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https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/preview/7049294258396165563/635285983771419888

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Weblog publishing tool from Google, for sharing text, photos and video.

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https://youtu.be/BnIIKiaSv_M

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Blended Learning: The Future of Classroom Instruction

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Blended Learning: The Future of Classroom Instruction

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Blended Learning: The Future of Classroom Instruction | ACE Blog

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In today’s ever-changing educational landscape, teachers are seeking innovative instructional approaches that meet various student needs. Blended learning

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UCb2GCoLSBXjmI_Qj1vk-44g

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AI in education. Practical tools for creating interactive tasks using AI. i enjoy this blogger and her amazing sense of humor and outstanding and simple ideas.

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This blog shares issues related to my specialty.

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Interesting blog about EFL teaching

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Favourite teaching and learning blog

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In Attention, Meaning & Mastery I wrote that all teachers need to answer four questions every lesson:

1. How do all know all students are paying attention?

2. How do I know all students have made sense of what has been taught?

3. How do I know all students are mastering the skills I want them to learn?

4. How can I do all this in a way which is inclusive and results in all students experiencing success?

This post explores the second question: how can we be sure our students have understood what we have taught?
A lot of what we teach as part of an academic curriculum will be both novel and confusing for our students. One of the hallmarks of the concepts which make up subject disciplines is that they run counter to our intuitive beliefs about how the world works. As such, we can be certain that some students will struggle to understand some of what we teach at least some of the time.

We don't need to get into theories of meaning-making here, but it's worth stating that we 'make sense' of new information by relating it to things with which we are already familiar. On encountering the same information, a class of students will all construct a unique and personal understanding. Education professor, Graham Nuthall discovered through meticulous research (including audio recordings, interviews, and observations) that each student understands and learns wildly different parts of the conten t presented in a lesson.

"The remarkable thing about learning in classrooms is that each student learns something different. Students only learn about 40-50 percent of what teachers teach, and each student learns a different 40-50 percent."
- Graham Nuthall, The Hidden Lives of Learners (2007), p. 24

Learning is always partial, personal and uneven. Hence the need for teachers to find out what students understand. Some of these understandings will be flawed and many will be superficial but all will be dynamic; our understanding is based on shifting sands which force us into a constant - and exhausting - reappraisal of meaning. Small wonder students lose focus and get frustrated.

Educational psychologist, David Ausubel offers this famous advice:

The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach accordingly.
Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View, 1968, p. vi

Ausubel makes lots of practical suggestions on how to enact this advice from using 'advanced organisers' (concrete examples & analogies), assessing prior knowledge, and coherent curriculum sequencing. He also makes clear that teachers must 'promote active engagement' (by which he means encouraging students to make connections, ask questions and summarise information presented) and that learning should be made 'meaningful'. He says,

In meaningful learning ... the learner consciously seeks to link new ideas with those already possessed, anchoring them in a substantive and non-arbitrary fashion. Educational Psychology p. 24

While a huge part of making learning meaningful is concerned with the structure of the curriculum and the skill with which teachers present ideas, it also depends on constantly checking, rather than assuming, that the sense students have made is in line with the sense we wish for them to make.

Attentive readers will notice that many of the techniques I suggest for checking understanding are superficially similar to those discussed in the post on how to check attention. The key is for teachers to be able to think about what they want to achieve and then deploy strategies to that purpose.
Ask open questions
When checking for attentions we need to ask closed questions but these don't work will for assessing understanding. What's required are questions that push students into summarising and rephrasing new ideas using their own words. This is hard for them to do. Anything that ask students to think hard about subject content is likely to be both beneficial and irksome.

Here are some examples of open questions I might ask:

OK, so we know many people believed in the Divine Right of Kings. What does that mean?

Rahoul says that Scrooge is scared of being good. Give me an example of where this might be true.

When Jekyll says that taking the drug was similar to the experience of "the captives of Philippi" what does he mean?

Why does Priestley use dramatic irony at the start of An Inspector Calls?

Pause & repeat
Each of these might be tough for students to answer. Just throwing these out and expecting thoughtful responses is at best naive. At worst it will result in us systematically discriminating against those students who take longer to process ideas. There's a sizeable body of evidence that indicates teachers leave very little space between asking a question and expecting an answer. This slips, all too easily, into the "Anyone? Anyone?" problem:

The teacher, played wonderfully by Ben Stein, is doing a lot of things right. There are lots of good check-for-attention closed questions but, of course, he doesn't actually use them to check for attention. Do any of these students understand anything about voodoo economics? Probably not. Certainly we'll never know as he never pauses to make students answer.

We know that on average, teachers wait for less than a second after asking a question but, when we increase 'wait time' to 3-5 seconds we're likely to get much better outcomes.

"When the average wait time was increased to at least three seconds, the length and correctness of student responses increased, the number of student questions increased, and failure to respond decreased."Rowe, M. B. (1972). Wait-Time and Rewards as Instructional Variables: Their Influence on Language, Logic, and Fate Control.

But waiting for five seconds can feel like a mini eternity. What I tend to do is repeat the question two or three times. Not only does this build in a few extra seconds of wait time, it also helps fix the terms of the question in students' minds. Here's an example:

Why did Shakespeare write Macbeth? We know some people believed in the Divine Right of Kings and we've also looked at the Great Chain of Being, the idea that society is ordered hierarchically. I want you to use these two ideas to help you answer the question. ... Why did Shakespeare write Macbeth? ... Why might Shakespeare have written a play with the plot of Macbeth? ... Ezekiel?

In addition, I'd almost certainly write this kind of question on the board to further support students' ability to answer it.
MWBs
In the example above I would run a huge risk that Ezekiel shrugs his shoulders and admits defeat. As a consequence, I've learned almost never to cold call on check-for-understanding questions. Instead, I'll ask students to jot an answer onto their mini whiteboard. Even then, without significant warming up I'd predict that a significant number of students will have nothing useful to say so I'll have built up to this question slowly both in order to make it clear that I value the answers students might give, and to give them every opportunity to make sense of what I'm teaching.

Using MWBs like this is an opportunity for students to externalise their thought processes and get some clarity about what it is they think. It also allows them to experiment as they tentatively explore an idea and rub out anything they decide is wrong.
Circulate & Messy markbook
Although I don't need to go through the '1,2,3 show me' routine, I do want to see what students are writing on their boards. If I've asked a question which I want to use to gauge students' understanding and it's clear some of them don't get it, I want to address any misunderstandings as quickly as possible. If a student isn't writing anything I can prompt them. All the while, I'd be jotting anything I wanted to remember on my markbook. She has a great answer. He's made an interesting mistake etc.

If it's clear many or most students are struggling, that's my responsibility. I've obviously not explained something clearly enough or perhaps I've missed out something crucial. It's best to find this out as quickly as possible and not allow students to continue embedding errors. For instance, the last time I asked the Macbeth question above I noticed most of the students starting writing something down about Shakespeare wanting to flatter James I. This may or may not be true (we have no real way of knowing) but it was irrelevant to the meaning I wanted them to make.

At this point I have choice. I can either stop everyone and reteach what I need them to understand, or I can get students to explain it to each other and see if that solves the problem.
Turn and talk
I see a lot of teachers getting students to 'turn and talk' without really thinking about why. This leads to wasted opportunities and disjointed lessons. I mostly use turn and talk to check understanding and I do it in one of two ways. Either, I use it because it's become clear that some students don't understand what I've been trying to teach and getting them to talk to each can sometimes move this forward without me having to tell them. Sometimes it's important to 'just tell them' but sometimes it's unhelpful. If I direct everyone's attention back to me, I'm still no clearer on their understanding but if I allow them to talk, I have an opportunity to listen in to get a better sense of what they do understand.

The second way I use turn and talk is after students have written an answer on their MWBs and before I call on individuals to share ideas with the class. Doing this has two prnciple benefits. Firstly it allows all students to explain themselves and secondly it provides an invaluable opporunity to induce the production effect. This is the finding that saying something aloud makes it more memorable (MacLeod et al. 2010) and that giving all students occasions to answer questions increases how much they are likely to learn (Roediger & Karpicke 2006).

The other ingredient to good turn and talk is to prevent one student from dominating the discussion. I tend to tell students I'm going to ask them to feedback what they heard not what they just said. I also clearly signal when the first student should stop talking and start listening. As a final tweak, I might sometimes give two slightly different but connected questions such as, ' Why does Priestley use dramatic irony?' and ' How does Priestley use dramatic irony?' and get each member of a talk partnership to answer the different prompts and then listen to each other's answer.
Cold call
Unlike when I'm checking attention, the only time I cold call students to check understanding is after a turn and talk when I'm confident they are properly warmed up, ready to answer and keen to show off the results of their thinking. I'm not really interested in sampling to find out whether all students understand the question because, if I've been circulating throughout the process, I should already know this. Also, I will already have a good sense of who I want to contribute as I'll have recorded this on my markbook. My main reason is so that students can hear a range of answers and given them an opportunity to refine or change their own answer.

My other reason for cold calling after turn and talk is to scaffold academic language but more on this in the post on consolidation.
Hinge-point questions
As discussed here, HPQs are a great way to design lessons around whether or not students have grasped essential points. A HPQ is a diagnostic tool deployed at a point in a lesson - the hinge - where teachers need to know whether students are ready to move on require further instruction. Students' responses should provide teachers with information about what actions they should take next. A well-designed HPQ should reveal potential misconceptions which can then be addressed.

Students need to be able to answer the hinge question quickly - ideally in less than two minutes - and teachers should be able to read and interpret answers in about 30 seconds. For this to be possible, students will need to complete answers on MWBs (so teachers can scan answers at speed) and questions must be asked in a multiple-choice format (so students don't waste time writing down anything other than a, b, c or d.)

Writing effective multiple-choice questions (MCQs) takes practice. The aim should be to eliminate guessing: students who know the answer should get it right; students who don't know the answer should be distracted by one of the distractors. An MCQ should have an unambiguously correct answer and at least two distractors. Consider this example:
What is a volta?

1. Where the tone of a poem becomes negative

2. The halfway point of a poem

3. A change in mood or thought or both

One of the keys of writing distractors is that they should be plausible and expose potential errors in students' understanding. Poorly written MCQs often contain implausible, or even absurd, potential answers which make it easier for students to guess the correct answer. We're used to seeing these kinds of MCQs on TV phone-in quizzes:
Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?
Ideally, distractors should contain true information which does not accurately answer the question. They should also be tempting. Students should have to think through why they're wrong. If all distractors are not equally plausible, questions can end up being simply true or false, which students then have a fifty-fifty chance of guessing correctly.

With the example given above, 'What is a volta?' c) is unambiguously correct. The other two answers are plausible and based on common misconceptions. Students often come to think that a volta must be negative (it may be sometimes but by no means always) or that it will come at the halfway point (again, it might, especially in a Petrarchan sonnet, but it doesn't have to). If students are tempted by either of these options, the teacher will know they have to either review curriculum materials to make sure the definition is more clearly stated or finesse their teaching to ensure the definition doesn't go missing.

As you can see, these take some preparation (although GenAI can help if carefully prompted) but are an invaluable method for checking understanding.
Visualisers (we do)
Finally, back to the visualiser. Too often, the 'we do' phase of constructing responses tends to be the teacher simply narrating the reasons for choices in their pre-prepared response. This might result in students having a better understanding of the topic but how would we know? Instead, if we're using a visualiser to check understanding it has to used make students think about the content and elicit responses that demonstrate that thinking.

So, for instance, if I wanted to co-construct a written response I'd share sentence stems and then ask students to make selections about what to put next on their MWBs, follow with some paired talk and then sample responses to determine which to add under the visualiser. Displaying how a response evolves, how it responds to input, is useful in its own right but it's the act of taking suggestions from students, weighing them together and then demonstrating how to put them in place that will help us answer the question, how do I know all students have understood what is being taught?

In the next, and final post in this series, I'll tackle how we know whether students are getting better at the skills we want them to master.
References Ausubel, D. (1968) Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View MacLeod, C. M., Gopie, N., Hourihan, K. L., Neary, K. R., & Ozubko, J. D. (2010). The production effect: Delineation of a phenomenon. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(3), 671-685.
Nuthall, G. (2007). The Hidden Lives of Learners.
Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249-255
Rowe, M. B. (1972). Wait-Time and Rewards as Instructional Variables: Their Influence on Language, Logic, and Fate Control. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 11(2), 81-94.

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How do I know all students have made sense of what has been taught?

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This post was published first on Substack. Please consider subscribing if you haven't already. In Attention, Meaning & Mastery I wrote that all teachers need to answer four questions every lesson: How do all know all students are paying attention?

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Мой любимый блог — это FluentU Language Learning Blog:

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Мой любимый блог — это FluentU Language Learning Blog:

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🔗 https://www.fluentu.com/blog/

Я люблю этот блог, потому что там публикуются интересные статьи о методах изучения иностранных языков, мотивации и современных технологиях обучения.

Материалы легко читаются, а примеры всегда практические — их можно сразу применять на уроках. 🌍

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Воспользуйтесь библиотекой тщательно подобранных видео для всех, от новичков до продвинутых учащихся

У обучения с помощью аутентичных видео есть свои трудности. Например, они могут быть слишком сложными или использовать непонятные слова.

Мы подобрали аутентичные видео, которые одновременно и интересны, и полезны для тех, кто учит английский.

Мне очень нравится то, что это настоящие аутентичные видео. Это делает его намного интереснее. Изучение китайского становится почти второстепенным по сравнению с тем, что вы смотрите крутые видео. Niel, Confused Laowai

Смотрите с интерактивными субтитрами и переводами

Наши интерактивные субтитры сделают доступными для вас видео из реального мира.

Все подписи снабжены субтитрами и переведены. Щелкните любое слово, чтобы увидеть определение в контексте вместе с примерами предложений.

Хотя во многих видео есть субтитры, никогда не было простого способа найти слова или приостановить видео и убедиться, что вы действительно поняли, о чем говорится ... так было до сих пор. FluentU понимает нашу проблему и заполняет пробелы, оставленные другими сайтами. Джейкоб Гилл, iLearnMandarin

Хотя во многих видео есть субтитры, никогда не было простого способа найти слова или приостановить видео и убедиться, что вы действительно поняли, о чем говорится ... так было до сих пор. FluentU понимает нашу проблему и заполняет пробелы, оставленные другими сайтами. Джейкоб Гилл, iLearnMandarin

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Учите язык онлайн с помощью аутентичных видео - FluentU

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Учите новый язык с помощью аутентичных видео с интерактивными субтитрами. Отрывки из сериалов, сцены из фильмов, музыкальные клипы и многое другое.

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Learning science research vlog that's very engaging. I think they've stopped it now.

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The Daniels on Research 02: Can Neuroscience Improve Education

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Vale Ibarrola

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Ayudo a Emprendedoras y Pequeñas Empresarias a maximizar sus ganancias, administrar su flujo de dinero y construir seguridad para tomar decisiones.

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Good blog on dragonflies of Maldives!

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One modern-day analogy that is often used to teach social change and navigation through treacherous social media is to liken it to dragonflies. They are the only insects that can change direction i…

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This blog is simple but heavy on content

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AI and Academic Integrity: 5 Ways to Combat and Embrace Student AI Use - The Daring English Teacher

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AI and Academic Integrity: 5 Ways to Combat and Embrace Student AI Use

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This one has been the most useful blog so far!

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Everything you find here has been specially created by the British Council, the world's English teaching experts.

We provide you with the right tools to help you interact confidently in the real world.

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Use the grammar reference for further practice and more detailed explanations.

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Learn English online using our high-quality resources to quickly improve your English. Take our free level test to help you find your English language level, then find lessons and resources that are just right for you.

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This one has some really good information on Programming including data structures/

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Namastedev’s Featured Post From Lag to Lightning-Fast: Namastedev’s API TransformationBy akshay Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most

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BLOG DO DENTISTA (blogdodentista) • Instagram photos and videos

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BLOG DO DENTISTA (@blogdodentista) • Instagram photos and videos

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114K Followers, 1,748 Following, 4,100 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from BLOG DO DENTISTA (@blogdodentista)

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Working on project "Tourism in our country"

The aim of us is to design hotel spaces and atmosphere where people can meet, act and interact, a new way of living the modern Hotel. we chose the place where had to be suitable conditions such as : Especially suitable for families

All rooms should be with safe box, mini bar, hair dryer, bathtub or shower, telephone in Bathroom, tea / coffee machine, direct dial telephone, tv, internet connection, central heating system, The floor shoud be carpetted. There should be loundry service and babysitter and rooms for handicappeds.

Hotel should be offers fine dining with an extensive menu at the indoor and outdoor restaurants. Breakfast, lunch and healthy dinner are served as open buffet..

The hotel should be supplied 2 meeting rooms with screen, whiteboard, light system, sound system, slide projector, flipchart, DVD player, projector, overhead projector, microphone, video player, television, fax, air conditioning.

Hotel should be rich in activities. Tourists should be enjoy heated swimming pool, children's playground, sauna, massage, jacuzzi, fitness suite, aerobics, heals and beauty center, yoga lessons, Pilates, billiards, disco, cycling, jogging, trekking, night club, summer sports. Hotel should have the longest walking area around the mountain.

Astara which brings architectural specialities to the present as well as natural beauties, green nature, thermal water and opportunities of summer and winter tourism has music culture and historical heritage. The city shelters monumental, religious, cultural buildings.

Tourists should be committed to finding the very best value for money without losing quality of service and product while enhancing their experience and time in Azerbaijan bringing the tourists the very best that Azerbaijan has to offer. Most importantly we have to offer the best and the most efficient accommodation at Hotel in Astara, whilst maintaining quality of service, quality of life and value for money.

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Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.

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How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the Way We Record and Develop Ideas

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How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the Way We Record and Develop Ideas

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AI(Artificial Intelligence) is taking over. It has its advantages and Disadvantages though.

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More often than not, the ideas come at the most unexpected time, such as during a commute, in the course of a conversation, or during an eye-opening talk. Previously, it used to take a notepad and a pen or an excessive manual typing in order to capture such suggestions. Artificial intelligence (AI) has already maximally redesigned the way we capture, store, and edit our thoughts today; it is faster, smarter, and available to more people than ever.

One of the most practical applications of AI in this space is converting MP3 to text in seconds. AI tools can immediately turn audio into searchable and editable text, instead of spending several hours manually transcribing a brainstorming session, meeting, or lecture. The innovation not only saves time but also guarantees that there is no loss of great ideas in the shuffle.

The Traditional Struggle of Capturing Ideas

Recording the ideas was a tedious and manual process before the mainstream of the AI-powered solutions. You may write them in your journal, type them and send them to a file, or use memory, risking that you could forget important information. With audio records, the problem was that one had to sit down and slowly transcribe the material to make it actionable.

This came in terms of delays in the conversion of discussions into plans by the professionals. To a creative person, it may imply losing the momentum and vein of an idea and not being able to write it fast. AI has closed this divide by helping verbalized ideas to be typed up in real time without the need to follow up on them.

How AI Has Changed the Game

AI has brought about a paradigm change in the manner of capturing ideas to the manner of developing ideas. The AI tools are now able to collect the raw information, analyze it, and organize it right on the spot, doing the task instead of just merely recording it.

A modern AI transcription service, like the one we can take an example of, is not like writing down everything you say, it:

Determine the various speakers during a discourse.

Point out important details and things to do.

Plainly outline paragraphs of verbose discussions.

Such a change implies that the generation of an idea has typically become an act that tends to incorporate structuring to be used instantly. Walk out of a meeting with a clean well well-organized document that you can share and put into action.

AI-Powered Transcription: From Voice to Text in Seconds

There is perhaps no other advancement as significant regarding productivity as that between manual transcription and AI-assisted conversion. Voice memo or podcast MP3 can be uploaded to be converted to text with instantaneous results using the AI tools.

Here is why this is relevant:

Speed: The process that used to take hours to accomplish can be carried out in a number of minutes.

Precision: Modern models of speech recognition can deal with a variety of accents, as well as speech patterns and even technical terms.

Searchability: After they are in text form, a keyword search will pinpoint your ideas at the tip of your finger.

This communication allows people and groups to go over the ideas, share them on various platforms, and follow them into the actual project management processes.

Beyond Transcription: AI as an Idea-Refining Partner

Somebody may capture an idea, but that is part of the pitch; the skill is to systematize it so it becomes something others can do. Now, AI tools help to go through this stage by:

Presenting long conversations in an understandable bullet form.

Classification of material into topics or themes.

Recommending associated ideas or materials to be advanced.

As an example, an author may take one of his or her stream-of-consciousness brainstorming sessions and submit a transcript of the latter to an AI writing assistant, and the latter may further be used to begin the process of providing structure to these ideas in the form of a logical article outline. Utilization of AI meeting summaries in a business team might allow them to develop instant action items and save time, and increase accessibility.

Real-Time Collaboration on Captured Ideas

The exchange of ideas and collaborative development is another area AI has hugely transformed. Transcription tools are provided on the cloud that enable many users to access, comment, and edit the transcript at one time.

Just think about making a video of a brainstorming approach, and in a matter of minutes, the entire transcript could be shared with your crew. All the people can open critical passages, add remarks, and even incorporate the text in the project work without delay. Miscommunication is reduced this way, and everyone will have access to the same reference material.

Making Idea Capture More Accessible

AI has also made the recording and processing of ideas a democratic process. AI transcription is a game-changer for those people with impairments as well as those who have trouble processing information in written, visual form compared to oral.

For example:

Individuals who have hearing challenges are in a position to catch up with live captions in a meeting.

Real-time translations and transcripts can be obtained by non-native speakers.

Students have the option of being given lecture outlines, which results in studying being effective.

AI allows capturing ideas in a more inclusive way and thus can make sure that all voices are heard and their opinions are recorded.

Practical Use Cases for AI in Idea Capture

Introduced in Business: Teams will be able to use client meetings as action plans in order to make sure that no obligation or piece of information is lost.

In Education: Before creation, Students can record lectures and transcribe them, and then use AI to review important concepts.

Creative Work: Musicians, writers, and designers are able to capture any sudden flashes of inspiration and turn them into written form to develop at a later stage.

Research: It is possible to record interviews or field notes to capture and store them in an organized, analyzable format.

The uses of the AI-powered idea recording applications cut across all industries and individual endeavors:

The adaptability of these tools means that, regardless of the field of practice, AIs can be deployed to guarantee the capture of your best ideas so as to be readily available.

Balancing Automation with Human Insight

Whereas AI has highly enhanced efficiency and speed of recording and capturing ideas, it does not substitute a human being. Can AI record and even sort the information? Everything is possible, but context and interpretation need a human touch.

To take an example, AI can record a meeting and later transcribe it in perfect fashion, but it might not entirely understand the undertones of a decision or the cultural context of a dialogue. This is why integrating the efficacy of AI and the respective human decision-making and innovation is the most effective option.

The Future of AI in Idea Management

Forecasting how the ideas can succeed with the help of historical data.

Proposing project-related follow-ups based on the meeting.

Merging with virtual and augmented reality to record and present ideas in immersive forms.

The future is an AI that does not merely track thoughts: it takes an active part in drawing and making them.

In the future, the role of AI in assisting us to manage ideas is bound to increase even more. There are already emerging tools trialling:

Conclusion

AI has transformed our way of capturing, refining, and acting on our ideas. What once required manual note-taking, time-consuming transcription, and scattered organization can now be handled in minutes with tools that convert MP3 to text, summarize conversations, and structure content for immediate use.

The actual value of AI regarding this area is not only recording what was said, but transforming the words into something that prompts action. Regardless of whether you are a business person, student, creative writer, or even a researcher, adopting AI in terms of idea capture saves time, makes things crystal clear, and makes you be sure that never again you will never forget or lose any important idea.

Automating the power of human creativity with AI allows us to create a sense of a lasting future with a short temporal flash of brilliance than ever before.

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How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the Way We Record and Develop Ideas

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More often than not, the ideas come at the most unexpected time, such as during a commute, in the course of a conversation, or during an eye-opening talk.

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Over six million students have joined me on their journey to English fluency - what are you waiting for? Come and join me!

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I enjoy reading their articles.

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Great History Blog - stotytelling style

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Bells & Whistles | izabela raczkowski | Substack

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talking about making things with your hands (and maybe some other things). Click to read Bells & Whistles, by izabela raczkowski, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

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Authors: H.M.T.W. Seneviratne and S.S. Manathunga

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BMC Medical Education is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers articles on all aspects of education and training of healthcare ...

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Making Universal Health Coverage a Reality in Ethiopia through an Equitable Contribution System for Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI)

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In January 2023, the Government of Ethiopia decided to pilot a sliding scale-based Community-Based Health Insurance (SS-CBHI) scheme, which is based on the household’s socio-economic status for premium contribution, across a total of 13 rural and urban districts to address inequity in universal health coverage. The research is supported by funding from the Fund for Innovations in Development (FID). Specifically, the new scheme aims to understand the impact of the proposed model on equitable healthcare utilization, given that poorer households faced significant financial challenges in accessing healthcare provided at a flat-rate contribution model. It will also evaluate the impact on out-of-pocket and catastrophic health expenditure, women’s empowerment and overall satisfaction and acceptance with the new policy initiative.

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They also have nice podcasts.

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Our Spanish Blog - Free Resources to Learn Spanish

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Our Spanish Blog - Free Resources to Learn Spanish, podcasts, videos & more to make your Spanish learning experience effective and enjoyable.

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DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK THIS AMAZING BLOG

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As a high school English teacher, I teach students how to read literature and write essays. In fact, reading and writing form half of the

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Have you ever found yourself five minutes before an English speaking club session starts, still unsure what to talk about with your group? Finding engaging and appropriate English speaking club topics isn't as easy as it seems. My name is York Fern, and I'm an English teacher. Today, I'll share what I've learned over the years about choosing topics based on students' levels, how to make sessions engaging, and how to ensure everyone benefits - including the teacher.

When I first earned my TEFL/TESOL certification and began hosting speaking clubs, I often relied on advice from more experienced colleagues. Now it's my turn to pass on what I've learned, along with real examples of how to run an English conversation club that both students and teachers can truly enjoy.

Tips for English Teachers on Running a Speaking Club

Before choosing topics for discussion, it's essential to plan the overall structure of your speaking club. Here are a few key points I always consider:

Student Level: Assess the group's language Prociency (A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.). Topics should align with their skill level. If the topic is too complex, beginners may feel lost; if it's too basic, advanced learners may get bored. Ideally, groups should have similar levels so no one needs to consult a dictionary every two minutes. Speaking club topics for English learners usually start at A2 (Elementary) because absolute beginners (A1) may struggle with dialogue. However, even A1 students can participate with the teacher's support - just be ready to encourage and guide them.

Age Group: Age heavily influences topic choice and teaching style. For example, a speaking club for kids should involve simple, playful themes. Young learners enjoy talking about animals, cartoons, or what they want to be when they grow up. Teenagers are often drawn to music, technology, sports, or adventure. Adults typically enjoy travel, work, culture, and current events. Always tailor your topics to the real-life experience and interests of your audience.

Students' Goals: Understand why your students joined the speaking club. Some want to overcome a language barrier, others need English for work, while some are preparing for exams or interviews. If the goal is casual fluency, you can pick lighter topics like food, movies, or weekend plans. But if the group has a specific goal (like Business English or IELTS), your topics should reflect that - such as mock interviews, business meetings, or exam-style questions. I personally run a club for learners in the IT field, so our conversations often include technical or career-focused topics that wouldn't appeal to general groups.

Schedule and Frequency: Think about how often the group meets and how much time you have per session. If you meet weekly for an hour, you can explore a new theme each time. I like to alternate - one week a light and fun topic, the next week something deeper, to keep variety. If your sessions are shorter or less frequent, choose exciting topics that grab attention immediately. Seasonal and current event-based topics also work well - holidays before a break, travel in the summer, or goals in the new year. These help make discussions more relevant and meaningful.

How to Choose the Best Topics for an English Speaking Club

The discussion themes you choose should match the language level of your students. Simpler, concrete topics are better for beginners, while more abstract or opinion-based topics suit advanced learners. Let's break down effective conversation topics by level - from A1 to B2 - including real-life examples I've successfully used in my classes. Feel free to adapt them to your speaking club!

Level A1 (Beginner)

A1 learners are true beginners. They know how to introduce themselves and can use basic phrases like "I have a cat" or "She likes music." At this stage, the speaking club is more about practicing simple speaking than having full conversations. I remember asking my first A1 group to talk about their hobbies - the blank stares made it clear that was too much. I quickly changed course and began asking very simple, guided questions, modeling the answers myself. The key at A1 is creating a warm, supportive environment where it's safe to make mistakes.

Here are some great A1 speaking club topics:

Basic introductions and personal information (name, hometown, job or school).

Family (describe your mom, dad, siblings - familiar and relatable content).

Daily routine (talking about work or school, schedule: "I wake up at 7 a.m.").

Food and drinks (favorite meals, typical breakfast, fruit preferences, etc.).

Hobbies and likes/dislikes (basic structure: "I like football. I don't like chess.").

Weather and seasons (discuss today's weather, favorite season).

Ask questions that allow for one- or two-word answers: "What is your name?" "Do you like coffee?" "Have you got a pet?" These help break the ice and get learners speaking without pressure. Gradually, they gain confidence and begin forming short sentences. My advice? Smile a lot, nod encouragingly, and praise every attempt - confidence is more important than grammar at this level.

Level A2 (Elementary)

A2 learners have passed the beginner stage. They can form simple sentences in the present, past, and future and know basic vocabulary. These students can hold short conversations with support. In one A2 group I taught, students were hesitant to speak about themselves, but lit up when we discussed travel. Travel, I learned, was their motivation to use English.

Great speaking topics for A2:

Travel (where they've been, weekend trips, how they traveled - by bus, train, plane).

Shopping (favorite stores, shopping habits, grocery lists).

Food and recipes (share simple recipes, favorite national dishes).

Holidays and traditions (childhood celebrations, birthday or New Year customs).

School or work (talk about classes for teens or workdays for adults).

Hobbies and free time (go a bit deeper: sports, music, creative activities).

Use open-ended questions to encourage longer responses: "What did you do last weekend?" "Where would you like to travel next?" These questions push students to use past and future tenses and express personal opinions. Don't worry about mistakes - show support by answering first and prompting others. "Last weekend I went hiking... what about you?" Sharing personal stories makes students more comfortable and curious about one another.

Level B1 (Intermediate)

B1 learners are able to express themselves in most everyday situations. They can describe events, share opinions, and give reasons. You can now introduce broader and more abstract topics. I once had a B1 group spontaneously begin debating whether Instagram was helpful or harmful - a spirited discussion that I only had to guide lightly. That's the magic of a speaking club!

Recommended topics for B1 speaking club sessions:

Travel and adventure (share travel stories, debate solo vs group travel).

Technology and social media (favorite apps, tech's impact on life, pros and cons).

Culture and traditions (compare customs, explain national holidays, describe cultural norms).

Movies, books, and music (recommend films or books, discuss music tastes).

Nature and environment (talk about pollution, climate change, or personal habits to help the planet).

Education and work (discuss study plans, career goals, pros and cons of different jobs).

Encourage students to express opinions: "What do you think about...?" "Do you agree or disagree with...?" For example: "Do you think social media is helpful or harmful in our lives?" or "If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?" These questions lead to longer answers and more engaging conversation. You can correct grammar gently if needed but focus on keeping the conversation flowing.

Level B2 (Upper-Intermediate)

B2 students speak English with confidence and fluency. They still make occasional mistakes but can easily discuss complex and even philosophical topics. For teachers, this level is a joy - you can explore controversial or thought-provoking issues and enjoy rich, meaningful discussions. I once hosted a B2 session on artificial intelligence, and the level of thoughtfulness blew me away - it felt more like moderating a panel than teaching a class!

Excellent speaking topics for B2 learners:

Current events and news (discuss recent developments, staying neutral and inclusive).

Society and social issues (equality, health, urban vs rural life, generational change).

Science and innovation (AI, space, technology's future, environmental innovation).

Art and culture (debate music trends, cinema, literature, the role of the arts).

Personal values and philosophy (what is success, can money buy happiness, career vs family).

Ask deep, open-ended questions: "Do you believe AI will do more harm or good in the long run?" "Can money buy happiness?" B2 learners thrive when challenged. I like to toss in unexpected questions or facts to keep the conversation dynamic. Don't be afraid of complexity - if your group is ready, go for it! These discussions build not only fluency but also critical thinking and vocabulary.

Conclusion

As teachers, we know that vocabulary and grammar are only part of the equation. In a speaking club, atmosphere is just as important - creating a space where students feel safe, curious, and excited to talk. The right topic is half the battle. I always feel joy when I see students laughing and chatting passionately in English - even with mistakes. That's when I know the session was a success.

Personally, I've grown a lot through running these clubs. Teacher training and certifications like TEFL/ TESOL (which you can take online at tefl-tesol-certificate.com) have helped me develop new ideas and methods to make each class both fun and effective. I've learned how to spark interest, gently correct errors, and bring out even the quietest voices in the room.

In the end, a speaking club is about real connection and the joy of communication. Try new formats, listen to your students, and celebrate every little step forward. If you ever feel out of ideas, don't hesitate to draw inspiration from fellow teachers and professional communities - we're all in this together.

I hope my experience and topic suggestions help you on your journey. Wishing you meaningful conversations, curious learners, and unforgettable moments in your English speaking club. After all, there's nothing better than seeing once-silent students now eagerly debating topics that truly matter to them. That's why we teach. Good luck and happy speaking!

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Explore the best English speaking club topics by level (A1-B2), with tips, examples, and real teaching insights to make your sessions fun and effective.

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The basic necessaries to train teachers for their betterment in future  

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The basic necessaries to train teachers for their betterment in future  

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In a world rapidly transforming through the influence of artificial intelligence (AI), the role of teachers is evolving at an equally brisk pace. The traditional classroom model, once dominated by chalkboards and textbooks, is now being reshaped by intelligent systems, machine learning, and data-driven instruction. While AI has the potential to revolutionize education by offering personalized learning experiences, adaptive assessment, and efficient administrative support, the true success of this transformation depends on one crucial factor: the teacher.

Why Training Teachers for an AI World Is Essential

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in educational environments, teachers must be equipped with the skills and mindset to navigate and leverage these technologies. Without proper training, educators may find themselves overwhelmed or resistant to change, ultimately limiting the potential benefits AI can bring to the classroom.

1. Bridging the Digital Divide

Not all teachers come from a tech-savvy background. Some may struggle with using digital tools, let alone AI-driven platforms. Training helps bridge this gap, ensuring every teacher is prepared to use emerging technologies confidently and effectively.

2. Understanding AI’s Role in Education

Many educators fear that AI may replace them. However, with the right training, teachers will understand that AI is a tool, not a replacement. It can assist in grading, data analysis, and even student engagement, allowing teachers to focus more on mentoring and emotional support—areas where AI falls short.

3. Developing Critical Thinking Around AI Use

AI systems are only as effective as the data and instructions they are given. Teachers must be trained to evaluate the ethics, biases, and limitations of AI. For example, understanding how algorithms work can help teachers question unfair assessment patterns or data misinterpretations.

4. Creating a Collaborative Human-AI Classroom

Training should focus on helping teachers integrate AI tools like adaptive learning platforms (e.g., Dream Box, Smart Sparrow) and virtual teaching assistants (e.g., ChatGPT for Q&A). These tools enhance student engagement and help tailor learning paths.

"AI won't replace teachers, but teachers who use AI will replace those who don't." – Adapted from educational futurists

The Skills Teachers Need in an AI-Powered Future

To thrive in the AI era, teachers must develop:

Digital literacy: Understanding basic AI tools, data privacy, and cybersecurity

Data analysis: Interpreting learning analytics to adjust teaching strategies

Soft skills: Creativity, adaptability, and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceable

Ethical awareness: Understanding the ethical considerations of using AI in learning environments

Case Study: AI Integration in Finnish Classrooms

In Finland, teachers undergo regular AI training. They use AI tools to identify students’ learning gaps early and adapt lesson plans accordingly. This proactive approach has led to better academic performance and reduced stress for both teachers and students.

Barriers to Implementation

Despite the benefits, several obstacles hinder the widespread training of teachers in AI:

Limited funding: Many schools lack resources to invest in proper training programs

Resistance to change: Veteran teachers may be hesitant to adopt unfamiliar technologies

Lack of standardized curriculum: Few countries have formalized AI training as part of teacher education

Recommendations

To prepare educators for the AI future, the following steps are essential:

1. Integrate AI modules into teacher training curricula

2. Offer continuous professional development workshops

3. Promote public-private partnerships to fund training programs

4. Create peer mentorship networks to encourage knowledge sharing

5. Develop AI literacy toolkits for teachers at all levels

The Future is Now

The future of education lies in the synergy between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. While AI can process data at incredible speed, it lacks the compassion, adaptability, and creative insight that teachers bring. Therefore, training teachers to work alongside AI is not just important—it is essential.

By empowering educators today, we ensure a future where AI enhances, rather than hinders, the most human aspects of teaching. Let us invest in our teachers, for they are the architects of a smarter, more inclusive, and future-ready world.

Muhammad Numair Afzal

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Elio (2025) Movie Review: A Heartwarming Cosmic Adventure for the Whole Family - Pinay Mommy Online

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As a mom, a believer, and someone who cherishes meaningful family time, I always keep my eye out for movies that are not only entertaining but also spark deeper conversations with my kids. Disney and Pixar’s Elio is one such gem—a cosmic adventure wrapped in laughs, wonder, and a big heart. A Quick Peek Into…

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I interviewed two tech ed teachers, asking them to each give their top 3 tips for fellow tech ed teachers.

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Snip - Top Teaching Tips for Tech Teachers - Google Chrome

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This is a blog I found when I looked through one of our course articals. Personally think interesting.

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Discover the best collection of eLearning articles, concepts, software and eLearning resources

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Post your eLearning article. At eLearning Industry you will find the best collection of eLearning articles, eLearning concepts, eLearning software, and eLearning resources.

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Aiming for Good relationship with other people? Feel free to visit this

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Aiming for Good relationship with other people? Feel free to visit this

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Having a good relationship with others is one of the most powerful and beautiful aspects of life.

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How to Build Positive, Healthy Relationships: 6 Helpful Tips

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Learning the importance of building positive, healthy relationships will change your life. God wired us for human connection and when we invest in building positive relationships our lives are fuller and happier.

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Born Fitness — The Rules of Fitness Reborn

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Born Fitness is a trusted source of fitness, nutrition, & health tips designed for real life. Founded by New York Times bestselling author Adam Bornstein.

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it's nice

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If you're looking for a blog that focuses on simplicity, mindfulness, and developing good habits, then click the link below.😉

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If you're looking for a blog that focuses on simplicity, mindfulness, and developing good habits, then click the link below.😉

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https://zenhabits.net

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That's my own blog. I am a blogger too. Have fun reading it

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Theofanis Karaletsos, CZI head of AI for science, and the TranscriptFormer team

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Introducing TranscriptFormer: A Generative AI Model for Biology

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Use it to predict cell types, disease states, gene-gene interactions via prompting, and more.

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This post, titled “The Science of Motivation”, explores how educators can actively support student motivation using the framework of self‑determination theory.

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Many educators struggle with student motivation and, often, it feels like something that is out of our hands. Why isn't Johnny succeeding? He lacks motivation. And to some degree, that's true. There are aspects of motivation that are out of our hands. But there are things that we can do to support motivation in the classroom and to keep it going, even when Johnny would rather be anywhere but here.

Today I'm reviewing some of the aspects of self-determination theory (1). This isn't comprehensive. Self-determination theory covers everything in the continuum from intrinsic to very extrinsic motivation, but instead of delving into those differences, I want to focus on what we can (or can try to) control. I consider each of these to be "motivation levers". In order to maximize motivation, we want each of the following factors to exist for our students but below I will talk about how many of these may vary for different students. My advice is to use these levers as a framework for solving motivational issues. When you notice that motivation is low for an entire class, a subset of students, or just Johnny, you can consider each of these components and decide if any are lacking and which lever might be worth pulling for that situation.

Lever 1: Perceived Value

In order to better explain motivation, I want you to consider something that you really really hate having to do. I'm going to use compliance training as an example throughout, but you can replace it with any other activity that you just lack the motivation to accomplish. As an employee at my organization, there are annual, semi-annual, whenever trainings that I have to do so that my employer can say that everyone received that training. My perception of the value of this training for me is pretty close to zero. I did the training last year. I still remember the training. This is the same training. It takes a really long time. It's really boring.

There are two types of perceived value: intrinsic and instrumental. Intrinsic value is the idea that the activity is enjoyable in and of itself. Maybe you're one of those lucky people who enjoys exercising. Waking up early to exercise is fine because you like to do it. But for a lot of us, that just isn't the case. But exercise has instrumental value. I may not enjoy it, but I know it's good for me. There's utility in this activity; it will help me in some way.

Compliance training? No intrinsic value there. And instrumental value? Pretty low there too. I don't see why I have to do it when I've already done it. How could we improve this? For intrinsic value, maybe we could revamp the videos to be a little more engaging. Maybe we could make a game of seeing which department could finish first or every department that does could get some kind of small reward. Or maybe we could increase the instrumental value by saying, "Hey, we know this is rough, but we have to do it in order to maintain our accreditation and keep the doors open. If you like having a job, you'll need to do this." Ok, ok, fine. I see the point now...

What does this look like in the classroom? For some of us this is easier than others. If you are one of the lucky people reading this who teaches personal finance, you're all set. Instrumental value is high. But for those of you like me who teach statistics (or the recorder if you pay attention to memes), we have a little work to do. My recommendation is to focus more on the instrumental than the intrinsic motivation here. Make it clear to students that there is purpose to their learning. How will they use this later in life? What foundation is this laying for them? Why do they need to take your class? This is not to say you shouldn't try to make class enjoyable, but not at the expense of the content itself. If I really wanted stats to be fun, we might not do much stats in class. Instead I might tell some lame stats jokes, use appropriate scaffolding so that it's not too painful, and use everyday examples so they have something to connect to. There's benefit to those things, so long as they don't become seductive details.

Lever 2: Autonomy

No one likes being told what to do. Autonomy is all about providing choice. This isn't necessarily choice in "whether or not" Johnny has to engage in class, but feeling like I'm not being forced to comply in this exact way feels... good. Autonomy is also about perception. Sometimes we have more autonomy than we realize.

Let's think about that compliance training again. Ugh, I have to do it and there's a deadline. I have no choice. But actually, I have quite a bit of freedom and autonomy when it comes to my compliance training. Does it have to be done? Yes. But I have a month to do it. I can choose to do it all in one sitting or to spread it out over the month. I can do it while eating lunch, during work time, even at home if I want to (would anyone want to do that...?)! I could do it by myself or my colleagues and I could work on it together. So many choices! The thing is... I didn't notice all these choices when I got the email that I had not yet completed my annual compliance training and it's in the perception of autonomy that motivation increases, not the actual autonomy.

As educators, there are so many ways to provide autonomy. Similar to my compliance training, students can choose to work in class or at home. They can choose where to sit, the topic of a project, who to work with (or if they want to work with anyone at all). But the key here is to make students aware that they are receiving a choice. You want them to perceive autonomy, not just receive it.

Lever 3: Relatedness

We are social beings. And social connections can be a huge motivator. The question to ask here is, "Will anyone care if I do the thing?" We're more likely to do the thing if the answer is yes. This is one reason why accountability partners are so commonly recommended for exercise programs: if no one will notice when you don't show up, it's a lot easier not to show up. Another aspect to relatedness is the feeling of not going it alone. Life can be tough and knowing that someone is going through the same thing can make it a little easier to keep pushing through together.

Compliance training? Oh, totally a lone game. No one really cares if I do the thing, except the HR department. But my participation is not going to make a meaningful impact on the organization or the people in it. No one really knows whether or not I've completed my task (again, except that one person in HR whose job it is to make sure the automated emails go out). If the organization made completion a public event, even down to the level of school or department, then people might care that folks in our department get it done. If we were all working toward a collective goal, individual work needed to achieve something as a group... if I am the deciding factor between my colleagues getting that ice cream party or not, well, they're counting on me aren't they? (Pssst, can we have an ice cream party if we all do the compliance training??)

In the classroom, there are lots of ways to create relatedness. Group goals where students can cheer each other on in order to win an award of some kind can be a great motivator for younger students. While group work can be painful, if done right, it can encourage students to push forward when they're not feeling up to working. Much of this has to do with creating a culture that is about teamwork and not competition. More on that in Lever 4... As with Levers 1 and 2, though. relatedness is about perception as well. Students have to see themselves as part of the group and their contribution as important. Any kind of group work needs to still recognize the contributions of each individual to increase motivation instead of creating social loafing.

Lever 4: Self-efficacy

I've written about the impact of self-efficacy on achievement before. Self-efficacy is your belief in your ability to be successful at any given task at any given time. That is, my self-efficacy in writing this blog post might be high on Monday morning and tremendously low by Friday afternoon. My self-efficacy for writing a blog post might be much higher than it is for writing a book. Johnny's self-efficacy for reading might be much higher than it is for math (or vice versa). The point is that if we don't think there's any way that we can be successful at a given task, why would we put in the effort?

There are multiple factors that impact our self-efficacy (2):

1. Previous experiences: If you have been successful in the past (and remember that you have) then you are likely to believe that you can be successful now.

2. Vicarious experiences: If you see that other people like you have been successful with a task, you are more likely to believe that you can be successful too. The "like me" part matters here. Telling a student that I did just fine in my statistics class doesn't bear much weight. Neither does telling them that the smartest kid in school got an A. But if they have a friend who took my class last semester and did just fine, and they tend to perform similarly in classes, then they might believe they can do it too.

3. Messages from others: There's a lot of power in words. Telling someone you believe they can do it can go a long way in their believing it too. The message needs to be authentic and ideally based on evidence (previous experiences) from someone like them (vicarious experiences).

4. Emotional/physiological state: If you are cranky, tired, hungry, or hangry you are far less likely to believe you can accomplish much at all. And here's the factor that we have the least control over as educators. If Johnny walks into class after skipping breakfast because he was up all night fighting with a friend, well... Johnny might struggle with motivation that day. And depending on your role and capacity, there might be little you can do about this. But on an average day, in an average school, we can greet students with a smile. We can take a break to stretch. We can let them have a snack if they want or need it. We can see them after class to address their emotional needs. What you can do for this factor is very dependent on the grade level you teach, what kind of school you are in, and who you are as an individual, but the most important thing is not to ignore emotional and physiological needs of students that you perceive as lacking motivation.

Ok, back to our compliance training... I have decently high self-efficacy here. I know I can succeed because I did it last year and last year I knew I could do it because everyone else has done it before me. If it were that difficult, they wouldn't be able to require it. I didn't get any messages saying someone believed in me and it would have been pretty inauthentic had they sent it... although it might have heightened my emotional state, which went way down when I got the email saying I had to do it again.

One area I want to highlight here for your classroom is the previous experiences. You have so much control over this as an educator. This is about appropriate scaffolding, creating realistic and achievable goals, and frequent formative assessments. When students receive low stakes opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, it doesn't just give you an idea of where they are, it feels good! It's easier for you to say that you know they can do it when you can point to what they've successfully accomplished just before. And the best part (in my humble learning scientist opinion) is that it's good for learning too!! Low stakes retrieval attempts increase self-efficacy, which in turn increases motivation and continued learning but the low stakes retrieval in and of itself increases the likelihood of future success!

Bottom Line

So the next time you find yourself frustrated with Johnny, ask yourself (or Johnny) these questions:

Do you know why you're being asked to do this?

Are you aware that you can choose how you want to do this?

Do you know that I (or someone else) am counting on you?

Do you think that you can do this?

And last, but not least...

Are you ok? Are you tired, hungry, sad, angry, etc.?

Because as an educator who is reading this blog, I want you to know that paying attention to and influencing motivation is important in your classroom. You have so many different options for how you can try to address it depending on what works best in your environment. Your students are counting on you. And I know you can do this because you already do an amazing job and so many educators before you have been able to solve motivational challenges using this framework. But maybe go ahead and have a nap... and a snack.

References:

(1) Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Self-determination theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology, 1(20), 416-436.

(2) Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191-215.

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Many educators struggle with student motivation and, often, it feels like something that is out of our hands. But there are things that we can do to support motivation in the classroom and to keep it going, even when Johnny would rather be anywhere but here.

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2025 Education Marketing Strategies for Success

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Discover what’s shaping the future of education marketing with insights from our recent webinar. Get results in 2025 by following these strategies.

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https://scienceblog.com/gut-bacterias-daily-clock-may-hold-key-to-fighting-obesity/

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Je le trouve très intéressant et utile.

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Pengajaran Bahasa Arab Berbantukan Komputer

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Pengajaran Bahasa Arab Berbantukan Komputer

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Lama - PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA BERBANTUAN KOMPUTER

المدرسين

Prof. Dr. Yusring Sanusi B, S.S., M.App.Ling. . |

Dr. Andi Agussalim, S.S., M.Hum. . |

Matakuliah ini akan mengantar peserta kuliah menguasai pengetahuan dan memiliki keterampilan menyiapkan materi Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab interaktif. Materi tersebut dapat dibuat dalam bentuk pembelajaran luring (offline) maupun daring (online) atau dapat dikatakan dapat diakses melalui web and CD-based. Beberapa aplikasi terkini telah disiapkan untuk dielaborasi, dimodifikasi, dan digunakan sepanjang perkuliahan dan praktikum nantinya. Di antara aplikasi yang dimaksud adalah Hot Potatoes, Knowledge Presenter, Camtasia, Audacity dan Plickers.

Fasilitas Pendukung

Dukungan yang didapat oleh peserta kuliah adalah fasilitas laborotorium komputer yang terletak di gedung FIB-201 dan FIB-219. Pada lab ini setiap peserta akan mendpat masing-masing sebuah komputer. Di samping itu, peserta kuliah akan melaporkan berbagai tugas, baik kelompok maupun individu lewat Learning Management System (LMS) Unhas.

Proses Pembelajaran

Kegiatan pembelajaran melalui SIKOLA akan dioptimalkan pada menu Alur pembelajaran atau Learning Path. Peserta kuliah diharapkan mengakses materi pembelajaran, latihan, tugas dan lainya pada menu Learning Path. Selama pembelajaran, peserta kuliah akan melakukan tugas kelompok dan individu. Perkuliahan dirancang dalam laboratorium komputer. Karena itu kegiatan ini berbasis praktikum. Namun demikian, tutorial tetap akan diberikan. Hal lain yang perlu diperhatikan peserta kuliah adalah akses ke SIKOLA. Diharapkan setiap hari peserta kuliah dapat mengakses SIKOLA minimal DUA KALI sehari, pagi dan sore. Aktifitas ini akan terekam pada sistem SIKOLA.

معلومات المقرر

CAPAIAN PEMBELAJARAN

Capaian Pembelajaran Lulusan (CPL) yang Dibebankan pada Mata Kuliah

1. Menunjukkan sikap bertanggung jawab atas pekerjaan di bidang keahliannya secara mandiri;

2. Menguasai konsep integritas akademik secara umum dan konsep plagiarisme secara khusus, dalam hal jenis plagiarisme, konsekuensi pelanggaran dan upaya pencegahannya;

3. Mampu menggunakan piranti lunak mutakhir berbahasa Arab untuk meningkatkan kemampuan dan piranti lunak aplikatif mutakhir lainnya; dan

4. Mampu menggunakan teknologi informasi dalam konteks pengembangan keilmuan dan implementasi bidang keahlian

Capaian Pembelajaran Mata Kuliah (CPMK)

Mampu mendemonstrasikan dan memamerkan produk inovasi aplikasi teknologi pembelajaran bahasa Arab mutakhir dalam ruang lingkup tugas dan pekerjaannya

SubCapaian Pembelajaran Mata Kuliah (subCPMK)

1. Menguasai konsep integritas akademik secara umum dan konsep plagiarisme secara khusus, dalam hal jenis plagiarisme, konsekuensi pelanggaran dan upaya pencegahannya

2. Mampu menjelaskan teori dan konsep teknologi pembelajaran

3. Mampu menggunakan aplikasi dan membuat video pembelajaran bahasa;

4. Mampu menggunakan aplikasi tes formatif interaktif pembelajaran bahasa dan memamerkan produknya;

5. Mampu memproduksi media pembelajaran bahasa dari berbagai aplikasi open source

6. Mampu mendesain, mendemostrasikan, dan memamerkan hasil projek media pembelajaran bahasa secara terintegrasi; dan

7. Mampu menunjukkan perilaku dan etika pendidik di era digital (diklaim sebagi era revolusi industri 4.0)

Bentuk dan Metode Pembelajaran

Bentuk pembelajaran adalah Kuliah dan Praktikum. Metode pembelajaran untuk matakuliah ini adalah Project-based Learning. Hasil akhir ( output) atau materi output dari matakuliah ini adalah mahasiswa menyusun materi yang dapat digunakan sebagai bahan pembelajaran bahasa Arab, khususnya untuk latihan mandiri dan test. Ouputnya dalam bentuk file.html yang dapat disimpan pada web, CD, atau flashdiks. File dalam CD atau flashdiks sudah dalam bentuk autorun. Standar kelulusan Produk adalah LAYAK JUAL.

Meteri Pembelajaran

Materi Pembelajaran

1. Teori dan Konsep Teknologi Pembelajaran

2. Aplikasi Pembuat Video Pembelajaran

3. Aplikasi Pembuat Tes Formatif

4. Produksi Media

5. Projek Media Pembelajaran

6. Etika Pendidik Era Teknologi

Pustaka

1. Yusring Sanusi B., 2017, Cara Mudah Membuat Latihan Interaktif Pembelajaran Bahasa. CV Myskat: Malang

2. Yusring Sanusi B., 2017, Model Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab Online Berbasis LMS. LKPP Unhas: Makassar

3. Dick, Walter, dkk. The Systematic Design of Instruction. 6th Edition; New York: Pearson, 2009.

4. Davis, F. D. "Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology". MIS Quarterly 13, no. 3 (1989): h. 319-340.

5. Camtasia Studio Help Guide

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Lama - PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA BERBANTUAN KOMPUTER

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Matakuliah ini akan mengantar peserta kuliah menguasai pengetahuan dan memiliki keterampilan menyiapkan materi Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab interaktif. Materi tersebut dapat dibuat dalam bentuk pembelajaran luring (offline) maupun daring (online) atau dapat dikatakan dapat diakses melalui web and CD-based. Beberapa aplikasi terkini telah disiapkan untuk dielaborasi, dimodifikasi, dan digunakan sepanjang perkuliahan dan praktikum nantinya.

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If you're looking for music trends nowdays, this blog is really helpful to know what music that is currently viral.

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The blog site I follow, simple and classic

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If you're looking for inspiration in simple living, A Beautiful Mess is a lifestyle blog featuring decor, crafts, and culinary inspiration.

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Welcome! The A Beautiful Mess blog was founded in 2007. Since then, we've published over 4,800 posts. You can expect all kinds of recipes, craft projects, room tours, and more.

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If you like the world of K-Pop, this blog is suitable for seeing information about our favorite artists.

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allkpop works around the clock to be the first to deliver minute to minute breaking news, gossip, and the most exclusive coverage on the hottest K-pop stars.

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Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started learning boxing and have been doing some research online. I came across this boxing blog that offers a lot of helpful tips and information for beginners. Thought I’d share it here—definitely worth a look if you’re just getting started!

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The #1 boxing training website since 2008.

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It's from storyblocks a blog that I usually visit

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Indonesian Education and Digital Learning

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Indonesian Education and Digital Learning

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Indonesian Education and Digital Learning

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Do you want to succeed in the Indonesian education market? we will be your strongest weapon to gain an advantage in this market.

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I follow this blog for practical tips on project-based learning and student engagement strategies. Very helpful and easy to read.

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Edutopia - What Works in Education - Google Chrome 5_14_2025 7_09_48 PM

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One of the top open source investigative sites out there.

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bellingcat - the home of online investigations

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Your donation to Bellingcat is a direct contribution to our research. With your support, we will continue to publish groundbreaking investigations and uncover wrongdoing all around the world.

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Index - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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Wouf Wouf le Blog est entièrement dédié au bonheur de votre chien ! Éducation et comportement, bien-être et santé : Suivez les conseils de spécialistes canins.

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For someone looking for free photos or stock images

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For someone looking for free photos or stock images

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https://unsplash.com/ This web are great for creative people that need free photo or images, in this web you will find a lot of free images from any genre from nature to animated images.

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مدونة تعليم الرياضيات

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مدونة تعليم الرياضيات

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انتقل إلى المحتوى

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Helping families to learn and enjoy math together.

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I came across this blog post that offers a clear, illustrated explanation of how to structure effective scenes in storytelling. It’s a great resource for both beginners and experienced writers!

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An Illustrated Guide to Writing Scenes and Stories

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Jeff VanderMeer explains the ins and outs of using scenes in imaginative fiction

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This blog contains information about the world of beauty, from facial care tips, product reviews, makeup & skincare tutorials.

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Kumpulan Artikel Kecantikan Terbaru - Blog BeautyHaul

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Dapatkan berbagai artikel terbaru seputar dunia kecantikan, mulai dari tips perawatan wajah, review produk, tutorial penggunaan makeup & skincare.

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This is the Pearpal website, where I can get help with the Infinity Nikki game that I'm playing! 🎮💫

Because this game is not very popular in Indonesia, I actively use English to chat and discuss with other players from various countries. Here, I can share strategies, ask for help, and even support each other to make the game more fun!

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Pear-fect Guides, Miraland World Map, Infinity Nikki World Map, Game Guides, In-Game Photography. “Infinity Nikki is the fifth installment in the beloved Nikki series developed by Infold Games. This cozy open-world game is filled with lovely little wonders to collect. Utilizing the UE5 engine, this multi-platform game offers platforming, puzzle-solving, dress-up and many other gameplay elements to create a unique and rich experience.”

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This is a blog about the SAMR Model, a framework that describes the stages of technology integration in learning: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. This blog not only provides an understanding, but also concrete examples in the classroom - so we can better understand when technology is just a substitute, and when it really changes the way we learn. It's perfect for reflection: what stage have we reached with technology? 🌱

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SAMR Model: A Practical Guide for K-12 Classroom Technology Integration

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Discover how to enhance student learning using integrated classroom technology and the SAMR Model in your K-12 blended classroom.

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female daily is a platform that provides honest reviews of beauty products from various brands. this website also provides the latest information on skincare, makeup, and body care trends. so this blog is suitable for those of you who are looking for reviews of various beauty products

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Female Daily - Info, Artikel, Video dan Review Seputar Kecantikan

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Temukan Informasi terkini dan terlengkap seputar dunia kecantikan mulai dari skin care, makeup, review produk dan brand kecantikan lokal maupun internasional.

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hello all, here i shared to you a useful blog about tips & trick to become a healthy people. hope this help you guys

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Everyday Health: Trusted Medical Information, Expert Health Advice, News, Tools, and Resources

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Everyday Health inspires and empowers people to live their healthiest lives, every day, through trusted, medically reviewed information and expert health advice from the nation's leading healthcare providers and patient advocates. Learn more about health

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The Educator’s Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons

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The Educator’s Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons

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this blog can help teacher about Copyright, Fair use, and Creative Commons when teaching and learning.

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The Educator's Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons

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Copyright is important for all teachers, students, and bloggers to know about and it doesn't have to be as complicated as you think. In our ultimate guide, Dexter the cat helps us break down the basics of copyright, Creative Commons, and fair use....

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I love following this beauty blog to read beauty related articles, tips and tricks, skincare and makeup recommendations, and many more. You can try visiting this blog, guys!

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Female Daily - Info, Artikel, Video dan Review Seputar Kecantikan

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Temukan Informasi terkini dan terlengkap seputar dunia kecantikan mulai dari skin care, makeup, review produk dan brand kecantikan lokal maupun internasional.

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I’d like to recommend JSTOR Daily – History as a great resource for anyone interested in world history.

What I like about this blog is how it connects academic research with current events. The articles are well-written and explore lesser-known historical topics from all around the world. It’s a great way to see how the past still influences the present, and it often gives you new perspectives you might not find in textbooks. Worth checking out!

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from JSTOR, nonprofit library for the intellectually curious

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Hi guys! Here is a useful blog I shared about health

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Hi guys! Here is a useful blog I shared about health

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Anyway, this is one of the blog that I usually visit when I want to look for some health tips and I hope it can be useful for u guys. :)

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Antidepresan sering kali menjadi pilihan pengobatan lini pertama untuk mengatasi berbagai masalah kesehatan jiwa. Mulai dari depresi ringan hingga berat, cemas berlebihan, dan kadang untuk kondisi lainnya. Selain harus diminum sesuai dosis yang dianjurkan, obat antidepresan juga harus diminum di waktu yang tepat supaya efeknya maksimal. Lantas, kapan waktu terbaik minum obat antidepresan, pagi atau [...]

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Hello Sehat | Pusat Informasi Kesehatan Terverifikasi Medis

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Kami memberikan informasi kesehatan yang relevan, kredibel, dan ditinjau secara medis saat Anda benar-benar membutuhkannya untuk membantu Anda menjalani hidup yang lebih sehat dan memuaskan.

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Hi guys! I've found an interesting blog here

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Anyway, I love watching whether it's movies or series. This is my favorite movie, and I've found an interesting blog about it.

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‘We lost, all of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. This is the fight of our lives.’

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This is my favorite source for finding ideas teaching learning math for primary. We can download free worksheet and also explanation about the material.

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Printable math worksheets from K5 Learning

Our free math worksheets cover the full range of elementary school math skills from numbers and counting through fractions, decimals, word problems and more. All worksheets are printable files with answers on the 2nd page.

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Free kindergarten to grade 6 math worksheets, organized by grade and topic. Skip counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, rounding, fractions and much more. No advertisements and no login required.

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Poeticous is an online platform dedicated to reading, writing and sharing poetry. The site allows users to create a personal poetry blog and posts the works of world-renowned poets. The platform is suitable for poetry lovers who want to share their work or find new inspiration, and can be used for free.

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I found the FluentU English Educator Blog, which offers many creative ideas for teaching English, especially by using videos and technology.

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Teaching business English is more or less the same as teaching standard English -with a few twists and tweaks.

Usually you'll start with advanced students who need English for work-related purposes.

But what to talk about? The business section of ...

Want the dream job of teaching English and traveling the world?

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I've been an English teacher across several countries, including Nigeria, China, Morocco and Chile, and it ...

It's easy as pie.

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Idioms. They're a lot of fun to teach and to learn, and they'll make your students sound more ...

Technically, the schwa sound is easy to pronounce on its own-no tongue-twister required at all! However, students tend to forget about it or fail to notice it in words because it's "invisible."

You can't really tell if a word uses ...

Your pupils are getting restless.
Your younger students switch on their phones while you explain the present simple yet another time.

Some adult learners who want to learn English without studying grammar are thinking about quitting.

I know the pain. ...

When used correctly, adjectives can turn any regular old sentence into something special.

For ESL students, the number of adjectives we use can be overwhelming. Take the word "pretty," for example. We could also say:

Beautiful, attractive, lovely, appealing, ...

What makes Sherlock Holmes such a great detective?

Is it his British charm and quick wit? His encyclopedic knowledge of crime, Greater London and understanding of human behavior?

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FluentU English Educator Blog - FluentU English Educator Blog

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Hi everyone!
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Edublogs is more than just WordPress

Edublogs enhances WordPress with education-specific features, themes, and plugins. We offer tailored tools for classroom management, student privacy, and collaborative learning.

Our platform is designed to meet the unique needs of educators and students, with dedicated support and an active educational community.

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Edublogs is more than just WordPress Edublogs enhances WordPress with education-specific features, themes, and plugins. We offer tailored tools for classroom management, student privacy, and collaborative learning. Our platform is designed to meet the unique needs of educators and students, with dedicated support and an active educational community.

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This is a blog about literature and for me it can make me improve my literature.

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this is the link for getinmooc . you can click it. thank you

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The Confident Teacher is a blog by teacher and author, Alex Quigley (@HuntingEnglish), that shares ideas and evidence about education, teaching and learning. Alex Quigley

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This blog provides unique facts about myself and the people around me. I usually only read the part that contains interesting facts and also psychological tests to recognize myself. Although this blog talks a lot about self-development, I actually don't read it too much.

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Satu Persen | Seputar Kesehatan Mental dan Pengembangan Diri

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Solusi atasi kecemasan, overthinking, insecure, dan masalah kesehatan mental lainnya. Gabung bersama 20.000+ lainnya bantu dirimu lebih baik setiap harinya.

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So this is my favorite blog because this blog is always active for the latest news from my game

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Contributors to Sky: Anak-Anak Cahaya Wiki

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This blog focuses on :

1. How should you train?

2. When is it time to rest?

3. What foods should you eat?

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Health and Fitness Blog - The Health Hub Gym - Blog

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The Health Hub | Gym in Bury St Edmunds | Personal Training | Swimming Pool | Group Exercise | Health and Fitness Blog | Outdoor Gym

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I wanna go sightseeing and travel around the world right now tbh

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The Blonde Abroad • Solo Female Travel Blog

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The Blonde Abroad is an award-winning solo female travel blog featuring travel tips, packing guides, videos and photography from around the world.

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blogTO

An unlikely Raptors legend is going to co-star in Murdoch Mysteries

Nick Nurse broke onto the big stage in 2019, elevated from his former role as a Raptors assistant coach with an explosive head coaching debut season that cul...

This is the artist behind Toronto's iconic Indigenous pop art

Latest in Best of Toronto

Latest Reviews

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blogTO An unlikely Raptors legend is going to co-star in Murdoch Mysteries Nick Nurse broke onto the big stage in 2019, elevated from his former role as a Raptors assistant coach with an explosive head coaching debut season that cul...

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Creative Networking Blog - Creative Lunch Club

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Your go-to space for tips, stories, and inspiration to build meaningful connections in the creative world.

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8 Tips For Sharing Your Blog Posts On Twitter

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8 Tips For Sharing Your Blog Posts On Twitter

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Twitter is an online technology for collaboration and communication. Students can use it to share their class blogs and get feedback from one another.

https://edublogs.org

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One of my favorite apps to use to make learning through technology engaging and exciting is IXL.

IXL is a program with over 7000 skills geared towards catering for students of all levels from Pre-K to 12th Grade. There is also 140 skills in Spanish. There's subjects like Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science. Students can use the app even without assistance from an adult because if they are unable to read, they can click the speaker and it reads for them.

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IXL for students: Getting started for grades Pre-K to 2 (2023)

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Use it or Lose it

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When it comes to social media, I'm quite the expert. I had to tireless scrub through social media for potential stories back when I was a journalist.

Now, I'm HubSpot's go-to blogger for almost anything social media-related, so I'm always keeping up with the latest online happenings.

Plus, I'm a younger millennial who grew up alongside social media. So if you'e a marketer trying to figure out the right social media platform to increase your brand's awareness, generate leads, and improve traffic, you've come to the right blog.

To help you make the best decision for your brand, I've compiled a list of core types of social media, examples of platforms within each category, and the pros and cons that each type might present.

By the end, you should have a clearer idea of what social media strategy will work for your business. Let's dive in.

The list of social media platforms is growing, and well-known platforms like Facebook are constantly evolving and adding new features.

With a greater and greater need for a social presence and an overwhelming amount of platform choices, it can be hard to pick which social channels to use.

You might not want to spread yourself too thin by managing a channel on every imaginable platform, but you don't want to miss great brand awareness opportunities.

Social Networking

Examples of Major Platforms

Social networking is possibly the most traditional form of social media, and most social media platforms fall under the social networking category. So, you'll likely see at least one of the aforementioned platforms (*cough, cough* X) pop up again later in this post.

Platforms like Facebook, X, and LinkedIn are often called "networking" platforms because they allow user accounts to interact (network) in various ways.

Professional Uses

Facebook

Many brands and businesses are leveraging social media direct messaging (DMs) for customer service.

In fact, our 2024 Socia Media Report shows 88% of marketers are increasing or maintaining their investment in social media DMs for customer service.

Facebook Messenger is a great platform for this strategy as it allows you to respond to messages from your brand's Facebook followers.

Plus, as a fellow consumer, I can assure you it leaves a great impression on your customers when you're respond promptly to their DMs.

There have been many times when I've slid into a business' DMs because I needed an update on an order, more information about a product, or troubleshooting.

And when the business responds back with helpful information, I always made a note to keep buying from them.

If you're a small business, like a restaurant, I recommend a platform like Facebook as a great place to start your social strategy. With Facebook, you can build a business profile with links to your website and details about your menu.

I'm especially fond of Facebook's community feature, which you can also leverage to create a community page for customers to ask questions or rave about your products and services.

In fact, we found that businesses that leverage social media communities will see excellent results in their marketing strategy.

According to our State of Social Media Survey, 90% of marketers say building an active online community is crucial to a successful social media strategy.

I'm not surprised, considering our Consumer Trends survey found 20% of social media users joined an online community in the past three months, and 22% actively participated in one.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn emphasizes career-related networking, and, for years, I only ever used LinkedIn when searching for jobs or to help friends find opportunities. It turns out, however that LinkedIn is very beneficial for businesses.

For companies looking to offer a professional service, such as B2B or publishing companies, LinkedIn is another excellent way to grow a following.

According to our Socia Media Marketing Survey, LinkedIn is among the top six social media platforms yielding the highest ROI for marketers.

Furthermore, of the marketers who currently leverage LinkedIn in their strategy, 90% plan to maintain or increase their investment in 2024.

Brands looking to build an audience of professionals from a particular industry can create a business profile there, categorize it with an industry type, and then use posts and messaging to publish updates.

They can also use messaging and comment features to interact with their audiences or users who comment on their posts.

X (The app formerly known as Twitter)

An X account could be helpful to companies in a broad spectrum of industries, from entertainment to e-commerce. This platform similarly allows you to create a profile where you can list and link company information.

You can then use X to post about company updates, tag companies or customers in posts, repost positive customer tweets, and respond to customer questions via posts or direct messages.

Like Facebook, you can also post content like photos or videos.

One of my favorite X features I think marketers should look into is Spaces, which allows users to create live audio chatrooms and talk amongst each other.

Companies will often use Spaces to host Q&As, interview thought leaders, or keep audiences informed about the latest happenings with the brand or industry.

On all three social networks, users can easily communicate with others through simple actions like tagging, hashtagging, commenting, private messaging, reacting to posts, and re-sharing content.

Aside from social interaction, feeds on common social networking platforms are designed to show off a mix of text and visuals rather than one primary content type.

This flexibility makes it easy to begin a social strategy on social networking platforms because you can experiment with different forms of content before branching out to platforms that require more specific content types.

For those who want to dabble in video or graphics, these platforms could be a great place to test this new content.

With the growth of video marketing, many have begun to launch more advanced features like Facebook Stories and X's live streams.

Platforms like Facebook and X have also started encouraging native video and photo uploads more heavily.

Recently, Facebook adjusted its algorithms to favor live video and image uploads. This has caused these types of native content to gain greater user engagement.

If you're unsure where to start, check out our beginner's guides for Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

I'll be honest, the beginner guide for X was published before the platform rebranded from Twitter, however much of the information still applies today.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Those interested in posting links may have more difficulty getting engagement than uploading photos and videos.

Some platforms, like Facebook, put individual user posts higher than business posts in newsfeeds.

Facebook may not be the right platform for you business if you're looking to target younger consumers like Gen Z, who are more likely to use TikTok, X, or Snapchat.

Photo Sharing

Examples of Major Platforms

Photo-sharing social media platforms are exactly as they sound - they're platforms where sharing images is the name of the game. I remember the days when Instagram was the most prominent photo-sharing platform.

But that was then and this is now, so if you're wondering why Instagram isn't mentioned here - don't worry! I'll have more on that when I get to the video platforms.
Professional Uses
Pinterest

One of the biggest platforms that specialize in photo sharing is Pinterest. Pinterest is a "visual discovery engine" for users looking for cooking, style, home decor, and general visual inspiration.

Personally, I've been using Pinterest for over 10 years and, like most users, I interact with other accounts on the platform through tags, likes, comments, or direct messages.

In the early days, Pinterest wasn't as synonymous with brands and companies as it is now.

It was more so about crafting virtual vision boards based around aesthetics.

However, brands, companies, and creators find it useful whey they want to take photographs, display content, and update followers about their food, goods, or products.

Pinterest is well-suited for e-commerce companies, such as those that sell home goods and businesses that would like a place to share crisp standalone product images with links.

The platform offers a photo-based feed with posts that can include a photo and a short description.

In the last few years, Pinterest has also shifted to include more video content to compete with platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok. However, the platform still remains a place for users to share their favorite photos.

Here's little look at my Pinterest feed.

The platform also allows all users to link directly to websites or product landing pages in posts. I especially love Pinterest's Explore page and can see a lot of opportunities for brands there.

The Explore page updates daily and operates almost like an old-school blog with how you can scroll to see the previous days' themes as well.

The explore feed features boards curated by celebrities, creators, and brands sharing images their followers would be interested in. And, of course, there are opportunities for consumers to shop.

I clicked on the board called Pinterest Predicts: Spring 2024 Shopping Ideas, and was shown different trends expected to take over this season along with links to buy them.

Brands features on the board include Tory Burch, Nordstrom, and STAUD. Unrelated, but I'm stil laughing at Tennis Aesthetic being the trend of the season because I don't do sports.

Before starting on a platform like Pinterest, you'll want to determine whether your goal is to gain brand awareness, or link-based or e-commerce traffic.

BeReal

If you haven't heard of BeReal, I don't blame you. It's a fairly new app that launched in 2020 and is pretty popular among Gen Z users.

The app's main feature is that it allows users to share a photo of themselves and their immediate surroundings during a randomly selected two-minute window every day.

The idea of BeReal is to step away from the overly filtered and curated content users often see on other platforms. Just be real. Get it?

With the apps premise being candid and unfiltered, how can brands leverage BeReal? The best way I could think of is to use the app to build trust with your audience and only share behind-the-scenes candids.

However, that can be difficult given users are only given a random two-minute window to post.

Pros and Cons

Pros

These kinds of platforms help with brand awareness. Approximately 80% of Pinterest users say they've learned about products or services on the app.

Pinterest provides an outlet for showing off visual content or product shots.

Cons

Upkeep on these platforms might require a photo budget or dedicated production time.

Some platforms require you to post from a mobile app.

BeReal is starting to wain in popularity as its user base has dropped by 18% from its peak.

BeReal is most popular with Gen Z users and there is no opportunity for e-commerce or paid content on the app.

Video Sharing

Examples of Major Platforms

Video has been the dominant type of content marketing over the last few years and it has no sign of slowing down - especially short-form video.

53% of marketers whose companies are currently leveraging short-form video say they will increase their investments in 2024.

Adding a video platform to your social strategy could make your brand look relevant and keep you up to speed with your competitors.

Video can be helpful to a wide range of industries. While a restaurant could have a vlog with cooking tips, a technology company might focus its video strategy on product demos.

Professional Uses

There are many way businesses can leverage video sharing platforms like YouTube. YouTube offers both short-form and long-form capabilities.

Regarding short-form video uses, YouTube Shorts can be a platform your business uses to post product demos, explainer videos, and more.

If you want to get interactive, you can also host live-stream Q&As to answer consumer questions and build community.

When it comes to long-form videos, YouTube is one of the leading platforms. Compared to competing video-sharing platform like Vimeo, YouTube has an extensive audience base and better SEO capabilities.

YouTube also seems to have better opportunities for advertisers and monetization, while Vimeo offers viewers the perk of no pre-roll ads.

For a longer list of similarities and differences, check out this head-to-head piece where we compare the business capabilities of Vimeo and YouTube.

Along with YouTube and Vimeo, the more traditional social networking platforms have begun to aggressively embrace video marketing.

Instagram

Another top contender for video platforms is Instagram. You're probably thinking, "But isn't Instagram a photo-sharing app like Pinterest?" Well, it used to be.

However, to compete with TikTok, Instagram has shifted away from being a photo-sharing app.

In fact, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri clarified in 2021, "We're no longer a photo-sharing app or a square photo-sharing app."

While users can still post photos on Instagram, the platform mainly promotes reels and video stories. It's also worth mentioning that Instagram video posts are more than twice as likely to generate engagement than image posts.

Like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels is a great platform for posting short-form content like product demos and explainers. However, YouTube, as a whole, still allows long-form video while Instagram does not.

TikTok

I'm going to revisit TikTok again later in this post because it also falls under another category of social media platforms, however, it is still a video-sharing channel.

What I love about TikTok in regards to marketing is that it's a very diverse app with many marketing opportunities.

Yes, you can post short-form demos and explainers like on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, but TikTok has more opportunities to build community with your audience.

This because the app is a breeding ground for new viral trends any can take part in, and the app provides many ways for audiences to interact via liking, commenting, stitching, and repurposing sounds (the latter two really help the app stand out).

But we'll dive inter TikTok's interactive opportunities in the next section.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Video content, particularly long-form, might take more time and money to create.

Vimeo and YouTube require more backend tasks like SEO.

Instagram does not have longform video capabilities

TikTok appeals to a younger audience known to distrust brands, so you will likely have to invest in influencer marketing to gain traction on the platform.

Interactive Media

Apps like Snapchat and TikTok allow users to share photos and videos and have various unique interactive and highly experimental features.

These two apps include AR/VR filters, musical overlays, and interactive games. Their audience bases are also predominantly Gen-Z.

Professional Uses

Snapchat

Brands with large followings might consider publishing Snapchat Stories or videos curated by fans.

Without a high-budget or giant online following, it might be difficult for a company just starting out on social media to leverage Snapchat.

Brands and influencers on Snapchat tend to cater their content to the platforms' younger audiences. For example, on Snapchat, you might see stories that present beauty tutorials, wellness tips, news, or trendy new products.

If you're interested in interactive media, there are still a few viable ways you could get involved with Snapchat.

While major brands, like VICE and BuzzFeed, have become Snapchat Discover partners, the average business can still create a Snapchat business account that users can search for and friend.

This account allows you to publish temporary stories like individual accounts. However, those with a business account can also purchase ad space.

If you've set up an account, check out this guide to getting started on Snapchat.

TikTok

When TikTok first rose to prominence in 2020, it mainly an app-based platform catering to a Gen Z market that wanted little to do with brands.

Since then, TikTok has grown to shift its focus to some longer-form content, and brands are much more aware of how to leverage the channel.

In fact, about a quarter of marketers in our Social Media Marketing survey say TikTok yields the highest ROI compared to other social media platforms.

The key to TikTok is to invest in influencer and creator marketing. Build a partnership with a creator who aligns with your brand's values and can introduce your products and services to their audience.

Pros and Cons

Pros

These platforms are very creative and experimental.

They have young audiences, which can help brands better target Gen-Z.

Cons

Producing regular content could be expensive and time-consuming.

Business accounts aren't promoted up-front on the Snapchat interface. You may want to promote your channel on your website or other social channels because users must search for you with your Snapcode or username.

Snapchat is limited to mobile and isn't as easy to use as other platforms.

You will most likely have to invest in influencer marketing to gain traction on TikTok, and finding a creator aligned with your business may be difficult.

Pro-Tip: You should try to correctly estimate the time and money that might go into keeping these accounts up-to-date and relevant.

If you're unsure how short video ads can benefit your business, remember that short-form videos have the highest ROI compared to other video formats.

Blogging/Community

Examples of Major Platforms

Tumblr and Reddit allow users to post about exciting niche topics, like memes, events, politics, and pop culture.

When users publish a post, these platforms allow others to share it or add it to the conversation with their commentary.

Professional Uses

Both blogging and community-building platforms could be helpful to those who want to encourage discussion around very niche industries or topics.

For example, on these platforms, you might see discussions about anything from alternative health to machine learning.

By blogging, you can write posts about your company's industry topics and link them to your product or site.

While many people have a blog on their website, platforms like Tumblr might be great to use if you haven't set this feature up -- or just want to see what others in your industry are blogging about.

With a discussion site like Reddit, you could share a link or a post about a specific topic on a discussion board related to your industry and see how users respond.

You could also start your board if a topic you're looking to encourage discussion on doesn't have one yet.

These two platforms specifically encourage web chatter and post shares from users who care about the same topics.

Both also allow users to follow you or subscribe to your blogs or Reddit boards so your content can appear on their feeds. Here's an example of what Reddit's feed looks like.

Other users can up-vote or down-vote when someone publishes something on Reddit. Up-voting makes a post show up higher in Reddit feeds, while down-voting does the opposite.

On Tumblr, the feeds are organized by time. However, a post can show up higher when it is re-shared by other users. When a user shares or interacts with your Tumblr content, they give it a note.

When they reshare, they can post a comment with the post that gets added to a thread.

Here's an example of how notes and threads can be used to encourage discussion:

Pros and Cons

Pros

Both platforms allow you to share text posts, photos, and videos about your business, brand, or individual thoughts.

These platforms enable you to start conversations about a topic.

Both platforms allow linking to outside websites.

Cons

Longer blog posts might take time to craft or write.

Getting downvoted on Reddit or having no reaction from Tumblr users means your posts may go unseen.

Your audience might be too niche or limited to just those on the specific platform you use.

Microblogging

Microblogging refers to posting short blogs that are meant for quick audience interaction. Both Threads and X fall under this category as they allow users to post blog content with very limited character counts.
Professional Uses
For years, companies have used X to post quick updates regarding their products and services or to engage with their audience in a humorous or relatable way. For example, Wendy's will often post content like below to humrously entice their audience.

The same can be said about Threads, though the platform has only been around since July 2023.

Both platforms allow users to upload mini blogs, photos, and videos to engage audiences. So, really the possibilities are endless in terms of how to use the platform.
Pros and Cons:
Pros

If you have a great sense of humor (like who ever runs Wendy's social media) you have a great chance of entertaining audiences and raising brand awareness on microblogs.

Microblogs are very versatile in terms of the kind of content you can post.

Cons

Private Community

Few things are more frustrating and terrifying to me than when I post something on social media that is meant for my friends, followers, or my target audience and it "leaves the neighborhood."

By that, I mean the post leaves its intended audience and takes on a life of its own.

Sometimes, as a marketer, you want to ensure your content is only being share amongst your audience. You also want to build community and foster trust, which will lead to longterm consumers.

Enter: Private social media community platforms like Discord.

Discord is a voice and chat platform where users join conversation servers, often through exclusive invites, and talk to other members about niche topics.
Professional Uses
Platforms like Discord are great because they allow you to speak directly with your consumers, share content that is more likely to stay with your target audience, and build community with your followers.

You can use Discord as virtual focus group where you can engage with your consumers directly to understand their habits, concerns, and needs.

For example, I have a Discord server I use a content creator to engage with my followers, keep up with the latest happenings in my niche, and build community.
Pros and Cons
Pros:

Like I said, private community platforms like Discord are excellent for community building with your followers and likeminded individuals. You can foster community and stay tapped into your audience.

Cons:

Discord doesn't have features for native advertising, and it's only really helpful if you already have a stable audience who wants to be in community with you. So, you may have to focus on building your brand's following before investing in Discord.

A Few Things to Consider

Before you start logging in and setting up your accounts on a bunch of platforms, be sure to consider these factors:

How much time do you devote to strategizing around a social platform?

Do you have resources for creating graphics or videos?

Do your goals involve boosting brand awareness or traffic and revenue?

Will you need an additional staff member to run this platform, or will it be easy to maintain?

Once you're on a platform or two, be sure to stay aware of how it's changing and what marketers are doing. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing for a current outlook.

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The 7 Types of Social Media and Pros & Cons of Each (Research)

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Here are the 7 types of social media platforms marketers should focus on and research to consider when crafting their social media strategy.

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This is one blog that I use to get additional information on Nutrition as I am currently teaching this Unit in class. It has different features that are very useful and easy to use.

https://www.idealnutrition.com.au/blog/

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The Ideal Nutrition Blog | Ideal Nutrition

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The Ideal Nutrition Blog features informative and popular articles on food, nutrition, health and lifestyle topics.

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New Modern Mom | Simplify the chaos of trying to do it all

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For ambitious moms pursuing a life of fulfillment, balance, presence and beauty. Curated products and advice on pregnancy, motherhood, travel, career and style.

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This article is a guest post by Andrijana. She is a writer and a marketing manager at Justlearn. She speaks three languages and enjoys sharing tips related to language learning. Quite a big fan of Friends, binge-watching, and old movies. If only there were a way to learn new English words by watching Friends.

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My favourite blog- about Poetry- Ashley Silva

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My favourite blog- about Poetry- Ashley Silva

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Casa dos Poetas - Blogue de Poesia, poetas portugueses e do mundo

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Hugo Milhanas Machado é um caso de sucesso na poesia portuguesa contemporânea. Já passava das duas da manhã do dia vinte e cinco quando chegou à Casa dos Poetas, vindo directamente de Salamanca, onde reside Respondeu a algumas questões de Tiago Nené e desapareceu num poema. Nunca mais o vimos.

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I am trying to keep up with AI in Education. This is my favorite AI tool so far! MagicSchool makes online education so much more efficient and gives me some awesome frameworks to work from! 

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The things we should know about starting a business

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من المدونات المميزة  ( المحيط الرقمي )

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من المدونات المميزة  ( المحيط الرقمي )

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Dive into DigitalOcean product updates, company news, and educational content on how developers and startups can leverage the cloud.

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This is a podcast and website of learning English vocabulary it provides a well constructive knowledge about the ways we can use in the classroom

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Top tips for teaching the new AQA GCSE Spanish specification - Oxford Education Blog

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From September 2024, thousands of budding young Hispanists will once again be embarking on a new two-year AQA GCSE Spanish course…

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Dear Colleagues,

As long as you would be interested in Computer Science, just try to have a good glance at the above blog.

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Dive into DigitalOcean product updates, company news, and educational content on how developers and startups can leverage the cloud.

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It's a podcast in Arabic. It discusses topics such as self-development, religion, psychology, etc.

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الصفحة الرئيسية

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مُلهم ..لأن التعبير بالكلمات قوة قادرة على صنع التغيير

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Blogs have become powerful tools for learning in today's digital landscape. They offer a dynamic, informal space where knowledge is shared, challenged, and expanded. Unlike traditional textbooks, blogs often capture the voice of personal experience, making complex concepts relatable and accessible. Readers can engage in conversations through comments, fostering collaborative learning and diverse perspectives. In this way, blogs transform learning into an interactive journey, blending individual insights with a broader

community's wisdom.

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I've started recently to study Greek language and came across this blog. It gives tips about the language, talks about grammar, the alphabet, gives reading suggestions, and covers historical facts.

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Greek Language and Linguistics - Ancient Greek, mostly Hellenistic

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Greek Language and Linguistics - Ancient Greek, mostly Hellenistic

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This is the blog for Greek-Language.com and HellenisticGreek.com.

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Updated November 8th, 2018

Are you looking for a free, easy, step-by-step guide on how to start a blog?

My free guide on this page will show you how to create a blog that is beautiful and functional, all in an easy step-by-step tutorial (with pictures).

Ready to start the simple step-by-step tutorial? Click here to go to Step #1

My name is Scott Chow, and I am going to show you how to start blogging. I have been building blogs and websites since 2002. In that time I have launched several of my own blogs, and helped hundreds of others do the same.

I know that starting a blog can seem overwhelming and intimidating. This free guide is all about blogging for beginners, and will teach you how to be a blogger with just the most basic computer skills. So whether you're 8 or 88, you can create your own blog in less than 20 minutes.

I am not ashamed to admit that when I was first learning how to build a blog I made a ton of mistakes. You can benefit from more than a decade of my experience so that you don't repeat these same mistakes when you make your own blog. I created this free guide so that anyone can learn how to blog quickly and easily. And if you get stuck at any point, please send me a message and I will do my best to help you!
Skip the rest of this introduction and start building your blog!

What is a blog anyway?

In short, a blog is a type of website that focuses mainly on written content, also known as blog posts. In popular culture we most often hear about news blogs or celebrity blog sites, but as you'll see in this guide, you can start a successful blog on just about any topic imaginable.

Bloggers often write from a personal perspective that allows them to connect directly with their readers. In addition, most blogs also have a "comments" section where readers can correspond with the blogger. Interacting with your readers in the comments section helps to further the connection between the blogger and the reader.

This direct connection to the reader is one of the main benefits of starting a blog. This connection allows you to interact and share ideas with other like-minded people. It also allows you to build trust with your readers. Having the trust and loyalty of your readers also opens up the door to making money from your blog, which is something I discuss later in this guide.

Should you start a blog?

One of the misconceptions about starting a blog is that you need to be a great writer to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. People read blog sites to get a personal perspective on things, so most bloggers write in a very informal and conversational style.

In addition, you don't need to be an expert on your topic in order to have a successful blog. For example, readers of a cooking blog don't want to read a textbook from a food scientist, they want to hear the experiences of someone who has actually cooked some real meals, mistakes and all.
To be successful as a blogger there is really just one requirement: a passion for your topic.
At its heart, blogging is about sharing your knowledge with the world. Choosing a topic that you are passionate about makes the process of starting a successful blog so much easier. Writing about more than one topic is totally fine too. As long as you are writing about things that you are genuinely interested in, your passion will shine through and keep your readers interested.

So why would you go to the trouble of blogging? There are a few reasons:

Make money from home. Blogging can be quite lucrative if done correctly. The top bloggers in the world obviously earn quite a bit, but even a part-time blogger can expect to make a nice profit if things are done correctly. The best part about it is that blogging is a form of passive income, since you can spend just a few hours a week writing a blog post and then continue to make money from it long after the blog post is written. I go into much more detail on how to blog for money later in this guide.

Share your story. A blog allows you to have a voice and be heard. You can share your story with the entire world if you so choose. One of the most common ways blogs are used are as a diary where the blogger writes about their daily experiences so that friends, family, and others can all be a part of their lives.

Recognition for yourself or your business. No, you probably won't have paparazzi following you around because of your latest blog post. But a successful blog can gain you a ton of recognition in your respective field. Many bloggers are known as experts just because of their blogs, and some have even gotten book and movie deals based on their blogs.

Find a community. Blogging at its heart is interactive. You write a blog post and people comment on it. This is a great way to connect with people who are interested in the same things as you are. Blogging allows you to teach these people based on your experience, and it gives you the opportunity to learn from your readers as well.

The good news is that the internet is exploding with growth right now. More people than ever are online. This explosion in growth means more potential readers for your blog. In short, if you are thinking about starting a blog then there is no better time than right now.

So, just how do you start a blog?

How to Start a Blog in 6 Steps

Learn how to create a blog in about 20 minutes following these steps:

1. Pick a blog name. Choose something descriptive.

2. Get your blog online. Register your blog and get hosting.

3. Customize your blog. Choose a free template and tweak it.

4. Write & publish your first post. The fun part!

5. Promote your blog. Get more people to read your blog.

6. Make money blogging. Choose from several options to monetize your blog.

Let's start your blog!
Step 1: Pick a blog name

The first step to finding a good blog name is choosing your topic.

If you're not sure what to blog about, there are a few ways to find a good blog topic:

Hobbies & passions. Hobbies or other interests you are passionate about are a great place to start. Cooking, travel, fashion, sports, and cars are all classic examples. But even blogs about more obscure hobbies can be successful, since the your audience is literally anyone in the world with the internet.

Life experiences. Everyone has lessons they have learned through life experience. Sharing this knowledge can be incredibly helpful to others in similar situations. For example, I recently helped a woman start her blog about being a fireman's wife. She has a lot of experience and knowledge to share with others about this topic, and it has helped her connect with others in similar situations.Think about the things you have experienced in life. This could be related to your family (example: a blog about being a stay at home mom), work (a blog about experiences dealing with clients), or other life experiences (a blog about dealing with a troubling time such as a disease or divorce, or about a happy time such as preparing for a wedding or a birth of a child).

A personal blog. A personal blog is a blog all about you. This will include a variety of topics, from things you do on a daily basis, to random thoughts and musings. This is a great way to share you thoughts with the world without having to stick to just one topic.

Once you have a topic it's time to choose your blog name.

A good blog name should be descriptive so that potential readers can instantly tell what your blog is about just from the name.

If you are blogging about one specific topic then you will definitely want to include that in some way in your blog name. Try not to get hung-up on just one word though. For example, a cooking blog doesn't necessarily have to have the word "cooking" in it. The words "food", "recipes", and "meals" would also let people know that your blog is about cooking.

If you are planning to create a personal blog where you discuss a variety of topics then I recommend using your name, or some variation of it, since your blog is all about you. For example, I own the blog scottchow.com. You can also add your middle name or middle initial if you find your name is already taken. Or you could use a variation like "Scott Chow Blog" or "Blogging with Scott".

Once you have some blog name ideas you will need to choose a domain extension.
A .com domain extension is the most preferred, but .net or .org work as well. It is also important to note that for the purposes of a blog domain you cannot have any spaces between words. So "Blogging with Scott" becomes bloggingwithscott.com

Now that you've got your name and have picked an extension it's time to make sure that no one else has already registered the same name:

See if your blog name is available
Note: You cannot use any spaces or punctuation other than dashes in a domain name.
If you find that the name you wanted is already taken there are a few things you can do:

Try a different domain extension. If the .com version is already registered you may still be able to get the .net or .org version of your blog name.

Add small words. Words like "a", "my", or "the". For example, this site is called TheBlogStarter.com instead of BlogStarter.com.

Add dashes between words. For example, scott-chow.com

Step 2: Get your blog online

Now that you've got a name picked out it's time to get your blog online. This might sound hard or technical, but the steps below will walk you right through and make the process easy.

To get your blog up and running you need two things: blog hosting and blogging software. The good news is that these typically come packaged together.

A blog host is a company that stores all of the files for your blog and delivers them to the user when they type in your blog name. You must have a blog host in order to have a blog.

You also need to have the software to build your blog. In this guide I will be showing you how to build a blog using the WordPress blogging software, because it is the most popular, customizable, and easiest to use.

The blog host I recommend, and the one I show you how to use in this guide, is BlueHost. I personally use BlueHost and I recommend them for all new bloggers because:

They will register your blog name for you for free, making sure no one else can take it.

They offer a free, simple installation of the WordPress blogging software (which I show you how to use in this guide).

They have been recommended by WordPress since 2005 and currently host over 2 million blogs and websites.

They have helpful 24/7 customer service via phone or web chat.

They have a money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason.

Use any BlueHost link on this site to make sure you get the special discount price of $2.75 per month. BlueHost compensates me when you purchase through my link, so my services are free of charge to you! In fact, if you have any trouble at all setting up a blog with this tutorial, just contact me and I will do it for you.

2. Select your plan. I recommend that new bloggers get the basic plan. Click "Select" to choose your plan.

3. Type in your domain name in the left box and then click "next" to start the registration process.

If you already own a domain name and want to use it for your blog, type your existing domain in the right box and then click "next". Only use the right box if you have previously paid to register a domain!

4. Fill out your billing details on the registration page.

5. You will also need to choose your hosting package and options.

The 36 month package gets you the lowest monthly rate, while the 12 month package has a lower up-front cost. Remember, you can cancel anytime.

I uncheck the boxes next to the other products when I sign-up. You can always get these products later if you decide you need them.

6. You will then need to create a password for your account. Once you do that you can choose a basic design template for your blog (you can easily change this later, as you will see).

Now your blog software (WordPress) will be installed. Once the install is complete click "Start Building" to be logged-in to your blog.

You should also receive an email with your blog log-in details. ( NOTE: The login details for your blog will be different than for your BlueHost account.)
Having trouble installing your blog? Get help here.
Step 3: Customize your blog

Logging in

To start with, you will need to login to your blog. Go to http://www.yourblog.com/wp-admin to bring up the login screen (replace "yourblog.com" with your domain name). If you are unsure of your login name or password, check the email that was sent to you from BlueHost that has this information.

Changing your blog design

Once you login you will be in the WordPress administrator area. This is where you can make any changes you want to your blog.

Everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to look. One of the great things about a WordPress blog is that you can change your entire layout and design with just a few clicks.

In WordPress, blog layouts are known as "Themes". What is a blog theme? Themes control the entire design of your blog. To change your theme you are going to click on the "Appearance" tab on the left menu.

You will see several themes are already installed on your blog: Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, etc. These are well-designed, clean-looking themes that can work for just about any type of blog. In fact, many of the world's top bloggers use one of these themes.

Unless you have a very specific design in mind for your blog, I suggest you use one of these themes to start with. For our example, let's use the "Twenty Twelve" theme. In order to activate the theme on your blog, hover over the theme and click the "Activate" button. That's it! You have changed the entire design of your blog with just one click!

If you don't like any of the themes that are already installed you can easily choose from thousands of other free themes. To install a new theme, click on the "Appearance" tab on the left menu and then click "Add New".

This is the theme search screen. By clicking the "Feature Filter" you can search by color, layout, and more. Check the boxes that you want and then click "Apply Filters".

Now you can browse the themes that have the characteristics that you want. When you find one that you like click the blue "Install" button.

Once the theme is installed click "Activate" to activate the theme on your blog. To see your new theme in action, go to your blog and take a look!

Changing your theme is the simplest way to customize your blog, but there are lots of of other customizations you can do. Check out my full post on customizing your blog for an in-depth step-by-step guide. You can also watch the video at the end of this guide to see me completely customize a blog from scratch.

Step 4: How to write a blog post & publish it

Now that your blog is up and running it's time to actually do some blogging!

Go to the left menu and click on "Posts".

You will see there is already a post there. This is a default post on every new WordPress blog, and we don't need it. To delete it click "Trash" just under the post.

To begin writing a new post, click the "Add New" link.

You are now on the post editor screen. Enter the title of your post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box.

If you would like to add a picture to your post, click on the "Add Media" button and click "Select Files" to upload a picture from your computer. You can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready click "Insert into post" to add the picture.

Once you have finished your post just click the "Publish" button on the right side of the screen to publish it.

Publishing Your Blog

Even after you have written a post your blog may still be showing a "Coming Soon" page.

When you are ready to make your blog public just click the "BlueHost" menu at the top left of the menu in your administrator area then click the blue "Launch" button to remove the "Coming Soon" page.

Congratulations! You now know how to start your own blog and publish content!

Step 5: Promote your blog

Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is just the start. In order to get readers for your blog you will need spend some time promoting it, especially when you first start.

One of my favorite ways to get readers to my blog is to post links on my social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. This is great, because not only do your friends see the link, but if your friends share the link with their friends it automatically multiplies your readers. If you have created high-quality content on your blog then social media is a great way for your blog to go viral.

In addition to getting new readers to your blog, you will also want to make sure your current readers are coming back. This is where email marketing plays a big role. By collecting the email addresses of your visitors (with their permission of course), you can then notify them when you post something new on your blog. This keeps people coming back to your blog, which not only gives you more readers over time, it also allows you to build a closer relationship with your readers.

Email marketing is too big a topic to cover well here, so I created a separate guide to email marketing for those who are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this guide).

For more tips on promoting your blog make sure to check out my in-depth guide to blog promotion.

Step 6: Make money blogging

Once you have put in the effort of creating great blog content and promoting your blog, making money from your blog is actually the easy part.

There are several ways you can make money blogging, from selling your own products or services, to getting paid to write reviews of products on your blog. But the easiest way to make money from your blog is to sell advertising space.

Once you have a popular blog, advertisers will be hounding you for the opportunity to advertise. The best way to take advantage of this situation is to use Google Adsense. They find the advertisers for you and all you have to do is place the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running ads. Google Adsense takes all of the hard work out of the process and just cuts you a check.

I go into the full details of how to set up Google Adsense for your blog here. For more information see my full guide to making money blogging here.

Need more help?

I hope this guide has answered any questions you had on how to start a blog, but if any of the steps were unclear to you, you can find a more detailed version of each step by using the menu at the top right of this page (or at the bottom of this page if you're on a smartphone).

How do I start a blog? You can watch me build and customize a beautiful blog from scratch here:

The video above should answer a lot of questions you might have about getting your blog set up and customized, but more specific tutorials can be found on my blog page. Here are some of the most popular tutorials from my blog:

Contact me if you have any issues at all and I will personally respond to your email.
The step-by-step guide on this site should give you everything you need to get started, but if you run into some issues, or just want some personalized advice, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Blogging is my passion, and I would love to talk with you about it!

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How to Start a Blog in 2018 - Blogging for Beginners

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Updated November 8th, 2018 Are you looking for a free, easy, step-by-step guide on how to start a blog? My free guide on this page will show you how to create a blog that is beautiful and functional, all in an easy step-by-step tutorial (with pictures). Ready to start the simple step-by-step tutorial?