The question of the moment that parents are asking themselves and other is "Is virtual learning as good as in-person learning???" And when it comes to tutoring parents are wondering the same thing. Lately, I've been doing my share of online tutoring and here is what I have noticed: 1. The older students seem to do better with online tutoring than the younger ones. Now part of this I feel has to do with maturity and also partly to interest and comfort working with technology. I have had some middle school students really engaged with online learning and some high school students not be so engaged with it. You may just have to try a session or two to see how your student responds to it. 2. The expectation of the class and the classroom teacher. At the end of last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, the bar was set really low by schools and teachers and the pressure for comprehension and emphasis on grades was not a priority. I think that was part of the reason that students didn't feel it was that important and didn't put in the corresponding level of effort. It sounds as if that is not going to be the expectation this school year, so I'm hoping students will now be ready to dive in more seriously to virtual learning as well as online tutoring. 3. The ability of the tutor to bring alive the online learning "classroom." What I mean by this is that some tutors may not have the necessary equipment, technology, and know-how to really make online tutoring effective. This is where I've been putting my effort lately to ease the transition for students to online learning. From writing tablets, to document cameras, to using capable online video conferencing software, to having the actual textbooks that students are using in many cases. To see a sample video of my current tutoring setup see the video I did to help other tutors get set up as well below: If you would like to try an online tutoring session with me to see if it is a good experience for your child let me know.
Mario Mario's Math Tutoring The school district that I mainly tutor in recently announced that they will be starting the first month of the year doing virtual learning and then evaluate from there. I know that parents are concerned that their children may not be getting the same level of education that they will need going forward into next year and on into college. Especially with a subject like Math that really builds on previous concepts, falling behind can make math get more and more difficult.
So what can be done? I believe that parents, teachers, tutors, families, counselors and everyone else around the child needs to communicate to the student that he or she needs to take an active role and interest in their own learning. There are so many distractions while trying to learn over the computer and some students don't even attend the online lectures that are being presented. First things first. Setting up some type of regular schedule for not just attending the online lectures but for how much time is actively spent studying outside of online classes is important. It's easy to let days and weeks and then months slip by without doing very much. Second, if you are able to, enlist the help of a tutor. A regular weekly meeting with a tutor can go a long way to helping a student stay on top of the material they are learning and even get slightly ahead so they know what is coming up in the next few days in class. Third, there are many free online resources, like YouTube videos, as well as paid resources such as online video courses that can help fill in the gaps in a students learning and help them get over learning hurdles by an experienced teacher or tutor. Lastly, I know things are really challenging for many students right now with being more isolated from friends and social activities. So help your child try to find a healthy balance of studying, playing, resting, exercising, and even daydreaming about the future they would like to create for themselves. Wishing you success in your math and your life, Mario Mario's Math Tutoring |
Mario DiBartolomeoHelping students succeed in math for over 15 years. Individualized attention makes the difference! CategoriesArchives
August 2024
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