Using Past Papers for A Level Physics Revision

Using Past Papers for A Level Physics Revision Power of the Past Paper ChaptersLook at the Mark SchemeDon’t Forget the Chief Examiner's ReportGet to Know the Exam Paper Inside OutStudy With FriendsTest ConditionsFinding Past PapersPast papers are an essential revision tool. They are the best way to find the areas that you need to improve on. Finding the gaps in your knowledge in preparation for your exams will leave you feeling confident. Past Papers are a way of testing yourself and ensuring that your revision is paying off.They are the closest thing you'll get to a practice run of the exam itself and will help you get to grips with exam technique.Do every past paper you can find, as many times as you can. Getting used to the past papers will help you to understand the way your subject is structured. There is so much you can get from past papers to really set you up for success.Here’s our tips on getting the most out of A Level physics past papers.Even if you know your topic inside out, it doesn't mean you will get the marks if you don't know what the marker is looking for. Exam papers are more than just what you know, how you write that down counts too!Be succinct in your answers, don't waffle on with descriptive words. The examiner is looking for key points that efficiently and correctly answer the question. Think explanation not description.Self-marking your past papers against the mark scheme will also help you spot areas where you have gaps in your knowledge and so can help focus your revision efforts.Check here for a physics maths tutor here.Find A level physics past papers online. (Photo credit: David Feltkamp via VisualHuntDon’t Forget the Chief Examiner's ReportThink of the chief examiner's report like a cheat-sheet on what not to do on an exam. The report compiles comments from all examiners in one year and details the most common mistakes students make and what they did wrong.These are really useful as they let you know what examiners are looking for. By reading through them, you can learn what not to do, and wha t mistakes you need to avoid.While you won’t know exactly what will come up on your exam it is good practice to get into the exam mindset, thinking of how the questions will be marked so you can effectively demonstrate your knowledge on the paper.Use your papers as motivation; if you didn't get a great score on one, don't panic. Use this as motivation to go and revise and learn about the topics you struggled with in the paper. If you got a good score then don't hesitate to write your score on the front of the paper in bold pen. Keep it somewhere where you'll see it daily. It will serve as a great confidence booster if you're ever feeling overwhelmed by all of your revision.Finding Past PapersYou can find past papers and chief examiner reports on the website of your exam board.There you'll find past papers from previous years and there will also usually be papers from summer exams and resit periods so there will be plenty to practice with.Good luck and happy practising!How to revis e for your physics exam.

Kick-Start Your Music Career With These 3 Tips

Kick-Start Your Music Career With These 3 Tips Suzy S. SXSW took over Austin this past weekend, and we cant wait to see what great new music rises up to the top!   Over the years, the festival has become one of the most important events of the music industry, giving both the opportunity and the atmosphere for aspiring artists to get ahead in the game.   Many of todays top talents were discovered there in past years, including John Mayer and Bon Iver. Are you ready to join in and share your own talents?   If a career in music is in your future, its time to get serious.   It requires more than just practicing for hours on end in your room at some point, youll need to sit down, set goals and then get yourself out there.   Here are 3 essential tips we found on the String Vision website that are worth noting: 1. Commit to the Long Haul Don’t buy into the myth of overnight success or the lucky break. The idea of being discovered on YouTube, landing a record deal, a manager, and being set-up for long-term success is simply a fantasy.   Success is a process and a journey, and you need to be in it for long haul. Getting a lot of performance experience is crucial and most musicians must book their own performances in order to gain the needed experience. So if the next goal is to gain additional performance experience, what can you do about it this week, this month, this year?  Long-term career goals are realized through everyday choices about the use of time, talents, energy and money. Whether you’re just starting out or are in midstream, these everyday choices are critical. 2. Clarify Your Intent So, what exactly is your dream? What is your desired future and your long-term goal? If a fairy godmother were to appear suddenly and bonk you on the head with her magic wand, what would you ask for? Write down your answers. Detail what you plan to be doing professionally. Consider how you want to be involved musically in your immediate community. Be specific and concrete about your future goals, because you will need to think strategically about how to reach them. Write everything down â€" it will help motivate you to act on your goals. 3. Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses Career advancement involves two kinds of work: the internal and the external. The internal work is about self-reflection and assessment. The external work focuses on research and networking. To help with the internal work, think about your strengths, weaknesses and your reputation.   For example, how would colleagues and mentors describe not only your abilities music-wise, but your interpersonal skills, teamwork and leadership abilities?   Are you known as someone who is easy to work with, who shows up on time and is well-prepared?   Ask people whose professional opinions you value, such as coaches or former teachers and be prepared for honesty.   Take time to think it all over carefully. It takes maturity to ask for and to process this kind of critical feedback. Humility and objectivity are called for and these are the characteristics of a committed professional. Whats the best music career advice youve received?   What are you doing to ensure your own success?   Leave a comment on our Facebook page and join the discussion! Like these posts?   Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!   Click here to subscribe. You might also like 7 Tips for Working as a Freelance Musician 4 Things to May Be Doing Wrong At Gigs Do You Have What it Takes to be a Successful Musician? Photo by myfuture.com

Online Tutoring Services on a Budget The 5-Step Approach the Tutors

Online Tutoring Services on a Budget The 5-Step Approach the Tutors Online tutoring is for those who are crazy about hiring a tutor online for their subjects and want to show up their best in academics. You have lots and lots of expenses and you need to spend considerably on hiring online tutoring too. Online tutoring has been in the top over years but it consumes much of your money with your incessant hunt for quality tutors. You are in a fix but cannot go without tutoring as well. Have this 5 step approach the tutors to fix online tutors on your budget. 1. Define what you want in online tutoring and kick start your search Everybody’s demands differ. You need to decide what you want from a virtual tutor. Take Math. You may be weak in Math. Math contains various areas like problem solving, formula learning, conceptual understanding, methods of solving word problems, computational skills and addressing psychological drawbacks in attending classes. Fix what you need. If it is a homework solution, approach a tutoring center that offers best solutions in limited time at affordable rates. Your job is done and you are straight up to the next task with a stress free mind. Suppose your need help for a Science project, get the quotation from a tutor or center and check whether their strategies suit your needs and you can rely on them for completing the task on time. Sit for a demo or two with them and ensure that your project is sure to get ready through their hands. 2. Select the right online tutor who shows the direction to success Compare rates, check the background and make the right choice of online tutor for your requirements. There are many tutors who offer tutoring at affordable rates but they may bring students together in a pool and may not provide that one on one attention. Seeking quality tutors at budget rates is necessary. Your requirement in Algebra cannot be met with by a tutor who has less knowledge in the subject. Specified knowledge in the subject is a must for your success in getting tutoring support. 3. Rock heaven and earth for best online assignment help You can even move heaven and earth for your assignment writing help. You know why? Assignments are the helping tools for a teacher to gauge your performance. You also review your understanding through assignments in subjects. Do you have time to sit for an intricate literary appreciation or an Economics topic analysis? Math gives you lots of troubles with its problems and theorems. So, it is advisable and prudent to approach an online tutoring center in search of best assignment help. You get tons of suggestions for writing good essays, proofreading and enriching vocabulary. @TutorPace Offers 10% Discount on Online #Assignment Help for Improved Grades http://t.co/P1NO7BttIg #backtoschool pic.twitter.com/vJs9iihJwU â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) September 10, 2015 Suppose you want to edit your essays, the online writers do them on the spot and offer suggestions for embellishing your style. This helps you ease into assignment writing next time. Your money is guaranteed and your mission is completed. You are ready with assignments and also with tips and strategies for future follow up. Great. 4. Discounts and offers map out success in hiring tutors Suppose you want to get tutoring on a shoe string and try to find affordable online tutors, you move on with ways and means through the web for best deals in the matter. You can visit sites that offer seasonal discounts and rebates. Some give out long term benefits like two or three months package with discounts. You need to apply your mind in the choice of such deals. What you want from the online tutoring centers? a short term goal or a long term benefit? Fix the tutor accordingly. Tutor Pace Offers 25% Discount On 3 Months Plan For High School Students | PRUnderground https://t.co/6Z00bFUGj8 â€" Tutor Pace (@TutorPace) April 27, 2016 You may want just a day or two’s tutoring for a subject. Or a hand for helping in exam prep for a week.  Get the best deal like limited period offers, 10% discount or so for online tutoring in a particular subject and get it done in a few days’ time. Or get exam prep help in a package and make the most of your exam preparation. Suppose, you want to start from the scratch and you need some firm support   from   subject experts, make it with monthly packages on a long term basis and choose the best deal there available. 5. Brainstorm with tutors for desired outputs It is clapping two hands that could make a loud sound. You should also be ready to sit with the tutor, express your requirements and get ready for classes on time to get targeted outputs. You need to brainstorm with online tutors to extract the exact information you desire from them and to get on well in online classes with in-depth subject clarity. It is not just sticking to the comfort of home with tech support that can enhance your learning atmosphere. You need to think, prepare queries to be shot at the tutor, participate in his class with interest and thus get involved in the tutoring session for better results. Conclusion Hiring an online tutor has become the buzz of the day. Choose your need and thus can prove smart in your deals in hiring online tutoring. Check the background of the tutor or tutorial and make sure you are hiring the right person. Ensure whether you are for short term goals or long ones and hire accordingly. Make your best deal through tutoring centers that offer discounts. Hire the best assignment writer in the industry. He gives a package of tips for your future follow up. You really benefit from his strategies and can head for better writing styles in future. Brainstorm your sessions with the tutor to get the best out of him. So, you are ready for the best deals in the industry through right choice of online tutoring centers with an eye for their best deals. Education is indispensable, true. You can be smart in taking decisions that do not affect your pocket but get you the best desired results in your learning.

How to Learn Guitar Setting Goals, Staying Motivated, and More

How to Learn Guitar â€" Setting Goals, Staying Motivated, and More Suzy S. Ready to pick up a guitar and start learning to play? Great! Get ready to start your musical journey with this sound advice from guitar teacher Jerry W. Learning an instrument takes more than desire alone. Many people excitedly begin learning guitar, but before long the guitar is packed away in the closet and forgotten. What can you do to make sure this doesnt happen to you? How can you stay motivated as you learn to play guitar? What is the fastest way to learn guitar? Setting SMART Goals Most people  who dont reach their goals fail because they did not set “SMART” goals. SMART goals are: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time sensitive. The fastest way to learn guitar is to have SMART goals. Specific â€" It is not enough to say, “My goal is to play guitar.” You need to focus your goal and set specific smaller goals and action steps. What type of guitar do you want to play? Electric, acoustic or classical? What styles of music do you want to play? Also, consider setting goals for specific skills such as strumming proficiency, number of chords memorized, learning chords in more than one position on the guitar, scales, reading music, reading tablature, learning lead guitar “licks”, learning finger picking patterns, etc. As an example, lets set a goal for learning chords. To start out we could set a goal to “Be better at chords on the guitar.” Measurable â€" Now that you have a goal you need to make that goal measurable. “Be better at chords on the guitar” is hard to measure. There are whole books full of guitar chords. What type of chords do you want to play? Lets set a more measurable goal. If you are a complete beginner then maybe you could set a goal to “Be better at all major and minor chords in one position.” All guitar chords can be played in multiple positions, but as a beginner learning them in just one position is a good starting point. Now do this for each of your goals. Make sure they are measurable. Actionable â€" Make sure your goal is a clear call to action. Use an action verb, not a to-be verb like “am,” “be,” “have,” etc. . In our example of learning guitar chords, our goal, “Be better at all major and minor chords in one position” has no clear call to action. A better goal is “Be able to play all major and minor chords in at least one position.” Realistic â€" Ask yourself, does this goal fit in my comfort zone? Set a goal that stretches you to the edge of your comfort zone but not beyond. If you are a complete beginner you may want to simplify your goal to “Be able to play all major chords in at least one position.” When you master this then you can always set a new goal to learn the minor chords, then 7th chords, and so on. Time Sensitive â€" A goal without a date is just a dream. Set a date and you will be much more likely to reach it. Putting all of this together our final goal is “Be able to play all major chords in at least one position by March 1st.” Staying Motivated Now that you have a goal, how do you stay motivated to accomplish your goal? The fastest way to learn guitar is to stay highly motivated. Let me suggest five things that will keep you motivated: 1. Do what you love! Learn to play the type of music you really love. You will stay much more motivated if you are learning what you really enjoy. 2. Set big goals. Make sure your goal is realistic but still stretches you. Big goals are motivating. Big goals will stretch you to learn faster. 3. Visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. It is very hard to stay motivated on something you dont really see yourself doing. Spend some time visualizing yourself reaching your goal. You are much more likely to reach your goal if you see yourself doing it. 4. Write them down, review them, and share them with someone. Written goals that you review and share will be much more motivating then some vague goal that is only in your head. 5. Do it with others! Music is more fun with others. As soon as possible spend time making music with others. Form Good Habits “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.“ Jim Rohn Most musical goals are reached by developing important habits. Habits are developed by doing them over and over until they become a part of you. What habits do you need to develop? Consider these key habits: Practice regularly â€" ideally every day. This will be the greatest single factor to your success. Practice technique and music â€" dont just play your favorite song, also spend time learning specific techniques such as different chord positions, power chords, muting, strumming patterns, finger picking patterns, scales, etc. Play with others â€" make it a habit to spend time making music with others. Dont join the realm of people with a dusty guitar hidden in some back closet. Set SMART goals, stay motivated and develop effective habits. Soon you will reach your musical goals! Jerry W. teaches classical guitar, composition,    music theory and trumpet in Grosse Pointe, MI.   He received his B.M. in Theory and Composition of Music  from Cornerstone University, as well as his Master of Music and Ph.D in  Music Composition from  Michigan State University.  Jerry has been teaching students since 1982.  Learn more about Jerry W. here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  monst67

Christmas Holidays Homework Help is Now Just a Click Away

Christmas Holidays Homework Help is Now Just a Click Away 0SHARESShare Hey Christmas Holiday time! Catching up with friends, movies and videos, cartoons make the holidays special. But there’s one painâ€"holiday homework! Teachers give you a set of holiday homework to keep your mind active. But it’s still very boring! Now get smart with Tutor Pace and drive the holiday blues away: Don’t worry about homework, get 24/7 online help from experts Plan your own schedule and have enough time for fun Now you don’t need to compromise your favorite TV show Homework may be boring if you do it alone; you may obtain online tutoring sessions with your friends, cousins, and brothers and sisters. The shared whiteboard, live chat sessions make learning easy and fun. Share ideas with online tutors, and come up with something interesting! It’s not mandatory that you have to study indoors. Make a trip to the zoo or museum. Go for a picnic with friends or family. Even parks, shopping malls can be great homework places. You may attend a session from there; all you need is a Laptop, internet connection and a microphone. Go online. Browse teachers of your choice and get instant online homework help. Enjoy, have fun, work smart, and Happy Holidays! [starbox id=admin]

How can I evaluate an argument essay in 2 seconds

How can I evaluate an argument essay in 2 seconds Many college teachers assign either opinion essays or argument essays to their English Second Language students. These highly structured writing assignments give students practice organizing their ideas and defending a point of view. The goal is to prepare students to go on and write research reports or graduate theses at university. However, when it comes time to score these opinion essays or argument essays, the correction load for the teacher can be enormous. Clearly, teachers need an automated essay evaluation system. This article discusses automatically scoring argument essays, but there are other automated evaluations on the Virtual Writing Tutor if you are interested: Pen pal exchange project IELTS practice tests Film analysis essay evaluation The impact of one hundred and fifty 500-word argument essays on a teachers time If a college student submits a 500-word essay with structural problems and grammatical errors, the teacher will likely end up spending up to 20 minutes trying to provide feedback on how to improve it. With 150 students submitting 150 essays at once, one essay assignment will generate up to 50 hours of correction work for the teacher. The teacher will then spend the next two weeks doing little else. Since many students depend on the teacher for guidance on how to improve the essay and maximize their score, the teacher often feels compelled to provide detailed and thorough feedback. Without collaboration from the teacher, ESL teachers believe the student might not be able to make the revisions needed to meet the high standards required at university. In this way, we teachers place a lot of pressure on ourselves to help our students improve their writing. The red pen is still an important tool for giving corrective feedback What is the impact of correction time on practice opportunities? You should know that teachers limit the number of writing tasks they give their students because of the correction load each essay assignment generates. There is a physical limit to how long we can stay hunched over a desk correcting student essays. If we assign too many, we will burn out, not get the corrections done, or become so overloaded that we end up giving students low quality feedback and unreliable scores. What if we could give students more essay writing practice without increasing our correction load? What if we could give consistently reliable, objective, and detailed feedback? And what if we had an automatic essay evaluation system? An automatic essay evaluation system For the past 7 years, I have been hard at work developing Natural Language Processing tools for the Virtual Writing Tutor to give feedback on English Second Language student writing. I have devoted most of my time to coding error detection rules for the Virtual Writing Tutors grammar checker. However, along the way, I have developed a number of feedback tools: a paraphrase checker, a word counter, a target structure checker, a vocabulary checker, a cohesion checker, and a sentence checker. While interesting in their own right, I realize now that they are of limited usefulness to students. Students need more meaningful practice bu teachers are swamped by corrections Indeed, students dont always know how to interpret the feedback from a grammar checker website such as mine. Unless the teacher specifically trains the learner to use the feedback to eliminate errors, improve cohesion, extend their vocabulary, or improve their paraphrasing skills, students arent always sure what steps to take to improve their scores. Recently, I have discovered that feedback on form is a lot more compelling to students when it comes with a score. When the NLP tools listed above are all integrated into a self-scoring pen pal exchange project, IELTS academic writing tests, a film analysis essay checker or argument essay evaluation system, students know just what to do. They use the score and feedback to maximize their next score. They want to level up as they would in a game. An argument essay writing module I have been collaborating with with Dr. Frank Bonkowski at Cegep St-Laurent to create a new automatic scoring system. This one is for the argument essay writing task he has given this term. His students chose 7 topics that interested them, and we designed a system to identify their topic and give feedback on all aspects of their structure, vocabulary, cohesion, strength of their claims, and grammar. This argument essay writing task and evaluation is free for anyone to use. Please share. Demonstration of the argument evaluation test without sound Before you try it with students, you should know that the argument essay task is rather complex. So, here is a step-by-step lesson that will help you teach students how to write a successful argument essay from scratch. But first, what is an argument essay? An argument essay is an opinion essay that includes an opposing view, a concession, and a refutation. This discourse model requires some research, reflection, and a considerable amount of time to organize ideas into a coherent structure. Dont worry. If your students have access to a computer, they will quickly get the hang of it using the Virtual Writing Tutor. Youll be amazed. Step 1: Score a model argument essay When the tools are integrated, interpreting the feedback is easy To begin, start by trying out the argument essay evaluation test with each of the two model essays below. Try the one that needs improvement first with your students to see if they can improve the score. Then, have them try it with the second essay. Sugar Tax Essay that Needs ImprovementDownload Sugar Tax Model EssayDownload Score my argument essay now Step 2: Outline an argument essay with the essay outliner Ask students to use the model essays with the argument essay outliner to develop an outline. Once they are able to outline an existing essay with the easy essay outliner, they are ready to write their own outline. This will prepare them for the actual essay writing exam. The essay outliner makes it easy to create an outline You can print out the outline or generate a PDF Step 3: Choose one of 7 Debatable Topics Ask students to choose one of the 7 different topics below to research. They will need to find at least three articles. They should search for at least two articles in support of their point of view and one opposing view. abortionclimate changebody imageanimal rightsgender equalityinternet censorship Debate websites like iDebate with its searchable Debatabase are excellent resources for finding arguments for and against a point of view. Step 4: Outline an essay on one of the topics The students should now outline their own argument essay using the information they found during their research. Their experience with the previous steps will make it easy for them. Step 5: Write an argument essay Once students have written an outline, they will be ready to write their own essay. They should make sure that they follow the prescribed structure described below with a title and a Cited Works section. The 5-Paragraph Hamburger Essay Structure Argument essay writing prompt Instructions:Write a 450-750 word argumentative essay on one of these topics:abortion, climate change, animal rights, body image, feminism (a.k.a. gender equality), immigration, or internet censorship.Use the essay structure described below. Paragraph 1: introduction Opening:Begin the essay with a provocative, thought-provoking question. You could begin, for example, withDid you know that…?Context:Establish the importance of the topic. Use phrases like these:a vital factor in, the leading cause of, widely considered to be, set to become, undergoing a revolution, is responsible for.Thesis:Include a debatable thesis about one of these areas of controversy:abortion, climate change, animal rights, body image, feminism, immigration, internet censorship. Paragraph 2: first supporting argument Topic sentence:Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and includes the first of the two topics in your thesis sentence.Argue:Refer tofacts, statistics, logic, what is reasonable, what follows from the evidence,andconclusions one can draw.Evidence:Give evidence from your reading and research using these types of words:according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, referring to, argues that, stated, wrote, argued, discussed, expressed the concern that, as written.Use these quotation marks:Cite sources:Properly cite quoted text using the persons family name in parentheses (Einstein).Support: Give examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these:for example, for instance, suppose that, take the case of, that is, to be exact, to explain, to illustrate, to put another way, to show what I mean. Paragraph 3: second supporting argument Topic sentence:Begin the paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph and includes the second of the two topics in your thesis sentence.Argue:Refer tofacts, statistics, logic, what is reasonable, what follows from the evidence, and conclusions you can draw.Evidence:Give evidence from your reading and research using these types of words:according to, to quote from, tells us that, shows us that, referring to, argues that, stated, wrote, argued, discussed, expressed the concern that, as written.Use these quotation marks:Cite sources:Properly cite quoted text using the persons family name in parentheses (Einstein).Support: Give examples to support your claims using words and phrases such as these:for example, for instance, suppose that, take the case of, that is, to be exact, to explain, to illustrate, to put another way, to show what I mean. Paragraph 4: counterargument Topic sentence:Summarize an opposing view with words like these:some people claim, some believe, others believe, some people object to, try to refute, discount, reject, it is often argued that, the opposing side will claimConcede:Show which parts of the counterargument have merit with words like these:concede that, granted, indeed, it is true that, while it is true that, naturally, to be sure, admittedly, one cannot deny thatRefute:Refute the counterargument using words like these:nonetheless, nevertheless, regardless, whereas, although, and yet, in contrast, by contrast, despite, there is countervailing evidence, that said, however Paragraph 5: conclusion Reformulation of the thesis:Restate the thesis in different words from the introduction.Build cohesion:Use expressions such asTo sum up, To conclude, In closing, or For these reasons.Recommendation:Make a recommendation. Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to.Prediction:Make a prediction. What will happen if the reader follows your recommendation? Use one expression such as should, ought to, will, or going to, or likely. Works Cited section Heading:Identify this section of your essay with the heading, Works CitedList:Include at least 3 sources properly formatted, each on its own line. Step 6: Get formative evaluation from the essay scoring system Then, each student should use the automatically scored argument essay test to get formative feedback on their essay, make any changes suggested by the system, and turn in a final draft for the teacher to score. They will need the teacher to coach and help them understand how to interpret the feedback. It can be a bit overwhelming at first. It is worth using a lab hour for this. Step 7: Submit your final draft to the teacher for a score In my opinion, the score generated by the Virtual Writing Tutors argument essay evaluation system should guide revisions, but the final score should come from a teacher. That means that the student really should submit the essay to his or her teacher. In addition, it would be helpful if the the teacher were to receive the automatically generated feedback, also. The combination of automatic scoring and human scoring has been found to be more reliable than just computer scoring or human scoring, even with multiple human raters (Bridgeman, 2004). Ask students to print the feedback or generate a PDF to send electronically. It is easy to do. Save or print your feedback with your essay score Step 8: Repeat steps 5, 6, and 7 with a new topic A teacher could build an entire writing course around this one page on the Virtual Writing Tutor. There are 7 controversial topics to choose from. Simply ask students every two weeks to write an essay on a topic they havent tried before, get feedback and submit their final draft with the automated feedback for a score that counts. To maintain student motivation, you could use the Mastery Model to score essays, telling students that only 4 of the 7 essay scores will count. The lowest scoring submissions will be considered formative. In this way, you can maximize essay writing practice for hardworking students who want to do it all, and even the most laid-back students students will get double the argument essay writing practice that they would get in a regular college ESL course. Since the students will get a lot of feedback from the automated scoring system, you will be able to put down the red pen and use voice of the reader comments, reading your students writing in a way that wasnt possible before. Step 9: Report your findings You didnt expect all this to be your next research project or conference presentation, did you? But why not? Formative evaluation of writing assignments using an automated essay evaluation system is brand new. Your colleagues probably wont know anything about it. While it is true that the Educational Testing Service in the US has used an automatic scoring system for university admissions tests for years, nobody seems to have reported much on using automated scoring in the classroom for formative evaluation. You can do it. I can help. I can create a test designed to score your particular essay writing task if this one is not quite what you had in mind. Just contact me. Not sure? Ask yourself, If not now, then when? If not me, then who? Something that would really help me would be if you were to give feedback on the feedback the essay scoring system generates. If the system over-values a low-quality essay or undervalues a high-quality essay, let me know. There is a Rate feedback button you can use to let me know if the system is working as expected or not. Leave detailed comments. This sucks is not very helpful. Say what went wrong and what you would like instead. Complain to get a specific change. Give feedback on the feedback Final remarks There is clearly a pedagogical need for automated feedback. There are not enough teachers in the world to provide all the feedback students want and need. Automated scoring is the next step in computer-assisted learning. (Notice my use of the word assisted.) Teachers happily give practice tests to students with multiple choice questions, but essay writing tasks are rarely used in formative evaluation. Why? Its a workload issue. Teachers cannot score essays fast enough. Obviously, if a machine can help with the task, we should get out of the way of meaningful practice and let the machine guide students through their early drafts. Opponents of automatic essay evaluation will argue that automatic essay scoring is not ready yet. There are too many false alarms, not enough coverage, and the scores dont match the scoring criteria and weightings that this or that department requires. While all that may be true, it doesnt mean that we should cede the field. It is better that teachers engage with this new technology to ensure automatic essay evaluation systems reflect what teachers care about. I, for one, believe that essay evaluation must be developed and reserved for formative evaluation only. We must ensure automatic evaluation is used for practice tests prior to the teacher assigning the final score, even if the teachers scoring decision is informed by automatic scoring metrics. Human teachers are needed to validate and humanize the educational system. Some teachers will shudder at all this and say that automatic scoring will put teachers jobs at risk. Really? Quebec has a shortage of teachers at the moment. A colleague I admire very much is away on sick leave, burned out from overwork. The real victims of the lack of automation in our jobs are students who are denied meaningful practice activities with feedback and their teachers who are overworked trying to give students the meaningful practice and feedback they need. Unreflective opposition to new technology is not how you build job security. Maintaining a pedagogical focus on what is best for students and developing a sound pedagogy using new tools will make expert teachers indispensable. Its one teachers opinion. Perhaps you agree with me. Examples of automatically scored writing tests Here are some examples of automatic essay scoring systems I have developed in the order I developed them. Please, give them a try and let me know what you think. Pen pal exchange project IELTS practice tests Film analysis essay evaluationArgument essay evaluation Works cited Bridgeman, B. (2004, December).E-rater as a quality control on human scorers.Presentation in the ETSResearch Colloquium Series, Princeton, NJ. 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ACT Prep Plan

Ultimate Summer SAT/ACT Prep Plan So, your college-bound student is starting to think about taking the SAT and/or ACT this summerfor the first, second or even third time. A summer exam prep plan is definitely in order. Heres an example of an SAT/ACT prep plan for your teen (based on Huntington Learning Centers exam prep program): Week one: Choose the SAT or ACT. Take an initial evaluation test. Choose either the SAT or ACT based on the results of the evaluation (and any college preferences). Week two: Get a baseline score. Take a full-length, timed practice exam to get a baseline score. Develop a targeted study plan based on strong and weak areas identified in the practice test. Create a study schedule by exam section and sub-section and study according to customized prep schedule (# of days depends on exam timing and goals). Week three: Start to work on different problem types and keep studying. Get familiar with multiple choice, student-produced response questions, improving sentence questions, etc. Continue to study according to a customized prep schedule. Weeks four/five: Focus on time management, get familiar with how the SAT/ACT exams are scored and keep studying. Work on exam time management by learning the structure of the exam and building skills like how to rule out obviously incorrect answers. Learn about scoring and adjust test-taking strategies and pacing accordingly. Continue to study according to a customized prep schedule. Week six: Review progress. Take a full-length, timed practice exam. Adjust study schedule based on results, if needed. Improve on question types where the lowest practice scores are received. Continue to study according to a customized prep schedule. Week seven: Continue improving weaker areas. Improve on question types where the lowest practice scores are received. Continue to study according to a customized prep schedule. Review test-taking strategies and stress management techniques in the week leading up to the SAT/ACT exam date. Week eight: Take the SAT or ACT! This is an example of what your teens ultimate summer SAT/ACT prep study plan could look like, but at Huntington, we do not believe in one-size-fits-all learningor SAT/ACT exam prep. Each prep program is developed based on a students specific needs, goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Call 1-800 CAN LEARN to learn more about Huntingtons individualized exam preparation services.

Use Your Teaching Experience Effectively in Interviews - the STAR Method

Use Your Teaching Experience Effectively in Interviews - the STAR Method We’ve all been faced with those nerve-wracking “Tell us a time when you…” questions in a job interview. Your prospective employer is considering every detail in order to weigh your suitability as a teacher at their institution. In a stressful interview situation, there is huge pressure to instantly present an answer that is both impressive and appropriate, while demonstrating your skills and ability.Always prepare several detailed examples of your teaching experience to share with the interviewer. Common scenarios an interviewer may ask about include times you felt challenged, were faced with bad behavior, and a situation in which you helped struggling students overcome their problems in a difficult subject area.By following the STAR technique, you’ll make sure you cover all the key areas the interviewer is interested in, without losing the focus of the question.The Star TechniqueSituation: Briefly explain the context - the situation you found yourself in - including any ch allenging aspects.Here’s a very simple example: “In my current role, teaching a class of 26 grade 4 students, I began teaching more complex division skills and fractions. Most of the class picked up the new concepts quickly and were keen to progress; however, two students just could not grasp it and were losing interest.”Task: What was your role or responsibility in this situation?- For example: “I had to find a way to re-engage these students in the topic and give them the right guidance to get them working out fractions accurately and independently, without slowing down the rest of the class.”Activity: Describe what action you took and why. Detail what methods you implemented and whether your aim was to achieve a goal or solve a problem.- For example: “For the next math class, I prepared a fun activity to be completed in groups. While the class was engaged in the task, I had time to spend some one-on-one time with the struggling students, helping them work on a simpler version of the activity. I was able to explain the process again, from scratch, in a way they would understand. One child was still finding it a little challenging, so I sent some guidance notes along with his homework.”Result: An explanation of what happened.- For example: “After some one-on-one focus and follow up practice in later lessons, both students are now consistently completing advanced division and fraction assignments with confidence.”When discussing your past achievements, always try to quantify. Give numerical figures and results where possible, making your anecdotes more credible and interesting.One last point to remember is that each stage of your examples should be kept as concise and relevant as possible. Interviewers have limited time and are keen to see how you maintain attention - if you can keep them interested, then you’re probably pretty great in front of a class, too. It’s also a demonstration of how well you understand and respond appropriately t o what is asked of you.