What Is Michigan Chemistry?

What Is Michigan Chemistry?As any chemistry teacher will tell you, the basic elements of a chemical reaction are the protons, neutrons and electrons. The protons are the particles which make up the atom of oxygen. Protons are electrically neutral and so do not have any charge, which is a necessary thing to have as a component in a chemical reaction. The neutrons are electrically charged and so are required to carry energy to atoms to complete the chemical process.Electrons, on the other hand, must have an excess of energy to form the oxidation reaction, where the metal oxidizes in order to make water. The electron can also be thought of as a little bitty light, carrying enough energy to get something going. Of course, this bitty light does not travel at light speed but has to speed up before it can get to the atoms.The atoms of hydrogen and the nitrogen are the basic building blocks for Michigan chemistry. The hydrogen is the symbol H, while the nitrogen is N. These atoms have a spec ial bond that allows them to move back and forth inside the atom.The electrons of the hydrogen and the nitrogen are tightly bound together in a bond known as the 'electron pair'. When the hydrogen and the nitrogen to form a bond, these electrons are separated by the strong nuclear force. Because of this, they move very slowly in a reaction and this is the reason why it takes a long time for them to take on their new shape.When these two atoms are taken into a strong force, they produce a great deal of energy. This energy is what gives the reactions the energy needed to break down and create energy. The reaction of hydrogen and nitrogen is known as hydrocarbon synthesis and this reaction creates all the fuels that we use today.Other chemicals create their own energy with the same reaction, creating other products. These products are known as byproducts, and they often end up in the water supply when the chemical is not recycled properly. These byproducts include hydrocarbons, alcohol s, chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, and a variety of other toxins that are toxic to humans.It is easy to see why Michigan chemistry and its components are important to our everyday lives. These chemical products are used in all industries, especially our food supply, which makes it even more important to understand how these products work.

Learn to Sing with the Vocal Range of a Tenor

Learn to Sing with the Vocal Range of a Tenor Singing Lessons to Get a Tenor Vocal Range ChaptersWhat is a Tenor Singer?Famous Tenors throughout the History of MusicThe Different Categories of TenorsMusic Exercises for Working on a Tenor’s Voice“A superb tenor voice, like a silver trumpet muffled in silk.”  Alec GuinnessLearning to sing is a good start. Now you just need to get to grips with the voice you've got (your voice type) and the vocal physiology that gives each singer their operatic singing voice.On a piano, the farther a note is to the left, the deeper the note is. On the other hand (literally), the farther a note is to the right, the higher the pitch.The human voice can make musical notes. After all, that’s what the art of singing is.  Handel, Mozart, Gounod, Wagner, Donizetti, Purcell. So many great composers have helped choristers and singers refine the art.  However, not everyone has a voice beautiful enough or capable of perfectly reproducing an opera.Even if everyone could reproduce a given note, they wouldn’t be able to reproduce every octave a cross the range of every musical instrument since such a range is huge.  That’s why voices are classified according to their range or tessitura, the range of notes and pitches they can perform from the lowest to the highest.The male voice generally covers bass, baritone, tenor, and countertenor while the female voice covers contralto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano. Within these classifications, there are also subdivisions depending on the role played and also the quality of the voice.The term “tenor” generally refers to male singers. This was the highest male voice in classical music with the exception of baroque music which included falsettos.If you want to be an opera singer, you should start young. However, girls won't ever be able to become a tenor. (Source: pixabay.com)When referring to women, we can talk about soprano or mezzo-soprano as the female counterpart to the male tenor.Intensity, range, rhythm, and timbre are the four main qualities of any voice.  Let’s look more closely at a tenor, how you can tell what it is, the best ways to get such a voice without hurting yourself, and how vocal training with a voice teacher can help any male singer (given that their natural voice is suited to the role) can become a tenor.Since we’re not talking about just changing your voice for the fun of it but rather for the love of music, we’ll try to remain as academic and realistic as possible.In terms of sound, the tenor (there was also the haute-contre and the baritenor) is a type of opera voice whose range is between the baritone and the alto and is considered the tip of the traditional male vocal range.In fact, due to the romantic music and operas of the 19th century, tenors are generally considered a chest voice while countertenors (the higher range) are considered to part of a head voice range.The range of opera singers' voices correspond to a range of notes like they do on a piano. (Source: freestocks.org)In most opera singing, the male melodies are f or tenors, like those of Giuseppe Verdi, whose Rigoletto is a perfect example.By making the most of their natural gifts, technically training as a tenor can be done as early as adolescence and young adulthood as long as they have a musical ear.It’s easier to slide from high to low or from a head voice to a chest voice. You’d rarely call the latter your voice “breaking”, after all.You’ll have to be able to sing in key before you can start working on these sorts of techniques. Otherwise, you should come back after a few catch up singing lessons.  The tenor is characterised by his dynamic support and diaphragmatic breathing.  This is what you’ll have to be able to do if you want to belong to this group of singers.While it may seem weird, it may be worth visiting a speech-language pathologist in certain cases. However, a good private tutor could also help you find your voice in certain cases.Of course, you have to know music theory if you want to be able to decipher the musi c you’re going to sing.  Being able to play another musical instrument like the piano, guitar, saxophone, cello, clarinet, etc. can also help you a lot when it comes to understanding the music theory and when you inevitably hit that false note in a song.Famous Tenors throughout the History of MusicSince the 19th century, tenors have been the pinnacle of the history of singing.  The French tenor Gilbert Duprez, who pioneered the delivery of a high C from the chest, is a name that should be remembered.  He was famous in the Barber of Seville in Paris as well as in Othello and William Tell in Italy.  These revolutionary elements were also taken on board, perhaps subconsciously, by the verismo Puccini.Humans have performed in front of one another for hundreds of years. (Source: Ugur Ugur)These historical elements allow us to better understand the kind of work that a tenor does. Something that we’ll see later on in the article.More recently, tenors like Pavarotti, who was both a legg ero and lyric tenor at the same time, have been very popular amongst music lovers, Roberto Alagna seems to be his “musical son” by performing the big roles in Rigoletto and Der Freischütz as well as being able to brilliantly perform modern and traditional songs, too.Plácido Domingo is another example with a deeper tessitura who’s great at playing roles like Don José in George Bizet’s Carmen, Calaf in Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, and Manrico in Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore.While it’s quite the task trying to imitate these greats, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!Look for singing lessons online.The Different Categories of TenorsWhile the tenor is a completely separate category to other vocal ranges (such as baritone and bass), it’s also a family of different ranges and types.No matter what type of tenor you are, you can probably expect to be backed by a full orchestra. (Source: pixabay.com)Generally speaking, musicians classify tenors into five different grou ps from the highest to the lowest ranges:the tenore di grazia, whose range is between C3 and E?5 (and occasionally all the way up to a high F like that in Bellini’s Credeasi Misera.the leggero tenor, with a wider rangethe lyric tenor, similar to the previous but with a wider range ( from C one octave below middle C (C3) to the D one octave above middle C (D5)The spinto tenor is similar to the lyric tenor but has a heavier timbre capable of more dramatic moments.the dramatic tenor has a range from the B one octave below middle C (B2) to the B one octave above middle C (B4) as well as a powerful voice capable of reaching up to 120dB.Each of these types of tenors can vary depending on the role being played, the age of the singer himself (a voice tends to get deeper as it ages), training, and practice.  You’ll see that the power of a voice, which is largely innate, can lead to a tenor being classified as one of the sub-types.Music Exercises for Working on a Tenor’s VoiceThere are several fundamental vocal techniques that any singer can use. For this, you should probably look for a specialised vocal coach to help you.  For example, without a quality voice coach, learning vibrato can be demoralising. Taking vocal classes online might be necessary before you end up practising certain types of singing.Vocal coaching, which can be quite physical, is there for those who want to refine their singing technique.The first thing you need to work on is your body: you need to ensure your chest and sternum are in the right posture as you vocalise.  Such bad habits can be rectified (once you’ve warmed up) by working on your posture and using breathing exercises.Similarly, the tenor should fight against the natural tendency to raise their throat and breathe with the top of their lungs.  For a real chest voice, you’ll need to focus on diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the main goals rather than just a stage of learning to sing. If you want to be a soloist, you’ll have to have a nice timbre, not get stage fright, confidence, and a taste for improvisation.  A good singing lesson doesn’t just focus on your vocal cords, after all.You'll also have to work against losing your voice.  One thing that’s unique to tenors is the work they have to do because of their high range. Bit by bit, you’ll come across a number of exercises and get used to your own vocal range.The important thing is that you don’t skip any of the steps. You can’t start working on high notes if you haven’t even mastered the lower notes. You need to get the head voice before you move on to the chest voice. Patience and perseverance will take care of the rest.Daily exercises are necessary to stop you from stagnating but you’ll need a professional to help you master the physiological aspects.Find out more about how to sing as a mezzo soprano.If you're looking for vocal coaching, voice training,  Singing lessons London, Singing lessons Manchester, Sin ging lessons Edinburgh, you'll find what you need on Superprof.

9 Ways to Ensure Your Career Goes Nowhere

Introvert Whisperer / 9 Ways to Ensure Your Career Goes Nowhere 9 Ways to Ensure Your Career Goes Nowhere As you go about life and interacting with people, you invariably encounter those whose behavior simply screams “I’ll never be going anywhere in my career.” OK, harsh, but you know you’ve met those folks and then maybe one of them could be you. There are some things that will ensure you go nowhere in your career; and unless you’re ok with that, here is what you want to avoid: “I don’t know.” We all have things we don’t know, but if you’re staring back in someone’s face and saying that without any intelligent ‘add on’ you are going to be guaranteed a dead-end job. A good ‘add-on’ might be: “but I’ll find out.” Be helpful, get an answer. “Not my job.” Everyone’s personal favorite. Like fingernails on a blackboard, if you say this, you show a decided tendency to avoid work and responsibility. Sure it’s not your job, but you can be helpful and find out whose job it is! “Not now, I’m talking to my co-worker.” There is nothing finer than standing and staring at a group of employees who are so engrossed in their gossip that they haven’t noticed your hair is on fire. When someone approaches you, you only have about 5 seconds to acknowledge them before they think poorly of you. What you do from there will either confirm or deny the belief that you got the job because you’re working for your dad. “So so did that.” It’s so fun. You make yourself look so great when you put down someone. Not. You don’t impress anyone when you choose to make someone else look bad. The general belief is that if you’ll do that to this person, you’ll do it to me. Very career limiting. “I didn’t have time.” This is clearly an inability to manage your time. If you can’t manage your time, there isn’t too much you can manage. This is a hallmark of a career to nowhere. Come in late, leave early, call in sick. This one is guaranteed to not only tick off the boss, but all your co-workers. You will have no one as an ally, because other people are left picking up the work when you are not there to do your job. In fact, your co-workers will gladly hold the door open for you when you get fired. Leave it for someone else. There may be something you don’t like doing and always seem to delay long enough that someone else will have to do it. Don’t think that will go unnoticed. We all have to do things we’d rather not do in our job â€" that’s just how things work. You don’t get to pick and choose the tasks that you will or won’t do. You either do the whole job, or they will find someone who will. Need too much instruction. There is certainly a state of grace in any job for you to learn and come up to speed. However, once you do the expectation is that now you know the business, know your job and that you use a few brain cells to THINK about what to do next, or even improve things. You will go nowhere if you have to constantly be given direction and told what to do. It really is easier to do something yourself than to have to do all the thinking and directing of an employee. Poor communications. This is more than simply how you speak to a person. It is all forms of communication including speaking, emailing and using the phone. If you’re poor at responding to emails, take too long to return calls and use too much “dude” when you speak with someone, don’t look for a promotion. It’s the little things that matter  because the assumption is that if you can’t handle the small stuff, you certainly can’t handle the big. If your career is roughly where it was when you left high school or your progress is at a snail’s pace, you may want to review some of your behaviors against this list. It’s really fairly easy to do well on the job and in your career as long as you show up, do your job well and show some initiative. Go to top Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today!  Start watching now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. www.introvertwhisperer.com

SAT Exam Online SAT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace

SAT Exam Online SAT Prep Online Tutoring Tutorpace Scholastic Assessment test, popularly known as SAT is the exam taken by all the high school students who plan to study in colleges and universities in the United States. SAT exam is conducted many times a year and students residing in the U.S or other countries can register online and take the test. SAT exam is owned by the College Board and students who wish to take the SAT should register on the College Board official website and pay for the exam. SAT exam scores are preferred by many colleges and universities throughout the United States as it reflects the academic knowledge of the student. SAT examines students in various sections and it prepares them to take up college level academics. SAT exam paper tests students in 3 important sections and they are Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing. The performance on these sections depends on the students logical skills and time management skills. Students are allowed to use calculators for the exam and if the students have graphing calculators, then they will be able to answer some questions more quickly. It is recommended for the students not to guess the answers for questions which they have no idea about, as there is negative penalty for the wrong answers. This implies that with one single wrong answer, the already existing score is reduced. So students can mark the answer only when they are sure about it. If the students have good understanding of the concepts learnt up until till high school, then they can get good scores.

How to Become a Boxing Coach

How to Become a Boxing Coach How Do You Become a Boxing Coach? ChaptersWhat Is Training for Boxing Coaches Like?Boxing Coaching Courses ContentThe Skills Learnt in a Boxing Coaching CoachThe Steps to Becoming a Boxing Coach“I love challenges, I love intensity, and I also like to challenge my mind. Believe it or not, boxing is not only about physical force. You use a lot of concentration; it's really mental.” - Adriana LimaLike in many other disciplines, you can teach yourself how to become a boxing trainer, but it’s often better to get a recognised qualification. This is why many opt to get training to legitimise their knowledge of boxing training.This means you’ll have to take lessons, practise, understand the theory, and learn how to teach potential boxers. More and more people are choosing to box and boxing is becoming more popular in the UK so there's never been a better time.In short, there are plenty of good reasons to become a boxing coach.Are you ready to start helping people get into the ring?Here’s a quick overview of what bo xing coaching training involves. AndreyBoxing Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KostiaBoxing Teacher 5.00 (1) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LeeBoxing Teacher £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SajBoxing Teacher 5.00 (1) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KaranBoxing Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ThomasBoxing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HaileyBoxing Teacher 4.50 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DavidBoxing Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat Is Training for Boxing Coaches Like?Like with any other discipline, training allows you to gain knowledge about the subject and use this knowledge professionally. When it comes to combat sports and martial arts, you need to also be able to put this into practice. Whether you do traditional boxing, savate, Muay Thai, or kickboxing, the core principles of coaching are the same. (Source: StockSnap)To teach people how to do sports, you need to be able to do it yourself. Generally, people will expect you to have boxed yourself. This may put a few potential candidates off as they’ll expect to learn everything on the course.  If you want to do one of these coaching courses, you’ll need to want to teach. However, even if you have the drive to teach, you need to have some boxing experience.To become a boxing coach, you’ll need:To be in good physical condition.To have a solid understanding of the sport of boxing and experience in the sport.Be at least age 17.There are a few ways to become a boxing coach and all of them allow you to teach boxing in boxing clubs. Of course, like many things in this world, they aren’t free.While there are different coaching courses, they all have a lot in common with one another as they all have the same goals.Box ing Coaching Courses ContentWhen you sign up for a boxing coaching course, be aware that there will be both practical and theoretical elements. The theory is as important as practical skills since it will help you gain a better understanding of aspects of boxing and coaching throughout your career. Once you've made your mind up about becoming a boxing coach, a training course may seem like the most obvious step. (Source: StockSnap)The structure of a ring, boxing tactics, fundamentals, safety, etc. There are so many things you need to know before you can start teaching people how to box. After all, there are even risks when punching a heavy bag or a speed bag and using a jump rope. Admittedly, these aren't as dangerous as what can happen in a boxing ring such as losing by knockout due to a vicious left hook, but you still need to consider the risks of everything you teach.A coach also needs to help manage a boxer’s career. They need to think about training for particular fights in great detail to give their budding boxer the best chance of winning.  After all, being a boxing coach isn’t just about watching boxers train. You need to be versatile, familiar with all the different techniques, able to manage a group of students, and even know the makeup of boxing gloves to ensure your students have the right ones.  An instructor, an educator, and trainer all rolled into one.Find out more about how much boxing coaches earn.The Skills Learnt in a Boxing Coaching CoachSince it’s a course, after all, you’ll be expected to learn things. A trainer, in addition to being a teacher, also has a supporting role and will need to provide support to boxers who are lacking in confidence, too. When you take a boxing coaching course, you'll learn the necessary skills to teach people how to box. (Source: Pexels)Of all the skills learnt in a boxing coaching course, there’s listening, empathy, and psychology in addition to:Creating boxing sessions including cardio, fitness training, technique, etc.Adopting their pedagogy to each student and their age, level, or experience.Speaking to groups.Management skills.Understanding the structure of the boxing world.Not being scared of setting your sights high for your students.Being versatile and able to teach anyone, anywhere, and at any time.Adapting their practical programme to anyone from amateur boxers to potential champions.And many more!A boxing coach is an anchor for many aspiring boxers throughout their careers. They need to be able to put their heart and soul into their training and pass their passion for the Noble Art onto their students.  In reality, while there are several techniques for boxing coaches to learn, transferr ing knowledge is their main goal. A professional qualification is still important, though.Find out more about where boxing coaches can work.The Steps to Becoming a Boxing CoachBoxing coaching courses are aimed at learning everything you need to know about the discipline and showing the professional world of boxing the trainer they can be. Now it’s over to you! Boxing coaching training can be useful for helping you to become a consummate professional. (Source: skeeze)After completing your coaching course, you’ll have some decisions to make:What to do now? Where do I go from here? As a trainer, what should I do?Fortunately, in the world of boxing, there aren’t too many routes to take. By the time you’ve completed your training, you’ll probably have a pretty clear idea of what you have to do. Of course, if you want to diversify your offering, you can always become a coach in the more general sense.Coaches can offer lighter training to people in schools, businesses, gyms, etc.  You can work in boxing clubs and with professional boxers but you could also be a coach in general. Whether you’re in a boxing club or a gym, there are still people who are driven to be the best.As you’ll have understood, becoming a boxing coach is no walk in the park.  Whether you’re starting your career or changing it, you need to know that you can’t m ake it up as you go along and that coaching involves a big commitment if you want to do it professionally.  Whether you’re coaching traditional boxing, Thai boxing, savate, or kickboxing, it can also be a rewarding career as you transmit your knowledge to the next generation of athletes. As a coach, you need to be motivated, experienced, passionate, and have the drive to teach.Hopefully, you now have fewer concerns about becoming a boxing coach and the steps you need to take. Whether you’re teaching juniors, amateurs, or professionals, you need to go for it!Keep in mind that if you work for yourself as a private boxing coach, you won't necessarily need to focus on boxing techniques. After all, a lot of people are now more interested in the aerobic benefits of boxing fitness than learning how to throw punches or become a professional boxer. Of course, while you can still teach traditional boxing classes, the personal training side of things can be a great way to supplement your i ncome or broaden your offering.You can offer high-intensity boxing workouts for those wanting to get fit or get in shape in the form of circuit training or a boot camp, for example. Similarly, these workout routines don't necessarily need to take place in a gym or boxing club, you can offer full-body workout routines in parks and public spaces, for example. A boxing workout like this won't involve sparring, footwork, or even boxing gloves, but it does draw upon the physical benefits of the training you get in a boxing gym.You can learn more about boxing from our other articles or even get boxing tutorials from one of the many experienced and talented tutors on Superprof. There are many boxing coaches around the UK and all over the world ready to help you but you need to choose the right one and the right type of tutorials. There are three main types, face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials, and each has its pros and cons.Think carefully about your budget, your goals, and how you like to learn before choosing your private tutor and remember that many of the tutors on Superprof also offer free tuition for the first hour. While this isn't usually a proper session, it's a good opportunity to meet your potential tutor, find out how they like to teach, see if you get along with each other, and agree on the details of your private tutorials.

Our tutors provide student support at free UCAS workshops

Our tutors provide student support at free UCAS workshops “I love maths. I love it. I do. I love maths. I could do it for days and not get bored.” But can you put into words WHY you love it… Our specialised UCAS workshops, which we set up in various schools around London, have proved to be… …a great experience for pupils and tutors alike. We  assist pupils  in tackling the often dauting task of  filling out their university applications, as well as helping them identify their strengths and work out what they would like to do both as a course and in general life. Here are a few words from two of our tutors who recently participated in one of these events: Sophie Almost exactly 10 years since I filled out my own UCAS form, I found myself boarding a minibus to north London with 10 other Tutorfair tutors, with the aim of helping the young people of Oasis Academy Enfield to do the same. On arrival, we were divided into four groups: student finances, choosing a course, choosing a university and personal statements. My group were working on how to write a good personal statement. Some students had clearly thought a lot about their chosen subject, while others were less clear. Highlights of the day included a young man telling me he didn’t have any experience in his chosen field (IT) and then remembering that his teacher asks him to fix the school computers… and  a girl who passionately loves maths but couldn’t explain why, eventually  realising she was satisfied by things  being either wrong or right. The students found out things they didn’t know about each other (one had been a champion trampolinist), started to gain confidence and, I hope, learned that each has something unique and special to offer the university of their choice. Kieran On 28th March, a group of 10 Tutorfair tutors set off to help a group of sixth formers begin the ever-arduous process of working out what they want to do after school. All the students were very lively and switched on with a wide and varied set of hopes and ambitions. We, the tutors, hopefully offered some good advice on what the next key steps are after finishing school. Lots of the students discovered new ideas and possible future career paths â€"anything from 3D printing to marine biology and palaeontology to maths and philosophy. The tutors and students all agreed that this was a really great, fun day of activity â€" something that shows Tutorfair is having an awesome impact on young people. After all, learning about how to navigate your way through the endless range of choices, UCAS statements, examination grade requirements and the rest is so often an overwhelming task! The goal here was to offer a bit of encouragement and essentially open up the world of opportunities available to young people â€" and this was well and truly achieved, so it was a job well done by everyone!

Better Pedagogy and Time-Savings through Automated Feedback

Better Pedagogy and Time-Savings through Automated Feedback Automated Feedback Solutions Chichikovs teacher looks miserable about all the corrections he has to do If you teach ESL, you may have encountered any number of disparaging remarks from students and teachers alike about language instruction. For example, when I challenged my students a couple of weeks ago to spend a little more time on their English homework, one of my college students said to me, No  offense, but it is ONLY English. I countered, Isnt English the most important language in the world for business, travel, and research? Yes, came the reply, but I live in St-Jerome.  There was some nodding and general agreement that followed.  Apparently, in St-Jerome, Quebec, English does not seem to be a pressing need for some eighteen-year-old Francophones. Years earlier, in South Korea, during a department meeting about adding a writing component to our Freshman English Program, a colleague declared with a grin, Whats the point? They dont learn anything away. There was some nodding. General agreement that followed that remark, also. Apparently, adding writing correction to the list of ESL teachers duties does not always seem like a particularly effective use of time in all contexts. Obviously, motivation can ebb and flow on both sides of the teachers desk. Learning, for example, when to use the  Present Perfect Progressive can seem like more trouble than it is worth. Also, correcting the same error in a students writing multiple times can be disheartening to even the most patient of teachers. Such problems! Are ESL teachers doomed forevermore to be the workhorses of the academic world? Automated Feedback Solutions Computers can provide solutions to some of the problems one encounters in ESL. If you think English is irrelevant to your day-to-day life, YouTube and Facebook might persuade you otherwise. If you are starting to feel that correcting quizzes and writing assignments is getting tedious,  Moodle and Virtual Writing Tutor can help. Lately, I have been using Bokomaru Publications  Moodle-Assisted English Language Learning site called Labo danglais. I do almost all of my testing online with automatically graded quizzes and peer-reviewed writing assignments. As a result, students get scores quicker than they did when I did all correction by hand, and I notice a significant reduction in the amount of tedium in my job. To provide my students with faster corrective feedback on writing errors, I use  Virtual Writing Tutor. When my colleagues complain that they spent the weekend giving corrective feedback on student essays, I sympathize, a little. I think back to the years when my weekends were gobbled up by stacks of writing corrections, and then I smile at how the most repetitive and tedious aspects of providing corrective feedback are now handled by a machine. Correction without Tears Step 1 To illustrate one way that my job has gotten easier without sacrificing good pedagogy in the process, I would like to share a little about my approach to teaching Francophone College students the Present Perfect Progressive. In week one of a fifteen-week semester, I ask my students to find and correct the errors in a short introduction forum post written by a former student. This is the text: my name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in sciences humans since 2 years. Me, i like to do party with my friends. My best friend make me smile. This text contains some pretty common errors made by Francophones writing in English.    In French, you are born somewhere. In English, you were born somewhere.  In French, you live at a city. In English, you live in a city.    In French, you have so many years. In English, you are so many years old.    In French, you study in a program since so many years. In English, you have been studying a subject area for so many years, and so on. Back to my method Step 2 Then, I ask students to introduce themselves to the class using an online forum.  Of course, despite having done the correction exercise, they still make many of the same kinds of errors, so I  ask them to check their own introduction for errors using the  Virtual Writing Tutor. They get the same amount of corrective feedback (or more) on errors as they would get from me if I were to collect the paragraphs on paper, bring them home and return them the next week covered in red ink, but they get the feedback in in less than a second from the machine. Here is what you get when you submit the above text into the  Virtual Writing Tutor: You wrote:  my  name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in lavFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  my name is  sophie  Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live at MFeedback:  Proper names, days of the week, months, cities, provinces, countries, languages, and nationalities all begin with a capital letter. For this reason, the word sophie should probably be uppercase: Sophie.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon.  i  am born in laval. i live at Montreal. iFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon.  i  am born in laval. i live at Montreal. iFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.     Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  my name is sophie Gagnon. i am born in  laval.  i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. iFeedback:  Proper names, days of the week, months, cities, provinces, countries, languages, and nationalities all begin with a capital letter. For this reason, the word laval should probably be uppercase: Laval.       Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  e is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval.  i  live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i stFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  e is sophie Gagnon. i am born in laval.  i  live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i stFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  phie Gagnon. i am born in laval. i live  at Montreal.  i have 17 years. i study in sciences hFeedback:  The usual preposition used before town, city and region names is in. Did you mean in Montreal ?      Link:  Preposition error-correction practice activity You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym. You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i have 17 years.  i study in sciences humans since 2 yearFeedback:  Did you mean I am 17 years old? You wrote:  i am born in laval. i live at Montreal.  i  have 17 years. i study in sciences humaFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  Three successive sentences begin with the same word. Reword the sentence or use a thesaurus to find a synonym. You wrote:  l. i live at Montreal. i have 17 years.  i  study in sciences humans since 2 years.Feedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity You wrote:   i live at Montreal. i have 17 years. i  study  in sciences humans since 2 years. Me, iFeedback:  Use the Present Perfect to express durations of time that include the present. Did you mean i have been studying Social Sciences for 2 years? You wrote:  t Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in  sciences humans  since 2 years. Me, i like to do party wFeedback:  In English, plural nouns do not require plural adjectives. Adjectives and noun modifiers must remain singular. Did you mean ? You wrote:  t Montreal. i have 17 years. i study in  sciences humans  since 2 years. Me, i like to do party wFeedback:  You have used the French name of college program. You wrote sciences humans, but in English it is Social Sciences.Link:  Program name translation activity You wrote:  ve 17 years. i study in sciences humans  since 2 years.  Me, i like to do party with my friendsFeedback:  Use for not since for a duration of time. Did you mean for 2 years?Link:  Preposition error-correction practice activity You wrote:  study in sciences humans since 2 years.  Me, i  like to do party with my friends. My beFeedback:  Please choose either me or I not both. Its awkward.Link:  Pronoun error-correction practice activity You wrote: y in sciences humans since 2 years. Me,  i  like to do party with my friends. My beFeedback:  This should be written in uppercase: I.      Link:  Capitalization error-correction practice activity Step 3 Later in the course, I ask my students to create an unusual character and write an introduction for that character using the first person. Again, I ask them to share it online and then check it for errors using the  Virtual Writing Tutor. Step 4 On the final exam, one of the six sections of the exam asks them to write a paragraph where they introduce themselves. This time, it is me who uses the  Virtual Writing Tutor  to check for errors. By the end of a semester with me, most of my students will write a paragraph containing a correct instance of the Present Perfect Progressive in response to the following writing prompt: Introduce yourself. Say where you are from, where you live, how long you have been living there, the name of your program, how long you have been in the program. Also, describe your usual weekly routine, your job, and how long you have been doing it. The Virtual Writing Tutor Makes Good Pedagogy Possible All in all, the students get much more corrective feedback on errors than I would be willing to give without the help of a machine. The goal is to throw so much negative evidence at an error that the interlanguage rule in students heads that produces the error will begin to destabilize. Once that happens, they might then be able to resist the urge to map English words on the French structures, and finally introduce themselves in Standard Written English. To provide that much feedback by hand might negatively affect my motivation as a teacher. The Virtual Writing Tutor Saves Time Just consider how long it would take you to provide the same amount of corrective feedback as the  Virtual Writing Tutor  can provide  on 125 students paragraphs. Assuming you are a well-rested teacher with a two day weekend ahead of you and assuming you could correct one error every 15 seconds, and assuming each text has 21 errors like the one above, it would take you only about 5 minutes per student. Not so bad. Assuming you had five groups of 25 students (my groups have between 27 and 29 students this semester) and spent five minutes on each text without any interruptions, meals, or breaks, it would take you 625 minutes, or 10 and a half hours to correct them all. Your weekend is gone, and your kids are now complaining to their mother/your wife that you never make time to play with them. Your motivation to provide corrective feedback might start to wain by week two of the semester. Now, times that 10 and a half hours by three. I have learned, as I hope you will too, that the  Virtual Writing Tutor  saves ESL teachers time. How much time do you spend on providing corrective feedback on ESL students writing? Leave a comment. Please follow and like us: