ACADEAFIC
In the words of Acadeafic, it is a “deaf-curated multi-author academic platform that aims for Deaf Studies and sign language researchers to share their work in a bite-sized format.” All of the posts are bilingual: a blog in English accompanied by a vlog in International Sign or another sign language. The audience is primarily for deaf academics, but graduate students would be able to use this as an informal resource for Deaf Education, as they write their papers and keep up with what is going on in the field.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
CENTER ON LITERACY AND DEAFNESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
The Center on Literacy and Deafness (CLAD) project focused on instructional factors related to literacy for deaf children. One result of this project was that they developed individualized instructions for deaf K-2 students. The instructional approach discussed in detail here is Explicit Contextualized Vocabulary Instruction-Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ECVI-DHH). Sample units and strategy information are found here, an invaluable resource for teachers and students alike. In particular, one could use this for teaching lesson plans and creating curriculum units.
FREE | ONLINE | ARIZONA
CLERC CENTER
The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University scarcely needs an introduction. It is where development and dissemination of curricula and products related to Deaf education occur. Parents, teachers, and professionals are encouraged to check the website and look into resources such as webinars, professional development courses, and trainings. Teachers and professionals could use this to handpick information to share basic information about deafness and deaf culture with parents as well as use ASL storytelling videos or similar products in teaching.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCE PORTAL
Navigating graduate school is a challenging experience, but for deaf students, it can be even more challenging. National Deaf Center has a brief, informative portal designed for deaf graduate students to self-advocate for accommodations and to know what their legal rights are, particularly at school and at work. There are other useful resources in other areas.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
THE MIND HEARS
The world of academia can be often lonely and difficult, and perhaps even so for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) academics at varying levels. This is a blog run by various DHH academics, all speaking out on their experiences in academia, in order to build a network of like-minded academics and to share strategies for future success. Students could use this to connect with peers and to build a support network.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
THE GRAD CAFE
TheGradCafe has admission information and resources for students applying to grad school, but the forums are an invaluable resource for students who want to get in touch with other students and get answers from like-minded peers. People can ask questions about admissions, grad school life, coursework, research, teaching, and even about specific fields of study. The forums are popular with thousands of posts, so students can find answers, but maybe even for questions that they didn’t know they had.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
QUORA
Quora is a place online where users share knowledge with each other. Basically, it functions like a question-and-answer forum divided into interests. The one linked here is one for graduate students, but there are many other forums dedicated to grad school available on Quora.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
REDDIT FORUM
Reddit is a popular and often addictive collection of user forums. One can find a subreddit dedicated to niche interests or to any popular interests such as entertainment and politics, but of particular interest here is the Grad School Reddit forum. With nearly a million members, it is easy to use and to find questions and answers about grad school. Sometimes people use the subreddit to vent about grad school, but there are serious academic questions as well. One may want to consider checking out the subreddit r/AskAcademia as well. Students can use the forums to ask questions or to share concerns or even just to vent in a safe, anonymous place.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
EVERNOTE
Evernote is a powerful note-taking app that can be utilized on phone or on a website browser. Think of it as a digital notebook that students can customize to their preferences. Evernote can be turned into a document, wiki, planner, or class note. More importantly, it lets students scan physical documents and save web articles and do other useful academic tasks. This would be very useful for academic data storage.
FREE/PAID | ONLINE | NATIONAL
FOREST
Forest is a fun time management app that uses the Pomodoro Technique. The technique relies on the person working for a short amount of time, usually 20-25 minutes, then taking a break before resuming the work session. The Forest app helps to keep the user on track by virtually growing a tree. If the user interrupts their work session, the tree will “die” on the app. Students should use this as a productivity timer to complete assignments.
FREE/PAID | ONLINE | NATIONAL
HABITICA
One of the hardest things to do as a student is to be consistently productive. This is where Habitica comes in since it is a free habit-building and productivity app that is popular with students and other people. Since it is an app, it can be easily utilized on a phone or a tablet, with the user turning real-life tasks into gamified tasks with rewards and punishments. Students can use this app to have fun while completing school assignments and tasks and staying organized.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
NOTION
Notion is a popular online productivity and note-taking website as well as an app that allows the user to use it as an “external brain.” Students can sign up to have their personal free or paid-for Notion, in which they can use as their workplace. People have used Notion as a place to store their class notes, blogs, images, task lists, and so on. There is a learning curve, but once one gets the hang of it, it can be a powerful organizational tool. Students would be able to use this as their personal Wikipedia or their online workplace to organize everything in one place.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
TODOIST
Todoist is similar to other task-keeping apps such as Any.do and Microsoft To Do, so students can choose whichever they prefer. Using any of those apps allows students to build daily, weekly, or monthly tasks and reminders for assignments, appointments, and deadlines. Nothing beats a paper calendar or an agenda book, but this comes close.
FREE/PAID | ONLINE | NATIONAL
THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
The Chronicle is a widely read resource of independent journalism that reports on higher education. Educators, administrators, researchers, and policymakers are the primary audience; however, students can peruse news, opinions, and advice about teaching and learning at college at the specific link provided above. News about deaf education and special education are also mentioned, and it is always useful to see upcoming trends.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
COUNCIL OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS
The Council of Graduate Schools is a professional organization that works to advance graduate education and research in the US. This should be considered as a professional network that may be of interest to students who want a future in academia or in a career that requires networking. Policy and advocacy are what the organization is primarily interested in, but they do provide information and resources for prospective and current graduate students.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL STUDENT COUNCIL
Graduate students are not a silent and voiceless group at the University of Arizona. They have rights, just like everyone else, and the council advocates in order to provide opportunities for graduate and professional students. Among the top priorities for the council are: grad wages, healthcare, and tuition fees.
FREE | ONLINE | ARIZONA
INSIDE HIGHER ED
Graduate students who are thinking of teaching or working in higher education eventually should take a look at Inside Higher Ed, one of the most informative websites about the higher education community in the US. Career advice is available for people.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE-PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS (NAGPS)
What makes this professional organization unique is that it is a nonprofit run by graduate and professional students in the US. NAGPS represent students in public and private universities at various levels, not just state or national. They focus on advocacy, policy, and networking, so this is a useful professional network to have in mind for future.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
A FIELD GUIDE TO GRAD SCHOOL
No one needs assigned reading about graduate school, but sometimes there are just things that students don’t know when they first start grad school. Think of this book as a comprehensive survival guide on how to navigate school while learning and developing skills. One of the skills highlighted in the book is how to balance being a student with having a life. The other books in this skills series highlight improving writing skills, for instance.
PAID
“FLOURISHING AFTER FAILURE: A GUIDE FOR ONLINE GRADUATE STUDENTS”
No one likes discussing failure because it can be a wounding experience. After all, students try hard to get into grad school, but after that, everything seems to fall apart. The article discusses what failure looks like, how to prevent it before it actually happens, and finally, how to overcome failure. At the end of the article, there is a long list of resources and articles discussing failure. Yes, failure happens, but it’s not permanent.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
MY GRADE SKILLS
Originally developed for graduate students in Ontario, this has now become free and available to other graduate students. There are 18 web modules that instruct students on skills they should learn for graduate school success. Courses focus on skills such as lesson planning, research management, and academic and professional communication.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
“STUDY SMARTER, NOT HARDER: TECHNIQUES & TIPS FOR ONLINE MASTER’S STUDENTS”
The Online Master’s Degrees website is mostly an information hub about online degree programs in various states and about how to afford them. The “Student Resources” portion of the website is a goldmine, however. This particular article discusses what studying skills and techniques to use such as the Feynman Technique and the Leitner Method, and what common studying/learning pitfalls are. Then, at the end of the article, there are numerous study resources all specifically curated for online students.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
THE STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES (SALT) CENTER
Not every student learns the same, and SALT is designed specifically for University of Arizona students who have learning and attention challenges. SALT offers tutoring sessions, workshops, psychological services, technological apps, and accommodations, in addition to extensive resources.
FREE | ONLINE/IN-PERSON | ARIZONA
GRADUATE WRITING LAB
The Writing Lab is a resource that every graduate student should utilize often. They offer writing consultations via appointment in-person or on Zoom, writing workshops, writing groups, writing sessions, and additional writing resources.
FREE | ONLINE | ARIZONA
ONLINE WRITING ROOM
Writing Skills Improvement Program hosts an online writing room every Wednesday for two hours. Each session starts with a short mindfulness practice guided by a writing specialist. Once the exercise is over, students write quietly. One does need to register, but it is free for undergraduates and graduates. This could be useful for students who get stuck trying to start writing.
FREE | ONLINE | ARIZONA
PURDUE ONLINE WRITING LAB
One of the best online writing resources widely available for students and academics alike. The website has an extensive APA citation guide, which should be consulted every time one writes a research paper, as well as writing samples and resources.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
THINK TANK
THINK TANK is a learning center at the University of Arizona. It’s more commonly used by college students while graduate students use the Graduate Writing Lab. However, THINK TANK has academic and peer academic coaching services that are mostly free, in addition to academic workshops, which can be very useful if one needs help with an assignment or with building academic skills.
FREE | ONLINE/IN-PERSON | ARIZONA
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LIBRARIES
The University of Arizona Main Library should always be one of the top resources to use. For students who are in-state, they can check out resources and borrow technological devices such as laptops, but for students who are out of state, they can contact a librarian online and ask for research assistance. The citation management software, in particular, is one of the best writing tools students can use.
Again, highlighting the University of Arizona library here, because some people may not realize that there are free software programs one can download or use. The software ranges from 3D printing, graphics, class and research software, multimedia, and scanning, all activities that one might need to partake in for assignments and papers.
FREE | ONLINE/IN-PERSON | ARIZONA
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WRITING CENTER
Purdue OWL Writing Lab is one of the better-known websites for writing resources; however, the University of North Carolina Writing Center is specifically geared for graduate students. The exhaustive list of tips and tools contain a multitude of examples and information on how to write different kinds of papers and assignments, on grammatical usage, and on writing for specific fields.
FREE | ONLINE | NATIONAL
