There is a lot more to Alison than online learning. From career guidance to mental wellness and now the opportunity to earn while you learn as an Affiliate with The Alison Affiliate Programme. When you sign up as an Alison Affiliate, you have the opportunity to earn money for every new learner you introduce to Alison. We firmly believe that free education is everyone’s right and the AlisonAffiliate Programme is another way to spread and encourage this message. By joining the Affiliate Programme, not only do you empower yourself while generating an income, but you can also empower the people in your community, workplace, and all over the world. With the power of the internet, the world has never been more interconnected, allowing you to reach not just your local community, but a wider global network, and at Alison, we will provide you with tools to grow your network. You can encourage people all over the world to take advantage of Alison’s free learning and tools, from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and everywhere in between. The world is your oyster!
How To Earn While You Learn
The basics of how the programme works are; every time you bring a new learner to Alison, we recognise and attribute this new sign-up to you and your efforts. You will receive 20% of the revenue generated by these new learners, which gets tracked on your Affiliate Dashboard. Your money accumulates, and once your earnings have reached100 Euro, you get paid. So, just bring in new learners and earn money!Pretty straightforward, right?
You can track your progress on your Affiliatedashboard. The dashboard allows you to see how many enrollments you have brought in, thenumber of courses the new learners have completed, certificates purchased and much more. The more they do, the more you earn.
Simply head over to the Affiliates page, click onApply To Become An Alison Affiliate, and away you go! After you have registered, Alison will supply you with a unique UTM link that you can share through your social media profiles, email and any other online channels you have access to.
Even better, we have a Global Share button coming soon to make things even more accessible. This button means you will be able to directly share any Alison page with no added steps.
How do I get paid? Well, the Affiliate Programme currently pays out via PayPal, with more payment options on the way very soon. However, you don’t have to wait, you can join now and choose your preferred payment option later, your earnings will still accumulate in your Affiliate dashboard.
Why become an Alison Affiliate
Quick and Free to Join
Join for free in under a minute. There is no application form, so you can start sharing and earning immediately. Its fun, its easy, and you can even learn in the process.
Earn Money as You Gain Experience
The more learners you bring in, the more money you earn, its that simple. Fancy yourself as a marketing whizz? Show off and hone those skills by bringing in as many people as possible. In the meantime, brush up with a few marketing courses yourself.
Paid Business Referrals
When you refer a Paid Business Customer to Alison, we still pay out 20%of the revenue generated. The upside of you convincing a business to use ourAlison Business offering, you could increase your monthly income substantially! After all,businesses generate a lot of income.
Game On!
Attractions coming soon to the Affiliate programme; we are making it evenmore interactive and fun. Each time one of your new users completes an action like signing up, enrolling in and completing a course or purchasing a Certificate, you will get points. There will be badges unlock as you build up points, you will be able to see your progress and compete against others to get top of the affiliateleaderboard.
We’ll Help You
We’ll provide you with a marketing toolkit with everything you need to help you spread the word about the joys and benefits of online learning and all of the other services we have to offer at Alison. If you want to explore the Affiliate Programme even more,there are free weeklyWebinars that you can join and have all your questions answered.
What Makes You a Great Affiliate
Here’s why we think you’ll make a fantastic addition to the Alison Affiliate community:
You Enjoy Learning at Alison
When you enjoy learning through Alison and see the positive results, you want to show it off to as many people as possible. It’s time to spread the love!
You’re Active on Social Media
These days, nothing happens without social media, but you already know that. Maybeyou’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and many more. You now have the skills to use social media to your advantage so you can earn while you learn.
You Love to Help Others
You’ll be using your Affiliate links to help individuals change their lives, but you can take it a step further and use it to benefit an entire group of people. For example: if your organisation or community has one hundred members all introducing new learners to Alison, the revenue they could generate together could significantly benefit the group as a whole.
So what are you waiting for? Become an Alison Affiliate now!
Don’t forget to mention us on social media when you do, we’d love to see your posts.
1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:
2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)
3. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
Each Monday, our collaborator, Visual Thinking Strategies, will facilitate a discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time by paraphrasing comments and linking to responses to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.
4. On Thursday afternoons, we will reveal at the bottom of this post more information about the photo. How does reading the caption and learning its back story help you see the image differently?
The Reveal
We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!
Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
There’s a lot to consider when you’re trying to figure out the next step in your career, especially when that next step is a career change. Are you looking for a different work-life balance? Are you looking for an industry with better job growth? Or maybe you’re ready to switch from an in-person work environment to a fully remote one.
Whatever the reasons, navigating a career change can be equal parts exciting and nerve-racking, and it can also be a big time commitment. So if you’re going to put in all this time and effort, you obviously want it to pay off in the form of a job you’re happy with. And, sure, sometimes you can’t predict how it’ll all work out, but there are some clues that can help you decide if a job is right for you. There are also ways to tell if your past experience lends itself well to a job you’re excited about.
If you’re considering a switch to a new job in tech, here are five in-demand roles in the industry, plus how to catch a hiring manager’s eye as a relative newbie.
But first: What are recruiters looking for from career-switchers?
Danny Roberts, Codecademy’s Senior Technical Recruiter, says he often sees applicants applying for jobs with no relevant past experience, and that sets them up for disappointment. He’s not saying it’s impossible, but it’s extremely difficult and will likely take a long time to make the switch.
This is why it’s important to identify roles that align in some way to your background and/or core interests. Maybe you used a similar piece of technology in a past job, or maybe you’re comfortable working with large datasets, which will be a big part of a new role. The key here is that you should be able to demonstrate to potential employers that you have relevant past experience. To that end, creating a portfolio with relevant projects you’ve built outside of your 9-to-5 is a great way to showcase what you can do.
Here’s another example from Danny: “Let’s say somebody is an analyst in finance who thought they wanted to get into accounting, but they ended up finding it too boring. And they discovered that they get way more excited about data science. For someone like this, it absolutely makes sense for them to make a leap — they have those passions, core interests, and relevant experience, and can come in and hit the ground running and learn as they go.”
Danny also recommends including any hobbies or passions that align with the industry somewhere in your application. Since positions in tech can be extremely competitive, you’ll want to highlight any unique details to help you stand out and ultimately land a job.
1. Machine Learning Engineer
Unsurprisingly, machine learning is a huge deal right now. Businesses in nearly every sector — from agriculture to streaming services to healthcare — are using their data to develop machine learning models to make predictions that’ll impact future business decisions.
As a Machine Learning Engineer, you’ll spend the bulk of your time working with large data sets and identifying patterns to help your company meet its goals. If you’re already working in computer science or another IT field, your exposure to technical thinking and concepts, as well as your math background, will put you ahead of the game as you’re looking to land a job in machine learning.
Also, keep in mind that just because you don’t have a technical background, doesn’t mean machine learning is off limits. For example, let’s say you’ve worked as a buyer and therefore know a lot about consumer buying behavior. You could leverage this expertise and explore entry-level machine learning roles in e-commerce.
Get started
Our course on the Basics of Machine Learning is a great place to start if you’re just beginning your journey in the field of machine learning. Already know Python or have a working knowledge of the language? Then check out our Build Deep Learning Models with TensorFlow Skill Path that’ll introduce you to machine learning technologies and techniques.
A Full-Stack Engineer has a large scope with wide-ranging responsibilities. You’ll need to know how a variety of different front- and back-end applications work, when to use them, and how the user interacts with them.
If you’re already working in web development (maybe you’re a Front-End Engineer or a Back-End Engineer), it would make a lot of sense to take the next step and learn the extra tools and software needed to move into full-stack development. Another career move that would make sense is if you want a more hands-on role in the day-to-day building, but you’ve been working in an adjacent role like DevOps or UX design. In this case, your background knowledge of web development could set you up for a transition to full-stack development (with some training, of course).
Another scenario is if your day job is a non-technical role, but you have solid coding skills — maybe you’ve been building websites as a hobby for years. This background would stand out to a hiring manager and connect the dots for you to move into full-stack development from a non-technical role. Just keep in mind that you might need to take an entry-level role or a role that’s a stepping stone, like Front-End Engineer and Back-End Engineer, before making the leap to Full-Stack Engineer.
Get started
Not sure where to start? Check out our Full-Stack Engineer Career Path, which is beginner-friendly, to learn how to get a web development project done from start to finish. And if you’re considering starting with either the front- or back-end first, check out our Career paths for Front-End Engineer or Back-End Engineer.
Do you own a smartwatch? What about a smart refrigerator? Or are you interested in the technology behind self-driving cars? All of these are examples of IoT (Internet of Things) devices, and they’re part of an industry that’s rapidly growing and primed to shape how we function as a society in the coming years.
But what makes someone a good fit for a role as an IoT Engineer? Well, first off, if you have an engineering degree or you’re already working as an engineer, that makes you a strong candidate. And we’re not just talking about software engineers here. Hardware engineers, especially those with some software skills, can also succeed in this field. Likewise, software engineers who have some hardware background will find that to be an advantage during the job-hunting process.
Two other fields that are linked to IoT are cybersecurity and data science. IoT devices face security vulnerabilities, so cybersecurity experts will find that their background and skills translate well to IoT. And Data Scientists will find that their data analysis and organizing skills will directly relate to the work of an IoT Engineer, because once the IoT products are developed and in use, all the data from these devices need to be analyzed.
Get started
If you’re just starting out, your IoT journey can begin with our Build iOS Apps with SwiftUI Skill Path and Learn JavaScript courses. These classes will get you familiar with the programming languages that many IoT devices use.
The next step is to build your resume and portfolio. Check out our guide on how to write a technical resume. Then, get tips on how to put together a technical portfolio that’ll catch the hiring manager’s eye.
4. Product Manager
Great Product Managers are organized, data-driven, analytical, creative, quantitative, strategic, and communicative. They can be described as the glue holding the team together, and they’re the go-between, liaising for the dev team with sales, marketing, research and development, and upper management.
Product Managers are also responsible for maintaining the timelines of each product, as well as ensuring team members have the resources they need to produce effective solutions. If you’re good at laying out a plan and executing that plan with your team, then you might thrive as a Product Manager.
People from all sorts of backgrounds, both technical and non-technical, can make the transition to a Product Manager. But keep in mind that you may have more success during the job-hunting process if you’re looking for Product Manager roles within the area you’re already working. For example, if you’re currently a designer, you can consider looking for a Product Manager role that oversees design software, or if you’re coming from a Front-End Engineer position, look into Product Manager roles that require a technical background (not all do!).
News of data breaches and hacks has unfortunately become an everyday occurrence, and many companies have decided to get on the offensive by hiring cybersecurity experts. As a cybersecurity professional, your job is to defend an organization’s network, users, and resources. Typical jobs titles for professionals in this field are Cybersecurity Analyst, Cybersecurity Engineer, Security Engineer, Security Administrator, Forensic Computer Analyst, and Chief Information Security Officer.
Hackers are always trying new and innovative ways to steal valuable data or bring whole computer systems down, which means cybersecurity experts need to continuously learn and implement new and better solutions to protect data. In other words, a big part of the job is to always be learning, so if you aren’t a fan of continuous education, this isn’t the right fit for you.
If you’re already fluent in one or more of the programming languages used in cybersecurity, or if you already spend part of your day analyzing software or diagnosing network issues, then you’ll be a solid candidate for a career switch. Also, an understanding of network architecture, operating systems, and software development will give you the technical foundation you’ll need as a company’s cybersecurity expert.
Looking for more career advice, including resume tips and interview prep? Our Career Center is a great resource. You can find code challenges to practice your technical skills before an interview, more tips from tech recruiters, information on how to ace the technical interview, and so much more to help you navigate the job-hunting process.
You’ve probably heard of hardware and software, but did you know that there’s middleware, too?
Always working quietly in the background, middleware is often referred to as “software glue” — and for good reason. Without middleware, it’d be much more difficult for applications to run smoothly together. That’s why any Full-Stack Developer or Back-End Developer should understand middleware, how it works, how it’s used, and the most common types.
What is middleware?
Middleware is a type of software that allows two or more applications to communicate with each other, particularly applications that weren’t initially designed to do so.
You might remember that your operating system (OS) is the software that directly controls your device’s hardware components, such as the processor, memory, storage, battery, and graphics card. This means that when you install a software application on your computer, that software then communicates with your OS so it can indirectly use your computer’s hardware to perform a calculation, playback cat videos, or whatever else it was designed to do.
In other words, whenever an application wants your computer or device to do something, it needs to give your OS instructions on how to do it. That’s great if your software is designed to do just one thing. But most software applications are designed to work with other applications, too.
The complexities of ordering lunch
When you open up an application on your phone to order your next meal, your phone isn’t just displaying images and text. The application uses the internet to find your location before loading data from its database of nearby restaurants and their menus. Then, you’re submitting an online form with your order and processing your payment with a credit card. And if you have a problem with your order, you’ll need to send an email or start a phone call. That’s a lot of different functions.
Now, imagine that you’re in charge of developing this food-ordering app. Your back-end development team might use different industry-standard services for secure payment processing. They may also work with location apps built into your phone to curate options based on location.
They’ll also need a database management tool to work with the company’s servers to store and retrieve data about restaurants. That’s a lot of different applications, and they all need to work together to look like a single app from the user’s point of view.
So, what happens when you need different software applications to talk to each other? Remember that your OS is designed for communicating with hardware, not with other applications. That’s why we need another type of software, or middleware, that does the job.
Without middleware, developers would need to program ways for each application to communicate individually with each other. It’s possible, but it takes a long time, and it’s not efficient.
If each application were a house in a neighborhood, life without middleware would be like building a separate road to reach every other house. So, a neighborhood with six houses would have five different roads leading from each. But why do that when you can just build one street and connect each house to the street with a driveway? That’s exactly what middleware does.
How middleware works
One central role of middleware is to act as a real-time translator between different applications. That’s why a lot of middleware can understand and process several common platform languages like Ruby, C++, Java, and PHP.
But middleware does more than just translate programming languages. It also helps applications communicate with each other by taking the processing power and bandwidth capabilities of different systems into account. This ensures that everything runs smoothly.
Without middleware, there’d be no way to ensure that the output of one application isn’t overwhelming the resources of another application using that output. In other words, middleware ensures that connected applications work as a team.
Types of middleware
There are different types of middleware, each with its own function and advantages. Below are the most common types of middleware.
APIs act a bit like messengers. When one application needs data from another, the API delivers the request to the second application and the results back to the first.
Let’s say you want to plan a trip and need to find cheap flights. You don’t want to look through every airline’s site one by one, so you use a third-party travel site instead and enter your travel dates and destinations. The travel website then works with each airline’s API to request information about available flights — departure times, prices, seats, and so on — and delivers the results back to the travel website so you can view and compare them to other airlines’ results.
What’s important here is that APIs provide data only as needed. The third-party website doesn’t have direct access to the airlines’ databases, which makes APIs more secure and efficient.
Message-oriented middleware (MOM)
Message-oriented middleware (MOM) works similarly to an email system. But instead of helping two people communicate with each other, a MOM lets two applications communicate through asynchronous messages. By “asynchronous,” we mean that messages sent to an application server are queued until the application is ready to process the message.
On the back end, MOM is how different applications can communicate with each other through automated messages about system status as well as output and query results. MOM is also used on the front end for people to communicate with applications through web forms and queries.
Object middleware
Object middleware (AKA an object request broker) takes advantage of the principles of object-oriented programming (OOP). The idea of object-based middleware is to pass objects between different applications that share processes, functions, and datasets, even when they’re run on different computers.
Database middleware
When an application needs to communicate with a database quickly, it needs database middleware. Database middleware can work with local or remote databases. A famous example is SQL-based database software, which lets applications quickly search through large databases and return results that other applications can use to perform additional functions.
Transactional middleware
When developers need to rely on many different application servers to execute a single function or modify data, it can be hard to ensure that all steps are completed and in the correct order. Transactional middleware ensures that each separate application does what it’s supposed to do when new data is entered, stored, updated, or deleted. It also ensures that updates don’t introduce corrupt data or cause problems for any of the application servers involved.
Middleware and app development
Now that you understand what middleware is, how it works, and its common types, you might already have an idea of why developers love working with it.
Like everyone else, developers don’t like having to start from zero if they can help it. Middleware provides a foundation for integrating different applications and software without having to figure out how to get everything connected and working.
Developers already have to work with multiple tools, frameworks, and programming languages. Middleware saves a lot of time and coding by providing a ready-made platform for all of these tools and languages to understand each other.
We’ve talked a lot about middleware in general, but what middleware tools are developers actually using? The most popular middleware tools today include:
Apache Camel: A MOM middleware used to integrate components and share data between them. It also includes features for adding encryption and authentication functionality.
MuleSoft: An open-source tool enabling API connectivity. It also includes Mule Studio, an intuitive development environment, and integrates with tools like Maven and GitHub.
SQL Server: A database middleware known for its security and encryption algorithms — and it’s also helpful when you need to recover lost data.
IBM CICS: A transactional middleware commonly used in the financial, communications, and hospitality industries.
CORBA: A scalable and efficient object middleware used to facilitate communications between an application’s components.
Keep in mind that different companies use different middleware tools depending on their needs and size. For example, Apache Camel is a great tool for small companies working with data that needs to be shared between smaller systems. CICS, on the other hand, is designed for large enterprises and handles billions of transactions per day for banks, airlines, hospitals, and insurance companies.
Middleware can help you as a developer
Understanding middleware can help you along your career path as a developer. Software and tech companies rely on middleware to develop applications more quickly and efficiently. Knowing how middleware works can help you stand out as a promising job candidate.
But development isn’t just about middleware. As you build your knowledge as a new developer, we recommend that you never stop learning to make sure that your skills are always sharp and up to date. You can do this with an online programming course to teach yourself a new programming language or build on your existing programming knowledge with new projects. And if you’re not sure what to learn next, our career paths will help you focus on the skills you need to succeed in your new career.
(1) Roediger III, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological science, 17(3), 249-255.
(2) Karpicke, J. D., & Bauernschmidt, A. (2011). Spaced retrieval: absolute spacing enhances learning regardless of relative spacing. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 37(5), 1250.
(3) McDaniel, M. A., Agarwal, P. K., Huelser, B. J., McDermott, K. B., & Roediger III, H. L. (2011). Test-enhanced learning in a middle school science classroom: the effects of quiz frequency and placement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(2), 399.
(4) Knowles, M. S. (1989). The making of an adult educator: An autobiographical journey. Jossey-Bass.
(5) Karpicke, J. D., Blunt, J. R., & Smith, M. A. (2016). Retrieval-based learning: Positive effects of retrieval practice in elementary school children. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 350.
What do you know or think you know about this image and where it is from? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? What is your opinion of its message?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
This was the kind of concert that tap dancers perform for one another, following the traditional format in which each performer chooses a song and improvises with the band (in this case, the pianist Michael Jellick of Detroit), expressing the dancer’s individual style. On Thursday, the stars took the opportunity to “pass the mic,” as they said, inviting to the stage four younger dancers (plus two surprise guests), all worthy of the attention.
… Elizabeth Burke was the smoothest in the flow of her musical ideas, a real pro. Jared Alexander, the only dancer new to me, impressed with the fecundity of his imagination, at one point incorporating an imaginary jump rope, even if he seemed to get a little lost.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word fecundity in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.
If you want a better idea of how fecundity can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
A bill that aims to restrict Florida public schools from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity has passed both houses of the state’s legislature. It is a part of “a wave of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. crackdowns by conservative politicians,” Maggie Haberman writes, also pointing to the efforts of Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, to classify widely accepted medical treatments for transgender adolescents as “child abuse.”
What do you want the adults enacting this legislation to know about how it affects teenagers? If you were going to speak to your state legislature about anti-L.G.B.T.Q. legislation, what might you say?
Last October, I attended a high school Halloween party. A group of guys from my school surrounded me and shouted homophobic slurs. One even threatened me with physical violence. When I broke down crying in class the next day, my teacher comforted me. She told me that she had gone through something similar when she was my age.
On Tuesday, the Florida Senate approved the Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the Don’t Say Gay bill. The bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he will sign, seeks to ban public schools in the state from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through the third grade, or through the 12th grade in a manner deemed “age-inappropriate” by parents. Had the proposed law been in effect last year, my teacher could have put herself in jeopardy by being there for me.
From an early age I knew I was different. I wasn’t interested in the things other boys my age did, and I didn’t really feel comfortable in the clothes my parents bought me. The struggle for acceptance was not just internal, it also felt as if my classmates didn’t know what to make of me. By fourth grade I was convinced that I was broken. I didn’t know how to defend myself when other kids made hateful comments or bullied me — I didn’t know why I was the way that I was. Without the vocabulary to articulate why I felt and acted like this, I assumed what they said about me was true. For most of the kids in my grade, I was the only kid like me they knew.
My life changed the summer before seventh grade. A girl at an arts summer camp turned to me on the first day and asked, “Are you L.G.B.T.Q.?” She explained what each letter meant and showed me pictures of RuPaul on her phone. It felt as if a weight had been taken off my shoulders. The realization that I wasn’t the only one saved my life. I remember stepping away and calling my best friend at the time: “Max, I think I am gay.”
When I came home from camp, I became fascinated with learning more about queer culture. I read about Georgia Black, a Black trans woman who lived close to where I do now in the early 1900s, and I learned that in pre-Colonial times, more than 150 Indigenous tribes acknowledged third genders in their community and three to five gender roles: female, male, Two Spirit female, Two Spirit male and transgender. I realized how common the experience of falling outside of the gender binary was. As I learned about the history and culture of my community, I grew to understand and love myself. Education made me hate myself less.
Students, read the entire article, then use the questions below to help you think through a message to your own state legislators.
What is your reaction to what activists are calling the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would limit discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools? How do you think this policy could affect students?
Have you followed news about the Florida bill or Mr. Abbott’s directive to report medical treatment for transgender teenagers as “child abuse”?What arguments have you heard either in favor of or against either of these orders? Are any of them compelling to you?
How are gender and sexual identity discussed in your school, if at all? What messages do you think your teachers and administrators have sent to students through the way they approach — or ignore — these topics?
How has your own sexual orientation or gender identity affected your experience as a student? Have you experienced homophobia or transphobia at school, or witnessed it directed at others?
From your experience or observations, how safe is your school for L.G.B.T.Q. students? How, if at all, do you think your school’s curriculum or culture should change in order to be more responsive to L.G.B.T.Q. students?
Once you have thought through these questions, return to the question we began with:
If you were going to speak to lawmakers in your state about anti-L.G.B.T.Q. legislation, what would you say? What might you tell them about how Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill could affect you and other teenagers? If you would like to take a closer look at the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, here is a detailed description.
Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Each Wednesday we shine a spotlight on five student activities that support a broad range of learners. In this week’s roundup of accessible activities, we invite students to learn about cellular chicken, reflect on emotional intelligence, interpret an image with a brick on top of an egg, learn about Palau and try to figure out what’s happening in a photograph.
Note: To learn more about this new weekly feature, read our introductory post. Please share your thoughts in the comments section or by emailing us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
1. Learn how lab-grown chicken is made.
This Lesson of the Day takes students behind the scenes of a lab that makes cellular meat as apotential way to reduce the impact of industrial meat production. Then, they will weigh in on the debate on cellular meat and consider other climate-friendly foods.
2. Reflect on emotional intelligence.
In this Student Opinion, students consider how well they are able to recognize emotions in themselves and in others. They learn about the elements of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and socialization, and they reflect on how they are able to implement those skills in everyday life.
3. React to a photograph.
In thisPicture Prompt, students look at an image of a brick on an egg and share what they think the image is saying and how it might comment on society or current events. They can share all of their thoughts — including how they personally relate to the image — in the comments section.
4. Learn about Palau.
In this Country of the Week, students take a quiz to learn about an island nation known for its wildlife and efforts to protect coral reefs. They can read an additional article about Palau or take another geography quiz.
5. Make observations about a photograph.
In this What’s Going On in This Picture, students look at an image from The Times and make observations and guesses about what might be taking place. They can share their comments in the comments section and read what other students, and comment moderators, said about the photograph.
Do you enjoy spending time outdoors? Are you fascinated by the natural world?
Have you ever seen something in nature that made you say “wow”? Perhaps a stunning sunset, a weird creature, an amazing rock formation or an extreme weather event?
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What is the coolest or most memorable thing you have seen in nature? Where did you see it? What effect did it have on you?
Where have you seen especially interesting or beautiful natural wonders? In your travels? In your own backyard? At zoos or aquariums?
Crowds often gather to view Yosemite’s “firefall.” Do you prefer to spend time alone outdoors or share the experience with others? Why?
What other marvels, like the “firefall,” would you like to see someday?
Why are people so fascinated by the natural world? What about it excites or delights you, if anything?
Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
