Common Things to Expect in the 11+ Exam

Common Things to Expect in the 11+ Exam At Tutorfair we are helping our London tutors become the best people to deliver 11+ exam tuition. However, we don't want to forget the slightly smaller people who have to actually do the exams! Our very own resident expert, Sophia, explains what pupils can expect on the day of the 11+ exam.  She  sat her 11+ exam 18 months ago and has just completed a very happy year in her new school. The 11+ is the first really important exam for most school kids as it decides your next school, which will influence the next seven years of academic life. The first part is choosing which schools to apply for. Teachers can suggest which school a student will settle best in, parents might nag about how far away the school is and newspapers will throw their academic results at you; however, visiting the school is vital and gives an idea about the atmosphere. This is usually the main factor for deciding. When I did the 11+, everyone’s main worry was how to prepare. Despite teachers equipping us with an army of revision papers, many parents were still not satisfied and promptly proceeded to raid bookstores for Bond papers and scour the Internet for the previous year’s 11+. One solution that many turned to was tutoring for the 11+ exam. Tutors are brilliant, one-to-one teachers who usually specialise in exams; they know where to get 11+ exam papers, how to revise properly and what schools look for in the exams. I had a tutor for three lessons in which we simply recapped key points and practised papers; almost immediately I felt one step ahead of the exam. For exam day, we received a bucketload of advice: go to bed early, eat healthy food and prepare everything the night before (water bottle, pencil case, etc). But the most important one: just relax. Adrenaline isn’t needed in an exam; the 11+ won’t trip you up with quantum physics or jump off the table and eat you, so don’t panic. When you’re actually in the exam room, it feels just like a normal exam that your school teachers throw at you. During the interview just relax, don’t fidget or talk too fast, and be honest. When the magic day of acceptance letter comes, it is easy to get excited or overconfident. It is important to wait for the other results and think carefully before choosing. Don’t get upset if the results aren’t what you hoped for either. It could be for the best - maybe that school just wasn’t right for you. Everyone I know has got into a school and is really happy there and now that the 11+ is over, it seems really small. If you are looking for a tutor to support your child through the 11+ visit the Tutorfair website and find fantastic  11 plus tutors.

Additional Information on the Common Application

Additional Information on the Common Application The process of researching, applying to and deciding on a college can be overwhelming for teens. But if theres one aspect of the process thats much easier than it was years ago, it is filling out the applicationor more specifically, the Common Application. The Common Application lets students complete a single application that shares the details of their background, education and activities with multiple colleges on their list. Its a great way for college-bound students to save themselves valuable time and stay organized with the various college-related deadlines. Here are some of the most important things you need to know about the Common Application: More than 800 public and private colleges and universities accept the Common Application. To find out whether a college uses it, search the Common Apps database or view the latest (as of August 2018) listing. Applicants may submit applications to up to 20 colleges. A students dashboard inside the Common Application database lets them keep track of up to 20 colleges. Deadlines are made easier. The Common Application dashboard shows application deadlines of each college a teen is tracking. A date becomes red and displays a clock symbol next to it when a deadline is within two weeks. Teens can also download the mobile app: Common App on Track on their mobile device. To make the application process efficient, teens should have certain information on hand. Parents, have your teens assemble their high school transcript, extracurricular activities list, test scores and test dates (SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests), and parent/legal guardian information (including educational background, occupational information and employer information). There may be other items to submit. Keep in mind that colleges usually want supplemental information in addition to the Common Application. They might request answers to specific questions, letters of recommendation and writing supplements. Each college has specific writing requirements. As mentioned, first-year (freshman) applicants are usually required or encouraged to submit samples of their writing. Those might include the Common App Personal Essay (for which writing prompts will be provided), answers to college-specific questions (e.g. details on a work experience or meaningful extracurricular activity) or an additional writing supplement. Check out the Common Applications Writing Requirements resource for details on what each college seeks. Early Decision applications are binding. When students apply Early Decision to a school and are accepted, they must agree to withdraw all other applications they have submitted. For this reason, students can only apply to one school this way using the Common App. The Common Application is a major timesaver for students who plan to apply to several colleges. Its easy to get started: just start an application, add colleges to your list, review their requirements and start gathering the materials you need. Have your teen visit www.commonapp.org to learn more and begin searching colleges.

Online Content, Conventional TV, and the Golden Age of Television

Online Content, Conventional TV, and the Golden Age of Television image via http://likealady.bg/ Television advertising  became prevalent  in the 1950s, when companies like Kraft and General Electric  sponsored entire television shows. NBC revolutionized the concept in the 1960s with “TV Spots,” which we all know today as commercials. Advertising went from taking up 9 minutes of an hour-long program in the 1970s all the way up to 19 minutes in the ‘90s. Once advertisers were able to gain information regarding the demographics of different shows’ viewers thanks to Nielsen Ratings (the data collection system on the ages and amounts of people watching a given network show), they utilized product placement. Different series became vehicles for certain products, intertwining the characters’ choices and the plotlines with commercial goods. In my opinion, this poses a risk to the creative control of the show.   The advertisers are funding these shows, and since the series are operating on the given company’s dollar, which parts of the show are generated without profit-oriented bias, and which are forced upon the writers from the promotional demands and financial motivations of the corporation? image via http://protoepicnews.blogspot.com/ A show that does a great job of making fun of this is 30 Rock. The series focuses on a fictional NBC television show run by Liz Lemon (Tina Fey).   In the first few seasons, General Electric owns NBC, and Jack Donaghey (Alec Baldwin) plays the overbearing president of NBC who wants to assume control over Lemon’s creative choices. Each episode is speckled with jokes about vertical integration and product placement, with clear wisecracks at GE, who owned NBC in real life at the time. In one scene, Lemon is in Donaghey’s office. She gives a spiel about how great Verizon Wireless is, then looks directly at the camera and says, “can we have our money now?” A show like 30 Rock that actively draws attention to the commerciality aspect of network TV is the exception to the rule. Since network TV depends so much on corporate funding, the shows try to cater to the masses, which makes sense: the more viewers, the more ad spots are worth (since more people are seeing them and are likely to buy the product), so, the more money the show makes. This is where it gets problematic for me again, from a creative standpoint. For example, a comedy that tries to make everyone laugh will probably be less substantial of a series than one with a unique tone, catered to a certain taste. This could be why shows like Arrested Development didn’t do well initially. Fox cancelled the show after just three seasons, even though it won an Emmy. Arrested has dry, quick humor and expects the viewer to be smart enough to catch onto jokes, rather than dumb itself down for the sake of getting more viewers. This juxtaposes against series like Two and A Half Men,  which has  been called “mindless” comedy, yet has been on the air for 12 seasons and peaked at over 24 million viewers. In fact, the success of Arrested Development after its original run, and its subsequent Netflix season four revival, is a good example of the payoff of an online television medium compared to the traditional network model.  After working under the Netflix umbrella for the fourth season, the cast members criticized the show’s former network, Fox, regarding the conflict between airing a quality, creative show, even if it wasn’t a moneymaker for the network. David Cross, the actor who plays Tobias Funke, denounced the network: The networks were still behind in figuring out how people were watching TVâ€"they were still in that antiquated way that started in the 50s with a Nielsen Box. You cant look at the Nielsen ratings just because theres a family in Rhode Island that wasnt watching it at the timeâ€"thats not how people are watching TV anymore . . . The worst thing that happened to Fox was Arrested  winning the Emmy, cos they had to keep it on. Fox didnt have any real guts, but its a business [and] theyre not in the business of putting out great TV; theyre in the business of making as much money as they possibly can for Rupert Murdoch. Cross goes on to discuss how Netflix allowed Mitch Hurwitz, the show’s creator, to take creative control of the show and supported his decisions, whereas Fox would normally fight with Hurwitz and give him notes to change certain things. Where Fox was like “a girl you were dating who didn’t quite get you,” Netflix was “overly gracious and supportive.” When you think about harboring a creative environment necessary for a great television show, which one seems like it would produce higher quality content? image via doseoffunny.com Online mediums like Netflix and Hulu can’t use Nielsen Ratings for their shows; there are no time slots for these series, so theres no way to calculate how many viewers are tuned in since people watch on their own time. Ted Sarandos, the Chief Content Officer at Netflix, discussed the company’s own method of “ratings” when it comes to original content creation.  He specifically referenced House of Cards: “We read lots of data to figure out how popular Kevin Spacey was over his entire output of movies. How many people actually highly rate four or five of them? If you liked The Social Network, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button  and Fight Club, you’re probably a Fincher fanâ€"you probably don’t know it, but you are.” Sarandos continues that once the company has a sense of how many fans are out there, it can “more accurately predict the absolute market size for a show.” When you can predict a market size, you don’t have to cater to the masses. So where Nielsen measures an arbitrary rat race for the highest volume of viewers, Netflix utilizes a calculated forecast based on viewer preference and artistic style and genre. Again, which method seems like it would keep a show afloat based on real merit? The growing artistic diversification of online television is becoming more and more apparent. Choosing a TV show to watch is becoming more like browsing a library with endless material of all types and genres, rather than a passive activity mottled with infrequent, arbitrary channel surfing. The Internet is an interactive tool, one where the users actively seek out content they want to watch. Predetermined time slots don’t hold the clout they once did. Mass-market appeal is no longer the winning strategy. Don’t get me wrong: broadcast television is the best medium when it comes to time-sensitive, cultural content, like the news. It can be a unifying medium in times that call for national involvement, like when the first plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11, or when the news broke that Osama Bin Laden was captured and killed.   However, scripted series seem to be a different story altogether. Television is in its Golden Age, and it is thanks to these online mediums who are providing the creative freedom and creating premium content funded by subscription dollars, rather than bowing down to advertisers. Television is reaching its peak quality. You might be wondering why this is all of any importance. It’s just TV, after all. However, television is an integral part of our culture, whether we realize it or not. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, TV unified our nation through shows like I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, and Friends.  People identified with it, and it became a representation of our culture. The thing about appealing to the masses (read: most network television) is that many aspects of our culture get overlooked, and minorities are often underrepresented or not represented at all. Online mediums like Netflix have been able to break this barrier in recent years. Series like Orange is the New Black, with an almost all-female cast in a women’s prison, probably wouldn’t last on traditional television. The show stars white, black, Latina and Asian women, depicting many minorities all at once. The diversification of TV on these online mediums will only increase a more diverse representation of America. Tim Wu of The New Republic magazine said it perfectly: “A culture where niche supplants mass hews closer to the original vision of the Americas, of a new continent truly open to whatever diverse and eccentric groups showed up. The United States was once, almost by definition, a place without a dominant national identity. As it revolutionizes television, Netflix is merely helping to return us to that past.”

Practice is the Key to this Young Cello Players Success

Practice is the Key to this Young Cello Players Success Practice is the Key to this Young Cello Players Success Keya, 11-years-old, Math Level K “Mastering music is more than learning technical skills. Practicing is about quality, not quantity. Some days I practice for hours; other days it will be just a few minutes.” â€" Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is considered one of today’s most recognized classical musicians. A testament to his ability as a cello player, Ma has recorded over 90 albums and  is a 19-time Grammy Award Winner. Long before the awards and world-renowned performances, Ma was often referred to as a “child prodigy” â€" a title that has been given to classical music legends like Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn. Ma began playing the cello at the age of four and recalls integrating a daily routine of rigorous practice early on. It’s no wonder he had memorized three of Johann Sebastian Bachs solo suites by the time he was five. Today, he attributes his success and fame to practice and perseverance through rigorous study. Taking a page out of Ma’s book, 11-year-old Keya has discovered that practice is the key to unlocking her success as a budding cello player. She first discovered the importance of practice when she enrolled in the Kumon Math Program at the age of nine. Through daily practice and perseverance, she quickly advanced through the program and is currently studying three years above grade level. She was able to apply some of those key skills in her music. “Kumon has taught me patience and resilience,” said Keya. “I apply this same perseverance when I am practicing solo pieces on the cello. If I don’t know how a melody is supposed to sound l, I work through it and find that it’s helpful to learn from my mistakes.” Outside of the classroom, Keya enjoys practicing Bharatanatyam (a form of Indian classical dance), writing for the school paper, and swimming. From years of horseback riding, Keya formed a love for animals. Her passion will fuel her future aspirations of becoming a veterinarian. Keya’s hard work and discipline didn’t go unnoticed, as she was one of 55 students selected to attend the 2018 Kumon Student Conference in Calgary, Canada. We had the opportunity to speak to Keya about her Kumon journey. How has Kumon helped you inside of the classroom? Kumon has helped me understand math theories that are far above my grade level. I owe many of my academic achievements to Kumon. My peers often come to me for help with their homework, and I’ve joined advanced math clubs in school. What is the most beneficial thing you’ve learned in Kumon? Aside from all the advanced math concepts I have learned through Kumon, the most beneficial thing I’ve learned is to believe in myself. I never get upset when I don’t understand a new concept right away, because I know that with practice and guidance, I will master it. If you could sum up your Kumon experience in one word, what would it be? Inspiring. What do you enjoy most about Kumon? What I enjoy most about Kumon are the challenges it presents. If it wasn’t for Kumon, I truly believe I would not be working on advanced math concepts. My Instructor Mrs. Nakanishi really makes my experience at Kumon enjoyable. Her goal is to help all her students realize their full potential. What did it mean to you attending the Student Conference? Attending the Student Conference was such a spectacular experience! I was humbled by this opportunity, and loved hearing the student speakers’ many accomplishments. I really enjoyed the conference and am so grateful to be a part of it! What advice do you have for other Kumon Students? You will feel so prepared when you’ve already worked through math concepts in Kumon before learning them in school! Discover even more student success stories. You might also be interested in: Increased Confidence has Inspired this Young Girl to Take on any Challenge Young Pianist Proves Practice Makes Perfect Passion and Dedication are the Key to this Young Computer Coders Success SUCCESS IN KUMON INSPIRED THIS YOUNG STUDENT TO EXCEL IN THE POOL Practice is the Key to this Young Cello Players Success Practice is the Key to this Young Cello Players Success Keya, 11-years-old, Math Level K “Mastering music is more than learning technical skills. Practicing is about quality, not quantity. Some days I practice for hours; other days it will be just a few minutes.” â€" Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is considered one of today’s most recognized classical musicians. A testament to his ability as a cello player, Ma has recorded over 90 albums and  is a 19-time Grammy Award Winner. Long before the awards and world-renowned performances, Ma was often referred to as a “child prodigy” â€" a title that has been given to classical music legends like Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn. Ma began playing the cello at the age of four and recalls integrating a daily routine of rigorous practice early on. It’s no wonder he had memorized three of Johann Sebastian Bachs solo suites by the time he was five. Today, he attributes his success and fame to practice and perseverance through rigorous study. Taking a page out of Ma’s book, 11-year-old Keya has discovered that practice is the key to unlocking her success as a budding cello player. She first discovered the importance of practice when she enrolled in the Kumon Math Program at the age of nine. Through daily practice and perseverance, she quickly advanced through the program and is currently studying three years above grade level. She was able to apply some of those key skills in her music. “Kumon has taught me patience and resilience,” said Keya. “I apply this same perseverance when I am practicing solo pieces on the cello. If I don’t know how a melody is supposed to sound l, I work through it and find that it’s helpful to learn from my mistakes.” Outside of the classroom, Keya enjoys practicing Bharatanatyam (a form of Indian classical dance), writing for the school paper, and swimming. From years of horseback riding, Keya formed a love for animals. Her passion will fuel her future aspirations of becoming a veterinarian. Keya’s hard work and discipline didn’t go unnoticed, as she was one of 55 students selected to attend the 2018 Kumon Student Conference in Calgary, Canada. We had the opportunity to speak to Keya about her Kumon journey. How has Kumon helped you inside of the classroom? Kumon has helped me understand math theories that are far above my grade level. I owe many of my academic achievements to Kumon. My peers often come to me for help with their homework, and I’ve joined advanced math clubs in school. What is the most beneficial thing you’ve learned in Kumon? Aside from all the advanced math concepts I have learned through Kumon, the most beneficial thing I’ve learned is to believe in myself. I never get upset when I don’t understand a new concept right away, because I know that with practice and guidance, I will master it. If you could sum up your Kumon experience in one word, what would it be? Inspiring. What do you enjoy most about Kumon? What I enjoy most about Kumon are the challenges it presents. If it wasn’t for Kumon, I truly believe I would not be working on advanced math concepts. My Instructor Mrs. Nakanishi really makes my experience at Kumon enjoyable. Her goal is to help all her students realize their full potential. What did it mean to you attending the Student Conference? Attending the Student Conference was such a spectacular experience! I was humbled by this opportunity, and loved hearing the student speakers’ many accomplishments. I really enjoyed the conference and am so grateful to be a part of it! What advice do you have for other Kumon Students? You will feel so prepared when you’ve already worked through math concepts in Kumon before learning them in school! Discover even more student success stories. You might also be interested in: Increased Confidence has Inspired this Young Girl to Take on any Challenge Young Pianist Proves Practice Makes Perfect Passion and Dedication are the Key to this Young Computer Coders Success SUCCESS IN KUMON INSPIRED THIS YOUNG STUDENT TO EXCEL IN THE POOL

Educational games are they useful or not - ALOHA Mind Math

Educational games are they useful or not Most school going kids today are absorbed into the current media rich, universe, popularly known as the, “always connected” world. As Bill Gates (2005) noted in his address at the National Educational Summit on High Schools, “Training the workforce of tomorrow with the high schools of today is like trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50-year-old mainframe. It’s the wrong tool for the times.” Do you think of a need to reform the educational system which could effectively prepare students for a much more technology driven, interconnected and competitive “flat world”? Will educational games act as values addition or not to achieve this? Are these games worthwhile to play, or are they are just a waste of time for your children? Well, I think game-based learning helps to teach children important skills for future jobs such as collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. Games provide a practice for students to create solutions and understanding for the very real challenges and risks in a world and most importantly it is always easy to understand and reproduce concepts when learnt with a fun aspectattachedto it.In todays technological era there are certain computer-based games that can boost the working memory capacity which is a basic ingredient of intelligence and academic success. Wait benefits do not end here have you heardabout the video games which encourage kids to be helpful and friendly? Educational games can take on innumerable forms to accommodate childrens learning styles, It is very important for you to keep in mind the way your kids learn while you choose an educational software or game for them to use or play. I would suggest you to choose games like JumpStart,Elementary Advantage 2011, and Schooltown that will appeal to your kids and reinforce the things theyre learning in school too. Here are few interesting online games I came across: Whyville is a virtual world featuring games and activities for kids aged 8-14. The game teaches academic subjects like art history, civics, economics and ocean science. Free educational video games at the NASA website. These games there are mostly quick, casual games of logic, memory, or math. Nobel prize organizations free educational video games. Games include “The Diabetic Dog Game” (which teaches kids about caring for someone with diabetes) and “Lord of the Flies” based on the novel by William Golding. I have had fun playing few of these educational games, so why wont your Kids. Share with us any such game that you think have some commendable educational benefits.

John Warnken and teaching English online to schools in Indonesia

John Warnken and teaching English online to schools in Indonesia John Warnken It is amazing the things that can happen when people get connected online. John Warnken (italki profile, facebook profile) was teaching US senior citizens in Arkansas how to use the internet, when he found italki. He found that connecting people through italki and Skype was a popular activity for the seniors he was working with. However, one person John met on italki was Endang Palupi, a school teacher from Pekalongan, Indonesia. She asked John if he would be interested in volunteering to teach some basic English to high school students. John began teaching classes through Skype, and since then, John has become a celebrity in Pekalongan. Hes been featured in the local newspaper, and hes been introduced to the mayor of Pekalongan. He even gave a graduation address (through Skype) to the high school. Hes written up his own story on the Oprah Angels Network.  Hes also posted his story in this italki group. John had a chance to be on a Central Java radio station, and he invited me to join him on the show. During the show, the mayor phoned in, as well as the local school superintendent. A number of students also went to the studio to talk on the air with John. Unfortunately, at the moment when I was supposed to introduce myself, and talk about how the internet could be used to help people learn languages I ran into some technical difficulties with Skype. The irony was not lost on me. You can listen this segment of the radio interview here: (I believe I said a number of things, but) Nevertheless, it was inspiring to hear how much this town appreciated Johns help in teaching English through Skype. John also let me know that the station has been receiving hundreds of texts and phone calls since the radio show aired. The station may make a talk with John a weekly program. Here are pictures of the radio show in Pekalongan. If you know of other stories about how you have used italki to help people (or have been helped), please let us know at feedback at italki dot com. If youre interested in helping John with teaching English classes through Skype in other countries, you can contact him through italki (John Warnken) or post on his group discussion. Were excited to see how projects like this develop. Kevin and the italki team

Understanding Chemistry - A Short Description

Understanding Chemistry - A Short DescriptionThe term 'chemistry matter' is a term used in the physics field to refer to the collective behavior of any two types of substances that interact with each other in a chemical manner. This matter is used when describing the basic element of chemistry and it was first used by Isaac Newton in the 1600's. He used the term as a tool to explain his experiments on gases and liquids, which involved the observation of what happens when particles of different sizes collide with each other.The same concept is used today in the study of physical and chemical reactions. The substance that is most often described as 'chemistry matter' is water. Water molecules are very small in size and many of them simply float on top of the water as the liquid floats on the top of the sea. These tiny particles of water molecules are called covalent bonds.A covalent bond is formed between a hydrogen atom and a proton, which are composed of two protons and two neutrons. The bonds that are formed between two atoms of water have a negative charge which holds them together.If you look at a molecule of water and a molecule of air under a microscope, you will see that the covalent bonds are much smaller than the actual molecules. This makes the water molecule look more like a bead in the water while the larger molecules of air look more like tiny balls. The bonds which hold the water molecules together are very weak and it is not possible for a force to be formed between the covalent bonds of water and the covalent bonds of air.It takes a strong force like that created by gravity to break the bonds. The strong force that forms between the water molecules is known as a potential energy and it forms when the water molecules are in motion. When a covalent bond forms between the water molecules, the water and air molecules are allowed to move around freely.The chemistry of water and the air molecules and the water molecules interacting with each other form s the fundamental law of nature. That is why a good understanding of chemistry is essential to any serious student of physics. Most people learn about the law of attraction through a syllabus, which outlines its relationship to physics.Being able to read a textbook is not a good enough answer to a good understanding of a subject such as physics, as we have to be able to comprehend it using nice mathematics. Chemists are trained in mathematics, which helps them to be able to understand more complicated concepts.