Help me get this hub featured?

1. 85

   Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years ago

   I recently published this hub...but it was not deemed of a high enough quality. Only trouble is, you get very little feedback to why that is. Would anyone care to hazard a guess for me? This is the first hub I have written that has not been featured. Here is the link:
   
   http://jonathanwylie.hubpages.com/hub/i … Classrooms
   
   I meet the word count (1575 words), I have three images, and four videos. I only have two Amazon capsules, so not too spammy on that front. Ideas??
   
   Thanks.

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   1. 91

      Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know, but there is something about the hub that doesn't really grab me. I can't quite put my finger on it. So maybe if you do as MT said and read it out loud, you will find the issue. Other than that, the only thing I can see wrong is the layout. You may have some grammar issues, but I have not read all of it. I lost interest before I touched the middle.

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      1. 85

         Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         So, when you say the layout is wrong, what do you mean?
         
         I appreciate the subject matter may not be of interest to you, but it is a fairly specialized topic, aimed at educators, so I am confident the interest level is high enough for the intended audience.

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         1. 91

            Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Sorry, maybe the word "wrong" was the wrong word. I should have said unappealing.  Maybe align one or two of the videos right. Also align the Amazon capsules right alongside the text capsule which are directly related. Everything just seems to be stacked atop each other.

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   2. 85

      Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Well, it went through at the second time of asking. Not sure what the difference really was because all I did was remove :...and Beyond!" from the title and change the Apple has/have thing. It seems to have scraped through with a 71 rating, so I guess I will just have to keep working on it to try and raise the score further.
      
      However, if the rating system is going to be so fickle that two small changes like that are the difference in a 1500 word article, then I will really have to weigh up the pros and cons of whether it is worth my time to write any more or not.

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      1. 91

         Cardisaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I am sure there are other things which could jump the rating. I wish Melissa was around to help you. She would be better able to pinpoint the issues.
         
         It's not just about the technical aspect of the hub such as grammar, word usage and so forth that hubs are rated off of, but also how appealing the layout and writing is. As I said before, the writing, though grammatically okay, is not very grabbing. It doesn't jump out at you and make you want to keep reading.
         
         I am happy you got it featured

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   3. 85

      Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Brief update, in case anyone is still following this thread, after a few minor tweaks, (no real changes to content), this hub is now an Editor's Choice!

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      1. 93

         jansharesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         

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      2. 90

         innerspinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Great result, well done!

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      3. 80

         Jayne Lancerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Well done!

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2. 89

   Millionaire Tipsposted 10 years ago

   Maybe the rater thought it was overly promotional. I would make minor edits and publish it again, with the hopes that another rater gets to see it.
   
   You should re-read the hub, out loud, to make sure that it is clear and check for grammatical errors.
   
   There is a grammar error on the first sentence - "Apple have" instead of has, which may have provided a bad halo effect. Also the first paragraph talks about learning disabilities, but the rest of the hub talks about other disabilities such as vision, etc., so it really isn't delivering what it is promising.  Also this sentence doesn't make sense to me: "Before we go into them in more detail, it is worth noting that although these accommodations are usually thought of as the preserve of special education classrooms,"  Do you want preserve here?

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3. 85

   Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years ago

   Ok. I can see the has/have in the first paragraph. I can fix that. The learning disabilities I could change. I guess what I meant here was disabilities that would impede learning, which includes vision, physical, etc. Maybe that was not clear, but I don't think it was that far off base.
   
   The "preserve" sentence is used in the context of the definition that it is something considered as being the exclusive province of certain persons. E.g. Ancient Greek is the preserve of scholars.

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4. 82

   HollieTposted 10 years ago

   I can't actually see anything obvious that would prevent this hub from passing QAP. There may be one or two grammar issues but I've seen a lot worse and those hubs have been featured. However, it might just be a couple of small things which have prevented your hub from being featured.
   
   The first image isn't attributed. Even if it's just a screen shot and belongs to you, I would say so. Or, attribute properly and show the licence information.
   
   "Over time, these have grown to include a lot of useful features for those with learning disabilities."
   
   Perhaps you could slightly amend that sentence because the remainder of the hub suggests that the features are useful for those with physical difficulties too.  The use of the word learning disabilities doesn't seem quite accurate to me in this context. Would not the use of the term learning 'difficulties' be more apt?
   
   Perhaps you could phrase it like this "Over time, these have grown to include a lot of useful features for those students with both learning difficulties and physical disabilities." I am aware that there might be variations from country to country, however, when it comes to those phrases but in the UK we would discuss dyslexia in the context of a learning difficulty, not disability.
   
   Sorry for stating the obvious and you may have already done so, but have you used several capsules as opposed to just one or two? Apparently this makes a difference.
   
   And K12, is that a commonly used term in the US?
   
   Other than the small things I've mentioned I really can't see why your hub has failed QAP. I'm sure one of the raters will be along soon to help you further though

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   1. 85

      Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the ideas Helen. The hub is now featured, but I appreciated he helpful comments. I am not new to Hubpages, or writing, but I have been away from Hubpages for a while so the QAP thing is new to me.
      
      You are the second person to mention that learning disabilities may not be the best term so I am happy to look at that. I guess what I meant was disabilities that may impede learning. Perhaps I should have said that...or something else. I will look at that.
      
      Yes, there are several capsules used here, but I will caption my own screenshots too, just so that they have attribution. I agree it is good practice.
      
      K-12 is a common US term. Strange how I have become so accustomed to writing that, because I am originally from the UK. K-12 means all levels of schooling, or grade levels, prior to college or university level education. I a n change that to something more ubiquitous too.
      
      Thanks again for your insights.

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      1. 82

         HollieTposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         You're very welcome and I'm glad your hub is now featured. I'm not an educator so unfamiliar with the jargon, however, my son and daughter's teachers have often used the term key stage 3/4 etc. and wasn't sure whether K-12 was a term familiar with the US audience.

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5. 82

   HollieTposted 10 years ago

   Oh, and forgot to mention that it might be worth adding a poll. Obviously adding pictures of phones etc. would not add anything to the hub, but I believe other supporting/non advertising capsules might up your score slightly, perhaps?
   
   The poll could be along the lines of using special apps in the classroom.

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6. 89

   Millionaire Tipsposted 10 years ago

   I figured your hub would be featured with some minor tweaking, especially if the tweaks were at the beginning.  There isn't much of a difference between a 69 and a 71, but since it appears that the cutoff is there, it makes a big difference to you.  Personally, I keep tweaking, even hubs in the 90s, so if this was my hub, I would still re-read it in a few days and see what I can make it better and keep tweak it once or twice.  Eventually, I do move on and work on new hubs.

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   1. 85

      Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Good advice. Thanks!

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7. 90

   innerspinposted 10 years ago

   Glad to hear your hub is now featured. I read this thread as it's always useful to see what people are advising. I also had a quick look at the hub...I don't use an iPad at all, it was interesting to learn how useful they can be.
   
   Could I highlight this sentence?..".The iPad is an awesome device, but for students that lack the precision motor controls required to activate certain features or navigate the device efficiently, Apple a number of accessibility options that were designed to help with that."
   
   There seems to be a verb missing after "Apple."  Also, the word "that" appears three times in one sentence. Maybe change to " students who," " options which."
   
   Hope you're not sorry you asked for input now!

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   1. 85

      Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      LOL! It's all good. I appreciate the catch on that sentence. I will make the change. Sometimes it is too easy to read over your own mistakes and correct it in your head.

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8. 82

   HollieTposted 10 years ago

   Can I just add something as well which has absolutely nothing to do with getting the hub featured, but I imagine the subjects you discuss in this hub would be of great interest to parents of children who have learning difficulties/disabilities.
   
   I say this as the mother of a now adult son who was diagnosed with dyspraxia when he was a child. I bet there are tons of parents of special needs children who are completely unaware of how apps/iPad might assist/enable learning. Just thinking there's another hub in this but from a slightly different angle.

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   1. 85

      Jonathan Wylieposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Good point Hollie. I will definitely consider that.

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      1. 82

         HollieTposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         If your article and the apps/ipad had been around when my son was younger, I'd have clicked straight through to Amazon and purchased!

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