Back to School/Civil War Sites

As I write this issue, it's exactly one month until the first day of school. Another year of tests, papers and stress for students and parents.

If you're a resident of Suffolk County, your library has excellent resources for students from first grade to college. Go to Live-brary and click on Live Study Help, which links to Brainfuse Help Now! Type in your library barcode and login, or if you're a first-time user, create an account. Live tutors are available Monday to Sunday from 2:00 PM -11:00 PM EST. (You can access live tutors without registering, but when you register you'll have access to enhanced tools and services). Click on "Live Help" and select a grade from Kindergarten to College and a subject area to receive live online homework help from a tutor.

If you're having problems with a specific concept, "Skills Building" can help you "master an academic concept through expert tutoring and state-aligned lessons." Again, it is available for grades K through college; select the subject and skill for which you need help.

Do you lack confidence in your writing skills? You can either use an online tutor for live writing assistance, or for a more thorough analysis, upload your essay or other document on the Writing Lab site, and within 24 hours you'll receive a detailed analysis of your paper in your message center inbox.

If you're studying Spanish and need help, the "Language Lab" will provide an online tutor; more languages will be added soon.

The Test Center is a valuable study tool which offers practice standardized tests, both state and national, and practice subject specific tests. State tests are available for students from 3rd grade through college. Just indicate a grade from the dropdown menu and select from the subject tests offered. Take a practice test; results are provided instantly and a student can share the results with a tutor for help on weak points. National tests include the SAT and ACT. The Test Center also offers general test taking tips, tips for parents and students and links to other online resources.

Flashbulb is where you can find flashcards or create your own flashcards, use crossword puzzles, unscramble words, play hangman and more to study a myriad of topics under subject headings - geography, history, business, math, science, agriculture, languages, miscellaneous (culinary arts, library media, graphic arts), standardized tests (GRE, SAT, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT), languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Latin, Japanese, Finnish, Czech, etc) and Medical (anatomy, biochemistry, acupuncture, genetics, psychology, etc.).

Finally, if you are "going back to school, switching jobs, or just want to brush up on an academic skill" visit the Adult Learning Center. "LIVE" one-on-one academic coaching is available for adults studying for the GED (live test coaching, practice tests) or US Citizenship Test (practice tests and resources). "HelpNow" writing experts help users create resumes and cover letters and experts can even help you learn MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint. Career Resources provides links to local and nationwide resources.

Both parents and students should take some time to explore this dense, user-friendly interactive site.

We are in the midst of the U.S. Civil War Sesquicentennial; it continues through 2015, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the end of the war. There are sites on the war designed especially for children that will help them with history homework assignments and teachers' requests for primary sources! American Civil War History is full of information on events, people and places. You'll find links to many battles, with detailed maps, narratives and pictures. There are monthly timelines - What Happened in August 1861 - and articles on each month of the war. The Kids Zone offers facts, maps and pictures on many subjects including, the Underground Railroad, battles, civil war cooking, causes of the war, etc. Other sites to check out are Kid Info - Your Guide to the Civil War (extensive and very well-organized) and Civil War@Smithsonian.

For the college-bound students panicked about packing for their first year, several websites offer guidance and easy organization. Both College Answer; the Planning for College Destination and the Off-to-College Checklist from the CollegeBoard, offer pages of suggestions for items to pack or ship to your college dorm. It's a good way to organize yourself before heading to the stores. College Answer's checklist is a PDF that arranges everything into neat categories, with helpful Tips interspersed. Categories range from the usual bath, bed and clothing to study supplies, medical, laundry, paperwork and more. The CollegeBoard's list even suggests how many socks, sweaters, pillows, etc. to bring with you.

Have You Seen These Sites?

Gizmo's freeware has a wonderful list of 391 sites that legally offer free eBooks for downloading or viewing online. There are sixteen pages of different genres to search. You can also browse an alphabetical listing of titles. Genres range from cooking to religion, romance, westerns, computers, children and more.

To keep up-to-date on breaking news on smartphones, Apps, laptops, cameras, etc. check out Pocket-lint. Independent reviews get right to the point and focus on three questions: Does it make my life better?; Does it work?; Does it have Wow factor? View live videos, visit the "App of the Day" or read the many great articles on all things technology.