tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15234679290273260112024-03-29T04:01:54.482-07:00SecondTeacher - How Homework Just Got Easy!This blog will detail our efforts in launching <b><a href="http://www.secondteacher.com">www.SecondTeacher.com</a></b> We will also announce all our new features and events through the blog too.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-29744306012620502632011-03-28T07:30:00.000-07:002011-03-28T07:30:52.422-07:00Is it a Teachers Job?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uKXZSj0LOOVwfKG61Nj1wktCSISATZuKAClo8K4KLgFDS2gyhczDbpYq2iRjVRh5OAg7j4oT6rRXf4vQFreBixD4TQ5-KW785XvF7E8IAX8JXLJA_RHXapKoZOJyRNhxfN1WudA4SWc/s1600/House-falling-off-cliff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uKXZSj0LOOVwfKG61Nj1wktCSISATZuKAClo8K4KLgFDS2gyhczDbpYq2iRjVRh5OAg7j4oT6rRXf4vQFreBixD4TQ5-KW785XvF7E8IAX8JXLJA_RHXapKoZOJyRNhxfN1WudA4SWc/s320/House-falling-off-cliff.jpg" width="320" /></a>I was having a coffee with a friend of mine the other day (well he had decaf and that's not coffee). He is a project manager by trade but now an entrepreneur doing <a href="http://www.surveyguru.com/">survey analysis and business coaching</a>. He is thinking of starting a new coaching business to help kids prepare and manage themselves for exams effectively applying project management principles to exam and study preparation. We got to talking about math and how it is taught in school and he was telling me one of his biggest regrets is that he didn't take the time to understand the basic building blocks of the curriculum and then struggled through the rest. With shaky foundations the rest was a deck of cards waiting to topple.<br />
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I argued that the teacher should make it their job to ensure everyone has the basic building blocks solid before progressing even if it delays the curriculum a bit, he argued that the students need to take responsibility for this and the teacher can’t hand hold everyone through the basics.<br />
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Well call me old fashioned but I don’t agree. In a subject like math the basics are the foundation everything is built on. If you have foundations made of sand it is a very bad builder who starts building the walls. The teacher who doesn’t ensure everyone has a grasp of the basic in math for the next classes is only wasting their time and the students and is doing the students a grave disservice.<br />
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You can get away with flying through the basics on Geography or History because the subject is mainly regurgitating facts so there are few is any core concepts to be learned but math is one of those subjects you need to ‘get’ the basics before the rest is worth looking at.<br />
To me it’s like trying to write a French poem without taking the time to learn the language.<br />
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Now don’t get me wrong a teacher can only lead the students to the water but can’t force them to drink. After everyone is solid on the basics and the class moves on students who fall behind despite the best efforts of the teacher might need to a reassess their subject choices. Math is not for everyone but I believe there is no-one out there who is incapable of learning the basic core concepts of math and of benefiting from them.<br />
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Unfortunately too teachers are effectively forced to move on whether everyone is aboard or not because of time and workload. I know this is true but still I believe the teacher has to try their best to get everyone up to speed with the basics, then the rest should go smoother which will enable you to make up the time.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-58807349820821356032011-03-22T08:07:00.000-07:002011-03-22T08:07:13.785-07:00Book EditionsIt's a problem for us and for every other similiar online tutor service. We have the content that covers a book but the publisher has 10 different editions of the same book with a different cover in each state. This poses us a problems with 2 choices.<br />
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1) Duplicate the same book 10 times to have an edition for each different book cover<br />
or<br />
2) Do only 1 copy and assume your audience will relate their book with a different cover to this one.<br />
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We have tended to go with option 1 but it is far from ideal becaise we end up cluttering up the book list with a load of duplicates which can make it more difficult for a user to find their book.<br />
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Anyone got an idea of a better way to do it?Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-902058581300720942011-03-11T04:20:00.000-08:002011-03-11T04:20:56.371-08:00Twitter for your Math HomeworkTwitter is great because of the way the conversation is open and available to all. If you have a question or query it's just so easy to tweet for the answer, but is this helping you?<br />
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At <a href="http://www.secondteacher.com/">SecondTeacher.com</a> we use twitter and facebook to try and get our product seen. So maybe me saying that twitter for homework help is a bad thing is a little hypocritical. Well what I'm saying is that just getting the answers from twitter is not to be encouraged. <br />
If you just grab the answer to your math homework from twitter then you learn nothing except that using twitter is a shortcut to getting your homework done. <br />
You should be using twitter and the wider internet to help you understand the concepts in your homework and not just the answers.<br />
It's like the old saying "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for life.". There is no quick fix here but I promise once you learn the concepts the answers will come much easier and you will progress in your math knowledge, copy down the answers and all you're doing is fooling yourself and limiting your future potential.<br />
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So yes use twitter for your math homework but use it to find good resources (like <a href="http://www.secondteacher.com/">ours</a>, shameless plug) and you will succeed.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-49931643681961377442011-03-07T09:05:00.000-08:002011-03-07T09:05:06.749-08:00Hosting Websites without a computerHow can I host a website without a computer? Well sounds impossible but now with <a href="http://aws.typepad.com/aws/2011/02/host-your-static-website-on-amazon-s3.html">Amazon S3</a> it is not only possible but so easy.<br />
I have hosted my <a href="http://www.homeopathykilkenny.com/">wife's website</a> this way for a while but before it was a bit of a hack now it is as easy as a bit of configuration with Amazon.<br />
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This must sound a death knell for traditional hosters when word gets out how easy and secure this static website hosting is. <br />
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The 2 main advantages of this are <br />
1) No need to pay for a machine (or virtual machine) to host the website on And I mean NO upfront costs.<br />
2) No need to maintain the machine it is as simple as saving the website files to an online disk, markling it as a website and viola!<br />
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It is absolutely ideal for hosting brochure and static sites as you only pay for bandwidth. So if only 50 people access your site in a month the cost should be about 1cent. It also has all the benefits of Amazons scalable infrastructure which is cool because if you suddenly get a bit of press and 10,000 people from all over the world try to access your site your golden because of the 15 edge locations Amazon have. How many times have you been watching a prime time TV show, a guy gets to say his 2 min piece about his site. You decide to have a quick look during the ad break and it's dead? Unfortunately for you and him 10,000 people had the same idea as you and killed he site because he's been running it expecting to see the usual 1 man and his dog.<br />
If you know anyone selling website hosting the traditional way please save them a fortune and show them this so they can get out now and stop wasting their time, because as soon as this becomes common knowledge I wouldn't want to have too many shares in <a href="http://www.rackspace.com/index.php">RackSpace</a>Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-82031418837754003792011-03-04T04:32:00.000-08:002011-03-04T04:32:03.049-08:00Worksheets on SecondTeacherWe just wanted to let you know what kind of functionality we're working on at <a href="http://www.secondteacher.com/">SecondTeacher</a>.<br />
We have started to create a new downloadable section on each lesson where we can add various pieces of content that will enable the user to download Lesson Notes, Pop Quizes etc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiuDYX7W6q7bS2og5_CuUhWCa4ZgxApL1b3n4o7LjEWuWIdNtplaKOnQt73hzSNwiGRmkcyEoVQIUgEJ33Gyp6ROYpybiyM3rJde59_U197tMX8QQDF2KCDoARY91TEESH_XreZ76nP4/s1600/Screen1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiuDYX7W6q7bS2og5_CuUhWCa4ZgxApL1b3n4o7LjEWuWIdNtplaKOnQt73hzSNwiGRmkcyEoVQIUgEJ33Gyp6ROYpybiyM3rJde59_U197tMX8QQDF2KCDoARY91TEESH_XreZ76nP4/s320/Screen1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is totally configurable and we can set unique content on each lesson. We are still in the process of developing the content but wanted to publish this information to enable our users to try it out.<br />
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We have added a sample lesson on lesson 1-1 Variables and Expressions in the Prentice Hall: California Pre-Algebra (2001)<br />
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To access the resources click on the "Lesson Resources" box on the lesson. Try it out!<br />
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We are interested in finding out what kind of resources you'd like to see please let us know on the comments and we'll get to it.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-63500823253962603862011-03-02T02:12:00.000-08:002011-03-02T02:12:18.465-08:00iPad 2 Just doesn't work for SchoolNo matter how hard Apple has been trying to convince us that the <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a> can replace everything in the schoolbag it just is not happening and won’t in its current guise.<br />
Many have tried to crack this nut but still I don’t think anyone is there yet. First off the iPad as the standard replacement for books and writing pads has one big problem, the battery. What happens if when your sat in the middle of math and you're frantically taking down the details for tonight’s homework and blink the screen goes blank?<br />
I’ve been interested in technology for 20 years and so many people look for technology solutions for perceived problems that a simple low-tech solution already solves. If you need to take notes at school a pen and paper does an admiral job and I couldn’t recommend it high enough.<br />
Don’t get me wrong there is a place for technology in the class room, the writeboards are brilliant and a school focused e-Ink web enabled reading device will finally come along and make a fortune and we’re almost there with the likes of the <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp">Nook</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-DX-Wireless-Reader-3G-Global/dp/B002GYWHSQ/ref=amb_link_353596242_4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=1192RCEVFD0KZKC9R3TA&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1289197122&pf_rd_i=Kindle">Kindle</a>, they just need to focus on schools and student needs a bit more.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-21122715679679702592011-02-25T05:15:00.000-08:002011-02-25T05:15:17.535-08:00Homeschools and TechnologyI never understood why technology was not pushed and used a lot more by homeschoolers. <br />
We have direct experience of this as our main video creator Trevor Doyle is also a homeschool liason educator. He meets hundreds of homeschool kids a month and he is always amazed at the slow takeup of technology.<br />
With the selection of courses and tutoring services available online these should be a perfect fit for homeschooling. Also online classrooms and video linkups would or should be common place in a good homeschool operation.<br />
Should the government be helping here? As in effect homeschools help ease the burden on state run schools and should be helped and supported to make use of all the technology assets available. <br />
But like most things in life the government are more then happy to let you pay for it yourself if you will and is always reactive and not proactive in helping improve the lot of our education so why should homeschools be any different.<br />
As usual just my two cents.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-66186721814535179512010-02-22T08:59:00.001-08:002010-02-22T08:59:56.353-08:00Is Math Boring?<span xmlns=''><p>It's funny because I love math. I have always loved it, but my wife almost gets physically ill by the mention of trigonometry. If by some accident I happen to mention anything that could be construed as a mathematical concept or problem my wife sushh's me as quick as she can. Some people really do struggle to accept mathematics for the exciting and interesting explanation of how everything moves and exists in our universe, ok maybe that is overstating it a bit but you get my drift.<br /></p><p>Well the question is who is right, Is Math boring? I obviously say no and here is my case to prove it. Is TV boring, well much of it is TV is not a good example I'll try again, Is space travel boring? Or are computer games boring? or what about movie special effects? or mobile phones? The web? Flying? Even the driving the car? They all to a degree employ mathematics to achieve what they are designed to. The easiest first space travel is all about math. Everything is based on distance, relative speeds and intersection points all normal mathematical concepts but vital in successful space travel. <br /></p><p>The whole tech industry is built upon the shoulders of mathematics. All computers at the low levels only understand math. Everything you want a computer to do from play a game, send an email, watch a video, social networking, twitter etc everything is translated to mathematical functions for computers to understand. Your computer only looks like it knows what you want it to do, to your computer all it really is doing is solving mathematical problems for you all day long. Math really is the one and only common worldwide language, it is the only language that every community in the world has in common and understands. Mathematics comes from a greek word meaning leaning, study and science all very basic tenets of education.<br /></p><p>Form my above argument I would say to be bored by mathematics is to be bored of life. I blame how and what we were taught in schools for this perception that math is boring because taught properly it should only emit wonder from students. But the teachers tried to drill into us formulas and learn of theorems when in reality we needed to see it applied in the real world to grasp how it effects us everyday.<br /></p><p>Now ask my wife for her argument and her response is the same as nearly every bored student in math class "But I'll never need this when I leave school". I always counter that as she grew up working in the family shop she used it in a very practical way everyday dealing with money. But hey these differences of opinion is what makes life interesting, I have only one thing left to say one the subject…I'm right Q.E.D. </p></span>Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-79757624467331282352010-02-22T08:26:00.001-08:002010-02-22T08:26:56.746-08:00Does Video Kill the Math Teacher?<span xmlns=''><p>The question is can a math teacher be replaced by a video presentation or even a computer application. Most teachers would instantly jump to the answer no way! Well I would give a qualified agreement with the teachers on that. There is no computer program in the world or video class that can do everything that a math teacher does and has to deal with. But saying that let us look at what it can be achieved with modern computer programs and video software.<br /></p><p>Video is only ever going to be a reproduction of what a teacher has done and is really only one-way interaction enabled. No good asking a video questions if you need clarification on a point. But consider a student who has a unmotivated and bored teacher (come on we've all had them in our time) they might actually be much better off with a video and the textbook. The big advantage of a video over a teacher is that the student is now in control. The student can pause it, try something out replay it and rewind to review parts if they want. The student can learn the topic at their own pace. This is the biggest problem of classroom teaching, students as we all know don't learn at the same pace and a teacher is forced to cater for the lowest common denominator, resulting in a number of bored students.<br /></p><p>Teachers should have nothing to fear from video and applications that enable student to self learn. The job of a teacher is to enable students to improve and access the concepts and information they need. They should have no fear for a third party be it tutor, video or application that is helping a student to achieve in math. You could even go as far and say to a teacher in reality to do their job right they should introduce these for use at home, both video and web based applications to improve math because in this way they are giving the kids the information and a choice of avenues to learning the subject matter at hand.<br /></p><p>There are now fantastic services available on the web for getting video presentations of different topics and they really are a boon to modern day students in getting in touch with math enabling them to learn at their own pace. If I was a teacher I wouldn't worry about arriving at work and seeing a big 52" screen where my desk used to be or Robbie the robot because who would there be for the students to complain about?</p></span>Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-57959059698513013452010-02-15T09:22:00.000-08:002010-02-15T09:22:00.423-08:00How much homework is too much homework?I’ve heard this debate about 1,000 times. “How much homework should I give?” well as with nearly everything (outside of math) there is no right answer, and never will be. Even when you are right you are wrong. In a single class there will be students who don’t need any homework because they get it already but then there will be others who have as usual coasted through class with their heads in the clouds and really only learn with threats and deadlines. These people need homework badly and plenty of it because it’s damn near the only education they are going to get.<br />
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My advice is to set homework that makes knowing the concepts key and once you have that the homework at hand should be a snap. This will mean that the students who get it already will breeze through their homework but the coasters will need to sit down and learn the subject at hand.<br />
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Yeah I agree but how to you do that?<br />
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Well how about you flip the homework on its head and ask the students to set original homework for themselves that explains the topic and then explain how the answer was derived. This almost seems counter intuitive “Let them set their own homework?”, well yeah think about it for a second to do this right the student needs to know the topic to enable them set homework that will explain it. If the student doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about they will need to figure it out first to do this.<br />
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Or ask them to write a 20 line paragraph that would explain the concept of the topic at hand to next year’s class. Again simple for the people who know but a struggle for those who don’t.<br />
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I am not a fan of lists of problems or reams of regurgitated facts, in my opinion this is just a waste of time and hides the core of the education task. Our job is to teach the concepts and ensure that the concepts are understood. The internet has also made my homework strategy more valuable because there are sites and programs readily available that will give students the answer to any problem. These instant answers really only bypass the need for comprehension. I have yet to find a site that will give students instant answers to my homework (maybe there is a start-up in there somewhere) . You need to give homework that encourages students to learn the concepts not the details. Like the old adage “can’t see the wood for the trees” you need to make sure that your students are not blinded from what’s important in math by the pressing need to get their homework out of the way because it’s spoiling my xbox game time.<br />
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So next time you have the same old debate about the amount of homework to give go with the answer “Just enough”, because then you’ll always be right.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-40187338302972419822010-02-15T02:47:00.001-08:002010-02-15T02:47:23.751-08:00Book Publishers to go the way of the DodoBook publishers must have seen this coming for a very long time and what surprises me most is that they have done absolutely nothing about it. They haven’t learnt the lessons of the music industry and decided that if they just ignore the problem it would go away. Well it hasn’t!<br />
We’re talking about the web and electronic delivery of content. The music industry first ignored it then when it was too big to ignore tried to squash it. When that failed they tried to cosy up to it with Apple etc, but now they resemble a once great white shark twitching on the shore struggling to survive.<br />
I reckon the book publishers are just ending the “ignore it” stage but for all that has gone before it looks like they are going to attempt the same trick that failed for the music industry. <br />
It really doesn’t have to be this way. Publishers should see that an easy to use spur of the moment system where consumers can just purchase content at the click of a button can only mean more sales and less costs. But the fear of losing control of the supply line is what is stopping publishers embrace the new order. Publishers fear that if they go pure digital what do they really offer the author that the author can’t just do for themselves? <br />
Well I think the publishers are underselling themselves. Imagine for a second a world where anyone who wanted to be an author could just write a book and “publish” it themselves. We would end up with thousands of new books every day and because there would be no critical analysis of quality 99% of them would be rubbish. This would make finding a good book incredibly difficult. What publishers really offer is that they can become the gatekeepers to ensure that most of the rubbish never reaches the mass market. We should be able to know that if we purchase a Harper Collins book then at the very least the author is able to write and has been approved worthy of mass publication.<br />
Also digital delivery has huge advantages for the publisher, author and consumer. The publisher doesn’t have to spend a fortune on printing presses and delivery of the physical book. The publishing process would be to create a simple download of an e-book and make it available on the publishing network. Then the delivery process is consumer driven by the download and purchase of the e-book. This purchase will occur and complete without any input from the publisher.<br />
The stumbling block at the moment seems to be the publishers want to hang on to the established life-cycle of new books. First they selling the hardback edition for about double the price of the paper back. Then 4 months later when all the people who really wanted the book have brought the expensive version they release a paper back for the masses. This doesn’t really work in the e-book world because there is only 1 edition. Also consumers are not willing to spend the $15 for a new paperback on an e-book nor should they have to. The costs of “publishing” an e-book are pennies. Consumers are willing to pay the author and publisher their cut but not to pay for non existing costs. <br />
We can only hope that publishers wake up to the new world before it’s too late because I do believe they have a role to play. But if they continue fight and procrastinate then the world will move on without them and we’ll end up in world where the publishers will be consigned to history.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-87766227169536944932010-02-02T02:24:00.001-08:002010-02-02T02:24:07.031-08:00Has Math changed that much in the last 2 years?<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">This is something that really bugs me. Every few years the math books are updated and changed by the publishing companies for no good reason but to squeeze more money out of the schools and parents. Why they are let do this I’ll never know. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">These new editions have at best a few cosmetic changes and an updated front cover. Then the schools all gradually move to this “new” book and this forces the parent to shell out for a new book instead of the old one or a second-hand one. The “new” book is in reality has exactly the same content as the old one because it has to cover the same curriculum. The standards in California for instances, haven’t changed in 20 years so the math taught is exactly the same and hasn’t changed in 20 years. Usually if you check through the old and “new” books most of the chapters are word for word exactly the same and a few chapters are re-named...that’s it!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">For me there is a simple solution, just don’t put up with it. The school districts should just pick a book they are happy with and leave it. When a new edition comes out ignore it, finally when the math book is out of print and no second-hand ones are freely available allow the students to pick a newer edition of the same book and gradually move over to that. If all districts went with this the nonsense would stop because there would be no point in re-printing the same content in a new edition if everyone just ignored it, except for the people who were in the market for a new book anyway. These people would have just brought the old book if no new edition was printed because they’d know it was basically the same anyway. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">This would free up resources and effort in the publishing houses to do something real and not waste their time re-hashing the same stuff over and over again. It would also allow the publishing houses to get more content online and do more for students and teachers in the way of resources and benchmark testing and standards tracking. All these extra goodies are losing resources because of this endless cycle of uselessness.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Nice dream I guess but let’s face it, we live in a different world and we just have to put up with this messing from the publishing houses. But if we can just get our own houses in order let everyone else sort them selves out the problem might eventually work its self out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Will the publishing houses do the right thing? Only time will tell but I wouldn’t hold my breath.</span></div>Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-27830578242520521882010-01-29T04:08:00.000-08:002010-01-29T04:08:55.654-08:00iPad for homework iWonder?The hyperbole has died down and in the cold light of day the iPad looks like iPod Touch Maxi. But the question I have is will these e-Readers like the Kindle and the new iPad be any help in getting homework done?<br />
<br />
First let’s look at the case for the iPad as a homework/school helper.<br />
<br />
1) At only 1.5lb weight the iPad is light and could easily be carried to school. <br />
2) Intuitive interface makes for a easy learning curve and productivity gains straight off the bat<br />
3) Perfect interface to watch video and listen to audio. With the promise of video chats this could be a fantastic tutor device.<br />
<br />
Now the obvious down side<br />
<br />
1) Because the device is limited to no flash then most web based apps will not work and most web based video will not be usable<br />
2) Multi purpose device means distractions are only a touch away and it’s hard enough now to get kids to concentrate on homework.<br />
<br />
I can see a scenario where this iPad could become a fantastic device for tutoring and homework help but I think this is still some way off. If I had a wish-list for the device that could really help with homework it would have the following<br />
<br />
1) Built in Camera and Microphone for video chats with tutors<br />
2) Full multi-tasking to enable video chat, whiteboard and textbooks all to be used at the same time.<br />
3) Voice dictation software to enable student to talk to the device (I know a stretch but this is a wish-list)<br />
4) Full web enabled technologies i.e. Silverlight and Flash<br />
5) Custom Built shared whiteboard web class software.<br />
<br />
None of these extra wish-list items are really out of the question and the technology already exists to perform all these. But the will and the market is the real question. <br />
As for the Kindle this is without doubt the best e-Reader on the market. I can see this device replacing textbooks in the next few years but I believe there is still a few advancements advancements needed. This device could become the student/study device and with integrated class room and tutor software could achieve most of my wish-list requirements. The Kindle will be priced at less then $100 this time next year and will have a bigger screen and much more content. Amazon doesn’t want to get into the hardware market and compete with Apple they want to create a cheap e-Reader which is the best device to use for reading books this will enable them t control the burgeoning market for eBooks and become the dominate force into the future. The Kindles will become subsidized devices which all school kids will end up with in there bags. <br />
<br />
Kindle Wish-List to create a fantastic student device<br />
<br />
1) Touch screen<br />
2) Bigger Screen with Back lit option<br />
3) Much Cheaper about $100<br />
4) Integrated School Books and Class/Tutor software built in<br />
5) Bluetooth enabled to allow in class homework sharing and marking.<br />
6) Big improvement on writing interface to enable it become the replacement for all school materials<br />
7) Web Enabled with option to go full screen color.<br />
<br />
With the Kindle wish-list we could see this device take over classrooms across the country and there is almost a guaranteed market every year then among the millions who attend classes everyday. Remember you heard it here first.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-82030434294880716372010-01-25T09:25:00.000-08:002010-01-25T09:25:44.908-08:00Bill Gates agrees with us that education is moving onlineHow is that for an endorsement, Bill Gates today in his annual letter from his <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/annual-letter/2010/Pages/education-learning-online.aspx">Foundation</a>. He outlined how he believes that education is about to be driven online and that this will bring great benefits to everyone. This is where Bill Gates goes to learn about new things and he seems to think the time is now right for an explosion in interest and demand for new educational services online.<br />
Right well we weren’t exactly mentioned by Bill Gates but he’s preaching the exact same message as us. <br />
<br />
Education is that last great bastion of community that has yet to really feel the power of the web. Services are getting made and are available now that could really help education today but the establishment have been slow to adopt them. These services are struggling to get noticed and struggling to get the education establishment interest in them. The problem is with the system really as the emphasis is just not there on software and technology as an education enabler. Software is seen as a cost and until it can be viewed by the schools and education department as a great tool for helping students and controlling costs, the first question will always be “How much is this going to cost us?”<br />
<br />
Well Bill has a plan that non-profit and corporate forces will collide and make the perfect educational resource available to all for free or near free. Personally I just don’t see it. I think the model has to be more pragmatic than that. A drive on costs to get them as low as possible will enable providers to produce quality online material and courses that can be offered to schools and students for very little. At the moment there are services available now that offer great online courses in subjects for as little as $25 per year, but I believe going forward this will just get cheaper and cheaper until it becomes so competitive and price conscious that we’ll be paying less than $10 a year soon.<br />
<br />
I agree with Bill when he says that there is yet a single “great” resource available but this is because no real big players have entered the market yet. This will change and existing players will get better, cheaper and offer more. It’s great to see the exposure that online education is getting and I just hope that this debate truly begins and a spotlight can be shone on the services that offer a great service at a reasonable fee that are in the market trying to drum up interest now.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-74615679509111555062010-01-25T06:20:00.001-08:002010-01-25T06:20:10.590-08:00Can Twitter Teach our Kids Math?Well at this stage twitter is becoming mainstream. We have to accept twitter is probably going to be here to stay. I posed the question “Can Twitter Teach our Kids Math?” which is a bit of a stretch but I believe it can definitely help. <br />
Twitter to the uninitiated is a simple SMS-like messaging service that allows people to connect and follow the messages posted by people and companys and in turn post (or Tweet) their own status. It is used in a few different ways but mainly by people who just want to keep in touch with people and organisations.<br />
Sounds simple and it really is that simple there is a little bit more to it but basically not much more. But let’s see if we can come up with a scenario where twitter could be used in an educational situation. Imagine if all the students “followed” the teacher on twitter and could get updates and homework tips and results and personal mentoring all on twitter, it’d be a bit cool right? Imagine too if the parents could also follow the school and get updates on school closures and events and their kids progress, again cool right? This would be a super easy way to stay up-to date with what is happening in school and best of all it’s free to everyone concerned. Not particularly innovative just quick and easy movement of information. <br />
Twitter could be great as a communications service in school as described above but it still doesn’t teach our kids. Well we could also offer anonymous free tutor help. I’m actually surprised a service like this doesn’t already exist (well I can’t find one) that allows a person tweet a specific problem to a service and get back an instant-ish response, not sure how the business model would work but hey twitter hasn’t figured one out yet either. Or how about a twitter service where people can post up homework help and advice again surprised the book publishers haven’t cottoned on to this one yet either. <br />
Everyone knows that education is delivered and received by talking and reading well twitter is just a new method of communication and can easily then be included into the mix of education successfully and will succeed and fail in the exact same way as all communication does now. If it succeeds just remember where you heard it first, if it fails blame twitter ;-)Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-90914604198799130602010-01-04T08:58:00.000-08:002010-01-04T08:58:02.654-08:0024/7 Math Homework Help<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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</style> In my day math homework was something you did straight after school so you could get out to your friends. If you got stuck you were well stuck. You could ask your parents but all you would get back is blank stares. Ask you brothers or sisters and they'd laugh at you. You could search the internet...hang on that wasn't invented yet.<br />
I often think kids have it harder in so many areas of life nowadays but getting math homework help is not one of them. The internet is a great resource to help (and cheat) with your homework. If you didn't bother with your homework and you have 20 minutes in the morning to get it done in a hurry the internet is a lifesaver. Not really the recommended scenario for getting your homework done but now possible, but used right the internet and web tutor services are a fantastic resource.<br />
Math homework help services on the internet now mean expert advice on the exact concepts you are working on are just a click away 24/7. This is a great boon but also removes the standard excuse of the student. “I couldn’t understand it and no one at home can help” ah well yes there is it’s called the internet. Many teachers first reaction to web based tutor services is fear and to dismiss them. But really teachers can use good web homework tutors to really enforce a math lesson. <br />
Imagine the scenario the teacher runs an hour long class on polynomials and sets homework based on the chapter in the textbook. But also refers all the students to a web tutor service offering a customized lesson with examples on the exact same chapter if they need help. Now some students always struggle to get the subject in school and for a host of reasons might not get it first time. But now at home these students get the chance to review the topic at their own speed and have an expert tutor on hand to help if they get stuck. The teacher benefits because any student arriving into class without the homework done better have a really good excuse, the student benefits because they have an expert at home on tap to help and it really empowers them to take control of their own education.<br />
This scenario is happening everyday in schools across the country with services that already exist. All I’d say to students is don’t be afraid to try them as most if not all are free for a trial period or really inexpensive. It is much better to get a service that covers your exact textbook rather than a generic one as you will always get the exact help you need. Teachers please embrace web based tutors because they do not seek to replace you but to improve the situation for everyone. They do not just give the students the answers to math problems but try to reinforce the concepts that you introduced in class.<br />
<br />
Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-13301218000243590242009-12-15T03:19:00.003-08:002009-12-15T03:19:50.165-08:00Math Homework Guidelines<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It is amazing the things we just assume that everyone knows how to do, like riding a bike or going for a swim or even brushing your teeth. But the only reason we can do these things is because we were shown and taught how to do them properly. Not many people see a bike for the first time then hop up on it and start doing wheelie’s, why then do we assume that kids know how to do their math homework when in reality they have never probably been shown how to do it right.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">First we start off with the common sense basics that everyone should know</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">You need a quiet distraction free place to do your homework. Music and TV don’t mix well with homework.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Don’t leave your homework until the last minute like just before bedtime or while eating breakfast. Do your homework shortly after you get back from school so it’s not hanging over you.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Focus and don’t get bogged down in the detail. If you are spending way too much time on a piece of homework, just try your best and move on. Homework shouldn’t take all night.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Those were the easy ones but the most important. Do the simple things right and homework becomes’ much easier. If you get into the habit of doing your homework straight after school you will really find that you do a better and quicker job.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Now that we’ve shown you how and when you should attempt your homework how do you ensure you do a good job?</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">First off I’d say is tackle the homework you least enjoy first. If you put this off and leave it until last you will inevitably do a tired and rushed job on it. If you love English, I’ll bet if you leave it until last you’ll still put in the time and effort it needs.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">For the more complex subjects like math it really helps to have a study guide or some reference material that covers the math topics you learnt in class. Of course you have your textbook but this can be a struggle to follow and how often do you come home ‘knowing’ how to do your math because you got it in class then open the textbook and get confused? I would recommend if you have access to an internet connection to try an online tutor service. For math, these can be exactly what you need to reinforce the concepts you learnt in class, ensuring you have the knowledge for life. Studies have shown that if you revise a math topic a couple of hours after first learning it, the knowledge is much more likely to stick. Modern innovative online math tutors offer videos explaining the concepts in your textbook and are now as cheap as $25 a year.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">So remember that math homework doesn’t have to be a struggle. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Setup a routine of doing your homework early in a quiet distraction free place. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Focus and do the difficult parts first. </span><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-GB">3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Get an online Math Resource to help revise.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Then get out and enjoy yourself, don’t let homework ruin your day it really doesn’t have to be that hard.</span><br />
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Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-45517795319762678022009-12-03T08:38:00.000-08:002009-12-03T08:38:37.095-08:00Technology can help with Math Benchmark TestingEven the mention of benchmark testing will bring some math teachers out in a rash, but with the holiday season upon us then benchmark testing is not far behind. Benchmark testing for those who don’t know is a test run about two thirds way through the year and the idea is to benchmark the students to see the standard that has been achieved so far by the school. These benchmark results then go towards grant allocations and school ratings.<br />
The real problem with benchmark testing for parents is that the school needs them to be organised, run and corrected by the teachers but there is no extra funding available for this so pressure is put on the teachers to achieve this for free, in their spare time.<br />
Traditionally benchmark testing is a long and arduous process involving the teacher creating the exam, organising the students to sit the exam, correcting the results and then correlating all the results to give overall benchmark results for the school. There really must be a better way and now thanks to the web and online math helper websites there is. This year the benchmark testing in many schools will be very different. The teachers will have many different options to make the whole process so much easier with the help of online math tutor websites they will get the benchmarking done and get to keep their free time.<br />
These online solutions are also not only for the technophiles too because there will be very simple solutions too that will aid any teacher. I’ll go through each of the possible ways an online resource might speed up the whole process<br />
<ul><li>Downloadable Exams - The most basic is to access these sites and download a printable benchmark test which is matched to the textbook you use in class. This can be distributed to the class and the results easily matched against an online answer sheet. This helps the teacher by having the exam already designed and ready for use but the teacher still needs to correct and correlate the results.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Download Exam and Upload Results – This is where the teacher can download a printable exam then for each student upload the answers and the websites will correct and collate the answers. An improvement on the last one but still the extra work of uploading the exam answers is a burden the teacher could do without.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Online Benchmark Testing – This is the ideal where a teacher picks the benchmark test and allocates it to their class. The class then logon to the website and do the exam. This has huge advantages in that with minimal effort the teacher has accurate collated results but of course this assumes the school has a full computer lab.</li>
</ul>In reality I think the move towards a fully online exam is still a little way off but it’s the direction we will inevitably move. Pioneers are trying to achieve this now and new online services are sprouting up which will offer these and even more innovative solutions to the problems of benchmark testing. Let’s hope for all our sakes it just isn’t toofar off.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-66595804597502845152009-12-01T07:16:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:37:07.446-08:00Can Videos Help you with your Math Homework?Modern teens are digital natives and super-communicators, they have grown up surrounded by digital technology to enable communication and intuitively embrace it. The latest technology holds no fear even for the youngest students, they seem to just naturally understand how it all works and use new technology with ease. How often have you seen a young one or two year-old child playing with a mobile phone and they seem to know exactly what to do with it?<br />
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If we can use these natural and accepted mediums to communicate the education services a student needs they are much more likely to connect and use these services. The old model of a classroom lesson delivered to bored students followed by a textbook aided homework assignment has failed to inspire a large number of students with many students struggling to stay focused. We need to replace this with a system that will interest them and allow kids to learn to enjoy the education they are being offered.<br />
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Show me a teenager who doesn’t watch TV? According to Nielsen <a href="http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3i4993a5c32cf65e03561339183368ec75">watching TV among teens is actually up 6% over the past 5 years</a>. Basically kids love to watch videos and are easily engaged by videos. From a very early age teens have accepted TV and videos as an easy way to get information and entertainment fast. Anyone who deals with teens will tell you that once you engage and interest them, they become like a sponge for information and will learn quickly and permanently.<br />
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There are a host of new young online video tutors betting that kids will accept educational services through online videos and are offering textbook linked on-demand video tutor lessons. These work by allowing a student to access a video lesson of each chapter on their textbook. The student has total control of the video and can consume it whenever or wherever suits them. This on-demand video model matches exactly how students communicate and get entertainment and will enable them to get their education quickly and easily too.<br />
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The key to making an online video tutor a success is to ensure that first off it is affordable. It needs to be at a price point that ensures price is not a barrier, with services available from $25 per year I think we are already there. Next it needs to be to the point and entertaining, a student does not want to sit through another long boring math class at home, they want a fun engaging and quick lesson that just gives them the information they need. A verbose long winded lesson littered with long technical mathematical terms will never work. Finally it has to be relevant and easy to use. The video has to very closely match the textbook based homework that has been assigned and it must be quick and intuitive in its user interface. <br />
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An online video tutor that cracks all of these will be a sure fire success and already there are some prime candidates out there already.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-40907123333856750402009-11-27T07:29:00.000-08:002009-11-30T02:24:49.523-08:00The Power of Online Math TutionThe advances in technology and the web have made finding what you need in the world so much easier. The web has also made finding help and services a simple click away. For students this is a godsend, help with any aspect of their education is available online 24/7. <br />
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The rise of online educational websites has spawned new opportunities for providers to offer custom made math homework help services. This is really a powerful and exciting advance on how students learn Math. Compare it to even 15 years ago, if you could not understand the lesson in class and could not figure out the topic in the textbook you effectively fell behind and had to struggle to catch-up now with the web and the services available any student can search a myriad of informative website until they get the exact information they need.<br />
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Traditionally students were passively accepting the information provided by teachers and textbooks as their main source of learning math. With self service online math tutor services the students now have the control to dictate the pace of their learning and the ability to actively choose the topics and subjects they wish to learn. This makes math much more engaging and challenging for students. It also follows the principle of <a href="http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/parents/parentfacts.html">No Child Left Behind</a> as all students can now control the lesson and tailor it to their needs.<br />
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The other great boon of Online Math Tutor services is their accessibility and affordability. Personal math tutors used to be the preserve of the wealthy but with online math tutors now costing as little as $25 per year cost is no longer a barrier. As to accessibility this is what the web is all about, opening up information and education to the masses. It’s like having your own personal math tutor on stand-by 24/7.<br />
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These advantages should not really come as a surprise to anybody as the banks, travel agents, ticket agents and every shop in the world has figured out people like to self serve, they like to browse and read and check out whatever they want when they want it and this is also true in math tutors.<br />
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So next time you need math homework help and the your first thought is to get a math tutor at $30 per hour, first just check out what kind of services are available online and you’ll see the true power of the Online Math Tutor.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-85737385381051169312009-11-18T03:33:00.000-08:002009-11-18T03:37:01.086-08:00Inviting everyone to give SecondTeacher a go for FREE!Hi Everyone.<br />
We want to get everyone to try <a href="http://www.secondteacher.com">SecondTeacher.com</a>. <br />
So until the new year SecondTeacher is FREE! All you need to do is register with the promotional code <b>TRY4FREE</b>. This will give you full access until the new year for free.<br />
Why not try it out today!Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-57836462009920646032009-11-02T07:35:00.000-08:002009-11-02T07:35:15.139-08:00Slow Progress and MotivationWe are slowing picking up customers and our user base continues to grow. Of course I wish we had more which would give us more resourses and enable us to expand our offering but in the real world where the banks are still closed for business all growth has to be self financed. This means we need the users before we can expand.<br />
In an effort to convert more of our traffic to actual users we're hearing that Silverlight is a constraint for some people. Now I think Silverlight is a wonder of science and enables you to do so much more on the web. In my opinion in 2-3 years this will be the de-facto standard. But unfortunately we might be just a little ahead of the game "on the bleeding edge" as it's called. <br />
We have decided to hedge our bets a bit. We are currently developing a slimmed down AJAX version of our content pages to allow people in restrictive environments view our content. Now the full experience will always be Silverlight and I'm willing to bet that in a couple of years this is an obsolete move but now we need to live with the technologies that people use, not what we think they should use.<br />
So for all those users who would like to see what we can do but can't (or won't) use Silverlight we have a solution coming down the track...Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-51533447903817149922009-10-08T06:32:00.000-07:002009-10-08T06:32:52.541-07:00Should I use Silverlight<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRobert%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Now I’m a Windows developer but always worked behind the scenes. I never had to design any externally facing interfaces until <a href="http://htt/;//www.secondteacher.com">SecondTeacher</a> and this poses plenty of cost and problems. I discovered <a href="http://www.silverlight.net/">Silverlight</a> about a year ago and was hooked it is built for someone like me who doesn’t want to learn all the intricacies of design on the web and just wants to build application.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The biggest problem I have with Silverlight is the user adoption rate. I worry that it will put people off using the site because of the need to load another plug-in with only between 25% - 40% depending on who you listen to already using it. That is a large chunk of people who are without. For me in the end I went with the logic that Silverlight is the future and for me to replicate the functionality I can achieve in Silverlight is going to take me an age and cost me a fortune. I know it might put a few off short-term but long-term it opens up the possibilities of what we can deliver and also makes delivering a quality experience much easier.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Just my thoughts<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Rob<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div>Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-36778009835005550002009-10-04T14:08:00.001-07:002009-10-04T14:09:24.733-07:00Teachers Rule the World!I have had a great experience this week in visiting classrooms and learning how teachers teach the curriculum.<br />
First off I think our system is not right we have students pressurized into learning lists of information and then regurgitating in an exam. The kids who can remember the best are the brightest!!??!!<br />
When did this happen we are not preparing our kids to enter the world with a broad range of knowledge to act as a foundation to support them in the choices and decisions they will need to make.<br />
We also have some fantastically dedicated and brilliant teachers and then we have well some who aren't. The teacher is a vital element in society and we’ve all heard <i>“the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”</i>, but teachers are actively instilling in our kids the educational experiences that will see them through life, they are nearly as powerful.<br />
Teaching is a hard job but it should be a vocation not a job and the best teachers love doing it, which is true in most areas of life.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1523467929027326011.post-30547422280104897322009-09-23T06:56:00.000-07:002009-09-23T06:56:20.087-07:00CrowdSourcing and Outsourcing - Beat the RecessionMuch of <a href="http://www.secondteacher.com/">SecondTeacher.com</a> is graphics and videos and design in general. Now design paid for local is great, you get quick easy access to professionals and anything goes wrong he's just down the road...but it's also very expensive.<br />
We at <a href="http://www.secondteacher.com/">SecondTeacher.com</a> have made use of a few different outsourcing techniques to get the best quality design at the best prices.<br />
First we used <a href="http://www.crowdspring.com/">CrowdSpring.com</a> to get our logo done. CrowdSpring is a system where by you post a job of work (in this case design a logo) with a spec of the requirements and then specifiy a price. Then over the next 7-14 days you get submissions which are near complete logos. You comment on each one as they come in, the idea being that each new idea might spark a bit of competition in the "crowd" and you end up with in effect 100's of designers working on your logo.<br />
CrowdSpring is great and the "crowd" designer works really well. But it is limited in what you can get done in CrowdSpring and the lowest price of around $300 is much higher then some other sites for a big design job it's a winner.<br />
We have used <a href="http://www.elance.com/">Elance.com</a> for much of our other design jobs mainly because they are small in value. Elance is more a traditional outsourcing site. You submit a job and a price range and then professionals from all over the world bid to do the job. You can see portfolios and references for each bidder and you really get the best price because of the auction like process. Sometimes though a winning bidder doesn't work out and you may have to re-submit to get a better professional but generally they are very good.<br />
We have used Elance to get brochures, flyers, postcards, banners, videos even website coding done and most of the time it has been a success. The key to using Elance is to break the jobs up into small chunks as for the money you're paying you really can't expect someone to take a task and run with it you need to spell out exactly what it is you want done.<br />
We've also used sites to get stock photography, stock video and stock audio to get the job done. There are now outsourcing and crowdsouring services for everytrhing and anything e.g. <a href="http://www.namethis.com/">www.NameThis.com</a> - Get the "Crowd" to come up with a name for something. <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/mturk/">Amazon's Mechanical Turk</a> - An on-demand human workforce, where you can define a task and get real people to perform it. <br />
My advice to anyone is that with a little effort and thought there is a web provider out there who will do any task you want done at a fraction of the price of a local provider and better quality too.Robert Doylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11490824920079576088noreply@blogger.com1