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edutopia Editor’s Note: A version of this post first appeared on Techie Teacher and Character Coach. “But Miss Parrish, I can’t think of anything to write!” Haven’t we all heard similar lines in our classrooms? How is it that some students have so much to say when talking, but when a pencil is put into their hand they suddenly hesitate, struggle, and have nothing to say? The answer is to have them produce ideas without writing at all. Strategies That Work 1. Have your student stand up while you sit at the desk.Pick up the student’s pencil and say, “You talk, I’ll write.”This usually catches students off-guard -- it takes them a moment to realize this is a real option. 2. Identify a way your students can record themselves speaking their essay rather than writing it. 3. Pick an app or tool that transcribes speaking as text. Communication Before Craft Our concern is not whether a student communicates through a pencil and pen, keyboard, chalkboard, audio transcription device, or other means.

Life Blog | Personal Finance News & Advice The appeal of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs, for short) is simple: They trade like stocks, but contain a basket of assets, much like a mutual fund. This provides instant diversification, without the need to research every last stock or bond. For example, an S&P 500 ETF covers all (or most) of the stocks on the... Read more According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average American spends over $1400 on buying clothes and related items per year and it’s been estimated that most people only wear 20% of the clothing they own. Want to look great, keep the closet clutter to the minimum, and stop wasting money on unworn items? Whether you’re religious or not, Easter can be an incredibly fun time of year — delicious candy, beautiful eggs, fluffy bunnies, and pastel everything. Zillow real estate investment writer and long-term investor Leonard Baron, MBA, is answering questions from MintLife readers. Filling up your child’s Easter basket can be an expensive endeavor.

How to Self-Edit Infographic | Now Novel Learning how to self-edit your writing empowers you to polish your prose. Ernest Hemingway famously quipped that you should ‘write drunk and edit sober’. This might not be good advice for teetotallers (or in general). But there is a grain of truth in Hemingway’s words: you need a state of mental clarity that allows you to be methodical when editing. A professional editor who has polished many novels can turn your promising manuscript into a sleek novel. Yet if you can’t afford professional editing services at present, or want to tidy up your work before showing it to an editor, you can learn how to self-edit well. It often pays to read what published authors have to say on the nuts and bolts of writing. 1. ‘So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.’ 2. ‘You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. 3. ‘The worst thing you can do is censor yourself as the pencil hits the paper. Do you edit your own work?

Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia 7 “Tricks” to Improve Your Writing Overnight No matter how bad (or good) your writing is today, it’s possible to improve it overnight. Photo Courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/MiquelMunill Here are seven quick “tricks” that can improve the very next piece you write. Know your reader. This means more than knowing a few demographics (how old they are, their average income, etc.). Know your objective. Every piece you write (blog post, press release, video script, or anything else) must have only one objective. Use short words. To persuade, you must be easy to understand. Use short sentences. Your thoughts come across more clearly in compact sentences. Use short paragraphs. Imagine you come to a webpage filled with a large block of text. Use active language. Active language is vigorous and interesting. Passive language presents your idea poorly. Write recklessly, re-write ruthlessly. When you write your first draft, it’s okay if it’s awful. 3 “Bonus Tricks” Have a writing routine. You already have a “recipe” for writing. Let your writing “age.”

25 Beauty Tips Reusing Household Items - Homemade Beauty Tips on ELLE - StumbleUpon 1. Old Buttons Repurpose spare buttons by using them to keep pairs of earrings together: Most buttons have at least two holes in them, so simply place an earring in each opening to neatly store when not wearing. Photo: Jupiter Images 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. A Great Tool for Creating Stories Using Maps March 14, 2017Esri Story Maps is a web tool that enables you to combine the power of maps and narrative text to create engaging and inspiring stories to share with others. Besides maps, your stories can include places, locations, and geography. You can also embed a wide variety of multimedia materials to tell your stories. Esri Story Maps provides several story map designs to use for your stories. Story Map Journal: Create an in-depth narrative organized into sections presented in a scrolling side panel. Check out this page to view more story maps’ design options. Courtesy of Edshelf.

15 Chic and Creative Ways to Tie a Scarf | The Fashion Spot - StumbleUpon How to tie a half-bow scarf To tie the half-bow scarf, you should first loop the scarf around your neck and tie once– like the first step of tying your shoelaces. Then, take one side of the scarf and make a one loop, as if you were only tying one side of the bow on your shoes. Take the longer section of the scarf and wrap it in front and then behind the entire scarf, next to your neck. Fluff the loop afterwards to taste. How to tie a scarf bow Wrap the scarf around your neck and make sure both ends are even. How to braid a scarf Although it looks complicated, this scarf style is easy to tie. How to tie the scarf rosette belt Wrap a longer scarf around your waist and then twist it until the scarf starts to curl around itself. How to tie a layered knot Start by putting the scarf around your neck so that the ends hang in back. How to tie a simple slip knot Double up your scarf and wrap it around the back of your neck. How to tie the half-bow cinch How to tie the knotted loop How to tie a knot row

Change Passive Voice to Active Voice When a sentence is written, it can either be written in active voice or passive voice. Active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the action stated by the verb. For example: Tom changed the flat tire.Passive voice describes a sentence where the subject is acted upon by the verb. In most cases, writing sentences in passive voice is discouraged because it can obscure the subject of the sentence, and confuse the reader. Defining Passive Voice Every sentence contains, at minimum, a subject and an action. When a sentence is in active voice, the subject is doing the action and the subject typically comes before the action in the sentence. I swim. When a sentence is in passive voice, the subject is being acted on by the verb and the subject typically comes after the action. Swimming is something I do. Some sentences also contain objects - the thing being acted upon. Anna hits the ball. That same sentence in passive voice reads: Tips to Recognize the Passive Voice

Smart tips to make life easier - StumbleUpon Posted on February 24, 2012 in Humor If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Facebook or Twitter . Thanks for visiting! Rate this Post (16 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading... So...