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4 Tips To Learn Maths At Application & Career Ready Levels To Excel

By
Shirley Owen
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Tips-To-Learn-Maths-At-Application

According to researchers’ findings, MRI scans of young students solving mathematics problems experienced brain reactions that suggested aetiological occurrences.

These findings show that many students still face problems approaching and effectively learning mathematics despite several traditional teaching method revisions and additions of technological aid.

So, how is it that some people enjoy solving maths problems while others don’t?

Many people mention mathematics as a very interesting and favourite subject when others cannot get their head around it.

Research has hinted that there is no such thing as a maths gene or maths brain, suggesting that anyone can learn maths and be good at it with the right approach and methodology.

So, let’s look at a few mathematics expert approaches that will help you learn maths and match up with the above extremities.

1. Carefully Pick Your Field Of Study

carefully-pick-your-field-of-study-to-learn-maths-at-career-levels-to-excel

Firstly, you must decide which branch of maths you want to start with. Suppose that on top of being a learner, you also are an enthusiast as opposed to people who are reluctant to study maths.

In such cases, it is important to understand that the right approach isn’t always to start with difficult branches that you have been wanting to learn for a long time. For instance, let’s say that you’ve only studied calculus 1, but you always wanted to leap onto algebraic topology.

Presumably, such topics can be tough to crack. You have to understand that there’s a lot of bridge to cover here before taking on topics with mathematical problems that can be difficult to solve.

Here in this example, you will need to be well-versed with abstract algebra and general topology and have a certain level of mathematical maturity to start with algebraic topology. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t refrain from learning tough subjects. Just it is always recommended that you pick something that feels manageable initially unless you’re extraordinarily smart and confident about where you stand in terms of the respective topic.

2. Adopt Relevant Learning Methods

for-learn-maths-at-career-levels-to-excel-adopt-relevant-learning-methods

We’ve heard a lot about how traditional learning methods are unproductive for long-term mathematical applications. Most students learned what their teachers told them according to pre-set syllabi. Only later do they figure out what they want to learn further or ways to use it to their advantage. Schools aren’t known to teach students to be ready for real-world applications.

However, with today’s technological advancements and ease of communication, kids have better opportunities to adopt application-level learning using highly-rated math apps for example. Today, the average age of children getting their first mobile-phone ranges from around 12-14 years.

It increases their chances of being exposed to useful learning materials and motivates them to approach subjects in a career-oriented fashion at a very young age. For instance, many students are fascinated with the possibilities of machine learning, IoT, and how maths is key to mastering those areas of study.

3. Finding The Right Approach

learn-maths-at-career-levels-to-excel-with-right-approach

While a good number of expert online maths tutors can help with choices and guidance, many undermine your current progress just to win an account. For instance, despite knowing basic calculus and algebra, they might explicitly tell you that you are not ready to learn advanced calculus for canvassing you in their course.

That’s not true. Although you might not understand everything right away, you can still try and figure out where you stand in terms of advanced topics with patience and the right guidance. Just pick a subject you want to learn and find genuine learning resources. You will gradually catch up.

Also, it is always better to manage your expectations and accept that you will not understand everything right off the bat while attempting a really advanced subject. This will ensure that you don’t feel defeated when you come across complex concepts. Rather than feeling like a failure, managing your expectations will help you constantly learn and improve.

4. Get the Right Study Books

get-the-right-study-books-for-learn-maths-at-career-levels-to-excel

The next thing you should do is get the right books. Although still prevalent, with an abundance of resources on the internet, the percentage of people using books has declined significantly. Also, several educational mobile applications have attractive features and interesting graphics aimed to glue users just to increase memberships and screen times.

So, it is advised that you try to find the best maths books at affordable rates for solid basics and practice. There’s nothing like the good old way of learning mathematics that will help you retain concepts. Late Paul Hammant once said he would do as many problems as possible and gather as many resources as possible when learning maths. The more resources you have, the easier it is to learn.

Takeaway

Anyone can learn maths via the latest means available if they choose these wisely. The internet is cluttered with so many different resources that make it easy for young students to get distracted. Renowned maths books will always serve as the foundation for further innovation and technological advancements. You must diligently make use of recommended online resources to supplement your mathematics learning efforts. Furthermore, you can seek guidance from registered online maths tutors. They can help you find more like-minded people to interact with and study maths together. You can also learn further through several resources available on forums, social media, and the online maths Olympiad communities.

Elastik launches to help schools tackle critical learning gaps across the UK

By
UK Education News Publisher
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0
Edtech-firm-tackles-pandemic-learning-gaps
  • Elastik will launch with over 100 UK schools and Multi-Academy Trusts to address learning gaps created by the pandemic and inequalities in learning
  • Insight from Elastik could be used to directly support teachers in the UK’s 55 educational ‘cold spots’ and the National Tutoring Programme as part of the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda
  • Schools working with Elastik can complete a comprehensive analysis of student learning gaps in under two weeks

Elastik, the pioneering analytics and assessment platform for schools, is launching in the UK to help schools and teachers urgently address gaps in learning that have been created or exacerbated by the pandemic.  Designed by teachers, for teachers, Elastik maps student performance data against the national curriculum, so that teachers can quickly and easily pinpoint individual and class-wide learning needs.  Elastik initially launched to help schools identify learning gaps in Western Australia in late 2020 and will now start working with over 100 schools and Multi-Academy Trusts including the Astrea Academy Trust which has schools in South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire.

Between March 2020 and April 2021, students across the UK missed on average over half a year of normal, in-person schooling. Ofsted reports significant delays in educational development as a result of remote learning, with Year 1 and Year 2 pupils falling behind in topics such as phonics knowledge, number and symbol recognition, and number bonds. The Department for Education has identified 55 ‘cold spots’ where education outcome is the weakest to target intensive investment. Bridging the learning gap in areas like these will be one of the keys focuses of the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ policy. Teachers know that subjects missed, particularly at early stages, can fundamentally undermine teaching in later years where those topics need to be built upon. However, identifying precise gaps can be difficult and extremely time-consuming to address accurately. With more than a quarter of teachers in England working more than 59 hours per week, record stress levels are being recorded.

Elastik is a custom-built, software platform for schools, which uses the school’s historic data or data from new assessments to provide accurate student learning insights as well as automate time-consuming administration for teachers.  Its proprietary analytics technology can identify student learning gaps from assessment data in under two weeks and map this to curriculum requirements at a granular level.  From these insights, Elastik can develop detailed individual and class lesson plans for teachers to use as appropriate, delivering focus on areas that need addressing and saving essential time for teachers.

elastik-launches-to-tackle-critical-learning-gaps-in-UKJeremy Waters, Founder of Elastik, says:

“As a former teacher, I understand all too well the simultaneous pressures and privileges of teaching. My priority when establishing Elastik was to give teachers easy access to the insights across their pupil cohorts, take away as much admin as possible, and in turn support them to pursue their passion for teaching.  Inequalities in learning are unfortunately not new, but as many in the sector will agree, gaps that were already there have been exacerbated by the pandemic and we are now at a crisis point across the vast majority of schools in the UK as teachers and pupils absences persist. To effectively address the government stated, ‘expected standards’ in reading, writing, and maths and to support children of all abilities to achieve their best, we must first establish where the specific learning gaps are so that teachers know where to focus their attention.”

Hywel Jones, from Astrea Academy Trust said: 

“Our mission is to deliver the best possible education to every child. While the pandemic has caused significant challenges for education, we are pleased to be participating in a pilot with Elastik, to help the children who have struggled with remote learning or had reduced levels of concentration and ensure they are supported. Having the insight as to what our children have either missed or not understood properly at any stage of their schooling plays a fundamental part in our ability as teachers to lay the right educational foundations for them.”

Paul Kinsella, Headteacher of St Monica’s Catholic Primary School in Liverpool said:

“What I rate about Elastik is its ability to inform and empower our teaching. It pinpoints problem areas quickly and offers a real range of support, which teachers can use as they need to. The platform itself is extremely visual and easy to use, which means it has been rolled out quickly for staff to use without onerous IT or training requirements.”

The UK Education Blog asked Jeremy Waters the following questions:

Elastik claims to reduce the administrative burden for teachers, which is a key problem in the teaching profession. How does Elastik deliver this?

A recent study by UCL revealed that one in four teachers work a 60-hour week, and manual administration processes form a considerable part of this – tracking student progression, preparing lessons, sourcing learning material, and reporting on student process, not to mention marking.

Elastik helps to automate these processes:

  • It triangulates assessment data and maps it to the curriculum, so that teachers can use its cutting-edge technology to identify learning gaps at the touch of a button.
  • Elastik immediately generates lesson guides targeted to cover those specific areas of the curriculum, then automatically creates tailored assessments to ensure that the gaps have been effectively bridged.
  • It cuts marking time, even for English where its real-time writing assessment module marks students’ work in real-time in accordance with curriculum-based criteria. Teachers are always in control.
  • It generates comprehensive feedback reports, so teachers can effectively communicate more quickly and effectively with students, other teachers or teaching assistants, and at parent-teacher meetings.
  • Its straightforward interface and visualisation of insights mean teachers don’t need to struggle with technology.

In what ways does Elastik empower teachers to deliver the best teaching while reducing the admin time?

Elastik is built by for teachers by teachers and is designed to support their core activities without adding to their stress levels.

Teachers tell us that Elastik gives them a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their class, so they can more easily decide how best to use their teaching time. Elastik can pinpoint the underlying problem, even it if was a concept taught in an earlier school year, so that teachers can ensure that children have a solid learning foundation to build on.

As well as supporting whole-class learning, Elastik also allows teachers to understand where individual children are struggling – whether they are underachievers or aiming for a top grade. Teachers can create focus groups and track progress, ensuring that all children meet their potential.

By reducing administration time and leveraging technology, Elastik frees teachers to be more targeted in their teaching, leaving more time to be creative and spontaneous in the classroom, secure in the knowledge that their lessons and assessments are developed in line with student needs.

How easy is Elastik to use and will teachers receive training?

Elastik is designed for teachers, not technologists. It is simple to set up and use. A single password gives a teacher access across Maths, English, and Science content from Key Stage 1-3. This makes it easy for them to their log in for reporting and teaching material. It’s easy enough for students to log in to use it for assessments or if remote learning is required.

Ultimately Elastik is about the human connection. This means giving teaches back time to teach. But it also means supporting teachers with the Elastik platform until they are fully confident. All schools working with Elastik receive hands-on training and support from Sales liaison officers who help schools get up and running and provide ongoing guidance. Every school is unique, with its own set of goals and challenges so the Elastik team is always on standby to help every user get the best out of the platform.

About Elastik 

Elastik launched in the UK in January 2022. Since January 2021, the platform has been used in Australia, where it now works with over 400 schools, 103,000 students, and 13,971 teachers across the country to empower teaching staff to address unidentified gaps in their students’ curriculum-driven learning across Maths, English, and Science. Elastik delivers cutting-edge technology but was designed with the premise that technology cannot replace a teacher. Instead, it uses AI (smart algorithms and machine learning) to free teachers from administrative burdens, give them insights on student development, and let them focus on what they do best – helping students grow. Elastik recognises the challenges facing schools today and provides support and expertise to the school and the teachers. Rapid implementation delivers benefits immediately and ongoing guidance ensures that the value grows as Elastik becomes embedded. Teachers in Australia describe their approach as game changing.

-ENDS-

Find more information about EdTech here: ed tech | UK Education Blog (clickdo.co.uk).

4 Best Tools For Students to Create Audio Slideshows and Presentations

By
Shirley Owen
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0
Best-Tools-For-Students-to-Create-Audio-Slideshow-Presentations

Audio slideshows are a common tool for university or school assignments.

Audio slideshows are slides, visuals, and audio. The audio plays automatically, giving the feel of a video. Audio slideshows are suitable for people who prefer listening to content or cannot access written content.

They are a good alternative for video content as videos can be bulky and take time to load on mobile devices. Audio slideshows help retain the feel of a video without the bulkiness.

The most common use of audio slideshows is on informative and academic websites, blogs, and news channels. It is also a popular format for students to submit their assignments.

Student assignments have moved from research work in a library and submitting hard copies to being presented online visually.

Online content allows students to create rich format documents that are engaging and interactive. Audio slideshows improve student engagement because of the combination of visuals and audio.

Top Tools for Creating Audio Slideshows

Tools for creating audio slideshows make it easy to create content. Audio slideshows need both picture editing tools as well as audio editing tools.

A good tool allows the students to build a strong storyline and visualise the content easily. These tools make publishing content simple and convenient.

A big part of creating audio slideshows is managing raw data. Good tools help with organising, categorising, and editing content.

They also come with extensive tutorials on subjects like ‘how to make a slideshow’ and advanced features like automated voice modulations.

Here are three popular tools that students can use for their audio slideshows:

1. iMovie

imovie-to-create-audio-presentations

iMovie by Apple is a free video editing tool that comes with Mac. iMovie is powerful software that creates professional content. It is a tool of choice for several content creators. The fact that iMovie is a free editing tool is one of the reasons it is very popular amongst students.

One of the best features of iMovie is that it is non-linear. Non-linear editing software allows editing content without disturbing the original version. iMovie is so powerful that it is a popular tool even used by filmmakers to edit their reels. It is simple and does not need specific training or technical skills to make audio slideshows.

Like any editing tool, iMovie needs visual and audio content to be ready before processing. Once uploaded into the iMovie project, editing is simple. Cut out unnecessary parts, manage transitions, overlay audio, and voice-over. iMovie also allows recording audio directly into the project if necessary.

One important feature a tool needs to have for adding audio to a slideshow is to display the waveform. Waveform allows precise audio editing, and iMovie provides this feature in an easy-to-use manner. It is prominently visible on the bottom right of the iMovie project video.

iMovie also allows for smooth fade in and fade out of the audio. This effect gives a professional feel to the slideshow, especially during transitions from one slide to another. Apart from this, iMovie has a sophisticated sound equaliser that allows the creator to adjust bass and treble.

The biggest drawback of iMovie is that it is only available on Mac devices. However, there are alternatives like OpenShot for PCs and Kdenlive for Linux.

2. InVideo

invideo-to-create-audio-slideshows

With the growing need for videos in education, online video editing tools are getting stronger every day. InVideo is one such tool that has helped users simplify the process of video creation.

InVideo is widely prevalent among students due to its intuitive and easy-to-use interface. With 5000+ premade hand-crafted templates, this tool lets students easily transform information into audio-visual slides.

Using InVideo’s slideshow maker, you can create great presentations in just a few steps. First, search your presentation topic on InVideo’s template search bar. Then, pick a relevant template and customise it with your uploaded images, video clips, texts, and other media.

You can add voice-overs to your slideshow when making a presentation with InVideo. Other than that, there’s also an extensive list of audio tracks that you can add to your slideshows to make them more interesting.

Scene transitions and animations are some of the other crucial factors for slideshow presentations. InVideo has a highly comprehensible video timeline that can be used to add creative scene transitions. You can also animate each element on your scene from this same timeline.

InVideo’s stock library consists of 8 million+ media files from Shutterstock, Stock, and Storyblocks. You can search for relevant images, GIFs, stickers, and video clips and use them in your slideshow video.

Once your slideshow presentation is ready, you can download the video in 720p or 1080p resolution. This video can be directly shared on social media platforms. Besides, you can also generate the link for your slideshow presentation and share it with your teachers, friends, and others.

3. Canva

multimedia-presentation-tool

The need for editing software to create audio slideshows is growing. This need has flooded the market with several tools specifically targeting students. Canva is one of the tools that stands out due to its features and ease of use.

Though not targeting students, Canva is an effective tool for creating assignments and project documents in the student community.

Canva is a graphic designing or 3D – modelling tool. It has a rich library of visual tools like fonts, pictures, and icons. Making visual slides with Canva is fun and easy.

Once the visuals are ready, Canva allows adding voice overlays to make for easy storytelling. It works best with MP4 audio, which is one of the most popular formats anyway.

For audio, Canva is for beginners. It focuses on visual edit features more than audio ones. However, it has all the basic systems to edit, trim, and change audio speed.

Voice-overs are allowed, but they typically have a lot of background noise, no matter what tool you use. A better way is to record audio separately and overlay it on your slideshow.

Most projects get hosted on websites, and Canva optimises its files for this. Unlike iMovie, Canva needs trimmed visuals and audio before stitching them together.

Just like iMovie, Canva allows in-tool voice-over recording. This feature makes editing easy and manageable. The best thing about Canva is that it is free to use and works best on a PC.

4. PowerPoint

Best-Tools-For-Students-to-Create-Audio-Slideshows

Most of us were introduced to the beautiful world of slideshows and presentations through PowerPoint.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 and above allows audio content in slideshows.

PowerPoint is not an editing tool. It is more of a storyboarding tool that can tell a powerful story. To use PowerPoint for audio slideshows, get all the content ready.

One of PowerPoint’s most popular audio features is the ability to control when the sound plays. Showing visuals and audio can be controlled by an action such as a click. This comes in handy when the audio slideshow is not auto-play but has to be manually presented.

PowerPoint has easy-to-use basic audio features like trimming audio, looping a sound bite, fading audio, etc. Its voice-over capability is one of the best you can find.

Visuals need to be created, edited, and enhanced. Audio and voice-over need to be recorded and edited. Once all this is ready, start putting it together in PowerPoint and manage transitions. The Auto-transition feature of PowerPoint makes well-made audio-visual presentations look like videos.

The advantage of PowerPoint is that it is available free for students. The newer versions of the software allow for online collaborations and publishing.

Conclusion

The Internet has changed the way people learn. Audio slideshows use technology to showcase research work engagingly. They add depth to the topic and make it easy to understand complex concepts. They smartly use both visuals and audio to explain concepts.

While submitting projects, creating audio slideshows can be a satisfying experience. It demands research skills, logical thinking, and creativity. Apart from the skills needed for researching the topic in question, building engaging audio slideshows is a skill in itself and forms part of the many key career skills for future employment.

With so many free tools, students can create professional-grade content. Many of them are free or offer additional student and teacher discounts out of the remaining. Some even allow students to download a trial version for free. Go on and download the tool of your choice for your next assignment to be a success!

5 Tips To Ace Every Exam At Medical School

By
Shirley Owen
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0
How to Ace Your First Year of Medical School; study tips for medical students; Tips To Ace Exam At Medical School; Ways to Ace Medical School Exams

We all know exams are stressful, especially at medical school.

The amount of theoretical knowledge that you must remember is enormous.

There is no difference if you study medicine in Europe or the UK. The medicine course curriculum is pretty much the same for all aspiring doctors.

In this post, you will discover tried-and-tested study techniques that will help you memorize any material, save time, and ace every exam at medical school.

1. Find a study friend

study-tips-for-medical-studentsA great way to motivate yourself to study is to find a study friend or even form a study group. This is an incredibly effective strategy for learning since you can help each other better understand a particular topic and review exams material together.

A few great benefits of studying with friends are:

  • Improving notes 

Every student has a unique way of writing down lectures. A great way to enhance your information and fill in any gaps is to compare notes with your classmates. This allows everyone to understand any topic better and clear up misconceptions that may arise.

  • Increasing motivation 

When you make study appointments with your friends, more or less, you feel obligated to show up. Therefore, this will boost your motivation to study and reduce procrastination.

  • Making studying enjoyable

Let’s be honest; most of us always check out our phones while studying or even working. One way to give up this habit and say “NO” to social media distractions is to study with friends.

A study group might assist you in staying on track. Plus, studying with friends may be enjoyable. You may tell jokes and make up humorous examples.

2. Diversify your study techniques

How-to-Ace-Your-First-Year-of-Medical-SchoolBesides taking notes, you can use flashcards and try out different learning techniques and methods to add a variety to your study sessions. By doing so, you will spend your time more productively and efficiently.

Some of the best study techniques for medical and dental students are:

  • SQRRR or SQ3R 

Behind the SQRRR acronym are hidden 5 steps that can make your study session more efficient and effective. Each new module may have its own set of difficulties – diagrams, terminology, and charts.

These 5 simple steps will help you make the most out of your limited free time at medical university

  • Survey:

Don’t read the whole lecture/chapter from your book. Start with skimming the material:

  • Read all headings and subheadings
  • Look at any visual material, such as images and charts

  • Question:

For each paragraph, try formulating questions that will help you remember the material, such as:

  • What is the main topic of this chapter?
  • What do I already know about it?

The main idea is to improve your active learning rather than passive learning (simply reading and memorizing text). Try turning all headings and subheadings into questions. For instance, if you have to study for an Anatomy class, example questions may include:

  • What is a parietal bone?
  • What is occipital bone?
  • What is sphenoid sinus?

Preparing questions and being the first person to test yourself is way better than simply memorizing the material. The secret of active learning at medical school is asking and answering questions.

  • Read

Yes, you can’t escape from reading. After writing down all questions, you should start looking for the most informative answers. So, reread the whole lecture and search for the information needed.

  • Recite

After reading the whole lecture, try answering the questions from step two. If you can’t, take notes and reread the relevant paragraphs. Try to recite or recall everything you remember as soon as you finish reading and taking notes.

  • Review

The most crucial part that most students skip or leave for the last week before the exam is to review the material.

Don’t forget to review the material the day after completing the previous four steps. You must check your notes to understand the topic entirely. Quiz yourself on the questions you formed on step two.

  • Distributed Practice

Studying in a medical university is like preparing for a marathon. Future doctors gain knowledge not just for one test or exam but also to treat patients and save human lives in the near future. Therefore, we encourage you to try the distributed practice instead of cramming the day before an exam.

Distributed practice refers to studying in multiple short sessions over a more extended period of time, with a reasonable amount of time between each session.

The meaning behind the name of this study method is:

Distributed = spread out

Practice = to perform something repeatedly in order to master it

The number of learning sessions and the optimal gap between them depends on a few factors:

  • How much material are you trying to learn?
  • What time do you have before the test/exam?
  • What is your overall goal?

A simple example for this learning technique is:

  • Day 1: You are introduced to the new topic / Lecture in class
  • Day 2: Writing down notes and reviewing the whole material
  • After 3 days: Review your notes
  • After one week: Review
  • After two weeks: Review

3. Plan ahead: Create a study schedule

Ways-to-Ace-Medical-School-ExamsMost students enjoy trying out the study techniques introduced in the previous paragraph. However, there always comes the question: “How to implement them in our life?”.

The secret is to start planning and creating a study schedule that will help you keep track of your studies, university assignments’ deadlines, and free time for your hobbies and friends.

Good time management ensures that you study better, reduce stress, and increase efficiency. It is crucial to remember that a study schedule is there not to pressure you but to support your goals and help you achieve them smarter, not harder.

Therefore, when you start forming your study schedule, make sure to include daily activities such as cooking, going to the gym, coffee with friends, or whatever makes you happy.

A few simple steps that we advise you to use when planning ahead are:

  • Write down all important deadlines such as dates for exams and tests
  • List all subjects that you have to study for
  • Choose the best study technique for you
  • Figure out your free time after classes
  • Create a balance between personal and academic life by blocking time for your hobbies, family, friends, and simply to rest
  • Fill in your study sessions based on what free time you have left and the techniques you have chosen

4. Discover the best note-taking technique for you

Ways-to-Ace-Medical-School-ExamsA couple of times, we have mentioned the importance of taking notes. There is no right or wrong note-taking technique. However, you should find the best one for you to maximize the benefits of writing down study material.

We advise you to never copy text straight out of books. Because copying text from a textbook does not activate the brain, the learner will not comprehend the content and may fail to recall the subject.

A few tips and tricks that you can try out and implement are

  • Use abbreviations

Sometimes professors speak too fast, or simply the material is too much, and you just can’t keep up. So, why don’t you develop a system of abbreviations to speed up your writing?

Some of the most common abbreviations include:

  • Tx – treatment
  • Dx – diagnosis
  • Sx – symptoms
  • Rx – prescription
  • Sx – surgery
  • Thx – therapy
  • HR – Heart Rate
  • BP – Blood Pressure
  • d/t – due to
  • s/t – secondary to
  • r/t – related to
  • s/p – status post

 

  • Colour code your notes

A powerful way to remember information better is to use different colours and highlight important parts. Choose 3 to 4 colours and create your own colour code system.

Use the same colours throughout your notes to represent the same types of information, whether it’s yellow for primary ideas, green for facts, or red for definitions. To minimise confusion, try to utilise the same system for all of your classes. You can use this note-taking technique for both electronic and handwritten notes.

5. Stop multitasking during study sessions

Tips-To-Ace-Exam-At-Medical-SchoolHundreds of students have problems focusing while studying because of the many distractions we have in our lives. Just checking for new messages or liking a few pictures on Instagram has a more significant negative impact on studies than we can imagine.

The negative effect of multitasking during learning sessions include:

  • Remembering less
  • Making mistakes
  • Longer study sessions

Break the multitasking habit with these simple tips:

  • Put away your phone when you sit down to read for your classes
  • Turn off the TV if you get easily distracted by noises
  • Try to stick to your study schedule
  • Organize your study area

You can also try using time management apps designed to help students efficiently organize their day-to-day tasks and stay focused while studying.

Final words

Nobody likes to spend more time studying than is necessary, especially with all the additional pressures medical training entails. Learning good study strategies will guarantee that you are adequately prepared for your medical tests and exams. Hopefully, using the tips outlined above, you will be able to make your study time more productive and enjoyable.

Students worldwide rate the 30 Best Student Cities and 4 UK Cities make it onto the Campus Advisor Ranking

By
UK Education News Publisher
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Best-Student-Cities-and-4-UK-Cities-onto-Campus-Advisor-Ranking

TheCampusAdvisor.com is a global student review website that allows users to rate and review their university, academic staff, campus facilities, accommodation, as well as much more relating to their experiences of life at university!

Over the past year, we’ve also surveyed 12,164 students about the cities they live in while attending university. The survey considered a range of factors including

  • student friendliness
  • cost of living
  • nightlife
  • public transport
  • amenities
  • safety
  • and the general opinions of current students.

We are delighted to now reveal the 30 best student cities in the world for 2022, determined entirely based on those ratings submitted by students!

You can view the full rankings here: https://www.thecampusadvisor.com/best-of/30-Best-Student-Cities-in-the-World-2022/Ranking/103

In summary, the top 5 best cities in the world are (1st) Melbourne, (2nd) Newcastle, (3rd) Seoul, (4th) Vienna, and (5th) Montreal. London is ranked 10th, Edinburgh 16th, and Nottingham 26th overall.

Here’s a complete breakdown of how the UK cities that made it into the top 30

Nottingham (26th)

Across 6 categories, Nottingham achieved an overall score of 4.12 out of 5.

The categories that Nottingham scored best in were ‘Student Friendliness’ with a score of 4.52 out of 5 and ‘Nightlife’ with a score of 4.42 out of 5.

Here’s the full breakdown of the rating scores from 1 to 5 for Nottingham:

Student Friendliness: 4.52
Cost of Living: 3.71
Nightlife: 4.42
Public Transport: 4.16
Amenities: 4.21
Safety: 3.70

We also asked everyone who reviewed Nottingham the following questions (the results of the responses to each are in bold):

“Would you recommend living in Nottingham as a student?”
96.2% of the reviewers that answered said they would recommend living there.

“Is there a large student population living in Nottingham?”
100% of the reviewers that answered felt that Nottingham does have a large student population.

“Do you think Nottingham has a diverse population?”
98.5% of the reviewers that answered think Nottingham does have a diverse student population.

“Are there many opportunities for students to get jobs in Nottingham?”
89.3% of the reviewers that answered said they thought there were enough job opportunities available for students.

“Is there a good variety of options for eating out?”
99.2% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Is there a good variety of bars and clubs for students?”
99.2% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Are there interesting attractions for those looking for cultural experiences?”
89.9% of reviewers said Nottingham does have interesting cultural experiences.

Edinburgh (16th)

Across 6 categories, Edinburgh achieved an overall score of 4.27 out of 5.

The categories that Edinburgh scored best in were ‘Student Friendliness’ with a score of 4.82 out of 5 and ‘Public Transport’ with a score of 4.49 out of 5.

Here’s the full breakdown of the rating scores from 1 to 5 for Edinburgh:

Student Friendliness: 4.82
Cost of Living: 3.17
Nightlife: 4.20
Public Transport: 4.49
Amenities: 4.44
Safety: 4.47

We also asked everyone who reviewed Edinburgh the following questions (the results of the responses to each are in bold):

“Would you recommend living in Edinburgh as a student?”
98.8% of the reviewers that answered said they would recommend living there.

“Is there a large student population living in Edinburgh?”
100% of the reviewers that answered felt that Edinburgh does have a large student population.

“Do you think Edinburgh has a diverse population?”
91.5% of the reviewers that answered think Edinburgh does have a diverse student population.

“Are there many opportunities for students to get jobs in Edinburgh?”
92% of the reviewers that answered said they thought there were enough job opportunities available for students.

“Is there a good variety of options for eating out?”
97.6% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Is there a good variety of bars and clubs for students?”
97.6% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Are there interesting attractions for those looking for cultural experiences?”
98.8% of reviewers said Edinburgh does have interesting cultural experiences.

London (10th)

Across 6 categories, London achieved an overall score of 4.35 out of 5.

The categories that London scored best in were ‘Public Transport’ with a score of 4.90 out of 5 and ‘Amenities’ with a score of 4.89 out of 5.

Here’s the full breakdown of the rating scores from 1 to 5 for London:

Student Friendliness: 4.69
Cost of Living: 2.85
Nightlife: 4.86
Public Transport: 4.90
Amenities: 4.89
Safety: 3.88

We also asked everyone who reviewed London the following questions (the results of the responses to each are in bold):

“Would you recommend living in London as a student?”
93.9% of the reviewers that answered said they would recommend living there.

“Is there a large student population living in London?”
98.6% of the reviewers that answered felt that London does have a large student population.

“Do you think London has a diverse population?”
99.7% of the reviewers that answered think London does have a diverse student population.

“Are there many opportunities for students to get jobs in London?”
94.1% of the reviewers that answered said they thought there were enough job opportunities available for students.

“Is there a good variety of options for eating out?”
97.9% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Is there a good variety of bars and clubs for students?”
97.2% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Are there interesting attractions for those looking for cultural experiences?”
98.3% of reviewers said London does have interesting cultural experiences

Newcastle (2nd)

Across 6 categories, Newcastle achieved an overall score of 4.53 out of 5.

The categories that Newcastle scored best in were ‘Student Friendliness’ with a score of 4.80 out of 5 and ‘Nightlife’ with a score of 4.85 out of 5.

Here’s the full breakdown of the rating scores from 1 to 5 for Newcastle:

Student Friendliness: 4.80
Cost of Living: 4.42
Nightlife: 4.85
Public Transport: 4.46
Amenities: 4.15
Safety: 4.52

We also asked everyone who reviewed Newcastle the following questions (the results of the responses to each are in bold):

“Would you recommend living in Newcastle as a student?”
100% of the reviewers that answered said they would recommend living there.

“Is there a large student population living in Newcastle?”
100% of the reviewers that answered felt that Newcastle does have a large student population.

“Do you think Newcastle has a diverse population?”
91.6% of the reviewers that answered think Newcastle does have a diverse student population.

“Are there many opportunities for students to get jobs in Newcastle?”
94.3% of the reviewers that answered said they thought there were enough job opportunities available for students.

“Is there a good variety of options for eating out?”
100% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Is there a good variety of bars and clubs for students?”
100% of the reviewers that answered said there was.

“Are there interesting attractions for those looking for cultural experiences?”
95% of reviewers said Newcastle does have interesting cultural experiences.

The overall mission of ranking the best student cities in the world is to help future students to make a more informed decision about what university will be the best fit for them and allow students to better prepare for the next chapter in their life! We also want to highlight areas in which cities can improve to give residents living there a better quality of life.

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Senzo Education Poll confirms the need for new better rapid tests for COVID-19

By
UK Education News Publisher
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senzo-among-educators-reveals-errors-with-covid19-tests

Introduction

A recent poll of educators conducted by Senzo, a novel rapid testing company, indicates that more accurate COVID-19 at-home tests are needed, and would be beneficial in increasing confidence amongst educators, parents, and students in the ability to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission via school attendance, allowing children and educators to better get back to pre-pandemic normal.

Main Newscovid19-rapid-test-senzo

A new survey conducted on behalf of Senzo, a leading in-vitro diagnostics company, reports that approximately one-third (28%) of educators have received false results from rapid COVID-19 tests in the past, and more than two-thirds (83%) of respondents indicated that more accurate tests would increase their confidence in physically attending school, suggesting a strong need for better rapid COVID-19 tests.

As the developer of a breakthrough Amplified Lateral Flow (ALF) Test for COVID-19 with 10,000 times better sensitivity than existing tests, Senzo conducted this poll to gain insight into the opinions of educators, who due to the nature of their work, are often at a high risk of exposure to the virus.

The poll conducted online in January 2022 among a group of 100 US and UK adults ages 18 and older who are actively employed in the education sector, also found that 70% believe that accurate rapid testing is very important and 66% think a more accurate rapid test would be very beneficial.  These results continue to substantiate the importance of Senzo’s mission to bring a better rapid-testing COVID-19 product to market.

“This poll provides further evidence of the need for better rapid testing to get the world back to normal, and Senzo is poised to deliver our ALF COVID-19 test to achieve this,” added Senzo CEO, Jeremy Stackawitz.

The survey produced notable results, broken down into the following categories:

  • Experience with misleading test results – Nearly one-third (28%) of respondents reported getting either a false positive or false negative result from a rapid test for COVID-19 at least once in the past. This further confirms Senzo’s stance that current rapid testing is not where it should be in terms of accuracy.
  • Testing accuracy is important to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – Senzo’s poll also shows that 70% of respondents feel that accurate COVID-19 testing is “very important” in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
  • Testing accuracy in relation to educator confidence – Senzo’s poll shows that 83% of adults employed in education would feel more confident attending school with their students and co-workers, or attending social gatherings if they had access to more accurate testing. More than half of those surveyed (44%) said it would make them “much more confident,” while 39% said it would make them “moderately more confident.”
  • The overall benefit of more accurate testing – When asked how beneficial overall they think a more accurate rapid COVID test would be for educators and students, the clear majority (66%) said it would be “very beneficial,” while 28% admitted it would at least be “moderately beneficial.” Only 8% of respondents said it “would not make a significant difference.”

Accurate, rapid testing is key to the safety of teachers, students, and other school faculty members, but Senzo finds that current lateral flow tests are not sufficiently accurate (only 57.5% accurate according to independent evaluations conducted by UK NHS Test and Trace professionals), and PCR tests can take days to get results.senzo-alf-covid19-rapid-test

Senzo’s ALF, soon to be widely available, solves these problems by combining the speed, affordability, and simplicity of a 7-minute lateral flow rapid antigen home test with the accuracy of professional PCR technology.

Additional Questions by the UK Education Blog answered by Jeremy Stackawitz

What do the poll results tell you about the current state of testing in US and UK schools?

It tells us that people are conceptually grateful for the at-home testing options available to them but that they are aware of the limitations, and inaccuracies– and are concerned about the ramifications of the false negatives inherent to the current at-home tests.  People would love a better at-home testing solution that maintains the good things about easy-to-use, rapid, inexpensive lateral flow tests but wants to improve their performance.  We, at the family and society level, are better off for having massive availability to these tests to allow us to return to our lives in settings of school, work, travel, and daily life.

However, 28% of people have experienced confusing and concerning results from testing, meaning they initially test negative at home and then find they are truly positive, perhaps days later, via PCR testing.  Most people are trying to do the right thing but find themselves realizing that they are likely spreading the virus in this interim period where rapid tests can’t pick up their contagious infection, and they aren’t aware they are truly positive until (and if) they validate with PCR testing.

Then this is repeated 10x, 1MMx times over and over and people realize that they and their children are likely constantly being exposed to contagious people who think they are fine, but despite their best efforts via rapid tests, are spreading disease, despite negative test.  The Senzo Amplified Lateral Flow (ALF) COVID-19 test fixes this by finding the true positives as early as PCR.  You can feel good then that you are not spreading to others, and as this is more widely adopted, you will not be on the receiving end of someone spreading unwittingly, because they are also using a Senzo ALF COVID-19 test. Additionally, where time is always a valuable asset, the Senzo ALF COVID-19 test provides a result in 7 minutes, compared to double that for most rapid tests (and 100x+ that for PCR).

How can testing accuracy be established (what is required to make testing more accurate so that readers are clear about the differences)?

The tricky part is that as an individual you will not immediately know whether a rapid test has delivered an accurate result or not.  You are just faced with trusting it or not.  We need to get to a point where we can absolutely trust that result, but that is not where we are today.  If we get a result, maybe we test again with a rapid test and then make the best call for ourselves, our family, and our community – and then perhaps follow up with a PCR test.

In the case of the poll, people realized they got a negative result because of a later comparison to a positive and definitive PCR test.  This can be traumatic as you may have chosen to not isolate, etc. based upon the original false-negative rapid-test diagnosis.

Would the new tests be affordable for public schools? Or how would they be funded?

Senzo is committed to providing our novel and superior ALF COVID-19 test at the same price point as current tests, foregoing any price premium we could charge for significantly better performance, to get these crucial tests in the hands of more people, faster.  We are working with retailers, distributors, and perhaps most importantly, government officials, to get the test approved as soon as possible and secure full access to school districts at little or no cost.

About

Senzo is an in vitro diagnostics company developing innovative, accurate, and accessible testing products. Senzo was founded with the vision of utilizing novel technologies, with a focus on enhanced sensitivity, to create mobile, point-of-care products and devices with the ability to accurately, quickly, and cost-effectively conduct testing where healthcare professionals and patients need it most. Senzo is creating game-changing products and systems which bring testing to the patient, eliminating the need for the current slow, expensive central-lab testing paradigms. With insights generated at the point of care, patients can make better decisions faster, and healthcare professionals can identify life-threatening diseases at an earlier stage, improving treatment outcomes and saving lives.

For more information, visit https://www.senzo.com/.

-ENDS-

Find more information about schooling news and developments here: schooling | UK Education Blog (clickdo.co.uk).

How To Use Puzzles For Kids To Improve Concentration

By
Manuela Willbold
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Puzzles-For-Kids-To-Improve-Concentration

Kids are highly impressionable. What they learn in their formative years stays with them for life.

But this does not mean that they should be boxed in a cubicle and taught Quantum Physics. As they are blessed with imagination, their learning process should include fun and engaging activities.

However, this is sometimes a task for parents, teachers, and caregivers because they get distracted easily.

The short attention span is just their way of processing their environment. Their curiosity often causes distractions, but you can use their inquisitiveness to improve their concentration with the right tools such as puzzles.

Puzzles help in children’s cognitive development, and since you must put effort into solving them continuously, they help in improving concentration. There have been numerous studies that support this claim.

Different Types of Puzzles

Puzzles come in different formats and are appropriate for children of all ages. Every puzzle is designed to teach something unique to the participant.

Since puzzles are helpful for everyone, you can choose the one suitable for your child’s age and interests.

Here is how different types of puzzles help children:

1. Jigsaw Puzzles for Kids

Activities-To-Help-Your-Kids-Concentrate

Jigsaw puzzles are among the most engaging puzzles beneficial for kids of all ages, even adults. These puzzles are made of pictures printed on cardboard, paper, or wood cut out in different formats. You must find the pieces that fit together and form a meaningful concept. These puzzles can be as easy as putting together a cut-out picture of a circle and as tricky as fixing the painting of Picasso. Their range of difficulty is the reason for their popularity.

Jigsaw puzzles promote memory and cognitive skills as kids use reasoning skills and adaptable thinking. They must look at the puzzle pieces, focus on their shape and colour and memorise them. They must actively push their brains to look for details that fill a gap. This helps them with abstract thinking and encourages concentration. Jigsaw puzzles are great for autistic children as well.

2. 3-D Puzzles for Kids

Puzzles-Can-Help-Activate-Your-Children-Brain-Power

A 3-D puzzle is like a jigsaw puzzle as it also has printed cut-outs that need to be put together, but the outcome is considerably different. As the name suggests, you get to build a three-dimensional structure with it. Since the difficulty level of a 3-D puzzle is comparatively higher than a jigsaw puzzle, it is more suited for older kids.

Solving a 3-D puzzle requires time, patience, and concentration. This is why it is often done in groups, which teaches teamwork. Children are required to look at the 2-D image of the puzzle use their imagination, problem-solving abilities, and mathematical logic to build its 3-D version. They get encouragement as they see an image come to life in front of them. This motivates them further, and they concentrate more on completing the project.

Pro tip: If your child has a favourite fantasy book, you can look for 3-D puzzles associated with it. For example, if your child likes Harry Potter, get them a 3-D puzzle of Hogwarts.

3. Maths Puzzles for Kids

Activities-To-Improve-Concentration

Maths puzzles are often associated with encouraging logical thinking, abstract thinking, critical thinking and more.

Math puzzles help in more than just the development of mathematical memory; they also foster critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, which are crucial for effective math learning.

There are different maths puzzles, such as Sudoku, KenKen, Magic Squares, riddles, word-search style puzzles and geometric puzzles. Each of these puzzles, irrespective of their level, requires concentration. Even if the puzzle is oral, the kid must concentrate on listening to it, process it, and develop a solution. Math puzzles are all-rounders as they are educational and help improve concentration among children.

More Advantages of Puzzle Games for Kids

Mentions of puzzles have been found even in the Bible. They were part of the ancient world, and their advantages extend beyond improving concentration among kids. In addition to exercising both the left and the right side of the brain, they are a great source of entertainment for the entire family.

Here are some other benefits of puzzles:

  • Puzzles improve both short-term and long-term memory by connecting existing brain cells and helping form new ones.
  • Puzzles promote critical thinking.
  • Puzzles help in building problem-solving
  • Puzzles encourage abstract thinking
  • Puzzles improve spatial thinking
  • Puzzles promote team building
  • Puzzles act as mood enhancers
  • Puzzles add to your IQ score

Puzzles are often associated with learning and brain development. These two advantages are helpful in the medical field as well. Medical professionals often use different kinds of puzzles such as cross word puzzles for helping children who are dealing with medical conditions, especially autism. Given the current circumstances where children cannot go outside and play freely, puzzles can come in handy. They help in entertaining children and act as mood enhancers.

Lack of concentration and interest among kids is natural. Any new addition or subtraction to their environment can distract them. As they learn to become more comfortable with the changes in their surroundings, they find it easier to concentrate. However, this understanding needs to be taught.

With the help of puzzles, you can create an unfamiliar but controlled environment for your kids. Puzzles will channel their curiosity and the desire to explore something new, helping them improve concentration.

How to study abroad – different options and tips for students

By
Manuela Willbold
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Studying abroad either for the entire duration of your degree or for part of it is an appealing prospect for many students.

Spending time living and learning in another country will not only help you develop academically but personally as well. Nothing brings students out of their shell more than being thrown into a new culture where they will have to adapt to a new language and a different way of life.

For some the education is secondary as the experiences they take away truly stay with them for the rest of their lives.

So what options to study abroad are available to those wanting to study abroad?

Full-Time Overseas Study

If you want to go to a university outside of the UK and spend your entire studies there then you will have to apply independently much like you would if you were applying for a UK based degree. The drawback to this option is that you won’t be eligible for a student loan so you will have to finance your studies another way.

You will need to do some research into which countries provide a similar student loan system to non-domestic students and which countries have no tuition fees at all. Even if you do find a university that has no fees or offers a grant to cover your tuition, you will likely need to find some part-time employment in order to fund your living costs. Money really is the main barrier for those who want to study abroad full-time.

Knowing the local language will be vital not only to help you adapt to university life but to enable you to find employment while you study. Having friends or family who you can stay within the country would be a huge advantage and possibly the only way some students could make this option work for them.

Scholarships

Another option that will allow you to study abroad either full-time or for part of your course is attaining a scholarship. This could be the answer to all your problems but beware, they aren’t handed out easily. To qualify for a scholarship, you need to be seen to be an asset to the university, one that is worth their investment.

Therefore, to qualify for a scholarship you will usually need to be highly skilled in a sporting or academic field. There are several organizations who offer scholarships to international students who they feel can change their communities and the wider world for the good in the future and so if you can convince them of your potential then you might just be eligible.

The criteria for scholarship eligibility range from university to university so it’s worthwhile visiting each of their websites to find out more information. The USA is particularly popular with scholarship students as they offer a large number of international student scholarships each year so it’s worth doing some research.

Partial Overseas Study

If you are looking for an option to study part of your degree overseas then there are options available to allow you to enroll within a UK based University but still study part of your course in another country. The advantage of this is that you will be able to take advantage of all the benefits of being a UK based student such as having a student loan, bursary and grant if applicable while getting a taste of life in the UK.

The Erasmus programme is very popular with UK students wanting to experience studying abroad, however, since Brexit some regulations may have changed so ensure to check the current conditions for students looking to study abroad with Erasmus. Through this programme you will be eligible for a grant which covers the costs of living and studying abroad and that is on top of your student loan.

In such exchange programmes you won’t have to pay tuition fees to the university you are visiting and often you don’t have to pay fees to your original university either during the period you are overseas so it really is a win-win.

For more in-depth information read this study abroad guide or check out our student life section.

Author bio:

Stuart Cooke is the Blog Editor at UniBaggage.com, a door to door shipping company that specializes in helping students send their belongings to their accommodation all around the world.

Engino launches b2b virtual fair in February 2022 for retailers, distributors & educators

By
UK Education News Publisher
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ENGINO LAUNCHES B2B VIRTUAL FAIR - education.clickdo.co.uk

Engino fully supports the difficult decisions to cancel the 2022 Nuremberg & New York Toy Fairs. However, despite this change, we are still excited to connect with the retail buying & education communities over the next month. Utilizing online technologies, we will hold a “Virtual Toy Fair” from February 1st onward, where we will showcase our new 2022 products.

If you are a retailer or distributor, you can learn more about how to make your toy store stand out by following this link: https://bit.ly/EnginoVirtualFair

If you are an educator, you can learn more about how to increase your students’ engagement in STEM education by following this link: https://bit.ly/EnginoVirtualFairEducation

Leading the STEM toy industry since 2004, we will be proud to show:

  • The new variations of GinoBot, our programmable robot which has literally unlimited expansion potential! The INVENTOR Mechanics toy range is designed to inspire children of ages 7 to 14, to follow STEM careers and develop 21st-century skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. The multi-theme approach motivates children to construct toys they can relate to, while the ability to build many different models from the same toy set enhances creativity and engineering design thinking.
  • Our brand-new new robotic line called CODING LAB, that has been specially developed for robotic enthusiasts, who look for smart programmable gadgets of expandable and reconfigurable capabilities. The line is ideal for Primary and Secondary school students but also hobbyist engineers.
  • Our expanded DISCOVERING STEM series that was developed by qualified teachers and academics. Modern pedagogical theories suggest that the study of engineering should be incorporated in all other subjects, starting from elementary level. DISCOVERING STEM series, offers a practical solution for facing all these educational issues, aiding the teacher to engage students in STEM disciplines in a fun, exciting and interesting way! The educational packages are also ideal as a home learning tool.

To reserve your Virtual Showroom appointment, please get in touch: https://bit.ly/EnginoBookMeeting

Connect with one of the top European manufacturers of high-quality innovative STEM toys and learn more about our award-winning system and how it can increase your business’ margin or enrich your teaching method.

About Engino: Inspiring the next generation of inventors

Image: https://www.engino.com/w/

Founded in 2004 with a vision to inspire students become better problem solvers and future innovators, Engino now has a wide product range of more than 50 different sets and has been established as one of the fastest growing companies in the field. The expansion to a new fully automated factory in Cyprus reflects the company’s success and innovative culture, while setting new standards for production in Europe.

Academics, engineers, product designers, illustrators, education specialists and marketing experts have all combined their strengths and expertise to ensure that each Engino building system promotes students’ learning, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication and motor skills, while stimulating their imagination and their creativity.

Covid-19 may keep us apart, but technology brings us together

Contact details:

Engino.net Ltd
P.O.Box 72100
4200 Limassol, Cyprus
Tel.: +357 25821960
Email: info@engino.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/enginogroup
Twitter: https://twitter.com/enginogroup

-ENDS-

Find more information about EdTech here: ed tech | UK Education Blog (clickdo.co.uk).

PowerPoint & Google Slides – How To Create The Best Classroom Presentations With These Simple Hacks

By
Manuela Willbold
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0
how-to-use-powerpoint-and-google-slides-for-classroom-presentations

Are you a teacher looking for easy yet effective ways to spice up your classroom or tutorial presentations with free tools?

Or perhaps you are a teacher trainee or student in need of designing exciting presentations.

Most teaching staff, trainees, and students will have free access to Microsoft Office and Google but wonder how to use PowerPoint or Google Slides and which software offers easier, more effective, and useful functions to create engaging, interactive, and impressive classroom presentations.

In this guide, we will take you through the most asked questions about PowerPoint Presentations and Google Slides Presentations to help you work out which software is the best match for you to showcase your physical or virtual classroom presentations.

Editorial note: both programs offer cloud storage options, and you should always check your organization’s guidelines or policies regarding data protection before you add any personal or sensitive data in such documents that you may share via the internet.

A Glance at Microsoft PowerPoint & its Best Features

Many teaching staff and students may be unaware of the options PowerPoint provides. It includes features for word editing, painting, highlighting, charting, and session administration. It is a presentation (PPT)-based application that consists of slideshows with images, movies, and other elements that make a lecture more engaging and fascinating when used right.

So, here’s how to easily use the best features without spending hours on one presentation.

How To Use Microsoft Office PowerPoint?

PowerPoint presentations function similarly to slide shows. You divide a concept or a narrative into slides to express it. Consider each slide to be a blank piece of paper for the content that will help you convey your main lesson input.

1. Select a theme

  • When you launch PowerPoint, you’ll see various pre-installed styles and layouts. A theme is a presentation layout with matching colours, typefaces, and visual effects like shadowing, ripples, and others – this can be overwhelming so just pick one that goes with your topic or subject, don’t overthink it!
  • Select New from the File tab on the Ribbon, and afterward pick a theme.
  • On the right side, PowerPoint displays a sample of the theme with four color variants to pick from.
  • Click Create or select a colour variant before clicking Create.

For more information check out some Microsoft tutorials.

2. Add a Slide

  • Select the bottom half of the new Slide on the Home tab, and then select a slide arrangement.
  • If you’ve chosen a theme, it may give you different types of slides that you can add, duplicate, delete or change.

For more information head to: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-rearrange-duplicate-and-delete-slides-in-powerpoint-e35a232d-3fd0-4ee1-abee-d7d4d6da92fc

3. Preserve your demonstration

  • Choose Save from the File menu.
  • Choose or navigate to a folder.
  • Enter a title for your PowerPoint in the File username field, then click Save.

For more information check: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-your-presentation-file-34377c9c-a1e5-44e1-9c3f-e6e72ee6c541

4. Add your text to your Slide

  • Choose a text box and start to write.
  • If you’ve chosen a theme you will already have text boxes available, but these can be edited, duplicated, or deleted.

5. Format the text

  • Highlight the text.
  • Select Format from the Drawing Tools menu.
  • Displays the Drawing Tools options on the PowerPoint ribbon.
1. Choose one of the various choices:
  1. Select Text Fill and then colour to modify the colour of your text.
  2. To modify the colour of your text’s outline, select Text Outline and then a colour.
  3. To add a shadowing, reflecting, shine, curve, 3-D movement, or transformation, pick Text Effects and then the desired effect.
  4. If you use a theme the text formatting will already be set, but you can change it according to your needs.

For more information check:

  1. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-fonts-in-a-presentation-0109d7b7-4f3e-4d0a-b8a8-2604f21e977f
  2. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-color-of-text-on-a-slide-26773c77-daad-4ef2-bed9-bf7ab3eed348
  3. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-bullets-or-numbers-to-text-a6f1b87e-fca8-47da-ade9-5d99b7f41f04
  4. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/format-text-as-superscript-or-subscript-e989637a-12ec-4fe5-8b04-345342408abd

6. Add images to your Slide

  • Choose one of the options on the Insert tab:
  1. To enter a photo from your local disc or an internal network, select Pictures, search for the image and then select Insert.
  2. To import a photo from the internet, select Online Pictures and browse for an image in the search field.
  • Choose a photo and then press the Insert button.

7. Shapes and Icons added to your Slide

  • Shapes or icons may be used to show your slider.
  • Choose Shapes or icons from the Insert tab, and then choose a design from the list that opens.
  • To design the design, press and move on the slide area.
  • On the ribbon, click the Format or Shape Format option. To rapidly apply colour and design (including shade) to the selected shape, visit the Shape Styles library.

8. Include speaker notes

  • Slides work best when you don’t jam too much-written content into them. You may include user data and short notes in your speaker notes and resort to them while you talk.
  • To access the notes pane, select the notes icon in PowerPoint at the bottom of the window.
  • Begin entering your notes in the Notes window underneath the slide by clicking inside it.

For more information check:

  1. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-speaker-notes-to-your-slides-26985155-35f5-45ba-812b-e1bd3c48928e
  2. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/print-slides-with-or-without-speaker-notes-02952fc2-2921-4305-b8b2-e98644a93e06

9. Deliver your speech in your Presentation

  • Choose one of the options on the Slide Show tab:
  1. To commence the session from the first slide, click From Beginning in the Start Slide Show group.
  2. Displays the Slide Show tab on the PowerPoint ribbon.
  3. If you aren’t on the first slide and wish to begin where you are, click From Current Slide.
  • If you need to show to those who are not available, click Present Online to create an online session, and then select one of the following scenarios:
  1. Send your PowerPoint presentation to a remote audience through the internet.
  2. While delivering your slide show, refer to your speaker notes.

10. How To Embed A Video/YouTube Video In PowerPoint?

Embed A Video In PowerPoint

  • Navigate to the page where you wish to insert the material in PowerPoint.
  • Select the Insert tab on the toolbar menu, then Video, and finally Online Video.
  • The Insert Video dialogue box is shown.
  • Paste the embed code into the From a Video Embed Code box and hit Enter.

For more information check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq2Lz2kANzU

Secret Classroom Presentation Hack

For a classroom presentation, if you embed a video relating to the topic you were teaching, it will be more illustrious. For example, if a history lesson on the Harappan civilization is being taught, a video showing the ruins would make the lecture more interesting and memorable. If you have footage of museum visits with your own commentary that would give your lesson a more personal insider touch.

11. How To Add Music To PowerPoint?

The below-mentioned steps can be used to see how to add music to PowerPoint:

  • Choose Audio, then Audio on My PC, from the Insert tab.
  • Navigate to the particular song or audio file you wish to utilize in the File menu, then pick Insert.
  • Select Play in Background on the Playback tab when the sound icon is chosen on the slide.

For more information check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBiwTRLVOd0

 Secret Classroom Presentation Hack

We all know how boring and monotonous classes can be at times. So, why not add a bit of the kid’s favourite tunes or movie soundtracks to break out of the monotony and give them a break?

12. How To Delete A Slide In PowerPoint?

Below are the steps on how to delete a slide in PowerPoint:

  1. Choose your slide.
  2. You can remove one or more slideshows at the same time:
  • Delete a single slide by right-clicking and selecting Delete Slide.
  • Hold Ctrl and choose the slideshows you want, now right-click and locate Delete Slide

For more information check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uTj62d7sA

Secret Classroom Presentation Hack

If by any chance, you insert or create a slide not favourable for a classroom presentation, you won’t have to worry anymore. Just simply delete it with one click. This also keeps your presentation flexible and you can easily add or remove slides as you go along.

13. How To Insert A GIF Into PowerPoint?

You can insert an animated GIF (or cartoon) into a PowerPoint presentation in the same way that you would any other photo file. You may enter a GIF file from your computer’s storage disk or Dropbox. Follow the below steps to know how to insert gif into PowerPoint.

  • Choose the slide on which you wish to attach the dynamic GIF.
  • Select Picture > Picture from File on the Home tab of the menu.
  • Browse to the folder of the moving GIF you wish to include, make sure the data file ends in.gif, pick the image, and afterward, PowerPoint choose Insert.

For more information check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q84D5PDiUfQ

 Secret Classroom Presentation Hack

GIFs can be cute and fun to look at. So, why not add relevant GIFs in certain slides to make the class enraptured by the whole lecture? Visual learners will greatly benefit from such content.

14. How To Convert PowerPoint To Google Slides?

Google Drive has transformed group collaboration by offering tools that allow numerous individuals to create and modify documents at the same time. When working alone, though, many people still choose to utilize the Microsoft suite of applications.

This might be an issue if you use Microsoft PowerPoint to produce a presentation when you want to distribute it to colleagues for comments or adjustments. Below we have mentioned complete steps on how to convert PowerPoint slides to Google slides.

By importing a PowerPoint document, you may convert it to Google Slides.

  1. Launch Google Drive.
  2. In the top left-hand corner of the screen, click “New.”
  3. Click the “Upload File” button.
  4. Choose the PowerPoint document you want to use.
  5. After publishing, right-click and choose “Open With,” then “Google Slides.”
  6. Click the “File” button.
  7. Click the “Save as Google Slides” button.

There is another way:

Importing PowerPoint slides into Google Slides to transform a PowerPoint to Google Slides

  1. Navigate to Google Drive.
  2. Choose Slides.
  3. Begin by opening a “Blank” document.
  4. Pick “File,” and “Import Slides” in a fresh Presentation.
  5. Save the PowerPoint file to your computer.
  6. Go to the recently converted Slides folder.

A Glance At Google Slides & its Best Features

Google Slides is an excellent tool for generating professional presentations that can be easily shared.

Even if you understand the fundamentals of Google Slides, you could be unaware of all its capabilities.

There are some fantastic strategies you can utilize to conserve energy and create an even larger impression with your Google Slides demonstration, but you can’t utilize those if you don’t understand what they are.

How To Use Google Slides?

1. Begin Using Google Slides

Google Slides is the company’s premier presentation program, and it is available on the web as a component of Google Drive. Consider Slides to be the presenting tool for Google Docs and Google Forms. It’s absolutely free to use—the only requirement is that you have a Google account.

2. Create a new presentation

Go to Google Drive after you’ve logged into your Google Account. Create a Google PowerPoint by going to File > New > Google Slides > Blank Presentation. You’ll be sent to a different page with an empty presentation.

For more information check: https://cms-assets.tutsplus.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=850/uploads/users/151/posts/35331/image/new-google-slides-blank-presentation.jpg

3. Adding Title and Subtitle

  • Click wherever it says to add title and write in the name of the Google slideshow to add a title. You may also provide a caption or leave it empty.


4. Adding More Slides and working on them

  • Once you’re satisfied with the design of the title slide, you may proceed with the rest of your show. Click the Plus button in the upper left corner of the screen to add new slides. This will build a new slideshow with a Title and Body arrangement.
  • Click More to show additional text possibilities, then select the body checkbox to display more text options. This enables you to make a bulleted list.

5. Uploading Pictures to Slides

  • There are various methods for including photos in your presentation. Upload a picture from your computer, Google+ account, or Google Drive. Use a webcam to take a photograph. Alternatively, use the Insert picture window to search Google or stock photographs.

6. Adjusting Motions and Transitions in Slides

  • Click the Transition button to add a segue. An Animations sidebar will emerge, and you can then adjust the motions in your Google presentation from there.
  • The Slide submenu controls the animations that occur between slides. There are six different ways to transition. Select an option from the drop-down list.

7. Slide Presentation

  • After you’ve done the lecture, select the Present icon to show off your skills.

8. How To Add Audio To Google Slides?

Below are steps to be followed to know how to add audio to Google slides:

  • At the top, select the “Insert” tab.
  • Inside this “Insert” drop-down menu, choose “Audio.”
  • Locate the audio track you wish to put in your Google Drive.
  • The playback bar allows users to play, stop, and go forward.
  • You may modify your soundtrack on the left side.

For more information check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HgPaeCVViA

Secret Classroom Presentation Hack

This is a great tool to use if a teacher feels sick or is on leave. All they must do is record their audio and give the presentation to someone else to be played on the specified dates.

9. How To Embed A Video/YouTube Video In Google Slides?

Embedding A Video In Google Slide:

  • Pick the Video alternative from the dropdown menu by clicking the Insert tab. Insider/Abbey White
  • Choose which YouTube clip you want to include in your Google Slides demonstration.
  • Copy and paste the URL of the desired YouTube video into the text field.
  • Choose the video from your Drive that you wish to publish to Google Slides.

For more information head to Google.

Secret Classroom Presentation Hack

It will be more engaging for a classroom presentation if you incorporate a video related to the topic you are presenting or even one of a recent class trip related to the topic. Videos might enhance the discussion and participation among students, and they can even add their own videos from a school project to expand the presentation.

10. How To Add Music To Google Slides?

  • Google Slides does not allow you to attach audio files to slideshows, but it does allow you to upload videos.
  • You may play the music by immediately adding a YouTube video to your show and using the video player performance settings.
  • The video will play until you advance to the next page.

11. How To Delete A Slide In Google Slides?

  • Open a Google Slides slideshow on your PC.
  • Select the slide you wish to erase on the left. If you wish to remove multiple slides, hold down the Shift button and click them at the same time.
  • On your keypad, click Delete or Backspace.

12. How To Insert A GIF Into Google Slides?

  • Choose “Insert,” then “Image,” then lastly “By URL” from the top toolbar. First, choose “Insert” from the menu bar.
  • Copy and paste the URL into the field. Insert the URL of your GIF here.
  • When the GIF appears, click “Insert.” Select “Insert” from the drop-down menu.

For more information check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0NzmFTyz8U

Google Slides or PowerPoint – have you decided?

Hopefully, our extensive guide on how teaching staff, tutors, or students can create the best (virtual) classroom presentations with Google Slides and PowerPoint has provided some valuable insights. With the advent of ongoing online classes and eLearning as well as online teaching and tutoring, these presentations have become crucial for all educators and learners.

If you are a teacher, lecturer, or tutor, you can be assured that your students are going to pay the utmost attention to such a visually engaging class presentation with either program as both offer various useful features. And, if you are a student, you can be certain that you are going to impress your teachers and classmates with these presentation ideas and obtain the highest grades.

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