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Word of the Day: endeavor

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Word of the Day: endeavor

The word endeavor has appeared in 299 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 25 in “An Art Patron’s Mission to Share Her Collection With the World” by Laura Rysman:

“Contemporary art,” Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo said, “is the best instrument we have to render our world a bit more comprehensible.” That conviction has driven her to become one of Europe’s most prominent collectors, as well as a patron of living artists and an evangelist of contemporary art.

… If art is essential to broaden our understanding of our times and ourselves, then amassing a collection might be seen as an endeavor that comes with immense opportunity, and perhaps responsibility. “A collector that’s going to count today,” said Arturo Galansino, director general of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and curator of the exhibition, “needs to leave the ivory tower and create these kinds of collaborations for the greater good of society.”

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

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

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.

How to Use Facebook for Affiliate Marketing

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How to Use Facebook for Affiliate Marketing

We all spend hours on social media. We like, comment, share, and post our news and scroll endlessly to see what other people are up to. Wouldn’t it be great if you could make money just by posting? Well, you can as an Affiliate! Facebook is the biggest social media platform and a target-rich avenue to boost your income. Read on to learn how to use Facebook for your affiliate marketing career.

Facebook

Facebook is not the first social networking platform. But it is the biggest. Developed in 2004 by college student Mark Zuckerberg, as a way for university students to make friends, today, it has morphed into the biggest social media platform with over one-billion users globally. It’s a social platform that allows you to connect and share everything with your friends and family.

Facebook, now Meta, has evolved since its early days. Today, you can shop, play games, create and join various groups, sell goods on its Marketplace, live stream events, and so much more.  

What makes Facebook ideal for affiliates?

Facebook has a billion-plus, ready customer base for you to boost your affiliate link conversions and profits. The wide, global reach Facebook has, gives you access to people with a range of interests. Therefore, whatever your affiliate links are promoting, you’re likely to find a captive audience.

How to win at Facebook affiliate marketing

  1.     Create a Facebook business page

Your friends, family, and neighbours enjoy reading your posts, but they wouldn’t want to be spammed with affiliate links. Affiliate marketing is a business, and you should treat it as one. Create a professional brand that will attract a customer base who are interested in what you have to offer. The best way to do this is by creating a Facebook Business page!

  1.     Build your audience

An audience = potential income. Building an audience comes from creating relationships. When building your business page, you must offer your audience something valuable and assert yourself as an authority in what you offer.

DMing (direct messaging) your current friends aren’t recommended – they probably receive tons of requests and delete them. However, Facebook has given tips on how to grow your page audience which you can read here. 

  1.     Engage with your audience

Engaging as an affiliate can be tricky at times. It’s a delicate balance of posting general content and promoting/sharing your affiliate links. Remember, as awesome as it is to get likes,  this is not enough. You need to regularly engage with your followers, interact with the comments and answer their questions. So how often should you post in your Facebook group? Post too little and they may forget you. Post too much and they may get annoyed by you. An 80-20 ratio is recommended for Facebook marketing. Post 80% entertaining and educational posts and 20% of the posts should be targeted posts containing your affiliate links. 

  1.     Join a group

If you don’t want to create a business page from scratch, then why not join an existing group? Facebook has groups for just about everyone and everything. These groups are made up of like-minded people who share and discuss things they are passionate about. As an Affiliate, you can contribute to a group and leverage these niche audiences. However, your contributions shouldn’t solely be a sales pitch (in fact this is quite frowned upon). Instead:

  • Start conversations
  • Don’t duplicate content in multiple groups.
  • Avoid telling people to ‘inbox you’ for information. Be generous and share it with everyone (easy brownie points).

You can also create a group for your website, if you have one, and create your own network of people to share your links with.

  1.     Use Facebook ads

Facebook advertising is considered a highly effective paid advertising strategy. With billions of users visiting the site each month, it makes sense. What makes these ads so great is that the ads are integrated into your audience’s newsfeed which means they don’t have to ‘skip ads’ like on platforms such as YouTube. You can select what your advertising goal is between awareness, engagement, or conversion and therefore get the results you want. Additionally, the ads are relevant to their individual interests which means your ads will land in front of the right eyes.

  1.     Maximise your insights

Facebook provides you with valuable insights into how your audience engages with your content and how they interact with your posts. Study your insights and find out what works and doesn’t and use this to adjust your affiliate content marketing strategy accordingly. Refer to your insights often to monitor your engagement levels.

  1.     Include an affiliate disclaimer

To succeed as an affiliate, you need to present yourself as a reputable affiliate to your audience. Customers will click and purchase through your links when they believe you and what you say. Exercise transparency when promoting products across your post and you will be viewed as credible to your audience.

Facebook is just one of the many available platforms affiliates can use to promote their products and services. Its large audience base gives it that extra edge over other channels. It needs time and patience to figure out but with time, you will reap the rewards.

The Focus – Reskill, not upskill

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The Focus – Reskill, not upskill

I suspect it is similar to other sports around the world. Whereas one player is selected/signed for one position on the team, then the team decides they want them to be at another position. The problem though is that the person has never played that position before.

What happens then? Well, the player agrees to it. They start to learn a new skill and at the same time are reskilled, due to this new position. It takes time. It takes dedication, and while there is no guarantee that the person will ever achieve success, yet they still go for it, because the other option is being released, not making the team – thus getting cut.

The only option is to be reskilled due to the conditions that present itself.

Granted this isn’t a perfect analogy to what your employees will face, due to generative AI coming into the workplace (the probability though is high at some point in the next two years); rather it is more around reality, even if today, there isn’t any generative AI rumbling into your company.

As an industry – in this regards, L&D and Training, the focus and thus of learning systems as a direct result is all about upskill, upskill, upskill. Sounds great, the premise. Upskill here, and you have a good opportunity to land this job within the company. Upskill there, and the opportunity to land this new gig within the company, say project manager for an upcoming project, is stronger than before.

Sounds great, in theory. But what it doesn’t factor in, are certain variables such as

  • One manager doesn’t like the other manager, so even with upskilling, you won’t get the gig or job
  • The other gig gets eliminated or held off, after the person spends all that time, upskilling – now, what do they do?
  • They are offered training, repeated learning, to attain those skills, never achieve it, and thus there are only two options left, stay where you are (but are unhappy, after all, why were you looking for another opportunity within the company in the first place?), or job elimination.
  • A new technology comes out of nowhere, that changes the playing field, and the company in earnest uses it, and all that content they consumed, and learned (ideally), is no longer relevant at that company for you soon to dream job opportunity

None of these scenarios are ideal. All in fact, stink. Yet, the workplace isn’t all daisies and sunshine. Your company, business, entity, association for example, goal is to generate revenue, and when the market hits a downturn, “tighten the belt” – which means job elimination OR if they believe the person has the talent to do so, reskill them (a preferable outcome). The issue today though is way too many companies ignore the reskill angle, and just go to elimination. It is far easier, and cheaper – in their eyes – then invest in reskilling the person for some other role that isn’t being eliminated and will be in demand. If you think, “Well, I am at a university, and this scenario will never happen,” think again. Why pay someone a full-time salary and thus benefits, when I can scale back, drop them to adjunct (and thus half-time), and eliminate benefits? Non-Profits cut back quite a bit. There isn’t any business type, as far as I am aware, that doesn’t scale back, cut, or terminate job roles.

And overall, reskill someone, who they see has the talent or business IQ to switch to another position and thus job, that requires such reskilling.

Generative AI is going to change all that. If you are unaware – and a lot of people are – understandably, thinking “It won’t happen at my place,” or “I have heard of it, but my job is safe,” or “Zero impact to me,” is the majority of cases, you will be wrong. Sure, a face-to-face job role – that is a necessity, is safe. Working out in field or doing construction is safe (robotics likely will change – but that is a long way off), having to go on-site at a power plant or on-site whereas a human is a necessity to fix, update, etc. is safe. Being a professor or teacher is safe (although one article said, lesson plans would be a task not needed to be done by a teacher. I guess they forgot about verifying the info is correct). Yet there are a lot of roles that will be impacted by Generative AI in the next few years. I should note that way too writers just reference ChatGPT (as though it is the only Gen-AI and thus LLM out there – it is not).

Others state machine learning and deep learning. Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of AI; Deep Learning (DL) is a subset of ML. (Curious to know the difference – great read here) Albeit as the article notes, you are likely already using ML.

AI agents will play a bigger role, with Gen-AI than most people realize. To get a feel of an AI Agent, I recommend trying out Godmode. Once you use it, it is easy to see, why ChatGPT is in the dated mode. Once workers find out, how to tap into AI Agents, and companies too, expect additional job roles and thus tasks involved to be switched out. Jobs could be eliminated. Reskilling, again, could change that – creating a new role, for that Indvidual or individuals.

Data Points showing the impact of Gen-AI in the workplace

  • Close to 4,000 people lost their job in May due to AI (Challenger, Gray and Christmas Report)
  • “IBM is planning to pause on roles it believes could be better performed by AI,” (Bloomberg, May 2023)
  • Projections that due to Sales AI tools (which means Gen-AI) the number of salespeople will likely no longer be needed (Morgan Stanley)
  • BT Group will replace around 10,000 workers in the next several years, due to a chatbot – named Amy, that can “answer many user questions, and improve over time,” (Business Insider)
  • 16% of business leaders said AI (again, this means Gen-AI) will reduce headcount (Microsoft Study)
  • 79% of workers fear that AI will result in a reduction of pay (Checkr – 3,000 survey) – Survey also found that of that percentage, those most worried were Millennials -82%
  • Around 23% of jobs, will change by 2027 (World Economic Forum)

The List (as of what folks are projecting now)

  • Executive Assistant (or some companies and countries still refer to as Secretary)
  • Customer support/service whereas a person isn’t a need, the Gen-AI can answer the calls, respond to e-mails, chat support, even assistant support – which you already see
  • Clerk
  • Content marketers or those who write content for web sites – so some roles in Marketing will be impacted
  • Various tech-infrastructure roles where automation can replace them (Gen-AI is tied to this automation)
  • Coders, Programmers, Data Analysts
  • Content marketers – why have them, when Gen-AI can write the content?
  • Web designers
  • Copywriters and technical writers
  • Paralegals
  • Market Researchers

To Upskill or Reskill?

Read any article around Gen-AI (many use the term AI), and CEOs, and others refer to upskilling people to attain skills around AI – as the core. That is partially true – but the upskill is more around the elimination of day-to-day tasks or redundancy that Gen-AI will replace. And yes, the focus or premise is that by eliminating such items, will make a worker more productive and thus happy (questionable, everyone is different).

Yet, they all ignore the job cuts – the job roles being eliminated due to Gen-AI. Rarely did I find an article stating the importance of reskilling these workers (whose job and job role, will be eliminated). Why?

If a person is talented, why not reskill them around a new job role that will be needed? Prompt Engineers will be needed – and tech or engineering backgrounds are not a necessity for that role, because it isn’t about getting into the system, per se. Chat specialists – very relevant. People to maintain, update, and ensure ongoing success with the Gen-AI system – these folks could be former programmers, coders and alike. Chat specialists – why not your former copywriter, technical writer, content marketer, writer, exec assistant, and so on?

The newest role that will be needed at a company? CAiO – Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer.

I wrote the other day on LinkedIn, that a “job coach or leadership coach and similar ilk,” could be replaced by Gen-AI at some point. While hybrid as one commentor mentioned would be a necessity (and I am paraphrasing here), others mentioned the importance of having a human coach work in conjuction with Gen-AI. Yet one study, found that an AI coach (You can find the study in the Learning Library), was as effective as the human coach. (Terblanche N, Molyn J, de Haan E, Nilsson VO (2022) Comparing artificial intelligence and human coaching goal attainment efficacy. PLoS ONE 17(6): e0270255. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270255)

People in the Workforce already using Gen-AI

Overwhelmingly folks are using Chat-GPT (I have yet to find an article that they are using a different LLM – granted some are using Bard or Bing) to do daily tasks – including writing reports. The problem here is that they are taking and submitting whatever, without checking it first to make sure it is 100% accurate. They do not know that hallucinations exist. And that is a huge problem. Some researchers believe that Hallucinations will never be fixed, others disagree. However, as of today, and to be honest, I think for the next few years, they are here. A Hallucination means the Gen-AI (again, some just say AI) produces fake or false information. There are already cases where it just makes up stuff.

In a recent case, a district court in Texas banned the usage of Gen-AI in the writing of court filings, without a human revieing it, to make sure it is accurate. A key factor? Gen-AI makes things up. Here is proof in the pudding as they say, direct quote.

“A Manhattan Lawyer, Steven A. Schwartz used ChatGPT to write a 10-page brief that citied multiple cases that were made up by the chatbot, such as Martinez v. Delta Air Lines, and Varghese v. China Southern Airlines. After he submitted the brief (paraphrasing here), no one could find the decisions or quotations included.” He later admitted that he used ChatGPT to do the legal research. (Vice, June 1, 2023)

How to resolve this? Well, reskill someone to review any article, legal brief, HR agreements and anything else key to the company that could get the company or in this case, the lawyer – maybe a firm, in trouble. The role doesn’t exist now, but why not create one? Someone who is very detailed, excellent at reviewing information and doesn’t just zing something off without validation – would be a great fit. I suspect that person already exists at your company, and if they are in the “no longer needed” due to their current job role – and thus on the elimination block, a fix is here.

L&D, Training and HR folks will not be immune to Gen-AI and will need to learn how to tap into it, but will need, and this is HUGE need to check before letting it role. Companies when it comes to restructuring, always hit L&D, Training, HR and Marketing first. Very talented people are here (granted not everyone), why cut them loose, when a new role tying into Gen-AI could be created or is needed? Reskill them on how to do it. Your A-Star Talent will succeed – IMO, after all, A-Star talent, is uh, A-Star talent.

Bottom Line

Way too many companies are pushing the narrative of upskilling first and foremost for workers around AI. Great. Others state that anyone who wants to work at a company needs to have some AI skills – many tap around ChatGPT – again, ignoring that there are others in Gen-AI – and that ChatGPT with AI Agents will be dated. They also fail to realize that GPT models, such as GPT-4 is far better, and thus, the worker will need to learn some basics there – or as they note it – upskill.

It sounds wonderful, but it ignores reality. People will lose their jobs. People will be seen as redundant, and depending on the AI they – the company plans to use (ignoring that OpenAI models such as GPT-4 isn’t free), those who are talented enough, could be reskilled, rather than sent to the unemployment line.

Reskilling is not something, you can wait on, to come.

As a person in L&D or Training you must implement a reskilling approach and process.

And for learning system vendors, learning technology vendors, even content providers – you must change your messaging. Yes, develop new skills, but reskill your employees.

Create content not only on how to build Gen-AI or LLMs, but how to use Gen-AI in the workplace, understand the importance of human intervention, and present the new job roles and jobs that can be established, as noted earlier.

Learning systems, learning technology go hand in hand here.

Ignore the idea that learning is no longer needed (I saw this in an article), and embrace the idea that not only learning and training is needed, but essential for those workers who need to be reskilled.

Upskill sounds great.

It just isn’t

Reality

Anymore.

E-Learning 24/7

Word of the Day: dismissive

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Word of the Day: dismissive

The word dismissive has appeared in 174 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 8 in “How to Help a Teen Who Can’t Sleep” by Catherine Pearson:

Though the data on teen sleep deprivation is stark, Dr. Sonal Malhotra, an assistant professor of pulmonary and sleep medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, offered parents some reassurance: Many of the teens she treats do not have what she would consider true chronic insomnia, even if on paper they meet the criteria of struggling three or more nights a week for more than three months. Instead, they are simply plagued by poor sleep hygiene.

Dr. Malhotra shares that not to be dismissive of the challenges many teenagers face around sleep, but to reassure families that small changes can often make a dramatic difference. She urges adolescents to make one adjustment to their sleep routine that they think will be doable and likely beneficial — ensuring their room is dark and comfortable, for instance, or avoiding having a large meal or caffeine relatively close to bedtime.

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

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

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.

Free June 2023 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

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Free June 2023 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

Free June 2023 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

Free June 2023 wallpaper is here!

This month’s free wallpaper pack showcases stunning flowers in rich, darker hues against a navy backdrop. Accented with pops of light blue and orange, the design adds a touch of playfulness while maintaining a sophisticated vibe. I truly love how this wallpaper has transformed my own space and I hope it can bring the same joy to you.

Each wallpaper download from June 2023 includes the following:

  • Desktop wallpaper x3 (plain, with the calendar, and with a quote)
  • Phone wallpaper x3 (plain, with the calendar and with a quote)
  • Tablet wallpaper
  • Instagram ready quote

Quote for June 2023

Along with a helpful June calendar, the wallpaper also features an inspiring quote to keep you motivated throughout the month. This quote is a beautiful reminder to keep an open mind and believe in the power of the unknown. Let it inspire you to keep searching for the magic in life and to never give up on your dreams. Believe in yourself and the power of the universe, and you may just be surprised at the fantastic things that come your way.

Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.

P.S the square image is also included as a larger file in the download package below! Feel free to post it on your Instagram.

Looking for more? Check our previous wallpapers!

You can get three different desktop options with the free download – one that has a calendar, one without the calendar, and another with a quote. Additionally, there’s a wallpaper available for tablets, and three phone options too. You’ll also find an Instagram-ready square that features the weekly quote.

Free Monthly Wallpaper Package for June 2023 including a matching social media image with a quote

FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.

NOTE: This wallpaper is available as a free download through June 30, 2023 only. After that, a $5 download fee applies.

How about a new design?

Since you just got a new wallpaper, consider updating your blog’s appearance with a fresh and modern look too! There are many different blog templates available that can make your page more enjoyable to read and navigate. Take some time to browse through them and see what catches your eye.

Blogger templates

WordPress Themes

Your voice matters!

If you have your favorite quotes and would like them to appear on the next free wallpaper, make sure to post them in the comments below or send us your ideas via email.

Enjoy!

P.S This post includes affiliate links so by clicking them you are supporting us. Thanks!

Announcing Our New “Ace That Test” Book!! And Other Books We Enjoy (Digest #169)

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Announcing Our New “Ace That Test” Book!! And Other Books We Enjoy (Digest #169)

We have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Our newest book, Ace That Test: A Student’s Guide To Better Learning is coming out this summer—July 19 to be exact. You can preorder through Amazon now! Starting June 28, you can preorder through the Routledge link on our website.

You can read Chapter 1 for free here!

We are SUPER excited about this one! It’s a brief book written for students—young adult and adult learners—with many tips and tricks, concrete examples, embedded questions to practice retrieval, and full-color illustrations designed to represent diverse groups of learners. We used Ace That Test in the title because it’s catchy, easy to remember, and fits with our social profiles. But, like all of our work, this book is about so much more than just grades and scores. It is a guide to help students learn so that they can remember and apply in the long run.

The book is organized into three parts:

  1. In the first part, we briefly cover why using evidence-based learning strategies is important and what type of evidence is best.

  2. The second part of the book is all about getting ready to learn. We cover the difference between homework and studying, how to prepare your body and environment for learning, how to know what you know and don’t know, and planning out your learning.

  3. The third part of the book is all about study strategies that work, such as bringing to mind what you can remember (retrieval), jumbling it all up (interleaving), note-taking strategies, and avoiding strategies that don’t work. In our concluding chapter, we talk about the importance of believing in yourself (self-efficacy).

8 Python Code Challenges to Try During Pride

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8 Python Code Challenges to Try During Pride

Completing code challenges, bite-sized problems that can be solved with code, is an excellent way to sharpen specific coding skills and concepts — not to mention, code challenges are fun. In honor of Pride Month this June, we’re giving you a list of code challenges to try that all relate to uplifting the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. 

These coding challenges will give you a good mix of Python concepts to practice, like lists, strings, conditionals, and structures. Depending on your experience level, some of these challenges only take a few minutes to complete, while the more difficult ones might take a couple days. You may want to revisit a Python course to review (we’ve recommended the relevant Python courses to try along the way). 

As you’ll see, these are open-ended challenges and we’re not providing solutions. That’s because we want to give you a chance to practice key coding skills and apply your coding knowledge to real-world scenarios. We hope you feel inspired by all of the ways you can use code to give back to the communities and causes that you care about. Happy Pride and happy coding!

1. Affirmation Engine

Write a Python program that takes a user’s pronouns as input and returns a message that includes their pronouns and a statement of respect for their gender identity. An example of a message could be: “Thank you for sharing that your pronouns are {pronouns}. We wholeheartedly respect and affirm your gender identity, and appreciate your help in building an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and accepted.”

2. STEM Icons Sorter

Create a Python program that takes a list of LGBTQ+ historical figures as input and returns a new list with the terms sorted alphabetically. Want to brush up on your queer history? Learn about trailblazing LGBTQ+ figures in our free course LGBTQ+ STEM Icons.

3. ASCII Artist

In the beginner-friendly course Learn Python 3, you’ll get introduced to ASCII art, a type of text-based visual art that uses individual characters to create pictures and diagrams. Write a Python program that prints “PRIDE” in ASCII block letters. You can reference the complete ASCII alphabet using this chart.

4. Pride March Countdown

Write a Python program that calculates the number of days, hours, and minutes remaining until the annual NYC Pride March, which starts on June 25 at 12 pm EDT. The program should display the countdown in a user-friendly format. For a refresher on working with date time data in Python, read this article. 

5. Acronym Explainer

Create a switch loop that prints the terms represented in the acronym LGBTQ+, which are: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and non-straight/non-cisgender identities.

6. Rainbow Message Generator

You are given a message, “Code with pride!” that needs to be transformed into a rainbow-themed string where each letter is a different color in the LGBTQ+ Pride flag. Your task is to write a Python function that takes the message as input and returns the rainbow version of the message. Hot tip: You can use ANSI escape codes to apply color to text in Python.

7. Pronoun Practice Chatbot

Develop a simple chatbot that helps you practice using someone’s pronouns in different contexts. This code challenge is the most advanced one in the bunch, but don’t be intimidated. In the skill path Build Chatbots with Python, you’ll learn how to code rule-based, retrieval-based, and generative chatbots. The best part is you don’t need coding experience to get started — we’ll teach you to code with Python from scratch. 

8. Research LGBTQ+ Representation

Build a program that reads a dataset (you can use this pre-made dataset) and analyzes the representation of LGBTQ+ characters in cartoons. The program should calculate and display statistics, like any trends or changes in representation over the years. If you’re new to data science, check out the course Getting Started with Python for Data Science. You’ll get to work hands-on with real datasets in the course, and learn to use Jupyter Notebook, an industry-standard data analytics platform.

Want even more Python ideas? Try these Python code challenges for beginners, or work your way up to advanced coding challenges. You can also review these code challenges, which are all based on real-world technical interviews. If you feel like you’ve got a handle on code challenges, be sure to check out our library of Python projects that you can complete for practice or your professional portfolio.

Word of the Day: tentative

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Word of the Day: tentative

The word tentative has appeared in 250 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 2 in “Australia Aims to ‘Stamp Out’ Vaping With Sweeping Regulations” by Remy Tumin:

The Australian government said it wanted to crack down on the use of e-cigarettes in an effort to “reduce smoking and stamp out vaping” in one of the most sweeping tobacco regulatory moves in the country in years.

… Nicotine vapes are currently available only with a prescription in Australia, but they thrive on the black market, especially among young people. While the contours of the proposal are still tentative, Mark Butler, the health minister, said its long-term intentions were clear.

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

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

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.

What Is GRUB in Linux?

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What Is GRUB in Linux?

If you use Linux, you may have seen the GRUB screen once or twice. The title will say “GNU GRUB” in all capital letters and give you some options to choose from when booting up. This is the GRUB menu interface, and it’s an important part of the boot process in Linux operating systems.

If you haven’t seen this screen before and use Linux often, you should still know what GRUB is. Ahead, we’ll look at what GRUB is, how it’s installed, its boot process, and more.

Learn something new for free

What is GRUB?

GRUB is the program on Linux systems that loads and manages the boot process. There are a few different boot loaders for Linux (like GRUB, LILO, and SYSLINUX), but GRUB is the most popular — and one of the few still being maintained.

When your Linux operating system starts up, GRUB is the first program that runs. It loads the kernel of the operating system, and then the kernel loads the rest of the operating system, including the shell, the desktop environment, and other operating system features.

GRUB is also a boot manager. The boot loader is the part of GRUB that loads the kernel of the operating system into memory. The boot manager part of GRUB is the menu that allows you to select different operating system kernels to load.

GRUB supports Logical Block Addressing Mode (LBA), which translates the system’s directory and file structure into the format used by the hard drives on the system so you can find files stored on the hard drives. It also gives users flexibility when booting a system by allowing kernel parameters to be modified by the user for custom boot processes.

Plus, GRUB automatically finds the Linux kernel to boot if it knows the hard drive number, partition number, and filename of the kernel. GRUB, though it is a Linux program, can also boot other non-Linux operating systems, like Windows.

How is GRUB installed?

Once you install GRUB on a computer, it becomes the default boot loader. Here are the steps to follow to install GRUB:

  1. Find the latest version of the GRUB package on the official GNU website, or obtain an installation disk for it. Always use the latest version of GRUB when you install it.
  2. Next, open the root shell prompt and run the /sbin/grub-install command to install the GRUB package to your system.
  3.  After installing GRUB, restart your machine. The GRUB menu interface will now show before the kernel loads when the system boots.

Many distributions of Linux, like Ubuntu, automatically install GRUB when you install the operating system. This happens in the background while you go through the installation process.

What is the GRUB boot process?

Every time you start or reboot a Linux operating system, it goes through a few steps before you can start using the computer. These steps are:

  1. BIOS. The BIOS is the first stage of booting a computer and is not part of the operating system. It’s stored in nonvolatile memory, like ROM or flash memory on the computer’s motherboard. It ensures that all the core hardware connected to the computer is in working condition so the computer can successfully boot. Once this check is done, it loads the Master Boot Record or MBR from the primary hard drive, which is where GRUB is stored.
  2. GRUB. The BIOS loads GRUB, and then GRUB selects the type of operating system kernel it should load. If there is only one, it will load that. If there is more than one operating system installed, it will display the GNU GRUB screen for a few seconds in case the user wants to select one of the options, otherwise it loads the kernel of whichever operating system was set as default.
  3. Kernel. The kernel performs the following steps in read-only mode: First, it loads the memory, then it mounts and loads the root file system before switching to the actual filesystem. Then, it loads the devices in the system, remounts the filesystem in read-write mode, and mounts up.
  4. Init. In the final stage, your computer uses init files to execute a runlevel program, which is responsible for starting and stopping services on the machine and presenting the user login prompt.

What are the GRUB interfaces?

GRUB has three interfaces that provide different levels of functionality. Any one of these interfaces allows you to boot a Linux kernel (and other operating systems as well).

  • Menu Interface. The menu interface is GRUB’s default interface. It’s the screen you see that has the GNU GRUB heading and the list of different operating systems to choose from ordered by their name. You can select the kernel you want to load by using the arrow keys and hitting enter to boot the kernel you selected. Usually, a timeout period is set up in GRUB that will select the default kernel and boot that kernel if no selection is made before the timeout period is up.
  • Menu Entry Editor Interface. To enter this interface in GRUB, use the arrow keys first to select a specific kernel and press the e key. The commands that GRUB uses to load this entry are displayed in this interface. You can edit these entries here to modify how GRUB loads that specific kernel.
  • Command Line Interface. This interface is like the menu entry editor interface. You can reach it by pressing the c key when you have selected an entry from the menu interface. It’s a basic interface, but it gives you more control over changing the commands GRUB uses to load the specific kernel you selected.

Learn more about Linux

If you’re a developer (or plan on becoming one), you’ll probably work with Linux at some point. You might develop your code on a Mac or Windows machine, but when it goes to production, it’ll probably run on Linux because it is the most common operating system for servers.

Check out our course Learn the Command Line if you want to learn how to get better with Linux — and if you want to learn more about the fundamentals of computers and operating systems, along with  programming, databases, and data structures, check out our Computer Science Career Path.

The Future of Work: How to Stay Relevant in a Changing Job Market

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The Future of Work: How to Stay Relevant in a Changing Job Market

Here’s what we know for sure: Today’s market is evolving and highly competitive. Whether you’re fresh out of school, have a few working years in the bag, considering a big career change, you need to stay relevant and position yourself as a viable competitor in the workplace. Things can change at the drop of a hat, and you need to prepare yourself for the future of work and how you can stay relevant in a changing job market.

We’ve put together a list of 10 things you can do to help you stay ahead of the change.

  1. Define your career goals

Before you embark on any journey, you have to know where you want to go, and the equipment you need to get you there. Careers are the same. You need to have professional goals (destination) and know what skills (equipment) you have and what will get you there. Which industry do you dream of working in and what career path do you want to pursue? Define your goals and then take the necessary actions to get you there.

  1. Study industry trends

What are the latest news, trends, and developments happening in your industry? Who are the thought leaders and what are they saying? What are your international counterparts doing that could be introduced where you are? What are the big problem areas your sector experiences? Where is the potential for growth? Keep up to date with your industry news and find a place you can use your skillsets to fill that gap.

  1. Get certified

A certification is a feather in your cap that makes you stand out among the crowd.  Recruiters and hiring managers, in searching for fresh and ideal candidates to fill positions, keep an eye out for those who have completed certifications in their field and will match the demands of the role. The additions to your resumé will make you look good on paper and give you an advantage over other applicants.

  1. Expand your network

Get to know people in your industry. Be intentional about joining professional groups, attending events, meeting fellow industry leads and colleagues, finding a mentor, and much more. Make it a point to establish and build relationships with those in your field. Having these influential people in your network will help you when you need assistance down the road. They can also give you career advice and guide you in areas you need to grow.

  1. Develop your personal/professional brand

Think of your personal brand as your two-minute elevator pitch – online. Personal branding plays a huge part in reinventing your career. This doesn’t mean changing who you are but freshening up your image on professional platforms like LinkedIn. Take part in and share conversations about relevant industry topics and use this platform as a place to showcase your skills and knowledge. It also allows recruiters and other members of your industry to have a snapshot of your professional skills, education, and background and keep you on their radar when opportunities arise.

  1. Step out of our comfort zone

This is not always easy but it’s necessary. The future of work indicates many of us may need to step outside of our comfort zones and step into fields we never thought we would. Review your skills to see which areas need growth but more than this, consider if branching out into a new position and sector is worthwhile. You may have been in finance for years, but now could be the right time to step into a new career. Alison’s Workplace Personality Assessment is a short, simple, and easy way to measure personality traits, and cognitive abilities, and help you discover your behavioural style – all these to give you insight into who you are and your dream career.

  1. Learn new technologies

The world and businesses are becoming more advanced and require employees to be tech-savvy to keep up with the developments. Discover what new technologies your industry is to familiarise yourself with them, learn how they’re being used, and start using them too.

  1. Upskill and reskill yourself

Staying relevant means you need to constantly upskill and reskill yourself in your industry. This will ensure you stay ahead of the curve. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and enrol in courses that will enhance and improve these areas.

  1. Embrace the gig economy

The gig economy, a new term for many people, speaks to the increasing number of workers who are taking on freelance, contract work, temporary and short-term projects. It’s an ‘economy’ that’s expected to grow in the future because of the changing attitudes to work, technology, remote and hybrid working solutions, and the growth of platform-based business models. It provides flexibility and autonomy to employees and gives employers access to highly-specialised individuals on a short-term basis.

  1. Know your worth

We tend to shy away from talking about money, our salaries, and when applying for new jobs, asking for what we believe we’re worth. But to do this accurately and not be seen as pulling numbers out of the air, you have to know your market price and add a figure on the value you’ll bring to the company. This is based on your skills and experience. Additionally, this will help you find your fit within the right company and position you will ultimately hold.

“The gap between academic insight and work requirements has increased” – Ulrich. 

Today, companies need you to have more than knowledge, experience and qualification. They need individuals who stay on trend with industry changes, are skilled in the latest tools, features and technologies, can adapt to required changes in a constantly evolving environment, and show tenacity to see through the challenges that may come their way.

Conclusion

The difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary is that little bit extra. These steps are a few extra things you can do to step up your game and bridge the gap between you and others navigating the job market.

If you want to reach professional success, you cannot afford to get complacent and comfortable with how things are. They are bound to change. Building on your current skillset is important. Know who you are, what you want, and where you want to go, and then make decisions that will get you closer to achieving that dream.

The future of work will be shaped by a variety of factors like the gig economy, ageing populations, automation, sustainability, and emerging industries. These, of course, are simply predictions of what the future of jobs will look like but the exact nature and impact of these changes remains to be seen.

 

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