Cool Online Learning Tools for Students

Many students can't help but think of how boring studying is, what with all the memorisation and analysis involved. Fortunately for the students of the Internet age, there are learning tools available which can make learning so much more fun and interesting. Below are examples of learning tools in the form of websites and applications available online which can make even a bored student look forward to study time:

1. Dynamic Periodic Table. This online version of a periodic table of elements helps the student distinguish elements apart by highlighting them according to their aggregate state (solid, liquid, gas, unknown) or group (nonmetals or metals with their corresponding subgroups). The online component of this tool comes into effect when the suer clicks on an element or group and it will launch a separate window displaying the corresponding Wikipedia article. There is also another version of the periodic table which is more compact and features a quick summary of each element. Clicking on each element launches a small window giving a brief information on it.
2. Foldit. Unlike the periodic table, learning tools such as Foldit do not really classify to the group of essential everyday tools for a subject. However, it can help a student learn Biology better because of its nature as a game, where the player is tasked to build protein molecules based on structures that have previously been described.
3. Mathway. This online tool helps students solve their maths problems. All the user needs to do is enter the problem statement, select the appropriate subject and click solve. The solution will be displayed along with easily understandable steps taken to arrive at the answer.
4. SpeedCrunch. While Mathway can be used for beginners and intermediate formula users, Speedcrunch is for big time computing. It is a powerful desktop calculator which contains lots of helpful libraries for discussing math problems of even the most complicated ones.

Educational Learnings

The Importance of Knowing Children’s Educational Learning Styles

It is particularly important for parents to know their children’s individual educational learning styles because this can be used to improve their study habits, which leads to an increase in grades and overall performance in school. If a child is struggling in school, even just on some of his or her classes, this does not really mean that the child lacks mental ability or is not good enough. Each person has different habits, opinions and motivations. This also means that not everyone learns at the same style or pace.

Therefore, educational learning techniques that is successfully used by one student may not work at all with another student. Again, this does not indicate that the former student is smarter than the latter student. It could only mean that the learning style that will work for the latter student is not compatible with the first and if the situation were reversed, it could be that the former student will struggle in an educational learning style that is better suited for the latter student.

It is therefore important for everyone who plays a role in a child's education—instructors, parents and tutors—to be aware of the educational learning styles of each student so that they can maximise the student's understanding of the topics and materials being covered in the class. If this is not done, this could result to a student with a high potential to easily get discouraged and lose motivation in learning, just because the information that is ought to be learned is not being presented to him or her in an effective manner.

Educational Learnings

Benefits of Using Educational Learning Games For Home Schooled Children

In recent years, educational and learning games or also known as educational learning games have been used as supplementary teaching and learning tools by parents or private tutors who teach children with the use of the home schooling or home education approach of educating kindergarten and primary school age children. The educational and learning games used for home schooled children would primarily consists of two types. The first type is the traditional educational and learning games that could be bought from bookstores and toy stores. The second type is the free online resources that could be downloaded for free or for a small fee from various Internet websites that are dedicated to online resources for home educated children.

Many home education experts and advocates have stated that there are several benefits or advantages when educational learning games are simultaneously used as supplementary teaching tools by the parents or tutors in teaching lessons to the home schooled children. In addition, there are traditional and online resources for educational and learning games that would also allow the children to learn on their own or allow them to self-study.

Therefore, it is beneficial for parents and tutors if they use the educational learning games that could be used as teaching tools for the children and at the same time, those games could be used by the children for learning by themselves. Another benefit of using educational and learning games as supplementary tools in home education of children is the emotional bonding that occurs when a parent and child are playing together.

Educational Learnings

Teaching Options: Working at an Educational Learning Center

A good start for a recently certified teacher for primary education is to look for a teaching job at an educational learning centre or after school programme which provides supplemental learning for preschool children as well as primary school learners who are in their early grades. This is a good way for a beginner at teaching to gain work experience, which can later be of use when the individual applies for a higher teaching position or decides to pursue postgraduate studies. Working at a small educational learning centre also affords the teacher a measure of flexibility and being able to relax because this setting traditionally has fewer students than the average classroom in mainstream schools. These educational learning centres or after school programmes can be found in many school settings or community centres.

The curriculum in educational learning centres using this programme only consists of simple subjects such as basic reading, writing and language, basic mathematics, arts and crafts, and basic science. After school programmes also offer educational games and learning activities which are enjoyed by both children as well as teachers. Therefore, it can be said that the new teacher will experience less stress and pressure while working as a teacher in an educational learning centre as opposed to an actual primary school. The small class size of an educational learning centre also provides for more personal or one-on-one interaction with special students or those with learning difficulties.

In the United States, there are various public school districts in local communities which have educational learning centres and after school programmes. It is not that difficult for an aspiring teacher to find work even just to gain some small amount of teaching experience.

Educational Learnings

The Primary Types of Educational Learning Theories

In the disciplines of education and psychology, the education learning or educational learning theory is usually defined as the idea or hypothesis on how people and animals would undergo the process of learning for understanding and comprehending the complex process of learning. The education learning theory has the two primary goals – the first is providing us with the conceptual framework and vocabulary in interpreting and understanding the examples of learning that we observe, and the second is providing us with suggestions on how and where to find solutions to practical problems.

According to various experts and researchers, there are at least 22 educational learning theories that have their own specific definitions and purposes. However, many experts would agree that there are four education learning theories that are commonly discussed and studied in the subject areas of psychology and education. The four primary education learning theories are commonly used as field of studies or topics of discussion in academic settings such as universities and colleges in both undergraduate courses and in postgraduate education.

The four primary educational learning theories are the theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and transformative learning. The behaviourism theory is based on three basic assumptions. The first assumption is that learning is expressed or personified by a change in behaviour. The second assumption is that the environment would shape the behaviour. The third assumption is that the principles of contiguity or proximity and reinforcement are essential for the explanation of the process of learning. The cognitivism theory is based on the assumption that the ways people would think would affect their behaviour.

Educational Learnings

Benefits of Educational Learning Games for Children

Educational learning games are structured plays that have been designed in teaching people especially children for learning about a specific subject and helping them in learning a particular skill during the activity of playing. The primary learning games include board games, card games and video games. Whether you are a kindergarten class teacher, or a primary school teacher, or a parent educating your child through the home education approach, it would already cross your mind that there are several benefits in using educational games for children in the classroom or at home.

You should take note that educational learning games should only serve as supplemental tools for teaching children and in helping them in learning. Those games should never replace the formal teaching tools that are used for educating children in a formal classroom, or the recommended teaching tools used under the home education approach. However, various research studies and educational experts have stated that educational games provide several benefits for children when used as supplemental teaching tools in the classroom, and if used by parents in their home education methods.

The various benefits of using educational learning games for children in the classroom and at the home include developing motor skills especially for preschool children and kindergarten students. Other benefits include the enhancement of creativity and memory skills. Board games in numbers and mathematics would require the child to regularly memorise and repeat a game, which encourages brain activity. Educational games that involve creativity would push the children in thinking of other options for finding an answer.

Educational Learnings

Internet and Novels as Sources of Educational Learning

Educational learning can be accumulated anywhere we go. It is not limited inside the classroom, the school or academic environments. There are many educational materials outside the traditional school and academic confines. These materials include published books, internet and magazine articles and many others.

• Published Books – Aside from textbooks and text references which may or may not be suggested by schools, almost all published books are sources of educational learning. One best example are novels. Authors of novels base their writing on facts and verified information. They are supposed to do this because they are subject to regulation by the government and the industry they are in. For example, an author writing a novel with a story about independently produced movies, or indie films, use facts. The author should have enough knowledge to do this, or else he will be criticised for using fallacies. He could be a player in the indie film industry himself and have enough knowledge about it. Alternatively, he could interview or have as consultant a person who has the sufficient knowledge.

• Articles from the Internet or Magazines – Another source of educational learning are written articles from the internet or magazines. At first glance these sources may not be academic or educational; however, they contain lots of information which are indeed educational. For example, blogs written by student nurses where they post their sentiments are sources of information about what it is truly to be inside nursing schools. Even the comments in these blogs, news articles and other articles can be sources of educational or academic learning.

Educational Learnings

Educational Learning in an Office Setting

As much as the term “educational learning” connotes schools, teachers and students grouped into a class, it can also happen in the workplace. As we all know, after students graduate from courses they have chosen in university they will proceed to take up postgraduate studies or work for public and private enterprises. It is a traditional practice for employers to select only the best learners and students who have shown the best aptitude. Therefore, if we think about it the office is a huge source of theoretical knowledge coming from students who have studied it in schools and who are willing to apply it into practical situations through the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the educational learning system of a university or other academic institution.

Since the school is supposed to arm you with enough knowledge and skills to prepare you to get a job and manage your life when you become an adult, you will have a lot of opportunity to display what you have learned outside of school. Nonetheless, you may find that there are still many things that you will need to learn and prepare for in the real world which even the best schools cannot adequately prepare you for such as how to deal with office politics, how to cultivate relationships with your superiors and colleagues and how to handle office conflicts. This presents an element of educational learning that you must take into account.

In addition, you will also acquire educational learning when you get to learn new things in your area of specialisation that you studied for in school. When you are already working, you are assigned a set of duties and responsibilities where you will need to consistently apply your knowledge of. However, all the theories and concepts you have learned in school may still be inadequate sometimes especially if you work in a field whose knowledge is highly dynamic and is constantly evolving, such as the field of computers, medicine and information technology.

Educational Learnings

Working as a Teacher at an Educational Learning Center

If you are a recently certified teacher for the primary education level, the first thing you would probably do is obtaining a teaching job to gain some work experience. A good start would be teaching job at an educational learning center or after school programme, which provides supplemental learning for preschool children and primary school students in the early grades. Many of those programmes are located within the school facilities or in community centers.

Various public school districts in local communities in the United States have carried out after school programmes so that it would not be difficult for you to find educational learning centers in the state where you live. Aside from gaining valuable teaching work experience, there are several advantages or benefits in initially working as a teacher in an after school programme. The settings in the after school programmes are much smaller compared to traditional classrooms so that you would only be teaching a few students.

The curriculum in the programmes consist of simple subject areas such as basic reading, writing and language skills, basic mathematics, arts and crafts, and basic science. In addition, educational games and learning activities are also carried out in the after school programmes that would both be enjoyed by the children and the teachers. Therefore, there is less stress and pressure in working as a teacher in an educational learning center compared to an actual primary school setting. The small setting of the center would enable you to engage in personal or one-on-one interaction with students who may need more attention than other students.

Educational Learnings

Educational Learning in the Workplace

Educational learning can also be acquired in the workplace. The workplace is a big depository of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. There are many things that you did not learn in school which you will learn in the workplace.

• Outside School – A huge amount of educational learning can be acquired outside the school. It is expected that you will or have learned many things inside the school; however, when you step out of schooling and into the work arena, you will find out that there are lots of things you still have to learn. You will learn many things outside school when you start working.

• Repetition – You acquire educational learning when you learn about news things which are part of a larger body of knowledge. When you work in a job, you will learn new things and will need to repeatedly apply your knowledge in the work because it is your job. You learn because of the repetition; repetition is the mother of learning. When you continuously repeat performing tasks, you will master them. This is what you do in your work because of specialisation.

• Variety – On the other hand, in addition to repetition, you will also have variety. There will be things in your work which do not come very often. They will add to your learning. To add, they will make your work less boring. Because they do not come repeatedly, your mind will be freshened up and your brain will absorb the new learning.

Educational Learnings

Using Toys as a Tool for Educational Learning

Educational learning toys refer to an objects that children use for playing which can also be used for educational and learning purposes. Since toys are only used extensively by children more than any other age group of students, educational learning toys are more often used to supplement educational and learning processes for students in kindergarten and primary school. Many experts in educating children are of the opinion that toys can have a dual purpose as both educational and learning tools that can have the potential to be used not only in school, but also for educating children at home. These educational learning toys can serve as learning tools in the learning process.

Experts in children's education have often stated that educational learning toys are proven to have beneficial effects to the development of a child both at school and in the home in areas such as emotional, physical, intellectual and social development of children most especially during kindergarten years and in early elementary school levels. On a more direct level, educational learning toys enhance and improve children's' learning skills, giving them excellent hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, observation and memorization abilities, differentiating between letters, numbers and objects. This is in addition to other skills that will stimulate and develop the child's learning.

Not all toys that are currently being marketed contribute to the educational learning process of young children. Suitable educational learning toys include building blocks, board games and puzzles. However, electronic toys and computer games which are popular with kids but not with parents due to their addictive nature can also stimulate children's learning in the areas of reading, pronunciation, spelling, mathematics, logic and other basic skills.

Educational Learnings

Educational Learning for Character Building

Educational learning contributes to the character of a person. Young children learn good manners and right conduct at home and, as they grow, they spend most of their time in school and develop their character there. This is why people who have no manners are often regarded as uneducated.

Urbanity – A huge amount of educational learning that develops citizens to be civilised people can be expected in the urban areas. The urban areas are the breeding grounds for breading. This is why being civilised and educated is often associated with urbanity, especially in the olden times. Urbanity can also be developed in the rural areas. This word is not limited to its literal meaning of city or capital. Rural areas have their own urbanity in the breeding context.

Asphalt Jungle – On the other hand, educational learning can also be lacking in the urban areas, especially in the slum areas. Because of poverty, many children, teen-agers, adolescents, young adults and more mature ones are not able to go to school. In turn, they are not given the chance to develop their character and morals.

Bridging the Gap – The government, charities and the civil society have joined hands in providing education and opportunities for uneducated and undereducated citizens in the rural and urban areas to develop their moral character. Aside from education, spiritual, moral and social activities are organised by these entities with the aim to educate and incorporate impoverished citizens into the society. Through learning in both educational and non-educational exercises, these citizens realise that they belong to a civilised society.

Educational Learnings

The Importance of Educational Learning

Educational learning is very important as education itself is essential. Our life is all about learning which is education. At the same time, education is in the center of all our learning. What we learn starting from pre-school and throughout, we apply along the way until post graduate level.

Foundation – As mentioned, educational learning from pre-school is important until after the graduate level. A person's pre-school and primary level education are the foundation of his or her education. Kindergarten cannot be belittled because this is where people build the foundation of their education. The latter years involve building on and developing. A good example would be your handwriting which you develop in these years. Yes, you can correct your handwriting and other learnings in the higher years but it would be best if you have done near perfection when you first developed them. It is observable how an older student has difficulty in correcting the wrong ways which he or she has already started developing.

Stock Knowledge – The educational learning you have amassed from pre-school, to primary, to intermediate are very useful in high school. In turn, those which you have accumulated in high school and undergraduate level are very helpful when you enter the job market. The job market is very open; in other words, you can enter career fields which are only related or even not related to your course in college. This is very helpful for those who need to jump from their study field to a career field which not exactly related to their field of study.

Educational Learnings

Educational Learning Outside the Classroom

Educational learning can be accumulated from outside the classroom. When we talk about education, we do not limit ourselves to the four walls of the classroom. You can use your learning from the streets, the playground, the public market or the public transportation in your academic life and your life in general.

• Through the Internet – As far as educational learning is concerned, there are many ways in which you can gather it. For instance, you can learn from the internet. Search engines, email services and other websites feature articles which are educational. There are free and paid encyclopaedias and dictionaries from which you can learn many different things. There are also how-to websites that feature lots of self-help guides in almost everything.

• Your Brother's Shop Class – Your brother's shop class is technically outside your classroom; so you can get educational learning outside your classroom from it. You can learn a lot from your brother things which you may not be expected to learn. For example, when I was in high school, I was in the pilot academic class while my elder brother was in a trade class. I learned a lot from him about shop class because I was in a class with less practical arts. When I was chosen to join a quiz bowl, I was able to answer the tie breaking question which asked for the dimensions of a geometric figure because I learned from my brother about dimensions of the wood parts of their wood working project. The others in the academic classes were not able to answer and even do not know what is meant by dimension.

Educational Learnings

Extension Educational Learning System

An extension educational learning system refers to a dynamic, non-formal system used to develop and implement education programs. This system consists of many complementary and interactive components, wherein each will contribute significantly to the overall success of the total system. Its individual components are the following:

• organisation's mission
• situation analysis
• target audiences
• needs assessment
• program objectives
• content
• learning strategies
• non-formal educational learning system which will include inputs, evaluation and adjustment. Inputs has its own key supporting components which will include experience, reinforcement and integration

There are also other components that are important to the total system. This includes collaboration with learner groups and learner motivation. The continuous and effective collaboration with community and school leaders as well as students is key to the success of any educational learning program. This collaboration can be greatly enhanced through effectively using an extension advisory leadership system.

Collaboration will be the only way for an educator or institution to ensure that students of all groups and skill levels are appropriately targeted and that these educational programs address the needs of these students which are of the highest priority. The absence of such a collaboration may cause the educator or institution to overlook important student groups or opportunities and target only those whom he or she is familiar with and have the immediate capacity to address. Another reason why effective collaboration is important is that individuals are more likely to be motivated and participate willingly in supporting endeavours where they feel a sense of personal ownership.

Educational Learnings