Organic Chemistry: A Fun Learning Experience For Children

Organic Chemistry: A Fun Learning Experience For ChildrenOrganic chemistry can be enjoyed in a fun way in the form of peat. A cat is a console for hands-on learning and for enhancing people's scientific literacy. It can be installed at home or at any public location to make it a learning and enjoyable environment.The PCat project has the aim of increasing children's interest in science. PCat is a platform for digital use of hand-held computers. Each child who gets one will learn how to read mathematical concepts, how to do algebra and how to use the calculator. All of these are the basic concepts of science, which are already in their heads.PCat was developed by the Belgian company QG Digital. QG developed the first PCat for use in preschools, but the idea had been there since the 1990s. QG thought of it as an extension of the preschool system they had, and they thought of all of the factors that made it more fun for children, like making a digital version of the paper textbooks.PCat has several elements. The first is the electronic calculator. This takes a picture of the child with a built-in one and creates an answer in the form of an image. It's a way for them to have fun, while at the same time doing their math work.Another element is the PCat itself, which is a little computer with a physical form. It shows the book number, page number, user name, and password when someone puts a child on it. So instead of asking a child to put in a question, it will pop up an answer.It is a little computer and therefore a physical piece of software, much like word processors. However, unlike word processors, the PCat doesnot print text or images. Instead, it shows an image of what the child did in the equation, and then it shows the result.With all of the elements, the PCat allows the user to interact with the PCat. With one click, the user can load the program into their computer, and this will allow them to run it with no installation. The cat is now available in Europe and Canada, but there is no date set for a US release.

Youre Normal If Change Makes You Uncomfortable - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Youre Normal If Change Makes You Uncomfortable - Introvert Whisperer Youre Normal If Change Makes You Uncomfortable Earlier this year, I converted to a new webinar system. Needless to say, as with all new things you have a learning curve and discomfort for a while. As I was getting ready for the first webinar using the new system, I could tell I was really nervous. Although I had practiced the new system and had all of my instructions written down to follow, I WAS NERVOUS. The good news is that I made it through both sessions and didn’t suffer any major catastrophes! Not that both webinars were flawless, but nothing that stood in the way of presenting the information. I share this story to point out the transition of going to what was old and familiar to something new. Part of any transition is a level of discomfort. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new system, new person or a new job. We emotionally react the same each time we go through a transition. The only thing that may be different is how long and how intense our level of discomfort may be. Our life is a constant river of change. We don’t always notice all of the change but it’s central to our existence (and survival). The thing we don’t do well in our culture is to help each other recognize the emotional reaction we have with the change. Mostly, we like to ignore it and pretend it’s not there. We also sometimes think there is something wrong with us or with the situation. While I could go on and on about transition and our reactions (I teach whole classes on this topic), I will spare you to keep this light as we speed toward the weekend. Let me just leave you with a thought about Let me just leave you with a thought about transition: The next time you’re feeling uncomfortable in a new situation, rather than thinking something is wrong; acknowledge that you’re normal. Your discomfort will shrink and go away as the new situation becomes familiar. Here’s to normal! Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

The #2 Pencil How Its History Has Been Written

The #2 Pencil How Its History Has Been Written This post is part of our 2017 Back-to-School Series. Throughout the month of August, visit the Varsity Tutors blog for back-to-school advice, tips, and tricks for all ages. We owe a lot to pencilsespecially those famous #2 yellows. Without the #2 pencil, how would you have learned to write your name or to divide fractions? But how well do you know the trusty pencil? Have you ever wondered where it came from, or why #2 is often chosen over #1? There is a great deal of history behind the #2 pencil, including its origin, evolution, and current use. Heres a crash course on how the #2 pencils history has been written: The origin of the #2 pencil The pencil has been around for ages, although you might not recognize its earlier cousins. In the 1500s, according to common legend, a large deposit of graphite was discovered in England when a storm uprooted it along with a tree. The graphite was pure and solid, perfectly suited for writing, although the only people using it at first were shepherds marking their sheep. People werent quite up on chemistry in those days, so it was another couple of centuries before a chemist determined graphite was a form of carbon, not lead as they originally thought. Thats why, to this day, we refer to whats in a pencil as lead, even though its not. Early on, the graphite was sometimes wrapped in sheepskin or string to make it easier for the writer to hold. The Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner is credited as being the first person to describe putting graphite into a wooden holder. [RELATED: The Importance of Writing Skills] The #2 pencil: A sharper style From those early days, the pencil has evolved into the familiar tool we know today. When it comes to todays pencil, there are a few traits you probably associate with it. Its yellow and often hexagonal. It has a pink eraser at one end. But when did pencils start looking the way they do today? The color: Historical accounts vary, but a Czech company is credited with starting this trend at the Worlds Fair in 1889, painting its pencils containing fine graphite from the Far East. The yellow color, traditionally associated with royalty in China, was meant to portray the pencils as a luxury item. Other pencil makers quickly followed suit. The eraser: Pencils and erasers now go together like peanut butter and jelly. Or maybe that should be peanut butter and bread: before rubber erasers came along, some people further back in history used crustless bread as erasers. Others used wax or bits of stone. In the 19th century, people figured out how to cure raw rubber and make it durable, thus beginning the rubber erasers current reign. A Philadelphia man patented his idea to attach an eraser to the end of a pencil, but the patent was later invalidated since it was just two existing products stuck together. [RELATED: 3 Ways Students Can Benefit from Journaling] Why the #2 pencil became king You know that the standard school pencil is a #2. But do you know why? Its mostly the result of standardized testing. When scannable answer forms became popular, the technology handled #2 pencils bestthey had trouble picking up marks from harder pencils, and the softer ones would smudge. Americans use a numerical system to label pencils based on hardness. Besides the ubiquitous #2, #1, #3, and #4 are used, with number signifying softness. But why are there so many variations when #2 is so commonly used? Artists need a wider variety of pencil hardness so they can create a larger range of tones. For example, a #1 pencil is soft and will smudge easilygood for artists, bad for test-takers filling in answer bubbles. Plus, some technical work such as woodworking or other precise drawing benefits from using a harder, sharper pencil (like a #3 or #4). [RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Backpack Essentials] Like with soccer and the metric system, though, Americans do things a little differently when it comes to pencils. Most non-U.S. pencil makers use a system known as the HB scale to measure hardness. The next time you grab a #2 pencil, think about its evolution. You might even share a couple of historic pencil facts with your friends. Theyll think youre pretty sharp. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

The Ultimate To-Do List for Your Second Semester of College

The Ultimate To-Do List for Your Second Semester of College With one full semester under your belt, as a second-semester freshmen you have begun to figure it out. Your habits are set, you know your way around campus, and you have a regular group of friends to eat lunch with. First semester flew by in a rush of learning new things on the fly, but your learning experiences are far from over. Use your second semester of college to continue to learn and grow, as a student and as a person. 1. Determine your field of study Although it does not need to be set in stone, use this semester to declare a major if you havent already. You should have taken classes in a few different departments during your first semester, so youll have a good idea of the classes you enjoy and excel at. Deciding on a major early will ensure that you can meet prerequisites and start taking higher level classes earlier, all helping to make sure you can graduate in a timely fashion. You could even consider designing your own college major! 2. Pick one activity to get involved with Odds are, you spent most of your first semester figuring out your study schedule and your way around campus. Take your second semester of college to expand your campus involvement. Find one club or extracurricular that is related to your major or that simply interests you. Extracurricular activities can help you make new friends, gain experiences outside the classroom, and refine your interests. [RELATED: How to Make the Most of College Extracurriculars] 3. Expand your friend group The friends you have met during your first semester are irreplaceable; they were there with you struggling through the firsts of college. However, expanding your friend group second semester is encouraged. Meet new friends in your classes to form a study group, or meet a group of friends in your new activity (see above!). The more connections you make in college, the better. 4. Start a steady workout regime Staying healthy might have been last on your to-do list during first semester, which is understandable as you were mainly focusing on getting adjusted to campus life. Since there wont be as big of a learning curve this semester, take some time to take care of yourself. Consider using exercise as a healthy study break between classes, either by working out outside or at the campus gym. Exercise has great effects on not only your body but your brain as well, so do both a favor! 5. Explore outside campus If youre at a large campus, you probably have everything you need within a few blocks. You have places to study, to grab coffee, and definitely to get food. One exciting part of college is (potentially) being in a new city, so you should take some time to explore it! Getting off campus is an exciting opportunity, and it will make your college definitely seem more like home. You may even stumble upon some exciting job, internship, or volunteer opportunities. [RELATED: Popular Jobs that Can Help You Explore College Majors] 6. Find a mentor Whether it be a teacher, a coach, or an upperclassman, find someone who can serve as your mentor. Your mentor should be someone who can help you, whether its with connections, a letter or recommendation, or even just advice. People like this who can help you through the college experience are invaluable. Second semester of college is a great time to take advantage of all the opportunities that your school offers you. As you continue to focus on your school work, use some of your extra time to do some extra activities and make more memories.

How To Solve Math Problems

How To Solve Math Problems A large number of problems in math can be solved by different logical methods or using formulas. Among these, you have to choose the method through which you can arrive easily at the final answer. In some cases, you will come to know how to solve real life problems in Arithmetic with the help of Algebraic methods. For an example: - Average value of a variable (mean) = sum of the values of the variable / total number of the values. X bar = x / n Question 1: - A student, by mistake, wrote 64 in place of 46 as a number at the time of finding the average of 10 given numbers and got the average as 50. Find the correct average of the numbers. Solution: - Analyzing the problem, we get: Considering 64 in place of 46 as a number, sum of the 10 numbers = 50 x 10 = 500 Leaving the wrong number, sum of the 9 numbers = 500 64 = 436 Therefore correct sum of the 10 given numbers = 436 + 46 = 482 Average of the numbers = 482 / 10 = 48.2 Answer: - Correct average of the 10 given numbers = 48.2 Question 2: - If the scores of mathematics of three students in a class are 70, 80 and 95 then what is their average score of marks. Solution: - Average = x / n = (70 + 80 + 95) / 3 = 245/3 = 81.67

3 Ways to Get GRE Writing Practice

3 Ways to Get GRE Writing Practice If youre taking the GRE, the exam starts with the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), which consists of two parts: the Issue Task and the Argument Task. You have 30 minutes to write each essay. Unfortunately, that doesnt give you much time to include all the thoughts you might have on the topics or to structure your words in the most effective manner. But there are ways to get GRE writing practice, like brainstorming outlines for your essay, writing full essays before the exam, and comparing your essays to provided examples. Ultimately, practice is key to perform your best on the GRE essays. Lets look at a few detailed writing tips GRE Writing Tip #1: Write full Issue task and Argument task essays Potential essay topics that you could have on the day of your GRE are available on the ETS website, so technically there are no surprises if you do your homework! There is a pool of topics for the Issue Task and a pool of topics for the Argument Task. However, there are many, many topics in each pool. To start practicing, pick one topic from the Issue Topics pool and one from the Argument Topics pool, and write a timed essay for each of the tasks. As you write each essay, use the 5-20-5 rule: 5 minutes to brainstorm and outline 20 minutes to write as much as you can 5 minutes to edit and review your work For the Issue Task, this means you take the first five minutes to decide whether you agree or disagree with the topic; then, write down two or three specific examples to support your opinion. For the Argument Task, use the first five minutes to identify two or three flawed assumptions the argument is based on and write down any information you would need to better assess the argument. Completing each of these practice essays within the 30-minute time limits will help build your stamina for GRE test day. GRE Writing Tip #2: Compare your essays to official sample responses Once you have written some Issue and Argument practice essays, see how your responses match up to the high scoring examples provided in official ETS materials. Do your essays contain a similar number of paragraphs? Are those paragraphs approximately the same length? Are your sentences structured in the same way? Have you displayed vocabulary variety in your writing? Have you incorporated specific examples to support your position in the Issue Task? Have you cited specific flaws to examine in the Argument Task? Look at how the sample responses with scores of 5 and 6 are crafted, and try to emulate that style of writing in your own essay. GRE Writing Tip #3: Practice brainstorming and outlining responses to the ETS pools of topics As mentioned above, ETS provides a Pool of Issue Topics and a Pool of Argument Topics so students can practice for the AWA. In addition to writing full Issue and Argument essays on a regular basis, you can spend 10-minute chunks of your days developing brief responses to the tasks, one at a time. This will help you come up with answers to the topics more efficiently, and it will expose you to the wide range of topics quickly, rather than if you were to write a full essay for each one. You will also discover that many of the Issue topics, as well as the Argument topics, follow certain, basic formats. For example, many Issue topics involve education proposals, government policies, or political leadership. Many Argument topics examine scientific studies, economic plans, or city development. As you work through more of them, you will become familiar with how to approach a certain type of Issue topic or Argument topic when it appears on your exam. All in all, the best way to get GRE writing practice is to start writing GRE essays. Begin by scheduling an hour every other day to write one Issue essay and one Argument essay. Then, as you figure out your strengths and weaknesses on the AWA section of the GRE, adjust your study methods to improve your performance on the necessary areas. By writing regularly, evaluating your responses, and familiarizing yourself with the Issue and Argument topics, you will be on your way to maximizing your writing score on the GRE. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

10 Fantastic Teaching and Education Blogs To Follow

10 Fantastic Teaching and Education Blogs To Follow It can be tough to stay abreast of the latest and greatest teaching techniques, edtech tools and resources to use in the classroom. Yet, with more teaching blogs on offer than ever before it’s even more difficult to know where to begin browsing. Here, we’ve created a list of some of our top picks for teaching and education blogs, full to the brim with implementable tips and tools that will help you hone your teaching skills. When it comes to education blogging, it’s safe to say that these guys have got the knowledge. So, here’s our roundup of some of the best teaching and education blogs to follow. The Confident Teacher Resourceaholic Mrs P Teach The Innovative Educator Royal Blind Learning Hub Free Technology For Teachers The EdTech Roundup Thomas C. Murray Ask a Tech Teacher Steve Hargadon The Confident Teacher Written by English teacher Alex Quigley, The Confident Teacher is an education blog exploring a number of topics around pedagogy and much more. With practical advice examining how to promote confidence in the classroom both mentally and physically, this blog is a truly essential resource for teachers looking to develop the habits, techniques and characteristics that will allow them to reach their full teaching potential. In addition to the ‘Confident’ section of the blog which examines a confident mind, body and leadership skills, The Confident Teacher has a dedicated section for vocabulary, as well as a number of blogs looking into concepts like memorisation techniques for learning, metacognition, how to implement feedback and questioning in the classroom as well as countless other topics. Though Quigley is an English teacher, this blog is a valuable resource for teachers of any subject, featuring actionable and relevant advice to hone teaching skills. Resourceaholic A blog focused on providing ideas and inspiration around teaching mathematics at secondary school level, Resourceaholic is host to a huge variety of maths resources covering the curriculum and beyond. Providing regular blog posts illuminating everything from algebra and shape to statistics and mechanics,  Resourceaholic is a truly helpful and useful resource hub for educators, tutors and even parents hoping to help their child understand maths a bit better. Resourceaholic breaks down topics to make them more manageable, offering a new perspective on important core maths topics. Mrs P Teach Discussing a broad selection of teaching methods and techniques, Mrs P Teach provides first-hand accounts of different ways to approach educating. Delving into innovative ways to handle marking and feedback as well as things like growth mindset, this blog is dedicated to introducing educators to new learning concepts and structures. Featuring tried and tested techniques, Mrs P Teach looks into a range of tools to help tackle teaching, lesson planning and helping students realise their potential through new education methods. All in all, Mrs P Teach is a fantastic resource for educators looking to broaden their approach to teaching, providing some important discussion points on new techniques. The Innovative Educator The Innovative Educator is a fantastic educational blog covering a range of developments in edtech and how these can be applied to better prepare students. Authored by Lisa Nielson, the blog introduces readers to new, actionable teaching concepts, sharing ways to build on and improve methods of teaching. Covering everything from measuring the impact of tech in schools to how to deal with a snow day, The Innovative Educator delves into a wide selection of topics to help provide applicable teaching techniques as well as keeping teachers informed on the latest happenings in the world of edtech. Royal Blind Learning Hub A resource centre of articles, tools and advice for those teaching children with visual impairments, the Royal Blind Learning Hub provides valuable educational tools to better equip teachers and tutors. Covering a range of important topics, resources on the blog include seminars, lesson plans, experience pieces and even an on-body sign of the week video which guides viewers through how to communicate important phrases using the on-body signing technique. The Royal Blind Learning Hub blog is an important tool in helping educators of the visually impaired get to grips with different teaching techniques and lesson structures. Free Technology for Teachers Sharing a host of educational apps, tools, and guides, Free Technology for Teachers is a valuable resource for tutors looking to discover new learning tools. With regular posts introducing readers to new resources and ways to update their teaching techniques, Free Technology for Teachers does exactly what it says it does - collects some of the best tech to help educators diversify their teaching. Uncovering the opportunities that technology presents for both students and teachers, the blog looks at broader topics like tools to make quizzes, whilst equally highlighting things like the best resources to learn about Mt Everest, or alternatives to sites like YouTube that prevent users getting distracted when researching. Have a read and discover a new resource to build into your teaching today. The EdTech Roundup As the name suggests, this educational blog collects the latest news and emerging technologies from the edtech world, rounding up and reviewing these tools and their value for teachers. In addition to offering regular, in-depth reviews on new tools, The EdTech Roundup also hosts a number of other valuable resources for educators, with links to useful tools for lesson planning as well as other helpful edtech blogs. The blog offers insight into a range of educational apps and learning tools, whilst also providing suggestions on integration and how to get the most out of tech in teaching. Thomas C. Murray If you’ve ever heard of #edtechchat, you might well know Thomas C. Murray. A cofounder of the weekly educational forum on Twitter and strong believer in student-centred and personalised learning techniques, Thomas C. Murray’s blog is packed full of tech tools and tips to boost engagement in the classroom. However, this education blog covers much more beyond this, also looking into topics like building a strong school community and learning culture. With years of experience to speak from, Murray’s blog provides valuable first-hand insight into edtech news, how to integrate digital tools into learning structures and more techniques to promote student success. Ask a Tech Teacher Host to a collection of resources created and curated by technology teachers, Ask a Tech Teacher is an education blog helping teachers draw together technology and traditional teaching. Offering free lesson plans, resources on everything from 3D printing to critical thinking, as well as round ups of useful sites, apps and further blogs, Ask a Tech Teacher is an extensive and varied resource for those exploring new ways to incorporate tech in education. With all materials and advice being entirely free, this education blog truly is your one stop for discussions around teaching techniques, tech and how to harness it to promote learning. Including over 100 free lesson plans, regular lists of valuable apps and resources and much more, you’re sure to discover something new on this blog. Steve Hargadon Founder of the Learning Revolution Project, Steve Hargadon hosts a range of online learning events for educators to help teachers connect and share ideas for innovation in education. With a huge selection of topics covered, these events offer tutors an opportunity to explore entirely new concepts from the convenience of your laptop. Whilst some of these are in-person events, a majority are hosted online and are entirely free to access. In need of some inspiration? You have nothing to lose by tuning into one of Steve Hargadon’s educational “unconferences”.

The Tutor Referral Contest - June 1-30 - Heart Math Tutoring

The Tutor Referral Contest - June 1-30 - Heart Math Tutoring The Tutor Referral Contest June 1-30 The Tutor Referral Contest June 1-30 May 31, 2019 EVERYBODY can be a Heart Tutor! To kick off recruitment season we are challenging YOU to recruit more tutors through a friendly contest so that we can serve more schools and more students. No matter the winner, in the end, it all ADDS up to more Heart! The Rules For each new tutor you recruit, you receive 1 point for your 2018-19 school. Whichever 2018-19 school team recruits the most new tutors will receive a special prize for their 2019-20 students. New tutors must sign up through the Heart Tutoring website note their referral tutor or school. How to Participate Join our Contest Facebook Group HERE to stay up to date on standings receive recruitment resources. Get out there! Talk about your tutoring experience far wide to encourage sign-ups. Make sure you are following us on social media for updates, shareable content more! Tutor Recruiting Ideas Utilize your social media channels to share your Heart Tutoring experience. Dont forget the sign-up link! Talk to your book club, Bible study, workout class, neighborhood association, etc. Host a learning session with a Heart Tutoring representative for your company or group. More recruiting tips resources will be provided via the Facebook Group email newsletter. Dont forget to sign yourself up for the 2019-20 school year too!

Thanks to all the great people at The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin

Thanks to all the great people at The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin From April 30th to May 4th, hundreds of language enthusiasts gathered in Berlin to share in their passion for languages, swap tricks of learning new languages quickly and efficiently.   Kevin Chen, CEO and Co-founder of italki shares his experience: Being based in Shanghai, we unfortunately dont get that many opportunities to meet many of our users face-to-face. This is one of the reasons why I was so impressed and inspired by the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin.  Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of people who love learning languages, and who want to make real human connections with people around the world. Here are just a few highlights: Speaking with Judith Meyer, the main organizer of the Polyglot Conference.  In addition to managing a great event, she is an amazing polyglot.  I was afraid to test her debate skills in Chinese. Learning more about Benny Lewis and his personal journey.  Weve known Benny for a long time (he visited us in Shanghai in 2012!), and his message is always so positive.  Being a successful language learner is all about the desire, and an open-minded willingness to try learning in a different way. Meeting Olly Richards and learning more about his personal experiences in learning Arabic in Egypt.  His feedback on Arabic is already helping us at italki. Meeting Richard Simcotts  and hearing him speak about what it means to be a polyglot.  Hell also be co-organizing the Polyglot Conference, which is coming up in October. Getting a taste of the life of an interpreter from Lydia Machová.  For a laugh, ask her about her experiences interpreting for hallucinating shamans and European tourists. Meeting Ulysses Hsiúng-Lúo and getting his unique perspective on the world. Being impressed by Vladimir Skultety, a Slovak whose American accent and amazing Chinese would allow him to pass as a native of either place. Getting advice from Michael Levi Harris, a polyglot actor who spoke about how actors practice sounding like native speakers.  Check out his hilarious short film (based on his real experiences in New York), The Hyperglot. I also have to make a special mention of the italki teachers that I met Alina, Lea, and Shauna!  I know there are others who attended, and I wish I had had more time to meet everyone. Lea /frencheek One of italkis most popular French teachers, and also one of Bennys teachers! Alisa /teacher/996362 A successful Russian and Hebrew teacher, and also an entrepreneur with big dreams. Shana /teacher/1552674 Another great teacher that is able to teach online while traveling around the world. I met so many great people, and this post would go on forever if I tried to list them all. The whole experience made a strong impression on me, and it fired up my desire to start studying again.  I considered starting Esperanto, partly based on my conversation with Chuck Smith and Katerine Berone-Adesi from the Esperanto community.  However, I want to make one more push at improving my Chinese.  (Im thinking I will take the pledge in the next italki Challenge in June.) Once again, if you have never heard of the Polyglot Gathering, I really recommend going.  Youll meet fascinating people, and be inspired to start or restart learning a language.  At italki, we believe the future of education is moving in this direction people will be driven by their passions and by a desire to understand the world.  We hope that italki can continue to be an important part of this movement! Kevin Thanks to all the great people at The Polyglot Gathering in Berlin From April 30th to May 4th, hundreds of language enthusiasts gathered in Berlin to share in their passion for languages, swap tricks of learning new languages quickly and efficiently.   Kevin Chen, CEO and Co-founder of italki shares his experience: Being based in Shanghai, we unfortunately dont get that many opportunities to meet many of our users face-to-face. This is one of the reasons why I was so impressed and inspired by the Polyglot Gathering in Berlin.  Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of people who love learning languages, and who want to make real human connections with people around the world. Here are just a few highlights: Speaking with Judith Meyer, the main organizer of the Polyglot Conference.  In addition to managing a great event, she is an amazing polyglot.  I was afraid to test her debate skills in Chinese. Learning more about Benny Lewis and his personal journey.  Weve known Benny for a long time (he visited us in Shanghai in 2012!), and his message is always so positive.  Being a successful language learner is all about the desire, and an open-minded willingness to try learning in a different way. Meeting Olly Richards and learning more about his personal experiences in learning Arabic in Egypt.  His feedback on Arabic is already helping us at italki. Meeting Richard Simcotts  and hearing him speak about what it means to be a polyglot.  Hell also be co-organizing the Polyglot Conference, which is coming up in October. Getting a taste of the life of an interpreter from Lydia Machová.  For a laugh, ask her about her experiences interpreting for hallucinating shamans and European tourists. Meeting Ulysses Hsiúng-Lúo and getting his unique perspective on the world. Being impressed by Vladimir Skultety, a Slovak whose American accent and amazing Chinese would allow him to pass as a native of either place. Getting advice from Michael Levi Harris, a polyglot actor who spoke about how actors practice sounding like native speakers.  Check out his hilarious short film (based on his real experiences in New York), The Hyperglot. I also have to make a special mention of the italki teachers that I met Alina, Lea, and Shauna!  I know there are others who attended, and I wish I had had more time to meet everyone. Lea /frencheek One of italkis most popular French teachers, and also one of Bennys teachers! Alisa /teacher/996362 A successful Russian and Hebrew teacher, and also an entrepreneur with big dreams. Shana /teacher/1552674 Another great teacher that is able to teach online while traveling around the world. I met so many great people, and this post would go on forever if I tried to list them all. The whole experience made a strong impression on me, and it fired up my desire to start studying again.  I considered starting Esperanto, partly based on my conversation with Chuck Smith and Katerine Berone-Adesi from the Esperanto community.  However, I want to make one more push at improving my Chinese.  (Im thinking I will take the pledge in the next italki Challenge in June.) Once again, if you have never heard of the Polyglot Gathering, I really recommend going.  Youll meet fascinating people, and be inspired to start or restart learning a language.  At italki, we believe the future of education is moving in this direction people will be driven by their passions and by a desire to understand the world.  We hope that italki can continue to be an important part of this movement! Kevin