Check out this article in Forbes last year about the myths of online learning.  Everything can be done online these days; shopping, banking, communicating, booking holidays, reading and watching TV so why not learning or even tutoring?  What do you think about online learning?

I am personally studying my Master’s program online and I love it.  I can work at my own pace with a plethora of resources and information available at my fingertips.  I can still communicate with my professor and fellow classmates during my class about questions I have or problems I am experiencing.  So, all in all, the forum works very well for me.

Could you learn that way?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebersole/2012/08/24/the-myths-of-online-learning/

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

Many of our readers probably know, but we’re pretty heavily into helping people learn to read. In fact, we’ve even got a whole campaign running to make more people aware of the problem of illiteracy in the US.

Illiteracy in the USA is a massively controversial topic that’s often debated heatedly, even though most of us are accutely aware of the effects that illiteracy has on the lives of adults and children alike – the social and emotional issues that this can lead to.

So why, unbelievably are some people still not getting the additional help and support they need so they can at last learn to read?
This blog is going to cover some of the keys reasons as to why literacy is so important.

1. Literate Parents Make For Literate Children

If we want to raise children who have strong literacy skills, we ourselves need to have strong literacy skills.  Of the 93 million adults in the U.S. functioning at or below basic levels of literacy, 30 million are the parents or primary caregivers of children ages 0-8 (National Center for Family Literacy Fact Sheet).  Parents need to start the process of teaching their child to read before their child starts school.  Parents need to read to their children, buy their children books, and encourage their children to read.  Parents who are unable to read, or are not strong readers, will o course read to their children less than parents who enjoy reading.  Reading in and of itself in this scenario, is fundamental.

2. Being Literate Makes You Top Dog For Employment

If you have the ability to read, you will be a better employee, and have many more opportunities open to you (as well as being able to make more money from your job!).  Illiteracy and unemployment go hand in hand, with 50% of the chronically unemployed American’s not being functionally literate. (U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Presentation: Dr. Susan Sclafani, April 2005).  Employees who can read work better in a team, and are better at communicating with others around them, thereby making them more successful in their roles.  A rise in of 1% in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP per person.  (The Economist, August 28, 2004). Not only this, but workers must be able to read safety regulations and warnings so they and their co-workers can stay safe on the job.

On a separate point, if you’re job hunting, you’re far more likely to land the job if you have at least a 2 year college degree. Most positions these days require at least this level of education.  As if it’s not hard enough as it is to get a job already!

To put this into a bit more perspective…The U.S. Census Bureau reports that “adults 18 and older with a master’s, professional or doctoral degree earned an average of $79,946, while those with less than a high school diploma earned about $19,915.”  That’s a $60,013 pay difference

3. For the health of you and your family (AKA ‘Health Literacy)

It sounds simple, but for those American’s who can’t read it is very difficult to understand what the doctor is telling you.  It can be impossible to work out how much medicine to take, or read information on your own health and your families.  This includes oral information given by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and insurers.  Medication errors in the USA—many result from a misreading or misunderstood prescription labels—are the most common medical mistakes causing up to 7,000 deaths each year. (2005 White House Conference on Aging).

Low health literacy costs between $106 billion and $238 billion each year in the U.S. — 7 to 17 per cent of all annual personal health care spending.

4. Literate Voters Make For a Better Political System

The Elections are rolling around again, and we all hear about the need for more American’s to be ‘informed Voters’.  But without the ability to read and write, these American’s will not be able to follow the campaign properly and will then be forced make an UNeducated discision as to whom they want to run their country.

One in seven adults in the US cannot read this sentence.(National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003).  So how can they be expected to participate in Democratic Government Elections with the same advantages as someone who can read?

5.Problem Youths and Illiteracy

We are all aware of the statistics connecting crime and illiteracy.  85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. (National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003)

Low literacy’s effects cost the U.S. $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime, and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment. (ProLiteracy).

American’s need to join forces to overcome this issue!  The most common reason for illiteracy in youths is lack of access to books.

This is something we can easily change together.  

If you know someone who’s struggling with reading and writing, as part of our ‘Help to Read: Help to Empower’ campaign, we’re offering FREE READING TUITION to as many people as we can, with the resources we have available. Find out more about this opportunity on the left hand bar on this page.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

Illiteracy, according to the United Nations, is the inability to read and write simple sentences in any language. In 1998, figures showed that 16 per cent of the world population is illiterate (Using the UN definition)

In 2009, 14% of Americans were illiterate. That’s 1 in 7. In a country as rich as ours, with a huge amount of wealth that overshadows the rest of the world, this figure is inconceivable. That is, inconceivable, but true. True, but horrifying.

• Imagine not being able to count the dollar bills in your hand
• Imagine having such little comprehension of safety, and hygiene, as you’ve never been able to understand those signs and warnings we see everywhere
• Imagine not ever being able to express yourself clearly
• Imaging never truly understanding the benefits that come through education so that you may pass this down to your child
• Imagine not being able to sign you name
• Imagine never being able to read the news, or check for dangerous ingredients in your food

These are just some of the effects that span from illiteracy, which feed into deeper issues such as;

• Low self-esteem
• Low self-worth
• Criminality
• Violence
• Drug Abuse
• Prostitution

Granted, not all people who cannot read suffer from any of all of the above, but there’s a massively strong trend. A trend that we must work hard in order to halt so as to bring those who were needlessly thrust into a lesser life than they hoped for as a child into a life that they are more fully able to live.

“The poor and the affluent are not communicating because they do not have the same words. When we talk of the millions who are culturally deprived, we refer not to those who do not have access to good libraries and bookstores, or to museums and centers for the performing arts, but those deprived of the words with which everything else is built, the words that open doors. Children without words are licked before they start. The legion of the young wordless in urban and rural slums, eight to ten years old, do not know the meaning of hundreds of words which most middle-class people assume to be familiar to much younger children. Most of them have never seen their parents read a book or a magazine, or heard words used in other than rudimentary ways related to physical needs and functions. Thus is cultural fallout caused, the vicious circle of ignorance and poverty reinforced and perpetuated. Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when in fact, the inability to read anything is the basic trouble.”  Peter S. Jennison

 

We at Stepping Stone Tutors would love to talk to you or anyone else who may be unable to read to a standard they are happy with. We have online and offline tutors who’re dedicated to helping you read at any level, and for any age. If you think we might be able to help you, please, get in touch.

Summer vacation is all about long days in the sun, family getaways and taking a break from the daily grind of the regular school year. For many students, however, this is a peak time for learning loss. Unless previously learned information is reviewed or new information is introduced your child can forget a great deal of what they’ve learned the year before. In order to keep their young minds learning-ready it’s a good idea to introduce some summer in-home tutoring or activities that inspire them to continue learning.

Make it a Game

While learning is important there’s also something to be said for enjoying their summer break. Not to mention the fact that trying to make a child actively participate in tutoring and learning during the summer can be an absolute battle to the death. The trick is to make the learning activities fun for them. In particularly for younger children you’ll be hard pressed to hold their attention with classroom-style activities when the backyard beckons. A quick online search will yield a number of fun activities that you and your children can take part in that will not only keep them engaged and motivated but will also keep their minds sharp. Enrolling them in in-home or online tutoring is also a great way to get them involved without a fight. Professional tutors are experienced in dealing with youngsters who would rather be outside and many have their own techniques to keep the learning experience fun.

Get Them Involved

You might have noticed a time or two that trying to force your child into a plan that in no way requires or requests their input can be somewhat difficult. If you allow them to become involved from the very planning stages, however, you might find your child to be more agreeable to the idea of summer learning. If you’d like for them to engage in more reading allow them to choose the material (within suitable reason of course). If numeracy is what you’d prefer to review go through the various available study tools with them and allow them to decide which tools they might like to use. Allowing them choices might make them feel more involved rather than forced into learning which often yields a better result.

Engaging your children in summer online or in-home tutoring, learning activities and other learning tools will not only help them to retain what they learned the year before, it will also prepare their minds to get back into the flow of the regular school year.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Students spend practically their entire school year in eager anticipation of one event: summer break. The end to homework, test prep, and days spent taking notes is first and foremost in many young minds. Retaining what they’ve learned in the previous year might be the last priority on their summer to-do list, but it should be the first priority on yours. Online tutoring and other learning activities can help them continue to stimulate their mind without lamenting their summer.

Within 30 days of being outside of the academic realm many students have lost the vast majority of the information that they learned in the previous year. This is largely due to lack of review and mental stimulation. In particularly for those students taking the GED, ASVAB or other important examinations in the year to come this loss of information can have a devastating effect. After all, their scores on tests such as these effect not only their short-term goals but in some capacity the rest of their lives.

Unless you relish the idea of a continuous uphill battle that lasts all summer it would behoove you as a parent to seek out ways for them to learn during their break that won’t have them crawling the walls with boredom. There are a wide variety of activities that can be completed both online and off that will keep them learning and reviewing information, perhaps without their even realizing it. For instance, young students might enjoy learning-based video games that can be played with a friend. For older students that need the continued test prep an online tutor is an excellent option. Even as little as a few hours a week spent with a tutor can increase their learning retention and stimulation, resulting in improved test scores.

Summer learning might sound like a horrendous idea to your student, but they might find themselves surprisingly pleased with the result. Better learning retention and consistent stimulation will make for not only better scores in the coming year but also an easier transition from the laziness of summer days back into the classroom.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

The summer break is a glorious opportunity for students to wind down and relax a bit following a strenuous year of learning. Many studies have shown that the break between the spring and fall semesters can have a negative effect on students’ retention of subject matter and learning. This break allows for not only summer play but also a complete lack of learning and mental stimulation for many. Therefore it is imperative that students of all ages engage in summer studying and in-home or online tutoring.

Better Retention of Previous Subject Matter

According to an article published by the Sylvan Learning Center in 2009 students begin to lose their retention of learned material within 24-48 hours without the introduction of new information or studying. After one month of learning downtime they can lose as much as 80% of what they’ve learned. Imagine the amount of information lost across the various subjects after a couple of months of complete lack of learning stimuli! Whether the student is in G-12 or G-16 summer studying or online tutoring will help curb this drastic loss of information.

Preparing for the Next Year

According to the Johns Hopkins School of Education children lose 2 months of math skills over the summer and most low income students lose reading skills as well. Summer reading and learning programs not only provide a wholesome activity to keep them busy, they also help aid students in keeping their minds engaged and accustomed to learning. The continuous flow of information helps keep them sharp and makes the adjustment to school life during the normal terms somewhat less of a shock to the system.

Summer studying at any age is about more than just filling your abundant summer free time. For many the information lost over the summer is never regained if not reviewed in the following year. Through summer studying and in home tutoring students can expect to see better information retention as well as experiencing an easier transition into school life in the fall.

Sources:http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090616/NEWS02/906160377/Summer-studying-vital-kids-maintain-skills, http://www.weau.com/education/headlines/50766452.html

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

One of the greatest flaws in the education system is the idea that all students can learn in the same fashion. While it is true that all students possess the basic ability to learn, certain ones might require more attention than others in order to achieve that pursuit. Likewise the study methods that work for one student may do nothing to help another. The following is a list of articles relating to study skill alternatives to the traditional methods for students who might be less than conventional.

1. An Alternative Paradigm for College Reading and Study Skills Courses:  Jim Reynolds and Stuart C. Werner, Journal of Reading

This article discusses the different approaches to handling incoming college students who are ill-prepared for the advanced academic world that they are entering. It explores the idea of a learning paradigm in which students are allowed to develop learning skills in their own way or style. It embraces the idea that not every student benefits from the traditional “one size fits all” method of studying.

2. Homeschooling Study Skills: Gertrude Elizabeth Greene

This article discusses the specialized study skills that should be taught to homeschooled students in order to prepare them for entering the more public and advanced educational realm of college.

3. 4 Helpful Study Skills for Online Learners: Stefan Knapen,

In this article Mr. Knapen discusses the different study skills needed for online learning. Because learning online requires not only a different environment but a different mind-set altogether the study skills that students find useful for in-class tutelage often do not apply as well in the online learning realm.

4. 6 Study Tips for Adult Learners: courseadvisor.com,

Re-entering the academic arena after a prolonged absence can be difficult for even the most studious persons. This article provides study tips designed to help adult students balance their work, family and school lives into a smoother experience.

Not every student responds to traditional study methods, and in particular those learning in a non-traditional capacity tend to suffer from scenarios for which these methods do not fit. With the advice contained in the above articles any student can special tailor study methods that work for their specific methods of learning and situation.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Scott Young started his blog 6 years ago while a student. Since graduating though, his interest in building skills and further education has only been heightened. We recently posted on our Facebook 

page a link video that Scott recorded detailing his latest challenge: to complete a 4 year MIT course in Computer Science in just 12 months (see the video here).

But just today we came across an audio interview Scott had with Corbett barr of Expert Enough- a site we love over here at Stepping Stone Tutors! But what I wanted to share were a couple of points Scott made in that interview that should be of value to you, as someone who’s looking to improve their knowledge, whether you’re using one of our online or in home tutors, or simply self-studying online.

Scott often refers to the way people who learn fast are able to effectively link the data and knowledge they’re processing  together, which therefore generates a much more deep rooted understanding of the topic being taken on. This is an alternative to simple ‘rote memorisation’, where students are challenged with the almost impossible of simply learning a ton of facts only to regurgitate these when asked about them. This ability to link things together- to understand in a much fuller way is what he calls ‘holistic learning’.

A method that’s often used to utilise this method of learning called the ‘Feynman technique’, which is an informal philosophy of how we can learn something deeply. As an alternative to rote memorization, which could take hundreds of hours for some subjects, the Feynman technique can be applied effectively to almost any subject. The video below will explains exactly what this is, and how you can apply this to your own studies, whether that’s for your upcoming ASVAB test, GED classes, K-16 classes, or test preparation (read about how we can help with this here) and revision.

The reason this technique works so much is because most people simply don’t know what it is that they’re trying to learn. They don’t understand which bits of a subject they need to expand on in order to full understand what it is they’re dealing with. The Feynman technique, however, highlights the exact aspects of each subject that you need to look into more in order to holistically grasp any topic you like.

These days having an education isn’t just a good idea, it’s imperative. Many employers, including the U.S. military, are requiring workers to have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalency in order to be considered for hiring. In today’s tough job market the more qualifications an applicant has the better! The following is a brief overview of some of the most important grade levels and tests to be completed on the track to a degree.

K-12

The term K-12 refers to the courses provided from Kindergarten to 12th grade for students. These classes normally take 13 years to complete and are marked in most every state by a graduation examination comprised of a few subjects: Social Studies, Math, Reading and Science. These subjects may of course vary from state to state. In addition to the graduation tests states are also required to implement End of Course tests, or EOCT’s, for each course that a student completes in grades 9-12. Completion of the K-12 program earns the graduate a High School diploma. This diploma can be used to obtain certain entry level positions and admission into a university or technical college.

K-14

K-14 refers to students who have completed Kindergarten through 12th grade, graduated with a high school diploma and completed two years of college. This normally owns a person an Associates Degree in their field of study, which is sufficient in some trades to obtain an entry level position of employment. Some industries, however, require more education for even entry level positions. Different programs have different tests, but in general students can expect periodical examinations throughout the semester in their courses to be followed by a final examination. Many universities require that students then pass an exit examination that serves as an examination to ensure that they’ve studied and grasped the general subjects that were taken during their instruction.

K-16

This term refers to students who have completed Kindergarten through 12th grade and 4 years of undergraduate study at a university or college. This generally earns a student a Bachelor’s Degree in their area of study. This degree often offers students a wider array of job possibilities when they graduate with more employers seeking students with a higher level of education, depending on the industry. Examinations for this degree are similar to those for K-14, with periodical examinations given during the semester and final examinations given at the end of each course.

GED

The GED, or General Educational Development, test is given to students seeking an alternative means of earning a diploma which is considered to be equivalent to that given to high school graduates. Students who complete the GED have not completed the traditional 12 years of school and therefore obtain this diploma as a means of applying to universities or technical colleges, or for the purposes of obtaining employment. These days most every employer requires at a minimum a high school equivalency diploma for entry level positions. This test covers Math, Social Studies, Science, Reading and Writing.

ASVAB

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude (ASVAB) test is administered to certain high school students and other persons interested in joining the military. The ASVAB consists of the following sections: the General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto Information, Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, and Assembling Objects. The scores from the test are used to determine the best vocational placement for the student within the armed services.

ACT

The ACT is a standardized test that can be taken by students for use in obtaining admission to a university or technical college. The test consists of 4 sections: English, Mathematics, Reading and Science Reasoning. Often universities and colleges require either an SAT or ACT score prior to granting an applicant admission to the institution.

These terms and tests are commonly associated with attending post-secondary education in the United States and in various other countries world wide. Depending on your goals as a student chances are that you’ll be encountering them as you navigate today’s educational systems. Practice examinations and other information about each test or term is available online for preparation purposes.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

By the time many of us reach our thirties and forties we have long assumed that our test-taking days are over. The idea of re-entering the classroom after what may be decades of school-free existence can therefore be rather disconcerting.The idea of taking exams for GED, ACT, ASVAB etc seems often a distant dream.  But with today’s job market leaving many long-term employees suddenly out of a job thousands are flocking back to schools across the country. So how do you re-train yourself for studying after years out of practice?

But, through self-study, and with online tutoring, and in-home tutoring, it’s important to realize that you’re never too old to study…

Unconventional Students and Unconventional Obstacles

One of the most difficult challenges facing older students is the change in their obstacles since they were last in school. When you’re going to college in your early twenties much of your existence is dedicated to that cause. You may hold down a part time job, but the vast majority of your time is spent in class or studying (with the exception of various other free-time activities that you always seem to make time for). When you’re in your thirties and forties, however, the obstacles standing in your way of studying are generally much more pressing than a part time waitressing position, like kids, home maintenance or a full-time job. For this reason unconventional students have to find new study methods and ways to cope with these challenges that differed from what they may have used the first time around.

Making Time

The biggest problem facing most older students is simply making time. You must make time to go to class and make time to study for tests, which can be a huge challenge with a family or full-time job to consider. The bottom line is that if you want to accomplish it badly enough there’s a way. It’s important to make time at least on an every-other-day basis to study material, allowing for more frequent studying around test and exam times. Try to dedicate one room or a secluded area of your home as a study area and designate certain times of day strictly for studying. Discuss the importance of quiet while you’re studying with your family and ask for their cooperation in helping you set aside that time for studying. Another new element that many older students find bothersome during study time is the new temptation to surf the web instead of studying. For many older students this specific distraction wasn’t around the first time.

Unless your work requires you to be connected to the internet try to leave your browser down all together. If you do have to be online try to keep your mind on track. Try sticking a post-it note to the side of your computer with your task written on it, and don’t leave open tabs with distracting or tempting sites. This will make it less tempting to check your email as opposed to studying. Just as you have to push these types of distractions out you must also remove psychological distractions such as worrying over bills. Remember that your study time is for studying and studying only. If you find yourself having difficulty concentrating stop what you’re doing, close your eyes and take several deep breathes while concentrating only on breathing. This will help reduce your anxiety momentarily and allow you to regroup.

For students of all ages the same traditional study tips still apply. Being rested, eating as balanced a diet as possible and removing distractions are all good tips to follow for students at any stage in their academic lives. For those unconventional students with families, finances and other distractions to consider making time is one of the most important considerations for fruitful study time.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Our last post discussed Richard Feynman’s study method (the Feynman Technique), which involves writing out a lecture to yourself, explaining in simple terms the topic you’re working on. As you’re working through this, you’ll reach points where you stop and become slightly confused, or unsure about something. At these points, you know you need to brush up your knowledge in these areas. By the time you’ve finished writing your lecture, you’ll have a far fuller understanding of the topic than hours and hours of rote memorization could produce. To read what we wrote about this, see here.

As a way to build upon Richard Feynman’s teaching and learning philosophy (especially from 40+), we came across the following video, which we’re sure you’ll benefit hugely from watching.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone GED Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in GED tuition, please do get in contact.

Test taking is a nerve-wracking experience for most people, no matter what you’re studying- GED, K-12. ASVAB. It’s the ultimate test prep.

While some can simply breeze through a written exam with no problems or intense heart palpitations the majority of the rest of us are completely bewildered come test time. The pressure to pass, the last-minute second guessing of answers and the sudden flooding of the mind with failure scenarios is enough to make anyone want to jump up and run out of the room. For those who have this completely normal fear of test-taking practice exams and test preparation tools are imperative. Practice tests in particular are an important staple in the preparation process for tests such as the GED.

Preparing For Testing-Taking

For those with an immense fear of testing the act itself can be enough to induce failure. Many find that they are unable to think straight, consumed with nerves over the implications of failing the test. This leads to rushed and scattered thinking, which can lead to rushed answering and misunderstanding questions themselves. All in all, this type of anxiety can lead to failure not because the student wasn’t prepared for the test, but because the act of testing itself caused them such distress that they were unable to recall the information they’d studied. Sitting for practice exams can help with this somewhat by allowing the student to practice test-taking tips such as breathing exercises or visualization techniques without the pressure of the actual examination.

Acclimating To Test

Anyone who has attended school for a long period of time, say K-12, knows that tests are different. Teachers ask questions differently, the types of test questions vary (multiple choice vs. essay), and even the type of material covered can vary (one teacher may harp on dates while another harps on event details). Practice tests such as those offered for the GED exam give the student a chance to see first-hand what the test will be like, including what types of questions they ask, what material they may expect to see covered, etc. This gives the student a leg-up in studying, offering them not only the opportunity to test their skills thus far in the studying process but also to get a handle on what and how they should be studying. After all, one preps differently for a multiple choice test than an essay exam.

Practice tests offer students a valuable opportunity to evaluate their study methods, acclimate themselves with the test itself and prepare themselves mentally for the act of test-taking. This experience is paramount for many pupils in their ability to adequately prepare for tests such as the GED, ACT, and SAT.

One thing that’s been intriguing me lately is the use of blogging in education. Not just in traditional ‘classroom’ situations, but also for online and offline tutors.- the use of blogs to spark discussion, reinforce lessons and extend on topics that there wasn’t time to extend on in situ.

The past decade has brought so much of our world and our daily lives online. The world wide web and good ole’ fashioned reality collide in these days of social media and Google searches. One of the newest forms of online communication and expression is blogging. This platform can be used in several different ways, with some opting to utilize it as a publicized online journal and others using it to voice their opinions. Blogs can be informative, enticing, entertaining and occasionally… well, boring.

With much of the rest of our existence taking place online it was always a matter of time before we began to ponder online education platforms. These days students respond more to their Facebook status updates than to their teacher’s droning lecture (not that students were ever more apt to pay attention to a teacher than the not-so-private lives of their friends). As students become more stimulated by online media and platforms, some educators are reaching outside their classroom boxes and stretching their muscles online. But can blogging be an educational tool?

Blogging and other online educational tools could have what I call the “cool effect”. Students tend to respond better to technology that they know and use when outside of the classroom. It’s similar to the effect of rolling a television into a classroom: it may just be an educational film, but students are more likely to be engaged by it than a traditional lecture. Watching TV and blogging are “cool” for use in their free time, so utilizing it when they’re at school feels less like conforming to antiquated learning methods and more like learning on their own terms. Much like other forms of online education blogging makes it possible for students to interact with other peers across the globe, a feature that could be immensely useful for cultural or foreign language studies. Most blogs can also be pretty well controlled by an administrator (or teacher), even to the standard that comments cannot be published on the blog until approved by them. Blogging could also be highly effective in spurring discussion about topics that may even continue after school hours.

So outside of the possibility for foul play on the blog (which can be very well managed with platforms such as WordPress), it seems that educational blogging could provide a stimulating and modern way for students to gain, share and expand on their knowledge. If utilized correctly I believe that blogging could open up a whole new world of resources for educators and young minds alike.

“Showing our children that we value learning and education is important and will pay off in the long run as they mature. When parents are involved in their children’s educations, student achievement improves.” (http://www.pta.org/topic_student_success.asp)

It is that time of year again! It’s the time when students, somewhat reluctantly, return to school and begin another part of the ongoing adventure that is education. No matter what their age, as your student heads back to school there is bound to be excitement, anticipation, and even some trepidation.

As a parent, the most important thing to remember when sending your student back to school is that they need your help and guidance in order to be successful. Time management and organization for a student of any age is important at school, but also in the home. The precedent modeled at home will be reflected at school. Doing simple things like committing to a schedule including time for chores, homework, dinner, and family time on a nightly basis will create consistency in your student’s life.

Set expectations for your student. Some parents feel as if setting expectations too high will cause a child to fail, and by doing so will create struggles with their confidence. Just the opposite is true. Setting challenging yet attainable expectations for your student allows them to better understand and realize their full potential. Obviously a student with no expectations will never do more than they want to, but also a student with low expectations will become complacent. Challenging your student in a comfortable, safe, home environment will help them mature and prepare for future challenges that define life. Help your student understand that failure is ok as long as they return to the drawing board, correct the mistake, and try again.

Your student’s success begins with you, and begins at home. Often times creating a home environment conducive to their success and showing that you care will go a long way. Also, establishing appropriate expectations and helping your student attain them will also facilitate success. Below are a few general keys to Setting your Student up for Success:

• Approach every year as a clean slate: Every year is a new opportunity to face new challenges head on and accomplish new successes
• Communicate: Ask your student specific questions about school (i.e. Are you still learning about China in Geography, or have you started a new topic? Tell me more about that.).  Talk to their teachers regularly, and offer advice when asked.
• Develop sound time management in the home. Have a routine for when homework, chores, and other activities need to be completed, including “chill” time
• Develop sound organizational skills at home that will be reflected at school. Set a designated place in the home where studying should be done and homework completed.
• Set expectations for your student, hold them accountable, and help them attain their goal

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone SAT Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in SAT tuition, please do get in contact.

Starting August 15, 2011…

We are very excited about our new partnership with The Princeton Review to offer online Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) courses just in time for the October 2011 SAT and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional center-based course.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Biology Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in biology tuition, please do get in contact.

Stepping Stone Tutors now offers online tutoring services for most Math and Science subjects. The new service uses an online whiteboard system, which serves as a virtual classroom for the tutor and the students. Aside from functioning as a visual aid, this online whiteboard also has a chat box where tutors and students interact and share files or videos easily.

According to Andrew Cogen, CEO of Stepping Stone Tutors, online tutoring reinforces the lessons learned during classes at school and during in-home tutoring sessions. A typical online tutoring session would last 20 to 30 minutes long. For the best results, students need to spend one to two hours per week with an online tutor in addition to their in-home tutoring sessions.

This new tutoring service is also available on demand for students who might need immediate help with their assignments, projects or day-to-day lessons. Students who already have in-home tutors can take advantage of online tutoring whenever they cannot meet with their tutors in person. An online tutoring session can remedy changes in schedule when unexpected circumstances come up. Being online also saves time usually spent on travelling to the student’s home or to a designated place conducive to learning.

This type of service follows the principle of blended learning where educators use technology for remote learning along with traditional methods of teaching. Online tutoring does not replace face-to-face interaction between teachers and students and between classmates. In fact, online tutoring enhances the quality of learning that the students glean from classroom activities, and it helps them develop skills in studying and learning on their own.

For those interested, registration begins with a free account at Stepping Stone Tutors Online (http://www.steppingstonetutors.com/online_home.php). Students can then purchase time to use on the website. For a demonstration of the online whiteboard system, you can visit http://ssconnect.steppingstonetutors.com/Demo.htm and watch how it works.

Image by tgbarrett via Flickr

Last week, we discussed a new educational model called Blended Learning. It combines face-to-face instruction with information technology, specifically the Internet. Blended learning is relatively new, but has proven to be an effective approach to teaching children of varied skill levels and learning styles. Six schools have already adopted it and more institutions are expected to embrace this new learning model. So how does it work?

Blended learning is not simply using computers to teach young children. It entails a seamless integration of technology with classroom activities. For example, students may be required to meet with teachers only once a week for a formal discussion about the week’s lessons. Students spend the rest of the week reading books, watching video tutorials and documentaries, and interacting with classmates and teachers through the Internet. They would have to do research at home or in school to finish their reports as well as meet with in-person tutors or online tutors for additional guidance.

When you look at the example, you might glimpse a huge shift of responsibility from the teacher, who is expected to transfer knowledge to the students, to the individual learners, who is now responsible for their education at a pace they feel most comfortable with. The teacher in this scenario becomes an evaluator of the student’s work, which is measured against standards of excellence. The students know these standards so they already understand how high they are aiming for.

Because of the combined forces of the traditional and the modern methods of teaching, students get the best of both worlds. The traditional method of teaching used to be limited to textbooks and classroom discussions, while the modern method, which uses mobile technology, used to be limited by the lack of human interaction that is essential in the emotional and social development of a child. By putting these two worlds together, we create a learning environment, which enhances the child’s learning experiences and develops the child’s social and emotional skills.

Image via Wikipedia

Blended learning combines the advantages of the traditional learning model, which utilizes the power of social interaction to educate, and the online learning model, which uses the power of the Internet to widen the scope and increase the depth of discussion between teacher and students.

Relatively new to education, blended learning proves itself a very effective tool in dealing with many issues in teaching. An issue that has plagued teachers for a long is the problem of teaching students that learn at different levels with different styles. Some students learn better when spoken to and some students prefer to learn on their own. Sometimes, students with learning disabilities or those who learn at a slower pace may find classroom learning a difficult hurdle to overcome.

With the advent of blended learning, traditional classroom education becomes more flexible and adaptive to the needs of its students rather than the school’s system. Students receive instruction from multiple sources, such as interactive quizzes, tutorial videos and learning games aside from their textbooks. The students also interact with online tutors aside from their teachers.

Blended learning that utilizes online tutoring does not compromise the social development of the student. Each week, the students meet in a classroom with their teachers to discuss the week’s lessons, to present their papers or projects, or to take an exam to evaluate their progress. When needed, guidance from online tutors plays an important role in helping the student learn on his or her own.

At first, the Internet was just a novelty, something to look over and experiment with, but since then, its use has pervaded every aspect our modern lives, specifically in education. The Internet plays a vital role in education. Its power to bring together people for learning in what we call online tutoring best exemplifies this role.

Online tutoring usually brings together tutors and tutees in a virtual setting. They meet in a chat room, a website or a forum and arrange specific times to hold tutoring sessions. These times often factor in the differences in time zones between the two parties.

Although commonly associated with language teaching, online tutoring also has other uses. Online tutoring facilitates learning in Math and Science subjects, especially when immediate feedback is given and interactive quizzes and educational games are available for downloads.
However, the popularity of online tutoring does not necessarily mean it can now replace in-home tutoring. Differences between these two types of tutoring present their respective advantages and disadvantages over each other.

Online tutoring requires the use of the computer with a web cam, and a headset with microphone. The student and tutor should have good Internet speed rates that can handle VoIP connections. In-home tutoring, on the other hand, requires less equipment for both tutors and students to hold tutoring sessions.

Online tutoring sessions, especially when pre-recorded material is available, allows flexibility in scheduling. However, it does not allow tutors to work alongside the student’s teachers because of disparity in location. To get over this hurdle, the tutors can provide feedback to the teachers and the parents through email.

Yet, in-home tutoring remains a very effective supplement to institutional learning. The structures of our education system do not permit freedom in learning. An in-home tutor fills in the gaps while fulfilling the role of learning facilitator. A learning facilitator makes learning desirable and easy, especially when the student has difficulties with the subject.

In-home tutoring is also appropriate for helping students with learning disabilities. The tutor functions as a learning facilitator as well as a therapist. Conversely, online tutoring often lacks the human interaction, which plays an important role in therapy and learning.

When considering the kind of tutoring their child needs, parents should factor in each tutoring type’s advantages and disadvantages, as well as the equipment requirements and the tutor’s qualifications.

One of the reasons we started our in-home tutoring service back in 2004 was that we noticed there were TONS of listings in Craigslist for tutors but there was really no way for parents to screen out who was qualified and to make sure their child would be safe if they ever left them alone with the tutor.

Since our inception, we have required every tutor to provide references, teaching credentials, and authorize Stepping Stone Tutors to run a 50 state criminal background check which we outsource to a 3rd party called ABSO in part because they also have access to the FBI national sex offender database.

When I read the article today in the The Morning Call about an online scam from an individual claiming to be a tutor and asking the parents to wire money, it helped to reaffirm our decision to launch our service.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in Study Skills tuition, please do get in contact.

A lot of blogs talk about traditional learning centers like Huntington or Sylvan or about the relatively new industry of online tutoring; however, few blogs talk about in-home tutoring or what I like to call the “other” option for tutoring.

Traditional learning centers are great for students who are doing well in school and just want to focus on specific skills. It also helps if the parents have a lot of disposable income to invest in one of the programs they offer that tend to start around $800 per class. They do offer their own assessment tests which can help to identify problem areas; however, these areas of need are only in relation to the programs being offered at the learning center and do not necessarily address current school work and low grades which for many families are a larger concern.

What typically happens at Sylvan Learning Center for example is that a student is given an assessment test when they first come to the center. They are subsequently enrolled in a course which would typically be several weeks long. The student would be in a classroom type setting usually with 3 or more other students. The “teacher’s” role is more or less to provide handouts and worksheets for the students to use throughout the course. The worksheets are specifically geared towards helping each student pass the test at the end of the course created by Sylvan.

While this approach may be successful in teaching set skills, it does not typically help most students in real time, students who are failing their classes and not understanding the material and are continuing to fall further behind in school.

The learning center model can be self serving because a student is only “guaranteed” to pass the learning center class which logic would tell us should be an easily attainable goal when the entire course is geared around helping students pass the test at the end. The “guarantee” is that if a student does not pass the class then then can keep taking it until they do. The problem again, is that even if the student passes the class, they are still falling behind in school and not understanding their homework.

In addition to falling behind, the student is using their free time after school to attend the learning center classes and their parents (unless the student can drive) are having to drive them to and from classes at the learning center often several times per week.

One of the other options for tutoring which has become more or less a recent phenomenon with the advent of widespread broadband internet access, is online tutoring. Online tutoring usually takes a totally different approach to learning centers which is to work on current assignments only. Students are able to login and connect with a tutor 24 hours a day and get help in real time.

Online tutoring can be great for families on a budget because it is the cheapest option for getting help with school work. The timing is also quite flexible because a student can get help at anytime throughout the day.

The downside to online tutoring is that the tutor is in another city, often another country altogether which presents some issues for the student, mainly they are not in the same room together or they have a hard time understanding the tutor especially when the tutor lives in India.

This brings me to what I call the “other” option for tutoring which are private in-home tutoring services. In-home tutoring brings the best of both worlds and bridges the gap between the traditional learning center approach and the new resource which is online tutoring.

With in-home tutoring, students can get help in real time on current assignments. The tutor works with them one-on-one at home usually after school. The benefit of the tutor coming to a student’s home is that the parent does not need to drop them off and pick them up again later in the day. In addition, working one-on-one is hugely beneficial to the student being able to ask questions and get the tutor’s full and undivided attention.

An in-home tutor can work on only the subject areas that the parent or student wants help with. Often times a student needs help preparing for a specific standardized test like the ASVAB, THEA, or SAT and more often than not, the student only needs help with certain content areas of that particular test.

What in-home tutoring allows a student to do in this case, is instead of enrolling in an entire course to prepare for their test at a learning center, usually at a premium cost and spending hours at a time working on subject areas the student has already mastered, the student can focus their time on the areas they need the most help with.

Working with an in-home tutor, students only pay for the time they spend with the tutor and can get help right away. In-home tutoring costs less than a learning center course and slightly more than online tutoring, but is often the best option for families who need help in real time for current assignments and tests and who need flexible scheduling.