Chemistry in Art - Combining Science and Art to Create a Variety of Experiences

Chemistry in Art - Combining Science and Art to Create a Variety of ExperiencesOne of the most interesting aspects of chemistry in art is the blending of art and science. Often a combination of art and science is done that has been an ongoing theme of the artist since his or her beginning. The chemistry in art combines both to create a unique and exciting mixture.This includes the chemistry of art. Many artists consider the science of chemistry as an essential component to their art. It's not unusual for people to combine science and art into one medium. One might consider as much art in chemistry as there is in music, or music and literature.However, it is always difficult to obtain a blend of art and science that is perfectly accurate. Some of the more famous examples of this are Thomas Kinkade's painting of the wedding ring in 'Two Women with Rings', which is based on a picture of a wedding band found in a bottle of champagne. In the same vein, David Lynch's film The Elephant Man, in which the title character becomes possessed by the evil Dr. Joseph Merrick, is based on Merrick's work in the science of phlogiston.Another chemistry in art example is a painting of a fire starting in the brush strokes of the painter. The combination of art and science is best appreciated by the viewer, since the artist knows the results that he is attempting to achieve. In the instance of art, the scientific balance is never established until the work is completely completed. Sometimes the balance of the two comes together in a way that is artistic in its own right.There are a number of chemists who have chosen to use chemistry in art to emphasize the beauty of their work. The canvas for their paintings is often colored to complement the theme of the chemistry in art. For example, a female figure in a lab coat, accompanied by a red rose, may be done in red to evoke a chemical reaction between the red and the colors found in the painting, for example.Chemistry in art example is to create a painting that involves a mixture of the elements on one side of the canvas and a traditional representation of the element on the other side. In the case of the painting 'Astonyx' by the artist Mark Sandison, an observer can look at the color palette of the painting, the layout of the painting, and the level of detail from the zebra striped cover on the cover. From the zebra striped cover, the chemist can deduce that there are five different colors in the painting, and that there is no additional information about the element composition given.Chemistry in art is a great way to display the important role that scientists play in the history of art. The combination of science and art helps draw the viewer into the world of science, where they are more likely to be interested in learning more about the chemistry in art. This is part of the excitement that we all seek from our daily lives. It is not only the science in art that will enhance that experience, but also the chem istry in art.

Sentence Fragments, Run-On Sentences, and a Comma Splices

Sentence Fragments, Run-On Sentences, and a Comma Splices   Punctuation errors are easy to make and hard to spot. For some writers, it is especially hard to catch punctuation errors such as sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices. These punctuation errors can really make your writing seem chaotic. A grammar checker can catch these errors some of the time. Better than a grammar checker is your ability to catch these errors yourself.   Sentence fragments A sentence fragment refers to groups of words that act like a sentence yet cannot stand on their own because the writer has made a range of mistakes. To start with, the right subject-verb relationship may not be available within the independent clause. For example, a statement such as Working Far into the Night with the Aim of Finding Their Ornament is a sentence fragment because the writer tries to describe something but fails to create a relationship between the subject and the verb. A different idea may also create a subordination of the relationship. It is worth noting that this can be acceptable when a writer is using it as a style in their pieces. The freedom is, however, restricted in professional writing. INCORRECT:   The sun shining. CORRECT:   The sun is shining.   Run-on sentences A run-on sentence is also known as a fused sentence. It has two independent clauses. The two parts are improperly connected. Even short sentences can be run-on sentences. In a nutshell, sentences are run-on sentences when two independent clauses are joined with a coordinator without a comma, or they are linked by a conjunctive adverb. This mistake is easily corrected with the right punctuation and conjunction.   INCORRECT:  Our house is narrow but it has 8 floors. CORRECT:   Our house is narrow, but it has 8 floors. EXPLANATION:   The conjunction but joins two sentences without a comma. Add a comma before the conjunction.   INCORRECT:   I asked everyone if they had seen my parrot but no one saw it. CORRECT:   I asked everyone if they had seen my parrot, but no one saw it.   Comma splice errors A comma splice is an error made by the writer when they use a comma to join two independent clauses. For instance, a sentence such as I am going to the library, I will study for my exam. In this case, the comma is utilized to join two independent clauses. It can be fixed by adding a conjunction. A semicolon can also be utilized because they are strong enough to create a relationship between two independent clauses. Furthermore, the writer may opt to write two different sentences and hence do away with the comma. In the artistic forms of writing such as poetry, the comma slices can be embraced to create an exciting piece. The racing thoughts of a character in a fictional story can be linked using the splices. In professional writing, however, this mistake must be avoided. INCORRECT:   I am going to the library, I will study for my exam. CORRECT:   I am going to the library. I will study for my exam. CORRECT:   I am going to the library, and I will study for my exam. It is clear that the run-on sentences, comma splices, and sentence fragments are different. However, they share a common characteristic; they tend to be utilized when a person is trying to create the appropriate independent clauses in a sentence. The writer may not be aware of how to create a subject and the verb properly, hence coming up with a sentence fragment. They may also be trying to create a connection between one thought to another, and will, therefore, make the mistake of including the run-on sentences and comma splices in a sentence. To avoid this, it is critical to observe the grammatical rules and regulations when writing. Proofreading the written materials is also worth considering.     Sources http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/fragments.htm http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/fragment.htm https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma-splice/ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/run-on-sentence-basics/ http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/runons.htm Please follow and like us:

Leading on Opportunity The Opportunity Task Forces call to action - Heart Math Tutoring

Leading on Opportunity â€" The Opportunity Task Force’s call to action - Heart Math Tutoring Leading on Opportunity â€" The Opportunity Task Force’s call to action Leading on Opportunity â€" The Opportunity Task Force’s call to action March 31, 2017 By Emily Elliott Alarmingly, Charlotte and Atlanta ranked 50th out of 50 in economic mobility among the largest U.S. cities in a 2013 Harvard / UC Berkley study. A $400,000 report summarizing 18 months of research by Charlotte’s Opportunity Task Force was released last Monday 3/27/17. This 97-page document outlines 21 strategies and over 80 recommendations for our community. Here are a few points: The report mentions the value of students having “Life Navigators” as early as 7th grade and career awareness as early as 3rd grade. Speakers at Mondayspresentation referenced “an army of volunteers” and emphasized what a positive force social capital is on our community when we proactively build it. Public education reform was largely excluded, for purposes stated in the report, aside from encouraging CMS to be bold in its school assignment goals and to ensure the quality of a high-school diploma. According the report, 70% of CMS graduates entering CPCC require remediation in math and/or reading before they can take college-level classes. We should be proud of our community’s efforts to double the literacy rate to 80% by 2025 through Read Charlotte, hailed in the report for its systems-level approach and impact. Though little attention in the report was given to math skills, I am confident that the community will also leverage research indicating that early math skills are strong predictors of future success across subjects. (Duncan, Magnuson, Pagani, Romano, Babchishin, with various studies from 2007 â€" 2010) The sections on Segregation and Social Capitalbookend the report. Heart tutors work in high-poverty concentration schools and see the impacts of these factors weekly. Read the report and its recommendations here. While the report makes it clear Charlotte has a long way to go, I hope as Heart volunteers, supporters, and partners, youknow that you are making a tangible, immediate impact on students. Thank you for your work with Heart! ### Heart Math Tutoring is a math intervention program supporting 750 weekly volunteer tutors across 12 CMS high-poverty elementary schools. Students build foundational math skills and enthusiasm for academics needed for long-term success. “Heart volunteers provide invaluable encouragement and positive influence, delivering a message to our students from the broader community: ‘We care about you. Your education is important to us.’” Regina J. Boyd, Former Principal at Winterfield Elementary (2014)

Craving A Sugar Fix Try These 4 Healthy Desserts Instead!

Craving A Sugar Fix Try These 4 Healthy Desserts Instead! Image Via thebigmansworld.com Ingredients: 1 cup mashed, overripe bananas (approximately 3 medium bananas) 1/2 cup smooth almond butter (can sub for any smooth nut butter) 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder Instructions: •Preheat the oven the 350 degrees, grease a small cake pan or loaf pan and set aside. •In a small microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, melt your nut butter. In a large mixing bowl, add the banana, nut butter and cocoa powder and mix very well (or mix with a blender). •Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for around 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing into pieces. Enjoy refrigerated. 2. Pumpkin Truffles Yes, it is fall season and that means pumpkin ‘errthang. Although a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte may contain up to a whopping 450 calories, that doesn’t mean that you have to completely deprive yourself of the season’s favorite flavor. These little pumpkin truffles give you the perfect dose of pumpkin sweetness without causing you to sacrifice all of your hard work! Recipe courtesy of mywholefoodlife.com. Ingredients:   For the pumpkin: 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 can pumpkin) 1 cup coconut butter 3 tbsp  maple syrup 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg For the chocolate coating: 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips 1/4 cup almond milk Instructions: •In the food processor, combine all the ingredients for the pumpkin cream. Blend until smooth. •Stick the food processor bowl in the fridge to firm up a little. About 10 minutes. •Using a cookie scoop, drop mixture onto a lined baking sheet. •Place the baking sheet in the freezer to firm while you make the chocolate mixture. •To make the chocolate use a double boiler method. Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. •Place a glass bowl on top of the pot with the water. Add the chocolate chips and almond milk to the glass bowl and gently melt the chocolate. •Once all the chocolate is melted, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over each truffle. •Place in the fridge to firm up the chocolate. Please keep these truffles in the fridge. They should last a couple of weeks. You can freeze them for longer storage. Enjoy! 3. Cake Batter Nice Cream Craving some birthday cake-flavored goodness? Well save yourself the sugar-ridden trip to your local fro-yo shop and whip some cake flavored “nice cream” right at home! Caution: you may want to sing happy birthday to yourself while snacking on this sweet treat. Recipe courtesy of biggerbolderbaking.com. Image Via biggerbolderbaking.com Ingredients: 1 cup (8oz/225g) plain yogurt (greek, non-fat or full fat) 8 oz cream cheese (light or low fat) 3 tbsp honey 3 tsp vanilla 3 tbsp sprinkles Instructions: •Add the cream cheese, honey, yogurt and vanilla into a food processor (or liquidizer). •Process until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps left. •Stir in the sprinkles with a spatula. •Transfer it to an airtight freezable container and freeze for a minimum six hours, but preferably overnight. Store it in the freezer for up to one month. 4. Vegan Peanut Butter Mug Cake Sometimes, you just want to make a simple and sweet dessert for one without the hassle of having to spend an hour baking for a party of four that will never arrive. Thats why I love to make mug cakes. They are simple, quick, and delicious while being healthy and nutritious. You can also make them with a variety of ingredients (think vanilla blueberry and chocolate banana). Try this delicious and rich take on the mug cake with a peanut butter flair. Recipe courtesy of kitchentreaty.com. Ingredients: 2 tbsp oat or coconut flour 2 tbsp peanut butter (I use all-natural creamy peanut butter) 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (could substitute dairy milk for non-vegan version) 1 tbsp  pure maple syrup (could substitute stevia honey for non-vegan version) 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract Chocolate chips for topping (optional, but I use Lily’s Stevia Sweetened Chocolate Chips) Instructions: •Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips (if using) to an 8-ounce or larger microwave-safe mug.  Use a fork to stir together until combined. •Microwave on high until the cake has risen and springs back slightly when you poke it, about 60 seconds. If its not done after 60 seconds, try cooking in 15-second intervals until done. •Top with chocolate chips or chunks  if desired and enjoy hot!

Happy Independence Day, USA!

Happy Independence Day, USA! Independence Day  is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, BBQ, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and the movie The Patriot. There are many great and memorable quotes in this movie. Check out the best quotes that can be shared on Fourth of July: 1 Benjamin Martin: May I sit with you? Charlotte: Its a free country. Or at least it will be. 2 Charlotte: You have done nothing for which you should be ashamed. Benjamin Martin: I have done nothing. And for that I am ashamed. 3 Susan Martin: Papa! Papa, dont, Ill say anything! Please, papa, Ill say anything you want, tell me what you want me to say and Ill say it Papa, please dont go! 4 Lord General Cornwallis: Their names and ranks? Benjamin Martin: They refuse to give me their names, but the ranks are nine lieutenants, five captains, three majors, and one very fat colonel who called me a cheeky fellow. 5 Gabriel Edward Martin: [shouting] Im not a child. Benjamin Martin: [shouting] Youre my child. 4 [Grooming himself before battle] Major Jean Villeneuve: If I die I will die well dressed. 6 Occam: Gabriel said if we won the war, we could build a whole new world. Just figured wed get started right here with your home. Benjamin Martin: Sounds good. Thank you. 7 Benjamin Martin: Im a parent. I havent got the luxury of principles. 8 Benjamin Martin: This battle was over before it began. 9 Benjamin Martin: When you have a family of your own, perhaps youll understand. Gabriel Edward Martin: When I have a family of my own, I wont hide behind them. 10 Benjamin Martin: I have long feared that my sins would return to visit me, and the cost is more than I can bear. 11 Lord General Cornwallis: Everything will change. Everything has changed. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

How to Unleash Your Mind Power 5 Ways to Learn Any Language with a Growth Mindset

How to Unleash Your Mind Power 5 Ways to Learn Any Language with a Growth Mindset You can learn any language.There, I said it.How can I make such a bold claim, without knowing you personally?Because I know you have thoughts.And by using  your thoughts to  develop a growth mindset, you can absolutely  learn a foreign  language.Yes, even  if youve never learned a language before  or if you think your  memory isnt the sharpest.And for those of you who have been learning languages steadily for some time now, if this is the first youve heard of a growth mindset, prepare to be amazed.Ive taken the five main elements of a growth mindset and applied them to language learning, sharing  specific actions you can take today for incredible results. Are you ready to redesign  your mind? What Is a Growth Mindset?You might not have seen the name  Carol Dweck before now, but this world-renowned Stanford University psychology professor is  a bit of a celebrity  in the field of motivation. She has spent decades studying  why people succeed, and that research  is  what led to her r evolutionary discovery of mindsetsâ€"which  well be using to succeed in learning a language.In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,  Dweck explains that there are two contrasting mindsets people may have: fixed and growth. While this isnt a black-and-white situationâ€"you probably fall somewhere on a scale between the two, depending on the situationâ€"were going to look at them individually to better understand each.People with a fixed mindset are concerned with judgement, afraid of failure and cannot self-correct. They generally stick to what theyre good at so that others will view them as successful, and they think intelligence is somewhat fixed.People with a growth mindset see value in improving and learning, love challenges, self-correct and believe in effort. Theyre not afraid to make mistakes while trying something new, as they know thats simply whats necessary when you learn by doing. They agree you can significantly change how intelligent you are, at any point in time.Not only will a growth mindset help you learn new skills and overcome setbacks in any area of your life, but its also the key to learning a foreign language, as youll see in the five tips below.How to Unleash Your Mind Power: 5 Ways to Learn Any Language with a Growth Mindset1. Change Your Inner DialogueDepending on where you currently fall on the fixed/growth mindset scale, acquiring a growth mindset can be a big change, and will require development. Youll literally need to change the way you think, and I have some action items below which will help you do this.But bear with me here, because this step is vital  to learning a foreign language. Dweck writes in her book:The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.Its equally true that  the view  you adopt for  yourself profoundly affects how well you learn a language. So, how should you  think of yourself  with a growth mindset? First, no more I cant ~ or Im so bad at ~ statements. While it is i mportant to be able to identify your weaknesses (as well see in #5), the language you use to  pinpoint these matters.Then, we need to eliminate fear of failure, and furthermore, the idea of failure altogether. Especially in todays society with pristine profiles, photos, websites and online portfolios plastered all over the Internet, many of us have this false idea that anything less than perfect is failure.What you usually dont see online is the behind the scenesâ€"the grit, effort (and mistakes!) it took to get there. Being imperfect is not failure; its perfectly natural. And when you begin learning a new language, theres a ton you wont know. Thats because youve just started learning!When theres a lot you dont know, youre going to make mistakes, youre going to feel unsure and youre going to have questions. This is how you acquire new knowledge and abilities.People with a growth mindset understand to their core that qualities can be cultivated; youre not born with it. By putting in continual effort and following the four tips to come, you can learn a foreign language. Take your focus away from success/failure, and place it on the learning.Heres an example of how you might change your thoughts:Fixed mindset: Im so bad at Chinese; people never understand me and I can never remember the words for what I want to say!Growth mindset: Today people had some trouble understanding me, so Im going to work on my pronunciation with my language partner. It may be hard for me to remember words right now, but I will study with FluentU to improve over time.I highly recommend reading Mindset to help you develop this type of thinking, but here are three actions you can do which will also set you on the growth mindset path.Actions to change your inner thoughts:Create inspirational quotes: Find some relevant quotes in English (such as any of  these, these or these) and translate them into your target language. If youre not a beginner, go ahead and search for the quotes directly in your target language, skipping the translation process. Write them out by  hand on notecards and post them up in your room. Put one on the bathroom mirror and read it aloud every morning and night, and bring a few more quotes (or copies) to work. Change your phone and computer backgrounds to one of these quotes. Read it again and again, and youll actually begin to change your thinking.Identify worry/fears: To help overcome any fears of failure or leaving your comfort zone (#2), I recommend using Dale Carnegies method to overcome worry from his lovely book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. For any  situation that makes you uneasy, ask yourself, Whats the worst that could possibly happen? Mentally picture the worst that might happen,  and write it down. Then, accept the worst (pretend thats what has happened), and try to improve on it.Stop comparing: You can gain awesome motivation and tips from polyglot stars, but dont let yourself into the comparing trap (i.e., Ill never be li ke him, But she went to an immersion high school!, etc.) Be on the lookout for comparingâ€"especially when browsing social media or interacting with fellow language learners in your class or at language exchanges. You need to catch yourself in the act, and then change your internal dialogue. The next time you come across someone with a higher skill level in your target language, rather than compare, ask them for advice! Remember, they were once at your exact level.2. Push Outside of Your Comfort ZoneAnother big characteristic of people with a growth mindset is that they push beyond their comfort zone. Pushing beyond this zone will feel, well, uncomfortable!â€"but its necessary to gain new skills, like  speaking a foreign language.If you want something to become easy and familiar, you have to do it over and over; you cant avoid it. Our natural hesitancy, however, is to stick to the comfortable. To remind me to watch out for this tendency, I have a quote up in my room that says:Choose growth over comfort.Any time Im hesitant to make a phone call in French, for example, those four words remind me that being uncomfortable or nervous for the duration of a quick phone call will only help me become more at ease in the long run. The more I do it, the less of a big deal it will seem.If youre just starting out learning a language, youll soon become comfortable with the present tense, or some  basic words when speaking and writing. Its a lot easier to say I went than to learn and use a more accurate description such as I fled, I drove, I set off, I moseyed on over, etc. Our third action item below will help you get past this very language comfort.Another phrase to remember is Start before youre ready.So many people unfortunately take away their own opportunities to learn by thinking they arent ready. Im not good enough for a conversation partner, I couldnt understand a movie or I cant order from an all-Chinese menu are all thoughts that will prevent you from improving.Ag ain, its doing the actions that will make you ready, or rather, allow you to progress. The sooner you jump in and leave your comfort zone, the sooner that zone will expand to where youve gone.Dont forget that you can also push outside of your comfort zone when it comes to learning  methods. Maybe youve been sticking to homework assigned in your language class, or to one favorite language learning app, for example. Expand your learning tools and give some new methods a try.Actions to push your comfort zone:Go to a language exchange:  Go to a language exchange or have a video call with a native speaker before youre ready. If youve never done this before, now is the time. If youre nervous, know that all of the other language learners were once in your exact shoes; they had to start somewhere. Prepare a quick intro and a few questions ahead of time, so that you have somewhere to start. Remind yourself throughout that its all a learning experience.Make calls on G+:  Every two weeks, load up $5  on Google Hangouts,  call a business/hotel/restaurant/university somewhere in the world where your target language is spoken and ask them some basic questions. Even if its your first month of language learning, you can do this!  The distance and triviality of the call should make you much calmer and relaxed.  Make several calls during a single session, and feel free to  choose a target topic/phrases each week to focus  the calls.Eliminate five:  Choose five foreign words that you use most frequently (i.e., good, bad, go, etc.). For the next week, youre not allowed to say or write these words. Instead, look up synonyms before the week begins, and carry them around with you. You could do a week of adjectives, another week of five verbs, etc. If you arent using your target  language that frequently, feel free to extend the ban to several weeks or a monthâ€"though we recommend increasing your frequency too!Block  sites: Use a free site blocker (like this Chrome extension) to blo ck your regular news site and delete any news apps you might have in your native language from your devices. Replace it with a news site in your target language by adding it to your browsers favorites bar and downloading any apps. For the next three weeks, every time you want to check the news, use the site in your target language.Have a weekly hour of attack: Keep a running list of the hardest/scariest/most confusing topics for you right now. If you were an  English learner, for example, topics might include if clauses,  who vs. whom, take vs. bring or  how to ask questions.  Spend one hour each week investigating these topics in-depth. (Feel free to break this into two half-hour sessions, by the way.) Start with the first topic  on your list  and look up various explanations of the concept (blog posts, websites, workbooks, etc.). Ask a tutor or teacher for help if its still unclear after referencing a variety of sources.Then, look for usage examples in various media (podcasts, sho ws, FluentU clips, magazines, etc.). Finally, bring together all youve learned into an ultimate resource on the topic. I make a rough draft on printing paper as I collect information, and then neatly write the final page of notes in a notebook used just for this purpose. You might end up spending several weeks (aka several hours) on a single concept. The goal is to know the topic so well that you could teach someone else, and your final page of notes will be a great tool for reference and review.While Ive personally only used this technique with tricky grammatical topics (after all, those are often the scary topics we want to avoid), you can certainly adapt it for  themes  as well. You might explore  broad themes like  home and  weather, or more specific topics like a current event, ordering food at a restaurant or writing an email.3. Pursue Your CuriositiesPeople with a growth mindset plunge in wholeheartedly, because they have a genuine desire to know more. Perhaps the language it self is a huge curiosity for you, but more likely you can pair another interest with your target language to authentically get pulled in.Julia Childs account of learning to cook French cuisine in her delightful book My Life in France is absolutely  fascinating. At the age of 37, upon moving overseas to Paris for her husbands job, she became so curious about and interested in French cuisine that it ended up shaping the rest of her life.It was speaking with the vendors at the local markets and with chefs at restaurants that helped her French to progress. She wanted to know more about the foods and their preparation, so she needed the language to find answers. Here are two  quotes from the book that show just how strong Julias passion was for French cuisine:One of the things I loved about French cooking was the way that basic themes could be made in a seemingly infinite number of variations I wanted to try them all, and I did. I learned how to do things professionally, like how to fix properly a piece of fish in thirteen different ways, or how to use the specialized vocabulary of the kitchenâ€"petits dés are vegetables diced quite finely; a  douille  is the tin nozzle of a pastry pan that lets you squeeze a cake decoration as the icing blurps out.When I wasnt at school, I was experimenting at home, and became a bit of a Mad Scientist. I did hours of research on mayonnaise, for instance, and although no one else seemed to care about it, I thought it was utterly fascinating.Julia admits  that she made so much mayonnaise during that phase of experimentation  that she and her husband could hardly stand to eat it anymore, so she actually started dumping batches down the toilet! What a shame, writes Julia, But in this way I had finally discovered a foolproof recipe, which was glory!  Clearly Julia was propelled forward by the desire to know more about French cuisine.Some interests may align strongly with a languages culture, but definitely dont limit yourself to cooki ng in French, dancing tango  in Spanish or doing taekwondo in Korean, for example.Actions to pursue your curiosities:Use Google or Wikipedia to look up curiosities: Often, when I have a small curiosity to learn about something, Ill do a quick search on Google or Wikipedia to learn a bit about it. Im assuming you probably do the same. So for one week each month, do every single Google and Wikipedia search in your target language. For that week, you could change your Google location to a country where your target language is spoken (heres how to do that). Or, you can change your home page to the Google domain of a country that speaks your target language (e.g., www.google.co.jp is Japans Google domain).  Heres a list of Google domains. On Wikipedia, the language settings are on the left-side panel.Start a passion project: Start a focused project exploring something youre excited about. This is something youd do in your free time purely out of interest and pleasure. Today, the term pas sion project is often equated with a small side business, but generating income is not what were aiming to do here. For a quick non-language-related example, Sarah Coyne  loves national parks, sending snail mail and painting, so she began a personal project called Post for the Parksâ€"which uniquely combines all three interests.Here are some  ideas for your project: writing a childrens book in your target language, interviewing immigrants (or natives of another countryâ€"dont forget you can do Skype interviews too!) about a topic of your choice, making a calendar in your target language tracking an event (political, historical, current, science, etc.) or composing a song with lyrics in your  target language. For more ideas, consider tweaking one of these school project ideas to involve  your target language and interests.4. Take On Challenges That Will Stretch YouA  fourth quality of people with a growth mindset is that they wont shy away from a hearty challenge. In this instance, I m using the word challenge to signify an undertaking that should be quite difficultâ€"think 48 Hour Film Project,  Tough Mudder  or The Big Moment  (Anyone else remember that 90s TV show?).So ideally there should be a hard deadline, a shorter timeline (from two days to three months), and it should feel like a sprint. Its not something you could do all the time, such as Study 10 minutes every day this month. Rather, this is on top of your regular language practice time.Make sure your challenge lines up with your learning objectives. For example, if youre learning German in order to read  original works of German philosophers, a speaking challenge clearly wont be the best way for you to  get there.Once youve chosen your challenge and start date, begin telling  all of your friends and family about it. This will help hold you accountable. You might even find someone who wants to do the challenge with you, which would be excellent for accountability! Share your progress throughout the ch allenge so you dont lose steam.Like the passion project, your challenges could take on many shapes and sizes (and should be interesting to you), but here are a few ideas to get you started.Possible  challenges to take on:1000 Words Challenge:  If youre a total beginner, try the 1000 Words Challenge, created by  Vocab Express in association with  Oxford University Press. You get a free account with a simple registration (email, username, password), which lasts the duration of the 1000 Words campaign. The current languages offered in this particular platform are French, Spanish, German, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese and Arabic. Vocab Express has organized the 1000 words by category, and it  teaches you the vocab through various learn modes and tracks how much youve learned. Youll have to give yourself your own deadline, though. How about three months?Add1Challenge:  The Add1Challenge  was designed specifically for language learners. The goal is to hold a 15-minute conversation with a native speaker in 90 daysâ€"even if youre starting  from zero. The challenge is for serious participants only, as you must pay 97 USD to join the community. Whats more, if you dont submit a required video by the deadline, for example, youll be removed from the Facebook groupâ€"no refund. But if youre all in, the support from the community and structure of this challenge can produce incredible results.Ignite presentation:  Igniteâ€"whose tagline is Enlighten us, but make it quickâ€"is a type of presentation where you have 20 slides, which automatically change every 15 seconds. That means you have 5 minutes to give the presentation. For a language challenge,  prepare and give an Ignite presentation in your  target language about something important to you. Due to the automatic advancement of the slides,  youll have to  practice to get your timing rightâ€"so those repetitions will be great for getting comfortable in  your target language. Choose a specific deadline thats honest ly challenging for you. Olivia Mitchell, who prepared her first Ignite presentation  in 3 hours,  shares her tips for speedy preparation here.5. Examine Yourself and Self-correctThe final major  quality of people with a growth mindset is that they regularly examine themselves and confront the truthâ€"good or badâ€"to self-correct.  If you dont know whats not working, how can you fix it?We said earlier that you should  eliminate negative language from your internal dialogue (i.e., I cant ~), but positive, talent-based praise is also a slippery slope. If you  repeatedly tell yourself Im so good at vocabulary, a fixed mindset would  want to prove that statement true, which makes it hard to admit when something needs attention. (A better praise, by the way, would be one that praises effortâ€"not abilityâ€"such as,  Im working so hard to learn this  vocabulary. Gold star for me!)Since people with a growth mindset know its effort that produces results, and arent afraid to be seen as faili ng,  they more accurately assess their progress, strengths and weaknesses. Regularly assessing your language-learning progress from day one will allow you to spend your study time more efficiently, working on what actually needs the most attention. This, in turn, will drastically speed you closer to your goals.Keep in mind that youll want to measure both your language skills and  your language-learning methods. Maybe youve been listening to podcasts for Japanese learners every day  on your way to work, but youre often distracted by the traffic and havent held on to a single phrase that was taught. Taking the time to stop and reflect on your methods will allow you to realize something needs to changeâ€"perhaps you should  listen to Japanese music on the way to work instead, and listen to the podcast in the evening with a transcript in front of you, for example.Actions to examine yourself and self-correct:Set specific goals: In order to examine your progress, the first step is to know where youre headed. Sit down for 15 minutes and write down your language goals.  Use this guide to set effective language-learning goals, and you can download a  free goal planning sheet here  made specifically for language learners by  Lindsay Does Languages. The worksheet is great because in addition to your goals, it has you pinpoint exactly how youll measure your progress. You might end up inventing  some sorts of  tests  so  that you can track hard numbers/documentation, to see change over time. (I record a video of myself speaking unscripted in French for about 5 minutes each month as one of my ways to measure progress, for example.)Have monthly check-ins:  Check in at least monthly. Block off 15 minutes at the end of each month by writing it in your planner or scheduling it on a calendar app. A good time to do this scheduling is right once youve finished your goal setting; go ahead and pencil them  in for the next 6 to 12 months. When you sit down, look at what youve tracked over the previous month. Ask yourself basic questions: What went well? What didnt go well?  Are my methods  effective?  Celebrate your progress  and make a plan of attack that adjusts your methods and hones in  on your weakest skills.  Keep a color calendar:  Last spring, I used four different colored highlighters to track how much time I was spending on the  four skillsâ€"speaking, reading, writing and listeningâ€"in my paper planner. When I went to a language exchange, I colored in that time slot with the color for speaking. When I watched a movie in French, I colored in listening. At the end of each week I would  look back and easily see how  I had  spent my time, and plan for the next week accordingly. I tracked all four skills because I wanted to learn all four, and I used paper because I prefer it, but you might want to track something else or use a slightly different system. Note that time doesnt necessarily equal progress in that skill, but this is  a nice basic way to get you started  self-examining.Ask for feedback:  Tell  your private tutor/classroom teacher/language exchange partner that youd like to know the top three areas where you need the most work. Give them some notice so that your teacher/tutor/partner can pay attention during the next couple of class periods/sessions to give you accurate feedback. This  will help you fix mistakes much quicker because theyll be clearly identified for you!By developing these five qualities of a growth mindset, you can nurture thoughts that will not only help you learn any languageâ€"but change your entire life.Rebecca Thering is a writer, editor and English teacher who has lived abroad in Spain, South Korea and France. Valuing education and things that aren’t things, she inspires and helps others by blogging  about her experiences abroad, cultural insights and self-improvement pursuits at Rebe With a Clause.

6 Great Free Apps For Mac Laptops

6 Great Free Apps For Mac Laptops Photo Credit: thenextweb.com 1. Google Chrome While Apples go-to internet browser may be Safari, Google Chrome is the better option for Macs. Its free, clean, and lets you add third-party extensions to your browser, too. Bonus: you can change fonts, block certain names and sites from showing up on your Internet, and easily search Google with this browser. Chrome was one of my first downloads on my laptop and is my default browser and one of the best free apps you can get on your Mac. 2. VLC Media Player I personally use this player on my Mac and like it the best out of all the players you can use. Ive tried DivX and Apple gives you their DVD Player app  already installed on your laptop, but I find VLC to be the fastest and most able to play whatever file you want it to. Plus, its free to download and doesnt take up too much space on your laptop, making this one of the best free apps you can use on Macs, and a no-brainer to install and set as your default player. 3. OpenOffice Why pay for Microsoft Word or Office suite when you can download a free version of basically the same software? OpenOffice can open Word documents, PowerPoints, and Excel spreadsheets, plus you can create and save your files with those extension names (like .doc or .docx) so theyre also able to be opened by Microsoft Word owners. I never bought Microsoft Office for my laptop and instead downloaded OpenOffice and have used it for notes, projects, essays, etc. throughout college and never had a problem with it. So if you want to save some money but still want to be able to create documents such as you would in Microsoft Word, OpenOffice is definitely the best free app for that and worth installing. 4. Adium Id never heard of this app before but after doing some research into it, have decided its definitely one Ill be downloading. Basically, Adium is a communication app that unites all your chat accounts on one platform, from Gchat to Facebook Chat, so you can easily use and talk to multiple people from your various accounts. Adium also lets you add plugins and customize the app, from font style to speech bubble color, and you can download it to your desktop. Its efficient, convenient, and will let you cut down on the number of tabs you have opened, making chatting with friends and family much simpler, making this one of the best  free apps for Macs  and one you should check out. Photo Credit: caseorganic.com 5. SelfControl The name pretty much says it all; this app lets you easily block your own access to distracting websites for whatever period of time you designate. Its perfect for if you have a test you should be studying for but instead find yourself unable to stop reading BuzzFeed articles or scrolling through Twitter. SelfControl lets you put website URLs on a blacklist and then set a timer for how long you want to be locked out of those websites. Plus, its smart and wont let you try to circumvent it by using another browser, like Firefox or Safari, even if you set it for Google Chrome. For those of you who lack self control on your laptop, this is one of the best free apps that will help you focus on what you need to be doing. 6.  Dropbox or Google Drive These are both file-storing apps you can download or use for free and access from any device with Wi-Fi. Dropbox gives you 2.5 gigabytes of free storage space, and you can upgrade your account for a fee or earn 25 megabytes of extra storage for free by completing some tasks through the app. You can access Google Drive through your Gmail account or download it to your desktop to make backing up all your files easier. From pictures to documents to music files, either of these apps can help ensure you dont lose all of your stuff if anything happens to your laptop since its safely backed up online. Some other great free apps for Apple laptops to look into include: Evernote or Microsoft OneNote, OnyX, The Unarchiver, Kindle for Mac, Fotor, and Memory Clean. So whether you just got a new Apple laptop or device or have had one for a while, check out these awesome free apps to download and save yourself some money while getting some crucial software and apps for your Mac you wont regret it!