fbpx
Home Blog Page 1189

The Winners of Our 2nd Annual Personal Narrative Contest

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
The Winners of Our 2nd Annual Personal Narrative Contest

That day, a boy told me he liked my hair.

I immediately understood this boy to be The One. He flirted with me more than he flirted with other girls, and sometimes even looked at me while I spoke. I wrote him love letters in the form of homework questions that could easily have been answered by any sentient rock, and my affections were reciprocated in late night Snapchats of his forehead, or, if he was being particularly bold, his forehead and one eye. Our playful back-and-forth persisted in this manner and maybe even developed into a friendship. Ultimately, I learned that if you ruin your sleep schedule in order to text a boy at night for 10 solid months, he may just ask you out.

In the shimmering light of the summer evening sky, I ate a few bites of overpriced ramen across a tiny table from a real live guy who had actually asked me out on a date. When he reached for the bill to signify that it was, in fact, a date, his hand briefly grazed mine, and I felt my cheeks flush with the distinct rosy tinge of heteronormativity. As we left the restaurant, it began to rain, and we took refuge in an ice cream shop where he once more paid for me to pretend to eat while dutifully sucking in my stomach. Summoning all my skills of seduction, I flaunted sophistication in my sultriest tone:

“This ice cream is so good that I’m, like, literally having an aneurysm,” I observed.

“Actually, I think it’s ‘burst’ an aneurysm,” he said.

My heart fluttered. He had such a way with words.

Based on every movie I had ever seen in my life, I anticipated that our intense flirtation would culminate in a kiss good night before I sped away in my dad’s visibly deteriorating 2001 Honda Civic. In our final moments together, I stared deeply into his gleaming, enigmatic gaze and, as I leaned one shoulder toward him, received a one-armed side hug and a “Bye, Leah!” that lingered uncomfortably in the air. Whether the unease in my gut stemmed from this disappointing departure or my severe IBS, I could never know. But one thing was for sure — I had done everything right. Right?

A true gentleman, he ended things a few weeks later in a two-sentence Snapchat. In a response riddled with exclamation points, I let my concern for his feelings eclipse my own. Painfully embarrassed, I dismissed myself as idiotic for believing a boy could ever like me. I knew I was to blame for equating the slightest amount of male approval with the highest standard of human decency.

I couldn’t remember where I learned to do that.

Stuck between guilt and confusion, I once again took scissors to the braid that reached halfway down my back. It’s strange; even though I consider feminism to be the most essential tenet of my existence, the whispers of the patriarchy are sometimes so soft that they sound like my own thoughts.

_________

In alphabetical order by the writer’s last name.

“Love at First Offhand Compliment” by Leah Gomez
age 17, Saint Mary’s Hall, San Antonio, Tex.

“The Bottom of a Swimming Pool” by Annie Johnson
age 15, Dublin Coffman High School, Dublin, Ohio

Word + Quiz: rube

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Word + Quiz: rube

: a person who is not very sophisticated or interested in culture

_________

The word rube has appeared in 40 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 23 in “24 Tense Hours in Abraham Lincoln’s Life,” an interview with Edward Achorn conducted by John Williams. Achorn states:

I’ve read all these books about how Lincoln was hated, but I was still surprised by how disdained and disliked he was by so many of his contemporaries. Liberal Republicans thought he was too calculating, too quick to weigh public opinion. Democrats thought he was a tyrant, a rube, and was destroying the Constitution. I think a lot of this was airbrushed out of history after he was assassinated, when he became a martyr. But when you go back to that day and look at what people were saying, you get a stunning sense of what Lincoln was up against. There’s a lot of hostility from all sides. I’m not sure how he withstood it. I guess he was defeated so many times in his life, had been down so many times, that he was able to take almost anything.

_________

Weekly News Quiz for Students: Impeachment, Climate Change, Russia

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Weekly News Quiz for Students: Impeachment, Climate Change, Russia

Above is an image related to one of the news stories we followed over the past week. Do you know what it shows? At the bottom of this quiz, you’ll find the answer.

Have you been paying attention to the news recently? See how many of these 10 questions you can get right.

The Future of Jobs Report – Your New Career Starts Here

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
The Future of Jobs Report – Your New Career Starts Here

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 has just been released and is required reading for anyone in the job market today. The report paints a vivid picture of the future of work and documents the industries which are experiencing the greatest job growth and also the areas facing contraction.

2020 has been a critical year in many respects, with millions of workers around the world finding themselves out of a job or in an uncertain employment situation as a result of the pandemic. The coronavirus has caused enormous disruption in the normal rhythm of people’s working lives and drastically altered the route that many people saw their career path taking.

One thing that the pandemic has not affected is the trend towards workplace automation, which is occurring even faster than predicted. The Report estimates that this will result in the loss of 85 million jobs in the next five years. Continued technological advances, coupled with the more recent need for social distancing, have meant that machines and computers are taking over more jobs. According to the WEF Report, in five years, work will be divided roughly fifty-fifty between humans and machines.

However, the Report also shows that the automation revolution will create more jobs than it will displace, with 97 million new jobs entering the labour market in a variety of new areas. To help you prepare for the coming shift, Alison has put together a series of free online courses that will equip you with the skills necessary to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow.

New skills

According to the Future of Jobs Report, by 2025, “analytical thinking, creativity, and flexibility will be among the most sought-after skills.”

  • Analytical Thinking – This course will teach you everything you need to know about problem-solving and thinking critically in the workplace.
  • Creativity – Learn how to generate new concepts and build fresh ideas.
  • Flexibility – Manage your time successfully and be ready for whatever your workday throws at you.

The Report also notes that newly emerging sought-after skills this year are “self-management, active learning, resilience and stress tolerance.”

  • Self Management – Being able to motivate yourself is critical when it comes to Self-Management. This course will instruct you on how to always guarantee you give 100% at work.
  • Active Learning – Learn how to adopt a Growth Mindset and apply it to your learning.
  • Resilience – Positive Psychology is crucial if you’re to stay above water during stressful and trying situations.
  • Stress Tolerance – This diploma teaches you coping mechanisms to help you to deal with whatever stress your job might generate. 

 

New Jobs

The Future of Jobs Report has identified a variety of areas that are going to see a boom in job opportunities over the next five years. Below we highlight the best courses to give you a headstart and help you succeed in these areas.

  • Content Creation – Jobs in writing content are growing faster than ever, particularly as businesses expand their social media presence.
  • Green Economy Jobs – From wind to solar to hydroelectric power, Alison can help you find a job in any of the future green sectors.
  • AI Economy – This course looks at how AI can be used to solve problems that result in a real economic benefit.
  • Engineering – Alison offers a wide range of engineering courses, ranging from traditional sectors to the industries of the future.
  • Cloud Computing – This course will teach you everything you need to know about online computing infrastructure for both hardware and software applications.
  • Product Development – Rethink the Product Development Process with this course by Steve Blank, an entrepreneur with over thirty years of experience in business management.
  • Care Economy – From clinical skills to diet therapy, Alison’s nursing courses will help you advance regardless of your speciality!
  • Sales and Marketing – Some sectors never go out of fashion. Alison has courses on Marketing Ethics, Sales Strategies and everything in between.
  • Roles working with people from different backgrounds – This Human Resources course looks at workplace diversity and working in the globalised world of today.

One of the key take-aways from the report is that “for workers set to remain in their roles over the next five years, nearly half will need retraining for their core skills.” Upskilling and retraining are not going to be optional in the workplaces of tomorrow. Alison’s learners are already a step ahead of the competition, and the above courses will help you distinguish yourself even further.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the final point in the report is that “remote work is here to stay”. The move from office to home isn’t showing any sign of reversing in the near future. To help you adapt to and thrive in the world of remote work, Alison has assembled a Working from home Toolkit, which aims to help you transition seamlessly to working from home, regardless of your career.

6 Free Printables For Class Valentine’s Ideas

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
6 Free Printables For Class Valentine’s Ideas

Class Valentine Ideas - printable bag toppers, games and more

Valentine’s day is fast approaching, and we have something perfect for that occasion. If you struggle to come up with fun ideas for kids, we rounded up all of the free class Valentine’s day printables we’ve designed here at Designer Blogs to give you some fun & easy things to DIY.

I Spy Class Valentine Game

Free Printable Valentine Game for Class Valentine Ideas

Listed along the edges are the items to be found; from balloons to cupcakes to roses. I’m planning on sending this Valentine with my preschooler, 2nd grader and 4th grader – it works for both boys and girls and is fun for all ages!

Class Valentine Bag Toppers

Printable Valentine's Bag Toppers

Four different designs for printable Valentine’s bag toppers. All of them in classic pink and red shades. The perfect class treats!

Dropping Down Valentine

Funny Valentine’s Bag Toppers

These adorable & funny Valentine’s Bag toppers are sugar-free and loads of FUN! They will be perfect for any Valentine’s Day gift.

Don’t Ever Change Valentine

Free Valentine’s Bag Toppers Printable

Red Bag Toppers perfect for Valentine’s Day. Download them for free and attach them to bags filled with some sweets or small gifts.

Have a Berry Good Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Fruit Strip Wrap is a great idea for a cute and healthy gift. Print them at home and use them to wrap your favorite snacks.

Valentine’s Day Maze

kindergarten valentine's day printable

A-MAZE-ingly fun and free printable, perfect as a school or kindergarten Valentine’s Day. Attach crayons or send them as they are!

If you are looking for more seasonal freebies, make sure to check our free printables library

Looking for something specific?

If you have an idea for a printable, let us know in the comments! We are always looking for inspiration. If you decide to use any class Valentine’s ideas featured today, make sure to share some photos with us. You can do so by tagging us on Instagram or Twitter.

Fun Virtual Events?

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Fun Virtual Events?

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

The Times has been regularly recommending interesting, enlightening and fun things to do online since the pandemic began.

What’s the best event you’ve attended virtually this year? Why? Was it a family meet-up? Gaming with friends? A concert or theater or dance performance? A class you took because you wanted to, not because you had to? Something else?

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article about things The Times recommends you try this week.

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.

Word + Quiz: machination

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Word + Quiz: machination

: a crafty and involved plot to achieve (usually sinister) results

_________

The word machination has appeared in two articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 25 in “What’s on TV Saturday: ‘Bad Education’ and ‘Hustlers’” by Sara Aridi:

Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney star in this dark comedy-drama, a cross between “Election” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” The movie, directed by Cory Finley (“Thoroughbreds”), reimagines a multi-million-dollar embezzlement scandal that rocked a high school on Long Island in 2004. The mastermind behind the scheme is Frank Tassone (Jackman), the superintendent of the school district, who wins over parents and students alike with his good-natured charm. His machination lasts years, and it slowly starts to crumble only after he encourages a student journalist (Geraldine Viswanathan) to dig deeper into a puff piece she’s working on. (Big mistake.) In his review for The New York Times, Ben Kenigsberg wrote that Jackman steals the show. His role is “a plum part” and “a chance for the actor to channel his charisma toward dark, mischievous ends.”

_________

How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings?

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings?

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

Do you have any siblings? If yes, do you ever fight? OK, silly question; what do you and your siblings fight about when you have conflicts?

Has the pandemic made you grow closer with your brothers and sisters — or intensified the strife? Do you think that sibling rivalry is a fact of life? Or are there effective ways to reduce it?

In “The Psychology Behind Sibling Rivalry,” Jessica Grose reminds parents that you can’t avoid sibling fighting; you can only hope to contain it:

My 4- and 8-year-old are closer now than they were before the pandemic — I hear the sounds of giggling wafting from their bedroom several times a night. But the more time my girls spend together, the more they fight, too.

The most common battlegrounds for my kids are perceived injustices and jockeying for position. The most absurd instance of the latter was when we were waiting to get flu shots this past fall. The girls got into a brawl over who received the first shot. My older daughter “won” that argument, but it was only as she was walking toward the pharmacist’s door that she realized a shot was not actually a prize.

On days when we are trapped in the house together and their screaming matches reach operatic levels, their dad and I worry we did something horribly wrong as parents to encourage this volume of strife. But according to Jeanine Vivona, a professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey who has studied sibling rivalry, “competition with siblings is just a fact of life. And we, as people with siblings and people with children, can just try to manage it as best we can.”

Ms. Grose presents five suggestions to parents from the experts to handle squabbling sibs. Here are excerpts from three:

Figure out what sets them off. “Pay attention to what tends to happen before conflict breaks out,” said Sally Beville Hunter, a clinical associate professor in child and family studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. If your kids fight every time they play video games, for example, make sure you’re in earshot when they sit down to play. Listen for the particular words or tones of voice they are using that are combative, and try to intervene before it escalates.

Help them learn to resolve conflict. Once tempers have settled, try to sit your kids down and discuss the problem “without blaming or accusing,” Feinberg advised. Give each kid a chance to talk, uninterrupted, and have them try to come up with solutions to the problem themselves. By the time kids are elementary-school age, they can “evaluate which of those solutions are win-win solutions and which ones are most likely to work and satisfy each other over time,” he said. They should also learn to revisit problems when solutions are no longer working.

Praise them in public and punish them in private. If your kids are being kind to each other, “praise really loudly all over the place,” Hunter said. For example, “I love that you let your sister go first!” But if you’re criticizing them, try to do it outside of the other child’s earshot, because she may use it as ammunition. Our older daughter will take every opportunity to boss her little sister around (“Remember, Mom said you couldn’t jump off the couch!”), so I took this bit of advice to heart.

Try to find moments where everyone can come together. Your kids’ temperaments and personalities may be similar, or they may not. They may both love dance, or one loves dance and the other just wants to play chess. One might be rigid, and the other is a free spirit. “Try to find common activities that allow everyone to be flexible, and to feel connected,” Vivona said.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

  • How well do you get along with your siblings? What do you bond over? What do you do that gets on each others’ nerves? Do you agree that sibling rivalry is inevitable?

  • If you are an only child, do you wish you had brothers and sisters, or do you like being on your own? Do you have other family members or friends who fill that role? What kinds of conflicts do you experience in close relationships?

  • The article says that according to observational studies, sibling conflict may happen up to eight times an hour. How often do you fight with your brothers and sisters? How big a problem is sibling strife in your home? Has the level of conflict changed over your lives?

  • Ms. Grose says her daughters are closer now than they were before the pandemic, but they fight more too. Does that ring true for you? How has the pandemic affected your relationships with your siblings?

  • How do your parents respond to your conflicts? Do they help to resolve these situations? Or do they make them worse? What do you think of Ms. Grose’s advice to parents? Which strategies and approaches do you think they should use?

  • The author encourages parents to help their children to “come up with solutions to the problem themselves.” How good are you and your siblings at resolving conflicts on your own? What other strategies would you recommend to other parents and teenagers who might be experiencing sibling rivalries?

  • What’s one thing you can do to help improve relationships with your siblings?

About Student Opinion

• Find all 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.

Lesson of the Day: ‘Pig Painting May Be World’s Oldest Cave Art Yet, Archaeologists Say’

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
Lesson of the Day: ‘Pig Painting May Be World’s Oldest Cave Art Yet, Archaeologists Say’

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

Featured Article: “Pig Painting May Be World’s Oldest Cave Art Yet, Archaeologists Say” by Becky Ferreira

In a hidden valley on an Indonesian island, archaeologists recently discovered a painting of a wild pig that is at least 45,500 years old. It may be the oldest figurative art ever glimpsed by modern eyes.

In this lesson, you will learn about the process of discovering and analyzing the painting. Then, you will think about examples of visual culture in 2020-21 and what future societies may learn about us through them.

Watch this two-minute video from the researchers at Griffith University who discovered the cave art to learn more about the painting and how they found it.

After watching the video, write down two things you learned and one question you have about the topic.

Then, think more broadly about the meaning of this discovery. Why might researchers be interested in this painting? What might it tell us about the artists who created it? What might it tell us about humans in general? If you are in a classroom, physical or virtual, discuss your responses with a classmate.

Read the article and then answer the following questions:

1. The pig painting was discovered on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. What are some other examples of cave art that have been found there? Why were these discoveries significant?

2. What can be learned from these examples of cave art? What new questions arise from these discoveries?

3. How were scientists able to discover the pig painting and then determine its date?

4. This art has opened a debate about who created it. Explain the positions on each side of the debate as you understand them. Do you agree with one position more than the other? Why?

5. What does Margaret Conkey, a professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, think is most significant about this discovery? Why?

6. Why is it so urgent that scientists locate and study other examples of early cave art?

What role do images play in our everyday lives? In our society and culture? In our history?

In writing or class discussion, think of all the ways we use images. What kinds of images do you encounter in your daily life? Where? What purposes do they serve? What messages do they convey? How do you use them to communicate and interact with others? Come up with at least five examples.

Then, consider this question: What do you think archaeologists or historians would understand about 2020 or 2021 from studying the visual culture surrounding you?

Choose one image from 2020 that feels the most representative of this past year for you. It could be a meme, an emoji, a drawing, a photograph, graffiti or anything else. Once you have your image, do the following:

  • Describe the image in detail.

  • Explain what it represents for you.

  • Tell us: How do you think the image might be understood in 100 or even 1,000 years from now? What might it say about this period in time? What will it tell future societies about us? What might it reflect about the human race as a whole?

About Lesson of the Day

• Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column.
• Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.

How to Add Coursera Credentials to Your Resume

By
onlinefreecourse
-
0
How to Add Coursera Credentials to Your Resume

Download this Guide in PDF format

Congratulations on completing your Coursera course or program! It’s now time to let the world know about your new skills and accomplishments. 

The first thing to remember as you begin the process of determining how best to feature your achievements on your resume, is that a resume is a tool you can use to showcase your unique talents, skills, and experience. It is not some fixed and locked template that you have to figure out how to squeeze yourself into. 

A resume is made up of different sections, each of which can be optimized to present yourself in the best light possible. Adding a new credential is a part of the process, but there are also additional ways that you can highlight your newfound skills and demonstrate the value you can bring to an organization. Here are some key things to consider about your Coursera training as you prepare to update your resume:

  • What did you learn? Be specific about the skills you learned on Coursera. Recruiters and hiring managers need to know exactly what functions you’re able to perform so they can determine if you’re a good fit for the job.
  • What are you proud of? Completing Coursera courses and earning credentials can be hard work, and the ability to persevere in the face of challenges is a very valuable skill. Make sure to communicate not just what you achieved, but what you had to do to get there. Demonstrating self-motivation, work ethic, and tenacity is a great way to show employers you’re the right choice for the role.
  • What is most important for the reader to know? Employers may or may not be familiar with Coursera or the specific course or program you’ve completed. Consider what they need to know about the program in order to be able to evaluate your learnings and accomplishments, and add additional information as necessary to make it clear what you learned, how you learned it, and how you applied what you learned.

Once you know what you want to communicate to employers about your Coursera experience, you can determine which resume sections are best suited to conveying that information. Below is a list of the major resume sections you’ll want to use, with guidance on how to optimize each section.

Education section

Depending on the type of credential you’ve earned, you may have questions about where to place it on your resume—should you list it under Education, or in a different section such as Training and Certifications? 

Unless there is a specific reason not to, you should list Coursera credentials in your Education section. 

One reason why you might want to make an exception is if your previously earned academic credentials are in a field unrelated to the role you’re pursuing. In that case, it can be advantageous to separately highlight your Coursera credential at the top of your resume, to make clear your current focus to anyone reading your resume. But in most cases, Education is the appropriate location.

When adding Coursera credentials to this section, you should follow the standard best practices for listing education on your resume and include the following information:

  • Name. This is the official title of the course or program you completed.  Example: Big Data MasterTrack(™) Certificate, Digital Marketing Analytics Course, Master of Computer Science
  • Education provider. This is the name of the university or industry partner who created the course or program. Example: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IBM
  • Completion date
  • GPA (degrees only)
  • Summary. Here, you’ll want to include a short overview of the program so that those not familiar with Coursera will understand what was covered. Example: Four-course program covering health system development, policy and research, health service delivery, human resources for health; includes a hands-on Capstone project.

Skills section

The Skills section is usually located above the Professional Experience section of your resume. An employer should be able to read this section and easily determine that you’re qualified for the role, so make sure to include the job-relevant skills you’ve learned on Coursera.

For a non-technical role, the Skills sections can consist of 4-8 short bullets detailing your core skills (also known as Areas of Expertise) organized in two or three columns. Focus on quantifiable skills like copywriting, agile project management, Google Analytics, or sales funnel management. 

For a technical role, the Skills list can be longer and be organized by type, i.e., software, programming languages, hardware, data analytics, or any other categories that apply.

Projects section

This is where you want to feature any job-relevant projects you’ve completed on Coursera. Projects are a great way to demonstrate to employers what you can accomplish using your skills, especially if you are starting a new career and don’t have other professional experience. 

When including a Projects section, always focus on what’s most important for the employer:

  • List out a maximum of 3-5 projects. You want to avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information.
  • Summarize each project, explain the context, and include numbers to show the scope. When applicable, link out to additional information on the projects, such as your Github repository.
  • Include measurable outcomes to demonstrate your accomplishments. 

Don’t worry if you haven’t completed any projects as part of your Coursera coursework. It’s not a requirement that you have them. However, it is important to remember that any time you can demonstrate your real-world skills, you should try to do so. What you want is to convince a potential employer that you already have the skills and experience to perform the role you’re applying for.

Other sections

If the information you wanted to communicate to the employers doesn’t fit under the Education, Skills, or Projects sections, consider other existing or additional resume sections, such as Summary, Accomplishments, Hobbies and Interests, etc. 

Remember that the resume structure should support the information you want to communicate. As long as you follow the standard best practices for resume writing, you can add and organize sections in whatever way allows you to clearly tell your story.

Conclusion

Learning on Coursera is an excellent way to master job-ready skills, earn valuable credentials, and advance your career. Your resume is how you’ll showcase these accomplishments to recruiters and hiring managers, as well as your network. It’s important to present your skills and experience in the best light possible, and in a way that makes it easy for potential employers to see that you’re the right candidate for the job. When you’re able to clearly demonstrate how learning on Coursera has prepared you for success in your target role, you can be sure to get the kind of attention you deserve whenever you apply for a new opportunity.

 

1...1,1881,1891,190...1,525Page 1,189 of 1,525

Recent Posts