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.
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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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
Procrastination. We’ve all been there. We’ve all done it. If there is one thing we can agree it is that procrastination is one of the biggest obstacles to making the best use of your time. Notwithstanding this, many students and learners genuinely suffer from it and struggle to get their work schedules in order, falling into a vicious cycle over and over again. With that in mind, here are three top tips to save you the next time you’re falling into the trap.
Smaller Steps
First, make sure you break down tasks into smaller steps. The main reason why people procrastinate is that they set unrealistically large goals and aims for themselves, without breaking down their tasks into smaller minute steps. For example, unrealistic expectations of hitting a tight project deadline may cause fear and stress if one does not manage it. The way to tackle this is to focus more on the process rather than the outcome. If you start planning the smaller steps that can help you achieve realistic goals everyday, then the final outcome becomes more reachable, and you can get more things done each day.
Pomodoro
Secondly, you can try the Pomodoro technique. Barbara Oakley, an academic of Engineering at Oakland University, suggests turning off all distractions (including mobile and computer devices), setting yourself a timer for 25 minutes and focusing on working as deeply as you can. After the timer runs out, you can reward yourself for the work or take a short break. Repeat this step throughout the day and you’ll find that you may break the habit of procrastination easily.
Structured Procrastination
Thirdly, it is important to embark on a journey of self-discovery and find out why you fall into the habit of procrastinating. Structured procrastination is giving yourself the illusion that you’re making progress when you are not actually getting work done. Examples could include making excuses for doing other tasks or checking emails instead of focusing on the work at hand. Thinking about the root cause of your procrastination can help break the vicious cycle.
The more we procrastinate, the harder it is to break the habit. If you follow these three small tips, you can learn to manage and use your time more efficiently to increase productivity, happiness and efficiency.
The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives in many ways and will continue to do so for a good while yet. In terms of education, we have all seen the headlines: children have lost their way; school closures will affect classroom progression for years to come; young people from deprived backgrounds have been particularly badly hit. Yes, in many ways, all these points are true – but with the right intervention and support, such gaps can be addressed. But what about the flip side? Surely, despite the ubiquity of such negativity, there are some positives.
The Up Side
Learning remotely, for many, has its benefits – there are few distractions compared to those that might be found in a classroom of 30 teenagers. Students can work at their own pace, extending their learning in ways which might not be possible in a classroom setting. Using technology to learn can mean that a thought-provoking video clip can be watched time and time again, as opposed to just once in a conventional learning setting. Of course, there are always going to be students that do not have their own laptop or are regularly disturbed by everyone else in the family working from home. But it is important, I feel, to realise that not everything about education in the pandemic is doom and gloom.
Focus
This summer’s A-Level and GCSE results were largely decided by a combination of different assessment methods, given that national examinations didn’t go ahead. In terms of A-Levels, those attaining at grades A and A* were up almost 6% on 2020’s results. Admittedly, the run-up to finishing courses would have been stressful for many, particularly considering that examinations did not take place. Some Sixth Form students felt that studying remotely helped them to focus – and avoid the distractions they might ordinarily have had to contend with. During the different lockdowns, some students were limited with what they could do, socially, and therefore this meant that studying was prioritised. After the difficulties of the first lockdown early in the pandemic, schools upped their game in terms of provision for students: live lessons, one-on-one feedback, keeping close tabs on progression.
Looking Beyond The Pandemic
The pandemic has affected us all in many ways, and this is not going to disappear. Having said this, it is important to remember that it is not all bad news – and when it comes to education, we want the best for our students. Young people will not forget the challenges over the last 18 months (and yes, many of these challenges will have been extremely difficult). But as a way of moving on and progressing, it is important to have a ‘glass half full’ approach. After all, we can’t change what has happened – but we can make the best out of a bad situation and this, I feel, is essential.
Educational blogs can be a great way to read about the latest current affairs and news that can help you learn and write better. Blogs are an easy way to read about someone else’s opinions and thoughts on a variety of issues, and can be a fantastic resource to learn about new things. Here are a few more blogs that stand out from the crowd.
1) ICT Evangelist
ICT Evangelist is a great blog run by Mark, a former schoolteacher who has more than twenty years of experience teaching in a classroom. As a former assistant headteacher, the writer gives great classroom advice to teachers and educators and shares innovative ideas to encourage learning in the classroom for teachers and students alike. This is a great blog for not only for teachers, though, students alike can use it as a tool to catch up with the latest education developments.
2) Study Hacks
The author of Study Hacks is a computer scientist and published author, who publishes articles in his blog about what makes students successful. The blog talks about big ideas at the intersection of technology and culture, learning and passion, and discusses topics relating to his books that feature a wide range of educational topics. The author is most famous for his idea that working effectively entails going into “deep work” which means working without distractions in order to thrive in any situation.
3) Thank You Brain
Thank You Brain is a fantastic little blog that offers insights and summaries of research about how to improve memory and learning. The author, Dr. Bill Klemm is a neuroscientist, education consultant, and professor who writes about some of his research on his blog. Learners at all ages will be interested in his interesting articles about how to boost brain power and learning.
4) Grey Matters
Train your brain by following this fantastic little blog which offers brain-stimulating exercises for learners of all ages and abilities. This blog is a great resource for people who want to improve their memory through fun and engaging exercises that can be done alone or in a group setting.
5) Inner Health Studio
This may seem like a strange thing to say, but learning how to relax can help improve efficiency and productivity during studies. This blog contains resources and articles that teaches you how to relax, be mindful and feel less stress in general, which will help you study and learn better.
The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way students learn significantly. While the most obvious change is that students have started learning online and accessing information on digital platforms, there are a lot of other more nuanced ways learning has been altered. Here are three things that you may not have thought about.
Widening The Education Gap
First, the pandemic has created a wider educational gap between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately, the suspension of in-person learning has meant that children considered disadvantaged may well have had little access to education, when they have had to be indoors throughout much of the last school year. Their parents may not have the right resources to access e-learning platforms and software which are necessarily to support their children’s education. Some families from less advantageous homes may lack access to the Internet, which means that their education will be deeply affected. As a result, some students may be unable to catch up to their peers and fall further behind on their learning. The gap between the advantaged and disadvantaged has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Uncompleted Courses
Secondly, the pandemic has impacted students studying for professional qualifications and degrees much more severely. For example, the combination of cancelled in-person training and exposure to clinical lessons have led to sectors such as medical education being disrupted. Law students were not able to practice their oral advocacy skills in classrooms that mimic a courtroom. This is another major challenge that certain education sectors have to face over the coming months and years. Providers have to think of new ways to provide training in alternative and innovative ways.
The Pandemic Has Made Us More Adaptable
Thirdly, more positively, teachers and students have become more adaptable and flexible when it comes to learning. Because the pandemic has forced schools to adopt a mixed educational model comprising of online and in-person learning, lots of new innovations have been born. Teachers have come up with more creative ways to engage with students online and are showing some of the incredible things that e-learning can achieve.
Perhaps no other sector has been harder hit than that of education. And whilst adaption has arrived, it has been a painful journey for many. The pandemic has impacted learning in a huge variety of ways. These are just some of them. We can hope, though, that sooner rather later, improvement follows experience.
As we enter a new year and find ourselves back in Covid lockdown, it is a great time to think about the skills you could gain to set yourself up for a job.
Building a CV
Although you might be thinking it’s too early to start planning for your career whilst preparing for your GCSEs, the earlier you start writing your CV, the easier it can be to keep track of your achievements.
Coursera is running a free online resume/CV course that will teach you how to organise, write, and format an impressive CV.
Canva is a really useful free tool for building more creative CVs (and countless other visual graphics) that look the part. It’s easy to use, and a popular digital marketing tool. Ability in digital marketing is a great skill to be able to demonstrate to employers.
Soft Skills
Soft skills are defined character traits and interpersonal skills that allow someone to interact well with other people. These skills can make it easier for you to create trust, build relationships, and lead groups.
Many high profile studies into the future of work argue that these skills are the most important – while technology is quickly replacing the need for technical skills, machines will never substitute an individual that can communicate effectively.
The Department for Education has recently introduced a new scheme called ‘An Hour to Skill’, a campaign that encourages young people to spend one hour a week learning online with the Skills Toolkit, with up to 40 hours of free training available. The 18 courses on offer contain lots of options for building soft skills, such as adaptability, resilience and remote working.
Extra-curricular activities are a brilliant way to develop these types of skills and they look great on a CV. For example, positions of authority such as school council roles show leadership, and any participation in interest groups illustrate a great willingness to learn.
Training Courses
For those studying at sixth form or wanting to gain greater insight into the world of work, specialised training courses are a brilliant way to upskill yourself. Online courses can boost your annual pay by £3,640, according to think-tank Demos.
Digital skills are becoming increasingly important – in recent years, the number of digital jobs grew almost three times as quickly as other occupations, with Covid having increased the pace at which workplaces are moving online.
The Skills Toolkit offers everything from coding and computer science, to marketing, social media and design, with courses provided from Google, Amazon and FutureLearn, as well as the Institute of Coding, the University of Leeds, and University Arts London Creative Computing Institute.
LinkedIn is also offering free classes until January 31st for the skills that they have identified as the most important to employers in 2021, such as data analysis and project management. There are also general career development courses on interview preparation available.
Conclusion
With courses taking as little as an hour, why not use a rainy afternoon in lockdown 3.0 to start thinking about your future? Because when it comes to your career, there are no wrong decisions – if you aren’t a fan of the course you take, it simply means that you’ve refined your career path further!
Why Social Media Is Important To Schools And How To Use It
There are many benefits to using social media in an educational context. Embracing this technology can make schools run more smoothly, give students an interactive platform that they naturally know how to respond to and help education transition into the digital era. So how can social media be used in schools and what are the advantages?
Communication
Social media is what it says on the tin, a social and communicative tool. Embracing this technology makes communication between students and teachers (as well as between teachers) much easier. In the context of distance learning during the coronavirus, this type of efficient online communication is essential.
Blogging
A class blog can make writing more engaging for students by giving it a direct and interactive appeal. Writing without a real audience is less communicative after all. Furthermore, at the end of a project, there is something that can be shown to other people. Blogs are also part of Web 2.0, i.e. the content is not dead when finished, as it can be commented upon and stimulate further ideas.
Facebook Groups
Livestreams via Facebook groups can be a great way of delivering classes, particularly during lockdown scenarios. Again, this content is fully interactive. The groups can also stimulate constructive class debates on popular topics.
Trending
The world progresses at an unfathomably rapid pace nowadays, and social media is a big part of this. By using an interactive web-based platform, teachers can stay abreast of the updates and stay on trend. This can be a big problem for educators, as many teachers are famously technophobic. It is because of this that there is a growing disconnect between their frames of reference and those of the students. Knowing what is trending that day can be a great way of engaging students in other educational materials.
Social Media Education
Teachers can post and ask students to share their posts to demonstrate the viral nature of information. Further, by adopting social media in classrooms, students can be taught about etiquette and the potential dangers of the irresponsible use of social media; There is a saying which goes, “once it’s on the internet, it’s for life”.
Blended learning, also known as hybrid learning, is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with more traditional place-based classroom methods.
With the rise in popularity of online learning and home schooling, blended learning is becoming more important than ever before. Yet despite the term sounding like a modern concept, it was first used back in the late 1990s.
Classroom and eLearning
For the student, blended learning combines classroom-based learning with eLearning, mobile learning and face-to-face instruction. It draws on the strengths of both traditional and online learning methods in order to provide students with a more engaging learning experience. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to learning methods, and there are a number of blended learning models to consider. These include:
Self-Blend
Where you take traditional classes but support this with online course work
Face-to-Face Driver
Where your teacher provides instruction and supplements this with the aid of digital tools. This method helps students who demonstrate skills either below or above a grade level.
Online-Driver
Where students work from remote locations such as their home, and receive all of their instruction via online platforms with occasional face-to-face check ins.
Online Lab
Schools that are almost entirely made up of computer labs with access to the internet. Students learn online in this mode.
Rotation
Where students rotate from in-person learning to online learning as part of a set schedule often predetermined by a teacher.
Flex
Where online learning is the main mode of student learning, even if it directs students to offline activities on occasion.
Growing in popularity in recent times are the online-driver and flex models of blended learning, where a whole course is delivered digitally, with support provided by teachers on an ad-hoc basis.
Some Benefits of Choosing a Blended Learning Approach Are:
It offers convenience and flexibility; giving you, the learner, the ability to control the pace of your learning.
Research suggests that it increases the effectiveness and efficiency of meaningful learning experiences.
It supports social learning; in that it allows learners to interact with instructors and fellow learners.
It’s fair to say that we’ve entered an era of blended learning with the different modes of learning we are using to fit our new norm. So if you are looking to embark on a course of study, considering how the course is delivered should be an important factor in your decision making. Make sure you choose a blended learning model that fits your personal learning style and preferences to maximise your chances of enjoying, and succeeding in, your studies.
