupils work and might be a nice one to leave out on parents’ evening.Piktocharthttps://piktochart.com/ This sit lets you or your students create your own infographics. They are another superb way of allowing students to demonstrate their understanding in a more interesting way and developing their ICT skills. You can also use them yourself to create great displays.Pinteresthttps://uk.pinterest.com/ Lots of us use Pinterest, but do you use it in the classroom? This is a great way to bring together a collection of inspiring images and share them with the class. Similarly, children can bring together things that inspire them and work collaboratively by creating boards. As a free site, why not give it a go?Wordlehttp://www.wordle.net/ Okay, so this one looks the most boring, but it is ace! Just paste a text and produce a word cloud - this is really useful for pulling out key themes in a piece, and starting to deconstruct texts with a literature class.Powtoonhttps://www.powtoon.com/home/ Kids will love this! Powtoon lets you or your students create your own videos - these can be explainer videos, or just crazy animations. They have plenty of templates which are really easy to edit and get started with. It’s free to use and another great way to liven up a project - give it a go!QR Stuffhttp://www.qrstuff.com/ QR codes are the black and white squares which are popping up all over the place. This site allows you to create your own - when you scan them with a phone or tablet, you’ll then be taken to the website hooked up to that code. This is a great way to make your classroom interactive - you could add a code for Google Maps to a globe, a link to the local library on the bookcase, and basically turn your classroom into an interactive treasure hunt!You’ll also need something like…Scanhttps://www.scan.me/ ...which can be downloaded so your devices so they can read the codes. It takes a little setting up, but once you’re done, this can really bring technology into the classroom!TED Edhttp://ed.ted.com/ TED talks are awesome. Fact. But TED also allow you to create lessons, by pulling in a great video, matching it with quiz questions and even inviting discussion from your students. It’s a nice tool to be able to make the most of the best video content. Whatever you do, start checking out TED talks for something to inspire your older learners.If you have any more suggestions, let us know below and we'll write them up in a new piece in 2017!