#learning tools

resoomer.com –> summarizes the text (you can set your native language)

wordcount.com –> counts words in document

speechinminutes.com –> counts how long it will take to read the prepared text (you can also set whether you speak slowly, quickly or normally)

essaytopicgenerator.com –> generates the topic of the essay based on keywords (the field or type of essay can also be included)

researchgate.net –> free texts that can be referred to in the essay

academia.edu –> free texts that can be referred to in the essay

Google Drive / Microsoft OneDrive and Office365 –> free cloud with tools to make slides, documents etc.

sites.google.com –> make free, simple website without any skills

carrd.co –> make free, simple and pretty website without any skills (max. 100 elements)

Online converters –> change file type to different file type

icons8.com –> free icons (for slides, sites etc.)

remove.bg –> remove background from photo

loader.to –> download YouTube video or playlist as video or sound files

forms.google.com –> make simple form/poll/quiz/etc.

quizlet.com –> make flashcards and test yourself (some things are only in pro version now)

Streaming services –> documentary films, educational podcasts etc.

artsandculture.google.com –> explore art, online museum tours etc.

plantsnap.com –> recognizes plants and mushrooms

ecosia.org –> web browser, but they plant trees when you use it

tunemymusic.com –> transfers music playlist (or text song list) to another service

shazam.com –> recognizes songs

slidesgo.com –> slides templates

Darkling Dark Mode –> dark mode for Google Chrome

Darkling Dark Mode –> dark mode for Microsoft Edge

thesaurus.com –> finds synonyms (you can easily find similar websites in your native language)

Apple reminders, google calendar etc. –> help organize

Online libraries –> free books

html-online.com –> write html, css and javascript online

supercook.com –> shows recipes with things you have at home

edx.org –> free courses

hi :) i like to make a big list of things i want to do each summer, and i thought i'd share all the resources i collected this year with y'all in case you want to do any of these things too <3

learn a new language. 🦜

i've collected a bunch of resources for french, korean, and mandarin so i'll be making separate posts for those languages. but here's some of my favourite resources - most of them are based off of krashen’s comprehensible input theory which is why they are fun resources:

french: free grammar lessons and quizzes for all levels, watch french tv, read manga in french, a drive full of french books, a bunch of french culture podcasts, a list of french youtubers

korean: anki grammar decks for all levels, super in depth grammar explanations up to advanced level, a bunch of resources, reddit’s ultimate beginner’s thread, read korean webtoon, talk to me in korean

mandarin: a bunch of anki decks, grammar gamified, reading practice, chinese reading world, mandarin bean grammar points

japanese: core 2000 words anki deck, grammar gamified on renshuu

spanish: language transfer for spanish!

learn to draw. 🎨

this is more just a collection of art related resources. hope they help!

proko’s art library, a bunch of sketching and fundamental tutorials

the complete famous artists course

collection of art books and resources

alphonso dunn’s youtube channel

learn guitar. 🎸

i got a guitar last summer on a whim and have been having a really fun time learning it! here’s the main resource i’ve been using.

learn jazz piano. 🎹

similarly jazz piano is something i’ve wanted to get into for a while + improv. this person’s youtube channel is very cool!

write something and put it out into the world! ✍

i love to write and it took me a while to learn how to submit stuff to journals. hope these help you!

a bunch of resources on how to submit to journals

how to submit to literary magazines by doretta lau

publishing 101

chillsubs, an easy way to find journals to submit to

make your own video games. 🎮

by now if you follow me you know i love to make twine games. here are a couple of cool engines you can use for free!

twine, a text based engine

love

renpy or visual novel resources

bitsy

take a free online course. 🧠

coursera has a lot of options, which i really like. i took Yale’s the science of well being a few years ago and it was great!

make your own music or learn how audio software works. 🎵

audionodes is a cool free browser software that lets you do this without downloading anything!

learn about personal finance. 💵

i feel like it’s hard to devote proper time to learning about personal finance so a lot of us rely on learning as we go, but there are some good resources and tools online that are quick and easy when you have 5-30 min to spare!

PBS Two Cents youtube short vids about personal finance

wealthsimple personal finance 101 (short videos. nicholas braun is in them for some reason)

mint - free budgeting and goals software

I really want to actually commit to learning, I always give up on new skills like this and this is the longest I've really stuck with any language. Sunk cost and all. But resources would really help!

I'm looking for programs, courses, videos, etc. Also, if any of y'all have media reccomendations like TV shows or movies to watch, I've heard those are super helpful, so I'd love to hear about those too! I watch a lot of Portuguese-speaking streamers on QSMP but I'd love some other media as well ^w^

So to the left, you have the main hub where you can essentially put in widgets or lists or tables to make your study station *aesthetic*. It's also a sort of mastersheet to all the subsections of the station: it's got links to hubs for vocabulary, grammar, literature and my personal favorite: the Task Organizer.

To the right, we've got the Task Hub which includes a table (this can be changed to a list, calendar, timeline, or gallery if you don't like tables) where you can include your language tasks or your homework. You can sort and label each task by status (to-do, doing, etc), language skills, or by topic (I've pre-added about a dozen general topics). This table is backlinked to other pages in the workstation to keep track of your tasks and link everything together. This table is also ideal for monthly language challenges like we have on langblr!

Then we've got the Vocab Builder. It includes a pre-added template I made for you to make vocab lists with the toggle feature (basically, a pseudo-flashcard-making system) and a link to import web pages (good for storing langblr vocab lists!). There's the Grammar Hub which you can use to take grammar notes and sort/organize them by topic. And finally, you've got the Literature Hub. It includes a property to set your reading goal, collate new vocab you've learnt from reading, and of course, take notes either by Cornell style or using your own method.

This template can be used for any language (your keyboard must be able to imput accents/characters) and it can be used at any level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc).

I’ve been hearing a lot of vitriol about cursive being taught in schools in recent years. Things like “We don’t need it.” or “It’s a waste of time.” The most compelling statement I’ve heard is “A typing class would be more useful.” I understand. It’s not as useful as it once was. But I don’t like it when people say it because cursive changed my life. So I just want to put my story out there. 

I was diagnosed with what my tester called “the clearest case of dyslexia [she’d] seen in twenty years”. I copied words wrong and couldn’t tell the difference. I once wrote a math assignment so it had to be read in the mirror. At the same time, I loved stories. Story time was the only time I could sit still. But reading? Let’s just say that my mother would read a paragraph and have me read one sentence. It took me as long or longer to get through that sentence and I was often in tears by the period.

Then, in third grade we started learning cursive. My family wasn’t sure how I’d handle new letters, but we forgot something, something I only realized years later.

The letters were connected.

This simple difference meant that the letters stopped shifting. And it changed everything. The words didn’t change around. And once I knew the words in cursive I could recognize them in print. 

The year I learned cursive was the year I went from picture books I’d memorized to the teen section in the library. By fourth grade my reading level tested at a college level (though I’ve always found that a little suspect since I think I mainly read books from the YA section at that point). 

I don’t think this would work for everyone. As I said, I have a very traditional form of dyslexia in which letters and numbers are jumbled (and man do I wish that this worked for numbers too). The way I learned how to read was by memorizing the shape of a word like it was a single symbol. And it would not have been possible without cursive. 

Cursive really did help me a lot. I don’t think I could have been a writer without it. So maybe... keep that in mind the next time someone rants a little too fervently against it. 

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who else was taught in school to remember what these specific states are called using my dude mimal the kfc chef???

As a writer I find that I use Pinterest in a unique way. Some writers are shy to use Pinterest, mostly intimidated by how different it is to different platforms and the stereotypes that come with using it. However, here are some tips as to how the site can be used to further your writing endeavors. This is the first in a series of listicles I’ll be making, starting this year!

Character Boards

Creating characters is hard. If you tend to use the same characters over a long period of time (this is especially common if you have a detailed fictional universe or are working on a story for years) then you might find that creating a Pinterest board will help you to maintain inspiration. Include images, text snippets or general ideas that relate directly to the character. You can arrange and customise these boards in whatever way you find easiest to look at. Going back to this whenever you need to write the character can give you an easy-to-read overview of their personality and can help get your creative juices flowing.

Environments

Sometimes picturing your setting is half the battle. Compiling images of rooms and outdoor environments can really help you when having to describe settings. It can be tempting to try and build your settings from the ground up, but even finding images of pieces of furniture or general objects can really help you to describe them more effectively. Looking at source material is just as useful to a writer as it is to a visual artist. If you find it hard to get the “vibe” or a place nailed down without something to look at, there’s plenty of environment images available on Pinterest.

Reference

Visual aids are always extremely valuable. Pinterest is a pretty streamlined and easy way to find images or articles. If you need reference for a particular gesture or pose, or even just an object you’re trying to describe, you might find it on Pinterest. Sure, google would normally be sufficient for specific images but if you’re looking for more conceptual images or you’re not sure what you want to add to a scene then Pinterest might actually serve you better. Plus, you can create boards for anything you find that might come in handy later - this can be better than simply saving the image because you can access it from any device at any time.

Collaborating

Not all writers have co-writers or other collaborators, but for those that do online sharing is endlessly valuable. I have used Pinterest character and location boards to help my co-writer put his scenes together plenty of times. In fact, boards can be a super efficient way to help a collaborator immediately understand your character or concept without too much wordy explanation. Your boards can be a really good way to provide quick reference for those you work with, and in an extremely user-friendly and simple environment. A lot of writers I am friends with also follow my Pinterest boards regardless of whether or not we are collaborating, so that we can feed on each other’s inspiration and creativity! Building a circle on Pinterest with your creative friends can lead to better flow when it comes to ideas and focus.

There’s no wrong way to be a writer - for some of us using apps and websites like Pinterest can really help, whilst for some of us working with paper and word documents is actually much easier. It all depends on your personality! A common misconception is that creativity comes from nature, but there is no reason why the modern writer can’t find unique ways to utilise social media and online content sharing to further their abilities. Seeking inspiration can work in any number of different ways.

For any writers that collaborate frequently or who like visual stimuli when working I seriously recommend using the site!