Visiting the Vatican Museums

Visiting the Vatican Museums Travelling to Rome and the Holy See: Why to Visit the Vatican’s Museums ChaptersThe Vatican Museums and Their CollectionsThe Vatican Museums: The Apostolic PalaceThe Vatican Museums: Art HistoryThe Bramante StaircaseVisiting the Vatican Museums for Archeological Sites“I've been to the Vatican more than anyplace else outside this country in the world. I am mesmerized by it.” - Rush LimbaughWhen you visit Rome, you pretty much have to visit the Vatican just like when you visit Paris, you have to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.  The Vatican City, the world’s smallest sovereign state, is 0.44km2, home to 799 inhabitants, 3,000 foreign workers, and welcomes 5 to 6 million tourists.  In addition to the remains from the Roman Empire, there’s also Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint Peter’s Square, and the Vatican Museums.  Here’s why you should visit the Vatican Museums. DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarcoItalian Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Vatican Museums and Their CollectionsThe Vatican Museums are famous for their incredible collections. This is one of the most important collections in the art world. There are over 2,000 years worth of art in the Vatican. (Source: DomyD)The Vatican is the home of the Holy See and Roman Catholic institutions.  While the Vatican as a state was only created on 11 February 1929, following the Lateran Treaty signed by Mussolini and Cardinal Gasparri. The Vatican has been the seat of the Papacy since the end of the Roman Empire under the reign of Emperor Constantine.Throughout the centuries, successive popes have collected works of art, paintings, frescoes, sculptures, and other objects from the Antiquity to the Modern Era.  Most of this was collected during the time of the Papal States (752-1870), lasting 13 centuries when the popes collected sacred and profane art from all over the world.The size of the galleries continued to increase over the centuries. Nowadays, the Vatican is home to masterpieces from ancient and modern civilisations covering miles of corridors.  All types of art and eras are represented.The Vatican Museums include 12 different mu seums that are visiting by up to 6 million tourists a year, making them the 4th most popular museums in the world.So why should you visit the Vatican museum?Firstly, for the incredible collections. The museum complex includes:The PinacothecaThe collection of modern religious artThe Pio Clementino MuseumThe Ethnological MuseumThe Gregorian Egyptian MuseumThe Gregorian Etruscan MuseumThe Gregorian Profane MuseumThe Christian MuseumThe Vatican Apostolic LibraryThe Carriage PavilionThe Chiaramonti MuseumThe Philatelic and Numismatic OfficeIn addition to museums, there are three chapels:The Sistine ChapelThe Pauline ChapelThe Niccolini ChapelThe Vatican is also, like large parts of Rome, home to plenty of Roman and Etruscan remains.Find out more about visiting the Vatican.The Vatican Museums: The Apostolic PalaceThe Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the popes from the return from exile in Avignon in 1377. Also known as the Palace of Sixtus V, the building was constructed in 1 589 and was home to residences for the pope as well as the pope’s private chapels.The building has 1,400 rooms across 55,000m2, making it the largest fully-inhabited palace in the world.  At the heart of the two chapels in the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and the Nicoline Chapel, the Raphael Rooms and the Borgia Apartment.The Sistine ChapelThe Sistine Chapel gets its name from Pope Sixtus IV (1414-1484) who restored the Capella Magna. The beautiful Renaissance frescoes are another reason to visit the Vatican. (Source: Trimlack)Built it in 1475, it was inaugurated on 15 August 1483 and altered several times afterwards.  It’s famous for its frescoes covering the life of Christ and Moses.  The most famous part of the building is the ceiling painted by Michaelangelo in 1508. There are 9 scenes from the Book of Genesis  divided into three groups: the origin of the universe, man, and evil.The Sistine Chapel is also visited for The Last Judgment by Michaelangelo.  This is where the cardinals also elect new popes. In addition to Michaelangelo’s masterpiece, there are also frescoes from Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, Biagio di Antonio, Bartolomeo della Gatta, Luca Signorelli, and Pier Matteo d’Amelia.Find out more about other things to do in the Vatican.The Nicoline ChapelLess famous, but just as ornate, the Nicoline Chapel is named for Pope Nicholas V (1397-1455).  The pai ntings and frescoes were made by Fra Angelico between 1447 and 1451 that show the lives of the Deacons Saint Stephen and Saint Laurent, linking the two saints’ cities of martyrdom, Jerusalem and Rome.The Raphael RoomsThe four Raphael Rooms are reception rooms in the papal apartments. The frescoes were painted by Raphael himself and are masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.  Ordered by Pope Julius II in 1508, the frescoes are located on the second floor of the Apostolic Palace to the south of Cortile del Belvedere. DanielaItalian Teacher 5.00 (9) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LuciaItalian Teacher 5.00 (4) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarilùItalian Teacher 5.00 (8) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarcoItalian Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AntonellaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £14/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GiusyItalian Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EnricoItalia n Teacher 5.00 (2) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FedericaItalian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Vatican Museums: Art HistoryThe Vatican Museums are home to plenty of art from the Antiquity to today. It’s a great way to experience the history of art! In addition to paintings, the Vatican is also home to many impressive sculptures. (Source: DEZALB)The Gregorian Egyptian Museum, for example, is home to pieces from the Neolithic age to the age of the Roman Empire across six rooms.The Gregorian Etruscan Museum is home to objects found in archaeological digs from Etruria across 22 rooms. The works date from the 9th century BCE to the 1st century BCE.  Don’t miss Laocoon and His Sons in the Pio Clementino Museum.  The largest part of the Vatican Museums complex, there are 12 rooms with collections from the Greek and Roman Antiquity.  There’s the Apollo Belvedere, Hermes, and Laocoön.To learn even more about art history, head along to the Ethnological Museum. There are over 80,000 pieces from prehistory to now from all over the world.  There are objects from Asia, Africa, Australasia, Europe, and the Americas.The collection of modern religious art has 800 pieces from 250 different international artists including Rodin, van Gogh, Ga uguin, Kandinsky, Chagall, Otto Dix, Dali, and Picasso.You also need to visit the Pinacotheca.  Canvases date back to the 11th and 12 centuries. There are works from Giotto, Perugino, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Veronese, Poussin, and Caravaggio.Find out more about the history of the Vatican.The Bramante StaircaseHow can you visit the Vatican without seeing the Bramante Staircase?If you have the Omnia Vatican and Rome Card, you can visit the Vatican Museums. The Bramante Staircase is two staircases in one! (Source: WenPhotos)Wrongly attributed to Donato Bramante (1444-1514), the current double-spiral staircase was made in 1932.  There are two spiral staircases on top of one another with one for going upstairs and the other for going downstairs. You’ll never pass anyone on the staircase.  Despite how busy it is, there’s never any traffic.Pretty ingenious, isn’t it?Find out more about planning a trip to the Vatican.Visiting the Vatican Museums for Archeological SitesFinally, here’s our last good reason for visiting the Vatican Museums, archaeological treasures.  There are two archaeological sites from the Roman Empire:The Necropolis of the Via TriumphalisThe Excavations of St. John LateranThe Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis is a Roman cemetery with remains from the Antiquity. Under Roman law, cremation and burial within the city were illegal. Romans created “cities for the dead” outside cities known as a “Necropolis” from the Greek “necro” meaning “dead” and “polis” meaning “city”. The Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis allows you to discover how Romans honoured the dead.  Vatican Hill was a muddle of individual and collective graves and tombs. They’ve survived incredibly well over 2,000 years.Finally, in the Excavations of St. John Lateran, there are remains of buildings built before the current Saint Peter’s Basilica.  If you love ancient history and art, the Vatican’s the place to go.Before you go to the Vatican, consider learning some Italian. While Latin is also the official language of the Vatican, you'll get much farther with Italian. There are plenty of talented Italian tutors on Superprof who can help you with this.With three different types of tutorial available, face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials, each with their pros and cons, you need to carefully choose which one is right for you and your learning objectives.Face-to-face tutorials take pl ace with just you and the tutor. Your tutor will provide you with bespoke tuition and lessons that are tailored to you. Since this involves a lot of extra work for the tutor outside of the tutorials, you'll pay a premium for these types of tutorials. However, with the tutor's undivided attention, these tutorials are also the most cost-effective tuition you can get.Online tutorials come with a lot of the same benefits as face-to-face tutorials but your tutor won't be there in the room with you. While this works fine for academic subjects, these types of tutorials aren't always as effective for hands-on subjects. With fewer travel expenses, though, your tutor can charge less for the tutorials.Finally, group tutorials involve several students and one tutor. You won't get as much one-on-one time with your tutor but you won't pay as much per hour as the cost tutor's time is shared amongst all the students in the tutorial.

How to Draw Flowers

How to Draw Flowers Tutorials for Drawing Flowers ChapterswikiHow - 9 Easy Ways to Draw a FlowerHow to Draw a LilyHow to Draw a DaffodilHow to Draw a DaisyDrawing Real Flowers: Super ColoringDrawing Flowers with YouTube Tutorials“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” - Pablo PicassoHow can you draw a flower when you first start learning how to draw? How can you master the colours, the nuance, the petals, a bouquet of roses, a tulip, tropical plants, or the shoots of the first flowers of spring?Flowers are great practice for those learning how to draw.Are you looking for tutorials for how to draw flowers?Here are some of our favourite tutorials for learning how to draw flowers. Whether it's a rose flower, lotus flower, calla lily, or a hibiscus flower, you're bound to find something that can help you with your drawing skills.Try a few of these tutorials and then move on from there.How to Draw a LilyAs you will have probably guessed, Easy Drawing Guides has more than a few tutorials fo r budding artists. If you want to draw lilies, this tutorial is quite simple and good for beginners.The steps are completely broken down so almost every line you'll draw has its step. Similarly, each step is a good explanation of what you're supposed to be doing after it. While it may include too many details for more advanced artists, if you're an absolute beginner, this is a good site to visit. Lilies are beautiful flowers that make great drawings. (Source: Bessi) FernandoDrawing Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaDrawing Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidDrawing Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaDrawing Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenDrawing Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SabrinaDrawing Teacher 4.33 (3) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Julia janeDrawing Teacher 5.00 (5) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvelinaDrawing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsHow to Draw a DaffodilWhether it's for fun or Saint David's Day, you never know when you might need to draw a daffodil. These are fairly recognisable flowers and given how different they are, you won't be able to use much of what you've learnt from the other tutorials.To get an idea of their shape, construc tion, and how to represent them on paper (or whatever medium you fancy), this quick guide should help you get a better idea of them. While it's  technically for kids, there's nothing to stop you from following the steps and when it comes to colouring in, you should be able to do a better job than the article's target audience.Find out how to draw men.How to Draw a DaisyDaisies are probably one of the first flowers people try to draw their white and yellow colouring and circular petal arrangement are instantly recognisable. That said, while they look quite simple, they are deceptively difficult to draw, especially for beginners.This article breaks drawing daisies down into 5 simple steps starting with sketching construction lines and finishing with some nicely shaded daisies. While drawing a simple daisy is easy, making it look realistic is much harder. (Source: fietzfotos)Drawing Real Flowers: Super ColoringThe Super Coloring site has many drawing tutorials on it.There are tutorials for drawing animals, people, comic book characters, manga characters, vehicles, buildings, flowers, plants, and musical instruments.There are plenty of free tutorials for learning how to flowers.Drawing Water LiliesHere’s an example of how to draw a lily:Add a grid to your page.Draw the stem of the lily.Draw an oval for the lily pad.Sketch the centre of the flower.Sketch outlines for the positions of the petals.Sketch a row of petals.Draw an oval in the centre of the flower.Draw the outer petals.Add the other petals.Trace the outline of the lily and its details.Erase your construction lines.Would you like to draw a hibiscus?Drawing a HibiscusYou can draw a hibiscus in 7 steps. Start with the central part of the flower and then move onto its general shape.Then, trace lines f or the petals.After the petals, add the stem.The difficulty comes from the details, which you add by altering the thickness of each mark.Drawing a Cherry BlossomWith Super Coloring, you can simply draw a cherry blossom.In eight steps, you can draw it:The branches and flowers.The middle of the flowers and the stems.The open petals.The leaves and sepal.The stamen and other details.While you might think drawing a daisy is easy, there’s a lot of complexity in drawing certain plants and flowers.  While some flowers are great for sketching in pencil and easy to draw, some flowers and plants can be quite complicated. Poppies are striking flowers and the symbol of Remembrance Day. (Source: Candiix)While you might start with some simple shapes when you looking for flowers to draw, as you get better, you may need to use some advanced drawing techniques.Fortunately for you, you can find a step by step drawing guide online quite easily.Find out more about how to draw women.Drawing Flowers with YouTube TutorialsAre you looking for video tutorials on how to draw flowers step-by-step without having to read them like they were a recipe?A quick search in YouTube for “flower drawing tutorial” or “how to draw a flower” will lead you to thousands of videos that can help you learn to draw.It may be a good idea to specify exactly which type of flower you’d like to draw: rose, lily, tulip, daffodil.This tutorial on how to draw a rose from my-how-to-draw.com doesn't tell you how to draw a rose but it does show you the steps to follow on-screen and has been watched over 12 million times on the platform!I n particular, YouTube has plenty of great tutorials for kids, who may not be that interested in reading the articles we mentioned earlier. This tutorial from Art for Kids Hub shows you how to draw a poppy and is something that would be great to do with your kids. Furthermore, the rapport between Rob and his kids is adorable.Once you've finished your drawings, take a photo or scan them and email them into the channel. The channel uploads new art videos during the week. Roses are regularly associated with love, making them great for drawing. (Source: Bessi)And there you go. You should be able to draw a few good-looking flowers now!If you'd like to learn how to draw or do some sketches, consider getting in touch with one of the talented and experienced tutors on Superprof. They can give you drawing lessons and help you draw beautiful flowers like sunflowers, tulips, orchids, or pansies.There are three main types of drawing tutorials available: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials. Each type of tutorial has its pros and cons so take the time to carefully consider which type is best for you, your preferred learning style, your learning objectives, and your budget.Face-to-face tutorials are a bespoke service in which you'll be the only student in the lesson. The lessons will be planned with you in mind and your tutor will be available to answer any questions you may have. Of course, a tailored service comes at a price and when y ou hire a private face-to-face tutor, you'll also be paying for all the extra time they put in planning your tutorials and travelling to and from your tutorials.Online tutorials are also a bespoke service between a single tutor and student. However, both parties won't be in the same room and the lesson will be conducted using video conferencing software so that the tutor and student can see and hear one another using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Since the online tutor doesn't have to travel and can schedule more tutorials per week, they have fewer outgoings, a greater earning potential, and will often be able to charge a more competitive rate as a result.Finally, group tutorials are a great option for those on a budget. While you won't get a tailored service as you're sharing the tutor's time with other students, you will be able to save money as each student is footing the bill for the tutor's time. Similarly, if you and a group of friends would like to learn how to draw, you can get group tutorials together.Don't forget that many of the tutors on Superprof offer the first hour of tutoring for free. This is a great opportunity to see how they operate, what their teaching style is like, and whether you get along. You can also use this time to discuss what you expect from them and iron out some of the finer details.

7 Ways to Improve Your English Writing

7 Ways to Improve Your English Writing Were getting more and more interest in English writing classes from our students, which is why weve added them as a special class now (learn more here). I think the reasons are clear. Most of our students really need to use their English to communicate important information. Our students are doctors, lawyers, engineers and executives. They need to be understood clearly, and they need to project a good image when they communicate. No matter how great your idea is, if it arrives in an email that is impossible to read and understand, its not going to be very effective.So, besides taking our English writing classes, what can you do to improve? The first thing Ill say is, if you want to learn to play the piano, you dont spend weeks and weeks reading books about playing the piano. You sit down at the piano and start playing, even if its not very good. Same goes for improving your English writing. Above all, to improve, you need to write.How can you improve your English writing?1. Quora Can Help You Improve Your English Writing.Have you heard of Quora? Its sort of like a social network. I know, youre probably tired of new social networks, but this one is quite different. People post questions or answer questions, and others vote on the best answers. That probably still doesnt sound like much fun, but check out the answers to this question, How Can I Learn As Much As Possible In My Life? Cool answers from interesting people, right?So, why is this a good place for you to learn English? Well, one feature of Quora is that anyone can edit anyone elses writing. So you can do your best to write a question or answer in English, and other users will edit your answer. You will get to see the answers. My experience is that people love editing on Quora, and do a really good job of it. You can find me on Quora here.2. Write, Revise, Repeat is the key to improving your English writing.Not ready to share your writing with the public? Then just write anyway. Start with a short paragr aph. Write it down, then read it back to yourself out loud. Make changes. Come back to it over and over, until you dont think you can make any more improvements. Then, if youre ready, see if you can get someone else to read it and offer improvements. I recommend using Google Docs for this, because you can track all the changes easily, and share it with others who can make comments for you.3. Copy other Writers to learn English writing style and structure.The late great American writer Hunter S. Thompson did something very interesting when he was learning how to write. He retyped entire novels, including The Great Gatsby and A Farewell to Arms. Most of us probably dont have time to do this indeed, Thompson was fired from the magazine where he spent his time doing this. But you probably do have the time to retype a short article in English. Try it. Its a great way to closely examine how the language is written.4. Write and ImproveWrite and Improve is a web application by Cambridge En glish that allows you to submit writing and get automated, near instant feedback about how you can improve, and level ratings on your writing.  It is still in beta mode, and I dont think its a substitute for having a real person read you writing, but its certainly a good way to get free practice. Check it out here.5. Get help from Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway is considered  one of the greatest, if not the greatest, writer to come from the United States. He was known for an efficient and clear writing style writing that conveyed big ideas with few words, and was easy to understand. Unfortunately, hes not alive to help you write better, and even if he was, he wouldnt have the time to help you. But the Hemingway App is here. Its a web and mobile app similar  to Write and Improve, that evaluates your writing and tries to help you write in the efficient and clear style of Hemingway. Its been badly criticized, but I think its still a fun tool that will get you writing.6. Read, Read, ReadOk, to learn piano, you dont want to read about it. But you will want to listen to others play the piano. I always wrote well in school, despite not paying any attention in my English grammar classes. I believe this was because I loved to read, and did a lot of it. And Im not the only one who thinks reading improves writing. Novelist Steven King once said, If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.  Simple as that.” Numerous studies support what  Steven King and I both know.7. Make some CommentsWe offer free English listening exercises on our website. The exercises usually have a writing  component, and if you do the exercise in comments, one of our teachers will make corrections for you. Here!8. Bonus!I had to add this one after a Quora user suggested it. Daily Themes is a site that allows you to complete short, simple writing exercises, and have them evaluated by others online. It is similar to Quora in  the way that you build poin ts for participating. I tested it out, and it seems like a fun way to improve your writing, and probably more useful than the Hemingway App.Ok, thats all for now. Want to work with us to improve your English writing? Click here.

Listening Exercise Downton Abbey

Listening Exercise Downton Abbey This weeks listening exercise is using Downton Abbey, the popular British drama. The speech in this montage is quite a challenge and is really interesting. Although, I dont think you will hear this type of English a lot these days, the dialect is still similar to modern British English. If you really want to challenge yourself and your English listening abilities try this short exercise.1. Im ______ Toms small talk is very small indeed. 2. If I were to search for logic I _________ not look for it among the English upper class. 3. What a ________, I thought we might be in for something dreadful. 4. Guilt has never played a ________ part in my life. 5. I wonder your _________ doesnt grow heavy, it must be like wearing a ______round the clock. 6. Ive no ________ said yes, then you come back with another request. 7. The _____ thing we dont want is a ________ in the family.Writing Exercise: Have you seen Downton Abbey? What is your favorite series? Why? Does your country have good series? Do you normally watch your favorite series on TV or on your computer?

GTunion

GTunion GTunion Good Teachers Union began in 2009 and has helped over 1000 teachers from all around the world find teaching jobs in China. Our primary objective is to not only provide you with a suitable job in China but also help you have a positive and memorable China teaching experience. We also promise to save you time by finding a great school for you to teach at without any of hassle. Using Good Teachers Union to help you find a job makes your life easier. WHAT WE PROVIDE Moving to China on your own is an exciting but also intimidating decision for most. Our promise to you is that we will help with any problems or questions you have during your stay in China. We understand that moving your entire life to China is a big deal and we are happy to offer unrivaled customized support to make your transition and stay in China as smooth as possible. We don’t charge you any fees for our service. It’s completely free! OUR SCHOOLS The schools that we work with are put through a strenuous vetting process to make sure that they are up to our high standards. We want the best working environment possible for our Good Teachers Union teachers. Unlike other companies who drop you off at the door and leave you on your own, Good Teachers Union will offer you a strong support system until your teaching contract is finished. GTUnion GTUnion TU (Great Teacher Union) is a professional education and employment agency which located in Beijing the capital city of China, the company has five years of history on hiring English teacher from English speaking country for a big range of organizations. After five years hard work and sincere communication, the company built up stable co-relationship with dozens of organizations and language training centers in China, the target of the company is that establish a cultural and linguistic bridge between the western countries and China

How a tutor can help your child this school year

How a tutor can help your child this school year Tutors have become an important part of a child's education, helping them to achieve their target grades and preparing them for dreaded exams. A tutor is a teacher or professional that is paid to work privately with a child and to help them with their specific needs. The great thing about a tutor is that they can work with your child in a more focused way, ensuring they concentrate on the areas your child is struggling with the most. As parents we know our children and fully comprehend their strengths and weaknesses. So it is up to us to know when we think a little outside help might be needed. There are also some tell-tale signs that your child could really benefit from a private tutor. Here are a few of them: Your child may feel frustrated when they need to do their homework and avoid it where possible. They may be spending more time than normal trying to complete their homework. Your child may complain regularly that they don't want to go to school, they 'hate' a specific lesson or they dislike a teacher. Your child's report may have seen a drop in grades. Your child may seem more withdrawn that normal or less confident than before. Of course the first thing to do if you notice 'something different' about your child or their attitude, is to talk to them and find out what is bothering them. If it is an issue with school work or they are struggling to understand certain topics they may have covered then a tutor is a good way to go. A tutor can help with: Helping your child with a specific subject they may be struggling with. Preparing your child for exams whether they be entrance exams, GCSE's or A-levels. Building their confidence. Providing invaluable exam tips. Challenging them to strive to be the best they can. And another great thing about a private tutor is that they build a rapport with your child and adapt their teaching styles to suit your child's individual needs. Of course tutors cannot work miracles and where some parents think that as soon as their child begins working with a tutor their grades will automatically go up, this is not the case. Both a tutor and a child need time to form a working relationship; but normally after the first few lessons your child should be on course to reaping the benefits of having a teacher all to themselves. A tutor is hired to supplement classroom teaching and because they have the chance to work on a one-to-one basis with your child they are able to quickly see where your child needs the most help. So if you think your child could do with some confidence building, extra work on their Maths skills, help with preparing for their science GCSE's or just needs some extra academic attention to challenge them and see them achieve their maximum potential then a private tutor will almost certainly help with this. For more information about how to find a tutor visit First Tutors.

Digital Skills vs. Digital Literacy Whats the difference

Digital Skills vs. Digital Literacy What’s the difference As teachers, why do we need to worry about digital literacy if our students are already growing up surrounded by technology? While there’s no doubt that being adept at using digital tools and technologies is essential for everyone in the 21st century - teachers and students alike - possessing digital skills is not the same as being digitally literate. It’s a mistake to assume that exposure to digital tools and technologies automatically equates to the knowledge of how to use these effectively. Technical proficiency ? digital literacy Our students are tech-savvy digital natives. They know their way around a tablet, smartphone and laptop better than most. More often than not, they know how to do a voice search on an iPad, share selfies on Instagram, play a video game and send a GIF on WhatsApp. But what they lack is the knowledge of how to use these digital tools and technologies to communicate and achieve their learning goals. Some examples of digital skills vs. digital literacies include the following: Digital Skills Digital Literacy Sending an email, DM or text. The ability to judge the appropriate digital channel for online communication with peers, teachers and parents. Using Microsoft Office/Google G Suite. The ability to: Articulate the benefits and drawbacks of each tool. Critically evaluate which is most effective for the project at hand. Tweeting, posting to Facebook, uploading a video to YouTube, adding to a Snapchat story and posting a photo to Instagram. The ability to navigate social media safely, in order to: Protect their reputation by determining what private content is safe/appropriate to share. Recognize bots. Spot bias, prejudice and hate propaganda. Identify cyberstalking and harassment. Conducting a Google search. The ability to effectively use online search as a research tool, including: Picking the right search terms. Evaluating results based on cues such as web addresses. Tracking information to a reasonable source. Assessingtone, style, audience, bias and purpose to determine the credibility of information. Our students not only need to be proficient in how to use digital technologies - they also need you to work proactively to embed digital literacies into your curriculum. Without this, they cannot be truly digitally literate, defined by the American Library Association as “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” It’s important for students to critically think about media and the messages they get daily. The ability to weed out fake news, for example, will be a crucial 21st-century skill. We need to give our students the tools and skills needed to process the vast amounts of information they’re exposed to each day. A recent Digital Literacy Impact Study showed that learners with a solid grounding in digital literacy have a competitive advantage in the workforce. Because digital literacy is so essential not only to our students’ academic and future career success but also their ability to fully participate in modern society, teaching digital literacy is quickly becoming a critical part of the curriculum at the K-8 level. In short: if digital literacies haven’t yet become a core component of your classroom learning experience, it's time to rethink your teaching strategy.