Tips for Video Admissions Interviews

Tips for Video Admissions Interviews Congratulations on landing yourself a video admissions interview! Thanks to technology, university officials and students hundreds of miles apart can be brought together to discuss a prospective college. While there are certainly benefits to virtual interviews, they do not come without their own brand of quirks. Here are some pointers to make the best of your video admissions interview: 1. Make sure your internet connection is stable Perhaps the most important factor in a video admissions interview is ensuring you have a stable internet connection. Without a stable connection where interviewers can see and hear you properly, your preparation, credentials, and enthusiasm could all be overshadowed. [RELATED: What NOT to Discuss During a College Interview] Before your admissions interview, find out which areas in your house (or wherever you plan to perform the interview from) have the strongest signal. You can do this by wandering around with a laptop and looking at the number of signal bars, or by video chatting a friend and asking where the connection is most consistent. Maybe the best place for your video admissions interview is not your own house but a cousins or friends house. If your home does not get a strong internet signal, consider holding the interview elsewhere; you could reserve a private room in a library or other community building, for instance. 2. Be aware of your surroundings When you are accustomed to seeing something every day whether it is a band poster in your room or a stain on the wall in your kitchen its easy to forget that it may be unsightly to a new eye. Take a look from the interviewers perspective before settling on a spot to hold your interview; think about how the interview environment will look from his or her point of view. Most platforms for video chatting have a test function that allows you to see yourself on screen, so take advantage of this feature; do not just guess which parts of the room will end up on screen. Again, you could also video chat with a friend to ask him or her for feedback on the rooms appearance behind you. The background for your video admissions interview should be professional, tidy, and plain. Clean up any piles of clothes, papers, or garbage that might be visible to the interviewer. Also, ensure there is nothing behind you that the interviewer could find distracting, such as noisy patterns, large print signs, or even free-roaming pets. You want the interviewer to be solely focused on you and what you have to offer. 3. Still dress to impress Since you might be doing your video admissions interview from home, you may be tempted to dress comfortably and keep a snack or cup of coffee within arms reach. However, the video admissions interview should be held in the same regard as any other interview, where your goal is to impress. Dress in semi-formal attire and make sure you are as well-groomed and presentable as you would be for any other interview. Its acceptable to have a water bottle nearby since you will be talking a lot, but any other drink or food item (soda, chips, etc.) is not recommended. Most importantly, turn off your cell phone! If you keep your phone on and within sight, you could be tempted to look at it. Ringtones and vibrations can be easily heard through video chat, so save yourself the embarrassment. Just hit the power or silence button; your texts and calls can wait. [RELATED: 3 Things You Must Do After an Admissions Interview] Video admissions interviews deserve as much attention as classic in-person interviews. However, the complications that may arise are a bit different. By taking care of the technological and visual components of the process, you will be on your way to a successful video admissions interview. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

5 Guitar Moves That Sound Hard But Are Actually Easy

5 Guitar Moves That Sound Hard But Are Actually Easy Megan L. Have you ever heard a guitar lick that sounded crazy complicated? Guitar teacher  Christopher S.    explains how some of the hardest sounding techniques can actually be easy once you try them When taking up the challenge of learning to play the guitar, I strongly recommend finding the skills and techniques that you are best at and using them  to create the music you love. There is an endless amount of sounds which you can create with the guitar, and if you have the skills to produce them, you will have so many options literally at your fingertips! Below,  I will discuss different techniques that sound hard to play on the guitar, but with time and discipline, they are actually quite simple. I want to emphasis that some of these techniques may come naturally to you, and some may not. In my experience, it is better to take the ones that come naturally, as you will make the best music with them, and to give the others more time for practice. For example, you may be great at fingerpicking guitar licks  on the guitar right away. Or, you may be incredibly fast at picking with a pick after just a few hours. Whatever the technique, I say learn as many songs as you can using that technique. Make the music that works best in your fingers, and don’t fret too much over  a technique that is giving you frustration. So, lets buckle up and get ready to do some “wood-shedding.” 1.  Power Chords (Drop-D Tuning) A power chord is one of the most common  chord shapes on the guitar. It is easy enough to create, it is easy to move on the neck, and it sounds good in almost any style of music. The shape of the power chord looks like this, with your index finger on the low E string and your ring finger on the A string. This happens to be a G power chord. You can also put your pinky on the D string, right below your third finger to give it some more “power.” The rest of the strings are muted. This chord shape is important to learn on the guitar, because it is used to play millions of songs. However, your fingers can get tired in some kinds of music (such as  punk rock or heavy metal) when trying to imitate and play the songs of these experienced guitar players. To help you in playing those quick power chord changes on the guitar, here is a trick that you  can use to make changing power chords a breeze. Known as “Drop-D tuning,” you literally take the low E string and “drop” or tune it down a whole-step, so that it becomes another D string. By doing this, you can play your power chord shape with one finger instead of three! The shape now looks like this. On the recordings of bands that use this tuning, such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, or The Foo Fighters, these  chords sound complicated. However, little did you know that they  were actually playing all of those chords with just one finger! An example of a song which uses a power chord shape with this drop-D tuning is the song Hollywood by Nickelback. This song would be quite difficult if it were all played in standard tuning; however, in drop-D tuning, it is really quite easy to play! Here is the tab to help you learn  it. 2.  Fingerpicking Fingerpicking is something that always boggles people. It is really not as hard as some make it sound; however, it does take some disciplined practice if you want it to sound good. To develop  this technique, I often recommend to my students to learn  songs by The Beatles. Although sometimes they say, “Oh, that song is way beyond my skill level,” the songs are really quite simple to play. Take the song Blackbird, for example. The tune sounds like it is quite a difficult fingerpicking pattern; however, because you rarely change the strings that you are picking, it is actually quite simple to play.  The majority of the song is picked on the A, B, and G strings. The right hand always uses the pattern of thumb  and middle  finger together and then index  finger after. That is the whole picking pattern throughout the entire song. Beyond that, all you have to do is move the left-hand position. Here is the tab to Blackbird.  Try the  picking-pattern, and see how it works throughout the entire song. 3.  Alternate Picking This is a technique that will take some time to really master, but after you learn it, you will be playing the guitar faster than ever! The technique is basically how it sounds. When you are picking a crazy-fast solo on the guitar, your notes will come out much faster if you pick alternatively, rather than picking in one direction all the time. When you pick one note in a downward direction, the next note you should pick in an upward direction.  See the diagram below for a representation of this movement. Snow (Hey Oh)  by The Red Hot Chili Peppers is a good song to see how fast your picking can be, after you get the hang of alternate picking by practicing with scales. The guitar line sounds difficult; however, if you have the alternate picking technique down really well, then this song will be as easy as pie. Here are the tabs to start learning how to play the main riff! -I-I -I-I -44h6h4-444h6h4I-66h8h6I 666-666-I44h6h4488-8-I 67-I-666-6/9-I -I-7I Here is a  link to the entire tab. 4.  The “Pick Squeal” Also known as the “Pick Harmonic,” this  is a common guitar technique that came out of the music from the 80s and 90s and from the abundance of guitar solos in this time period. The sound is a high, screechy sound, but it sounds great if you’ve got the right amount of distortion  when  playing rock’n roll music. Hold  the pick so that there is only a small section of the tip showing. Then, as you pick the note in the same stroke, touch the side of your thumb on the string, but dont hold it there. Continue the stroke so your thumb only touches the string for a second. Where you pick the string has a big effect on the sound that comes out, and every guitar has a different hot spot. Experiment a bit to find your guitars best location. Generally the hot spot is near the pick-ups of your guitar. It will take some time to learn this technique, so dont get discouraged trying to make the sound in the beginning. Just have some fun, and your guitar will soon be squealing! One group that frequently used this technique is the infamous Eddie Van Halen. You can hear Eddie squealing away on the song Jamie’s Cryin’. Here is a video of some awesome pick-squealing solos. Here is also the tab for this song. 5.  Sweep Picking This guitar technique sounds difficult, and in fact it is a bit difficult, at first. However, with the right amount of practice and a loose wrist, you can actually begin  to play awesome-sounding fast sweeps before you know it! Sweep picking is a technique used mainly in heavy metal music, in which you play arpeggios at an incredibly fast speed. This makes your music sound awesome and really makes you sound like a pro with really very little effort. To achieve  this technique, lets begin  with the right hand. Simply take your pick and pick up three, four, or five strings (however big the “sweep” is). Then, when you get to the lowest string, simply pick downward until  you are back at the high string (high E string). And that is it! You are simply  moving the pick upward and then downward on three, four, or five  strings. These are known as 3-string, 4-string, or 5-string sweeps. In the left hand, you make an arpeggio shape, and you generally have a pull-off on the high or low string of the arpeggio. A great example of sweep picking  can be heard in the song  Altitudes by Jason Becker. Here are the tabs to his solo, which occurs at 2:05 in the song. He plays them very fast, and I know they look intimidating, but just take them as exercises. Try playing the first arpeggio very slowly with the right hand technique I described above, and don’t forget to include hammer-on’s and pull-off’s on any consecutive notes on the same string (unless otherwise marked with a slide “/“ marking). Do the exercises slowly at first, and then gradually build up speed and you will soon be sweep picking just like Becker! You can find a site to the complete tab here. Think youve mastered these moves on your guitar? Getting some feedback and advice  from a qualified guitar teacher can be the key to taking your guitar  skills to the next level.  Search for your teacher  today! Post Author:  Christopher S. Christopher S. teaches bass guitar, guitar, and composition in Jamaica Plain, MA. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State University  and is currently atttending New England Conservatory for his Master of Music degree. Christopher has been teaching students since 2004.  Learn more about Christopher S. 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

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Taking Video Guitar Lessons

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Taking Video Guitar Lessons Sign up successful Perhaps the most important aspect of in-person lessons with a guitar teacher is that you have an informed pair of eyes watching you play. When something isn’t going the way it needs to, you have an outside observer who can point it out to you. With a teacher’s guidance, you’ll begin to learn to correct mistakes on your own. Lessons Arent Tailored to Your Individual Needs Pre-recorded video guitar lessons are specifically made to be applicable to thousands of students with different learning styles. But the most effective guitar lessons aren’t one-size-fits-all, cookie cutter plans taken one after another. Each student has different ambitions and will need different “stepping stones” to achieve them.   What one student finds impossible to overcome, another student might breeze through with little thought.  Without a good teacher to help plan a course of action, students frequently jump between pieces that are either too easy or too difficult. They have trouble gradually building their skills.  A teacher will notice where a student’s struggles lie and recommend music to practice that will build those skills. You Might Pick up Bad Habits When learning a new chord or song, beginners tend to play however it feels “right” to them. If playing with a certain fingering feels correct, a student has no reason to think they should be playing it differently. Even if they notice something is off, on their own, they rarely know what to replace the incorrect habit with. This is another reason why it can be dangerous to learn the guitar without any feedback from a live instructor. A teacher is often the sole voice of clarity for students who naturally revert back to motions that their hands are familiar with. If you’re learning from video guitar lessons alone, it can be easy to fall into the habit of playing something the wrong way, just because it “feels easier.” When working with a private teacher, you’ll learn new ways to to master tricky concepts more efficiently. SEE ALSO: 10 Things to Look for in a Guitar Teacher You Might Become Discouraged When attempting to learn the guitar from videos alone, self-taught students are more prone to choosing a song that is too difficult for their skill level. These students often get frustrated and discouraged when their playing doesn’t sound as good as they want it to right off the bat. In the rare case that a student begins with something easy, they frequently move on too soon and jump to something much harder right away. Ninety percent of the time when you speak to people who have given up the guitar, it’s because they tried to teach themselves.   Dont Miss Out on Music Theory! Music theory is a necessity when learning how to play the guitar. Most video guitar lessons either focus on a specific technique, or exclusively on theory. But to really understand music theory, it has to be tied into the music! Students understand theory best if it’s a part of their musical language and expression from the beginning. If as a beginner, you focus on watching YouTube tutorials for all your favorite songs, you are bound to miss out on a deeper understanding of the music itself. Learning music theory is like learning a foreign language. Because music theory can be difficult to understand, it’s best to learn in an interactive environment where you have the ability to ask questions. Try taking online music theory classes from a live instructor and you’ll find yourself learning much quicker than with pre-recorded lessons. In Conclusion With the help of a guitar teacher, you have a much greater shot as musical success. Video guitar lessons are best when used as a supplemental tool in between private lessons. Your teacher can help protect you from bad advice, which is abounding online (some of which can even cause injury). Don’t keep trying to press forward on your own when excellent, reliable help is so readily available! Find a trusted and qualified guitar teacher near you and start your guitar learning journey on the right foot. Post Author:  Kirk R. Kirk is a classical and acoustic guitar instructor in Athens, GA. He holds a Bachelors and Masters of music in Guitar Performance, and has been teaching guitar since 2011 to students of all ages.  Learn more about Kirk  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

English Spelling Rules for ESOL Learners

English Spelling Rules for ESOL Learners The Most Important Spelling Rules in English to Help You Progress Faster ChaptersThe Logic of English Spelling RulesThe 10 Most Common Spelling Mistakes in EnglishRules of English SpellingLearn English Spelling: UK vs the USChoosing the Right English Dictionary for YouWith its international status and easy conjugation, English is a brilliant language to learn, whether you learn english online or face to face.Gaining reading and writing skills with the possibility of achieving fluency in any language is highly beneficial for the future prospects of the learners, as acquiring valuable language skills is a small step in promoting healthy intercultural relations.However, there is one particularly tricky aspect of the English language, which causes all manner of problems for those learning English as a second language, as well as native English speakers.The offender is English spelling.With its silent letters making new words difficult to pronounce, and several different pronunciations for words ending in o-u-g-h, English spelling is anything but phonetic.The way that ‘tough’ rhymes with ‘rough’, but it doesn’t rhyme with ‘though’ is enough to make anyone dizzy.English also features silent letters, which appear in the spelling of a word but are not said aloud.Some examples of silent letters include the letter ‘K’ in ‘knife’ and ‘knead’, as well as the ‘G’ in ‘gnarl’ and ‘gnat’.Even the many English dictionaries on the market can’t seem to completely agree when it comes to the spelling of certain words, and whether compound words like ‘makeup’ should feature a hyphen to become ‘make-up’.From Westminster to Washington DC and beyond - English is an international language ¦ source: Pixabay - derwikiThe interestingness of English spelling is largely due to the early origins of the English language, as well as more recent variations that have surfaced with English being spoken in North America.English started life as, and still technically is, a part of the Germanic family of languages.But the N orman invasion of 1066 brought a Latin influence across the channel, which had a lasting impact on English language and how language was used within society at that time.When you learn to speak English as a foreign language, it is about more than your conversational English skills, listening comprehension and getting the hang of the latest slang to make an impression in your English lessons.Being able to speak English fluently isn't the be-all and end-all of acing your English course.As a non native English learner, knowing how to read and write in good English is an essential part of using English in every aspect of communication, and will stand you in good stead if you take any written exams in English.Its rich yet somewhat rocky history is what makes some aspects of English challenging, but it is nevertheless a truly unique language and a joy to learn!Shoe ? ShoesPhotograph ? PhotographsAngel ? AngelsHowever, this rule is only general, and there is a whole host of exceptions.Than kfully, since most of these exceptions follow the same pattern, you can easily learn how they work.Rules are made to be broken, and they definitely are in English spelling! ¦ source: Pixabay - MoneyforCoffeeLet’s start with words ending in ‘Y’.For words ending in a consonant followed by ‘Y’, you remove the Y and add ‘i-e-s’:Pony ? PoniesCompany ? CompaniesParties ? PartiesThe exception to this rule is the less common words which end with a vowel before the Y follow the usual rule or simply adding an ‘S’.Bay ? BaysKey ? KeysPlay ? PlaysSo, even though, as a speaker of another language, English spelling may seem to make people bend over backwards with its traps and inconsistencies, they’re not always too difficult to get the hang of.Another exception to standard pluralisation is words which already end in ‘S’, like ‘bus’, for example.The rule for pluralising these words is that you add ‘es’ instead of just ‘S’, and it applies to words ending in ‘ s-s’, ‘Z’, ‘c-h’, ‘s-h’ and ‘X’, too.Bus ? BusesKiss ? KissesWaltz ? WaltzesMatch ? MatchesBrush ? BrushesTax ? TaxesThis part of the pluralisation rule isn’t so difficult to remember since these words are nearly impossible to pronounce without the additional ‘E’ to facilitate a consonant.Learn English Spelling: UK vs the USAs English has become so widely spoken, there are areas where populations have adapted and added to the language to create their own version of English.This is particularly notable in the USA, where variant spellings have gained status as a standardised version of English.According to Oxford Dictionaries, these differences have arisen because British English has kept the original spellings of the words it has acquired from other languages, such as French in particular, whereas American English has adapted spellings to better reflect the way words are pronounced.One of the most noticeable of these variations is in words ending in ‘r-e’ in English, which American English spells ‘e-r’.The reason for this is exactly as Oxford Dictionaries explains: British English has stuck with the French spelling.FrenchBritish EnglishAmerican EnglishCentreCentreCenterThéâtreTheatreTheaterMètreMetreMeterOther examples of spellings that have been altered by US English are words which feature the vowels ‘O’ and ‘U’ side by side British English, but where the ‘U’ has been omitted in the American versions of these words.British EnglishAmerican EnglishColourColorHonourHonorNeighbourNeighborRegarding this phenomenon, BBC America explains that, just like the change in spelling of words ending in ‘r-e’, the omission of the letter ‘U’ was a deliberate change to make words better reflect their pronunciation.Removing the ‘U’ from words such as ‘color’ was to help differentiate them from words containing ‘o-u-r’ but which were pronounced differently, as ‘ower’.For example, ‘colour’ and ‘flour’ end with the same letters, but the ‘o-u-r’ in ‘flour’ is pronounced as ‘ower’.Other words which have been altered to make spelling more phonetic for the American English speaker include ‘plow’, which is spelt as ‘plough’ in British English, ‘catalog’, which was originally ‘catalogue’, and ‘ax’, which the Brits spell with an ‘E’, as ‘axe’.UK spelling vs. US spelling: the great debate ¦ source: Pixabay - ErikaWittliebThe variation in spelling between British and US English is always recognisable, however, it rarely gets in the way of reading comprehension.This is why to learn English is to open up a whole world of reading opportunity, as you can enjoy literature from both sides of the Atlantic!Choosing the Right English Dictionary for YouWhen you’re learning to speak English, you’ll undoubtedly need some kind of dictionary to help with practicing your literacy, vocab and spelling.But dictionaries come in all shapes and sizes: monolingual, b ilingual, rhyming, prescriptive, descriptive, electronic, comprehensive or pocket.However, being spoilt for choice can sometimes be overwhelming.So how do you choose the right English dictionary for you?Since each type of dictionary serves a different purpose, the one you choose will depend on your needs as a learner.Some dictionaries are simply for looking up the spellings of words, and may only have a simple definition, whereas others will have definitions accompanied by related words and their usage.It may surprise you that the dictionaries we know today started life as bilingual glossaries in medieval Europe, which were used by churchgoers to translate biblical texts between Latin and their native language.Similarly, the earliest English dictionaries in Great Britain were used to define Latin, French and Spanish words in English, and later developed to only contain English words with detailed definitions.The alphabetical dictionaries we know today came about in the year 1755, wi th the publication of ‘A Dictionary of the English Language’ by Samuel Johnson.Dictionaries, glossaries and word lists offered a standardisation of English spelling at a time when there were few reference resources.This made the dictionary a powerful tool when it came to influencing the way in which the English language developed, as Noah Webster, as American compiler, realised.Webster began making subtle changes to the spellings used by the Brits to make words better reflect their pronunciation, and these changes subsequently became responsible for what we know today as ‘US English’.The world of dictionaries is far richer and more interesting than anyone ever imagines, and every publication is much more than a simple book of words.The pros and cons of learning English as a native speaker of a foreign language are mainly due to the expanse of the English speaking world, but rest assured that help is never far away and from day one, you can reap the rewards.

Why Learning Piano Theory is Important for All Musicians

Why Learning Piano Theory is Important for All Musicians Suzy S. Struggling to understand music theory? Try heading over to the piano seeing a visual representation can help a ton! Here, Lowell, IN teacher  Blake C.  shares how to get started Many musicians avoid learning music theory altogether because it can feel much like learning a foreign language; as a result, many musicians enlist in the anti-music theory organization. I will admit it â€" I was a member of the anti-music theory organization in my early years, declaring that music theory corrupts the instinctiveness of musical ability and creativity. In time, however, Ive uncovered numerous reasons why music theory is a necessary evil. The three top reasons are: composition, improvisation, and rehearsals. The first two reasons came about because I was fed up with not understanding which notes worked with other notes when I was trying to write a song, and even more frustrated when I tried to improvise on the fly. The third reason I realized when I began to feel like a knucklehead during rehearsals when the keyboardist and bass player were discussing chord progressions, and I had no idea what the heck they were talking about. Still, it can be difficult for some instrumentalists especially guitar players to comprehend music theory. One thing that helped me along the way, though, was putting down my guitar and taking my music theory books to the piano instead.  Within minutes, my understanding of music theory began to expand rapidly. No matter what instrument you play, if youre struggling with learning music theory, take a step back and head to a piano for a quick lesson. An Introduction to Piano Theory To begin, take a look at the keyboard image below and notice the repeating notes in each octave. Music theory is a way to explain harmony, melody, and rhythm. Using the piano keyboard to learn simplifies it because of the instruments layout. A piano keyboard is divided up in half steps, octave after repeating octave, which instantly eliminates the guess work. There are no surprises found on a piano keyboard â€" each octave repeats the exact same format. Piano Theory and Range Another factor illustrating the importance of piano theory is the range of the instrument. Think about  chord progressions, for example.  As you develop your skill on your respective instrument, youll eventually be able to identify these chord patterns quickly. However, many instruments do not offer a range as great as the piano. Youll be able to  aurally appreciate chord progressions in a wide range of octaves with the piano. Those chord progressions also represent harmony. The piano, unlike other instruments, offers you a chance to more completely understand the music theory behind harmony. A flautist, on the other hand, often begins with a more limited understanding of harmony than a pianist does, since the flute is a single-line melody instrument. Using Piano Theory to Understand Enharmonic Notes Similar to harmony, using a piano will help you understand how enharmonic notes â€" two note names with identical pitch â€" align in music. In the image below, one octave of the keyboard is provided and includes the note names for the white and black keys. The keyboard notes on the piano are easily understood because they are repeated in the exact same pattern from one octave to the next. Having a visual representation of these enharmonic notes makes it much easier to understand (and then apply to your own instrument). Using Piano Theory to Understand Key Signatures The final point I will cover is how the piano simplifies learning the key signatures.  Early on in your music theory studies, you will learn the formulas to create scales. You read correctly â€" formulas. For instance, the formula for a major scale is whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. To visualize this, using the image below, begin on the first ‘C” on the left and then move up one whole step to the “D” note. Continue using the formula for a major scale to continue up the keyboard until you end on the next “C” note. If you correctly followed the formula, the only notes you would have landed on were natural notes, without accidentals (sharps or flats). The key of “C” has no sharps or flats in the key or the key signature. Next, using this last image below, begin on the first “D” note and follow the same formula. If you followed the formula correctly, you would have landed on two black keys during your progression up the scale â€" F# and C#. For this reason, the key signature for the key of “D” has two sharps â€" F# and C#. Simple! Taking into consideration the simple layout of the piano keyboard, the wonderfully large range, and the piano’s ability to produce harmony, youll see these are three big motives to learn piano theory. Best wishes in your musical endeavors, and remember â€" a quality TakeLessons.com music instructor can help you reach your musical goals more quickly and correctly. Blake C.  teaches songwriting, singing, and  guitar lessons  in Lowell, IN. He specializes in classical guitar technique as well as modern rock and blues styles. Blake has been teaching for 20 years and he joined the TakeLessons team in July 2013. Learn  more about Blake  here!   Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of prescreened teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for safe, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  Caitlinator

What To Do If You See Someone Being Cyber Bullied

What To Do If You See Someone Being Cyber Bullied What To Do If You See Someone Being Cyber Bullied? ChaptersWhat is Cyber Bullying?Signs that Someone is being CyberbulliedHow Can You Help?What Not To DoIn the digital age in which we live there are so many things to be grateful for. Positive actions like instant communication with friends through social media, a wealth of online resources, or endless hours of multimedia entertainment can be enjoyed with minimal fuss.However, unfortunately, the advent of technology has also opened up the doors for a whole host of negative behaviours and actions, making internet safety a huge issue. These actions include spreading malware, compromising user’s personal information, and the relatively recent trend of cyber bullying.In this article we’re going to tackle some of the best ways you can help someone on the receiving end of cyberbullying, and what you can do to prevent it happening in future. CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Disc over all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is Cyber Bullying? Cyberbullying is a serious issue which affects many young people.First things first though, what exactly is cyber bullying?A term which is bandied about more and more these days, cyber bullying is what you might imagine it is, in that it refers to malicious acts or verbal abuse through technology.Cyber bullying can take place through any and all digital platforms, and isn’t just limited to social media, though social media safety shouldn’t be ignored. In fact, it isn’t just limited to the internet, but can also extend to texting through mobile phones.The main forms of cyberbullying are sharing damaging content against the victim’s will, and sending hurtful messages or unsolicited photos/videos.This online form of bullying can be especially cruel and scary for the victim since it can seem impossible to escape from. Unlike being bullied at school for example, with cyber bullying the victim can feel trapped, since they are most likely always near some form of technology.To make things worse, a lot of cyberbullying can go unnoticed, since a lot of interactions online or through text are private, and anonymous. The anonymity in particular is a troubling element of cyberbullying, giving the bully free license to say whatever they want without fear of repercussions.Don’t worry though, if you know someone who is being cyber bullied, then there are plenty of things you can do to help. Even if you haven’t experienced it before, it’s useful to know how to act in case you have to deal with it one day.Signs that Someone is being Cyberbullied Look out for negative emotions as a sign of cyber bullying.A good place to start before taking drastic action is to make sure the person you are concerned about is suffering from cyberbullying.Keep an eye out for the following signs, and you might even be able to spot cyberbullying before it’s too late.While these signs aren’t definitive, if you notice a few of them in your friend or loved one, then you shouldn’t rule cyberbullying out.Dominance of Negative EmotionsOne of the first signs that the person could be experiencing cyber bullying, is that they demonstrate an array of negative emotions, often.These can include: anxiety, fear, stress, embarrassment, or shame. While these emotions are experienced by most people at one point or another, if they seem to consistently show up, then something might be up.A telltale sign of cyberbullying would be that the person in question seems to feel these strong negative emotions always after using technology. In which case, you would be right to suspect something might be up.Physical SymptomsAlong with the aforementioned negative emotions, you might also observe physical symptoms such as nausea, or frequent headaches show up.They might also show signs of being especially tired, which could possibly be a result of excessive worrying over cyberbullying.Behavioural ChangesIn terms of behaviour, someone who is being cyberbullied might mention wanting to run away, or express great discomfort each day.If the person in question is a student at a school, then cyberbullying can lead them to express a strong desire to stay away from school.Socially, the person might withdraw into themselves, rejecting the opportunity to talk to people or hang out with friends. They might also stop doing things that they previously loved, such as their favourite hobby.Lastly, focus can be affected, leaving the person restless in class, possibly ruminating over exchanges they’ve recently had online, or through text.A Change in Online HabitsT he last type of sign is a change in online habits. The person you suspect is being cyber bullied might seem to check their phone or tablet every few seconds, or cease all activity with the device all of a sudden.Phone safety is important for this reason, so make sure you’re informed on the risks and things you can do.A reluctance to share their online activity, or a deletion of a social media profile can also be signs that there is something the person doesn’t want you, or others, to know.How Can You Help? Be there for the person suffering from cyber bullying.Now that we’ve given you some tools to help identify if someone is being cyber bullied, let’s take a look at some of the options available to you to help the person in question.Be There for ThemJust like with regular bullying, comfort and feeling safe   are critical for the victim. As such, you should do your best to create a safe environment for them, and one in which they feel comfortable to express themselves and open up, should they wish to.By being a source of positive energy, you can help shift their focus away from the negativity they are suffering as a result of cyberbullying.It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to convince them that the bullying doesn’t matter or is insignificant, so the best you can do at times is to be the light in their lives and provide them with some hope.Another thing you can do if you know for sure the person is being cyber bullied, is to ask them if they need help dealing with it. By offeri ng your support they will feel less alone in their struggle, and sometimes that’s all that’s needed.Invite them to change their internet privacy settings, to secure their personal information, then suggest that they block or delete the bully. If that doesn’t work, and the bullying persists, then should consider taking further action.Report itDespite the fact that it seems at times like the internet is an ungoverned place, there are several authorities which can help deal with cyberbullying.If you decide that the best course of action is to report the bully, then you’ll want to work with your friend to gather evidence of the bullying.From text messages to photos, all you need to do is take screenshots of the interactions, so that the authorities have something concrete to go on.Once you have this evidence, depending on the platform, you should be able to report it to the appropriate authority. For example, forums will have forum administrators who have the power to remove use rs, social media platforms have ‘report’ functions, and if it’s serious enough (physical threats for example) you also have the option to take it up with the police.If the cyberbullying involves another student at the victim’s school, then the proper option would be to take it up with the headteacher.Use Online ResourcesThere are a few websites you can go to online which will help you deal with cyberbullying, and some even provide a helpline which the person being bullied can call whenever they need.One such website is stopbullying, an excellent source of in-depth information on everything concerning cyberbullying, provided by the US government. The website covers common cyberbullying tactics, effective ways to prevent it, and even has a guide for dealing with the increasingly common ‘haters’ and ‘trolls’ of the internet.Another incredibly useful tool is the eSafety website, which has been designed to help children, and parents alike, deal with cyberbullying. The web site has a ‘report abuse’ feature, a helpline, and an e-mail contact, in case the person being bullied prefers to stay anonymous.You should try to consult these websites before taking action since they can give you really helpful advice on how to proceed depending on the particular issue.What Not To DoNow that we’ve covered the main things you can do to help your friend who is being cyberbullied, let’s take a quick look at some of the things not to do. You can also take a look at our guide on how to stay safe online to get a better idea of how to deal with issues like this one.    Stay QuietWhile it’s uncomfortable to get involved sometimes, and many of us freeze and suffer from the Bystander effect in situations such as bullying, staying quiet is one of the worst things you can do.If you don’t speak up against bullying, or say something to support your friend, they may take your silence as you approving of the bullying, which will make them feel worse.Even just reaching out to them to say that what just happened was not ok can make a world of difference.    WaitThe longer you wait to address a case of cyberbullying, the more likely it is that it will get worse for the person being bullied, and the last thing you want is for them to come to any harm.Take a stand and stick up for your friend, even if it feels like it isn’t your place since bullying can have an extremely adverse effect on some, which can stick with them through life, or lead to terrible consequences.Make Light of the SituationWhile humour can definitely help alleviate tension at times, bullying is a serious issue, and should be treated as such.If you try to make light of the bullying to the person being bullied, they might not see the good intention behind it and may feel even less inclined to talk to you if they feel you aren’t.

GCSE Poem Analysis Nettles by Vernon Scannell

GCSE Poem Analysis Nettles by Vernon Scannell Vernon Scannell is a British poet who was born in Lincolnshire. Having fought in the World War Two, Scannell was most famous as a war poet. His poetry often reflect his experiences at war, as in this poem, Nettles. An analysis of the GCSE poem Nettles by Vernon Scannell. What is it about? The poem is a short account of the day that the poet’s son was stung by nettles â€" and what happened afterwards.   But more interesting than the events are the shadows of war that linger in the mind of the ex-soldier father, causing him to meditate on the cyclical nature of pain and violence. Nettles by Vernon Scannell My son aged  three fell in the  nettle bed. 'Bed' seemed a curious name for those green spears, That regiment of spite behind the shed: It was no place for rest. With sobs and tears The boy came seeking comfort and I saw White blisters beaded on his tender skin. We soothed him till his pain was not so raw. At last he offered us a watery grin, And then I took my hook and honed the blade And went outside and slashed in fury with it Till not a nettle in that fierce parade Stood upright any more. Next task: I lit A funeral pyre to burn the fallen dead. But in  two weeks the busy  sun and rain Had called up tall recruits behind the shed: My son would often feel sharp wounds  again. Overview The nettles of the title are introduced in a simple, rhythmically regular end-stopped line consisting of a single clause: noun phrase followed by verb phrase.   Yet they change their character â€" first, ‘curious’ to the adult poet who is interested in the paradoxical language with which we describe them, and then a ‘regiment of spite’, when we, the child and the father all discover what they can do. Form and Structure The poem is a single stanza of four, cross rhymed quatrains.   Each line is written in very regular iambic pentameter: lines of ten syllables with five stressed beats alternating with unstressed beats. Only a single line (‘And went outside and slashed with fury with it) breaks the pattern of ending on a stressed syllable â€" sometimes called a ‘feminine’ ending.   When iambic pentameter is used so regularly it achieves a very steady, relentless rhythm, helped here by the simple rhyme scheme abab.   This is another decision to relate the story in simplicity and most of the rhyme words are monosyllables with simple, everyday meanings â€" shed, bed, tears, skin. Language In fact it’s worth noting that Scannell achieves quite a nuanced, subtle perspective with only the simplest vocabulary.   In the 137 words there is only a single word of three syllables â€" ‘regiment’.   Almost all of the others are ‘core vocabulary’ â€" everyday words.   By mixing in a few pieces of military language â€" ‘spears, regiment, parade, recruits’ and ‘wounds’ â€" he dresses the mundane event in a light metaphor that encourages us to rethink the meaning of other words. The image of the father ‘honing the blade’ becomes more vengeful, more intentionally violent, in the context of this language. The rhyme is largely of the simplest kind: short, common monosyllables rhyming with ‘friendly’ words.   In one place an unstressed pronoun (‘slashed in fury with it’) rhymes with a stressed verb ‘lit’, perhaps giving a sense of release from effort that chimes with the frantic slashing.   There is also internal line between ‘took’ an ‘hook’, which simply brings those words to our attention.   Note that the father is probably using a billhook to hack the weeds, rather than a scythe, as some notes comment. Themes Scannell’s metaphor of nettles as soldiers is simple enough â€" the fresh shoots called ‘recruits’, the ‘fierce parade’ conjuring an image of hostile ranks â€" but its power is in the application.   This enemy stands just ‘behind the shed’ and the son can’t possibly escape them in his play, so the first theme has got to be vulnerability. Then there’s the matter of the father’s emotional reaction.   His anger seems disproportionate and though he ‘slashed with fury’ it is also ultimately in vain, because the nettles grow back!   Perhaps the second real theme is the vanity of a violent or vengeful reaction.   As an ex-soldier, Scannell would certainly have empathised with men who lashed out in anger, still holding back their pent-up reactions to the atrocities of war.   Perhaps the reader is also glimpsing a battle-scarred man lashing out? But finally there’s a powerful sense of the father’s love for his son here.   If this poem is an accurate account of a real event, then Scannell positions his narrative voice quite carefully: ‘my son’ becomes ‘the boy’.   By making the language less specific, less personal, the poet asks his reader to imagine ‘a’ boy â€" not a specific named child â€" a boy suffering.   The detail of the blisters ‘beaded on his white skin’ acts like a zoom lens, drawing the reader’s eye up close, before we back away and observe the consequence.   There is an intimacy here that adds depth to our picture of the family in the garden. Conclusion Using only the simplest poetic tools, Vernon Scannell creates a sequence of focused visual images with subtle overtones of much deeper themes.   You might describe such poetry as ‘deft’ or ‘workmanlike’ and be able to back up your opinion with any of the points above! Cross rhyme - A rhyme pattern alternating line endings, so that the first line rhymes with the third, and the second with the fourth, often notated abab and actually much simpler in practice than explanation!   Also one of the most common regular rhyme patterns. Quatrain - Four lines rhyming together and acting as one unit of verse.   Not necessarily grammatically complete or set apart as their own stanza. Stanza - A number of lines of verse laid out together on the page and separated by empty lines from the remainder of the poem.   This is chiefly a matter of a poet’s personal taste as well as visual appeal. Need an extra hand with your English? Why not book a private GCSE English tutor to come to your home from the Tutorfair website? More GCSE poem analyses: The Yellow Palm, Praise Song for My Mother, My Last Duchess, and Medusa

LOI English Teachers Alexa Whinery

LOI English Teachers Alexa Whinery Taking English classes through Skype can be stressful. After all, there are many myths about this type of learning. So, in order to make people that are learning or intend to learn English online more comfortable with this method, I decided to talk with several LOI English teachers to let you know more about them. This time I spoke with Alexa Whinery.Born in the United States, Alexa has lived all over the country. Depending on which state she is in, the origin of her students changes, but it is common for her to have students from Russia, Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador.One of the things on her bio that intrigued me was the fact that she is familiar with many US accents Californian, Midwest, Northern, Eastern Seaboard and Southern Appalachian.According to Alexa, there is no standard accent, all of them are valid. That is why she does not force her students to learn a specific accent. If her students want to improve the way they speak with a specific accent, she helps them to do it. Ho wever, since, as she says, the English language is spoken by people from all over the world, there is no need to use a specific accent to be understood. The only thing that matters is that the pronunciation is as accurate as possible.Speaking about pronunciation, this is one of the most common issues for people who are trying to learn English. Alexa does not like to generalize, but she says that learning how to think in English is a way to avoid mistakes and learning pronunciation rather than an accent is very important.One of the techniques that Alexa uses to teach her students how to think in English is the reading of movie dialogues and synopsis. This can help not only the learning of vocabulary, but also help students learn how to sound more natural when speaking in English. According to her, this exposure to modern English is one of the most effective ways for a non-native to learn how to speak naturally.Besides that, the exposure to cultural issues also helps in the learning p rocess. There are many ways to express the same thing according to the region you are from, that is why Alexa believes that knowing more about culture is essential to a better understanding of the language.My conversation with Alexa flowed naturally and one of the things I noticed was that she does not like generalizations. To Alexa, treating each student individually is sacred. Therefore, she seems to be a great teacher for those who are tired of being treated as just another student and want more personalized tutoring. Ren It can really be stressful. I learn russian skype online at Preply and I almost gave up.