Having good math skills is something that will benefit learners in all areas of their lives. It is no surprise that the reading and math skills of students in the US have suffered as a result of COVID-19. If the pandemic has illuminated anything, it is that a variety of resources are needed in preparing students to deal with any situation that could disrupt their learning.

If you are going to continue your studies, in many cases it’s a prerequisite to have excellent mathematical knowledge, both to get into the right college and to excel at your studies once you’ve been admitted. Even if you choose an education that does not focus on mathematics, you’ll benefit as math surrounds us in everyday life.

When you shop, good math skills make it easier to make a quick estimate in your head of what the total cost will be. This way, you won’t have to stand at the checkout later and apologize for not having enough money on you. If you invest in shares, you can calculate how much money you’ll earn depending on whether the shares go up, and so on.

Having a few useful tips in your back pocket is always a good idea when grappling with a subject like math. Below we’ll go through some ways to improve your math skills and feel more confident.

Break Down Difficult Tasks

It is common to want to start solving math problems immediately when you get the task. However, it’s best if you try to understand the task before you start by breaking it down.

You can break down a more difficult task by writing down and summarizing all the information you received from the task. Then come up with a plan on how to solve the problem, and then implement the plan and solve the mathematical problem.

Ask for Help

It can be very difficult to ask for help, but sometimes you have to swallow your pride and ask. In schools and high schools, teachers must ensure that all students receive help. Everyone has different talents and abilities and may need different amounts of help and support. Start talking to your math teacher as soon as you feel that math is starting to get challenging. Tell them what you don’t understand and either the teacher can help you on the spot or tell you what math exercises you should do to get help with your problem.

There are also excellent ‘math help resources online,’ and you can seek a reliable and trustworthy math tutor that will help you improve your in-class performance and boost your overall GPA. They will tailor the services to your needs so you get the right individualized help you need to succeed with this broad subject.

Once you get help with math homework or assignments, you’ll slowly but surely solve your math problems correctly and feel confident in your answers.

Make Mistakes

If you want to improve your math skills, you need to dare to make mistakes. Mistakes are a natural part of trying to do something difficult or something you have not done before. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes when studying math, instead see it as an opportunity to improve your math skills by learning from your mistakes.

Keep in mind that no one gets good at math in one day. Developing your math skills will require a lot of repetition, as you’ll need to study several times a week.

When you study, it can be good to spread out their repetition opportunities because you can then take advantage of the phenomenon called the distance effect, which is about how our brains learn more efficiently when we spread our learning over time.

Know You Can Improve

To get better at math, you need to realize that you can improve by changing the way you think. Many people who experience problems with math think that “they are bad at math,” and always will be, but the truth is that everyone can become good at math with sufficient training, focus, and determination. Ignore negative thoughts in your head and don’t say “I cannot do this.” Instead, use affirmative sentences like “I can do this if I continue to practice,” as it can make a world of difference.

Work in a Quiet Environment

When working through equations and problems, try to find a calm and quiet environment. This way, you can avoid distractions and focus on the tasks in front of you.

Try not to listen to loud music, keep your phone away from you, and make sure that the TV is switched off. Even if you’re working with an online tutor, you should also use this principle and remove things that may distract your learning.

Final Words

If you want to improve your math skills, try practising these tips. Think about what you want to improve and set up a plan on how to get there. If you’re not sure which parts of math you should improve first, it may be a good idea to consult your math teacher or a trustworthy online math tutor.

Featured image: peshkov, iStock. 

The post 5 Tips For Students to Improve Their Math Skills appeared first on eLearningInside News.

eLearning tools have become imperative to modern K-12 and higher education, whether it be supplementary math apps, to engineering software, in 2022 technology and education go hand-in-hand. This wave does not seem to be crashing, the LMS platform, Schoology, boasts a student user-base of 20 million, and the multi-scale learning platform BJYU’S has a whole suite of educational products, from 1-to-1 tutoring to self-paced coding courses.

This new era of education is exciting and optimistic but comes with its challenges. With the source material shifting from paperback to internet articles and PDF files, a large increase in plagiarism can be spotted especially in the eLearning field.

Some teachers are very lenient, but others impose strict rules regarding plagiarism as serious legal consequences can occur. In addition to that, the learning process can be seriously undermined and the quality of education can significantly drop.

Plagiarism has always been an issue in education, made more complex in the tech era

To avoid plagiarism, first, it’s important to understand what it means. A 2021 report from plagiarism checker CopyLeaks found that the practice increased 10% after the pandemic, with the rate of copying in students working jumping from 35% to 45%. The study was conducted among 51,000 students worldwide at the high school and college levels.

Plagiarism is any quote or piece of information taken for one’s own use, without correct citation. Plagiarism can be detrimental to the overall learning process. Many teachers swear by online plagiarism checkers to combat the problem of plagiarism.

What Is A Plagiarism Checker

A plagiarism checker is a tool that instantly identifies copied or plagiarized content. Teachers can use these tools to force students to learn and to search for correct source citations. However, accidental plagiarism can be committed by anyone and it can lead to uncomfortable situations, so by using a quality plagiarism checker these types of situations can be completely avoided.

The best plagiarism detector not only detects plagiarism but also identifies writing-related problems. These types of plagiarism detectors provide more features that will allow you to have greater control over your feedback as a teacher or if you are a student, correct your mistakes in an instant.

Plagiarism checkers come with a paid or free plan, depending on what you need. If you need to conduct plagiarism checks on a regular basis, a paid plan might be the most suitable option for you.

There are a ton of applications out there, a lot of which you have heard of. For complex research articles to book reports, students can count on the likes of Grammarly, CopyLeaks, and Quetext to thoroughly weed out the inconsistencies in their writing. Even Microsoft Word has a plagiarism checker built into its software, making it hard to forget a reference or missing link.

The Benefits Of A Plagiarism Checker

The benefits of using a plagiarism checker are numerous, both for students and teachers.

Quick assessment

Plagiarism checkers are insanely fast. All you have to do is just copy and paste the text you want to be checked and all the necessary feedback will be displayed in an instant. If you have committed plagiarism, links to the source will be provided so you can either correct your mistake with a proper citation or resolve the plagiarism by removing the plagiarism content.

The tool has access to various databases and indexes, enabling detailed reports on your plagiarism checks.

Get More Out Of Your Education

Serious plagiarism will hinder the education process and most of the time, students will not master the subjects that are required for successful studies. This is why teachers should always inform their students beforehand about the dangers of plagiarism.

By using plagiarism checkers, teachers instil a good work ethic and incentivize students to actually do proper research which will result in a better learning process.

Enhances writing

Writing assignments is not an easy task and we can all use a helping hand from time to time. For that reason, plagiarism checkers can also offer alternative paraphrasing options to help learners improve their writing skills.

You can then analyze the text and make necessary corrections. A plagiarism checker can be used as an additional learning tool that will help students hone their writing skills.

Maintaining Credibility

If your students’ work is constantly plagiarized, and you don’t take steps to stop it, no one will take your eLearning platform seriously. Plagiarism checkers will not only help you maintain your professional reputation but also prevent costly issues such as copyright infringement.

Plagiarism checkers can also be very beneficial in developing moral and ethical virtues in students.

LMS Integration

Plagiarism Checker is easily integrated with most learning management systems. This feature allows eLearning institutions to keep their courses professional and encourage learners to improve their assignments.

In addition to that, if you want to publish your work, you will have to make sure that it isn’t plagiarism-infested. Publishing plagiarized work can decrease your trustworthiness and credibility.

Final Thoughts

An online survey from The International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), revealed that 95% of students have admitted to plagiarism or cheating at least once in their education. This is why the world of eLearning emphasizes the importance of using plagiarism checkers. To avoid plagiarism and other copyright infringements, make use of plagiarism checkers all the time.

Featured image: Viktoriia Oleinichenko, iStock. 

The post Plagiarism is a Big Problem in US Education, Why Plagiarism Checkers are Essential appeared first on eLearningInside News.

We’re not simply talking about stocks and shares when we say that every organization has critical assets that need to be monitored, maintained, and appropriately managed. In fact, schools have hundreds of items, both virtual and physical, that must be maintained in some way, from desks and chairs to books and laptops.

Most schools will record some sort of inventory, but doing so on paper or an excel spreadsheet takes time and is dull. Isn’t it possible that that time could be better spent on something else? What if there’s a fire and you lose all of your inventory?

For that reason, implementing software for asset management for schools helps you keep track of everything your school owns and is responsible for. Nonetheless, let’s go on and find out what exactly is asset management for schools, and why employing asset management software for schools is essential in 2022.

Soft And Hard Assets

Asset management entails keeping track of two sorts of assets for schools: hard and soft. Any tangible thing held or maintained by the school, such as keys, laptops, books, and the school minibus, is referred to as a hard asset.

On the other hand, important documentation or procedures must be managed and maintained as soft assets. Documents like inspection reports, fire procedures, and financial records may be included. Most businesses focus on managing their hard assets, but they frequently overlook their soft assets. However, if these aren’t backed up or maintained regularly, your institution could find itself in serious difficulties, with serious consequences.

What Is Asset Management Software Capable Of?

You could manually monitor and manage all soft and hard assets, but this is a time-consuming operation that frequently results in erroneous and incomplete asset lists. Asset management software allows you to keep track of every key item, including where it is, how much it costs, and when it needs to be updated or replaced. Your program will notify you when specific tasks, such as asbestos inspections or risk assessments, are required.

If you fail to complete these vital responsibilities, the school may be subject to significant fines. It’s also crucial to understand the lifecycle of any item you own. When will those new iPads need to be replaced? How long has this Windows been used? Knowing the answers to these questions is critical, or else, your technology may fail you unexpectedly.

Furthermore, teachers will be unable to accomplish their tasks adequately due to a lack of resources, and old assets will not be replaced immediately if the school does not set aside sufficient funds. Asset management may assist you in both planning for the future and documenting the past and present.

It’s pretty common for teachers or even students to borrow school property, such as books or iPads, but keeping track of who has what and when can be challenging. If you don’t keep track of who’s borrowing what, you’re likely to lose track of a lot of the assets you’ve loaned out—a costly mistake. All of this is made simple with asset management software; you can even document when you expect the item to be returned and track down anyone who has missed their due date.

Top Reasons To Utilize It

Nobody wants to believe the worst will happen to them, yet it does happen. Even if you take the necessary precautions, fire and theft can occur at any time, and often when you least expect it. Here’s why you need proper asset management software in your practice.

Accidents Or Unpleasant Events

Any school that has experienced a break-in or a fire knows that the amount of time it takes to return to normal is mainly determined by the duration of the insurance claim procedure. In other words, if you don’t have a detailed list of all the things you’ve lost and how much they’re worth, your insurance claim will take a long time to process.

Enumerating Items

With so many assets, keeping track of how much of each item you have and where it is located might be challenging. Unfortunately, this can lead to the purchase of duplicate things, and we all know that schools don’t have a lot of cash on hand. Asset management software can help you avoid this by allowing you to see exactly what you have right away. You can even use the software to move objects that aren’t being used in one place but could be helpful elsewhere.

After all, why would you want to pour additional money into programs that aren’t working? Asset management software can also help you in determining the worth of your software investment, allowing you to make more educated decisions instead of second-guessing.

The bottom line

No matter what your school district may currently be doing to track and control assets, it won’t hurt to review your current system with an eye toward future needs. After all, education technology is on the rise, so you will want to be sure that you’re accounting for this uptick in services when making future decisions about your asset management software.

Featured image: Inside Creative House, iStock. 

The post Asset Management For Schools And How To Run It In 2022 appeared first on eLearningInside News.

The concept of learning loss has always been an issue that both teachers and students of all ages deal with. However, due to the current circumstances, learning loss has become an even greater problem, significantly affecting students’ knowledge retention and stunting their progress.

Some of the most notable factors which decrease engagement levels and negatively impact learning include impaired school routine, extended breaks, course scheduling, and ineffective teaching.

In order to avoid further worsening of these causes, it is crucial that the education system takes agile approaches to overcome learning loss. These approaches shouldn’t be a quick fix, but instead long-term and sustainable solutions that can benefit everyone, especially students.

From identifying the learning gaps to implementing tutoring, this study guide to overcoming learning loss offers five strategies every educator can use to help their students.

Identify learning gaps

Before you start making changes and improving students’ learning capabilities, it is important that educators identify their learning gaps. This refers to what the students are expected to learn by a certain grade level as opposed to what they have actually learned up to that point.

The learning gaps usually occur when a student is unable to master concepts at the foundation level, so they continue to struggle as new ones are taught on top of the previous ones. That’s why addressing these educational gaps early on is very important in order to help students not fall behind with their learning.

Emphasize content that is a prerequisite for future learning

Another effective strategy to overcome learning loss is to emphasize content that is a prerequisite for future learning. This means focusing on mastering skills that are essential for being academically successful in a particular subject area in the future.

For example, learning multiplication skills are crucial for learning long division later on. Or writing a high-quality essay first requires mastering how to write a draft, do research, and understand basic punctuation.

One helpful way of addressing missed learning standards and content is by including longer blocks for such subjects while shortening other periods such as study halls or social studies.

Promote project-based learning

Project based learning can also help alleviate learning loss in students. Depending on the subject, these projects can last anywhere from one week to a semester and offer plenty of benefits to students that range from acquiring good problem-solving and critical thinking skills to boosting self-confidence.

Whether the student is working alone or in groups, they will be able to develop a deeper understanding of the learning content and demonstrate their ability to apply desired skills that improve their engagement levels as well as their collaboration and communication capabilities with fellow peers.

Focus on personalization

It is no secret that all students learn at different rates, so using standardized lessons that focus on the entire class can certainly contribute to increased learning loss.

One way of dealing with this problem is for educators to try and adapt their lessons for each of their students. This typically includes constructing personalized lesson plans and employing different teaching methods that accommodate every student.

For example, collaborating and creating a profile of the student’s strengths and weaknesses, conducting baseline assessments, and intervening after each one is some effective teaching methods that focus on personalization.

Consider offering tutoring lessons

Tutoring lessons, whether virtual, hybrid or face-to-face, can also help in overcoming learning loss. These can be regarded as extra-time interventions during which students will receive that extra support from a content-strong teacher and make up for lost learning.

For example, math is one of the most challenging subjects for students. Therefore, a math teacher can offer additional lessons which focus on troubling content material and provide the learner with a unique and individualized learning experience. This will further help the student improve their overall academic performance, retention, and even personal growth.

Final thoughts

No matter how hard teachers and education staff members are trying, learning loss will most likely be a big issue for many students. Fortunately, there are lots of effective ways of how this can be mitigated and help students of all ages overcome their learning disabilities and perform better academically. Choosing the right strategy will mostly be based on the educator’s capabilities as well as the students’ needs and preferences.

Featured Image: CDC, Unsplash. 

The post How Can Educators Help Students Overcome Learning Loss? appeared first on eLearningInside News.