fbpx
Home Blog Page 1152

Skills for The Future

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Skills for The Future

The Future of Skills. I’m sure you have heard this phrase. It’s everywhere. Some sites provide the answer to the question – “What are the skills of the future?” Yet, that shouldn’t be the question.

What should be the first question – “What do skills of the future mean?” “How does it apply to those individuals who are in working in Corporate?” “How will it apply to those in education, or farming or with blue-collar jobs?”

Those are the questions, that everyone seems to be avoiding. And it is a shame, because not everyone works in the corporate sector. The World Economic Forum’s job forecast focused only on Business. Not farming. Nor education. Nor any other sector that isn’t business (i.e. corporate).

In the blog, I will refer to corporate to include for-profit, non-profit, and associations.

What is the impact of universities and colleges related to training students for the skills of the future?

Perhaps a better way to say this is that if we go by their track record during 2020 with remote learning (edtech’s term, not mine), I’d say pretty dismal. Universities and colleges should be embarrassed, for how they decided that students away from the physical location should learn. If anyone set back the e-learning industry for EdTech, it was the sector itself – universities and colleges (yes there were exceptions, but there was far more griping about how awful e-learning is, then love).

Instead of boring everyone with Zoom or web conferencing calls, they could have done any of the following

  • Created asynchronous-based courses, allowing students to bounce around and focus on areas of interest and knowledge – tapping into developing skills and building them, by having real-life scenarios within the course, each chapter actually.
  • Tapping into gaming thru skill-building and applying those skills to other content items they would have access to online. We aren’t talking about people buying a $50 latest greatest, a simple fun game could have been created or found on the net.
  • Project-based, project-driven tying into the skills for that subject matter and application. If online – a virtual lab, or virtual camp, if offline – way many options.
  • Leveraging social that the kids are using today, with the creation of videos on Tik Tok for example, around a specific skill for them to learn tied to the subject. I mean, what is the training one people often do at the beginning of so many sessions – how do you make a peanut butter sandwich? It requires you to use a variety of skills, from formulation to process to implementation. Remember it is step by step, critical thinking exercise. Hello, business skill.

Part of the blame has to be on the learning systems focused only on the edtech market, because I couldn’t find one that had skills functionality like a skills library tied to various learning subjects. The ones who have a skills library capability, and again even then it wasn’t universal, played in corporate too.

This is WHY

Corporate will have to be the ones who identify, build, develop the skills of folks entering the workforce, because it won’t come the way of universities or colleges, not those who offer at least 50% of the programs 100% online for a degree (you never have to be in a physical classroom), nor those whereas students attend a physical classroom setting. Sure it depends on the subject, I mean Journalism usually involves learning skills from reporting, to typing, to ledes etc. Compared to say Philosophy. But why couldn’t you take a subject like philosophy and tap it into a business or non-business setting, and allow the student to explore what are the measures to resolve XYZ from a philosophical or ethical standpoint?

I digress.

The point is that, you, the head of L&D or you, the head of Training or even you, the head of sales or HR or product or whoever is going to the main person responsible for providing the skills for these folks. Life skills. Technical skills (if applicable). Professional development skills and so forth. Soft skills is just one part, that everyone knows, but even some basic skills that you will think they will acquire in their schooling, may come at a bummer to you, that they haven’t.

Today, kids are using technology everywhere. Great, you think. But then consider what is taking place in Japan, where young people (college, 20s) are hiring people to help them on dates. Now, this doesn’t mean the three is crowd here, rather they hire dating experts to help with having a conversation – communicating, listening to another person on a date, without looking at their mobile device.

That – the art of communication, listening, eye contact is going by the wayside and it, as in as a life skill, isn’t something normally offered in a non-corporate, let alone corporate setting – because it goes beyond customer service or communicating with your team type of stuff.

Listening is a crucial skill and will be in our new world, post COVID-19 (granted it will still be around).

Corporate World Skills of the Future

Every where I look, I see technical skills. Technology skills. Skills to be a data scientist. Skills to be something with technology and so on. What they forget is that not everyone is going to be a data scientist. Not everyone is going to be using Python or other programming languages. Not everyone really needs to know how AI or machine learning or deep learning works.

And yet, there is this overwhelming push towards technology skills.

The skills that people need in 2022 (I won’t go past that, because if we have learned anything, is that anything can happen and disrupt), will be the following in the corporate side

  • Communication, Writing and team work with a remote workforce

The majority of white-collar workers are not going to return to the office. Traditional companies such as Ford, have stated that they only need to be there two or three days a week. My vibe is that it will be dependent on what they are working on. Target has cut back on office space in their downtown Minneapolis HQ and followed the same two or three-day thing. And there is many more following suit. Just as there are plenty who have realized that their workers never have to come into the office.

There will be exceptions, of course, Facebook, for example, has stated they want their workers back in the office, but overall, the more common will be remote.

Communicating with someone remote thru Teams, Slack and other SaaS solutions/apps requires finesse. They can’t see you, thus tone becomes critical. It is easy to misinterpret something because you are thinking in one tone when they could be writing in another.

Grammar becomes relevant again. Effective writing too. Any verbal communication will likely come via one of these apps or thru Zoom or similar, which thus requires skills around the team, building rapport, eye contact, facial expressions, and so on. When people see others looking at a mobile device, they will think they are not paying attention, and yet that person might be typing what is being said.

  • Microsoft Office 365 Skills – People are working from home, they are using their own computers, and thus their own products. If they are a Mac User they may not be using Office 365, so uh, get ready to buy – for them (if they are not). Word 365, PowerPoint 365, Excel 365 become everyday tools in the remote workforce. Outlook 365 or Gmail too. Yet there are plenty of 3rd party content providers who lack Gmail training for example. The skills to acquire here go beyond how to open a file. I attended a presentation the other day, whereas they couldn’t figure out how to go to presentation mode for the PPT, resulting in a few minutes of watching them on-screen move around the mouse in PowerPoint to figure it out. And these were well-educated, professionals, one of which, had technical skills.
  • Internet SaaS solutions – Again tapping into the remote workforce angle, you are going to have more and more people leveraging SaaS solutions/apps than before (such as web conferencing solutions), especially if in your workplace, you block the internet or block social. Well, hello -those days are gone.

People ignore the social media site, but you should seriously look at getting content on communication tied around social. This is because there continue to be mishaps on social media with workers who say something or do something and now everyone sees it. Even if they say “these are my own views”, it won’t matter if the comment is offensive or disgusting in some fashion – the complaints will be coming to you – the company, the business, and so forth.

Technical tied to apps like Teams, Slack, and soon others to follow – Too many tech skill sites focus on programming language, coding, or algorithms – great if you are into that, but since the majority of the workforce isn’t – well, it isn’t relevant. What are the technical solutions they are using daily – those are the skills you want them to learn.

  • Critical thinking, reasoning, complex problem solving, situational problem-solving skills will be as important as technology skills.

Not everyone is going to need to know how Mr. Roboto is going to work, learning robotics, especially if Mr. Roboto eventually replaces the human worker.

  • Skills tied to the job role are obvious, but push past that and tie in skills that tap into the person themselves. Which means life skills, sometimes noted as personal skills. Time management is a skill. Identifying stress and the ways to resolve that or at least relax is a skill. Maybe you decide to offer the skill of mediation to your employees. No one is forced to take it, but there will be those who do. Well-being becomes a critical part of the day-to-day corporate experience.
  • Understanding the impact of new technology – This is not the same thing as learning a technical skill like AI. Rather it is acquiring skills to adapt to the ever-changing world, regardless of the business.
  • Foreign Language – I know most people will disagree, but learning a new language (even if it is 10 words) is of great value. Part life skill, part professional development. We are a global village as Marshall McLuhan rightly predicted, back in the ’60s, and not everyone speaks the same language. The fact that millions of people every day are on mobile devices taking a foreign language, should tell you that, uh, it is relevant and of interest. Yet, you hardly find it on a learning system – or even content that a vendor will add to their marketplace.

Upskilling

A wonderful world. Truly, wonderful. But, ummm how does that work exactly, If I am not aware that I need that skill? Upskilling sounds like a word that belongs in the Ivory Tower ( a term meaning academia). Reskilling sounds great too, unless those folks happen to be blue-collar, who have lost their job, then where pray tell are they supposed to get that reskilling? Who is providing that to them? How many of your blue-collar workers at your company, do you offer reskilling to? How many of them do you offer them new skills to acquire beyond their job role? Ask yourself, is upskilling just for a privileged few or is it for everyone at the company – from the executive assistant to the C-suite?

The problem is that upskilling and reskilling are now parts of the lexicon, great if you are one of the folks who are offered that, no so great, if not. And it isn’t a one for all, all for one type of thing either, usually it is one of few.

Safety Skills

If your workers are not going to be working in the office, then these skills can be tweaked, from the office to home – again, life skills around safety. It is a different mindset to be sure, but one that is relevant.

Blue-Collar

Tap into more skills around what you offer to your white-collar workforce. It always amazes me how many companies rely on the plant worker, the maintenace worker, the person in the field for day to day operations, yet fails to offer them any skills that go beyond them doing their job. It is as if, they do not have any aspirations or interest in acquiring skills that are not job related.

Trust me, they are. Critical thinking is very relevant. Decision making? Relevant. New technologies that are coming – relevant. Automation may be relevent to one set of your blue-collar workforce, but not the other.

Listening though is universal. Teamwork? Universal. Problem solving? Relevant. And the list goes on.

Skills tied to Scenarios

To utilize any skill, will require the L&D or Training department, or learning system to incorporate scenarios that can be leveraged to learn and apply these skills. Virtual labs or virtual camps. Digital Scenarios.

Small Business, One person Ops, Consultants, etc.

If you are a small business, or a one person shop, or a consultant, or someone who provides services, the skills you will need for 2022 include

Customer communication – If someone isn’t wearing a mask, and doesn’t want to, what are you going to do about it? Conflict resolution, de-escalation becomes crucial.

Decision making – I’d argue that this is one skill that everyone needs because I see it daily, where folks can’t make a decision without pondering it for a long period of time. There are times you need to make a decision quickly, and in 2022, speed and efficiency will be critical.

How to use solutions such as Venmo? If you haven’t heard of it, trust me you will want to. I use it and it is fantastic. My stylist accepts it, my landscaper uses it, the painters use it, and then friends use it as well. It is gaining a lot of attention (it is owned by PayPal). I now offer it for folks who want to pay for my business services, and who have a Venmo account.

Technical as it pertains to your small business – from how to do payroll, budgeting, accounting 101, to managing a workforce around hiring and retention. Understanding data protection – especially if you are capturing data, is a worthwhile skill.

Bottom Line

The future of skills is not only technical or the usual groupings that you see every year. Professional development will be very relevant and a must need, beyond skills tied around job roles.

The big skill though, the one set of skills, that corporate and thus many are missing is the one that all workers will need help with

Life.

Or as those in Training and L&D will come to know it

Life Skills.

E-Learning 24/7

#LearnActImpact with courses in social justice, climate change, and more

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
#LearnActImpact with courses in social justice, climate change, and more

By Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer at Coursera

Each of us has the ability to create positive change in the world. Even seemingly small gestures can make a big difference. Nevertheless, as new challenges continue to emerge across the globe, we can sometimes feel helpless—unsure of how to make an impact, fix a problem, or make a bad situation better. Learning is a powerful force for good because it helps us understand the challenges we face, overcome feelings of helplessness, and realize we can make a difference—that we can create real solutions. Learning is how we can change and grow, and it’s a critical part of creating a more just and equitable world. 

We are grateful to the Coursera partner community for building new learning opportunities that can help you gain the knowledge and skills you need  to make an impact in your community. With these recently launched courses, you can learn about topics such as diversity, equality, climate change, public health, sustainability, social work, and more. 

Learn about the issues you care about from experts who are leading the way forward. Gain the knowledge and skills to start making your own positive contributions.

Act on the knowledge and skills you gain to challenge the status quo, find innovative new solutions, and drive progress. 

Impact your community and the world around you in positive ways. Join inspiring movements and organizations, lead new initiatives, and help create a safer and more inclusive world for all. 

You can always find the most recent social impact courses from Coursera partners in this curated collection.  

With the skills you learn and the knowledge you gain in these courses, you’ll be ready to act and make an impact! Share your impact stories with the global Coursera community using #LearnActImpact on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We can’t wait to see what you learn next!

1

Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time?

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time?

Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

Do you think it is important for children to learn how to tell time on an analog clock?

What about other analog skills that are taught in school? For instance, should all students learn to have clear handwriting — or has typing made that obsolete? Should students be able to spell without spell-check and to add and subtract without a calculator?

Do you think that learning analog skills benefits children? Or are some of those skills becoming outdated as the world changes?

In “Teach Children to Tell Time. (They Could Become Customers.),” Rachel Felder writes about clock lessons and watches for children:

School curriculums may include contemporary skills like computer programming, but many parents — and watch makers — are pleased that a traditional lesson still usually remains: How to tell time on a clock with hands rather than just reading a digital display.

After all, when children learn how to read the hands of a clock, they then could become potential analog watch customers.

Amy Christiansen, the London-based founder of the fragrance line Sana Jardin, said she was pleased that her two sons were taught at school how to tell time by reading a clock’s hands.

“I think it’s a challenging concept to teach so I was relieved they were learning it in school,” she said.

Most schools teach students who are around 6 or 7 how to read an analog clock through classroom instruction and then send work sheets home.

For adults who want to teach children themselves, or reinforce school lessons, there are books, and free resources online. Some YouTube videos, like the musical ones by Jack Hartmann, intentionally look more like lighthearted entertainment than educational content.

And there is “R is for Rolex: ABCs for the Future Watch Collectors,” a board book by Diaper Book Club in which A, for example, is accompanied by an illustration of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. (Fortunately for impressionable toddlers and their doting parents and grandparents, prices are not included.)

Ms. Felder also discusses the debate over smartwatches for children:

Just like the tug of war in the adult watch market between traditional Swiss timepieces and smartwatches, there are, along with analog options, connected wristwatches and fitness trackers for children — mostly simplified, less expensive takes on typical grown-up versions and aimed at older children.

… For some parents, having their children switch from a basic watch to a connected timepiece isn’t easy.

“I was saddened because it was a move away from something traditional that seemed old fashioned and more wholesome,” said Ms. Christiansen. Her older son, now 13, got an Apple Watch as a gift and later passed it on to his brother, now 9, in favor of a vintage Casio digital piece. (They both had been about 7 when they were taught to tell analog time at Garden House School, near their home in London’s Chelsea neighborhood.)

“As a parent, you’re always trying to swat them away from a screen,” she said. “When it’s on their wrist, it’s even harder to keep them focused.”

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

  • Should all children learn to tell time on an analog clock? Why or why not?

  • How did you learn to tell time? Do you think that learning to read an analog watch face helps children visualize the concept of time? Do you think you would understand time differently if you had learned to read only digital devices?

  • How do you check the time? Do you wear a watch? If so, is it analog or digital? If not, what device do you usually use?

  • Do you think it is important to learn analog skills like telling time in school? What other analog skills do you think children today should learn? Why?

  • Do you think any of the skills you’re learning in school are outdated? Are there digital skills you wish you’d been taught, or taught better? Which and why?

  • How do you feel about smartwatches and fitness trackers? Would having a screen on your wrist make you feel more connected, more distracted or both? In your opinion, what age is too young for a smartwatch?

About Student Opinion

• Find all of our Student Opinion questions in this column.
• Have an idea for a Student Opinion question? Tell us about it.
• Learn more about how to use our free daily writing prompts for remote learning.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, 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.

Word of the Day: replete

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Word of the Day: replete

1. deeply filled or permeated (followed by with)

2. filled to satisfaction with food or drink

3. complete

_________

The word replete has appeared in 114 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 14 in “Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé’s daughter, wins her first Grammy.” by Julia Jacobs:

At only 9 years old, Beyoncé’s oldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, is already starting to follow in her parents’ footsteps, winning her first Grammy for her role in the music video for “Brown Skin Girl.”

“Brown Skin Girl,” a celebratory anthem filled with familiar faces — including Lupita Nyong’o and Kelly Rowland — is replete with imagery of loving relationships between Black women: mothers and daughters, sisters, friends. Blue Ivy appears at the beginning, with a shot of her playing a hand clapping game with her mother. She later appears all dolled up like a debutante, wearing a string of pearls and white gloves.

Can you correctly use the word replete 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 replete can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try using multiple Words of the Day in a 50-word story that you submit to our Monthly Vocabulary Challenge.

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.

The Word of the Day has been provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

‘Justice for Daunte Wright’

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
‘Justice for Daunte Wright’

Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

What do you think this image is saying? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message?

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article — or this summary — to learn more.

About Picture Prompts

• Find all our Picture Prompts in this column.
• Have an idea for a Picture Prompt? Tell us about it.
• Teachers, discover more ways to teach with our Picture Prompts and learn how to use our free daily writing prompts for remote learning.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, 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.

The Unbounded University: Education at All Ages

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
The Unbounded University: Education at All Ages

The World Economic Forum predicts that 42% of the core skills within existing jobs on average are expected to change by 2022. Lifelong learning and continuous retraining, delivered through online learning, can help meet these evolving skill demands. Online platforms can be a powerful tool for universities to engage with learners–from alumni and faculty to part-time students–throughout their lives to develop the skills they need to participate in a rapidly evolving workforce. 

In Part III of our latest report, The Unbounded University: Unlocking Opportunities through Online Learning, we uncover how universities can provide lifelong learning opportunities and find ways to engage learners at every age to ensure their skill set remains relevant. Our analysis shows that skills in the data science and technology domains decay faster than any other field of study, with the median half-life of a data science or technology skill about seven years shorter than the half-life of a skill outside of those domains such as business or social sciences.

Empowering faculty through online learning

Universities are using online learning to empower faculty to continue their education. On Coursera, some of the courses with the most faculty enrollments are McMaster University and University of California San Diego’s Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects and UNSW Sydney’s Learning to Teach Online. 

University faculty using the Coursera platform are also engaging with cutting-edge trends and skills within their fields, including business, technology, and data science skills like blockchain, machine learning, and IoT. Gamification has also become a trending skill for faculty on the platform.

Download the full report here for more insights about the Unbounded University and Coursera for Campus, including deeper analysis of the half life of specific skills across the business, technology, and data science domains. 

1

Aprender a pesar de la adversidad

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Aprender a pesar de la adversidad

Nos emociona presentarles a Johan Stiven Muños Jimenez. Un Ingeniero Industrial que recibió su título universitario dos semanas antes de que empezara la cuarentena estricta en Colombia por el COVID-19. A pesar de la cuarentena y el aislamiento, Johan completó más de 73 cursos en menos de tres meses. En la historia que nos comparte, nos describe cómo a través de Coursera ha tenido la oportunidad de apoyar su crecimiento personal y profesional con acceso a universidades y empresas de clase mundial. 

Mi nombre es Johan Stiven Muñoz Jimenez. Soy de Medellín, Colombia y recientemente me gradué como ingeniero industrial. Dos semanas después de recibir mi título como ingeniero, se estableció una estricta cuarentena en Colombia, lo que complicó mi búsqueda de trabajo y el hecho de que pudiera empezar mi carrera en el mundo laboral. Sin embargo, decidí que este podría ser el momento perfecto para desarrollar nuevas habilidades, así que empecé a ver videos en Youtube, a acceder a bibliotecas virtuales y frecuentar otros sitios web educativos. 

Un día mientras veía televisión nacional, me enteré de la alianza entre Coursera y la alcaldía de Medellín. Inmediatamente me inscribí y unos días después me convertí en un beneficiario de esta alianza. Desde entonces he estado aprendiendo de las mejores universidades del mundo desde la comodidad de mi casa. 

Al principio, quería completar uno o dos cursos pero con el tiempo estudiar en Coursera se volvió mi hobby. Hoy he completado más de 73 cursos en menos de tres meses. He aprendido sobre negocios, habilidades gerenciales, Lean Six Sigma, cadenas logísticas de abastecimiento, entre otros. Mi prioridad fue encontrar cursos que me gustaran a nivel personal pero donde también veía oportunidad en el área profesional. 

Para ser honesto, al principio era un poco escéptico sobre el aprendizaje en línea. Pensaba que si el aprendizaje presencial tenía sus dificultades, aprender en línea sería aún más difícil. Por eso me sorprendió cuando comencé mi primer curso en Coursera: descubrí que podía aprender a mi propio ritmo, repetir o rebobinar videos tanto como quisiera, y pude aclarar dudas y obtener retroalimentación de otros estudiantes y profesores. Nunca imaginé que podría completar tantos cursos durante el período de cuarentena. 

En general, mi experiencia de aprendizaje en Coursera ha sido muy emocionante. Para mí, ver cada video es como ver un episodio de un programa de televisión. Cada curso enseña un tema, herramienta o metodología diferente que se puede aplicar fácilmente en la vida diaria. Cada vez que termino una tarea siento curiosidad por lo que encontraré en la próxima lección. También encontré un espacio seguro en los foros disponibles para cada curso; una herramienta positiva donde los estudiantes pueden compartir sus dudas u opiniones sin ser juzgados. Esto definitivamente promueve un ambiente de aprendizaje acogedor. 

Coursera me ha dado la oportunidad de llenar algunos vacíos académicos, de explorar nuevas áreas de conocimiento con las mejores universidades del mundo, y de desarrollar nuevas habilidades que espero usar en un futuro cercano. 

Con toda esta información y conocimiento, espero retribuir a mi comunidad y ayudar a mis familiares y amigos a alcanzar sus metas. A mis padres les debo lo que soy hoy y planeo usar mis nuevas habilidades para ayudarlos a conseguir un trabajo estable. Mi objetivo personal es trabajar en la Alcaldía de Medellín para facilitar proyectos que brinden oportunidades para que personas como yo estudien y crezcan personal y profesionalmente. 

En resumen: aprovechen al máximo este mundo digital en el que vivimos. Aprovechen la oportunidad de descubrir y aprender toda la información que esté disponible para ustedes, encuentren formas de fortalecer sus talentos y no tengan miedo de pedir ayuda. Nunca se rindan, especialmente ante la adversidad. Y no se comparen con los demás: la belleza del mundo es que todos somos diferentes y cada uno de nosotros puede contribuir a que sea un lugar mejor. 

Conquista la incertidumbre: no compares tu progreso con el progreso de los demás porque cada mente es un universo diferente. 

Los invito a todos a que le den una oportunidad a Coursera. Aprendan de las mejores universidades del mundo con profesores altamente calificados. Esto realmente puede ayudarlos a lograr sus objetivos personales y profesionales. 

 

Color Love | Turquoise & Charcoal

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Color Love | Turquoise & Charcoal

I love this modern industrial kitchen with its neutral palette and pops of turquoise. This vibrant turquoise & charcoal color palette really packs a punch and adds a dynamic feeling to any room or blog design. If you are tired of all the pink and pastel looks then you should try this palette.

Turquoise & Charcoal Color Palette

Below I have created for you a simple mood board featuring today’s color combination. It is in perfect Pinterest format, so feel free to pin it for later. I love how pink flowers look in front of the clear blue sky.

Turquoise & Charcoal Color Palette

These colors also make for a stunning blog design.

Below you will find a sample of turquoise designs from our WordPress Theme shop.

Jennifer WordPress Theme

See our collection of other gorgeous color palettes by visiting our color palette section.

What do you think about our light turquoise & charcoal color palette? Do you like this combination? Where would you use it? We would love to hear your thoughts, so make sure to share them in the comments below.

Lastly, learn about the power of color in blog design in our blog post to see how important colors are in all the projects you create.

Lesson of the Day: ‘Art Without Borders’

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Lesson of the Day: ‘Art Without Borders’

6. The essay ends with a call to action — a call to art — in the midst of a pandemic that has depleted America’s artists and art institutions, and other challenges our country faces:

We need art that shakes us and we need lots of it — not just in major cities, but also in rural America, in suburbs, on the brick walls of police precinct houses. We need art as commentary — not the safe, sterile kind — art to counteract deception, art that reminds us that even when things seem beyond fixing, they are not beyond describing.

Do you agree? Should art engage with the challenges of the moment — the pandemic, the border and struggles for racial justice? Should it uplift and shake us? What can art and murals say about the moment we are living through that prose alone cannot? What role does art play in your everyday life? What role should it have?

7. Media Literacy. This piece is an Opinion essay, not a news article. In the Opinion section, writers share their opinions in their own voices. How can you tell this is an Opinion piece rather than a news article simply reporting facts?

Option 1: Analyze a mural.

Look back over the murals featured in the article: Which stands out or affects you most?

Using vivid and detailed sensory language, analyze and interpret one of the murals — drawing the viewer into its artistry and details, its deeper meanings and messages.

To help you formulate your analysis, you might use these three questions modified from our What’s Going On in This Picture? feature:

Then dig a little deeper:

  • What do you notice about the people, places, images and symbols in the mural?

  • Why did this artwork stand out to you? What do you find eye-catching, provocative, surprising or moving about it?

  • What connections can you make between the artwork and your life or experience? Does this mural remind you of anything else you’ve seen or read?

  • What do you think is the purpose of this artwork? What do you think the artist wanted to communicate?

  • What questions would you ask the muralist if you could?

You can write your analysis and interpretation as a short essay, or consider a creative presentation application like Google Slides, Thinglink or Prezi to help you focus your audience’s attention on visual details of the mural you find most significant, the way the article allows Ms. Spechler to zoom in on details a casual observer might miss.

Option 2: Learn more about muralists.

“That century-old Mexican tradition of telling stories on public walls, which arguably goes back much further, to Aztec cave paintings, continues to thrive in El Paso,” Ms. Spechler writes.

What aspects of mural art and artists would you like to learn more about? Choose one mural artist, a mural movement or period to explore, and then share what you learned with your class.

Word of the Day: gnarled

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Word of the Day: gnarled

: covered with knobs or knots, especially to describe trees, roots or wood

_________

The word gnarled has appeared in 32 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 2 in “The Social Life of Forests” by Ferris Jabr:

In the summer of 2019, I met Simard in Nelson, a small mountain town not far from where she grew up in southern British Columbia. One morning we drove up a winding road to an old-growth forest and began to hike. The first thing I noticed was the aroma. The air was piquant and subtly sweet, like orange peel and cloves. Above our heads, great green plumes filtered the sunlight, which splashed generously onto the forest floor in some places and merely speckled it in others. Gnarled roots laced the trail beneath our feet, diving in and out of the soil like sea serpents. I was so preoccupied with my own experience of the forest that it did not even occur to me to consider how the forest might be experiencing us — until Simard brought it up.

Can you correctly use the word gnarled 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 gnarled can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try using multiple Words of the Day in a 50-word story that you submit to our Monthly Vocabulary Challenge.

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.

The Word of the Day has been provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

1...1,1511,1521,153...1,529Page 1,152 of 1,529

Recent Posts