Category: Education

The days of relying on the rows and rows of public library books for school projects are long gone. Nowadays, the internet is a one-stop shop for gaining any and all resources necessary for learning. While it’s amazing that knowledge is so readily available at our fingertips, it’s increasingly important to differentiate valuable learning resources from spam and other junk.

Whether you’re a student or a parent, here are tips to help you embark on this journey to find the perfect resource.  

What Types of Resources Are Out There?

Whether you’re looking for some extracurricular activities to sharpen your skills in a certain subject like scientific discoveries, a fully inclusive tutoring service, or learning about science, the internet has it all. The key to finding the perfect online program is understanding the area(s) that you wish to improve.

Are you at risk of being held back a year or do you just want to get a jump on highschool algebra? For help with a single subject or opportunities for extra learning, check out your school’s and/or school district’s resources. Often times schools will have a webpage for these types of learning activities. For example, one school in Indiana offers resources on learning to read and learning important math skills.

If you are in need of a full tutoring service, the search process can become a little more complex. Refining your search to be as specific as possible can make a huge difference. Instead of searching “online tutoring services” and getting a massive list of just about every tutoring service on the planet, try searching “5th grade math online tutoring services.” This list should be full of relevant sources. Picking the perfect one will then come down to a little extra research on the specific service.

Make sure to look into customer reviews, as well as prices and scheduling, in order to find the service that fits your needs. Your search will come back with big names that you may recognize, such as Sylvan and Chegg. It may also come back with local tutoring services. Be certain to check the local programs as well—local teachers often teach these programs and can relate them to specific school requirements.

How Do You Discover Your Learning Needs?

Picking whether you want an organized tutoring service or just some additional activities is a conversation that needs to happen between child, parent, and teacher. This is a critical point for students to communicate their needs. Even if you sign your child up for the best tutoring service, they might not show the improvement you hope for if they don’t want to be there and participate.

Maybe it would be better to provide them with fun activities that could capture their imagination while teaching them valuable lessons. This will encourage kids to embrace lifelong learning. Whichever route you choose, just be sure that everyone is on the same page. Communication is so important in this step, for both parents and students.  

Where to Start Searching?

When you first begin looking for information online, the results can be daunting. A simple google search comes back with billions of results in fractions of a second. If you’ve ever searched for something as broad as “learning resources,” then you know how difficult it can be to find what you’re actually searching for. By utilizing Google’s advanced search queries, you can get rid of the non credible sites with one easy trick.

Add site:.edu or site:.gov to your search query and you should end up with only credible sites, such as “5th grade math resources site:.edu”. These .edu and .gov sites are normally some of the most reliable resources on the web, but make sure to double-check the content and sources on the site just to be sure.

A caveat to this strategy is if you are looking for full-service tutoring, then you may want to include .com and .org websites, as these are often private companies that specialize in tutoring. Just be sure to check the website for credibility before you give them any personal information.

If you’re looking for a fun activity on searching for credible sources, you can find lesson plans online to help teach your students.

Picking the Perfect Program and Beyond

Once you’ve discovered the programs or resources that you want to use, set up guidelines for using the new learning program. These guidelines should include expectations on how the student will utilize the program, how they will communicate their learning to their parents or teachers, and how they will stay safe while using the internet. Since the student in this scenario will be spending more time online, it’s crucial to set up a plan for cybersecurity. Spam and other non credible websites could lead to viruses and false learning.

Follow these simple online safety practices and you’re sure to maximize learning while minimizing risk. Stay up-to-date with your child’s learning and always encourage clear paths of communication. This simple step will help the student feel like they have a support system and make you both feel more secure in the digital world.

Author Bio

Chandler Clayton is a freelance writer, specializing in education and safety. He draws upon his years of teaching environmental education to empower learning in children and adults of all backgrounds. He has been featured on sites such as SafeWise and Newsday.

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With all the different computer document types these days, it can be expensive to purchase multiple software programs to convert your files. Whether it be for work at home or for school, converting files is often needed for the purposes of editing.  A popular document that people often need to convert is a PDF.

Once created, a PDF can’t be edited unless you get a PDF editor or convert it to Word. The top online PDF converters will also allow you to convert your Word document back to PDF. Besides the fact that PDF’s are permanent, they can also be posted online for others to use and download.

PDF file ends with the extension .pdf, whereas a Word document ends with .doc or .docx. Any PDF can be opened using the free Acrobat Reader software, but that program can’t edit them.

There a multiple ways to create a PDF.  Using on of these five online PDF converter tools makes the process easy if you don’t existing downloaded software. These online converter tools will save you from all the hassle of having to retype your document in order to edit it.

PDF Bear

If you are looking for an online converter tool that can convert a lot of file formats, then PDF Bear is what you are looking for. PDF Bear is not only a PDF converter to Word, but it is also able to convert your PDF files to other file formats such as PPT, JPG, Excel, HTML, and so much more.

PDF Bear is a free online converter that wouldn’t charge you for its fast converting process. You don’t have to worry about your file being compromised by other users as your files will be deleted if they detect an hour of inactivity. You are assured that your documents will be safe and secured. So, if you need your files to be converted, then PDF Bear is what you need.

Canva PDF Converter

Another useful tool to consider is the Canva PDF Editor. This powerful converter allows you to transform PDF documents into PowerPoint presentations seamlessly. With Canva’s user-friendly interface and a wide range of design features, you can easily convert from pdf to ppt and customize your converted files to create visually stunning presentations.

Whether you need to repurpose content, share information, or deliver engaging slideshows, Canva’s PDF Converter can be a valuable asset in your toolkit.

Wondershare

A powerful online converter can’t be left off this list is Wondershare PDF Converter. This converter is very easy to use and has a user-friendly interface that would let you convert multiple file-formats without hassle. With this converter tool, you can separate certain files into different file formats and merge them into one document.

If the PDF file is protected by a password, you will only have access to it if you enter the correct password. This converter stands behind its name Wondershare because it always gives you high-quality conversions with just a few taps on your device. When talking about features, it is safe to say that this PDF editing software has features that are considered to be among the best.

Soda PDF Converter

Soda PDF Converter is also a considerable converter tool. It is well known for being accessible using any device or from anywhere or anytime you want. You can edit, annotate, create PDF files, convert PDF to Word or read on any of your devices or online. You can choose anything you want that works for you.

One amazing thing to note about this converter tool is that it is extremely easy to convert documents using this. All you have to do is just upload the document you want to convert or just use the drag-and-drop feature. Then, pick whichever file format you want to convert it into, and let the tool do its magic for you.

Small PDF Converter

Even though it’s called Small PDF Converter, you shouldn’t let it fool you. Small PDF Converter gives you a lot of handy features free of any charge. It is also very easy to use and very convenient, especially for beginners. You don’t even have to download anything or register an account.

You just have to go to their website and upload the file you intended to convert into another file format. Once the conversion process is complete, you can do whatever you want with the downloaded file. You can edit, annotate or download it on your device or send it on your cloud storage such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

Takeaway

We hope that this list helped you in finding the perfect online converter tool for all your conversion needs. These are just some of the PDF to Word converter tools out there, and you can search Google for more. Just remember to do your research to ensure any online software program you are using is safe. These tools are very easy to use and is truly a convenient way of converting your documents into other file formats.

Additional Resources:

• Pdf editing software download for students
• Powerpoint Tips for Teachers | Tips to create engaging ppt

Finding the ideal college for your son or daughter isn’t as easy as it may sound. Most children find themselves in the wrong college just because their parents fancied them, they know someone who attended them and succeeded, or they are basically big name colleges.

While such a criterion is valid when looking for a college, it isn’t the best. The right research will help you find a college that is a good fit. This article is a simple guide on how to research colleges.

Why Is Researching Colleges Important?

Every learner is different. The learning community that your child grows in determines their future. When preparing for college it is not enough to choose a college based on its past or popularity. Carrying out extensive research will help you find a college that has what it takes to grow your child to what they want to become in the future.

The United States of America has more than 5,000 colleges. Such a large number implies that regardless of the number of colleges you hear about, visit, or even read from college rankings, the chances are high you will still miss some prominent colleges. While asking family members, mentors, and friends about the best college for your child is a great strategy, you need to put more effort behind the search.

Factors to Consider When Researching Colleges

It takes a combination of many elements for you to find the most suitable college for your children. From determining the learner’s goals to deciding on the college budget. If this sounds confusing, here are a few factors that will help you settle for the right college.

1. Learner Resources

The access to different campus resources is an important aspect to consider when looking for the right college. Does the college you are about to settle for have an extensive research library, computer and IT resources, or a diverse students’ community? Every learner has a need that their college should meet. So, make sure that your college of interest today or in the future has all the necessary student resources.

2. Academics

Most colleges admit learners who have a certain average grade. As you begin the search for the best college for your children, ascertain whether their test scores match those of the students in the college of your choice. This strategy helps you rule out colleges whose selectivity and admission criteria is higher than what your child has.

Also, review the academic performance of the college. No parent would wish to enroll their children in a college because it has the resources and it is affordable. You need to think about the value the child will get from the college academically. Therefore, research and compare the performance of various colleges. Is it pleasing and consistent?

3. Cost

Finances play a substantial role in most decisions about the best college to join. Start with evaluating the amount of income available for college education. Also, weigh in aid packages and scholarships available for each of the colleges you intend to consider. This consideration will help you focus on the colleges that you can afford without much strain.

4. Programs Offered

The ultimate goal of any learner when joining any higher education institution is to get prepared for the future. The program that your child intends to pursue should inform your choice of the colleges? Are the majors he or she is interested in offered at your preferred college. The best strategy here will be to focus on the long term goals, then work backwards to establish the college that offers programs that can help them achieve such future goals.

5. Security Risk

The number of cybercrimes is rising nowadays, and according to the New York Times, institutions of higher learning are highly targeted. it is your duty to ensure your child’s security. This extends to the college they are joining. For example, how does the college manage permissions and access to student records?  According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), colleges ought to have the right policies on privacy, security, and access to learners’ personal data.

In addition, the standard policy laws, such as the GDPR, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, and HIPAA, apply to all persons in a college’s database. Your ideal college should comply with FERPA’s access restrictions and privacy protections on the students’ data. You wouldn’t want to enroll in a college where the personal data of everyone in their database, including yours, is not protected in any way.

Start Your College Research Today

With the rise in the number of colleges available nowadays, taking enough time to research can help you find the most suitable college. The ideal college for your child should not be necessarily the best there is in your area. It only needs to have the right resources, be affordable, secure, and offer programs that your child aspires to pursue. Following the above tips will increase your chances of finding a college that will guarantee your child the best.

The Ultimate University Guide for Parents

Your mind is amongst the most powerful resources you have, and there’s nothing like a jack of all trades. Dabbling into a little bit of this, and a little bit of that can even shape you into a more flexible person. Knowing this, it’s important for children to be taught lifelong learning skills in preparation for their future. This way, they can learn to do anything – fast.

Furthermore, lifelong learning can help your child develop a positive outlook on life – helping them build confidence and make amazing self-improvements. In times of unanticipated change, such as a job loss or technological advances, the cards will always be in the favor of a lifelong learner.  It begins when teachers and parents help kids develop effective learning habits, which in turn gives them a passion for learning.

Learning Driven by Interests

This is not to be underestimated: 88% of Americans have pursued learning about an interest to make their life fuller. Even more, our brains love it! Every time we learn something new, our brain chemistry changes – stimulating our neurons to create new connections. The more comfortably we know something, the easier it is for our brain to do the task. By introducing lifelong learning to your child, you can prepare them for a bright future.

On the other hand, it’s also important to teach your child the benefits of failure. For example, ask them to try completing a difficult task without any assistance or instruction. According to Singapore’s National Institute of Education, people who try to solve math problems alone don’t come up with the right answer. However, the process generates ideas about the nature of potential solutions. This leads to a better ability to solve similar problems in the future.

Setting Goals to Learn Skills

With that being said, here’s how your child – and you – can learn any skill fast. Set a goal, then break it down. After this, use the D.I.S.S. Method. The “D” is for ‘Deconstruction,’ i.e., “How can I break down what I need to know?” The “I” is for ‘Selection,’ i.e., “Which steps should I focus on first in order to get the ideal outcome?” The first “S” is for ‘Sequencing,’ i.e., “In what order will it be easiest to learn these steps?” The last “S” is for ‘Stakes,’ i.e., “What are the consequences if I am not able to complete my task?” Finally, practice this method while visualizing success.

87% of learners feel their new skills make them more well-rounded and capable. Perhaps this is why 73% of American adults consider themselves to be lifelong learners. Teaching your child lifelong learning skills in their early years will set them up for an easier future.

Infographic: Learn Any Skill

For a far more specific breakdown on lifelong learning, read the infographic below.

Discover ways to improve your child’s leaning skills outside school.