The Tutor.com Blog

For Mother’s Day we wanted to celebrate our favorite mothers from some of our favorite books. Upon investigating we found it a bit trickier than expected. Many of the books we’ve read either had a non-existent or negative mother figure featured. So we decided to bring in the experts. We got on the phone with high school English Teacher, Ms. Elliot, who also happens to be the mother of our Library Marketing Manager, Lily Scholz. After brainstorming for a few minutes, the ideas started flowing. Check out or top five mothers from literature below!

Margaret “Marmee” March from Little Women
Life would be stressful for the mother of any four girls, add on top of that a husband who is often away and a temper, and it would take a strong women to remain generous and kind. But that is just what Marmee did as she guided her girls through adolescence and into adulthood. She shaped their morals and provided a charitable example for them to follow.

Katie Rommely Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Despite the poverty her family lived in, Katie was not only able to become the family breadwinner but also tried hard to provide a positive childhood for her kids. While she wasn’t without her own flaws, she was determined to put her children first and worked as hard as she could to provide a better life for her family.

Angela McCourt from Angela’s Ashes
Life was tough for Angela in many ways, yet she often refused to give up hope on her family. An alcoholic husband, the death of children, and extreme poverty, all threatened to kill her spirit but she tried relentlessly to carry on and provide any hope she could for her eldest son, Frank.

Lily Potter from the Harry Potter Series
It was hard to choose between Lily Potter and Mrs. Weasley, but it’s hard to top a mother who shielded her son with her life from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Protecting her son remained Lily’s priority until her final moments. And while she died when her son, Harry, was just a baby, her loved lived on for much longer.

Ma Joad from Grapes of Wrath
One of the greatest things a mother could do is lead by example. And the example Ma Joad set was one of strength and determination. As a family they faced many obstacles but she would not let that deter them. Seen as the backbone of the family, she was consistently able to remain warm in a cold world.

Happy Mother’s Day and a special Mother’s Day shout out to Ms. Elliot!

Last week Tutor.com tutor and military spouse, Laurel B., had the opportunity to attend a White House celebration honoring the work of Joining Forces and the Military Spouse Employment Paternership (MSEP). Joining Forces, founded by First Lady, Michelle Obama, and Dr. Jill Biden, asks companies to pledge their commitment to hiring military spouses and veterans. Tutor.com is part of this program and works with MSEP to spread the word about the flexible tutoring positions and their commitment to hiring spouses. Here’s Laurel’s account of the event!

Many months ago, I was nominated by Tutor.com to attend a White House event celebrating the Joining Forces program, which helps military spouses, like me, and military veterans, find employment. Since I didn’t hear back some time, I almost forgot about it until I got a call from the Department of Defense–inviting me to the White House on the following Tuesday! Once I remembered the nomination I was incredibly excited, and responded immediately that I would attend.  A formal invitation followed, inviting both me and my husband, Petty Officer First Class Joshua Byrnes, an active duty Yeoman in the Navy.

On our way into the White House that Tuesday, there were several security check-points to go through. My husband and I speculated whether the President might be there–but we doubted that since we heard on the radio that the President was giving a press conference.

We entered through the East Wing of the White House, into a large main room with a military band playing jazz music. We were soon ushered into a beautiful press conference room after mingling with other attendees. Once we were all seated, more military spouses, veterans and Joining Forces affiliated employees came out and filled most of the seats on the stage.  Yet a few of the seats remained empty and we all sat in anticipation of who would show up next…

Finally, in came Vice President Biden and his wife, Jill.  The Vice President introduced his wife, and explained how passionate she was about the program, and how proud he was of her for helping to found it.  Jill then took the podium and talked about her dedication to the program and to helping people like us find work since military members and their families sacrifice so much for our country. After this, we were all surprised to see President Obama and his wife, Michelle, come in through the door.

The President spoke about how dedicated his wife was to the mission, how proud he was of her, and how hard she has worked on Joining Forces with Jill in their spare time. He introduced Michelle, who then took the podium. She spoke about how vital the program was, and shared stories about specific veterans and spouses who have benefited from it. She also talked about how everyone can help military members and their families—whether by hiring them or simply shoveling the sidewalk for them after a snowstorm.

Once the speeches wrapped up and people began to walk out, my husband and I took our time leaving. Taking a few more pictures and feeling lucky to have been able to be part of such a once-in-a-lifetime event!

Maker spaces are in. From libraries to 11 year-old web series stars, everyone is inviting everyone else to get in on this movement. Alternatively, as that new trend takes center stage we are seeing more articles about MOOC skeptics. Once the golden child of the higher education market, MOOCs are seeing resistance and some backlash from universities and their leaders. Check out our top reads on these hot topics below!

A Science Star Already, Tinkering With the Idea of Growing Up via The New York Times Sylvia Todd’s desk is not tidy. It’s cluttered with small robots, motors, wires, resistors, a soldering iron and an array of other gadgets and tools. A maker, tinkerer and online celebrity, Sylvia has attracted more than 1.5 million YouTube views of the show she produces and hosts, the Web-based “Sylvia’s Super-Awesome Maker Show.”

Meet Your Makers via Publishers Weekly ….in the past 18 months, a growing number of libraries have been taking a much more radical approach: creating “maker” spaces. Based on the idea that libraries are for creation, not just consumption, maker spaces don’t just upend the normal programming model—they have the potential to reinvent the public library.

Why Some College Are  Saying No to MOOC Deals, at Least for Now via The Chronicle of Higher Education Amherst College, known for its selectivity, is accustomed to sending rejection notices. But when the liberal-arts beacon this month turned down an invitation to join the exclusive partnership of colleges offering massive open online courses through edX, it nonetheless drew surprise from many corners of academe.

MOOC Skeptics at the Top via Inside Higher Ed It would be easy to think that the leaders of American higher education are all in when it comes to MOOCs. Dozens of colleges and universities — many of them among the elites — have rushed to offer massive open online courses. Top foundations back the effort. The American Council on Education has moved quickly to certify some of the courses as credit-worthy. Many other colleges are considering plans to award credit for MOOCs or to use them in instruction.

Miss a top read? Share yours with us in the comments section below!

When Olga R.’s priorities shifted to focus on caring for her preemie twins, she said goodbye to her day job and became a stay-at-home mom. But with a degree in Math, she still wanted to put her expertise to work and joined the Tutor.com team in 2010. Three years later, she loves the satisfaction of helping students find their way and mentoring new tutors to be the best they can be.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in Northeast Ohio with my husband, our three daughters, and our very crazy wire-haired Fox Terrier. I went to John Carroll University with the intent to become a Computer Programmer.  Just because I liked math so much, I decided to major in that also.  Four years later, I realized that Computer Science wasn’t really for me, so I was very thankful for the Math part of my double-major.  I worked as an analyst for an auto insurance company after graduation and really enjoyed my job.  However, when our preemie twins were born, my priorities shifted and I decided to be a stay-at-home mom.

I’ve been tutoring with Tutor.com since 2010, tutoring Elementary Math, Mid-Level Math, Algebra, and Algebra II, and mentoring since 2012.

How did you find out about Tutor.com?

I’ve always enjoyed tutoring when I was in college, and when I started thinking of some part-time jobs that would be feasible with young children, tutoring automatically came to mind and I came across Tutor.com.  It seemed too good to be true at first, but after some research, I decided to give it a try.  It was the best decision ever!  I get to spend time with my girls, I get to watch them grow, and witness all the little things they do, and I get to work–from–home when it’s convenient for me. And I get paid!

What makes it a great fit?

I really enjoy both tutoring and mentoring for various reasons. For tutoring, I love the anticipation of a new session, the unknown of what the student is going to ask and how it will all go— it’s quite addicting actually.  I love when my sessions go well and I get to help someone figure out a problem or understand a certain topic.  The feeling that your work truly matters and that instant gratification are pretty amazing!

I enjoy mentoring because I get to support other tutors.  I think it’s great that Tutor.com provides so much coaching and support at all levels: tutors have mentors, mentors have senior mentors, etc. 

Any study tips?

Best homework or study tip I could give is go through your class notes and read the material in the book before attempting to do the homework.  And the one thing I think every student should do in order to become a better student is don’t be afraid to ask questions!  Tackle the problems when they are little hills instead of waiting until they become huge mountains.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love being outside with my family.  I also enjoy photography and I’m hoping to take a digital photography class (or two) in the near future.

We’ve been making the rounds at tradeshows this month and the hot issue continues to be how to increase student retention and persistence.  Public, private, 2-year and 4-year colleges – everyone is facing this challenge.

“Big Data” projects—a catch-all term for leveraging existing data to identify at-risk students and get them the support they need—is rising to the top as a key solution, but will it work?  Here’s a breakdown of the issues big data can solve for schools, as well as challenges schools will face while trying to implement data projects that drive results.

Challenges to Successful Big Data Projects

• Getting Reliable Data:  Faculty adoption of SIS/LMS systems is an ongoing issue, and when student data (like grades, attendance, information from residence hall advisors, etc) doesn’t live in an electronic system, it’s hard to pull into a big data project.

• Losing the Silos:  Colleges and universities that are collecting data share that much of it gets put into a silo—a closed system where many key decision-makers don’t have access to it.  For big data projects to work effectively, all the relevant data needs to be in one place where analysis can take happen.

• Implementing System-Wide Improvements: Using data to inform interventions on a student-by-student level is important, but the real promise of big data is that it can improve instructional design and address retention problems systematically. Schools will need a structure to review data and make these larger decisions campus-wide.

Data Solutions

Some schools are running their own Big Data projects, while others are turning to outside partners to make the process easier.  Regardless of the approach your college takes, you’ll want to make sure your data project solves these issues:

• The Silo Effect: Breaking down the silos and putting all information from diverse sources (whether it’s SIS/LMS, financial aid, demographics, residence halls, advisors, etc) into one system that can be accessed by different groups on campus for a variety of needs.

• Trend Spotting: A data project should be able to leverage information in new ways to predict which students are at risk for failure/withdrawal/dropout and mobilize the proper resources to mitigate these risks.

• The Big Three:  Steering financial, advising and academic resources to at-risk students to boost persistence.

While Tutor.com is best known for our online tutoring solutions, we also offer comprehensive data and analytic services that can be plugged into just about any data project.

Tutor.com’s Predictive Insights™ Data Analysis provides immediate and actionable data on what students are struggling with (at the subject, topic and application level), when they’re looking for extra help, and what techniques our tutors used to help students break through and achieve mastery.  Students who lack prerequisite knowledge or struggle to achieve mastery of core concepts are flagged by our expert tutors for early alerts, which can be sent to faculty and advisors as email notifications.  Administrators may also review this data regularly, often catching issues long before other systems would have reported a problem.

Is your university implementing a big data project?  Tell us and your peers  about it in the comments section!

Libraries and their staff are on the move. We’ve written about the changing landscape of libraries across the country, and can’t stop reading articles about the digital direction the community centers are taking. So Library Journal’s 2013 Movers and Shakers Awards certainly caught our attention. The tech leaders and community builders that made the list aren’t just keeping up, they’re one step ahead.

Tutor.com is fortunate enough to work with a few of the names that made the list and know from experience the importance these libraries place on providing resources that better their communities. From computer labs to youth services, there are all kinds of ways to make changes that truly affect your patrons. . And these minds are figuring out the best directions to head.

Special Tutor.com shout-out to:

• Mikael Jacobsen at Skokie Public Library

“Mikael Jacobson does far more than help people make stuff at the Skokie Public Library’s Digital Media Lab (DML). According to nominator Toby Greenwalt, ‘Mick is working to show the library’s ability as the creative heart of the village.”

• Michelle Perera at Rancho Cucamonga Public Library

“One of the first things Michelle Perera did after she joined Rancho Cucamonga Library in late 2008 as assistant library director was to conduct a needs assessment for the children’s library. ‘I saw an overwhelming need and desire for interactive and experiential activites,’ she says.”

• Kirby McCurtis at Multnomah County Library

“’I became a librarian for the social justice aspect of the work,” says Kirby McCurtis, adding “I am pretty loud and energetic, and I think that people don’t expect that of a librarian.” McCurtis has channeled her energy into trailblazing outreach programs for teen mothers and African Americans…”

• Priya Rathnam at Schrewsbury Public Library

“Even after the Shrewsbury Public Library was forced in 2009 to cut her hours to part-time, Priya Rathnam put her community first. She created the English Conversation Circle to help immigrants learn English. She sought grants, sponsorships, and colunteers to expand the program. ‘I decided to turn adversity into opportunity,’ says Rathnam.”

• Alene Moroni at King County Library System

“When HarperCollins restricted the number of times a library could circulate a given ebook to 26 back in 2011, many outraged librarians called for boycotts. But as manager, selection and order, at King County Library System, Alene Moroni knew that cutting off that access wasn’t  possible, because so many of the library’s ebooks were from Harper Collins. While she, too, was troubled by the announcement, she concluded that, ‘26 is certainly better than nothing.’”

Congratulations to all those who made Library Journal’s 2013 list!

There are some books that do nothing more than share a moment in time. Rather than devote pages to character descriptions and back stories, they instead focus on the experiences of the present. This was precisely the premise of our latest read, The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, yet we didn’t even realize it until the end.

Starting off nine years after a widespread flu wiped out the majority of the population, we spend the first portion of the book with Hig and his sidekick dog, Jasper. We follow them around as they check on intruders, farm, assist sickly villagers and hunt, all of which are relatively mundane as they’ve already had nearly a decade worth of practice. But even though we aren’t following the characters on an adventure, the book never feels boring. In three parts Heller does a wonderful job of making the reader feel the loss of innocence that is necessary in order to survive when resources are dwindling; the confusion over why you try so hard to survive when everything you love is gone; and the inability to give up hope that there could be something better.

There were a few things that irked our book club though. Each of the four main characters conveniently seemed to have skills that gave them an advantage over outsiders: a doctor, a pilot, marine veteran. But as someone pointed out, isn’t it likely that people with those skills would be the ones to survive for nine years?

During book club we discussed how we had anticipated learning more about the flu epidemic, about Hig’s wife, and about the years before we encountered the characters. But you never do. Reflecting back we all agreed that you didn’t really need to know those details. Instead feeling the experiences in the moment was what the book was really about.

Have you read The Dog Stars? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

Join us for our next read as we continue on our post-apocalytpic kick, Wool by Hugh Howl.

Tutor.com is pleased to welcome Katherine Vander Vennet to our library team! As our new Sales Director for Libraries, Katherine has been enjoying getting reacquainted with folks she knew at public libraries from the days when she worked at Information Access Company (now part of Gale and Cengage Learning). Katherine has a strong background in working with organizations to achieve their goals and is excited about getting back to libraries after working in the B2B world with Hoovers, Earthlink, and other technology companies.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts, Communication/Visual Art from the University of California, San Diego and a Master of Arts, Visual Arts/Business Management from New York University.  While working in the technology sales world, she also consulted for corporate and private art collectors. When you meet her, be sure to ask more about her love of art and her experience in the visual world.

Katherine says she is energized by the opportunity to bring online on-demand tutoring to all students regardless of their ability to afford help outside the classroom. She sees Live Homework Help through libraries as the great equalizer in educational success and in helping to build stronger communities through a better educated population. On a personal note she says, “As a mom of two teenage boys whose homework is beginning to far surpass my personal knowledge, Tutor.com is an amazing tool I wish I had know about for years!”

We hope you’ll have a chance to meet Katherine soon. Look for her at the Tutor.com booth at ALA Annual in Chicago!

“Working for Tutor.com for the past five years has made me a better teacher”, says Russell C.  Learn why tutoring with Tutor.com for the past 5 years has helped Russell stay at the top of his game in the classroom, both virtual and physical. His dedication to teaching and student achievement is why he is Tutor.com Tutor of the Month.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live in the Triad area of North Carolina with my wife and 3 year old daughter. Born in Indiana, I lived in Michigan for a little while, but have lived in North Carolina for the last 32 years. I attended the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with a concentration in Secondary Mathematics. (Go Heels!) For the past 16 years I have been a high school mathematics teacher while also coaching football and track & field on the side.

How did you find out about Tutor.com?

While studying for my National Board exams, a fellow colleague mentioned she worked for Tutor.com as a social studies tutor and explained how it worked. I was immediately interested and checked into it the next day.

What makes it a great fit?

I love the freedom to schedule my hours to fit my schedule. It is also very convenient to walk into my office and tutor from my own home, and the extra income is a great supplement to my teaching salary.

What is your favorite part of tutoring?

I love connecting with the students. They get to experience success in solving programs and it seems to boost their self-confidence and interest in mathematics. I also love the variety of question students “bring to the table.” They keep me on my toes. Working for Tutor.com the past 5 years has definitely made me a better teacher.

Do you find the 1-to-1 feature of Tutor.com important?

Definitely! All of the students’ needs are met. We can go at their pace, stopping when necessary for clarification, and can give the immediate positive feedback when they succeed.

What do you like to do for fun?

I am an avid woodworker and have built everything from a porch swing to a storage shed. I also love to fish during the warmer months. My family lives on a 125 acre farm with access to 4 fully stocked ponds!

We have seen tons of articles lately on the changing resources, goals and even building blocks of America’s libraries. These exciting changes are redefining the definition of what a library is. From massive digital library projects to new benchmarks and goals for libraries to reach, it is an exciting time to be in the marketplace. Here are our top reads on modern libraries from the past few weeks.

With New Leader, Digital Public Library of America Prepares for Its Debut via Wired Campus The soon to be launched Digital Public Library of America is planning on bringing large-scale resources together to make cultural and scientific record available to all. And with the recent announcement of the organizations new executive director the upcoming debut is all the more exciting. How with the DPLA change libraries and access to information? We can’t wait to find out.

Public Libraries: A Lifeline to Technology Resources via District Dispatch  A recent American Library Association report details the U.S. Library engagement with the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). “Millions of Americans have turned to us to gain new technology skills and access to specialized resources. BTOP has helped to enable expanded services and to develop the improved infrastructure to meet these community needs.”

Libraries on the Edge via blog.tutor.com We’ve all known for a long time that libraries are much more than shelves of books. More than 100 million Americans walk into a public library every year to use public access computers and the Internet for help with job search resources, health information, and more. The bottom line: access to technology through public libraries is incredibly important to American communities. This is where the Edge Initiative comes in.

Did we miss a hot library topic you have been following? Let us know in the comment section below!

It’s a Tutor.com Reads first! We loved Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow so much that we decided our next pick should be its sequel, Children of God. We just finished up discussing both of the novels after getting hooked on tales of Rakhat for two months and with debates on religion vs. atheism, good vs. evil, there was a lot to talk about.

Kicking off in 2019, The Sparrow follows the journey of seven friends to Rakhat, a nearby planet that has evidence of life. Emilio Sandoz, the main character, is a member of the Society of Jesuits. This religious group sends the first mission to Rakhat and hand picks the seven friends to be on board. What follows is both joyous and horrific.

The sequel, Children of God, picks up right where The Sparrow left off. After their mission failed, the Society of Jesuits is driven to send another team back to Rakhat to try and alleviate the situation. Meanwhile, the effects of the humans’ presence on the planet are continuing to unfold. New complex relationships are introduced as are the perspectives of the aliens.

It’s hard for sequels to live up to their predecessor and our book club found this to be the case for Russell’s two works. Even though both are worth reading, The Sparrow stood out much more than Children of God. But comparing the two gave us even more to talk about. Here are the major themes we discussed:

• Character Driven vs. Plot Driven: In The Sparrow we were gradually introduced to each major character. We heard their inner dialogue, understood how they fit into the puzzle and loved it. Yet while Children of God incorporated a similar structure there were far too many characters to feel connected to any one. You were privy to the mind of everyone during a revolution that was impacting an entire planet. In The Sparrow you were following seven friends on an extraordinary journey.
• The Endings: You can love a book, movie or TV show for years, but if you hate the ending it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Our book club often debates what makes a good ending and we all agreed that Russell nailed it in The Sparrow. Our questions asking “What happened?” were answered, but the “Why did it happen?” was left up for discussion and interpretation. Alternatively, Children of God tied it all up nicely with a bow. It did little to leave you wondering and thinking about what you just read.
• Science-Fiction? We have some science-fiction enthusiasts within our book club. And as avid readers, they know the difference between a science-fiction book and a novel that simply incorporates elements of space and alien life. We all agreed that the journey to Rakhat and its results could have happened anywhere and it was reminiscent of past journeys humans have taken to foreign lands. While both books touched on themes of A.I. and traveling at the speed of light, the main focus was on interactions between different culturally minded beings. And you don’t have to travel at the speed of light for four months to find that.

Have you read The Sparrow or Children of God? Let us know in the comments section below! And join us for our next book club read, The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller.

Note: While we highly recommend Mary Doria Russell’s two books for fellow readers, please keep in mind that certain storylines are of a sensitive nature and may not be appropriate for all.

We’ve known for a long time that libraries are much more than shelves of books. More than 100 million Americans walk into a public library every year to use public access computers and the Internet for help with job search resources, health information, government services and homework assistance.* New research from Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that people are also connecting to their library via mobile devices and home computers to check the online catalog, reserve or renew a book , look for an event and much more.

The bottom line: access to technology through public libraries is incredibly important to American communities.  This is where the Edge initiative comes in. Launched almost two years ago, the Edge initiative is an impressive coalition of libraries and government organizations working together to support improvement and investment in public technology. The organization recently launched the Edge benchmarks to help libraries evaluate their technology services for their communities.

Community, Engagement and Management

As an organization that has delivered k-college and career support to millions of library patrons, Tutor.com was pleased to see the focus on helping the community use technology to pursue educational and career opportunities. We have seen firsthand through our partnerships with hundreds of libraries the difference it makes to give patrons access to expert assistance online whether it’s an Algebra 1 tutor helping a student prepare for an important test or a career tutor helping revise a resume.

The sense of empowerment patrons have from these interactions is shown in this interview with Melissa S. who accessed math tutoring through Clinton Macomb Public Library in Michigan for almost seven years. Melissa failed a math course before she saw a flyer about free homework help at the library. She decided to give it a try and the next year she not only passed her math class, but had the highest grade.

Empowering communities by offering critical services and resources via technology will continue to improve with the dialogue and insights offered by the Edge initiative. We’re looking forward to following the organization’s progress.

Is your library planning on incorporating the Edge benchmarks into your planning cycle?  Share your thoughts below or on Facebook.