Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso: From Blue to Cubes and Everything in Between ChaptersA Short BiographyPeriods: Picasso’s Varying StylesPablo Picasso, Father of CubismMarketing PicassoIn this era of toxic masculinity, if Pablo Picasso were alive, he would most likely be sought after and reviled in equal measures.His entire life is a sonata of machismo, from early fights with his admittedly accommodating father to his cavalier treatment of women. Even his children were not spared his disdain, especially Paloma and Claude. All of that is surface-level Picasso.Beneath the arrogance and posturing was a sensitive soul easily hurt. Picasso was dealt devastating emotional blows, starting with the loss of his sister, Conchita, around the time he was 14 years old.You might say that Pablo Picasso was an art factory. He produced works in different styles with an avid eye towards their marketing.He alternately led and contributed to different art movements and worked in different media, sometimes producing up to three complete artworks a day.In spite of the women and th e travelling and unabashedly marketing himself, Picasso somehow had time to formulate political views, which he liberally expressed through his art.Picasso is the type of artist that you either ‘get’ or don’t. His work either speaks to you or it doesn’t â€" he certainly wasn’t going to tell you what to see in this painting or that sculpture.Regardless of any feelings you may have for the man or his work (or both), he represents an important step in the development and, indeed, the marketing of art.If only for that, Pablo Picasso now takes centre stage. FernandoPainting Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EmmaPainting Teacher 5.00 (5) £75/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidPainting Teacher 4.75 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NatashaPainting Teacher 5.00 (7) £37/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors StefaniaPainting Teacher 5.00 (4) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SakinaPainting Teacher 5.00 (1 ) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorrenPainting Teacher 5.00 (2) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Off2themoonholliePainting Teacher £8/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsA Short Biography This photo shows Picasso at 27 years old, no doubt bundled up against the frigid Paris winter By Anonymous, via WikipediaWhile his full baptismal name included those of several saints and relatives â€" bringing the total to 14, as is the custom in Spain, he was officially known by both his father’s and mother’s surname.Pablo Ruiz Picasso entered this world in Malaga, Andalusia on the 25th of October 1881, the first-born son of a middle-class family.His father was a painter who excelled at depicting birds and other wild animals. He did not earn his living from painting; he taught art at the local School of Crafts. He was also a curator at the city’s museum.Young Pablo showed a propensity toward art early on â€" according to his mother, his first words were ‘Pencil! Pencil!’.His father, possibly keen for his son to follow in his own artistic aspirations, started teaching the boy to paint at the tender age of seven, instructing him on figurative interpretation and the use of o il paint.  Legend has it that young Pablo’s efforts soon surpassed anything painted by his father.It is uncertain why his family moved so often while he was growing up. Whatever the reason, by the time Pablo was 13 years old, the family had relocated again; this time to Barcelona.His father once more landed a teaching position, this time at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he convinced the admissions board to permit his son to take the advanced entrance exam.  Applicants are generally permitted a month to prepare for their ordeal; young Pablo was ready in one week.In many ways, Barcelona was a turning point for Picasso. Not quite disciplined enough to take instruction, he nevertheless made many friends who would impact him throughout his life.Most prominent among them was Carles Casagemas, with whom Picasso would travel around Spain and eventually to Paris. It is widely believed that Casagema’s suicide inspired the legendary artist’s Blue Period.Vincent Van Gogh could have rela ted to Casagemas; he too suffered from crippling depression...Periods: Picasso’s Varying StylesAt the start of his career, Picasso was pretty conventional. His first significant oil painting was a tame depiction of his sister’s First Communion. Though it wasn't quite the Creation of Adam, it was painted in the style of Italian Renaissance art.It was an academically satisfying work incorporating all of the expected elements: a dramatic moment in a girl’s life, complete with proper religiosity and colouring.In the same year, when he was just 14, he would paint Portrait of Aunt Pepa, a remarkable study of contrasts: all you can see is his aunt’s face, set against a shadowed, black background. She was reportedly not happy with being the subject of portraiture; that idea is underscored by her pained, slightly angry expression.By the time he was 16 years old, Picasso was living on his own in Barcelona. At that age, some of his best paintings were shown in a one-man exhibit at a po pular artists’ hangout. One of them was selected for exhibition in Paris; so it came to be that he and Casagemas made their way north.By no means was he shy and retiring in the City of Light; he always believed he was destined for greatness; now, destiny would begin!As he gained exposure to more varied painters, his highly realistic painting style evolved.  El Greco had a particular influence on his later work, as did Toulouse-Lautrec and Paul Gauguin â€" both of whom he met on the Parisian art scene.By far the biggest influence on him at the turn of the century was his friend’s suicide, which art history speculates ushered in his Blue Period.Discover also the story behind the world's most famous religious artwork, the Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci...The Blue Period, 1901-1904Picasso’s work at this time was characterised by despair: sad, emaciated figures with hollowed-out eyes.  Works from this period include:The SoupMelancholy WomanThe Glass of BeerThe Life (La V ie)Portrait of Suzanne BlochThe works listed here are all oil on canvas; others, such as Motherhood were executed in pastels on paper.In this early period, it is easy to see El Greco’s Spanish Renaissance influence on the emerging style of Picasso as well as the downturned mood of the artist himself.  He soon lightens up though, leading to his next phase. You can see this larger-than-life artist at the Picasso Museum Image by fsHH from PixabayThe Rose PeriodFrom 1904 till 1906, he reaches for the other end of the colour spectrum, leaving the warm blues behind and reaching for the cooler reds.Also during this time, there is substantially more nude flesh in his work, although the paintings are still pretty much in-line with the sensibilities of the day.We’ll gloss over his African Period (1907-1909) and its shocking Demoiselles D’Avignon, a work that even his friend Henri Matisse considered in poor taste.As much negative attention as the Demoiselles garnered, it led to a new artistic movement.Pablo Picasso, Father of CubismCubism: the taking apart of a subject to analyse its shape.Picasso enjoyed a rivalry of sorts with fellow painter Charles Braques who, upon viewing Les Demoiselles, declared it disgusting. It was nevertheless the start of a bromance of sorts between the two artists.Using a monochrome palette of neutral colours, th e two painted remarkably similar works, as though they were in competition, for the next three years.Starting in 1912, once Picasso was cleared of the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, he drove a further evolution of the Cubist movement by incorporating paper into his works; essentially, he was creating collages.His longtime patron, Gertrude Stein, helped him distinguish these new efforts from previous cubist works. She called them Crystal Cubes, implying that the paper components were ‘little gems’.Art critics accused him of defecting from the movement he created; he found it rather insulting that they were suggesting his return to expressionism. Incorporating ‘cubist paper’ was his way of thumbing his nose at their ideas.This artistic phase lasted through the First World War. Europe was reeling from the devastation, needing to get back to familiar ideas. This craving brought on a return to classical painting techniques: clean lines and easy-to-recognise subjects.Pica sso contributed to this movement before moving on to surrealism, a movement that was gaining traction in the early 1920s. Expressing himself as a surrealist naturally called for him to abandon his signature element â€" the harlequin and incorporate that movement’s ‘symbol’, the minotaur.The Surrealistic minotaur would feature prominently in Picasso’s most explosive work of art yet; a condemnation of the Bombing of Guernica.“Did you do this?” “No, you did.” Picasso, implying the Nazis were responsible for the horrors of war.During the Second World War, Picasso was more or less confined to his studio in Paris. The Germans did not approve of his work so he did not show anything at the time. However, they frequently intruded on him. On one such occasion, with Guernica in plain sight, the above exchange took place.Picasso took every opportunity to thumb his nose at the establishment... unlike Claude Monet, the father of French Impressionism. Picasso's works are among some of the most expensive paintings in the world Image by Almudena Sanz from PixabayMarketing Picasso“What does it represent?” “About $200,000”Pablo Picasso was many things but more than any one thing, he was a savvy marketer. Early in his artistic career, he latched onto wealthy patrons who helped him distribute his work in countries he had not yet been.As his artistic reputation grew, virtually every collector and museum of art wanted an original oil painting from Picasso or, failing that, an abstract painting in pastel. Picasso, aware that restricting access to his work would increase demand (and value), would often keep finished paintings in his studio because he did not need to sell them.Clearly, he understood how the art market worked. Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne could have used some of Picasso’s marketing skills!A part of his appeal may well have been his disposition to half of the world's population:“For me, there are only two kin ds of women: goddesses and doormats.” Picasso, to his latest (and youngest) mistress.Perhaps he was authentically chauvinistic. Maybe the revolving door of women in his life was all a part of the act; packaging himself into something so repulsive, so vile and so contrary that he continuously drew attention to himself - a tactic that is still used today.No matter what one may think of the man, Picasso is one of the most famous painters of all time.His work has been shown (or is still on display) all over the world: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in the US, as well as the Louvre museum, The Hermitage and, of course, in his home town of Malaga, in Spain.  So prolific was he that you could pick just about any art showcase around the world and find a painting by Picasso.Some of the world’s most famous paintings are by Picasso but he is not the only one who rendered famous paintings: discover other famous artists that made our world more beautiful...

3 Ways to Prepare for the Business School Transition

3 Ways to Prepare for the Business School Transition Are you starting business school this fall? Congratulations! Beginning an MBA program marks a significant transition in your life, so how can you prepare for this next stage in your academic journey? Here are three ways to prepare for the business school transition: 1. Speak with your family and friends Business school is not just an educational programit is a lifestyle. It begins the moment you receive your acceptance letter, and your priorities will shift well before you start classes. Let your loved ones know that your schedule will change and fluctuate. This is a list of 5 things to do the summer before business schoolthat may help you prepare. Connect with second-years in your MBA program to learn how they have dealt with the demands of business school while also managing their commitments to the people in their lives. Juggling classwork, exercise, family, friends, and perhaps a bit of personal time will not be simple, but by planning ahead, remaining flexible, and speaking with those around you, you can succeed in this regard. If you are having trouble choosing a program this information on how to choose the right executive MBA program for youmay be helpful. 2. Get to know your first semester classes Accounting? Finance? Statistics? Now is the time to familiarize yourself with basic business concepts in these fields. For students who wish to prepare before classes officially begin, ask your school about their preferred methods. Certain programs may provide incoming students with study tools tailored to their core classes. You can also peruse pre-MBA guidebooks. In addition to familiarizing yourself with your business school courses, take a trip to your favorite office supply store, either in person or online. Unlike the workplace, schools generally do not provide students with essentials like highlighters, notebooks, pencils, or pens. You may also benefit from a new laptop, new software for your computer, or a new calculator. Inquire with your school about suggestions for appropriate electronic equipment. And do not forget a messenger bagafter all, you will need a way to carry your MBA gear! 3. Determine exactly why you wish to attend business school Yes, you outlined this information in your application, but circumstances may have changed. What industry would you like to work in? What position would you like to hold? Where would you like to live? What lifestyle would you like to maintain? Even though you may have told your schools admissions officers that you would like to work as an engineering consultant based in Chicago with the option to travel internationally twice per month, that plan may no longer suit you if your interests have shifted to marketing management with a domestic focus for a consumer packaged goods company. Figure out where you want your future to go, as well as why you want it to go there. Research companies and opportunities that fit the goals you currently have for your life. Then, once classes begin and recruiters start to visit your campus, you will have a better sense of which internships and full-time positions are best for you. Here are some tips on how to prepare for your first internshipif you do decide to pursue one. Embrace this exciting chapter in your life. The business school transition will be intense, but incredibly rewarding as well, so enjoy all that the MBA world tosses at you.

Solving fractions

Solving fractions Fraction is usually written in the p/q form. Here p is the numerator and q is the denominator. The denominator of a fraction cannot be equal to zero i.e. q not equal to zero. Fraction are very commonly used and very important form of representation of numbers. Fraction are included in different equations expressions in numerical and algebraic expressions. Some fractions can be further simplified according to the requirement. Different mathematical operations can be used to simplify and solve a given fraction. Example 1: Simplify and find the answer by adding the given 3 fraction numbers 7/3 + 5/3 + /3? Solution: The first step is to add the first two fraction numbers which have the same denominator 3. This gives 7/3 + 5/3 = 12/3 Later add the third fraction i.e. 1/3 to the derived answer 12/3 Which is in turn equal to 12/3 + 2/3 = 14/3 Therefore, this gives 7/3 + 5/3 + 2/3 = 14/3. Example 2: Simplify and find the answer by adding the given 3 fraction numbers 1/5 + 4/5 + 1/2? Solution: The first step is to add the first two fraction numbers which have the same denominator 5. This gives 1/5 + 4/5 = 5/5; this further simplifies as 5/5 = 1. Later add the fraction 1/2 to the derived answer 2 Which is in turn equal to 1 + 1/2. LCM is 2. Using the common denominator as 2, 2/2 + 1/2 = 3/2 Therefore, this gives adding the three fractions 1/5 + 4/5 + 1/2 = 3/2.

6 Work Tips To Get Yourself Collaborating With Others More - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 6 Work Tips To Get Yourself Collaborating With Others More - Introvert Whisperer 6 Work Tips To Get Yourself Collaborating With Others More The dreaded moment has arrived. Nearly all year you’ve kept your head down and avoided cooperation and collaboration. You’ve been able to breeze by on your laurels, which is nice because you’re not at the whim of anyone else. You can do your own thing and work at your own pace. All that is shattered as you’re handed your new project that requires â€" gasp â€" collaboration with your co-workers. You’re going to have to talk to them, spend time with them, work alongside them? Okay, maybe that entire scenario is just a tad dramatic. But everyone knows that feeling where you’re finally forced out of your comfort bubble and you have to work alongside a group of folks, people you may have seen every day but know little about. It’s not easy breaking that barrier. What do you say? How do you share and collaborate? What should you keep to yourself? Sadly, you’ll have to find the answer to a lot of the questions you have floating around inside your head on your own. That’s the nature of being collaborative: You need to learn to adapt. We can, however, help a little by sharing a few ways to improve your cooperativeness. Let’s dive in. 1. Speak Up Shy or not, if you’re not used to being social, there’s going to be a point where you censor yourself. You will hold back what you want to say or keep an idea â€" good or not â€" to yourself. Yes, there’s the possibility that you’re wrong and speaking up won’t bring anything to pass. What about the opposite, however? What if your idea is more streamlined and helps you get the work done faster or better? What if you have the right answer and your colleagues are wrong? What if you can pose the solution to a problem you’ve all been trying to figure out for hours, days or even weeks? Start every collaborative project by expressing yourself in full and continue to do it throughout the scope of your work. Don’t hold back. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro, and you’ll be able to share, explain or collaborate on nearly anything. 2. Find Better Tools  You’ll undoubtedly be using a variety of tools, software, and apps to get your work done and collaborate with the rest of your team. Make sure before you start doing the heavy work that you’ve chosen the right tools for you and everyone else. If necessary, download a new app or browser extension to help you all communicate and get more done. Some companies do have policies against the kinds of third-party apps they’ll allow employees to use, but there should still be some options available for you to choose from. 3. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions  Look, we’ve all heard that saying, “No question is a dumb question,” and every single one of us knows it’s not true. There are many, many dumb questions. That creates blinding fear that you’re going to be the one, the dumb person to ask the silliest question ever. Don’t be afraid. Who cares if the question you have to ask is stupid or not? If you have a question, then get clarification from someone, anyone. It’s important, and chances are someone else had the exact same question you did â€" they were just too scared to ask. Collaboration requires communication, and one of the best ways to communicate is to ask a question and pose a discussion, so don’t be afraid to do so. 4. Force Yourself to Stand Out  As an introvert, there’s no way around it: You are going to have to come out of your safety bubble. Don’t waste time trying to figure out when and where is the best time to do it. Just jump. Force yourself to stand out by any means necessary. If this means being the one to speak up first, then do it. If it means being the first one to ask questions or make suggestions, do it. Don’t be content sitting on the sidelines, because this is a collaborative effort, and every bit of participation helps. Participate! Get out there and make yourself be a part of the team, whether you enjoy it or not. 5. Don’t Underestimate Your Mad Skills  You are at your job for a reason. Either you’re awesome at what you do, you have a long list of experience and knowledge or you’re just plain cool in general. Whatever the case, you have plenty to offer, so don’t forget that. Your ideas have weight and most likely will help your team. Your opinions matter and may save you a lot of hassle. Your presence matters, and your team would be worse off without you there. You already know you have a lot to contribute, and that means there’s a ton you can do to support your team, so do it! 6. Disagreements Are Going to Happen  No one ever sees eye to eye, and when a team of professionals works together, there’s always going to be someone that disagrees. So long as the “conflict” is not negative in nature and no one is attacking the others, disagreements will help you and your team perform better. It pushes you and the others to think outside the box and find solutions to problems instead of just settling on a particular decision or action. Don’t be afraid of disagreements or conflict. Don’t feed it by making things worse and being mean to the others in your group, but recognize the importance of such an event during a group project. If you go into your project with all these things in mind, you’ll do just fine. You never know â€" you may even come out of the whole ordeal a more open, collaborative person. Author:Kayla Matthews is a self-improvement writer contributing to publications like The Daily Muse, MakeUseOf, Lifehack and The Huffington Post. To read more professional development posts from Kayla, check out her blog, Productivity Theory. Go to top NETWORKING Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

What is it Like to Attend College of William & Mary

What is it Like to Attend College of William & Mary The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Bernadette is a Virginia Beach tutor specializing in Essay Editing tutoring, Grammar and Mechanics tutoring, SAT prep tutoring, and a number of other areas. She is a 2014 graduate of College of William Mary with a Bachelors degree in Biology. See what she had to share about College of William Mary: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Bernadette: College of William Mary is located in Williamsburg, adjacent to the restored Colonial Williamsburg area. The campus is very safe, and the surrounding neighborhoods are easily accessible by bike or on foot. I have to say that I sometimes called the bus my worst enemy. It generally comes twice an hour for each stop, so if you miss one bus, it can be a while until the next comes. Making a friend with a car is always a good call for grocery or Target trips when you might be carrying heavier items. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Bernadette:College of William Mary emphasizes student-faculty engagement, and most professors are very available to students. Getting to know your professors can help more than just your grades. You might find out about a research opportunity, summer program, or get the scoop on a new class. Having close relationships with a few professors is also helpful as you prepare to transition to the real world, as you may find that some are willing to be references for you during a job or graduate school search. You will most often encounter teaching assistants in lab sessions for science classes. I had positive experiences with teaching assistants over my four years. They were knowledgeable (most are graduate students), helpful, and easy to relate to. At a small school like College of William Mary, you might also have graduate students in some advanced classes, which I really enjoyed. It was great to have some role models closer to my age, as well as to hear about their experiences as unde rgraduates and applying to graduate school. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Bernadette:I lived on campus all four years, which is not uncommon. Freshman year you go through orientation with your hall (the 20 or so other students who live closest to you). This is a great way to acclimate to the campus and make friends. The lottery for picking rooms can be stressful, but if you live in special interest housing or with a Resident Assistant, you can avoid that process. Additionally, basically everyone eventually gets placed in housing by the school. I would also say that living in a less popular dorm can be a bonding experience and can even be fun with the right roommate. Campus dining is fine, and having a meal plan is really convenient depending on where you live (i.e. whether you have a full kitchen, how many people you share it with, and how long you have for lunch). Even though people are not usually crazy about dining hall food, it is a great way to see people. Everyone has to eat, after all! Getting involved on campus is the best way to meet people. Find a group that does something you are interested in, and you will automatically have something in common with other people! It can take time to meet people, but finding those friends who light up your day makes it worth going to club meetings. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Bernadette:Lots of people study English, History, International Relations, or an area in the business school. College of William Mary is a liberal arts school, but many of the science programs are excellent, as well. I studied Biology, which is a very popular major! The Biology department encourages students to participate in research, and it requires the completion of a rigorous list of courses. I found the professors and other students challenging and encouraging. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Bernadette:As a freshman, you complete orientation right before the start of classes with your hall, which gives you a chance to learn about the campus, as well as meet your closest neighbors. People meet their best friends in their freshman halls, and even if you do not forge such a close bond, starting the school year together means that you know the people you will see each day in the laundry room, bathroom, study lounge, and probably in some of your classes! You should definitely join some clubs and student organizations. There is so much time outside of class, and you should fill it with positive things where you can make friends. The Greek community on campus is thriving, but it does not dominate the social scene. I enjoyed being part of a social sorority, but I continued to have strong friendships outside the Greek system. Greeks are passionate about community service and being leaders on campus, and they are an incredibly supportive group of people. I enjoyed being part of an organization that challenged me to always improve, and I was surrounded by driven people with high aspirations. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Bernadette:The Career Center is very helpful for students pursuing liberal arts and business degrees. It is particularly well-equipped to help students find jobs in government or the non-profit sector. In addition, large consulting companies (Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton, etc.) recruit each fall, and many students participate in this process. The Career Center offers workshops on networking, interviewing, resume reviewing, and many other subjects. I would recommend taking advantage of them as soon as possible. There are programs to help you figure out what career path you might like to pursue, so even if you are not in a job-applying phase, there may be something you will find useful. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Bernadette:The library has a somewhat cult-like following. People tend to have strong feelings about their favorite floor, section, and even type of seating to study in. I tended to prefer the childrens literature section, a comfortable chair in the afternoon, or a table and straight-backed chair in the evening for serious study. During finals it can get a bit crowded, but there is plenty of space on campus for all the students to find a quiet place to work. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Bernadette:Williamsburg is a small town, and it is dominated by the college and the restored colonial area. There is good dining and a few bars (for students over 21 to enjoy!) within walking distance. There are also multiple coffee shops, ice cream places, and a few bookstores. A bit farther afield, you will find a multiplex, chain restaurants, and more shopping. The outlet mall is a popular weekend destination. Find a friend with a car, and you will be set in no time. Duke of Gloucester Street is lined with restored historical homes and some very nice restaurants. Cars are not permitted, making it a popular walking or running street. Williamsburg can be a little on the quiet side, but I always found enough to do while I was there! VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Bernadette:The undergraduate student body is about 6,000 students. I found this to be a good size. For most of my time, it felt like there were new people to meet, but you could pretty much rely on running into someone you knew at big events. Class size varies depending on discipline, and it tends to shrink as you advance in your program. I liked that most semesters I had several smaller classes and some larger ones. Having all small classes might sound great, but it can be good to have one or two where you are not constantly on the spot to answer. Additionally, you will probably have to take some large, introductory-level classes to complete your general education requirements. Especially in your first few semesters, it is key to give yourself some balance. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Bernadette:I really loved a Biology seminar I took in the spring of my junior year. We went in-depth on a variety of challenging topics around the theme of population dynamics. Each class period we read and discussed two or three scientific papers. As the class progressed, each student took a turn leading the discussion, and we each developed a topic to write a research paper on. The class was great because of the topic, as well as the professor. She structured the discussion so everyone got a chance to participate and was able to learn. Discussion-based classes might sound like a great idea, but I actually found that it was rare to stumble upon one where an environment of collaborative learning truly existed. The class was difficult and demanded a lot of work, but I learned a lot and developed more confidence in my abilities. Check out Bernadettes tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

30 Quirky New Years Eve Traditions From Around the World

30 Quirky New Years Eve Traditions From Around the World Suzy S. How much do you know about New Years Eve traditions? Here in the U.S., you know what to do: gather your friends and family, turn on Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve in the background, and  count down from 10 as midnight nears. At the strike of the clock, you know to toast everyone as the fireworks blast off, sing a verse of Auld Lang Syne, and sneak in a New Years kiss, if you can! But outside of the United States, did you know there are some much more quirky New Years Eve traditions?  If youre in Spain, for example, youll want to get 12 grapes ready to eat with each strike of the clock. In Turkey, make sure you have a few pomegranates ready to throw off your balcony for good luck. To start your faux travels, we did some research into some of the bizarre New Years Eve and New Years Day traditions around the world. While some of them might be  outdated or more of an old wives tale theyre certainly interesting to learn! Heres what we found: Share this Image On Your Site pstrongPlease include attribution to TakeLessons.com with this graphic./strong/p pa href=/blog/new-years-eve-traditions-z03img src=/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Updated-30-Quirky-New-Years-Eve-Traditions-Around-the-World.jpg alt=30 Quirky New Year’s Traditions From Around the World width=720px border=0 //a/p p Readers, what do you think? Have you heard of these New Years Eve traditions around the world, and are they true? Let us know by leaving a comment below! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

English Adjective Word Order

English Adjective Word Order Knowing how to order multiple adjectives in one sentence can really help your English sound more natural and fluent, especially when youre talking to native speakers.For example, do you know how to correctly order the adjectives in the sentences below?My cat is (furry, awesome, small, old).This is a (red, wool, beautiful, Irish) sweater.Watch the video below to get the answers.Order the adjectives below:1. The couch is (classic, canvas, tan, small, new).2. Her new apartment is (cool, blue, small, cozy, inexpensive).3. The painting is (American, dark, oil, interesting, expensive).4. My new car is a (1970s, blue, awesome, fast) Mustang.5. Seattle is (fun, rainy, quiet, hip).You can write your answers in comments below, and we will correct them. Anton The couch is classic small new tan canvas Her new apartment is inexpensive cool cozy small blue The painting is expensive interesting dark American oil My new car is awesome fast 1970s blue Mustang. Seattle is fun rainy quite hip. LOIEn glish Anton in number 2: cool and cozy are opinion adjectives so they must come first. The same with number three: interesting must come first. Also it wasnt included but you need to add and before the last adjective. Aglaya 1. The couch is classic, small, new, tan, canvas.2. Her new apartment is cool, cozy, inexpensive, small, blue.3. The painting is interesting, inexpensive, dark, American, oil.4. My new car is a awesome, fast, 1970s, blue Mustang.5. Seattle is fun, hip, rainy, quiet. LOIEnglish AglayaVery good. The only mistake is a little tricky. You need to have the word and in each of the sentences. LOIEnglish AnYou are correct in that last sentence quiet is technically an opinion/judgement and should come before temperature. So it is better to say: Seattle is fun, hip, quiet and rainy.

Where can I get free board games and card games for my ESL class

Where can I get free board games and card games for my ESL class Despite the enormous popularity of video games, young learners still love to play board games with family and friends. Designing a game for others to play can double the fun. And it can add engaging learning opportunities to a course on any subject, including English as a Second language. Why are games so engaging? Most people would explain the appeal of games by saying that games are simply funand they are funbut why are they fun? What makes a game enjoyable to play? I have a few ideas on the subject. Games are Stories You Play Games are a lot like stories. You have probably noticed that there are elements that both games and stories sharecommon elements that help to explain their common appeal. Like fiction, what happens in a game feels like it matters but doesnt really. When the tears begin to flow, we console each other saying, Its just a game, or Its just a story. Both games and stories engage the imagination and are non-literal. Like the protagonist in a story, we start off with a goal, hoping for success. Depending on our luck or skill, we experience sudden reversals of fortune. Like a well-told story, the outcome of the game remains uncertain. Our fortunes change for better or worse when we draw a card or roll the dice. There has to be enough excitement in both stories and games to keep us engaged. However, when we encounter long chapters of exposition or periods of grind during a game, we remain patient and wait for the excitement to start again. There is mystery and adventure. Like any protagonist, we take risks in games with bold moves, hoping that our fortunes will improve by tempting fate. The bigger the risk, the bigger the emotional highs and lows. Ups and Downs Games and stories provide a kind of emotional exercise. Whether they end on a happy or sad note, the emotions we experience as we travel through a game or a story leave us emotionally refreshed. As with stories, we feel real emotions when our luck changes. We feel elated when our luck suddenly improves. We feel frustration and disappointment when we fall behind. When our opponents draw a lucky card or roll sixes, we feel envy, and our desire to win heightens. In our imaginations, the other players can transform into threatening antagonists that draw out dark competitive instincts. We imagine that we must defeat them. When we lose, it feels tragic. When we win, we feel relief and satisfaction. Until that point, we feel uncertainty because we can never be sure what will happen next. The emotions are real. In this way, games and stories are cathartic, clearing away fear, pity, envy, and aggression to re-balance our emotions. Like a house cat stalking a leaf in the backyard before reclining and preening itself in the sunshine, we summon the wildness inside us momentarily in games and stories before reattaching the collar and leash of civility. In other words, games and stories help to tame the the wild animal within us by giving it a safe form of expression. In short, games and stories domesticate us. Cooperation Games produce cooperation. Players must establish the rules at the beginning of the game, taking turns and agreeing to pay attention to the game until the end. Players who withdraw from the game before the end have broken an important rule. You must stick it out until the end. Games involving cards or dice require players to accept the consequences of drawing a card or the roll of the dice and act accordingly. If designed well, the game will provide multiple opportunities to reverse your fortunes before the game comes to an end. In this way, the game rewards continued cooperation with chances to advance. Winners and Losers Games build to a climax after a significant investment of time and attention, and so the end feels like it matters. Games then produce at least one winner and one or more losers. Mysteriously, games reward winning with an enjoyable ego boost, but protect the ego from damage when we lose. We shrug off the loss with the claim, It was just a game. In other words, a win feels real, but a loss feels fictional. Everyone recognizes that the winner has earned the right to celebrate. But while losers may feel a little crestfallen and resentful, hope and peace return when someone says, Cmon! Lets play again! Skill versus Luck While many games involve elements of luck using cards and dice, we tire quickly of games that depend entirely on luck, especially if there is no prize at the end. When no skill is involved, there can be no significant ego boost for the winner. Then, the reward has to be extrinsic. Door prizes and lotteries are examples of games entirely of chance. The less likely you are to win, the the bigger the prize has to be at the end for anyone to want to play. Games of skill are different. Players need to be pretty evenly matched for the game to seem fun. If one player is much better than the other, the novice will soon lose interest in playing when every game predictably ends in a humiliating defeat. Nevertheless, if the novice gains skill quickly while playing the game, a loss is not really a loss. Skill is the reward. Ideally, games should have a combination of skill and luck for players of different levels to play together. Weaker players feel hopeful that this time they will win. Stronger players feel the uncertainty that comes while drawing a card from a shuffled deck, blindly selecting tiles from a bag, or rolling unpredictable dice. In games involving skill, players can observe their opponents strategies and tactics, and then emulate or prepare for them. Players can increase their chances of winning trivia games by studying. Scrabble players study the dictionary. Chess players read books on strategy and study the games of the grand masters. Winning a game of skill that you usually lost in the past can be immensely satisfying. Game Design Because games require goals, investments of time, rules, and reversals of fortune, designing a game can be a learning opportunity for students. Not only will students gain a deeper understanding of what makes a successful game fun, they can review grammar, vocabulary, and facts related to their lessons while designing a game for others to play. Creating card game and game board templates, however, can take time away from the content of a course. Adjusting borders, cell padding, and tables can take hours away from the language you are trying to teach and or the concepts you are trying to review. It would be a whole lot easier if someone would just make a bunch of templates and share them with everyone else, right? Well, thats exactly what I have done. Board games teach us cooperation and relieve us of aggressive and competitive instincts Download free board game and card game templates here On this page, you will find a variety of board game templates that you can download and adapt to your learners. All the templates are in MS Word DOCX format for letter-size printers. My goal is simply to share. Sharing gives me a reason to tidy up unfinished ideas that I have had knocking about my hard drive for years. These templates are something I started working on in 2002 while working at Chonnam University in Kwangju, South Korea. Sharing might also bring in new visitors to my website and could introduce them to my free grammar checker, a project I have been working on since 2012. If you would like to share these templates with your students or colleagues, please share this link to my free board games and card games page. (Right-click and copy address.) Please feel free to send the link by email or on social media so that all of this work doesnt disappear into internet obscurity. For more free games, have a look at my free downloads page. For example, there is a card game for learning sports-games-and-exercise, a free Go Fish card game, and a game for learning advanced vocabulary and tricky translations from French. If you are looking to order a textbook that uses vocabulary card games in a college-level English class, see my products page. Escape from Summer School Board Game This board game template helps to drive home the importance of reviewing concepts from the course if you dont want to have to repeat the course during summer vacation. The idea is that you should start in the middle of the game board. To earn points and move toward summer vacation, players draw cards from the card deck and answer questions. A correct answer moves you closer to summer vacation by one square. An incorrect answer moves you two squares closer to summer school. Teachers can create their own cards with review questions that will be on the final exam, or even better would be to get students to create review questions from the chapters in their textbook. Blank cards are below. Alternatively, use the Virtual Writing Tutors Error Correction Card Game by clicking on the link. Summer School Board Game TemplateDownload Summer School vs. Summer Vacation Board Game Template for MS Word Blank Card Game TemplateDownload Blank Card Game Template Snakes and Ladders Board Game Everyone has probably heard of Snakes and Ladders or by its other name Chutes and Ladders. The concept is simple. Players try to race to the end by rolling a die. If a player lands on a square with the head of a snake, he or she slides down to the snakes tail. Conversely, if a player lands on a square with the foot of a ladder, he or she climbs up the ladder to the space at the top. In my version of the game, I have included spaces that require student to select a card and answer a trivia question. You can use the blank card game template to make your own questions or you can use the questions I have made, adding and changing them as you like. Snake shaped board game with laddersDownload Snakes and Ladders Board Game Template Snakes and ladders trivia cardsDownload Trivia Card Game Template Four Start and Race to the Middle Game Board Here is a game board template designed specifically for 4 players. The spaces are large enough that you can write instructions in each square. When players land on a square, you can have them select a card or instruct younger players to do silly things like sing a song or count by fives. 4-start-blank-board-game-templateDownload 4-Start Board Game Template Thirty-Two Square Game Board Template The game board contains 32 squares. You can write instructions in each one or instruct players to select a card. You can get students to colour squares different colours that match the colours of cards. Possibilities abound. 32-square-blank-board-game-templateDownload 32-Square Game Board 30 Square Irregular Circle Game Board Template This template has a nice shape with a double headed cross in the center. You sacrifice spaces and room to write in the boxes when you experiment with the shape of the game board. Therefore, experimenting with colours and cards, money, or another kind of point system could work. Irregular circle board game templateDownload 30-Square Game Board Monopolist Board Game Template This board game template will remind you of a famous real-estate game. I never enjoyed the original it that much, but my kids like itat least for the first 20 minutes. Essentially, you go around and around buying the spaces you land on or paying rent to visit. There are chance cards to complicate things. The person who buys everything and impoverishes everyone else wins. It is more of a lesson on the immorality of Capitalism than a game for kids. Nevertheless, it is a well-known board game to model a new game on. Monopoly-circular-board-gameDownload Monopoly Game Board Template Cubic Worm Game Board Template This funny worm-shaped game board has 26 spaces. It might appeal to someone and spark an idea for a fun game. You never know. The Candy Land Board Game has a snaking path like this. cubic-worm-game-board-templateDownload Worm-Shape Game Board Freaky Five Shaped Game Board Template Perhaps you dream of knights and dragons or soldiers and tanks. This 35-space game board template has a big empty space in it to allow the game designer to add a decorative or thematic element in it. Why not? freaky-five-shaped-game-board-templateDownload Game board shaped like the number 5 Sixty-Six Squares When the goal is to get to the end and you dont want the game to end too quickly, you will need more squares to slow the players down. This game board template has 66 squares. The fastest you can get to the end is to roll eleven sixes. With two players, that 22 turns. With three, thats 33 turns. You get the idea. Many squares means more game play. This game board template reminds me of a library with many bookcases to navigate. A game board template with 66-spacesDownload 66-square game board template Conclusion So there you have it. A bunch of templates that you and your kids or students can use to build your own board games with chance or trivia cards. I hope you like them and share them with your colleagues. Please be sure to check out my other blog posts and try the grammar checker with students. I keep adding new features to this website, hoping to provide teachers and students everywhere with something non-trivial that could help. Contact me if there is a feature or resource you would like me to develop. Please follow and like us: