Economics in Popular Culture

Economics in Popular Culture Learn More About The Most Famous Economists and Their Theories Chapters10 Most Famous Economists of All Time10 Most Famous Economics Books10 Famous Examples of Economic Collapse10 Famous Economic TheoriesIf you’re studying economics at GCSE, A-level, or if you’re an economics undergraduate at university, there are lists upon lists of famous economists, economic works, as well as economic theories that you’re expected to understand.In fact, some would say it's a common assumption that you should at least be aware of, if not very familiar with, a variety of economic policies, economic problems, and what top economists, from Keynes to David Ricardo, would think of such issues.While having economics tuition from Superprof, can certainly help you learn about the key thinkers that have shaped the field of economics today, you can also supplement your study in a number of ways, for example, by:Reading some of the greatest economic works written by renowned economists that cover topics such as prospect theory and the invisible hand;Learning more a bout economics in the daily news; andFinding out more about the thoughts and beliefs of past and present major economic thinkers.With that in mind, we let you know below which economists, theories and works, are almost essential reading for students of economics.Milton Friedman; andAdam SmithKeynes and Friedman are almost required learning in any economics curriculum, largely because their opposing views form a crucial backdrop to economic policy that came to shape much of the 20th century.Keynesianism argued in favour of market regulation and government spending in order to control the boom and bust cycle of economics and introduced concepts such as aggregate demand. Indeed, much of Keynes work formed the basis of macroeconomics today.Friedman, on the other hand, was a fundamental believer in the free market and was therefore in opposition to Keynes. Although Friedman’s voice was perhaps not as strong in the 20th century, his ideas garnered a wide range of followers who believe i n free-market capitalism.The important thing to note is that economics as a subject is full of economists, from Hayek to Marx, who hold widely differing views to one another, whether that relates to conflict around:Whether capitalism or socialism is a better economic model; orWhether there should be more regulation in markets, or if a laissez-faire approach is betterRegardless of where you personally stand on such issues, it’s a great idea to read widely and understand what the key theories of major economic thinkers are, many of whom have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics.That way, it will develop your analytical skills when looking at an economics problem, and will also give you a greater appreciation of how one school of economics can differ to another.Equally, if you need any help fine-tuning your knowledge of figures such as Keynes, you could also hire a private tutor from Superprof to help you.You should familiarise yourself with examples of economic models, as it wi ll help your economics studies. (Source: CC BY-SA 4.0, Debangana.mukherjee, Wikimedia Commons)10 Most Famous Economics BooksThere are a number of economics books out there, and as a result, there are plenty of books specialising in different niches. So if you would like to:read a work about behavioural economics;learn more about economic history; orwant to understand the key principles of macroeconomicsthere is a book out there you can learn from.For example, an excellent work that would complement any study into behavioural economics is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. A psychologist by trade, Kahneman outlines decades of his work, arguing that humans, far from being homo economicus, can actually act in quite irrational ways.Equally, if you’d like to delve deeper into the past, and read a classic economics work, then you’d do well to read The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, which covers topics such as the free market, along with the division of labour.If you take th e time to read a wide range of works, across a number of economics niches, then not only will your appreciation for schools of economic thought increase, but you’ll also become immediately more familiar with key economists' theories and beliefs.For example, whether or not you agree with his writings, you can understand a lot about what Karl Marx had to say about capitalism and his views on socialism in his works The Communist Manifesto and Capital. Often, it's much easier to understand a thinker's perspective and ideas once you read their own words about the issue, as opposed to reading a summary of their economic work.Daniel Kahneman is considered one of the top economists of our time, even though he's a psychologist! (Source: CC BY-SA 2.0, Buster Benson, Flickr)10 Famous Examples of Economic CollapseWhilst it’s important to know as much as possible about certain economists and their works, for example, Keynes, Hayek, Marx, or Friedman, it’s also worth taking some time to res earch what happens to global and local economies when there is an economic crash or another form of market failure.Although there have been a number of crashes in recent times, with the 2008 financial crisis perhaps being the most frequently referenced, economic collapses are not a phenomenon of the 20th and 21st  centuries.For example, there were a number of crashes and speculative bubbles in the 17th and 18th centuries, with some examples being:The tulip mania in the Netherlands in the 17th century;The Mississippi bubble of the 18th century; andThe French Revolution of 1789If you spend some time researching these crashes, you may begin to see some parallels or patterns in why crashes happen, and how they can be resolved to return countries to economic growth.However, if you're looking to focus your studies on one or two famous crashes, many would argue that one of the most famous economic collapses has to be the Great Depression, which was triggered by the Wall Street Crash in 192 9. Sending the world into years of global recession, the crash has been well-documented and extensively discussed, so there is plenty of relevant, interesting material on the subject should you wish to find out more.Of course, you could also reach out to a tutor at Superprof, who will be able to discuss major economic collapses with you in more detail, and provide you with interesting anecdotes and facts that you can quote in your next essay or exam.The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was the beginning of the Great Depression. (Source: Public Domain, Sparkx 11, Wikimedia Commons)10 Famous Economic TheoriesAlthough you may learn about the key economists of all time, the best way to learn about such figures is to understand what their core economic theories were.By reading up on the most common economic theories around, you’ll:Help improve your understanding of major economic figures, such as Keynes, Friedman or Smith;Gain more familiarity with different economic concepts, from laissez-fa ire economics to game theory; andUnderstand what schools of thought economists belong to.There are economic models and economic concepts that have been around for hundreds of years, with classical economics, which was spearheaded by figures such as Adam Smith, being one such example. However, other equally compelling and long-standing theories have appeared, such as:Keynesian economics;Milton Friedman and the theory of monetarism, which is closely associated with him; andMarxism, and in particular, Karl Marx's criticism of capitalist economies.Additionally, newer economic concepts have also gained traction in the past few decades. For example, game theory and prospect theory are both still relatively new economic theories. Prospect theory, in particular, has done much to develop our understanding of the field of behavioural economics and challenges the idea that human beings always made rational economic decisions.Although not every economic theory will necessarily agree with anothe r â€" Keynes and Friedman being two very famous examples of economists whose theories’ clashed at times â€" it’s important to read about different, and contradicting economic theories.This will not only help improve your skills in economic analysis, but it will also develop your understanding of the field of economics as a whole, and what issues economists of today are concerned with, whether that's:inflation;unemployment; ormonetary policy.Ultimately, if you are able to focus your studies by researching the most famous examples of economic theory, you'll set yourself in good stead for your exams.Equally, if you need any help at all preparing for an upcoming exam or essay, or if you’re struggling to find out more about a particular economist, such as Stiglitz, then you can also turn to tutoring sites such as Superprof for help.There is a range of economics tutors at Superprof, who offer both online and in-person tutoring sessions, so you can definitely find a tutor with the ex pertise and availability to suit you.

Where Can You Learn Latin Online

Where Can You Learn Latin Online Websites and Tools for Learning Latin Online ChaptersThe Best Sites for Learning Latin Apps for Learning Latin  Taking Latin Lessons OnlineMuch more difficult than English, French, Spanish or German, Latin is a language with a strong historical, cultural and mythical background.Despite being a ‘dead’ language it is an important tool to help us understand other languages like French and Spanish.Latin even provides the roots for own language, with many English words coming from Latin, reading Latin texts can help expand your vocabulary in your own language!Latin is also the language of institutions in our society like the government, religion and law. By learning Latin you’re not just learning about the past, you’re learning about the present too. The influence of Latin can be seen everywhere in our society and there are many ways to learn.Of course, you can go down the traditional route of learning Latin with grammar classes, vocabulary lists etc., or instead, you could opt for Latin learning 2.0; online courses.Organis ed by professional teachers, these classes give you all the necessary tools to progress your learning. You can even find intensive courses for an express learning!Through Latin expressions, pronunciation exercises and literature, you’ll progress quickly.Learning a language requires constant revision (Source: visualhunt.com)free app, available to Android users, teaches you the basics of Latin grammar.Its complete course will teach you the basics of different tenses and conjugations, all for free! This app is great if you are a beginner or you want to refresh your memory on certain grammar points.Latin Word of the DayAnother free app, this time for iOS users, Latin Word of the Day is a study tool that teaches you, you guessed it, a word a day.This app is great for expanding your vocabulary when you’re just a beginner. Learning just one word a day is easy and much more manageable than learning lists of words at a time. You’ll be fluent in no time!Latin WisdomLatin Wisdom teaches you Latin through common phrases.You’ll be taught tons of famous phrases, quotations and sentences that you may have heard before but never known the meaning (and it’s free!).By the end of the course you’ll be able to translate these phrases and impress your friends with your Latin references!Latin TrainerOne more for the Android users. Latin Trainer is a free app that helps you memorise different Latin words.By the end of the course you’ll be able to translate Latin words to English and you can track your progress through stats on the app so you can see how far you’ve come.The course takes you through steadily rather than bombarding you with lists of words to memorise. Learning a few words at a time is manageable and you’ll build up your vocabulary in no time.Have you thought of taking Latin in school?Taking Latin Lessons OnlineLearning with a friend can help you progress quicker (Source: visualhunt.com)The new trend in language learning in the past couple of years has been exchanging one on one with other people online.People are using social networks to exchange with others or to find conversation classes in their area.Social networks and forums for tips and experiencesFind fellow Latin students to talk to, or even Italian and Spanish speakers. Remember, Latin is the base of these languages so hearing them can help you progress.  With Facebook or language forums you can exchange your Latin lessons, find study tips and just encourage your fellow students!Knowing you’re not alone in learning Latin can provide a huge comfort. You can share your struggles with others or you can talk about why you’re learning Latin. You’ll gain insight from many different people and you might learn something from them!Video ClassesUsed more and more in classrooms, video classes allow you to connect with people not in the room. This support is used a lot in classes and can help you connect with a Latin teacher if you can’t find someone in your area.Learning o ne on one with a teacher, even via video, has many benefits. Unlike in a group class, in a private lesson everything is adapted to your level and your goals. If you find something particularly difficult you can repeat exercises with your tutor until you get it. You can change the lessons depending on your goals to focus more on speaking or on grammar for example.Learning one on one can give you a confidence boost too. Having the time to go over grammar points or pronunciation you’ll be sure that you’ve got it right. You’ll have the freedom to ask any question you want no matter how simple you think it is. Your teacher wants you to succeed and will have the knowledge to help so make the most of your time with them.Check out Superprof to find a Latin teacher near you!Also discover where you can take Latin lessons in London..

Some ways of knowing how to increase your grades with online tutoring

Some ways of knowing how to increase your grades with online tutoring Since a long time the students has been divided into two types. One part is the intelligent part in which the students can easily come across any tough subject and tough topic with ease and the other part is the weak part in which the people are not able to grasp every single topic and thus they fail to acquire good grades in school. Every parent wants to live a better life with their kids doing well at school. They also want themselves to proudly announce their child’s grades in front of every other parent. But in many cases things are not possible. Sometimes it is because of the fact that students are not able to understand what is being taught at school. Sometimes it is because of the fact that the teachers do not pay heed to the students in particular and thus many students miss out various parts. There can be various reasons for it but the result is the factor and no one cares for the reason. Good teachers are needed for better and proper understanding of a subject. A good teacher can show a child its correct path and that can help the child t lead a better future and a much better life style. School is a place where you can learn but today it also has changed its priorities and so they are unable to make a clear view on what school and its priorities are all about. Students are much in problem due to such tensions. Apart from school there is private tutoring as well. A good private tutor also helps in gaining that knowledge which is possible only when you have dedicated teacher.   Professionalism has hit every sector and every sphere of life and private tutoring is also not away from it. The teachers do not want to spend too much time on any particular student and thus the student lacks good guidance. The only way left for a good tutoring course is online tutoring. Online tutoring course is a new as well as an adaptable way through which you can get into the well of knowledge. The online tutoring facilities are slowly gaining a lot of recognition and this is helping them to explore their wings to a certain level. This type of tutoring facility is entirely conducted through the help of internet and as kids of new generation are very much accustomed with good internet usage so they can use it and also utilize the time as well. The online tutoring has been encircled with various types of features that help them to get discriminated from all the other types of tutoring facility. The features are very useful and this is the reason why many students have been getting attached to it. They are really liking and adoring the process and thus investing on it. So for now let u discuss about the various utilities that the online tutoring facility brings for a student. Some features of online tutoring Online tutoring is about how to save your time and energy. When you have time and energy backed up for you then you can concentrate more on any subject and on any topic. Let us now discuss some of the online tutoring facility that can help you to gain some more knowledge on online tutoring. The first feature or facility of online tutoring is that online tutoring institutes have a large number of good and reputed teachers that help a student with any particular tough subject. The institutes make it a point to appoint such teachers who have immense knowledge on a subject and can deliver it to their students as well. The good knowledge helps a student also to know and learn a subject faster. They get to know the easy and better ways through which they can learn faster. The online teachers do not have any time limit and this is also one of the best parts. When you have no limit then you can get help from a teacher whenever you want and this makes your progress even perfect. It is like whenever you are into any doubt or a question arises in your mind, you can find solution to that question instantly and it helps your progress arte to get increased faster. The other facilities that online tutoring provides is that the teachers help the students with their homework. Yes, when you are stuck into any kind of tough homework then online teachers are always there to rescue you out from such a problem.  This saves your time in completing your homework as well as helps you to learn more. Not only are this by there teachers who are present to help you during your projects and various assignments given at your school. This is not possible without the help of a good teacher. The online tutoring facility helps you to get individual teacher for every child who has enrolled them into any of the courses. When you have a teacher by your side all round the clock then you can get support as well. The individual teacher for the individual student can cause great relaxation for any student who is not so intelligent. The main problem with a weak student is that they do not have boldness to come up with their problems in front of all and thus they are out of any teachers’ concentration. Online tutors serve you right with this way as well. Good tutoring facility with TutorPace TutorPace brings to you all the noted facilities above. The teachers are we efficient, the time limitation is no more applicable, each student can come in contact with a single teacher and they can be uplifted with the subject and the various topics of it. After so many facilities, you may be thinking that it will be expensive even. But no to your surprise it is not at all expensive and can be afforded easily by any middle class family. Thus if you need Science Homework Help from TutorPace, you can easily get that.

Bad at Keeping Time 5 Rhythm Exercises for All Musicians [Videos]

Bad at Keeping Time 5 Rhythm Exercises for All Musicians [Videos] Suzy S. Do you struggle with keeping the beat? In this post, music teacher Heather L.  shares six rhythm exercises that all musicians can try Whens the last time that you heard a musician perform live, either at a concert or online, and said to yourself, “Wow, her rhythm sounds really off. But shes a phenomenal musician!” I cant remember, either. Thats because a strong rhythmic sense is essential to being that phenomenal musician we all aspire to be, and we all can be! Its part of what distinguishes an amateur from a pro. Bad at Rhythm? Youre Not Alone The very thing that those pros have is something called an internal sense of rhythm, which you can hone by tapping into your natural sense of a steady pulse. Its like your own built-in metronome! It removes the need to tap your foot or rely on a drummer, or any other external time-keeper, for that matter. Its important to know that “rhythm” and “timing” mean slightly different things. “Rhythm” means the regular succession of strong and weak beats, but “timing” is your ability to keep a beat by yourself, especially within a group. Lots of musicians struggle with both rhythm and timing, often because we choose pieces that are too complex for us at that current point in our musical journeys. So remember your three Ss: Simple, slow, steady. Simple are the pieces that you choose while you work to improve your rhythm, slow is the tempo that you should play the pieces, and steady rhythm is what we aim for! If you struggle with rhythm and timing, your music teacher can help you with specific exercises and pieces to practice. In the meantime, here are the rhythm exercises that I recommend to my own students. 1. Record Yourself Start simply. Choose a song that you know really well (think “Mary Had a Little Lamb”), and then choose a slow tempo. Record yourself playing (or singing, if your instrument is your voice) it alone, without a metronome or any backup. Recording  yourself gives  you  immediate and valuable feedback. Listen to the recording. Are you confident that a stranger could tap to your beat? Are you speeding up or slowing down? Tap or clap along with the recording. Keep  a tally of how many times you got off the beat or hesitated. Dont be discouraged if youre not that steady. Just resolve to improve. Remember, this is just another skill to be learned! 2. March to a Pulse This rhythm exercise might be the most fun all you need to do is perform something physical to a pulse. If you like to dance, then dance along with the beat and if youd rather walk your dog, then go get the leash! Physical movement matched to a pulse is called eurhythmics. This is the idea that music should be learned through  all of the senses, including your kinesthetic  (physical) awareness. Its best to create the pulse using a metronome. If you dont own one, install a metronome app on your smartphone. I have one called The Metronome by Soundbrenner, but you can find lots of them in the App Store or in the Google Play Store. The following video reveals a fascinating class in which eurhythmics  is demonstrated. Notice that the students are creating movements that match rhythms. This is the fundamental idea. Keep watching, and youll see simple walking-to-a-pulse, dancing-to-a-pulse, and even punching-to-a-pulse! 3. Tap and Count Find a recording of your favorite song, and clap your hands together with each count as you listen to it. You can also tap your leg, your guitar or piano, or a table. When you feel comfortable, add counting. Count “one, two, three, four,” or “one, two, three” depending on the time signature. Most songs have the feeling of three or four beats in each measure. Try both and see which one fits. Remember, if it sounds like a waltz, then it probably has three beats per measure, but if it sounds like a march, then it probably has four beats per measure. Check out  a video that demonstrates this exercise here. 4. Practice Subdividing Now that youve counted the basic beat of your song, youre going to subdivide. Learning how to subdivide is the basis of establishing that internal sense of rhythm, and later, just figuring out tough rhythms! Subdivision is the practice of dividing the beats of a song into shorter beats. For instance, if you have a song that is made up of only quarter notes, to subdivide you might count “one, and, two, and, three, and, four, and” instead of “one, two, three, four.” By subdividing, youve stopped guessing how long each beat is. I call it “naming the little baby notes.” The following video visually details this rhythm exercise, but Dan also does a great job explaining it aurally. 5. Be an Apprentice Find a friend, a neighbor, a band, or a great teacher with  TakeLessons whose sense of rhythm and timing you really admire, and then find time to play with them. Theyll probably be flattered that you think of them so highly and be happy to help! Heres a terrific video of jazz piano great Chick Corea explaining his tips for getting better rhythmically, and  this idea of apprenticeship. 6. Play with a Metronome Now, take that song that you recorded before, set the metronome to a slow, steady beat again, and play along. But first, feel yourself settling in, letting your kinesthetic pulse   that internal sense of rhythm   sync with what youre hearing. Watch this video where the metronome is demonstrated on the piano. Even if you dont play the piano, the instructor explains so simply that it will immediately make sense on your guitar, flute, or violin, or even your voice! Its been said that rhythm is not a series of dots, but of circles. As long as you hit the beat really close to the perfect spot, youre okay. In fact, as humans, well never be as exact as a metronome! And thats great, because it creates a groove. Being just a hair behind or ahead of the beat pulls the listener in, and frankly, keeps us from sounding like robots, or some computer program that makes music. It keeps us sounding human. Being human means being imperfect. And thats just perfect. Readers, what other rhythm exercises have helped you improve your skills? Leave a comment and let us know! Heather L. teaches singing, piano, and more in St. Augustine, FL, as well as through online lessons. She is  a graduate of the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Learn more about Heather here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

The Four Stages of Competence Math Edition

The Four Stages of Competence Math Edition We all like to think of ourselves as active participants in our lives. We make decisions from sun-up to sun-down: when to wake up, what to eat for breakfast, what email to answer first, what podcast to listen to on the drive home. However, the uncomfortable truth is that our behavior is more mindless and automatic than we like to think. As Charles Duhigg  noted in his book,  The Power of Habit, somewhere around 40% of what we do each day is dictated by habit. We receive a cue from our environment?for example, we walk into the kitchen and see the coffeemaker?and then the routine of the habit starts. We make coffee, drink it, and experience the “reward” of a warm, delicious beverage?and a hit of caffeine. Thus the habit is reinforced one more time.Often our habits reside very far below the surface of consciousness. The next time you brush your teeth, pay attention to which part of your teeth you brush first. You’ve probably brushed them the same way since you were young. Or think about driving: when was the last time you really thought through the sequence of steps? You most likely turn the car on, put on your seat belt, check mirrors and put the car in reverse with very little thought. All of these routines have become muscle memory, deeply ingrained habits that require little to no conscious attention to execute.Now, let’s consider how habits and unconscious behaviors relate to learning.Most students have had the frustrating experience of being sure that they got a problem correct on a test, only to miss getting credit because of a careless mistake. Often the careless mistake is as simple as not distributing a negative sign correctly or solving for the wrong value. For some students, careless mistakes are pervasive in their work and a real barrier to improving their grade in a class or their SAT score. So what’s happening there?There’s a model in psychology known as the four stages of competence (or the four stages of learning). The four stages are: Unconscious incompetenceConscious incompetenceConscious competenceUnconscious competenceAs we discussed before, much of what we do in our daily lives happens below the level of consciousness. We’ve been driving for years, so we can operate a two-ton SUV hurtling down the highway at 70 mph without too much active thought.When a student’s math work is riddled with careless mistakes, they’re living in the first stage?the world of unconscious incompetence. To sum it up, they don’t know that they’re doing anything wrong, or they don’t know what they don’t know.Our goal as tutors and educators is to move our students through all four stages of competence, hopefully arriving for good at the level of “flow,” or unconscious competence. The million dollar question, however, is how to move from one stage of competence to the next. Let’s explore the stages and how these play out for our tutors and their students.Moving Through the Four Stages of Competence1. Unconscious Inco mpetenceAs we said before, this stage is characterized by unthinking, careless mistakes or an incorrect understanding of a concept that a student assumes they know. The giveaway that a student is in the first stage of competence is surprise at an incorrect answer or a bad test score. The student had no idea they were on the wrong track.2. Conscious IncompetenceA student usually moves into conscious incompetence when prompted by someone else?a parent, teacher,   tutor, or by their own systematic review of their work. At this stage, students are aware of what they’re doing, and they’ve made the important move from “unthinking” to “thinking.” This should be praised! Here’s a typical scenario: a student just got back an algebra test on solving systems of equations, and he received a much lower score than he was anticipating. He reviews his test with his tutor at the next session. The tutor points out that the student failed to correctly multiply equations all the way throu gh by the appropriate constant.The next time a student tries to solve a system of equations, he’s operating at the level of conscious incompetence. Now he knows that he doesn’t know how to do this correctly (or without careless errors), and he might get the problem wrong. Conscious incompetence is a really uncomfortable place to be. No one likes to know that they’re doing a problem wrong! Thus, our goal as math tutors is to not let our students stay here for long. We try to channel our students’ discouragement into productive motivation to get the problem down cold. Which brings us to our next stage…3. Conscious Competence  Okay, this is better. When you work at this level, you’re getting things right. You still have to actively think about how to do a problem or how to avoid a careless mistake, but you have the satisfaction of getting a correct answer and a good test score. So, how does a student move from level 2 to level 3, or from conscious incompetence to conscious competence? After all, this is the jump that makes the big difference in performance and confidence.Unfortunately, I have to be the bearer of bad news here. There’s no magic pill that lets you jump levels. Moving from conscious incompetence to conscious competence takes a great deal of focused practice targeted on your weak areas. It also takes a willingness to relentlessly confront your mistakes, over and over, until you start consistently getting things right. This process hopefully won’t take 10,000 hours, but it does take time.Our math tutors help students move to conscious competence by drawing on their experience to quickly diagnose students’ mistakes. We tailor effective problem sets that get students quickly on the path to competence.4. Unconscious Competence  Finally, we’ve returned to the unconscious level. To recap, this is the level most people operate on when they drive their car, make coffee, or do other routine daily tasks. Unconscious competence?“being in t he zone” or “experiencing flow”?allows you to efficiently and accurately get problems right without too much active thought. For routine math work and standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, this is a great place to be.Cultivating Good HabitsLet’s return to our discussion of habits for a moment. Habits take place on the subconscious level and consist of a cue, routine, and a reward. Fitting habits into the levels of competence model shows us that math habits can be good or bad, competent or incompetent. If your student is struggling with careless mistakes, their goal and their tutor’s goal should be to interrupt the routine of unthinking errors. This can be accomplished by reviewing math work with an eye toward identifying types of problems or behaviors that trigger mistakes. Does the student always miss questions with fractions? Do they miss more questions at the end of a test because they’re rushing to finish? Once we identify those triggers, our tutors can move stude nts through the levels of competence via targeted practice. And once a student is “consciously competent,” we’ll work to build new cues, routines and rewards that lead to the virtuous cycles of good math habits. Good math habits lead to greater success in school and on standardized tests. Even better, good math habits lead to a lifetime of self-confidence in one’s mathematical ability.

Learning with Dyslexia

Learning with Dyslexia Dyslexia Awareness Week  runs from the  3rd to the 9th of November, and aims to help people better understand the unique challenges of those  living with the learning difficulty. According to the British Dyslexia Association, about 10% of people living in the UK are dyslexic.   Understanding dyslexia and how to manage it effectively is crucial in providing support. If you tutor or know someone who is dyslexic, this week is a great opportunity to become more  knowledgeable on the subject! What is dyslexia? Dyslexia can  seem pretty vague and complicated, but it's not really. Dr. Kelli Sandmna-Hurley explains the basics her  TEDed talk:  What is Dyslexia? In essence, dyslexia is a neurological variance that hinders one's ability to decode and manipulate language. Some people have difficulty reading, some spelling, and some both. This is because people who are dyslexic  rely more heavily on the right hemisphere and frontal lobe of their brain. In result, words can take longer to register in the left hemisphere, where language is processed. Dyslexia doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. Just look at this small example of the brilliant and creative people who also happen to be dyslexic! How does being dyslexic  affect students' learning? Being dyslexic goes beyond  struggling to keep up with classmates who don't have to work as hard to read, write and decode language.  Parents of dyslexic students report that expertise and resources are  hard to access and that their children’s experience of school is often negative. What can we do? A major factor of successful intervention is access to additional resources to support the development of key skills for independent learning.  Here,  a father describes how a tutor made all the difference for his son who struggled  with low confidence and poor academic performance as a result of dyslexia. The right support turned around his whole approach! Want more? We find these resources super helpful: Dyslexia Tool Kit  -  This free e-book tells you how to recognize signs of dyslexia, how to understand it, and what to do next if you think a child is dyslexic. Yale Center for Dyslexia  -  This website has amazing resources for parents, educators and students alike. Dyslexia Tutors  -  Many of our own tutors specialize in teaching  students with dyslexia. Whether you're a teacher looking for more advice or a student looking for  someone who understands your way of learning, they're here to help.

Life, Liberty and Property Day

Life, Liberty and Property Day Today, December 10th is Human Rights day. While the concept of human rights are beacon in human thought, amendments to this concept are necessary. How so? Any human right that is an expense of another constitute an aggression. For example, article 25 of the human rights declaration grants Adequate Living Standard. In other words, if my living standards are inadequate it is impossible to precisely define adequate living standards â€" you will have to be taxed. This will lower your living standard and raises mine â€" given that during the wealth distribution there is no leakage of funds. Do you think this is fair? Of course not, me forcing you â€" usually by means of a powerful state â€" to pay for my rent, my food and my Internet is an aggregation against your life, liberty and property. Thomas Jefferson writing his famous sentence pursuit of life, liberty and property. In fact, philisophers such as Murry Rothbard, Ayan Rand, Albert Jay Nock developed the Nonaggression principle. Here is Murray Rothbards version: No one may threaten or commit violence (aggress) against another mans person or property. Violence may be employed only against the man who commits such violence; that is, only defensively against the aggressive violence of another… The non-aggration principle is a modern-day version of the bibles olden rule: one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. The Human Rights Declaration includes the right to Social Security, Education, Cultural Life, Public Hearing, Rest, and even Leisure. These rights can only be grated at the expense of other human beings. Thus, they shouldnt be in the Declaration at all. This is, however, not to say humans shouldnt engage in education, culture, rest and leisure. By all means we should! But the way to get education is by spending our own property (money) on books, lessons and tutoring. And when the state gets out of the way of education, the teachers, tutors and text book writers will cater to the needs of the students and parents hereby creating a much more diverse, interesting, personalized and smarter education system. And TutorZ is a part of this industry serving you as our education client. We at TutorZ think of December 10th as the Life, Liberty and Property day and recommend the readings of Ludwig von Mises on this day: https://mises.org/library/liberty-and-property

Motivated by his Peers, this Kumon Student Wants to be an Architect and a Doctor

Motivated by his Peers, this Kumon Student Wants to be an Architect and a Doctor Motivated by his Peers, this Kumon Student Wants to be an Architect and a Doctor Alan, 10-years-old, Level J Math and Level I Reading   There are many things that keep Alan motivated. He has short term goals of  completing the next level in Kumon. He has long-term goals of  completing the entire  Kumon Math and Reading Program before high school. He has a dream of becoming an architect someday, which he’ll need strong math skills in order to achieve.     But there’s also something else that motivates Alan. Something that the average person may not even realize. Because Alan is studying several years above his grade level in Kumon, a lot of his classmates turn to him for help at  school. Alan says it gives him a sense of pride and inspires him to work even harder.   “It’s  humbling to have my friends come to me for help,” says Alan. “This feeling motivates me to work even harder so my friends can always trust me. When  I help my friends, I look at it  as an opportunity for me to learn how to convey the same concept in different ways because each person learns differently.”   That’s a very mature thought process for someone who is only 10-years-old.  Because of his accomplishments both in-and-out of the classroom, Alan was just one of 56  Kumon Students from the United States, Canada and Mexico to be invited to the  2018 Kumon Student Conference.   He talks about his journey with Kumon.     How has Kumon helped you in the classroom?   Thanks to Kumon, I no longer feel frustrated with difficult questions. Because of the determination I have developed, I know that I will eventually solve the problem.  Kumon has helped me advance beyond my grade level. I’m able to finish my schoolwork faster, which allows me more time to participate in other activities.   How has Kumon helped you beyond academics?   Kumon has surely trained me to face challenges without fears. Although I love challenges, studying above my grade level is not always easy. Perseverance is the first lesson I learned from Kumon. It taught me to never give up. Additionally, Kumon has guided me to gain self-confidence. When I believe in myself, I can do just about  anything I want. In Kumon, I also learned to not be afraid of making mistakes. You would never learn anything if you are always perfect. Practicing daily and learning from mistakes is Kumon’s main idea to success.   Alan shakes hands with Kumon North America President Mino Tanabe at the 2018 Kumon Student Conference. What keeps you motivated in Kumon?   Reaching my goals keeps me motivated in Kumon. The satisfaction of achieving goals boosts my confidence, which in turn, motivates me to set more  goals and achieve higher levels.     What do you hope to accomplish with Kumon?   I want to finish the entire math and reading program before high school.     What did it mean to you to be invited to the 2018 Kumon Student Conference?   I was very proud of the accomplishment, but was also excited because I knew I was going to meet and interact with other kids my age that have the same goals and experience. Sometimes, learning informally from your peers can be a more effective way of learning.       What advice do you have for other Kumon Students?   Never give-up and always believe in yourself!   Discover even more student success stories.       You might also be interested in: With a Passion for Astronomy, this Kumon Student Wants to Become an Astrophysicist Studying Three Years Above Her Grade Level, This Student Helps Her Peers Kumon Reading Program Completer Motivated by Other Students Aspiring Architect Reminds Himself To Never Give Up Motivated by his Peers, this Kumon Student Wants to be an Architect and a Doctor Motivated by his Peers, this Kumon Student Wants to be an Architect and a Doctor Alan, 10-years-old, Level J Math and Level I Reading   There are many things that keep Alan motivated. He has short term goals of  completing the next level in Kumon. He has long-term goals of  completing the entire  Kumon Math and Reading Program before high school. He has a dream of becoming an architect someday, which he’ll need strong math skills in order to achieve.     But there’s also something else that motivates Alan. Something that the average person may not even realize. Because Alan is studying several years above his grade level in Kumon, a lot of his classmates turn to him for help at  school. Alan says it gives him a sense of pride and inspires him to work even harder.   “It’s  humbling to have my friends come to me for help,” says Alan. “This feeling motivates me to work even harder so my friends can always trust me. When  I help my friends, I look at it  as an opportunity for me to learn how to convey the same concept in different ways because each person learns differently.”   That’s a very mature thought process for someone who is only 10-years-old.  Because of his accomplishments both in-and-out of the classroom, Alan was just one of 56  Kumon Students from the United States, Canada and Mexico to be invited to the  2018 Kumon Student Conference.   He talks about his journey with Kumon.     How has Kumon helped you in the classroom?   Thanks to Kumon, I no longer feel frustrated with difficult questions. Because of the determination I have developed, I know that I will eventually solve the problem.  Kumon has helped me advance beyond my grade level. I’m able to finish my schoolwork faster, which allows me more time to participate in other activities.   How has Kumon helped you beyond academics?   Kumon has surely trained me to face challenges without fears. Although I love challenges, studying above my grade level is not always easy. Perseverance is the first lesson I learned from Kumon. It taught me to never give up. Additionally, Kumon has guided me to gain self-confidence. When I believe in myself, I can do just about  anything I want. In Kumon, I also learned to not be afraid of making mistakes. You would never learn anything if you are always perfect. Practicing daily and learning from mistakes is Kumon’s main idea to success.   Alan shakes hands with Kumon North America President Mino Tanabe at the 2018 Kumon Student Conference. What keeps you motivated in Kumon?   Reaching my goals keeps me motivated in Kumon. The satisfaction of achieving goals boosts my confidence, which in turn, motivates me to set more  goals and achieve higher levels.     What do you hope to accomplish with Kumon?   I want to finish the entire math and reading program before high school.     What did it mean to you to be invited to the 2018 Kumon Student Conference?   I was very proud of the accomplishment, but was also excited because I knew I was going to meet and interact with other kids my age that have the same goals and experience. Sometimes, learning informally from your peers can be a more effective way of learning.       What advice do you have for other Kumon Students?   Never give-up and always believe in yourself!   Discover even more student success stories.       You might also be interested in: With a Passion for Astronomy, this Kumon Student Wants to Become an Astrophysicist Studying Three Years Above Her Grade Level, This Student Helps Her Peers Kumon Reading Program Completer Motivated by Other Students Aspiring Architect Reminds Himself To Never Give Up