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5 Apps Made By Asian American Developers For The AAPI Community

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5 Apps Made By Asian American Developers For The AAPI Community
Apps created by Asian American developers for AAPI community

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May, we’re celebrating Asian American developers who’ve built useful and entertaining applications that bolster and give back to the Asian American community in some capacity.

Whether you’re looking for a way to order Asian grocery items or want to expand your knowledge of anime or Native Hawaiian history, here are five apps to download to show your support.

Yamibuy

Yamibuy app

As a college student at Kansas State University, the closest Asian supermarket Alex Zhou could get to was two hours away — way too far to travel for his Chinese grocery staples like rice, chili oil, and tea. So when Alex graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, he founded Yamibuy, an e-commerce marketplace for buying Asian snacks, food, beauty, and health products in North America.

Alex’s mother owned businesses in China, which inspired him to become an entrepreneur, too. Being able to provide other Asian Americans with their comfort items is what makes the business so fulfilling: “Every time you’re homesick, [and] you want a taste of your hometown, you go to Yamibuy,” he said on an episode of the podcast Asian Hustle Network.

Why we love it: In addition to shrimp crackers and authentic K-beauty products, you can also find Asian kitchen appliances (like rice cookers and hot pots) and cooking tools on Yamibuy.

Download Yami on the App Store and Google Play.  

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll app

Like lots of software engineers, Kun Gao and his classmates in the computer science program at UC Berkeley liked to build products in their spare time. One of their projects was a video sharing site that would eventually become the wildly popular anime streaming service Crunchyroll.

Kun had interned at the now-defunct site Hot or Not, where he got a taste of how to code something from scratch. “The lesson there was it’s actually not hard to build a web startup, especially if you’re an engineer with a little bit of product sense — you can literally code it all yourself,” Kun told the podcast Asian Hustle Network.

Crunchyroll came about back in 2006, when online video was a relatively new concept. “It wasn’t just something you can do off the shelf,” Kun told the podcast Rock the Boat. Kun and his co-founders had to make their own servers, find and customize encoders, figure out how to decode video on a web browser, and learn how to deliver the bits, he said. “There was actually a lot of heavy lifting,” he says.

Why we love it: If you’re just wading into anime and want to explore past seasons from popular shows, or you’re an anime stan who wants to stream episodes an hour after they air in Japan, it’s easy to find something for you on Crunchyroll. Plus, there are lots of language options for subtitles, making the content accessible to people who don’t speak Japanese.

Download Crunchyroll on the App Store or Google Play.

Block Party

Block Party app

Software engineer and diversity activist Tracy Chou created the app Block Party to give people a tool that could protect them from online harassment and abuse. “On the technical side, I’ve written code from the startup ground floor of three consumer web-scale platforms — Facebook, Pinterest, Quora,” Tracy wrote on the Block Party website. She saw the shortcomings in the anti-harassment tools that social media platforms offer, and decided to build something better.

Chou, whose parents are Taiwanese immigrants, is outspoken on social media and unfortunately has dealt with trolls, harassers, threats, and stalkers. “My whole life is oriented around how I can be safe, psychologically, mentally, and physically,” she told Fast Company. With the rise of anti-Asian racism and hate crimes in recent years, Block Party’s offerings are essential: A 2021 Pew survey found that 81% of Asian Americans said that violence against them is increasing.

Block Party offers a handful of anti-harassment tools for Twitter (though they aim to expand to other platforms), like customizable Lockout Filters that mute people who are most likely to harass you. (There’s a basic plan that allows you to use Block Party for free, or you can pay $12 a month for more advanced block lists and filters.)

Why we love it: The beauty of Block Party is that, once you enable the tools, you can continue to use social media as usual without stressing over what you might come across on your timeline. There’s even an option to enlist a trusted person as a “helper” who gets permission to mute, block, and remove harmful tweets for you so you don’t have to see them yourself.

Sign up for Block Party by connecting your Twitter account here.

Honeycomb

Honeycomb app

If you’re constantly sending photos and videos of your kid to far-flung loved ones, you’ll love Honeycomb, a private digital scrapbook for families.

Honeycomb started as a tool for families to record their own histories to pass down to younger generations. “For years, I begged my mom and dad to record the stories they used to tell me and my sister as kids, stories about their lives growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, how they met, why they decided to come to the United States,” Amelia Lin, who co-founded Honeycomb with Nicole Wee, wrote in a blog.

Why we love it: You can post audio snippets (for all those baby giggles and first words) to Honeycomb in addition to photos and videos. And the app is free to use and offers unlimited storage — so there’s no worries about over-documenting.

Download Honeycomb on the App Store.

Native Stories

Native Stories app

Native Stories is an audio app with a digital map of Hawaii and guided walking tours that teach you about the history behind points of cultural significance on the islands. Nohealani Hirahara Frizzell — whose ancestors originate from Maui, Kauai, and Japan — created the app to preserve indigenous Hawaiian wisdom and bring storytelling and oral tradition into the modern era. The audio tours, which are written and narrated by Native Hawaiians, only cost $1.99 to access, and all of the proceeds go to the Native Stories nonprofit.

Why we love it: You can download the audio tours to use offline if your service is spotty, plus there’s an option to read the text rather than listen to it. And if you’re not in Hawaii, you can always listen to the Native Stories podcast, which features interviews with inspiring indigeous people.  

Download Native Stories on the App Store and Google Play.

Got your own idea for a genius app that helps your community? Be sure to check out our mobile development courses to learn how to build apps for iOS or Android devices. Our iOS Developer career path will teach you everything you need to know to make apps and start interviewing for app developer jobs.

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If you’re not sure where to begin or what to learn next, this is a great place to start. Check out our top coding courses, Skill Paths, and Career Paths.

How Much Does A Python Developer Make?

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How Much Does A Python Developer Make?

If you’re interested in a job as a Python Developer, you have an exciting career ahead of you. Python Developers build new technologies that hundreds and thousands of people use at work and in their personal lives.

Since Python is a flexible, versatile programming language, it’s used in virtually every industry and scientific field you can think of, including web development, data science, robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), image processing, game development, business, healthcare, and the list goes on. That’s one of the reasons Python is so popular in the workplace, and why Python Developers can be among the highest-paid developers out there.

But just like any other field, salaries can vary widely based on several factors. Here’s a look at which factors could affect your pay as a Python Developer.

Which factors affect a Python Developer’s salary?

According to Indeed, Python Developers in the United States make $108,109 per year on average, with some reporting salaries around $100,000 and others as high as $130,000 and above.​​ Factors like location, education, experience, industry, and job title play a role in how much money you can make in this profession.

Location

With a lot of tech companies going fully remote, where you live may not matter as much as it once did when it comes to your salary. But your location, as well as the location of your employer, can still affect how much you make.

Some of the pay differences come down to the local cost of living. It’s more expensive to live in bigger cities, and salaries tend to reflect that. For example, a Python Developer’s salary in San Francisco will generally be higher than one in a suburb of a midwestern city. Another reason for the pay differences is simply because there aren’t enough Python Developers locally to meet the demand, and not all companies have remote developers.

Here are the highest paying cities for Python developers in the United States:

  • Jacksonville, Florida: $162,314
  • New York, New York: $134,092
  • Richmond, Virginia: $128,128
  • Los Angeles, California: $123,917
  • San Jose, California: $118,862
  • Dallas, Texas: $116,983
  • Washington, DC: $116,134
  • Austin, Texas: $111,557

Education and skills

Education will also affect how much you’re paid as a Python Developer, and in the early years of your career, before you have much experience, it can count for a lot. Plus, while it’s not required to have a traditional college degree to land a job as a Python Developer, it can help you negotiate a higher pay at the beginning of your career.

You can also learn new tools or build on your existing knowledge and skills by taking relevant online courses and professional development, which can help boost your salary. For example, Python Developers with AI-related skills can see a 70% boost in their income, according to Indeed. Other skills that can boost Python Developer salaries include counterintelligence, NoSQL, and communication.

Experience

The number of years you’ve been a developer counts a lot when it comes to how much you’re paid. Your experience will matter more than your education at some point later in your career; and in general, the longer you’ve been working, the higher your salary.

When you’re first starting out, you’ll likely have a better chance of landing a full-time position if you apply for a junior role versus a mid-level position. So look for jobs with the title Junior Python Developer or Junior Python Engineer. The average pay for this type of job is around $90,000. The pay for a senior-level Python developer with more than six years of experience starts at six figures.

Industry & company

Salary also depends on the industry you work in. Certain industries require some specialized knowledge and skills, and when you’re the right fit, employers will pay a premium for those special skills. Today, employers are willing to pay high salaries to attract Python Developers in the streaming services, transportation, Fintech, education, and healthcare industries.

Also, keep in mind that the company you work at can impact your salary. Some companies have a lot of capital to invest in their Python Developers, and some don’t. Here are some companies that currently employ Python Developers and how much they pay them:

  • Selby Jennings: $225,271
  • Enterprise Peak: $180,000
  • Centene: $158,072

Compensation is more than just salary

In addition to your base salary, you’ll likely be offered a number of other benefits in your contract. Sometimes the value of the total compensation package can be more than double the value of the base salary, so it’s worth looking over all the benefits that come with the job. Here are some benefits you might be offered as a Python Developer:

  • Remote work stipend
  • Stock options and employee ownership
  • Performance-based annual bonuses
  • Vacation and flex-time, and parental leave
  • 401(k) and retirement account contributions
  • Relocation reimbursement
  • Signing bonus

How to start your career in Python development

If you’re ready to launch a career in Python development or looking for opportunities to upskill to boost your salary, our courses can help.

​​Our beginner-friendly Learn Python course covers the fundamentals of both Python and general programming concepts. If you’re interested in machine learning, check out our Build a Machine Learning Model with Python Skill Path, and Apply Natural Language Processing with Python is great for anyone interested in NLP. We also offer a course on the Basics of Blockchain with Python.

For those interested in data processing, we offer Visualize Data with Python, Analyze Data with Python, and Analyze Financial Data with Python.

If you’ve already applied for jobs and are at the interview stage, check out the course Pass the Technical Interview with Python. For more job-hunting advice, visit our Career Center.

Python Courses & Tutorials | Codecademy

Python is a general-purpose, versatile, and powerful programming language. It’s a great first language because it’s concise and easy to read. Whatever you want to do, Python can do it. From web development to machine learning to data science, Python is the language for you.

Lesson of the Day: ‘Inside a Home for L.G.B.T.Q. Seniors: “I Made Friends Here.”’

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Lesson of the Day: ‘Inside a Home for L.G.B.T.Q. Seniors: “I Made Friends Here.”’

In Greenwich Village, here in New York City, Christopher Park and Sheridan Square, and the area around the Stonewall Inn, is a place where the LGBT community gathered to celebrate our victories, to mourn our losses. But mostly, to protest. It was a place where the community felt comfortable and safe, because we were all among ourselves. Well, the 1960s, it was a city sport to attack gay people. We were the lowest of the scum of the Earth at that time. You’re sick. You’re a sinner. And some therapists said, well, if you get married, it’ll go away. We were thrown into a general category of people who needed to be cleaned up out of New York City. Well, I understand that we’re being picketed by a group of homosexuals. [laughter] The policy of the department is that we do not employ homosexuals knowingly. And if we discover homosexuals in our department, we discharge them. Homosexuality is a problem. And these people are really advocating that we don’t solve the problem. They’re advocating that we tolerate the problem. And I think these people are a fit subject for a mental health program. Our life was kind of isolated and secret. But everyone knew that Greenwich Village was where we hung out. Every type of gay person that existed in the city, at one night could really be found there. In this particular area here, it was kind of liberating to be myself. People who are younger may not remember what it was like to go to a gay bar in the 60s. It was a very special thing to go to a bar. Bars always were dark on the outside, in some kind of way, so people couldn’t see in. They never had names. Christopher Park was a touch seedy. It was a park across from Stonewall, so was occupied by the street kids, the drag queens, or whoever was around. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t beautiful. It was just a rest stop for people to talk and take a break from the bars, sometimes. There were always stories coming out of Stonewall. It was a dancing bar. At first, it was just a gay men’s bar, and they didn’t allow no women in. And then they started allowing women in, and then they let drag queens in. I was one of the first drag queens to go to that place. This area was the only real turf we had in the city. At the time, gay bars could not serve legally. So it was run by the mafia, and they paid off the police. But the police raided the bars all the time. We were afraid we would be arrested. But we went because we had no other place to go. June 28, 1969. It was a weekend. The neighborhood cops came in and they started pushing people. There was some commotion inside. Then there was the raid. Everybody just like, why the fuck are we doing all this for? I don’t know if it was the customers or it was the police. It just [makes snapping sound] everything clicked. We just was saying, no more police brutality, and we had enough police harassment in the village. Things escalated in different areas at the same time. A riot has movement and energy, and you’re not in one place to observe. What you ever observe is the place you’re in. And where you’re in, in two minutes could change. A drag queen had kicked a cop in the shoulder. The cop turned to us and did what they always did, and said, all right, you fags saw enough. The show’s over. Now get the fuck out of here. But for some reason, all of us, without telling each other, without communicating, even bodily, moved forward. All of a sudden, things were flying all over the place. The cops, they just panicked. We knew the land. They could not catch us. They could not trap us. They couldn’t arrest the leaders because we had none. They could do nothing but chase us. Two queens pulled a parking meter out of the ground, concrete and all, used it as a battering ram. Oh, it was so exciting. It was like, wow, we’re doing it. We’re doing it. The riot lasted for hours and hours. Finally, the first hint of dawn was coming. I sat down on a stoop. And I looked across and there was this other queen sitting on a stoop, exhausted. And six feet away on the fence was a cop, exhausted. No longer enemies, just exhausted people. And the first beginnings of the sun were catching all the smashed glass. It’s like diamonds lit up. It was one of most beautiful things I’d ever seen. Well, the next few nights really were a repetition of the rioting. All of a sudden, a lot of gay people appeared on the streets, in this whole area, not just in front of Stonewall. This was our neighborhood, and we weren’t going to let them take it away from us. We knew this is it. This is what we’ve been waiting for. After the uprising, the bar closed. And activists realized that this was a really important turning point. A year after the riots, that whole area by the Stonewall became the gathering point of the kickoff for the first gay pride parade. Craig Rodwell of the Oscar Wilde Bookshop putting up a sign in his window and saying, hey, kids, let’s put on a show. And they were going to commemorate Stonewall as an event. For lack of a better term, they branded it. It was our desire not to let any of this be forgotten. Sticking our torches in the ashes of the Stonewall, to say, we are walking away from the darkness of the bars. And we can have another life together. The remarkable first march I think brought a lot of us to our senses as to what we could do. And then, all of a sudden, everything seemed to be in place. [crowd noises] Everybody was into changing the system. But, there were a lot of drag queens behind the scenes that could not be seen in front, like myself or Marsha. The community is always embarrassed by the drag queens. It was always, we have to look part of their world. And that’s what really hurt. In many ways, the Stonewall became an icon and a beacon for the LGBTQ movement. People would head to Sheridan Square and gather in front of the Stonewall with their anger, their love, their concerns. And in the latest chapter of her war on homosexuals, Anita Bryant says she’s in favor of having homosexual acts treated as felonies, even though that might mean prison terms of as much as 20 years. We thought Anita Bryant was a threat to us, and we only became stronger. [crowd noises] Dan White has been found guilty of one count each of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The jury chose the least serious crime of the options given to them. Some 200 gays marched to Sheridan Square in the Village to stage a rally. [crowd noises] It will be a demonstration that will gather in Sheridan Square and march to the shoot site, where we will try to disrupt the filming in every legal way possible. We have to start laying our lives on the line if people are going to take us seriously, and this whole movement. We told you earlier that two men died and six others were wounded in a machine gun attack on two homosexual bars in the Village last night. Well, tonight about 1,500 people staged a march from Sheridan Square to those two bars. There were many gatherings at Sheridan Square, even though the Stonewall closed shortly after the uprising. For many years, there was a bagel place where the original Stonewall had been. You want a revolution with a schmear, we’d say. [crowd] Fight back, fight back, fight back, fight back. Take heart, take courage. You’re on the streets today. You’ll be on the streets again next year, and the year after, and the year after, until all of us have all of the freedoms. [crowd cheering] The number of AIDS cases here is doubling every two years. 10,116 people living in New York have gotten it. And more than half of them are already dead. You couldn’t go to the hospital. Some doctors weren’t going to treat you, so you’d see them walking around here, looking gaunt, very thin, wasting. And this is all we had, was the Village. I’ve learned, from the Stonewall Riots, that you have to keep fighting. And we have to stick together because there’s power in numbers. [crowd chanting] We say fight back. We say fight back. We’re here to say it’s not open season in this city on gays and lesbians. [crowd chanting] Hey, hey, ho, ho. Homophobia’s got to go. A lot of the bashing that goes on, I think has been made worse because of the threat of AIDS. June 1994, New York City, 25 years later, lesbians and gays from every state and a hundred countries fill the streets and stadiums. Thousands of people skipped the official parade and staged a protest march instead. Revelers gathered at the scene of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, and made their way up Fifth Avenue. The Fifth Avenue March, organized mostly by ACT UP, took place without a license. Because AIDS has largely been rendered invisible by the official Stonewall 25 establishment. They wanted to put a certain image on Stonewall 25 because they expected to attract a lot of money that way. The decision that Stonewall 25 made to exclude transsexuals and bisexuals as official participants in the March on the U.N. was a problematic decision. Don’t push us on the back of your history. We are part of this movement. I am proud to announce that Stonewall and its surrounding area are hereby added to the National Register of Historic Places as the first such historic site of national significance for lesbian and gay men in America. Good evening, everyone. History unfolding tonight in New York. The Empire State now the sixth and largest state to legalize same sex marriage. We really wanted to be in a place where history was made, as history is made. We come today because we want to value the people who were lost in Orlando, because whether we are happy, whether we are sad, this is where we come. The story of America is a story of progress. Sometimes we can mark that progress in special places, hallowed ground where our history was written. Well, one of these special places is the Stonewall Inn. Unveil the sign. We are here to celebrate and recognize the first national monument dedicated to the story of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, and their fight for equal rights. Stonewall National Monument is much wider than Christopher Park. The boundaries include some of the surrounding streets, where some of the participants in the uprising fled to during those nights of the event. Using a model, literally, of Civil War battlefields, because the battles took place on the streets around Stonewall, not just the bar building itself. In 1969, the Park was full of LGBTQ youth who had been kicked out on the street. And they’re seeing some activity, they’re seeing people get a little rowdy. What do they have to lose? So they were a huge part of it. I served in the Coast Guard under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy as someone who identifies as queer. Getting to wear the uniform and coming full circle, really was life changing. There’s nothing like walking on the street and knowing this is where this happened, this is where that happened. [crowd chanting] No wall. We want peace for all. We have fought. No one has given us this. No one has suddenly woken up one day and decided, oh, we think we’ll stop discriminating. We have demonstrated in the streets, come out to our friends, and families, and bosses to demand respect. We have fought for our dignity and our rights. And maybe most of all, we have had to fight for our own self-respect in the face of a world telling us we are sick, disgusting, lawbreaking human beings. It is a wonder that any of us have survived. Whenever we have Pride, I don’t feel like celebrating because we don’t have justice, especially the trans community and women of color. We’ve won many battles. But unfortunately, the war still keeps on. And you’re not only fighting for yourself. You’re fighting for the people coming behind you. One of the things that I’ve learned from the gay movement is that the things that you think are going to take five years, take 50 years. That in fact, hearts, and minds, and politics change very slowly. I had this sentiment that it was already our monument, before it got the National Park Service designation. We just knew. [crowd chanting] What have you got? Gay power. What have you got? Gay power. Gay power.

What Do You Think Are the Secrets to a Long Life?

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What Do You Think Are the Secrets to a Long Life?

Do you believe there is a “secret” to extending life? Or is life expectancy more random, determined largely by luck, fate or a “plan” ordained by a higher power?

In “At 119, She Was a Symbol of How to Live With Wit and Vitality,” the Times reporters Mike Ives, Hisako Ueno and Makiko Inoue write about Kane Tanaka, who, before she died last week in Japan at 119, was the world’s oldest person:

In September 2019, the mayor of Fukuoka, Japan, made a pilgrimage to see Kane Tanaka at her nursing home. She was 116 years old then and fielded questions from a gaggle of reporters with the cocky confidence of a prizefighter.

What, they asked, was the secret to living so long?

“Being myself,” she said.

Happiest moment?

“Now!”

Best diet for staying healthy?

“Appreciate anything I eat.” She had developed a taste for chocolate and Coca-Cola on an American military base and regularly consumed fizzy drinks for a half-century.

When Ms. Tanaka died last week at 119, not far from the now-shuttered base in the southern city of Fukuoka, she was the world’s oldest person and had lived seven years longer than the oldest American veteran of World War II.

In Japan, which has the world’s oldest population, Ms. Tanaka had become a symbol of how to age gracefully and fend off cancer and other ailments. Deep into her 12th decade, visitors found her to be not just alert, but vivacious and irrepressibly funny.

The reporters wrote of the end of Ms. Tanaka’s life:

Ms. Tanaka is survived by at least five grandchildren and at least eight great-grandchildren. Her husband, who had dementia, died of cancer in 1993 at 90. Their eldest son died in 2005, and their younger one, Tsuneo, died five years ago.

The oldest person in Japan is now Fusa Tatsumi, a woman who turned 115 on Monday, according to the Health Ministry. A 118-year-old nun who lives in France and is known as Sister André is now the world’s oldest person, said Yvonne Zhang, a spokeswoman for Guinness World Records.

When Fukuoka’s mayor, Soichiro Takashima, visited Ms. Tanaka in 2019, he asked how much longer she wanted to live. She replied that she hadn’t thought about it. “I don’t feel like I will die,” she said.

After she retired in her late 70s, Ms. Tanaka occupied herself by doing domestic chores and visiting relatives in Japan and the United States. She stayed sharp in part by reading newspapers, doing math problems and playing Othello and other board games.

“She hated losing,” her grandson said.

She was in and out of the hospital for months before her death. Even when she was ill, her grandson said, she would talk about wanting to eat chocolate or drink Coke or Oronamin C Drink, a Japanese soda.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

  • Ms. Tanaka said the secret to living so long is “Being myself.” Do you think there is a “trick” to living a long, full life, such as having strong friendships, a spiritual or religious practice, engaging hobbies and passions, a healthy diet or a specific mind-set or disposition? Or is it simply good genetics? Is it a combination of these factors?

  • According to the article, Ms. Tanaka kept her sharp wit in part by reading newspapers, doing math problems and playing board games. How conscious are you about how your actions today may affect you in old age? Do you do anything to keep your mind and health in top shape?

  • Do you ever think about what your life might look like several decades down the road? Would you want to live well into your 100s like Ms. Tanaka? Why or why not?

  • In the article, Shinichi Oshima, the president of the Japan Foundation for Aging and Health, said, “it’s important to build social systems in which elderly people are fully accepted and can carry out a prosperous life.” Do you think society respects its oldest citizens? Do we do all we can to care for them and help them thrive? If not, what could we do better?

  • Do you spend a lot of time around older adults? How would you describe their lives and personalities? What do you think are their secrets to living so long?

Going to LTUK2022? My Guide on Which vendors to check out

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Going to LTUK2022? My Guide on Which vendors to check out

It’s May 2022, which means the kickoff for the L&D and Training community to attend the biggest trade shows/expos in the industry. LTUK, the best in Europe and UK – and does attract an international audience, and ATD which grabs an international audience with the majority being from the U.S (the guide to see whom your should consider is next week.

The challenge with each of these events is that there are a lot of vendors pitching their systems, content, consulting firm, e-learning tool and other items, and you as the person walking the floor doesn’t necessarily know who to look at, who to seriously consider and who to avoid.

Sure you may have a short list based you X factors, but once you start to walk around, it is easy to be overwhelmed.

You will get that book of the vendors in their which you attempt to match to the app each show offers, then get frustrated and seek the recycle bin. As part of your package, sponsors of the shows will shove their stuff in these said bags – save time, and go to the recycle bin. I always found it interesting that a vendor will say all the pluses about caring for the planet and the environment and then turnaround and put a paper material in your bag. I have never met anyone who was so enticed they went to that booth, after reading that material, assuming they read it.

The Guide of Me

Forget the guide, and go with the guide of me. Expert 101. It is like having me on your app, or in your brain, whichever works for you.

I see a lot of vendors each year, and see all types of pitches. I track over 1,400 learning systems around the world. Over 100 course publishers. Over two dozen authoring tools and over 300 e-learning solutions – for the corporate side of the house.

When I attend a show, I know who is good, who is a time waster, who has no clue about the industry, and who gets a lot of attention, and will waste your time with amazing pitches and very little in the system.

This is my list of the vendors you should consider checking out. Granted there are always additional variables out there, and you may say, well, I need a system that can talk to me and ask me where to find the nearest Burger place.

Well, I can tell you that does not exist. Even if they did, could you really trust a learning system with your food options?

I bounced over to the LTUK exhibitors web site, and my G-D was it confusing, just like their map of vendor location (wait until you see it), their mobile app location of booths, and that booklet that is impossible to read when you have all that other stuff in your hands.

They could have just said “Learning Systems” and shoved all the LMS, LXP, learning platforms, skills platforms, coaching platforms, under the category, but NOOOOO.

Under Tags

I see learning management – two vendors, learning management software (huh?) – one vendor, learning management system- seven vendors, learning platform – five vendors, learning platforms – one vendor and I won’t even get to the LXP space. My gut says they received the tags from the vendors themselves, which if so, tells me that whomever oversees marketing, needs a crash course in marketing their system.

I clicked on Talent and HCM, and can tell you that nobody would confuse Civica with say an actual HCM. The majority of these vendors are not talent management systems, let alone an HCM. If you tell folks you are an HCM, and you want said folks looking only for learning, congrats you can say goodbye to landing them. Customer Ed? No way. I have never seen Civica as a talent management nor HCM. Workday? HCM. Cornerstone – assuming you buy every module HCM. SumTotal – you buy every mod – HCM. Lawson? HCM. SAP? HCM and ERP and the list goes on.

As you can see, those amazing categories, are not the way to go when finding the right solution for you.

Forget the categories, let’s go right to my list.

Learning Systems that you should consider (always based on your factors, which I do not know, but this is my take based on what I know about each)

  • Absorb – Top 10 learning system for 2022. Targets employees and customer education – thus a combo. Best to purchase multiple modules from them – LMS, Engage, and Analytics. Strong in Enterprise, customer education, SMB too. They are on FindAnLMS.com – so you can compare them with other vendors if you so choose to. FindAnLMS.com is my platform, independent too.
  • 5App – I’m on the fence with them. They are not there yet IMO, and the pitch is a bit wonky. If I was at the show, I would check them out. A work in progress. I’m intrigued.
  • Access LMS – Outstanding in the FS space, ideal for Enterprise though. I can see them at mid-market too. You are buying them for their elite compliance and regulatory feature sets, not for social which is lacking nor NexGen which is lacking. Their mobile app which comes with the system, rocks. Especially the quiz component. If you ask, they will include FS specific courses/content when you buy. They may charge extra. Tell them, Craig Weiss says I should get it for free. Probably won’t work, but hey, who knows! They are on FindAnLMS.com too. Top 10 Learning System for 2022.
  • Area9 Lyceum – Truly an adaptive learning platform, well that is the spin anyway. It is a learning platform with a different UI/UX angle. It comes with an authoring tool, which they think rocks, I found it severely lacking. Analytics are tied around their whole AL angle, which again, some of it is interesting, some isn’t. Loves to push the whole brain research aspect, which is a common thread with so-called, Adaptive learning platforms. Anyway, if you are into the adaptive learning approach, definitely check them out. They are the best for that side of the house but don’t buy into the whole NexGen angle – if they push it. I didn’t see it. Remember AI is machine learning, not a robot that brings you the remote.
  • Bridge – Ideal for small businesses, mid-market, and some Enterprises. They do customer education too, so total combo. I love the “factoid” capability and the UX for the admin side is super easy – which is a huge win, especially for folks who are new to the learning system space and find some systems back-end to be challenging. Not a fan of the slide angle for an authoring tool, but you can add-on a strong authoring tool called Gomo. The analytics are solid. They offer a few add-ons, if you so choose. The wonky angle is that their e-commerce is tied into Shopify, so yea you get e-commerce for free, but pay for the Shopify account. A nice plus – they will help you with the setup, which is huge. Definitely a top 20 learning system.

Call-Out

Bookboon Learning. They pitch that they are known as the Netflix for Corporate learning. To whom exactly? I’ve seen them a couple of times, and each time I am intrigued but equally confused. I call them out, because if they push Netflix because they have a lot of content – the system that is, which isn’t free, then I’m the Great Library of Alexandria of ancient Egypt. And Voodoo is Anubis the Pittie.

Back to my List

  • Civica – First they are not an HCM. Nobody would think, Civica? HCM! They are a learning platform that has nice capabilities. This is a nice system. Top 20 Learning System. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com.
  • CoachHub – Another system that has let marketing push them as a talent development platform. Which is nice and confusing. A coaching platform. That is what they are. I’ve taken an in-depth look at the whole certification of the coaches angle, and well, it plays well. Anyway, the system is pretty strong in various areas as a coaching platform. Coaching BTW is not the same as mentoring, which I believe is better for employees including blue-collar.
  • Cornerstone LMS – As a learning system, Cornerstone gets a bad rap. Competitors have done a great job pushing them as “traditional, old school, legacy”, even though the LMS is #1 in skills development capabilities (my template, over 80%), NexGen Tier 4 – in my leader’s section, robust in other capabilities, good mobile app. The system comes with Content Anytime, the course marketplace (you still pay for the content/courses), and has LXP capabilities too. It needs to improve the data visualization on the analytics side and update the UI/UX there as well. The funny thing about those vendors pushing Cornerstone as traditional – most do not have a content marketplace, most are poor in skills development capabilities, and most are sub-par for Nexgen. As I always say, Google arrived in 1996, and nobody says they are traditional. Top 10 Learning System for 2022, can be found on FindAnLMS.com
  • Cypher Learning – MATRIX. NEO and INDIE. All three are virtually the same system, just an FYI. A minor tweak or two, but that’s about it. MATRIX is the corporate version, NEO is EdTech, Indie is for training providers. I prefer MATRIX, simply from the corporate side, but they also have EdTech clients on MATRIX. I am unsure about the cannibalization of each brand to one another, but that is for another discussion. Very easy to use, lots of features and capabilities. Not a buy for skills development, and this point. Very affordable. Ideal for SMB, but yes they have Enterprise and Large Enterprise too. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com
  • D2L – A wonderful learning system. Lots of functionality and capabilities. I love the Bongo deep integration with the system. They sell a Corporate version and an EdTech version. I’m referring to Corporate here. They have a weakness though, the UI/UX needs an upgrade/enhancement, but if you can handle the “work in progress” on that side, this is a very robust system. I think they get a knock because they are known more for EdTech, which is a shame. Top 20 Learning System for 2022. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com.
  • Degreed. A very good learning system. Skills wise – capabilities are very strong, and the UI/UX is quite good. Degreed Intelligence (an add-on, fee-based) is good, the gold though is Guidebooks which comes with it. The Coach aspect is fair and lacks key functionality, and Opportunities (another add-on) is a winner (but only if you want job role postings internally tied to skills). Metrics out of the box are okay. Some good, some UI upgrades are needed. Top Two Learning System for 2022. Big fan. Can be found in FindAnLMS.com.
  • Docebo. Another very solid learning system. The downside – is way too many add-ons. I still am baffled on why “Discovery, Coach, and Share” is an additional cost – for Learn. It is a nice add-on, and the coaching side (which is not full coaching), Discovery of Content (it is not their AI- which I heard in a pitch), and sharing are overall good. I like the expert angle. Learning Analytics is far superior to what comes with the system, but it is too an add-on. Docebo Flow is intriguing, another add-on. Skills capabilities so far are fair, not a strength. Top 10 Learning System for 2022. Docebo Connect, another add-on is very cool, but not a fit for everyone. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com
  • EdCast TXP – They pitch themselves as an LXP, which doesn’t do them justice. They are a very good learning system, a true TXP – Talent Dev Plus LXP, with some LMS functionality out of the box. Another vendor with add-ons. Their advanced analytics solution is very good, ideal for Large Enterprises. They are fully integrated within MS Teams – and wait, is far better than Microsoft’s Viva Learning that is built within MS Teams. They have a product similar to Connect, an API connection solution, whereas you select the APIs to connect to (based on a selection available), and then whammo – it’s nice. Skills Studio is a win, albeit the UI needs to improve. Top two Learning System for 2022 (it was a tie). Number one Learning System in 2021. A big fan of them too. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com – If you are intersted in seeing how Degreed, EdCast, and Fuse matchup – read my post on all three.
  • Eurekos – A very modern learning system in the customer education market. Has a lot coming down the pipe as I say, but every time I see them, they get better and better. One of the few vendors in the entire industry, that bills monthly – thus you only pay for X per month is true. Very affordable. Great for all sizes of companies. Top 15 Learning System for 2022. Number two learning system for the customer education space for 2022. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com.
  • Fuse – Number one learning system for 2022. Human-Centric to the tilt. Best for employees, Enterprise 5,000 end users and up. Although 2,500 and up will work quite well too. Metrics are the best in the industry, hands-down. UI/UX is getting an upgrade, which will be nice. I’ve written far more on them, in my Top 10 Learning Systems post. A personal fav. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com.
  • Learn Amp – Number three Learning System for 2022. UI/UX is definitely different than the rest of the industry. Love this system, but the lack of a mobile app drives me up the wall. Skills development is a work in progress. Top system for mid-market. Strong in Enterprise. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com.

Let’s show more

For space purposes, this isn’t Moby Dick here, my list of other vendors is worthy of a checkout.

  • enabley – Lots to love. So much potential it oozes like a slice of vegan cheese on a pizza. Seriously though, my “watching you” vendor for 2022. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com
  • eLearning Brothers – Rockstar LP – up and coming system. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com.
  • IMC Learning Suite – Needs a UI/UX upgrade, but other than that, nice system. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com.
  • Juno Journey – Outstanding learning system. Another true TXP. UI/UX is far different than the industry as a whole, but this system rocks. Top 20 for 2022. Big win – on top of the ability to select skills, you can also select interests. I love that. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com.
  • LearnUpon – Another top 20 learning system for 2022. Ideal for 900 or less employees. Feature-wise, quite strong. Plays Enterprise and association too. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com.

Call out

LinkedIn Learning – Overrated. Overrated. The content is so-so, but folks overall love it. I question how long someone can watch a video, err series of videos in one sitting or even 10. Some content is outdated. The Hub angle? Please, it is like four features. Here is my review on LinkedIn Learning with the Hub. They have the money to make this system be AWESOME, but they are not doing that. I guess, they figure you will buy them, because of their name. Great social platform (although the streams thing has to go), but the learning platform is a whole other story.

Back to my list

  • Netex Learning Cloud – Another wonderful system for the 900 or fewer employees market. Definitely worth a check. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com.
  • Odlio – Befuddling is one word to describe this platform. By far the most content assets in the industry (all fee-based, it is a buy a seat get access to everything angle). The Learner side is rich, luxurious, just amazing. The Learning Experience (their term) page is yuck. Admin is solid. Very expensive system, another major bummer. I keep waiting for them to make some changes – if they do, another story. Definitely worth a watch.
  • Skillshub – Are they number one for skills development capabilities? The answer is no, but the UI/UX is solid, the system offers a lot of capabilities and has a lot of potential. Clearly a top 50 learning system.
  • Tesseract – KREDO is the system to check out here. 900 or fewer employees – winner. Plays solid with Enterprise. Top 25 Learning System. A lot to like. Easy to use, feature-rich. Continues to get better. Check them out on FindAnLMS.com.
  • Thinkqi – Another system that adds to the unknown world. Nice system, nice capabilities, someone to consider and explore. Another potential, just waiting to break thru. Needs some tweaks and enhancements.
  • Valamis – Once they pushed themselves as customer ed focused, now that message has disappeared. Makes sense, especially after acquiring a system that plays more on the employee dev side. Not an LXP, another marketing push they once did. Just a very solid system. A work in progress IMO, with a lot, lacking, but enough I think for a good swath of folks. Metrics are solid. Can be found on FindAnLMS.com

Other Solutions

  • OpenSesame – Awesome content aggregator
  • GO1 – Another wonderful content aggregator
  • Watershed LRS – I use them for my new FindContent platform – yep, an LRS in FindContent’s course platform. Big fan.
  • Rustici Software – A lot of vendors use them for their learning systems. Big-time winner.
  • Training Orchestra – A true training management system – i.e. focus on scheduling first and foremost. Can find them on FindAnLMS.
  • StoryTagger – Hard to explain, honestly, have to see it – I think more of a storyteller type of solution, you can judge.
  • LTG – PeopleFluent. Gomo. Instilled. Bridge and the list goes on for learning systems. Not sure what is at their booth, but they also own Rustici and Watershed LRS. This is more of an FYI than anything else. Wonderful group of people there.
  • dominKnow – Cloud-based authoring tool. Very good. Can be a tad cumbersome for some folks, just because it can do a lot. ID folks will love it. Beginners can do quite a bit too. Outstanding help too.
  • BetterUp – Mental well-being system.
  • iAM Learning – Nice course/content provider
  • Course Merchant – An E-commerce solution, that can take your courses and content and show it off is a very slick way if you so choose. This is for learning first and foremost.
  • iSpring – Very easy to use authoring tool. They also sell an LMS that is ideal for 500 or fewer employees.
  • Articulate – Storyline dominates here. If you are an ID or e-learning developer this is a tool you should have in your toolbox (along with dominKnow). For beginners, limitations – I mean, you can create stuff, because they took Studio and basically shoved it in here, but to take it to a whole new level, you need to have e-learning development experience. Still a top-tier authoring tool.

Bottom Line

If you have never attended LTUK, you are in for a treat. Wonderful show, with speed bumps. If you are staying out by ExCel which many do since they show is there, you will get to experience the lack of restaurants in the area, the sound of the airplanes landing at the London City airport (trust me, they start early, and go later than what they tell you), and the thrill of paying a lot to go into London or any of the areas around it for a meal.

My recommendation is to download the GETT app (which is like Uber but for black cabs) and use that. It is the app I use when I am in London, which is a lot. Never pay out of pocket in a black cab, which is now all different colors, but that’s another discussion.

If you are staying in the city, and landing at London Heathrow, take the London Express (a train from there) and be in the city in 20 minutes. You will thank me later.

Anyone who attended past LTUK shows at Olympia can tell you, that the ExCel experience is far better.

That’s the plus of it all.

The exhibition navigation and vendors to explore is well,

Something entirely else.

This is why, my guide for systems and solutions to check out, will help you greatly.

Far more than the book they provide.

Or the app for that matter too.

Happy booth searching!

E-Learning 24/7

Google launches new entry-level digital marketing and e-commerce certificate on Coursera, announces scholarship program

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Google launches new entry-level digital marketing and e-commerce certificate on Coursera, announces scholarship program

By Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer at Coursera

Today, we are pleased to announce a new entry-level Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate from Google. The certificate is designed to prepare learners to launch a career in digital marketing and e-commerce. No prior degree or industry experience is required for the certificate, and it can be completed in under 6 months with 10 hours per week of study.

The new program comes as businesses increasingly move operations and sales online, igniting demand for digital marketing and e-commerce talent across industries. In the next decade alone, an estimated 70% of new value created in the global economy will be based on digitally enabled platform business models.

The seven-course certificate is designed to equip learners in less than six months with the in-demand skills for jobs in this growing sector, including digital marketing specialist, e-commerce specialist, and marketing coordinator. Taught by Google experts, the program teaches how to develop digital marketing and e-commerce strategies, attract customers, measure marketing and customer activity, and build successful e-commerce stores. Learners will also gain hands-on experience with key workplace tools such as Canva, Constant Contact, Hootsuite, HubSpot, MailChimp, Shopify, Twitter, and Google. The certificate costs $39 per month.

Upon completion, learners in the US will have access to a job platform where they can directly apply for jobs at 150+ employers committed to hiring from a skilled, diverse talent pool, including Crate & Barrel, Deloitte, Infosys, Wayfair, Verizon, and Google.

“Technology continues to drive economic growth and job opportunities. It’s essential that both job seekers and companies have access to the skills needed to grow an online presence and unlock new areas of economic potential,” said Lisa Gevelber, Founder, Grow with Google. “Google is thrilled to help through our Digital Marketing and E-commerce Certificate and our commitment to enable every American business to upskill their employees at no cost.” 

To help businesses get the critical skills they need to thrive and to help employees grow their careers, Google is offering eligible enterprises in the U.S. up to 500 scholarships for employees to take Google Professional Certificates on Coursera. To learn more about the offering, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, go to: https://www.coursera.org/google-certificates-for-business 

The new digital marketing and e-commerce certificate joins a growing catalog of Google entry-level programs on Coursera that include IT support, data analytics, project management, and UX design. We are proud to continue our partnership with Google to further expand access to key skills needed to launch quality careers in expanding digital fields. 

Enroll in the Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate on Coursera today.

Free May 2022 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

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Free May 2022 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

Free May 2022 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

Free May 2022 wallpaper is here!

Bright stars on a clear night sky are one of the most stunning views. Now you can have them every day on your computer or phone screen with May’s Free Wallpaper! I hope it will give you hot summer night vibes during those colder spring days.

Each wallpaper download from May 2022 includes:

  • Desktop wallpaper x3 (plain, with the calendar, and with a quote)
  • Phone wallpaper x2 (plain and with a quote)
  • Tablet wallpaper
  • Instagram ready quote

As always, May’s free wallpaper comes with two different mobile phone layouts. They are great to use at once – the simple version for your phone background and the one with a quote for the lock screen.

Quote for May 2022

This month’s theme needed a cosmic quote. However, I wanted to keep it simple. Because of that, I went with a well-known statement about the stars. Let it guide you in those a little bit darker days as they are sometimes needed to help us appreciate all the good things that happen.

Without darkness, there are no stars - may quote

Without darkness, there are no stars

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

Free May 2022 Wallpaper & Instagram quote

Looking for more? Check our previous wallpapers!

The free download includes three desktop options – one with the calendar and one without the calendar, and one with a quote. There is also a wallpaper for tablets and two options for the phone. We have also included an Instagram-ready square with the weekly quote.

Free May Wallpaper on different devices

FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.

NOTE: this template is available as a free download through May 31, 2022 only. After that, a $5 download fee applies.

What font is it?

If you are curious about what font has been used this month, let me help! It is my all-time favorite Cosmopolitan (make sure to check it out as it comes with a few different styles and lots of extras!) and a futuristic sans font called Outer.

If you are looking for some new fonts for your collection, make sure to check 6 Hottest New Fonts for 2022.

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!

Word of the Day: monotonous

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Word of the Day: monotonous

The word monotonous has appeared in 48 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 5 in “What Daily Routine Videos Actually Show Us” by Sophie Haigney:

An entire half of her day has been compressed into 40 seconds and uploaded to TikTok, where it has been played more than 11 million times and more than 2.7 million people have liked it. It is a prime example of the genre I have come to think of as a “routine vlog,” in which people memorialize, in great detail, how they spend their time …

They are fascinating insofar as they document the minutiae of someone’s life — no detail is too small, even the 60 seconds devoted to drinking water. There’s a voyeurism in seeing how someone spends her time, down to the length of her showers. And yet the vlogs are also curiously devoid of real intimacy. Most tread the same unrevelatory territory: skin care, showers, healthful meals, hydration, waking up and going to sleep. If they are mesmerizing, it’s because they are so monotonous they lull the viewer into a kind of rhythmic stupor. They depict days that all pass in much the same way, broken, from morning to night, into intervals of minutes.

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

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try one of our monthly vocabulary challenges.

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.

What’s Going On in This Picture? | May 2, 2022

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What’s Going On in This Picture? | May 2, 2022

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 Thursday afternoon. 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.

Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Lead Poisoning, Mindfulness, Community

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Weekly Accessible Learning Activities: Lead Poisoning, Mindfulness, Community

Each Wednesday we shine a spotlight on five student activities that support a broad range of learners. In this week’s roundup of accessible activities, we invite students to learn about the history of lead poisoning, reflect on their relationship with mindfulness and meditation, make observations about a photograph, write a short story or poem and share how they come together with their community.

Note: To learn more about this new weekly feature, read our introductory post. Please share your thoughts in the comments section or by emailing us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.

1. Learn about the history and risks of lead in pipes and paint.

This Lesson of the Day teaches students about the history and dangers of lead poisoning. After reading the article, they will study a graph to see how lead affects people nationwide, and then specifically in their region.

2. Reflect on mindfulness.

In this Student Opinion, students will do a five-minute meditation and share how they feel after meditating. Then, they can share what role mindfulness plays in their daily life and if there are other things they do to feel grounded. Students can share their responses with classmates or in the comments section.

3. What’s Going On in This Picture?

Students can test out their observational skills as they look at a photograph, stripped of its caption, and try to figure out what’s happening in the image. They can share their observations in the comments section and read what the moderators and other young people have to say about the picture.

4. Write a story inspired by an image.

In this Picture Prompt, students will look closely at an image from The Times. Then, they will write a story or poem inspired by the image, or share what the image reminds them of. They can share their writing in the comments section.

5. Share the ways you gather with your community.

Students will travel to San Antonio, Texas, and learn about Fiesta, a celebration with roots dating back to 1891. Then they will respond to the question: How do you come together with your community?

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