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Behind the Build: Take Courses on Your Mobile Device

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Behind the Build: Take Courses on Your Mobile Device

There’s a pretty good chance that right now you’re reading our blog on a mobile device like your phone or tablet — statistics show that over half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. Next time you’re looking for something to scroll, head over to Codecademy. We recently updated our platform so that now you can work on our courses and paths from any mobile device.

Irene Robb, Front-End Software Engineer at Codecademy, was the technical lead who helped bring our learning environment (the interactive platform you see when taking courses) to mobile. She collaborated with a couple other engineers, a Product Manager, a Product Designer, and an Engineering Manager for this two-month project. The goal was to “allow users to learn on our website from anywhere,” Irene says.

Learn something new for free

We know that learners are busy and may not have time to sit down at a computer to learn to code. With the improved mobile experience, you can access the code editor, lessons, and everything else you need to learn on the go. (Good to know: This is separate from our Codecademy Go app, which is meant for reviewing practice packs and doing flashcard drills.)

These updates aren’t solely about convenience, they also improve accessibility, explains Jerimie Lee, Senior Product Designer at Codecademy who worked on the mobile learning environment. Making sure that our course material is viewable on devices of all sizes helps folks who use screen magnification, or those who simply use smaller laptop screens, he says. Read on to learn how Irene, Jerimie, and the rest of our technical team made our learning environment mobile-friendly in a web browser of any size.

The project: Allow users to learn on our website on any mobile device anywhere.

  • Write a proof of concept validating the feasibility or potential of the idea
  • Re-design components layouts to accommodate a smaller screen
  • Turn plans into tickets and complete them

Investigation and roadmapping

Jerimie: “Neil Daftary [Engineering Manager], Dónal Ó Dubhthaigh [Product Manager], and I wanted to improve our learners’ ability to continue learning from anywhere. We spent some time last year putting together a case for this work, citing how many learners already try to access our content on mobile devices and requests from learners to enable this capability.

I’ve previously worked on a project that expanded a point-of-sale system’s ability to be able to take payments via mobile devices to great success and hope that this will have a similar impact for our learners.”

Irene: “I assigned myself the original ticket to start the investigations into the technical work for this. This project seemed right in my wheelhouse since it was primarily front-end. As a Front-end Engineer, I do a lot of responsive web design, so it’s similar to other stuff I have worked on in that aspect.

Take a look at Senior Product Designer Jerimie Lee’s prototypes, which he designed using Figma.

Take a look at Senior Product Designer Jerimie Lee’s prototypes, which he designed using Figma.
Take a look at Senior Product Designer Jerimie Lee’s prototypes, which he designed using Figma.
Jerimie translated our interactive learning environment to a (much smaller) mobile device screen.

Jerimie translated our interactive learning environment to a (much smaller) mobile device screen.
Jerimie translated our interactive learning environment to a (much smaller) mobile device screen.

The planning process for me as the technical lead involved taking Jerimie’s amazing designs and making a document and proof of concept on how this could be accomplished. I created a step-by-step process for accomplishing things in order in the document. Then, I created tickets based on those steps and marked specific tickets as able to be worked on simultaneously. Staying focused to meet deadlines involved a lot of watching for scope creep and identifying what are blocking and non-blocking bugs.”

Implementation

Irene: “The simplest way to describe how we did this technically is that we created new components layouts using as much existing code as possible for project and lesson content items that will show when the user’s screen is small. A typical day for me as an engineer consisted of completing tickets and discussing with the team if any problems come up. Also, reviewing other people’s work.”

Troubleshooting

Irene: “The most challenging part of the project for me was making sure that we were not breaking any of the existing learning environment code. There is a lot of moving parts, code, and different teams that work in the learning environment.

My biggest a-ha moment was finally getting my proof of concept to work. Although proof of concept is a ‘hacky’ way of proving something would work, it was still exciting to see it happen for the first time. The most rewarding was seeing the product go out to users! I’m very excited for more people to try it out and hear back from users.”

One of the great things about being an engineer is that you are always learning.

Irene Robb

Front-End Software Engineer at Codecademy

Ship

Irene: “It felt awesome seeing the mobile learning environment for the first time. It was a huge effort and project, and I was so happy to see it finally launch. We’ve gotten lots of great feedback so far from my peers; I think everyone is really excited for this to finally go out.”

Now you can work on courses and access our learning environment from your mobile device.

Jerimie: “I can’t wait to hear feedback from our learners about how they’re using this and how we can continue to make it easier to learn these skills on the go.”

Retrospective

Irene: “There’s a lot that I learned on this project — one of the great things about being an engineer is that you are always learning. But if I had to pick one thing, I would say I learned how to better take a huge complex problem and break it down into smaller more manageable tasks.”

Snaps

Irene: “Big snaps to Jerimie Lee for designs, and to the engineers who worked on this and also helped test and review: Alex Onate, Sylvana Santos, Julie Jones, and Neil Daftary. And also, Dónal Ó Dubhthaigh!”

Our Platform Upgrades Make Learning to Code Easier & More Intuitive

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Our Platform Upgrades Make Learning to Code Easier & More Intuitive

A common refrain we hear from our learners is how satisfying it is to start coding from day one of your Codecademy journey. We know that the best way to learn how to code is by actually coding — that’s why our learning environment (the interactive platform you see in courses and paths) has a built-in code editor that you can access right in your web browser.

The first time you submit code in our interactive development environment is a milestone, and it can give you momentum to continue progressing through a course, learning a new skill, or planning your next career move. Of course, sometimes you get stuck. Solving problems is just part of the learning process, even though not understanding why your code isn’t working can feel frustrating.  

We’ve recently added some new features to the learning environment that’ll help you learn faster, resolve errors swiftly, grasp confusing concepts, and code like a professional developer. It’s still the same learning environment you know and love, just with some AI-powered assistance and industry-standard tweaks. Read on to learn about the tools and resources you can start using today.

New ways to get unstuck

Get on-the-spot guidance tailored to your immediate needs with new AI-powered code explanation. Highlight a piece of the code you’re writing, click the “Explain Code” button, and we’ll generate a concise and quick explanation of the selected code.

For example, say you’re on a lesson in Learn HTML, and come across the element

, but can’t remember what it means. Instead of having to flip back to past units to remember, you can use the “Explain Code” button to get a description of the HTML element right below the code editor. Sometimes you need an idea described in different wording or context for it to really click.

Code explanation helps you improve your understanding of code, get unstuck faster, and make more progress.

We’ve also added AI-generated error explanations that break down the why behind your mistakes. It’s one thing to successfully guess your way out of an error message, but it’s another to really understand what caused it in the first place and how you can correct it going forward. With error explanation, you can spend less time spinning your wheels (or, ahem, cursing under your breath at your computer) and more time progressing through the lessons in a course or path.

Make sure you understand your mistakes and correct your code quickly with error explanation.

Outside of our interactive courses and paths, we’re weaving in extra AI guidance in places where you write code on your own or answer open-ended questions. You’ll find AI-powered hints and assistance as you work through select practice projects. We won’t give away the entire code solution for you (that’d defeat the whole point of doing projects solo) but we’ll give quick clues that tell you if you’re on the right track or nudge you toward the next step to take.

Spend less time getting unstuck while working on projects.

In our interview prep courses, there are some questions where you have to write out a free response as opposed to selecting a multiple-choice answer or filling in a blank. If you’re working on the Data Analyst Interview Prep or Data Scientist Interview Prep skill paths, for example, now you can request feedback on what you write for your free response answers. This feedback is AI-generated and will tell you how close your response is to correct, so you can practice being put on the spot in a technical interview.

Get personalized feedback so you can improve faster.

Good to know: You need Codecademy Pro or Plus to try out these new features. If you have a Basic membership, you can upgrade your plan or start a free seven-day trial to join.

Keep courses and resources at your fingertips

Balancing the demands of everyday life with the goal of learning to code is tough, especially when it comes to finding dedicated time to sit down at the computer and focus. With the improved mobile-friendly version of our interactive platform, you can seamlessly access our coursework and complete exercises — no monitor or keyboard required.

Instead of mindlessly scrolling your phone or tablet when you have some downtime, now you can work on coding courses and paths right on your mobile device. (We also have a mobile app called Codecademy Go, which is great for practicing and reviewing concepts outside of your browser.) Remember: You don’t need to commit a ton of time each day to learning to code. You can turn moments of idle time into valuable opportunities for skill development and progress. Curious how other learners get things done? Read more about the clever ways that folks in our community build time in their schedules to learn.

Work on courses right from your phone, tablet, or mobile device.

Speaking of desktop setups, if you’re someone who always has Docs open while you work on a course or path, we’ve made it even easier to reference our open-contribution documentation. Now you can just hover over terms in courses and paths to see the definition on screen or jump to the corresponding Doc to read a more detailed explanation. It’s great for when you need to refresh your memory on a term you’ve already learned, but you don’t want to interrupt your flow state as you learn.

Improve your understanding of key coding concepts through Docs.

Got a trick that helps you understand certain coding concepts? You can also add your own info to Docs to help other learners. Check out the guide to learn how to contribute.

Write code faster with autocomplete

We recently added code autocomplete to our HTML, CSS, and JavaScript courses (more courses will be added). When you turn on this feature, you can automatically complete the code of known variables, attributes, methods, and tags while you’re typing in the code editor.

Code faster with autocomplete, or turn it off to focus on syntax.

This might sound like cheating or cutting corners, but even experienced devs use autocomplete and other shortcuts to code more efficiently. “Autocomplete is a basic need for developers,” according to Chirag Makkar, Senior Software Engineer at Codecademy who worked on this feature. Our version of autocomplete is designed to mimic the code editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) that you’ll use in the real world. So, you’ll have a more realistic coding experience as you pick up syntax and skills. And if you want to turn off autocomplete to test your knowledge of syntax, you have the option to do that as well.

Start working with the tools of the trade now

Making the leap from self-taught coding to being part of a tech team is a major milestone. If you’re in a new technical role and experiencing impostor syndrome, keep in mind that every dev has faced a similar learning curve. Throughout your tech career, there’s always going to be a new language or application to master, because technology is an ever-evolving field.

One concrete way that you can overcome feelings of self-doubt as you launch your tech career is to familiarize yourself with the tools commonly used by professional developers in the field. In addition to your organization’s tech stack, technical teams might have go-to version control systems, IDEs, and other essential software. Luckily for learners like you, we have many of these tools built into our courses and paths.

For example, Jupyter Notebook, the industry-standard tool that Data Scientists use to develop data science code and visualizations, is integrated into our learning environment. When you take courses like Getting Started with Python for Data Science and Introduction to Big Data with PySpark, you’ll learn how to use Jupyter Notebooks in addition to key Python skills. By becoming proficient in these tools, you not only enhance your technical skills and resume, but also gain confidence in your ability to contribute effectively within a team.

Gain practical, real-world experience using the same tools professional Data Scientists utilize in their day-to-day work.

Another skill that’s necessary in the programming world? Prompt engineering. In select prompt engineering courses, you now have access to a chatbot powered by GPT 3.5 that you can use to practice writing, testing, and refining your prompts without leaving our platform. You can acquire practical skills in prompt engineering to bolster your AI expertise.

Enhance your AI skillset with prompt engineering.

Discover how our newly added features can accelerate your learning and elevate your coding skills to professional levels. Upgrade to Pro or start a free trial to experience the difference!

How Important Is It to You to Keep Mementos From Your Life?

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How Important Is It to You to Keep Mementos From Your Life?

Do you know anyone who saves things that are meant to commemorate events and serve as reminders of special moments? Are you such a person?

What do you do with things like birthday cards, photographs, newspaper clippings, wristbands from music festivals, programs from plays or sporting events, bib numbers from races and so on? If you keep some or all of these sorts of mementos, why do you hold onto them? How long do you think you’ll do so?

In the guest essay “The Deep Joy of Squirreling It All Away,” Margaret Renkl writes about the things she’s held on to over the years, which she rediscovered while cleaning out her office:

What to do with the stack of holiday cards? Whole families of children grew up between one end of that stack and the other. What to do with the graduation pictures, the wedding invitations, the birth announcements, the funeral programs? Why did I save so many copies of the lyrics to “I’ll Fly Away”?

It was a little overwhelming. I considered asking to borrow the backhoe from the construction site next door.

Then I began to read the letters. A birthday card from my father-in-law, written in a shaky hand: “Thank you for all you do for me.”

A prayer card from my godmother.

A thank-you note for a poundcake. When my friend’s father died unexpectedly, my mother told me to bake a poundcake, slip it into the kitchen and leave it by the coffeepot. Friends will be dropping by, she said, and the family will need something to offer them.

Now she is gone, too, and so are my father-in-law and my godmother.

I read the letters I’d saved from former teachers, also gone now, and from former students, now grown up. So many letters from people whose handwriting I still recognize across the decades. I hardly know my own children’s handwriting, so rarely do they write to me by hand, but I would know my favorite professor’s penmanship from across the room.

As the hours unfolded, I felt my exasperation give over to joy. This small, messy life of mine, this one brief, brief life has unfolded in such interlocking connection to so many other lives! It’s impossible to know where the connections began, impossible to imagine that they could ever end. In time, the backhoes and the masonry drills will come for this house, too, but in the meantime it holds all the reminders — now packed away into boxes beneath my desk and in the bottom of my closet — of so many people I love.

I come from a long line of savers. I am the caretaker of photos going back to the early 20th century. I have my grandmother’s christening gown and wedding dress. I still have my grandfather’s love letters to my grandmother and my father’s love notes to my mother. Without the help of these treasures, I could not have written my first book.

Nevertheless, I find myself feeling in the dark for a moral to this story of what I have lost and what I have saved, this tale of weary petulance transformed into gratitude. Why am I saving Christmas cards printed with pictures of other people’s children? Or finger paintings by my own children, who will never want to reclaim them? These are fair questions.

Students, read the entire essay and then tell us:

  • Do you hold on to the sorts of things Ms. Renkl names in her essay? Does anyone you know have this habit?

  • How do you store or display your keepsakes? Do you make collages or fill scrapbooks? Is there a designated box or folder that you use or, like Ms. Renkl, do you have piles of mementos in your room?

  • If you don’t tend to set things aside for sentimental reasons, does the essay cause you to question yourself? Have you ever lost or thrown out a card, photo or any other object associated with an event or a person that you wish you still had? What was it?

  • The essay is about holding on to objects made of paper or fabric, but what about things that are digital? Do you think of your camera roll or social media accounts as future archives of your current life? Do you curate them as such? Do you create digital albums of photos, screenshots, text messages and so on?

  • Ms. Renkl writes that she comes “from a long line of savers.” Do you? Are there any special photos, letters, objects or other mementos that have been saved in your family over generations? If so, what do these items mean to you? If not, is there anything you wish your relatives had kept so you could see them now?

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 and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Word of the Day: telltale

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Word of the Day: telltale

The word telltale has appeared in 73 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 19 in “Test Yourself: Which Faces Were Made by A.I.?” by Stuart A. Thompson:

A.I. systems had been capable of producing photorealistic faces for years, though there were typically telltale signs that the images were not real. A.I. systems struggled to create ears that looked like mirror images of each other, for example, or eyes that looked in the same direction.

But as the systems have advanced, the tools have become better at creating faces.

Can you correctly use the word telltale 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.

If you want a better idea of how telltale can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

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 is 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.

Unilever joins Coursera to launch two entry-level Professional Certificates, addressing global demand for data and analytics skills 

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Unilever joins Coursera to launch two entry-level Professional Certificates, addressing global demand for data and analytics skills 

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, Coursera

Today, Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care, nutrition, and ice cream products, is joining our partner community and launching two data analyst entry-level Professional Certificates in supply chain and digital marketing. 

Supply chain analytics roles in the U.S. alone are expected to grow by 18% over the next decade while marketing analyst roles are projected to increase by 21% during the same period*. Unilever’s new programs are designed to help learners of all backgrounds with no college degree or prior industry experience prepare for in-demand entry-level positions.

Designed to each take four months to complete, both programs teach foundational concepts and tools before immersing learners into real-world, hands-on projects. The coursework is grounded in data methodologies, teaching learners to strategically approach each problem while also thinking long-term.  To set completers up for success, the final course of each program focuses on effective self-marketing and job-search skills.

“Unilever’s commitment is to equip all employees with a future-fit skill set by 2025 with our Future of Work Programme. We see meaningful work as everyone’s right. We’re taking big steps to equip our own people and others for the future,” said Morgan Vawter, Global Vice President of Data & Analytics at Unilever.

Supply Chain Data Analyst Professional Certificate

Prepare for entry-level supply chain, inventory, logistics, demand planning, business, or ERP data supply chain analyst roles.

Learn how to:

  • Pinpoint opportunities and minimize risk for the entire supply chain. 
  • Use SQL, Python, or Excel to assess scenarios, evaluate outcomes, and visualize insights. 
  • Leverage supply chain models to evaluate and optimize the flow of goods, information, and cost. 
  • Build accurate plans and forecasts.
  • Apply technical tools such as AI-power projections and  data lakes to streamline operations and process large amounts of data.

Digital Marketing Analyst Professional Certificate

Prepare for entry-level digital marketing, digital marketing data analyst, SEO, content marketing, or CRM roles.

Learn how to:

  • Use marketing planning frameworks to develop digital marketing campaigns.
  • Segment customers and create customer journey maps. 
  • Utilize Google Analytics 4 for SEO analysis, custom reports, and conversion events.
  • Analyze data to unearth actionable insights and increase overall performance, including ROI.
  • Leverage marketing automation tools to scale campaigns. 

We’re honored to offer learners worldwide access to Unilever’s expertise. With its powerful supply chain and innovative digital marketing initiatives, Unilever reaches 3.4 billion people daily with its 400+ brands. Now, anyone, anywhere can learn from this iconic industry leader.

Ready to start your new data analyst career in supply chain or digital marketing? Enroll in Unilever’s supply chain or digital marketing program today.

*Lightcast™. (2023), Job Postings report (July 2022 – June 2023). Retrieved July 2023.

How to Start a Blog or Website (updated for 2024!)

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How to Start a Blog or Website (updated for 2024!)

How to Start a Blog on WordPress - Designer Blogs

Updated for 2024

Are you a new blogger or a seasoned Blogspot or WordPress.com blogger wanting to switch your blog over to self-hosted WordPress? Or are you wanting to build a website or blog? Then you’ve come to the right place. This post will show you how to start a blog or website in only a few minutes.

This tutorial will walk you through how to launch a self-hosted WordPress site on Bluehost (our preferred web host) in 3 simple steps.

Bluehost is one of the largest and most trusted web hosting providers. They have very affordable pricing, stellar customer service, are incredibly reliable, and they install WordPress automatically! Follow these four simple steps, and you’ll have a self-hosted WordPress site set up in a jiffy.

How to start a blog or website

Step 1 – Find a space for your new site

I like to think about a website (or a blog) as a house. If you want to build one, you must get a plot. For the website/blog, such a plot is called hosting. It is your piece of internet that you need to rent with a monthly or yearly fee.

To get your hosting in place, head to Bluehost and click on that big blue button.

Bluehost Exclusive Designer Blogs Offer - Designer Blogs

Note: receive exclusive pricing by signing up through this link.*

Select a plan

The “choice plus” plan is the most popular and really does give you the most bang for your buck, but if you want to start with the “basic” or “plus,” plans due to limited funds, know you can always upgrade in the future if needed.

If you haven’t thought about what you want to call your blog, now’s the time.

You will be asked to create or use (if you already own one) a domain. If you do not have one yet, you can compare it with a house address. People will use it to find your site and recognize it amongst

Try your best to match your domain to your blog’s title (e.g. our site name is Designer Blogs, so we chose the domain www.designerblogs.com).

If the domain you want isn’t available, try using different variations of your title (it will offer you some suggestions). If you already own a domain that you’d like to use, enter it in the area provided.

RELATED: 5 Blog Investments Worth Making (read this for tips on choosing a killer domain)

Bluehost Sign Up Page - Designer Blogs

Follow the instructions and enter in your account information. Be sure to use a working email address because this is where your login info will be sent.

Bluehost Account Information - Designer Blogs

Now check your package details and add extras. You do not really need any of them if you starting your site so do not feel pressured to check all the boxes.

Finally, enter in your billing information, confirm that you’ve read the fine print, and hit the green submit button.

Your hosting account will now be in place.

Follow instructions on your screen to set up your Bluehost login details and install your new WordPress. Remember to note all the logins and passwords in a safe place as you will need them later!

Step 2 – Open WordPress

If you followed all steps, Bluehost had automatically installed WordPress for you and you can start working on your new blog right away.

You can log into your site by going to:

www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin (“yourdomain.com” being your own personal domain).

This will bring you to the login area on the backend of your site. It’s a good idea to bookmark your login page so you can easily access it when you need to log in.

Enter in the login info you wrote down from the previous step and then click “Log In.”

RELATED: How to Change Logo on WordPress Login Page

WordPress Login Screen - Designer Blogs

First, let’s get your basic settings in place, so in your dashboard go to “Settings” and then “General.”

WordPress Dashboard Settings - Designer Blogs

Enter in your site title, tagline, url, email and the other information it asks for and click “Save Changes.”

WordPress General Settings - Designer Blogs

Now I highly recommend that you change your permalink settings for SEO purposes. To do this go to “Settings” and then “Permalinks” and then select the “Post name” option and click “Save Changes.”

WordPress Permalink Settings - Designer Blogs

I also recommend that you click through each of the options under “Settings” to get the additional options set up like you want.

You can also visit our WordPress Tutorials page for additional help in getting the other areas of your site set up.

Step 3 – Make it Gorgeous!

Now it’s time to get your blog looking fabulous! You have a few options when it comes to the look of your site:

Browser free designs

You can use one of the free generic themes that are included with your WordPress install. Go to “Appearance” and then “Themes” to find them. As you can see, they aren’t much to look at and there isn’t much variety, but if it’s not in your budget to spend money on a theme right now, then it’s a good place to start.

WordPress Default Themes - Designer Blogs

Get something more unique

You can hire a blog design company (like Designer Blogs!) to create a fabulous design for you. We offer very affordable WordPress Themes or if you want a one-of-a-kind blog design, you can request a quote for a custom design.

With either option, we take care of the design work (including install) so you don’t have to worry about a thing!

We hope you’ve found this tutorial helpful and by now you know exactly how to start a blog. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to answer!

*Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, which means your clicks and purchases help support Designer Blogs at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we absolutely love.

What’s Going On in This Picture? | Feb. 26, 2024

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What’s Going On in This Picture? | Feb. 26, 2024

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?

We’ll post more information here on the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 29. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all images in this series or slide shows of 40 of our favorite images — or 40 more.

• Learn more about this feature in this video, and discover how and why other teachers are using it in their classrooms in our on-demand webinar.

• Find out how teachers can be trained in the Visual Thinking Strategies facilitation method.

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.

Who Are Your Favorite Athletes to Watch Right Now?

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Who Are Your Favorite Athletes to Watch Right Now?

When Caitlin Clark moves — weaving through defensive traffic; waving unsubtly for a teammate’s pass; wriggling free enough to catch, fire, catch fire — people tend to follow.

This instinct informs every opponent’s scouting report, to the extent that anybody can prepare one with confidence: a triple-underlined directive to shadow Clark, the biggest star in college basketball, lest she splash another 3-pointer from the Hawkeye beak in the University of Iowa logo near midcourt.

At perpetual sellouts, at home and on the road, crowds approaching 15,000 crane their phones in her general direction from pregame stretches through postgame autograph sessions. Young girls and old men tug at “22” Clark jerseys that flap above their knees. Small delegations from her Manhattan marketing firm file in to appraise their new asset. Stewards of the sport, wary from experience, permit themselves to wonder if something might be different this time.

“I’ve stayed away from basketball,” said C. Vivian Stringer, the Hall of Fame former coach at Rutgers and Iowa who retired in 2022. “But how can you stay away from Caitlin Clark?”

The question carries far-reaching implications — social, financial, semi-existential — for Clark’s sport, her state and the long and sometimes halting march of women’s athletics in America.

Last spring, Clark’s rolling spectacle seemed to signal a breakthrough. The national championship game, which Iowa lost to L.S.U., attracted some 10 million viewers, a runaway record for a women’s final. This month, Clark is poised to become the leading Division I college scorer in women’s history, a chase chronicled basket by basket on ESPN with a nightly fervor once reserved for touchdown passes and steroidal home-run marks. She is also threatening the overall Division I scoring record set more than 50 years ago by Pete Maravich, the master showman to whom she is often compared.

“I saw somebody called me, like, Ponytail Pete,” Clark said before last year’s title game. She did not dispute the compliment.

Whenever this season ends, Clark — who grew up in West Des Moines, two hours from campus — will face a fateful decision: return to Iowa or go pro, where attention and TV viewership lag behind the college game?

Soccer and Dollars

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Soccer and Dollars

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 to learn more.

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Word of the Day: beckon

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Word of the Day: beckon

The word bold has appeared in 33 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 25 in “Will Translation Apps Make Learning Foreign Languages Obsolete?” by John McWhorter:

Because I love trying to learn languages and am endlessly fascinated by their varieties and complexities, I am working hard to wrap my head around this new reality. With an iPhone handy and an appropriate app downloaded, foreign languages will no longer present most people with the barrier or challenge they once did. Learning to genuinely speak a new language will hardly be unknown. It will continue to beckon, for instance, for those actually relocating to a new country. And it will persist with people who want to engage with literature or media in the original language, as well as those of us who find pleasure in mastering these new codes just because they are “there.” In other words, it will likely become an artisanal pursuit, of interest to a much smaller but more committed set of enthusiasts. And weird as that is, it is in its way a kind of progress.

Can you correctly use the word beckon 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.

If you want a better idea of how beckon can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

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 is 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.

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