Tutoring in the Zoom Age
Clearly, 2020 has been a year of adjustments for students and teachers alike, but thankfully, technology and a little bit of creativity have gone a long way towards making it possible to tutor your children efficiently and effectively without losing that personal connection that one on one tutoring provides. When it was clear that the pandemic was going to keep me out of the office, I called my son who is a high school English teacher in Virginia and an admitted tech geek; his web site is appropriately titled teachernerd.com. I could see him smiling as he calmly walked me through my options. They ranged from simple and inexpensive to ridiculously complex and expensive. I chose an option that would make the most of what hardware I already had and only required a $100 purchase. I have Zoom loaded on my MacBook Pro. I recently upgraded my internet speed, so…
Observations After Experiencing a Computerized ACT
I recently had the good fortune of being invited to take an official ACT in my own home by computer. As a lifelong student of standardized testing, I’m never going to turn down the opportunity to learn something new while challenging my skills. And now that I’ve taken the test, the educator in me demands that I share my insights on this new twist on an old test. What did I learn by taking the ACT on computer? 1. I still got it! While performing at a high level obviously matters to me, I have nothing but professional pride on the line. Elite performance can be difficult to achieve without a real incentive, and I already have my college degree, thank you. Apparently, though, I can still turn it on when needed 😉 2. Testing on a computer takes longer. I spoke at length with ACT Senior Director of Research…
Chariot Learning Teachers Rocking Remote Instruction
To say we didn’t see the massive shift in education triggered by the global COVID crisis would be an understatement. For more than a decade, we at Chariot Learning have focused fanatically on working with students live and in-person. Sure, we’ve always been happy to tutor students across the U.S and the world at large, but home–meaning mainly greater Rochester and Syracuse–is where our hearts are… or were. Now that we’ve all been forced to learn to make the most of videoconferencing and online instructional tools, amazing new possibilities for better teaching and learning have opened up. This is exciting! When New York schools shut down in mid-March, we moved all of our classes and tutoring online. When libraries closed, we moved all of our free proctored practice tests online. When I realized how much I missed speaking to parents of high schoolers, we moved our free Parent SAT/ACT Q&A…
Face to Face or Facetime? Consider Online Tutoring
The traditional test prep tutoring session is not going the way of horse and buggy any time soon. In-person, private sessions are still the method of choice for many. But when tutors are locally scarce, when time or distance present their pesky challenges, or when situations beyond our control make meeting in person untenable, why not join the growing number of families who are turning to the digital convenience of tutoring through their online device. How does the live online experience compare to live and in-person? Live video conferencing platforms such as Skype, Zoom, and Facetime have improved real-time sound and video interaction, which allow for near-seamless communication. If both student and teacher have strong internet connections, they can chat as they would face to face, with high-tech screen sharing or low-tech white board to supplement the conversation. Screen sharing has become a common feature as well, which allows for…
Free Practice Online ACT (3/28/20)
Take a official, full length test under proctored conditions in the comfort of your own home or other quiet location, and find out your score as soon as you are done! Get ready or stay ready for the next official ACT, whenever that will be! We might not be able to run our practice tests at partner libraries and schools, but we are not going to stop making sure that students experience all the benefits of full proctored practice exams. Registrants will login over Zoom and take a full ACT under the guidance of an expert proctor, who will then help everyone score their tests. We will send registrants a pdf of the test they will take. What should you have ready when the test starts? A printed copy of the provided test pdf A printed answer grid Pencils Calculator Snacks and water Advance registration is required. Register by either…
Students Still Prefer Face-To-Face Instruction
Has the world ever felt smaller than it does today? Wave after wave of technological advancements have rendered distance moot for purposes of rich communication. The telegraph gave way to the telephone, which in turn has ceded ground to a wealth of online platforms that allow people on the other side of the planet to see, hear, and communicate with each other in real time. Suddenly, little details like geographic location don’t seem to matter any more. So why hasn’t education moved entirely online yet? Despite the best laid plans of educational entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, instruction remains a stubbornly geography-restricted endeavor. For every single student willing to explore MOOCs, blended learning platforms, and streaming lessons, you’ll find thousands more sitting in same classrooms as their teachers… and liking it that way. What happened to our grand educational revolution? Simply put, today’s teens still appreciate in-person education. Sure, they’ll happily…