courses

Tackle that seemingly endless selection of course offerings; a roundup of helpful resources and sound advice for selecting the best courses and acing them.

Wikipedia
Last semester, my class in Women and Gender Studies was tasked with a project surrounding Wikipedia. When we began this project, I must admit my first thought was, “Why are we wasting our time with a site like Wikipedia?” As students, we’re taught that Wikipedia is not a reliable source and that it should never be used when doing research. This idea was so embedded in my head that it clouded my judgment and made it difficult for me to even find a topic or an article to change to begin with. I decided to start with the list of women’s right activists on Wikipedia and noticed there were very few women on it, so I did some research and Rebecca Chalker, who is a women’s activist herself, caught my attention so I decided to focus on her. I added her onto the list and even started an article about her. After reading about her I was so dumbfounded at the fact that such a prominent figure in the Women’s Rights Movement didn’t have her own page on Wikipedia. And then it hit me. How is it that a fictional character like Roger Rabbit has a well-developed page but someone like Rebecca Chalker does not? It all comes down to how our society works and how it plays down or tends to overlook the accomplishments of female identified figures while holding most male identified individuals on a silver platter, whether they’re real or part of a cartoon. Once I realized this, it was so easy to just pick any article and automatically see that in some way or another it was biased. I also decided to edit Norrie May Welby’s page, who was a trans woman but currently identifies as non-specified. I went in and corrected all the pronouns to “xie” and “hir” which are hir preferred pronouns. Even though the edits were small and minimal, the difference it made was huge in that it makes the article not only about hir but also in respect to hir. Overall, I feel like it keeps Wikipedia modern and more unbiased compared to other literature such as our textbooks.
By G M8 years ago in Education
What Effect Do Gifted Programs Have on Kids?
When I started 1st grade, I was put into a gifted program at my local public school. We were the kids that supposedly had "high IQ's" and the ones who pretty much were believed to be geniuses since we were little kids. During my elementary school, we were taught in different techniques and we were raised thinking we were smarter than those who weren't in the gifted program. Fast-forward 11 years and now it's a completely different situation.
By Michel Roitberg8 years ago in Education
Direct and Indirect Speech – Knowing the Difference
One of the biggest challenges that the average English learner can face is not being able to interpret or understand the difference between direct and indirect speech. In order to really understand how they are formed and used, we first need to define these two terms and what they are supposed to represent.
By Ben W8 years ago in Education
Be Open to Writing Opportunities
You know that feeling—a thought you get excited about? And then an opportunity arises and your eyes widen? Maybe you’ve been toying with an idea for a while and then, magically it’s right there in front of you. You know you are perfectly capable, the timing is perfect, it’s a fantastic opening and there’s nothing to lose. Without deliberation, you go for it—full steam ahead.
By Shelley Dootson-Greenland8 years ago in Education
What Being a Student of Linguistics Is Actually Like
You would think that picking a language/linguistic degree would be the easier option, that it might be easier than Psychology or maybe less writing than a History degree. Not to put anyone off learning a new language at university, it is simply an eye opener to how much you have to be dedicated and the amount of work you must be prepared to do.
By Jodie Christina8 years ago in Education
Improve Your SAT Score with Magoosh's Online Prep Course
Studying for the SATs is never fun, and always overwhelming. Even if you've gone to the most expensive private high schools in America, those three letters can make you stress out. But today, there are plenty of tools to take advantage of. When I took the SATs, the only real advantage I could use was a one-on-one tutor. And I hated it. I wanted to study on my own terms and on my own time.
By Kelsey Lange8 years ago in Education
We Can Learn so Much About Life Through Drama
We are often told that our environment shapes who we are. When we reach our teenage years we bring with us so many ideas about life. I often hear stories of young people with dreams and ambitions for the future. However whilst in secondary school, these ideas may change and a new journey begins. They may well bring with them anxieties, worries, low self-esteem. In my work as an actor and drama teacher, I have had opportunities to see young people develop their skills. What a privilege it is to see drama changing someone's life. Some school children that I have taught using the performing arts lack confidence but through the exercises, the games, the group work, I get to see their confidence develop. I like to think outside the box when it comes to drama. I understand that theatre has played a huge role in our culture and young people should be proud that we have produced over the centuries some great writers.
By Christopher Lee-Power8 years ago in Education
Spread the Health
Health classes are some of the most important classes people can go through in their school careers. They teach students the basics of being safe and healthy — lessons which they keep with them their whole lives. However, health issues concerning the LGBTQ+ community have been excluded from these lessons. If health classes didn’t exclude LGBTQ+ issues, the amount of STD diagnoses would go down and mental health would improve within the community, and future generations in the community wouldn’t have such a strong urge to turn to substance abuse. All health programs must change to include LGBTQ+ issues in lessons so they aren’t left to unfairly figure everything out on their own.
By Syd West8 years ago in Education
Theatre People
As a child (now adult) of all things Theatre-darling, I have come to realize that many of the characteristics and actions I have picked up through years of actors training are not always regarded as "normal" behavior. I began the "I'm a performer" thing when I was around 5-years-old when I started ballet, then at 10 I found my love for all other things "performance" at Stagecoach Performing arts school. While I formed interests in many other subjects as I grew up, the strongest pull I have ever had was to being in front of an audience (I know, show off) and I went on to study PA at college and then at University. These kinds of courses are amazing for a person's confidence, but I now know that while the confidence is being drummed in, so are many other "theatrical" traits that are not so accepted when it comes to say, an office job.
By ChrissieJC8 years ago in Education
Science College Courses You Can Take Completely Free from Home
Getting an education isn't cheap at all; in fact, it's pretty damn expensive. Many of us drop thousands and thousands to gain a degree and it's ridiculous because gaining an education is crucial if we want to work at a well-paying job and live comfortably. There are even workers to this day still paying off their student loans; that's how expensive college is. And the more pricey degrees fall under are the medical and science fields. Yes, science courses are a lot of money, and students struggle to pay them off. In class or online, these courses aren't pocket money.
By James Fangs8 years ago in Education
Top 5 Online Medical Assisting Programs
Not having time to go to a college campus to become a medical assistant is normal. Luckily, medical assisting courses can be taken online. All the education you need to jump start your career as a medical assistant can be taken online without having to attend a traditional college.
By Roger Philmore8 years ago in Education
The Most Important Class in School
The Main Issue With Scheduling One of the most difficult and annoying things about any new semester, or year, at school is figuring out your schedule. If you're in high school, you're probably trying to avoid overloading yourself with too many difficult classes. Many would never dare AP Calculus and AP Physics in the same semester, but many others wouldn't have it any other way. If you're already in college, you likely don't want a repeat of freshman year, where all of your classes are uninteresting. This leads to the question: What are the best classes to take?
By Samuel Jackson8 years ago in Education