Saturday, March 28, 2020

Finding A Use For Teacher Posters

Finding A Use For Teacher PostersTutor posters are a great way to tell others how much you appreciate the tutoring they are providing. These posters are often quite high quality and highly customized, which can give a student a sense of pride as they use them to inspire other students to try hard and learn. They also provide a helpful resource for people who aren't able to attend the class to learn.The first thing you need to do is get yourself a quality poster. There are several different kinds, but the most common of all is a big photograph of the tutor in full academic attire or dressed in your school's colors. This is a very good idea, as many teachers actually want to remind their students of the time they spent tutoring them. You might also consider getting them a photograph of a portrait of the teacher or of the building in which the classes take place.If you're looking for something to go along with your tutor posters, be sure to have some appropriate writing paper and pen. S ome posters simply don't go with the theme and you will find that not only does it look odd, but you may have to clean up the poster after you have printed it. By using a writing instrument you won't have to worry about this.Now the fun part begins. Take your time and decorate the poster according to your taste. Use colored pens and colored paper to write on, to give the final image a finished look.There are so many reasons why this is a good idea. First of all, if you are a teacher you can use them to help inform your students of how much they can count on you to support them through their time at school. They can help them to remember your services, which can be incredibly helpful in times of need.The second reason to choose effective tutor posters is that they provide an opportunity to share the good things you can do for others. You can inspire and motivate your students to take advantage of what you offer by offering them a little piece of advice. You will soon find that they c an read this information and remember it as they move forward with their learning and educational careers.A major benefit of these posters is that they come in a variety of styles. You can get some in the traditional school colors like red, yellow, blue, and green, or you can go with a more contemporary poster. Whatever your style you will have something to inspire and motivate.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Online Tutoring Critical View

Online Tutoring Critical View Today we continue to familiarize our readers with peculiarities of the online tutoring. In order to be objective it is necessary to overview also problems associated with that educational approach. So let us add some criticism to the ideal conception of the online tutoring which was represented in our previous issue. Unfortunately online education also has some weak points. The main of them: tutors and students must be familiar with the modern technologies, which sometimes can be a problem for people of older generation or for those who live in technologically retarded areas; additional equipment (computer and multi-media devices) and software are needed and besides it’s necessary to have usable interface andtechnical support to maintain both the hardware and the software sides; cultural communication difficulties between remote tutors and learners; located far away tutor can be not aware of the standard content of the study program on the subject taught in schools/universities in learner’s location. As a result materials covered may differ from the state’s program; Internet connection is not reliable in some distant areas which can make organizing an online tutoring course difficult; nonverbal signs (facial expressions, body movements and eye contact) are less presented in online education but they are also essential for the tutoring process. Both a tutor and a student may need experience to get used to this; lower pricing of the online lessons is not only a benefit because it makes online tutoring less attractive for tutors in financial aspect; there are some ways of cheating for learners if there is no visual contact with the tutor. However all these difficulties have solutions. For example, spacial trainings and webinars help tutors, learners and parents to get accustomed to informational technologies needed for successful establishing of the online sessions. Additional software is not always necessary. Companies which serve online tutoring often apply web conferencing systems which allow tutors and students to deal directly via browser without installing any appliances into their PC. Special feature of these systems is an interactive whiteboard   an area on a display screen common to several users on which they can write formulas and draw graphics. Problems with bed Internet connection and low prices for online tutoring will gradually disappear with the development of the online tutoring and general technological progress all over the world. And finally some control from the side of parents will prevent any opportunities for cheating As any other forms of education, online tutoring has it’s pros and cons but rapid development of present-day world forces us to look for the quickest and the cheapest ways of knowledge acquisition. Online tutoring is one of the best tools which successfully helps to solve this vital problem of the modern life.

This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math

This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math Praksitha’s love for math and  general  tenacity has helped her get ahead both  in-and-out of the classroom.  Already setting  the  goal  to one day become a pathologist,  she  is determined to stay ahead  academically,  while maintaining a well-rounded extracurricular activity schedule.       She has a love for ice skating and  Bharatanatyam  â€"  a  form of Indian  classical  dance,  but she also enjoys  assisting  others.  Helping her fellow classmates solve tough math problems in class is not the only thing she does to support her peers, she has been elected and currently serving as a member of the student council for two terms.   Praksitha  even took her academic talents to the next level to compete  with other young  scholars at state level for  Destination Imagination.  Destination Imagination, Inc. is a leading educational nonprofit dedicated to teaching students the skills needed to succeed in school, their careers and beyond.  The organization is dedicated to developing project-based learning programs that incorporate STEM education along with arts and social entrepreneurship. Praksitha participates seasonally with her team in this exciting experience to really put her math skills to the test!     Praksitha’s love for math guided her to Destination Imagination, but it’s her tenacity  that earned her a Praksitha shakes hands with Kumon North America President Mino Tanabe ticket to the 2018 Kumon Student Conference. She was just one of 56 Kumon Students from the United States, Canada and Mexico to attend the conference!  She shares some of  the  experiences  of  her 8-year Kumon journey.   How has Kumon helped you in the classroom??   Whenever there’s a hard question in math, my teacher calls me up to solve it. I also  can  help other students when they are solving a math problem.         How has Kumon helped you  beyond academics??   Kumon has taught me many valuable lessons such as being confident in myself, motivation, time management, creative thinking and discipline. Kumon challenges me consistently by introducing new  concepts one after the other. In school, there’s a requirement to learn two new languages and it was easy to adapt as Kumon frequently  inspires  me to learn new concepts.         What  keeps you motivated in Kumon?     Kumon can be tough sometimes, but  all  of  the challenges and  the  resulting  benefits  keep me motivated. Kumon teaches me everything well ahead of time, so when I learn it in school,  I have already had so much practice that I always speed through it.  This  tells me that if I keep going in Kumon, I will always achieve my math goals.       What did it mean to you to be invited to the 2018 Kumon Student Conference??   First off, I was very excited because this is the first time I have been invited. Attending the conference has given me the opportunity to interact with different students from Kumon North America Centers, and listen to their experiences and best practices.       What advice do you have for other Kumon Students??   Just stick with it and never give up!     Discover even more student success stories.     You might also be interested in: Discover How This Student Learned to Love New Challenges How One Student Learned to Love the Kumon Program This Young Student Gets Competitive With Her Math Skills Discover How This Young Student Has Gained Independence in Math This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math This Young Kumon Student Learned To Love New Challenges in Math Praksitha’s love for math and  general  tenacity has helped her get ahead both  in-and-out of the classroom.  Already setting  the  goal  to one day become a pathologist,  she  is determined to stay ahead  academically,  while maintaining a well-rounded extracurricular activity schedule.       She has a love for ice skating and  Bharatanatyam  â€"  a  form of Indian  classical  dance,  but she also enjoys  assisting  others.  Helping her fellow classmates solve tough math problems in class is not the only thing she does to support her peers, she has been elected and currently serving as a member of the student council for two terms.   Praksitha  even took her academic talents to the next level to compete  with other young  scholars at state level for  Destination Imagination.  Destination Imagination, Inc. is a leading educational nonprofit dedicated to teaching students the skills needed to succeed in school, their careers and beyond.  The organization is dedicated to developing project-based learning programs that incorporate STEM education along with arts and social entrepreneurship. Praksitha participates seasonally with her team in this exciting experience to really put her math skills to the test!     Praksitha’s love for math guided her to Destination Imagination, but it’s her tenacity  that earned her a Praksitha shakes hands with Kumon North America President Mino Tanabe ticket to the 2018 Kumon Student Conference. She was just one of 56 Kumon Students from the United States, Canada and Mexico to attend the conference!  She shares some of  the  experiences  of  her 8-year Kumon journey.   How has Kumon helped you in the classroom??   Whenever there’s a hard question in math, my teacher calls me up to solve it. I also  can  help other students when they are solving a math problem.         How has Kumon helped you  beyond academics??   Kumon has taught me many valuable lessons such as being confident in myself, motivation, time management, creative thinking and discipline. Kumon challenges me consistently by introducing new  concepts one after the other. In school, there’s a requirement to learn two new languages and it was easy to adapt as Kumon frequently  inspires  me to learn new concepts.         What  keeps you motivated in Kumon?     Kumon can be tough sometimes, but  all  of  the challenges and  the  resulting  benefits  keep me motivated. Kumon teaches me everything well ahead of time, so when I learn it in school,  I have already had so much practice that I always speed through it.  This  tells me that if I keep going in Kumon, I will always achieve my math goals.       What did it mean to you to be invited to the 2018 Kumon Student Conference??   First off, I was very excited because this is the first time I have been invited. Attending the conference has given me the opportunity to interact with different students from Kumon North America Centers, and listen to their experiences and best practices.       What advice do you have for other Kumon Students??   Just stick with it and never give up!     Discover even more student success stories.     You might also be interested in: Discover How This Student Learned to Love New Challenges How One Student Learned to Love the Kumon Program This Young Student Gets Competitive With Her Math Skills Discover How This Young Student Has Gained Independence in Math

Thursday, March 5, 2020

A Week Without A Cell Phone Changed My Life

A Week Without A Cell Phone Changed My Life Photo credit: financial philosopher Since I go to school a thousand miles away from home and Im still on my parents phone plan, I wasnt going to get a snappy replacement phone, but I was okay with that. It ended up taking a week to replace my iPhone, but it was the nicest week Ive had in a while. It was weird at first not having a mobile device attached to me at every waking moment, but in turn I gained so much freedom. Granted I had friends that could communicate for me, and I live on a small college campus so that does make phone-less-living a bit easier, but I really enjoyed my week without a cell phone. I went about my days much differently than I do when I have my phone within a 3-foot radius of me at all times. From this experience I decided that my New Years resolution is to take a day or half a day each week to turn off my phone. I am also going to try and not respond to its every beckon like my life depends on it but in truth, it doesnt. I encourage you to try something similar. I can tell you that its a liberating feeling to go about your daily life without a phone, but you wont fully understand until you try it. Think about it- when is the last time you spent an  entire day  without touching your phone? Try it. It could change your life.

3 Smart Steps to Find a Language Tutor Who Actually Gets You

3 Smart Steps to Find a Language Tutor Who Actually Gets You 3 Smart Steps to Find a Language Tutor Who Actually Gets You So you don’t want to sit in a class, but you’re hitting a wall just studying your target language on your own?The best language tutors can offer the best of both worlds.While classes with multiple students have their own strengths, they can also be frustrating because you cant learn according to your personal interests, schedule, pace and style.  Meanwhile, learning on your own can leave you feeling a bit directionless.With a language tutor, youre able to study at your own pace and focus on the skills that are most important to you, but you also have an expert speaker of the language available to correct you, explain new concepts and keep you on task. Unlike a language exchangeâ€"which costs nothing but the time you spend teaching your partner your native languageâ€"youll have a trained teacher to explain grammar and other more complex topics.Finding a great tutor can be overwhelming, though. There are thousands of teachers, so how do you know who will work best for you? Here are some suggestions for finding the right language tutor to level up your language skills. 3 Smart Steps to Find a Language Tutor Who Actually Gets You1. Find Some Potential TutorsLanguage tutors can be either online or in-person, and there are advantages to both arrangements.  Online tutors are often cheaper and don’t require you to travel anywhere, saving you both time and money. They can also use a wide variety of technological tools to display and create images in real-time, walk you through slideshows, give you a play-by-play of sentence constructions and introduce you to authentic materials.Yet I  would always choose an in-person tutor if possible. I find it helpful to have my tutor be able to draw diagrams or write out phrases and look closely at my mouth to correct my pronunciation by having me rearrange the position of my lips or tongue. In person, theres also no problem with static on the connection or Skype fails.Here are some places to find both, as well as the pluses and minuses for each option:Craigslist (or local equivalent). Craigslist tutors are easy to find, often have availability and are usually the cheapest options. But they have the least amount of vetting. You could be getting a trained language teacherâ€"or it could be someone who dropped out of school after fifth grade and has never taught anyone before (okay, thats not super likely, but certainly possible). If you find a tutor on Craigslist, you should be extra careful about making sure that the tutor knows what he or she is doing. Some local Craigslist equivalents are 58.com in China, leboncoin.fr in France and loquo.com in Spain.Language schools. Language schools are probably the most expensive and least flexible option, but theres assurance that the teacher will be qualified. Language schools include cultural institutions like the Alliance Française, the Confucius Institute, the Goethe Institute and the Cervantes Institute.Universities. Go to campus and look for foreign students who want to earn some extra money, or even visiting scholars. Students usually wont charge as much as a trained teacher, but also wont be as able to explain grammar depending on the level of education and training theyve received so far. If you choose to work with a foreign student who doesnt have experience teaching, focus on working on pronunciation and speaking with them. You could look for offerings in the various departments devoted to language and culture, review the bulletin boards around campus and even post a seeking language tutor flyer on these bulletin boards yourself.italki.  The website italki has both community tutors (untrained) and professional teachers, all of whom teach online only. Its one of the cheapest ways to get a foreign language tutor.Google search for language teachers. There are tons of language tutors that market themselves through blogs and websites only.  In this case youll have to vet the teacher yourself, but theres often a trove of online material that allows you to assess how much the teacher knows and if youll understand his or her explanations.2. Evaluate Your OptionsInevitably you’ll end up with lots of teachers who seem fine. When it comes time to contact some of them, here are things you can  ask to see how well their teaching style will actually help you.What does a typical tutoring session look like?  You want someone who focuses on speaking and pronunciation during the actual session, with things like pronunciation drills, reading aloud and having you do prepared and unprepared monologues. You should be talking at least twice as much as the tutor during the actual session.Do they assign homework and correct it outside of your tutoring time? Youll also need to work on writing and grammar, but most of that should be done outside of your tutoring time. Ideally, your tutor will correct your work beforehand and go over it with you in the first five minutes of each lesson. Ask them if this is something theyll do with yo u.Can he or she explain grammar concepts?  If youre paying a teacher, he or she should understand the grammar concepts well enough to explain them. Dont fall into the common trap of assuming that any native speaker can explain grammarâ€"most of them cant. It takes special training to be able to explain grammar to a language learner. If you just want conversation practice you dont need a grammar ninja, but you should also be paying substantially less if your tutor cant do anything but chat with you.Do they have a set program or tailor their program to you?  Many language tutor have set packs and they insist that you choose a tutoring program. While that does show a certain level of organization, it fails to take advantage of the main reason for choosing a tutor over a classâ€"you get control over what you work on each lesson. You need a language tutor who will listen to your needs and create custom lesson plans. You need someone whos willing to change course when something isnt worki ng or when your priorities change.3. Trial and ErrorIf you’re looking for a long-term tutoring relationship (You are looking for a long-term tutoring relationship, right? Thats one key to making the most of tutoring in general), be prepared to do a trial session with several tutors. This doesnt have to break the bankâ€"many tutors offer discounted trial lessons that you should take advantage of. During the trial lesson, here are the things to look out for.The basics. Did the tutor show up on time, and was he or she prepared with a relevant lesson? Was he or she able to answer your questions to your satisfaction? Was he or she reasonably organized? A surprising number of tutors dont meet these basic requirements.Talk time. An exceptional language tutor will always make sure that youre doing the majority of the talking. He or she shouldnt spent time lecturing you about grammar or anything elseâ€"you should do at least 75% of the talking. For tutors who are also regular language teac hers, this can be a challenge because theyre used to talking at a room full of students, not engaging with one student one-on-one. But tutoring sessions should never feel like youre in a class in which you happen to be the only student. The tutor-student dynamic is fundamentally different, and a great tutors style should reflect that.Sparks.  This is someone youre going to meet with, one-on-one, for (hopefully) months or years. Whether or not you feel a connection to the person and enjoy his or her style and manner of being is important. Going to your language tutoring session should be a joy, not a chore, and having a tutor you like can go a long way. This doesnt mean you just want a nice tutorâ€"a good tutor is enjoyable but not afraid to be firm about homework or to correct you mercilessly.Hiring a language tutor can be one of the fastest ways to learn a language. It allows you to focus on the language skills that are most important to you and to get specific assistance with the skills that you struggle with.But a language tutor can also be a waste of money (and they can be expensive!) if you dont take the time to find a language tutor who knows what he or she is doing. The best tutoring arrangements last for months or years, so you want to take the time to find someone who will support you on your language journey and encourage you to learn  more.Take your time to find an awesome language tutor and youll be rewarded with quick progress towards fluency in your target language! And One More ThingSince youve read this far, youre obviously serious about learning languages, so you may just love FluentU.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that real people speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos, like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language cont ent is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover over or tap on the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.

The Importance of Tutoring Services

The Importance of Tutoring ServicesIf you are looking for a tutor in Fort Worth, you've come to the right place. We all want to learn how to play the guitar. With the rise of online tutoring, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find an individual that you can trust to show you the ropes.By attending one of our workshop classes, you will learn how to master the skills that will help you succeed in life. We offer a wide variety of private tutoring courses to fit every need. You can work on your finger picking skills or learn how to play the ukulele or guitar. We'll provide you with the support and encouragement you need to reach your goals.Our specialized learning course will educate you on how to better perform your guitar playing. Our studio is warm and welcoming, and offers music room and other studio facilities that are designed to prepare you for your lessons. The studios are large and completely equipped with equipment that will make you look and sound great when you're ready to take your lessons. A professional tutor in Fort Worth will teach you how to read sheet music and learn how to do common chords.They will also teach you how to control the fret board to bring out the best in your playing and develop your own style. They'll teach you how to take lessons at home from the comfort of your own home, and the tuition will include your guitar, and the necessary resources.Your tutor in Fort Worth will not only show you how to play the guitar, but will also learn the techniques you will need to become an accomplished musician. By taking their advanced lessons, you will not only become a better guitarist, but you will be able to share your music with others and eventually go on to tour the world as a professional.If you are looking for someone to play your favorite songs, we have many other options. Our tutors are experienced musicians that will give you the tips and guidance you need to improve your guitar playing. They will show you how to practice, and w hich modes to play to sound your best.Take advantage of the online tutoring program in Fort Worth. See how easy it is to learn to play the guitar, while still making music that you can hear and enjoy.

Tips For Success in Thumbtack Tutoring

Tips For Success in Thumbtack TutoringThumbtack tutoring is a great way to supplement your career while gaining valuable skills in the process. For those who have been searching for an ideal home business opportunity, Thumbtack is something to think about.One big difference between your typical work at home business and traditional tutoring is that they both provide you with great opportunities for growth. While they can be very lucrative, they are also at times a little bit challenging. The only difficulty is that it can be hard to keep up with all of the clientele that Thumbtack has to offer. Here are some tips that will help you in order to not only get the most out of your online education but stay on top of things for the long term.- As a tutor, you should remember that your first priority is your student. Your first duty is to help your student achieve their goals. If you're at a place where you are having difficulty with their goal or are finding yourself struggling, then you will want to keep that in mind when you are focusing on your lesson plans. When it comes to building your network, your goal is to reach out to as many people as possible so that you can teach as many others as possible.- If you have never taught before, then it's a good idea to build your base in order to be able to teach others. Try setting up a time in your schedule for you to tutor someone every day. Some people may need a couple of sessions a week, while others might need to take advantage of more frequent sessions. When you're setting up your tutoring schedule, you should not only find a time to do this but also put in a lot of research into who the most qualified individuals are in your area.- If you don't have the opportunity to tutor a core group of students, then you should set yourself up so that you have the opportunity to teach other individuals as well. Online tutoring sites offer such services and there are a wide variety of strategies that you can use to grow your on line tutor community. You should ask each member of your group what they would like to see from you and what you could add to your services. You should offer to teach to them once a week if they need a bit of a break from work. That's something that many businesses don't do; instead they build a scheduling schedule that is time-based and offer classes as scheduled.- Don't forget that time spent studying on your personal life will greatly affect the work you do on your business. If you're not spending time with your family or socializing, you are not going to be able to concentrate on your job. While tutoring is one of the best ways to build your personal relationships, taking time for yourself can be a great help.Thumbtack tutoring is a great way to keep you motivated as you pursue your dream of becoming a tutor. If you put in the effort to learn, develop your business and hone your communication skills, you will realize that you are on the right track. Take the time to find a mento r who will help you be successful as a tutor and you will be well on your way to your personal fulfillment.

You No Longer have to Endure Bad Behavior at Work Even the Bad Boss - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / You No Longer have to Endure Bad Behavior at Work â€" Even the Bad Boss - Introvert Whisperer You No Longer have to Endure Bad Behavior at Work â€" Even the Bad Boss One of the most helpless feelings is when you encounter bad behavior from someone you work with including your boss.   Most people aren’t masters at confrontation not just because they don’t have the skill, but also usually because most people believe it puts their job security at risk.   Yet, it’s that bad behavior that will make going to work a miserable experience.   It’s the number one reason why people leave their job. The problem with going to a new job is that you generally can’t outrun bad behavior.   You find it in most work settings.   Management hasn’t figured out how to correct subordinates behavior for all sorts of reasons and one of those reasons is that they don’t know there is a problem. You would think they would but often that’s not the case.   And as we all know, you can’t fix something unless you know you have a problem. I think most employees think that management “should just know” when a co-worker or boss is wildly inappropriate but that’s not how it works.   Most leadership operates under the assumption that “no news is good news”.   They all have their own job to perform and until they hear a squeaky wheel, they focus on other matters.   It’s a double-edged sword.   The general collective isn’t going to say anything assuming that management knows and won’t do anything and management assumes that everything is going well. What can you do?   Submit your complaint anonymously to your management from a new company called Warble. https://warble.work/ Warble allows you to submit feedback on any workplace behavior no matter who is doing the behavior and keeps your identity private.   In turn, that feedback is submitted to your management with the intent of helping to improve the situation and to improve management skills in the process. Warble shared with me some tremendous information they had collected along the path of their startup.   This information confirmed what founder, Carolyn Holliday, experienced herself with a very bad boss.   Carolyn found herself in a situation where she didn’t trust HR or management if she stepped forward and said something.   She could see that her boss not only demoralized the ranks but also made very bad business decisions.   The behavior of one negatively impacted many people and cost the company. Only when she had given notice and was on her way out the door did Ms. Holliday have a candid conversation with the CEO about the issues created by her manager. While the conversation didn’t stop her departure it did become the catalyst for the CEO to make numerous changes and improvements, including the departure of her former boss. As she continued to study workers experience through copious surveys the data showed that 64% of respondents witnessed behavior at work that was disruptive to culture, productivity and/or the business but did not report it to management or HR.   The #1 reason for not reporting the dysfunctional behavior was the general lack of trust between employees and management. 38% reported that the poor behavior was their manager and 38% felt that reporting would result in retaliation or termination. Warble squarely addresses the lack of visibility and knowledge by management to their biggest issue associated with toxic work environments.   It does sound like they need more than one person from a company to submit a complaint before Warble comes forth with the input so I’d suggest if you know of other people with shared concerns that you encourage others to report the issue through Warble. If you have concerns with a co-worker or boss and you don’t feel comfortable reporting the issue to HR or upper management you now have an option.   Remember: Never assume decision-makers know the issues you are encountering. 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 by clicking here! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

Waves Sound and Ultrasound

Waves Sound and Ultrasound What is Sound? And What is Ultrasound? ChaptersWhat is Sound?What is Ultrasound?The tapping of footsteps on floorboards. The growl of a car out on the street. The distant rumble of an aeroplane.Each of these is a sound. A sound of which you can’t see the source, but which you recognise immediately. Maybe â€" like the plane â€" it is a sound which is produced literally miles away. Or maybe â€" like the footsteps of your neighbour in the flat upstairs â€" it is a sound which comes from the most accidental of things.Even if you put a glass of water down on a table, there is a sound. If you scratch your head, you can hear it. And if you type away on a keyboard, a sound is produced there too.Sound is literally everywhere. It is almost impossible to avoid. The whole world, in fact, seems to endlessly vibrating with different noises and disturbances â€" the birds or the rain, people’s voices, the wind. We are constantly surrounded with sounds â€" sounds that we hear and sounds that go unheard.But what is sound? What is actua lly happening when you can hear something? And how on earth does that sound actually arrive however far to get into your ear?These are the sorts of questions that we will be discussing here. Along with the rather more cool-sounding thing known as ultrasound â€" with all its different uses.Let’s take a look. What different sources of sound can you think of? PetarPhysics Teacher 5.00 (11) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamPhysics Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhPhysics Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FrankPhysics Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JidePhysics Teacher 4.80 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors DorothyPhysics Teacher 5.00 (5) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RahulPhysics Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhat is Sound?Sound is a type of wave, a disturbance in a medium that transfers energy.   If you want to know more about the science of waves, check out our articles on the properties of waves and on transverse waves and longitudinal waves.Sound waves are a type of longitudinal wave â€" meaning that the way in which they disturb thei r material medium is parallel to the direction of the energy transfer. (Transverse waves, on the other hand, create displacements that are perpendicular to the energy’s direction.)So, imagine that plane in the sky. Although it is fairly far away, you can hear it. That’s because its engine produces vibrations which propagate energy all around them. And given that that energy meets no resistance, it can come all the way to your ear.That, in short, is the science of sound: movements of energy that make particles in the air vibrate. However, let’s go into a bit more detail.You can find more about the nature of waves - and the properties of waves - in our other article.What is a Sound Source?A sound source is where the sound begins â€" whether that be the pulsing diaphragm of a speaker, a human voice box, or the mechanical whirring and grinding of a machine. These places â€" i.e. everywhere â€" are the sources of the sound waves that then begin to propagate through the medium.How t hese work depends on the specific nature of the source. So, with a speaker, the technology within the speaker converts electrical energy into vibrations of particles, which cause all the particles around them to vibrate too. Meanwhile, the air rushing through your throat causes your voice box to vibrate, again making everything else around it vibrate too.As you can see, then, sounds all start with vibrations â€" a particular type of energy being converted into this kinetic energy. And once this vibration starts, it can spread through lots of different media to your ears.Learn about transversal and longitudinal waves!How do Sound Waves Travel?When a sound source vibrates, it makes everything else around it vibrate too â€" as the sound energy propagates outwards from the source in waves of rarefactions and compressions.A sound wave is a type of mechanical wave, meaning that it has to have a medium through which to pass. Sound cannot travel through a vacuum â€" as it needs the vibratio n of atoms to transfer its energy. Given this, we might see that sound travels at a different pace depending on the medium through which it is travelling.Sound travels through the air at a rate of 330 metres per second. This is known as the speed of  sound. However, the air â€" given that gas is a state in which the atoms are actually least densely arranged â€" is the medium at which sound travels the slowest.Waves of sound travel much more quickly through solids than both liquids and gases. For comparison, the speed sound travels through aluminium is 6320 m/s. That’s twenty times faster than through air. You know this intuitively actually â€" because when you put your head to a table and someone knocks on it, it is much louder than it would be if you were sat up straight.This is because the molecules in solids are generally much closer together than in air â€" and so the energy is much more easily transferred from one molecule to the next.Check for a math and physics tutor here.E choes.However, when there is a change of medium through which the sound is travelling, some of the sound will be reflected â€" in something known as an echo.So, if you shout into a tunnel, the sound will travel through the air â€" and some of it will return to your ears after contact with the interface between the two media, the air and the solid wall.If you want to learn more about reflection, we have an article on reflection and refraction. Guitar strings produce waves when plucked - and then sound.What Changes a Sound’s Pitch and Tone?So, we know what a sound is by now: it’s a vibration in a medium. Yet, an important question remains: how come we hear different sounds with different levels of loudness? And how come, when we listen to music, we can hear all sorts of different pitches and tones?To understand the answer, you need to remember that ‘sound waves’ are not singular, self-identical things. Rather, there is a whole spectrum of different sound waves, of an infinite variety of different sizes and speeds.Frequency is the word that refers to the number of times a wave oscillates â€" or goes from peak to trough to peak, or from compression to rarefaction and back â€" in a given time. The higher the frequency â€" i.e., the faster the wave oscillates â€" the more high-pitched the sound we hear.Amplitude, meanwhile, is the word for the size of the displacement that the wave creates. The larger the amplitude â€" meaning the more energy transmitted by the wave â€" the louder the sound.And Tones?This, however, doesn’t explain the tone of a sound â€" or the way that a guitar sounds different to a piano, or the way your voice sounds different to someone else’s.This particular fact owes its explanation again to the fact that sound waves are not singular.If you play a guitar string, it is not just one type of sound wave that is produced â€" not one wave with one set amplitude or frequency. Rather, that string will produce lots of different sizes and speeds of wave â€" and it is the particular combination of these that produces that specific tone.What is Ultrasound?Ultrasound might sound like it is something a bit more interesting. However, the ultrasound and sound are essentially the same things.The difference is that what we refer to as ultrasound is the sound waves with frequencies that the human ear cannot hear. If the range of human hearing stretches from twenty Hertz to twenty thousand H ertz (Hertz being the measurement of a wave’s frequency), ultrasound is anything above a frequency of twenty thousand.There is, quite honestly, an awful lot of sound that classifies as ‘ultra’. As in, there is actually more ultrasound than sound itself. But, given that we are humans, our categories tend to be determined by specifically human concerns.Dogs, on the other hand, whilst they are not categorising anything scientifically â€" at least, as far as we know â€" can hear a much larger range of sounds than humans. Their range is actually twice as large as ours â€" which makes the distinction between sound and ultrasound rather arbitrary.What do We Use Ultrasound for? And How does it Work?The most common use of ultrasound is for creating images of babies in the womb. This technology is made possible by the process of reflection.Ultrasound works because there are lots of different sorts of material in your body: fat, muscle, bone.By using a tool that can both emit and detect sound waves, the process of ultrasound can essentially build images by receiving reflections â€" or echoes â€" from the interfaces between the different layers of material.So, at the interface between fat and muscle, some of the emitted sound waves are reflected and detected. At the interface between muscle and bone, the same thing happens. All of this can then be compiled onto a computer and an image can be created from the detection. We use ultrasound to see babies in the womb.