What You Should Know About Cosac Tutoring

What You Should Know About Cosac TutoringCosac Tutoring provides students a place to work through problems that may hinder their academic growth. This is not necessarily an attempt to make them less smart, rather it is designed to help them improve and advance in their education.Cosac tutoring is intended to enhance the student's potential for success. It can help develop problem solving skills, enhance intellectual capabilities, increase focus, and improve critical thinking. This form of tutoring helps to teach students how to approach problems as opposed to giving them rote solutions. Students will learn more and be more engaged with their learning.The work that Cosac Tutoring provides to students includes putting their ideas into action. The results of these ideas will be tested and evaluated in a real-world situation. Students who work through their homework assignments under Cosac tutoring are far more likely to move on to college than those who just sit around doing homework.Co sac tutoring is an affordable way to achieve all of these outcomes. Unlike traditional tutor, Cosac offers a very affordable fee to students. It is also flexible with its fees so that it can accommodate the rising cost of tuition and living expenses. This way students will be able to pay their fees without worrying about sacrificing their college application.Cosac offers its students many resources and opportunities for growth and development. It will help them find the answers to questions they have and help them meet challenging deadlines. The tutors are a full-time staff who will work around the clock to help students succeed.Students will benefit greatly from working at their own pace and setting their own schedules. As long as they stay in touch with the tutor, they will be able to participate in all types of activities they want to and see all types of teachers.Cosac Tutoring is ideal for students who need extra help with their studies. Those looking for more help with their e ducational goals should consider enrolling.

Avoiding the Freshman 15 A Foolproof Method

Avoiding the Freshman 15 A Foolproof Method Et tu, Jared? Photo courtesy of Josh Bozarth via Flickr.com Me. You trust me. In case you doubt my reputability, these pictures indicate that I’ve lost a significant amount of weight and have been able to successfully keep it off: Left (2009): Oprah looked at this photo to feel better about her weight.Right (2010): Boom. Ryan Lochtes got nothing on me. Since the cornucopia of links youve just ingested have undoubtedly filled you up, allow me to carry you through the process of avoiding the Freshman 15: Understand the system There is no secret weight-loss system that works aside from counting calories. Think of your body as a car. Maybe you’re driving a Camry (we can’t all be born with silver Mercedes keys in our mouths.) You need energy to run your car, but cars can work on a variety of fuels like gasoline, ethanol, or goose fat. Likewise, your body can run on carbs, proteins, and goose fat, but if you eat too much of any of them, your check engine light is going to come on. Or you’ll become overweight. Check your owner’s manual to be sure. Hit the campus gym Tis the season for bright-eyed freshmen and freshmenettes to visit the gym and examine the bounty of exercise opportunities available to them. Don’t miss this chance to learn from other young people who have no idea how to properly lift weights. Try waiting in line to squat 3 reps of entirely too much weight. You’ll impress all the other bros with torn shirts in the room, and I hear weight lifting is great for your health. Embrace your pretentiousness Ice cream or fro-yo? If you’re a respectable human being, the answer is always ice cream. But pretentious human beings lose weight better than respectable folks, so let’s emulate the snobs. Buy as much tofu, free range eggs, and organic products as you can, and please, don’t forget to gloat about it. Gloating is a known calorie burner. If you’re struggling with eliminating humility, imitate these fine gentlemen. Notice the gloating? Notice how they’re all svelte? I’m not saying there’s causation there, but there’s totally causation there. Sabotage your peers If the unthinkable happens, and you do gain that Freshman 15, you have one final option: turn your friends into chubby buddies. I recommend infusing their diets with Hot Pockets and Mountain Dew. Traditional gamers should adapt to this diet with relative ease, while vegetarians and hipsters may react violently. Push through will the knowledge that your cause is just, and soon your misery will have its desired company.

Heads up! New 2016-2017 job postings are here

Heads up! New 2016-2017 job postings are here Looking for ESL vacancies? A teaching job in Dubai? A position with an international school abroad?Maybe you’ve been considering teaching abroad for some time now or maybe you’ve just decided that you’re ready to apply for an overseas gig. Regardless, 2016 could - and should - be the year you find that dream job teaching abroad.Make 2016 your year.We have a ton of really great job opportunities for new and experienced teachers up now and coming soon.  Brand new job postings up nowMiddle EastKindergarten Teachers - Private International Schools in Dubai & Abu DhabiElementary Teachers - Private International Schools in Dubai & Abu DhabiSecondary English Teachers - Private International Schools in Dubai & Abu DhabiScience Teachers - Private International Schools - Dubai & Abu DhabiMathematics Teachers - Private International Schools in UAEAsiaKindergarten/Early Years Teachers - Maple Bear KoreaMath & ESL Teacher - Private Language School (Singapore)High School Math Teacher - Priv ate International School (Vietnam)Lots more teaching jobs to comeCheck our job board over the coming weeks to make sure you don’t miss your opportunity. Teach Away will be posting heaps of new abroad teaching jobs. Look for overseas teaching openings in Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Thailand, Egypt, and China to start appearing on the job board over the next few weeks.Update: We've just added several opportunities in Egypt, starting August 2016See them here!  Happy hunting!- Brett

Updates New Relationships, Inbox

Updates New Relationships, Inbox Were always trying to improve italki, and weve recently made a few important changes. Heres they are: New Friend Relationships Were changing how friends are handled on italki to an asymmetrical system. Youre probably already familiar with this type of relationship through services like Twitter, Weibo, and Google Plus. What this means that you can follow anyones updates. When the other person follows you back, then its just like the old friends or language partners relationship. When youre both connected, youll be able to write messages and chat with each other. We made this change to simplify our previous system, which had aspects of both symmetrical and asymmetrical systems. Dont worry all of your existing friends will automatically transition to the new system. We think the system, in particular, will benefit new users who may have a hard time getting connected with people. Inbox Messages Weve also changed our inbox to be less like email, and more like a chat conversations. This should make it easier to pick up where you left off in your conversations. It should also help us transition to a more robust chat system in the future. We hope these updates (and smaller ones we havent mentioned) will make italki easier and more fun for you to use. What weve learned is that italki is not a traditional social network, and language partners are not your typical friends. Your language partners on italki almost always start off as strangers. Moreover, language partners share a complementary interest. This is the basis for language exchanges, and the relationship between teachers and students for language teaching. As always, were interested to hear what you think. Please send your ideas and suggestions to support@italki.com. Were going to have more changes coming up, so stay in touch! The italki Team Updates New Relationships, Inbox Were always trying to improve italki, and weve recently made a few important changes. Heres they are: New Friend Relationships Were changing how friends are handled on italki to an asymmetrical system. Youre probably already familiar with this type of relationship through services like Twitter, Weibo, and Google Plus. What this means that you can follow anyones updates. When the other person follows you back, then its just like the old friends or language partners relationship. When youre both connected, youll be able to write messages and chat with each other. We made this change to simplify our previous system, which had aspects of both symmetrical and asymmetrical systems. Dont worry all of your existing friends will automatically transition to the new system. We think the system, in particular, will benefit new users who may have a hard time getting connected with people. Inbox Messages Weve also changed our inbox to be less like email, and more like a chat conversations. This should make it easier to pick up where you left off in your conversations. It should also help us transition to a more robust chat system in the future. We hope these updates (and smaller ones we havent mentioned) will make italki easier and more fun for you to use. What weve learned is that italki is not a traditional social network, and language partners are not your typical friends. Your language partners on italki almost always start off as strangers. Moreover, language partners share a complementary interest. This is the basis for language exchanges, and the relationship between teachers and students for language teaching. As always, were interested to hear what you think. Please send your ideas and suggestions to support@italki.com. Were going to have more changes coming up, so stay in touch! The italki Team

How to Help in Algebra For Free

How to Help in Algebra For FreeIf you are like many others and you cannot figure out how to help in algebra for free, then you have come to the right place. Today there are a number of free resources available that can be used to help in algebra for free. These resources are written and are maintained by educators and students alike. The information contained in these resources should be helpful to any student that is looking for a free way to help in algebra for free.Algebra classes are generally very challenging for students, particularly those who do not know algebra well. Without question, many students need to know how to help in algebra for free, as they are working through the hardest part of high school. Without help, students will struggle to understand how to work the basic functions, how to use the tools of algebra and how to help with calculations. To help in algebra for free, students will need a great deal of practice. They will also need to understand why the material works and what kind of work is needed to effectively help in algebra for free.Unfortunately, most students are not very good at algebra. However, with practice and lots of repetition, they will develop an aptitude for the subject. These students will need to learn the fundamentals of algebra and have them drilled into their heads. They will need to understand why they need to know what is going on and how the mathematics is used. Without this type of study, they may struggle to find the answers to questions that might otherwise seem impossible to them.Learning to help in algebra for free will be required of students who have already worked hard on their algebra skills and have already mastered the mathematical principles that will help them in algebra for free. They should be taught how to make the most of the practice problems and how to provide more challenging ones. They will need to understand why the concepts are important and the best way to work through them. Without a basic understanding of algebra, students will struggle to see the big picture and will not be able to fully comprehend all of the math that will help them in algebra for free.Students who are trying to learn about algebra need to have more than just good graphing calculators. They need to understand how to use the calculator to help in algebra for free. They also need to be able to make calculations and understand why and how they are used. It is no surprise that students who struggle to help in algebra for free usually have less than desirable grades. With that being said, they will also struggle to continue on to graduate school and beyond.Algebra is one of the most difficult subjects to master for most students. By learning how to help in algebra for free, students will not only be more confident with the subject, but they will also enjoy it. Without help, many students will have to settle for less than satisfactory grades or fail out of school altogether. With this being said, it is i mportant that students are provided with the support they need to help in algebra for free. Without the best resources, they may fail to see the big picture and take shortcuts in an effort to help in algebra for free.If you want to learn how to help in algebra for free, you can start by going online and finding out more about the different resources available. There are many websites that will offer you tips on how to help in algebra for free and many of them will also teach you how to make use of these resources. Once you understand how to use these resources to help in algebra for free, you will find that you are much more confident in your ability to help in algebra for free.

About Biological Degrees

About Biological DegreesA degree in Biology may seem like an impossible dream to many people, but with a little effort, it is definitely doable. In fact, you may already be pursuing your first degree in Biology, if you have taken a course in biology at a school that provides this type of education.If you are interested in pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Biology, then you need to understand how much biological knowledge you already possess. The more you know about the biology you study, the better prepared you will be to do a good job of studying for your Bachelor's Degree in Biology. In order to get a degree in Biology, you should do a lot of reading and research about the subject.The coursework in Biology usually includes Biology 101 and, in some courses, an additional area called Bio-Systems. While Bio-Systems was formerly a separate course from Biology 101, in recent years, they have been combined into a single course. Your teacher will decide which course you should take. Be sure to ask your instructor about this if you have any questions or concerns.As far as courses in Biology go, there are several different fields of study. You can take a one or two-year Bachelor's Degree in Biology in a traditional classroom setting, or you can take online courses. You can also take online courses through a university, online, community college, or by correspondence. The same basic courses apply to all of these options, so a little background knowledge will help you decide which option is best for you. But one thing to keep in mind is that it is a good idea to take advantage of opportunities for field experience during your education.There are two basic options when it comes to getting a degree in Biology. You can take a four-year Bachelor's Degree program in Biology, or you can take an Associate's Degree in Biology. Since the Bachelor's Degree offers you the most opportunity for practical experience, most people choose this option. You can also take a Master's Degree i n Biology, or you can pursue a Doctoral Degree in Biology. The specific requirements for each program vary, so check with your university or medical school to find out what specific requirements you must meet in order to be eligible for the program you want to attend. Each school will have its own requirements.If you are not an undergraduate student, then you may be wondering why you would even consider pursuing a degree in Biology. Well, in many ways, it is the only serious discipline for a career in Science. The higher your degree in Biology, the better chance you have of having a successful career in the Science field.Getting a degree in Biology is the next step in the natural process of evolution. It's a challenging, intellectually rewarding course that gives you a head start in your future career.

How to Support an Introverted Child - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How to Support an Introverted Child - Introvert Whisperer How to Support an Introverted Child Kayla Matthews December 13, 2019 Communication No responses Go to top Introverted children stand out in a fast=paced and social world. Standing out isnt a bad thing, but many children would rather fit in than be different from peers. However, you can help your child understand being quiet or reserved is nothing to feel shame about. Introverts navigate the world differently from ambiverts or extroverts, but they have as much to offer as anyone else. There are many ways for you to support the introverts in your life â€" keep reading to discover some helpful techniques. How Introverts Thrive Introverts and extroverts differ in many ways â€" the most notable being their socializing styles. Contrary to popular belief,   most introverts dont hate interacting with others. Interacting with others is generally an overload that requires them to step back and recharge. Conversely, extroverts gain energy from socializing and feel drained when not communicating with others. Many societies lean toward extroversion and prefer collaboration and outgoing behavior. However, introverts prefer solitude to help them collect their thoughts and develop ideas. They do well in slower-paced learning environments and dont like being singled out for answers. New experiences can be daunting, but they approach these most effectively by observing and then doing â€" with encouragement from siblings, friends or parents. Ways to Give Support and Acknowledgement Whether youre a parent, teacher or relative, you can help your introvert build confidence. The suggestions below give you a starting point, but consider the childs perspective also. Ask them what you can do to better accommodate their wants and needs, and avoid approaching them with preconceived notions. Though most introverts share similar traits, theyre also individuals with unique preferences. Social Skills Having one or two friends isnt something to stress over â€" refrain from pushing your child to make tons of connections. Socializing with strangers can be nervewracking for introverts, which is why its often better to let them observe before joining in. Work on social skills at home by role-playing and giving them guidance on things to say in certain situations. This exercise goes doubly for younger children, who are only beginning to learn about socializing and emotional regulation. Quiet Time Advocate for quiet zones in the classroom or school. These serve as places where introverted students can go during recess or lunch when theyre feeling overwhelmed. Lunchrooms and playgrounds are crowded, loud and chaotic, which can deplete an introverts energy fast. Having somewhere to refresh themselves during the day lets them return to class with more willingness to participate.

The Influence the Chinese Language on Asia

The Influence the Chinese Language on Asia What Role Does Chinese Play in Other Asian Countries? Chapters Chinese Characters in Japanese The Impact of Chinese Culture in Korea The Tumultuous History of China and Vietnam The Four Official Languages of SingaporeIn addition to places where Chinese is spoken as an official language such as mainland China and Taiwan (Republic of China), the influence of the Chinese language can be seen on a number of other places in Asia...Both culturally and linguistically, Old Chinese, which was a monosyllabic and tonal language, was responsible for the birth of a number of different writing systems and languages in Southeast Asia.Its influence was so great that we can even find Chinese words in European languages and in English including: “tea” and “ketchup” which came from the Chinese words ? (tê) and ??/?? (koe-tsiap).While Chinese is now a great language to be able to put on your CV, was this always the case?Why were Chinese characters so widely adopted across Asia?In this article, we're going to be taking a look at the history and inf luence of Chinese languages on a few other Asian languages.Learn also how to speak Mandarin's four tones... NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChinese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Chinese Characters in JapaneseA country known for manga, anime, sushi, and samurai, Japan is a country whose culture was heavily influenced by China and the Chinese language.Japan has been considering abandoning the Chinese characters in its alphabet since the end of the 19th century. (Source: pixabay.com)In fact, Chinese vocabul ary is responsible for around 60% of Japanese words yet very few people are aware that Japanese and Mandarin Chinese have so many things in common. There are a number of Japanese things that actually originated from China or Chinese culture.Written Chinese is thought to have made its way to Japan as early as the 4th century. However, there are claims that  Japan had its own writing system known as jindai moji but most evidence appears to be forgeries since examples of the writing system have been based on Modern Japanese, which has fewer vowels than its Old Japanese.Additionally, there are even texts written around the time using the Chinese characters that state that there was no such writing system in Japan before the Chinese characters were brought over. Scholars also believe that it seems highly unlikely that the Japanese would abandon such a writing system so quickly just because the Chinese introduced another one.On the other hand, there are also texts in existence written usi ng the jindai moji from the time period they would have been used and during the 19th century, there were claims that examples of ancient writing had been found.Whatever the truth is, the Chinese characters were widely adopted and although only  the upper echelons of Japanese society learnt Chinese and wrote Chinese characters in order to communicate with one another, that would soon change.Chinese made its most important marks on Japan and Japanese culture between the 6th century during the times of Asuka and Nara and the 12th century during the Heian period.The presence of Chinese in the heart of the Land of the Rising Sun can still be seen most clearly in the written language as many Chinese characters are still present in written Japanese .Also learn about the Chinese phonetic writing system...  These Chinese characters, which are known as Kanji in Japanese, are used alongside Japan’s two other writing systems, Hiragana and Katakana, which are used for grammatical words and th e transcription of foreign words.While often, and rightly, seen as a country in its own right, Japan remains heavily associated with Chinese culture. In fact, Japan has tried, often in vain, to separate itself from its Chinese roots and, as of the 19th century and during periods of modernisation, has tried to rid itself of Chinese characters.Despite well-intentioned and official attempts, Japan has been unable to rid itself of the characters, usually due to the fact that there’s no other writing system to replace them. As a result, there aren't any modern dictionaries in Japan where you wouldn't find a word that comes from a Chinese character.Find out more about China’s linguistic history. The Impact of Chinese Culture in KoreaThe first foreign country to make a significant mark on Korean culture was China.At a time where Chinese culture was revered, the Koreans took inspiration from it. (Source: pixabay.com)As early as the 5th century BCE, the Chinese Empire was seen as a model civilisation by the Koreans and a number of Chinese influences can be seen to this day.Thus, under the influence of the Tang dynasty, one of the most advanced in the history of China, Korea incorporated a number of Chinese traditions.Culturally speaking, the Middle Kingdom influenced the Koreans in the following ways:Agriculture: through the different technologies of the time for cultivating rice and barley.Law: the drafting of the first civil code and the adoption of an administrative model as of the 7th century.China also influenced Korea in terms of language with the adoption of Chinese ideograms.I learned all about writing Chinese ideograms from my Superprof when she was hosting Mandarin lessons London!Until the invention of the simplified Korean “Hangul” alphabet in the 15th century at the time of King Sejong the Great during the Joseon Dynasty (which helped Koreans learn to read and write), “Hanja” ??, the Chinese characters still used today, were used alongside Korea n characters.The influence of Chinese characters can be seen in the “hanmun” texts written using Hanja which formed the basis of classical Chinese grammar.There is very little difference between “hanja” and Japanese “kanji”, which both heavily resemble traditional Chinese characters or “hanzi”, other than a few exceptions that are used to identify the characters as Korean rather than Japanese or Chinese.It’s thought that between 60% and 70% of Korean’s vocabulary is made up of Sino-Korean words.  Ironically, Korean is spoken today in the People’s Republic of China in the border regions of Yanbian.Find out more about Chinese variations and dialects! The Tumultuous History of China and VietnamAt the risk of burning my fingers by writing about the hot topic of “China’s influence on Vietnam”, let’s have a look at the history and relationship between these two countries.This is surely not a topic you will cover in your Chinese classes London or elsewhere!Acc ording to legend, Vietnamese and Cantonese were born from one language. (Source: Vincent Liew)Given how controversial the topic is, it can be quite difficult to find trustworthy information on the subject.  This is generally due to the fact that the reasons why certain people are trying fervently to show that the Vietnamese are Chinese (or vice-versa) are very political.In terms of linguistics, we know that Chinese and Vietnamese belong to two different language families. However, you could say that they’re sort of like cousins or neighbours.Chinese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family while Vietnamese belongs to the Austroasiatic language family. Thus, their structures are different. Diametrically opposed, in fact.So how can we go so far as to claim that their are similarities between the two languages?Discover everything you need to know about the Chinese language...The PhoneticsIn fact, while there are also certain grammatical similarities between Mandarin Chinese in som e cases, the phonetic similarities between Cantonese and Vietnamese are even greater.For example, Vietnamese uses 6 different tones just like its neighbour, Cantonese. While they’re obviously not the same 6 tones, there is still this similarity.While the language is more similar to ancient Chinese, there is a clear Cantonese influence on Vietnamese due to the historical relationship between the two regions.The linguistic links between the two formed in the Guangdong delta by descendants of the Yue in northern Vietnam can be seen in the administrative and technical vocabulary found in certain parts of Vietnam.Some Vietnamese words (around 90% in some cases) can be traced back to Chinese as well as the characters used in “Ch? nôm”.Since Ch? nôm is very complicated, it’s only used by the highly literate elites and has almost been fully replaced by the “qu?c ng?” writing system that uses the Latin alphabet.If there are any tutors who teach Chinese reading this article, don ’t hesitate to share your experiences of teaching Vietnamese students as we’ve heard a number of stories claiming that it can be very easy for them to learn Mandarin Chinese including claims that there are first year university students who’ve managed to reach the same level as second year or graduating students in significantly less time.Find out more about learning Chinese. The Four Official Languages of SingaporeDespite being a small country in both terms of land and population, Singapore is a huge country when it comes to the number of ethnic groups and languages.Singapore is an autonomous republic with no linguistic laws. (Source: pixabay.com)Of all the ethnic groups in Singapore, the Chinese population is the biggest.  In terms of “Chinese” groups, there are:Taiwanese or “Min nan”MandarinsHakkaCantonesePu-xianMin beiBabaHuiThe country is comprised of four main linguistic groups, one for each of the country’s official languages. Mandarin Chinese is the language spoken by most of the Chinese-speaking inhabitants.While there’s a tendency for Mandarin households to also speak English, we can confirm that Mandarin makes up part of the city-state’s multilingual landscapeIf you’re thinking about working in China and getting Chinese lessons, which variety of Chinese should you consider learning?

When to Push or Back Off to Help Pupils Develop Higher Order Thinking Skills

When to Push or Back Off to Help Pupils Develop Higher Order Thinking Skills Higher Order Thinking: Should Tutors Push Those Skills? ChaptersThe Back Story: Teaching VictorHigher Order Thinking and Academic LearningTutors Can Encourage Higher Order ThinkingHigher Order Thinking QuestionsPrivate tutors are in the enviable position of having great influence in helping their students develop, cultivate shape their thought processes.Unlike school teachers who, in spite of their best efforts, may feel constrained by the limitations on their pedagogy imposed on them by the Department for Education, tutors have the leeway they need to encourage students to think about what they’re learning.Anyone who has any formal dealings with the DfE â€" teachers who spend their nights and weekends tutoring, for example, may experience growing frustration with the processes currently in place to impart knowledge and assess mastery of such.Because of the well-publicised propensity these current curriculum standards force for teaching to the test, little room is left for teachers to help students develop critical thinking skills or pr oblem-solving skills.That means that students must learn creative thinking and how to solve problems outside of the classroom.There’s nothing wrong with that. After all, humans are capable of thought long before their first brush with formal schooling.However, the disconnect between the acquisition of knowledge and thinking about it; finding connections from one subject to the next often keeps students from higher academic achievement.That is where private tutors come in.Tutors fill the space between cognitive knowledge and comprehension of concepts. Where there are missing links between academic subjects, say between maths and science, tutors are the ones who point out the complementary nature of those disciplines.The question is: how far should a tutor go to instal and develop students’ capacity for summarizing, classifying and understanding what they learn?Should cultivating thinking skills be a tutor’s primary objective?Or are students truly better served by a tutor restat ing school lessons rather than one asking open-ended questions and employing instructional strategies that will encourage the student to think?How much is too much before the tutor has strayed far beyond the boundaries of what s/he has been engaged to do?This is a thorny issue. Let’s take a look at all of the facets involved in higher-order thinking skills before presenting our thesis.Noble Savage theory â€" that humans, unbound by social mores and general education would be kind, selfless and enlightened in their own right.Victor, having completely missed out on any nurturing as well as  early childhood education, and his entire young life spent being wary of harm, failed to cooperate or perform as expected.The clinicians â€" whose instructional design left a lot to be desired, had put all of their hopes into this abandoned child. Needless to say, were disappointed at being unable to prove their Noble Savage theory.Seeing no further reason to work with him, they shipped the boy t o Paris to be institutionalised. There, Dr Itard rose to the challenge of educating a child that everyone had deemed incapable of learning.It took quite a while for that educator to teach the boy social norms and even longer to teach him empathy. Once those concepts were mastered, Dr Itard resolved to educate the child, now somewhat behaved, in how to speak.Here his pedagogical skill met with abysmal failure and, after all of his best efforts had come to nothing, he turned away from the child altogether, effectively abandoning him anew.In these events, we see perfectly well how much is too much.Victor, desiring â€" perhaps not to learn so much as to please his mentor, simply did not have the psychomotor development necessary to learn how to speak after so long of being nonverbal.Critics of Dr Itard postulate that, had he employed other means of student engagement; maybe if he had taught the boy sign language, perhaps Victor could have learned to communicate.As Victor displayed a str ong affective inclination, music might also have been an effective teaching tool.Besides making a fascinating case for the need for differentiation in education, Victor’s story gives the strongest proof of the validity of Blooms Taxonomy: that there are three distinct domains that educational faculty and staff must address to guarantee student achievement.It also clearly underscores the importance of faculty development in schools so that teachers can recognise and meet students needs.Finally, it offers a cautionary tale to tutors who might be inclined to push their students toward independent thought in a manner for which they are not yet ready.Join the discussion: doimpact students' ability to master higher-order thinking?Reading skills are essential for learning but they don't make a problem solver! Image by balancepft from PixabayHigher Order Thinking and Academic LearningHigher-order thinking is comprised of equal parts of critical thinking and problem-solving.To an extent, e ssay writing is an exercise in critical thinking: the student must take in information, analyse it and draw conclusions from it.While essay writing or report writing provides an opportunity for learners to think critically and draw conclusions, chances to think critically about other academic subjects are minimal.It is quite unfortunate that many perceive critical thinking to be an exercise in which the practitioner must find fault in whatever is being examined â€" in other words, to criticise.Quite the contrary! Critical thinking involves the suspension of personal bias; it requires a dispassionate view of the topic at hand and the ability to discern fact in a sea of fiction.Developing such skills requires a fair amount of time and mental agility.In crowded UK classrooms, the first is decidedly in short supply and the second is a diverse proposition because not every student has the same level of academic aptitude.What about problem-solving? Here, teaching strategies are also lacki ng.Again, not through any fault of hard-working teachers!Today’s curriculum and instruction mandates leave little time for teachers to plan co curricular activities that would permit the development of problem-solving skills.Tutors see the fallout: unused to thinking critically throughout the academic year, learners struggle with higher level thinking outside of the classroom.Tutors Can Encourage Higher Order ThinkingIt would be safe to say that nobody, tutor or teacher, ever went into the field of education to become rich or famous.However, anyone could believe that both tutors and teachers have made education their life’s work because of their passion for learning and a desire to impart that knowledge.Oddly enough, for all that they have the same motivations for instructing, teachers’ and tutors’ overall direction seems divergent.Whereas teachers must follow the learning standards set forth by their schools, a tutor’s imperative is to improve student learning capacities. To that end, one of the most effective tools a tutor can use in determining a student’s readiness for thinking questions is by conducting a formative assessment.Naturally, your initial interview will assess your pupils’ learning skills overall but, as time goes on, your constant evaluation of their cognitive skills should signal when they are ready for more complex concept formation.In providing academic support, tutors need to apply a bit of educational psychology:Define ‘learning’: one does not acquire a breadth of knowledge only through rote learning; understanding and making sense of things also play a vital partMake the lesson relevant: cultivating an interest in subject matter is a step in the right direction; revealing the interrelationships between the student and the material being studied is the hallmark of a master teacherReinforce the learning: find at least three ways to use the new information, preferably through different learning activities.What happens if yo u employ all of these learning strategies,  as well as others,  and your student still doesn’t grasp the concept at hand?This is where a real danger of pushing for a successful outcome lies. As you may have already experienced, it is not a good idea to go beyond that point, lest you risk students’ progress.Perhaps it is time to revise your lesson planning to include more student-centered activities...  you might, perhaps, focus more on the problem-solving aspect of higher-order thinking.Open ended questions are far better than multiple choice questions because they make students think! Image by balancepft from PixabayHigher Order Thinking QuestionsOverseeing writing assignments and helping prepare your pupils for a math test are fundamental tutor obligations to ensure student success.Unless it was specified when you were hired - ‘please teach my child how to think!’ - a tutor’s actual duty lies in providing learning services.Said services should include project-based learn ing, active learning and activities that will foster metacognition â€" the awareness and understanding of one’s thought processes.So, once you complete your initial assessment of a student and determine their learning goals, the course you chart should be pretty clear... right?If we were in it for the money, that assertion would be spot-on.However, upon ethical reflection, we tutors have taken a silent vow to strive for educational success with everyone we teach.Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to not only provide learning support but also provide 21st-century skills â€" a continuum of services that will provide a rich student experience.Content knowledge to appease an assessment system or thinking stems to cultivate higher order thinking?Rote memorization of facts can only take students so far.Asking them the types of questions designed to gauge their depth of knowledge and how they use what they’ve learned is the recipe for fostering thinking humans, but must be done in such a way that they become thinkers, not turned off from learning altogether.Bottom line: knowing when to push, how to push and what to push on is as integral to a tutor’s professional development as it is essential for student development.Your turn to chime in: how would you define higher-order thinking?