In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Smart thermostats can be controlled from an application on your mobile phone or tablet, allowing you to change the temperature when you’re away from the house. They also have multiple sensors that provide a better overall reading of the temperature in your home and heat or cool your home more efficiently than regular thermostats. Smart thermostats also send you reports about your energy usage so you can be more in tune with how much energy you are using. Look for the Energy Star label on appliances like refrigerators, freezers, ovens, dishwashers, desktop computers, laptops, printers, and scanners, which indicates that these appliances are energy efficient. Switching your electronics to those with an Energy Star label can significantly reduce your energy consumption and therefore your energy bills.  An Energy Star label signifies that an appliance is more energy-efficient than 75% of other appliances, therefore saving energy and money.  If you live outside the U.S., contact appliance manufacturers or local government officials to find out about similar ratings or programs in your area. Adjust your refrigerator temperature to 38 to 42 °F (3 to 6 °C) and your freezer temperature to 0 to 5 °F (−18 to −15 °C). Check that the seal on the oven door is intact and avoid peeking in the oven more than necessary, as this lets out heat and increases the cooking time.  If your fridge has a power-save switch, make sure it is on, and always check that the door seals tightly. Use your microwave, rather than your oven, for reheating small items. Set your washing machine to wash your clothes in cold water, which can save you up to 50 cents per load while still cleaning your clothes effectively. Always clean the lint out of the filter of the dryer after each use, and remember to dry heavy and light fabrics separately.  Use the highest spin cycle on your washing machine, as the high spin speeds remove more moisture and reduce the time needed to dry clothing. If possible, invest in a front-loading washer as they save more water and energy than top-loading washers. Consider buying a high-efficiency washing machine. These are designed to save water and require less detergent. Having a well-insulated home will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat or cool the area. Check the insulation around your home, especially in your attic. If needed, add more insulation to your roof/ceiling, attic, or basement to ensure your home is as energy-efficient as possible. If your home is not well-insulated, it will trap more heat in the summer, and lose heat in the winter. This will require you to spend more energy on heating and air conditioning. Having gaps or cracks in your walls or your windows can lead to drafts, which can let out cool air and lead to wasted energy use. Seal any gaps or cracks in your home so you can reduce your heating and cooling bill. Make sure your windows are draught-proof and energy efficient, especially if you live in a colder climate. Saving water also reduces the amount of energy needed to purify or heat it. Limit your shower time and turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. You can also make sure to wash only full loads of laundry and dishes in order to save water and energy used to heat the water. Installing low-flush toilets and low-volume faucets will also dramatically reduce your water usage.  Avoid pre-washing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Limit the amount of time sprinklers are on, and make sure to only water grassy areas, rather than overspraying onto sidewalks or parking lots.
Summary: Use a smart thermostat. Choose energy-efficient appliances. Use your refrigerator and oven efficiently. Use your washing machine and dryer efficiently. Ensure your home is well-insulated. Draught-proof your home. Reduce your water usage.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Most online courses have an online management system where you can log in, post the syllabus for the course, and monitor discussion boards on specific lessons or topics relating to the course. You should encourage your students to use the online management system to communicate with each other about course content and to post any questions or comments they may have about the course. If you do not know how to use the online management system for the course, you should speak to the institution that is hosting the course and get trained in the system. Being technically savvy will only help you better communicate and connect with your students. It will also allow you to be organized and present a clear picture of the course to your students. Once you have set up the online management system for the course, you should be prepared to monitor all student postings. Keep track of all student postings and check the discussion board on a daily basis. This will ensure you know what students are posting and discussing among themselves. If you notice a student posting hurtful or discriminatory comments on the class discussion board, you should address the situation right away. Remove the comment and email the student privately, explaining how the comment was inappropriate and why you removed it from the discussion board. Do not accuse the student of anything. Instead, explain your reasoning behind the removal and ask the student to reflect on his decision to post the comment. To keep your online students engaged, you should create detailed lesson plans for each class that have interactive activities and activities that integrate the students’ interests.  This could be an activity that uses video and audio examples that can accessed online, and then requiring students to respond to the example in a discussion post. This could also be an activity where the students work in groups online and collaborate on a group project or assignment. You could then require the groups to facilitate a class via video and to create a discussion prompt for the class that the other students can respond to on the discussion board. You can also try to integrate the students’ interests in your lesson plans by referencing current pop culture figures or current news and events. This could be an assignment on celebrity culture for a communications class, with the requirement that students post video and audio examples on the course’s discussion board. Or, you could use a recent news event as an example in a social justice class and have students comment on the recent news even in relation to topics you are discussing in the course. Similar to a classroom environment, your students may have different learning styles. One student may be more of a visual learner and another student may be more of an auditory learner. Because you have the ability to post different types of media online, you can try to present the content of the course in several different ways to appeal to different learning styles. This could be integrating video and audio media into your lesson plans, as well as text documents. You may also encourage your students to set up video meetings with each other to discuss the course material, especially if the students prefer face to face discussion. Stay on top of the course by doing daily updates about upcoming deadlines or due dates on the course’s discussion board. You can also post a relevant quote or video to keep your students engaged and to get your students to interact with the course material. Doing daily posts will also show students that you are engaged in the course as an instructor and are willing to start a discussion that they can then respond to. You need to be the interactive force that keeps your student motivated.
Summary:
Ensure you can use the online management system for the course. Monitor student postings on the online management system for the class. Prepare lesson plans that contain interactive activities. Present learning content in several different ways. Post daily updates about upcoming deadlines and due dates.