Social media is often dubbed as one big distraction for young scholars. Indeed, it can be, with many influencers and marketers tailoring content to engage people for as long as possible. The manner of constant attention can be toxic, and the content can be too. However, as with many things, how you approach and utilise social media can make a big difference to how it impacts your life. There are pockets of this online space that are not only safe, but highly informative too! Even your home learning pursuits can be better facilitated through an apt use of social media. But how? Well, we’ll give you a few ideas after the jump.
Mute Functions
As we mentioned, social media can be a huge distraction. Not everyone can avoid these pitfalls through their own willpower alone. Still, there’s no shame in that. If you use social media already, consider opening up a ‘studying’ account that’s separate to your personal one. After that, some social media platforms may have ‘mute word’ and ‘mute phrase’ functions that enable you to do just that!
If you tailor the content that comes through your feed, you have a stronger chance of staying focused for study. There are really great and informative social media accounts out there, but sometimes their good work can be buried under lots of spam or content that might appeal to you in your free time. Filter out the noise and get to the good stuff! You may even be able to venture into your settings and turn off direct messaging, muting your inbox on respective sites. Keep your studying account private, too, and you won’t get distracted by juggling multiple conversations.
Prolific Academics
It’s important to be mindful of who you interact with online and the types of content you consume. Safety is always the most important thing. With that in mind, there are also people who are worth heeding. For example, Professor Brian Cox has a Twitter account, as does NASA, and a multitude of many other smart, studious people. There are lesser-known experts online too, still highly credible voices in their field that are worth researching further.
Many of these social media profiles have links to encyclopaedic websites of their own. So, in that respect, their social media presence may just be a stepping stone for a wider and deeper learning journey, too, connecting you with huge quantities of research and data elsewhere. Prolific academics that are online may post various facts and data that may inspire you in your academics, and potentially, even eventual career aspirations. They may even publicly disclose personal anecdotes that motivate you. Some of them may even have been home learners, too! It can all help you feel encouraged!
Bookstagramming And Other Suggestions In Social Media
Social media can help. It just shouldn’t replace the tutoring role. In addition to a tool such as Mute Function, things like ‘bookstagraming’ (where people post pictures and thoughts on their favourite books on Instagram) may help. It’s not academic learning, but if you explore these digital areas for books on your reading list, you may encounter many fresh ideas that can contribute to your home learning success! Remember to use hashtags when searching for the most relevant content to your learning!
Platforms like Pinterest can also provide you with plentiful inspiration. It’s a more visual social media site, where you should encounter more than a few studying and revision tips. A new perspective on your learning could be just the ticket!
Blogs can also be a useful resource when learning from home (and we’re not just saying that for obvious reasons!). There are so many institutions and writers interrogating the subjects you’re studying, and they also update their pages when new information, including research and statistics, becomes available.
All parties on the home learning journey can benefit through using social media tools responsibly. Inspiration and education are always evolving, particularly through online spaces. So, it’s important to stay up to date. Try to keep a dialogue open with your tutor so that you can be transparent and trustworthy and ensure you’re both in agreement about how and when social media can be used in your study.
If you are interested in studying a course with Oxford Home Schooling, you can visit our Courses page, or Contact Us to speak to a student adviser and find out more.
What You Need To Know About AI: A Beginner’s Guide To What The Future Holds by Brian David Johnson
Artificial Intelligence is a bit of a big topic at the minute. A couple of years ago it was just a villain in science fiction, but now it seems like evil sentient robots are here and ready to take over the working world… and do your homework for you. For a lot of people it’s a scary topic because it’s something we see and hear about in the news and online but don’t understand what AI is. Is it really going to take over the world? Or is it actually going to help us achieve some really cool things? Well, artificial intelligence expert Brian David Johnson is on hand to help with his book, aimed at younger minds, What You Need To Know About AI. It’s a beginner’s guide to artificial intelligence, starting off with a very youth-friendly explanation of what it is (fortunately it is not a collection of sentient toasters looking to take over the world) and then dipping into what it can be used for and where it may help us in the future.
Reader-Friendly
As its title says, the guide helps you learn everything you need to know about AI, from how it helps us discover the epic stuff up in space or under the sea, to whether it will help you build your very own dinosaur, and why. It’s presented in short and easy bites of information, with some great little illustrations to go alongside. It’s not a big, long, boring essay full of words you won’t understand, but written in such a way that the understanding will come easily. You’ll probably understand things so well after reading it that you’ll be able to explain everything to somebody who’s never even touched a computer!
Over the course of the book, you’ll learn where AI came from, and how it’s already being used in the world of sport, space, medicine, animals and more. You will discover the amazing possibilities of AI, that might shape the future. Along the way, you’ll learn super cool facts, bust some myths, and gain a balanced and informed view on one of the the biggest topics of our time. Mixed in with it all is a message about how you can use AI positively and help engineer a better future. So if you or anyone you know is a little bit scared of what AI is, you can use this book to put those fears to rest!
Get Ahead Of The Trend
This book has been a great help to plenty of teachers across the world in understanding AI and is a great starting point for young, curious minds looking to the future and how the world might look when they’re older. It will be of great interest to those who might be thinking they want to work in computing or some other field of Science and technology when they’re older. AI will certainly play a an ever-increasing role within those sectors.
And no, artificial intelligence didn’t write this to try and fool you all. Prove it, you say? Chicken nuggets, Spider-Man. A robot wouldn’t write something daft like that now, would it?
If you are interested in studying a Science subject, English or English Literature, Oxford Home Schooling offers the chance to do so at a variety of levels, listed below. You can also Contact Us for further details by clicking on this link.
Your reading list probably asks you for newest editions of novels and textbooks. If you own some older editions of these texts already, you might think; ‘why do I need to rebuy something I already own?’ It can be an annoying question, particularly for your parent or legal guardian. After all, it’s their money! Due to cost-of-living pressures, many parents are now spending less on books for their kids. If you have an older sibling, it’s even possible your parents were planning on passing their books down to you. Unfortunately, it’s a plan that’s unlikely to succeed. So, why do you need to purchase the newest editions of books that you may already own? Well, we’ve tried to provide a few different answers to that question for you below.
Presentation for Curriculum Requirements
Over the years, the curriculums have changed. Studying is a lot more learner-friendly than it used to be. Let’s use English literature as an example. Textbooks for the subject would often present quite rigorous, factual questions, very much looking for answers that were distinctly ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. However, things began to change in the mid-1990s.
Some of the textbooks for English literature test pupils quite differently today. Now, schoolkids and home learners alike are tested on more interpretative questions, ones where your reading of the text is more important. You’re allowed to argue your points, and so long as they’re well-structured, well-written, and well-reasoned points, they’re generally marked favourably. It might seem tempting to get an older textbook for a more affordable price, but you’ll also be subjecting yourself to a different mode of learning when it comes to English literature. One that’s incompatible with modern curriculums! That difference likely extends to several other subjects as well.
The Condition of the Book
You might agree that, generally, many people don’t treat their books very well. Instead of arranging them neatly on a shelf at home, some of these books might live in bags or under furniture for months at a time, folded and creased. Others might doodle in their books, spill drinks on the pages, or even playfully use them as weapons against friends. They can also be rudely vandalised for a laugh. So, publishers quite understandably think that passing these texts down and around isn’t always a good idea. Older editions are bound to carry a few ‘battle scars’.
So, if your reading lists ask you for a new edition of a text, it possibly means the person curating it may be trying to evade some of these common issues. It’s not a guarantee – new editions of a text are typically released every 3-4 years with most publishers. Still, the newest edition of a text is harder to buy or borrow second-hand. It all means your learning is less likely to be interrupted, and you can enjoy the reading precisely as intended.
Author Changes
Many authors publish their books and insist the first copy is the final copy. They can get quite touchy about it, believing their integrity and reputation as a writer is on the line.
Others take a more relaxed approach when it comes to making changes. It’s still quite rare they do so, but it does happen! For example, Stephen King rewrote the ending of his 1978 novel, ‘The Stand’, revising the ending once in 1990, and then again for the 2020 TV miniseries adaptation. You’re unlikely to read a Stephen King text for study before university, but the larger point here is that even high-calibre authors do make changes, sometimes. The changes aren’t typically small, either. They can be so large that they fundamentally alter the message and mood of a text. So, in buying the newest edition, you can be sure that you’re grappling with the most relevant copy of a fiction.
Textbooks Can be Wrong
It’s easy to think of study as memorising bulletproof facts. Empirical information is presented to you with great authority, and your learning is rightly taken quite seriously. However, it’s not just authors that might like to change things around. It’s also true that so-called ‘factual’ textbooks can be wrong. After all, even long held scientific understandings about the age of the universe can later be questioned or even outright disproved. The knowledge of the human race is pretty ‘far off’ sometimes, and that’s okay.
This doesn’t mean everything you’re reading is redundant. However, it does mean that buying the latest edition of a text means that you’re more likely to engage with information that is accurate, up-to-date, and has been revised and amended as many times as possible. It also teaches you a valuable a lesson, too; that the learning journey never ends. Professional scientists and scholars are always experimenting and updating their knowledge, presenting incorrect answers to eventually find the correct ones. Equipped with that understanding, you may approach your own learning more comfortably and confidently. It’s okay to be wrong sometimes!
Bonus Material
Newest editions of a text often come with bonus material to make a purchase more enticing for consumers. Some of these add-ons can benefit you during your home learning. You’ll likely know what an appendix is. It’s a section of nonessential writing at the end of an academic text. It’s bonus material, featuring anything from quick notes to scanned letters and maps. Sometimes these are updated for newer editions of books and provide unique insights into the text you’re reading. However, appendices in older editions are not always reprinted for newest editions. It may vary on a text-by-text basis!
Newer editions of a text may also feature better quality, brand-new, and more frequent illustrations, graphs, and other visual spectacles too. It may seem like a small thing, but these additions can break up an overwhelming wall of text and make it more engaging to engage with as a result.
So, there you have it. In reading the points above, we hope you’ve come to understand that newest editions of books bring you, as the reader, ‘closer’ to the text. You can more easily understand and relate to what’s written and the people who wrote it, which should benefit you greatly on your learning journey!
Oxford Home Schooling offer the chance to study a range of subjects at a number of levels. You can see which are available by scrolling to the top of our Home page here. You can also speak to an adviser to get more details. To find out how to Contact Us, click here.
Taking place on on the 29th of September, Home Schooling students may be interested to hear about the Home Educator Day that it is to be put on by Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, located in Halifax, Yorkshire.
Below you can see what to expect from the day, get access to more information via Eureka’s own website, and access links for booking a place.
From Eureka!…
We’re excited to let you know that our next Eureka! Home Educator Day is less than one month away and we’d love for you to join us!
On Friday 29th September we won’t take ANY school bookings and our team will be running additional learning activities – JUST for Home Educator families!
Please note that the museum is still open to the general public on this day. However, we are restricting visitor numbers to ensure that you can still have the best possible experience.
You will be able to book online for the following science show…
? Nature’s Superpowers! (5yrs+) ?
Times: 35mins sessions at 10:30am, 11:15am, 12pm, 1:30pm, 2:15pm, 3pm
Join us as we dive into the captivating world of Nature’s Superpowers. In this exciting show we’ll explore the incredible links between your favourite superhero powers and the wonders of the natural world. It’s time to unlock the extraordinary in the ordinary because in the natural world, superpowers are not just the stuff of legend; they’re all around us! Get ready to unlock your inner superhero too and be inspired to explore, learn and protect our incredible planet!
Plus special guest workshops will be available to book on the day on a first-come, first-served basis…
? The World of Honeybees (5yrs+) ?
Times: 10:30am, 11:45am. 1:30pm, 2:45pm
Our friends from Springfield Park Bees will be running 45min long workshops where families can learn more about honeybees and other pollinators. We’ll be looking at full frames of capped honey. This is a special process the bees work on to make the honey ready for them and for us to eat. We’ll also be trying on bee suits and gloves/gauntlets to show how a beekeeper dresses, and we’ll be trying some fresh extracted honey. Limited availability.
As well as the below much-loved drop-in sessions…
? Eureka! Explorers (All Ages) ?
Times: Various pop-ups throughout the day
Watch out for the Eureka! Explorers who have a variety of artefacts for you to touch, hold and learn about.
In addition to the bookable science show, workshops and drop-in sessions, you will have our 4 large galleries to explore (plus 2 galleries just for the under 5’s) with tons of interactive exhibits.
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The Emergence Of Influencer Culture In Education
The world has changed drastically in the last decade and the way people communicate and interact with one another is no exception. With the rise of social media, new forms of communication have emerged such as influencer culture. Influencer culture involves people with a large online presence, who have the power to influence the thoughts, opinions and behaviours of their followers. This form of communication has become increasingly popular due to its potential to reach a large audience and create an impact on society.
In the education sector, influencer culture is starting to shape the way students, teachers and school administrators interact with one another. For example, many universities and colleges are utilising influencers to promote their institution and create an atmosphere of excitement amongst potential students. Influencers are also being used to promote certain courses, create student engagement and encourage students to participate in activities such as sports, clubs and societies.
Developing Skills In Tech And Communication
In addition, influencer culture is being used to promote the development of leadership skills amongst students. Influencers are being used to deliver motivational speeches and seminars on topics such as communication and teamwork. This can help to cultivate a culture of collaboration and innovation among students and equip them with the skills necessary to become successful leaders themselves.
Furthermore, influencer culture is being used to help students connect with each other and with their teachers. They often engage with students and teachers through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, creating a more personal and interactive learning experience. This can help to create a sense of community among students and foster meaningful relationships between students, teachers and administrators.
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, the culture of influencers is being used to promote the importance of technology in education. They can demonstrate the power of technology in the classroom, helping to show students how best to use it, promoting it as a tool, and equipping them with the skills necessary to stay ahead of the digital curve.
Trending Up
In conclusion, influencer culture is having a significant impact on the way education is being delivered. If used effectively, this culture will help to create an increasingly interactive and engaging learning environment that encourages students to reach their full potential.
There are many different A Level courses on offer when home schooling, and so choosing the right ones for you can seem like a maze to navigate. By having a clear understanding of what you want to pursue in your education and career, such as the A Levels to be a lawyer, picking your courses becomes much easier.
We have outlined the key things to consider when selecting your A Levels at home. You can find the full selection of our courses here.
What Do You Want To Study?
This is the most important question to ask yourself when choosing your A Levels. Do you want to be a doctor? Or a lawyer? Perhaps an engineer? Universities will have specific requirements for different courses, so once you have a path to follow, selecting the A Levels you need for that discipline are easier to pick out.
For example, to become a lawyer, you typically benefit from having the following A Levels:
• English
• Politics
• History
To be a doctor, you will always need specific A Levels, including:
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Maths or Physics (studying both will open up more options)
It is useful to select subjects that complement each other, like the above. You will sometimes need to have studied the GCSE equivalent before studying the A Level course. The prerequisites for each A Level can be found on their respective course page.
A Levels To UCAS Points
The grade you receive for your A Level is assigned a point score, which universities then use to determine your entry suitability once all of your grades are added up.
Aiming to achieve your best should always be the goal, but if you think your UCAS score may be lower, consider what universities will accept that total.
The UCAS points tariff is as follows:
A Level
• A* – 56
• A – 48
• B – 40
• C – 32
• D – 24
• E – 16
Choose What You Enjoy
This may sound a little obvious, but ensure you are choosing A Levels for subjects and a career you enjoy. Picking A Levels based on what your friends are studying for example does not guarantee that you will enjoy the courses in the long term.
Likewise, consider your strengths. It is considerably easier to build motivation for a course you are studying, if it is a skill you possess.
Benefits Of Home Schooling
There are unique benefits to home schooling that can make choosing your A Levels that little bit easier. One such benefit is the ability to choose exactly which A Levels to study and how. A traditional school curriculum will require you to undertake a set structure of courses, whereas home schooling A Levels gives extra freedom to select your own, on a timetable to suit you.
Each of our A Levels are also built to match the same study material in schools, so you know you are studying the material universities will be looking for.
In the context of our technology–driven world of Kindles and iPads, it may be difficult to envisage the relevance, and even the viability, of keeping physical public libraries open. Aside from consideration of the operational costs of heating, lighting, paying staff, buying new and replacement books, a pertinent question is: do people actually still want to read physical books, when they have the option of reading their chosen title on an electronic device from the comfort and convenience of their own home?
Libraries Have Adapted
The truth is that we are far from reaching the end of the story for libraries. Although the word ‘library’ might traditionally conjure up an image of endless shelves of dusty books, with readers sitting separately at tables, studying great tomes in silence, contemporary public libraries have unquestionably acknowledged the need to embrace modern technology – a need which was only exacerbated by the recent pandemic and resulting lockdowns – and have successfully adapted to the digital age. They have employed technological innovations to their advantage, significantly enhancing their offerings and services for library–users. As well as being able to renew and reserve books on library websites or portals, readers can in modern–day libraries access e–newspapers, e–magazines, e–books and other online resources. Libraries now even provide physical technology in the form of PCs and printers, with free WiFi, for use by members who don’t have access to I.T. at home.
Beyond Books
Modern libraries are about far more than providing a free book–lending service in many other important ways too. They provide a welcoming, inclusive base for community groups for young children, they play an essential role in encouraging children to enjoy reading through competitions, summer reading schemes and the hosting of school visits, and they run I.T. and other training courses for adults. They also serve as a friendly, accessible connection with the local community for older people, and act as a comprehensive source of local information for
residents, offering additional services such as the renewal of blue badges, parking permits and bus passes.
Libraries Can Still Compete
For some, reading online will, quite simply, never replace the pleasure of browsing library bookshelves, flicking through the first few pages of a book and being inspired to try a new author, then curling up at home with a physical library book. E–readers have been available since the late 1990s, yet our libraries are still going strong, providing a myriad of services to local communities in addition to their traditional book-loaning function.
Fresh air, freedom and fun! Forest Schools add an extra dimension to formal education. Here’s what they’re all about and how to access them…
What are Forest Schools?
Forest Schooling is a holistic, inclusive, outdoor learning model which takes place over time, through practical, sensory, child-led sessions. Participants are well-supervised but given the freedom to choose activities, take risks and problem-solve at their own-pace. Depending on age and general group requirements, Forest School activities may include den-building, hammock-making, hide ‘n’ seek, tug of war, wood crafting, lighting a campfire (and if you’re lucky, maybe melting and eating chocolate and marshmallow s’mores!).
How did they start?
Forest Schooling as a UK entity was inspired by the Scandinavian ‘open air’ approach to early years learning: ‘friluftsliv’. It began in 1993, when a group of pre-school teachers from Bridgwater College in Somerset visited Denmark and returned enthused by the child-centred, ‘free-range’, outdoor learning ethos witnessed. Bridgwater offered a BTEC qualification in Forest Schooling two years later and with the help of Local Education Authorities, colleges, the Forestry Commission and the Open College Network; Forest Schools evolved. In 2012, the Forest School Association (FSA) was launched as the professional body – a charity with six core principles, which can be read about here.
How do they work and who can access them?
Forest Schools predominantly cater to pre-school and primary-aged children. Many UK primary schools now offer a Forest School component alongside the curriculum – such as hosting a series of sessions over several weeks for a particular year group. Often this is facilitated by a teacher at the school who has completed the Forest School qualification.
There are also recognised centres throughout the UK that facilitate Forest Schools for visitors. These may be one-off sessions but are far more typically courses spanning a longer period, to enable students, such as home-educated children, to develop skills and confidence over time. Activity sessions occur in pretty much all weathers – hence appropriate clothing is required. The FSA has a list of recognised providers on their site, though an internet search will also yield local Forest Schools, or you could ask your Local Education Authority.
What are the benefits of Forest Schools?
Recent research has shown that children growing up in 2022 are spending an hour a day less outside than their parents did at a similar age, but the rise of Forest Schools could play an important role in reversing this trend and reconnecting our children with nature. And aside from fresh air fun, participation benefits include: growth in confidence; learning to risk-assess and problem solve; acquiring resilience (A Forest School isn’t just for sunny days!); an increase in mental wellbeing and self-connection, team-work and engagement with the natural world.
Why are they gaining popularity?
The rise of Forest Schools is an important part of connecting our children with nature. An article in The Guardian (2021), which cites the head of the FSA, says demand for Forest Schools surged as a result of the pandemic, as their value was recognised in terms of child mental health, behaviour, confidence and Covid-safety (being held outside). They also balance out technology usage and inspire children to consider sustainability issues.
Sources
Welcome to the Forest School Association website | Forest School Association
Forest schools flourish as youngsters log off and learn from nature | Schools | The Guardian
Each year, people ask, ‘So, what’s your new year’s resolution?’ Many of us feel a sense of pressure having to come up with something life-changing, such as becoming fluent in German, or going to the gym five times a week. But you can start small and build up – and as a distance-learning student, such commitments are particularly important.
Time, Time, Time
When you have more time on your hands, it can be hard to stick to set deadlines. You might think, ‘Oh, I’ve got lots of time, I will do it… later… or tomorrow… or in two weeks’ time.’ There’s no time like the present, though (sorry, a bit clichéd, I know, but it’s true!) If you have a deadline to meet, and a piece of work, such as a TMA, to submit, grab the proverbial bull by the horns and do it. You’ll feel much better afterwards.
If you have external examinations next summer, such as IGCSEs, it is helpful to set yourself a revision timetable. January is a great time to do this – yes, examinations are a few months away, but if you set yourself targets in January, you have plenty of time to put these into practice.
Don’t forget to fit in plenty of leisure time. If you play a sport and have three fixtures a week, make sure you complete work when you have more time. Perhaps you are a film buff and like to catch the Oscar nominees at the cinema? In that case, get your work done early, then you can go and enjoy that movie without feeling guilty.
Start The New Year Positively
The bottom line is this: your mental health and happiness is very important. If you plan your work carefully and make sure you stick to the deadlines you have been set, you will be starting off 2022 in a positive and proactive way. Having a handy notebook can help – and if you’re anything like me, writing a list is a useful way of keeping track of what needs to be done, and when.
So, with the new year just around the corner, make 2022 the year for you.
Whatever level you are at, reading non-fiction texts is likely to be an important part of your course. At Key Stage Three, you will be assessed on different types of it for your assignments, and at Key Stage Four, non-fiction texts are at the core of your Paper 1 examination. One of the skills that you can practice is reading short pieces of non-fiction – and doing so little and often is a great way of giving yourself opportunities to become familiar with a range of different texts. Here are three key ways that you can help yourself:
Non-Fiction Media
Read newspapers: Newspapers, either in print or online, are great for keeping you up to date with current affairs. Often, small articles will provide you with insight into a particular event, or an incident. Magazines are good, too. Newspaper apps, such as that of The Guardian, are brilliant for reading on the move, and a lot of them are free!
Read blogs: You’re reading a blog right now – well done! The Oxford Open Learning blog has many fantastic entries about education and distance learning. There are lots more out there – and they are great for helping you learn more about a topic you are interested in or providing you with different people’s insights into so many areas – pop music, the weather, climate change… the list really does go on and on.
Newsround website features: If you access the BBC Newsround site, you are sure to come across all number of articles. These not only help you learn about the world, they give you different perspectives on several topics, often very relevant to the time of year or a prominent issue in the news. You can learn about opposing arguments, too, and this is a great skill for discursive writing – something you are likely going to need to do at some stage.
Of course, there are many other things you can do, and reading you can access – the list above is to get your started. If you can, it is good to have a highlighter to hand, a pen to make notes, or if you are working electronically, perhaps saving the article and personalising it to suit your needs. Hopefully, reading non-fiction texts will not be too arduous. Remember: it’s all about little and often.
