The Tutor.com Blog

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!

We are excited to announce the launch of the Tutor.com Better Together Contest! Tutor.com has worked with libraries for more than ten years to create lifelong opportunities for patrons. During that time we’ve seen an increase in library innovation as they sought partnerships with schools, businesses, and local government agencies. We believe everyone benefits when these community partnerships are nurtured. That’s why we’ve created the Better Together Contest to recognize and reward your efforts.

The Tutor.com Better Together Contest is now accepting submissions from libraries to share their idea for a program that will help build a stronger community. The winning library will receive a prize of $1,000 to fund the submitted idea.  Just head to www.tutor.com/bettertogether for details and the entry form.

Like cookies and milk, Ron and Hermione, Holmes and Watson, some things are just better together. Share with us how your library can make your community a better place, today!

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!

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!

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!

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.

February 5^th is Digital Learning Day – a day that celebrates effectively using technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience and provide opportunities for individualized instruction.  We asked one of our expert instructional math coaches, Ed L., to share a fun lesson idea to celebrate! Check out his suggestions to teach abstract concepts using a free resource that empowers students to create and share simulations. You can also check out Ed’s Game Based Learning series for more ways to engage students.

This sample Netlogo simulation lets students explores the stability of a predator-prey ecosystems

Students often have difficulty with theoretical or abstract concepts. Many benefit from being able to play with the concepts in a simulated environment. Netlogo is a free resource with a supportive community that allows creation and sharing of learning simulations that teach by experimentation and play.

You can use simulation environments in many ways. Netlogo offers wonderful opportunities to either create your own simulation or use an existing one.

Existing simulations  on Netlogo  are listed by academic concentrations. Each model offers suggested uses with students including instructions, a list of inquiry questions to guide student learning, and suggestions on how to extend learning.
Models are designed to be used by individuals, small groups or as full classroom experiences. Teachers  I work with have found success using the following sequence:

1. Demonstrate how the model works.
2. Propose an inquiry question and students record their predictions.
3. Students share predictions with peers and then modify as desired.
4. The simulation is run to test the hypothesis.
5. Students individually reflect on their prediction and the observed results.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 with each question or challenge increasing the depth of learning and exploration

Even if you have no programming background, it is easy and fun to create a simulation with Netlogo. Just follow these steps:

1. Clarify the field of exploration to specifically highlight objectives of the simulation.
2. List key variables and the range of values that should be allowed.
3. Creation of the sliders and interface for those values.
4. Setting up the programming flow for the simulation (this step may need to be broken into planning stage then actual programming stage for some learners).
5. Test the simulation.
6. Document resources for how others use the model, questions or challenges, and extensions or variations.

Regardless if teachers choose to use existing models or encourage the creation of new models, the depth of learning is extensive in Netlogo. Student motivation is increased while still maintaining structured purpose to the playful environments available.  Share your experiences with others and join the community of those learning with simulations through Netlogo!

This post originally appeared on the MyLivePD professional development blog, Let’s Prep.

As soon as we hopped off the plane in Seattle, we were ready to start talking! Discussing market trends, brainstorming new solutions for clients’ challenges and showing off our new outreach materials dominated our time at the ALA Midwinter Meeting which featured the theme The Conversation Starts Here. This past weekend kick-started many conversations that will continue well through 2013. Check out our recap of the hot topics below!

Building Stronger Communities. The recently released Pew Internet and American Life Project report, Library Services in the Digital Age found 91% of Americans age 16+ say public libraries are important to their communities. And access to the Internet for research and school projects is a big reason 16+ year olds go to the library. Libraries play a pivotal role in providing lifelong educational resources across diverse populations. From online tutoring and free classes to maker-spaces that support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), libraries are being creative about supporting their communities. Tutor.com is finding more students continue to access live tutoring from their libraries too.  In 2012, our community of tutors completed close to a million sessions with students coming from their libraries’ websites using their computer, smartphone or tablet.

Get Back to Your Life. New for 2013, Tutor.com launched a series of fun, engaging outreach materials that encourage library patrons to get their homework/work done and then get back to their busy lives. Thanks to all the clients who gave us great feedback!  If you want to see some of our favorite outreach materials and programs check out the Tutor.com Connecting with the Community page on Pinterest.

Protecting the Freedom to Read. This year it was amazing to see so many librarians taking a stand together.  The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom declared Sunday, January 27^th, Sweater Vest Sunday at ALA Midwinter to defend the freedom to read. OIF encouraged everyone to don sweater vests for the day and discuss the importance of reporting challenges of library materials to ALA OIF. We dove right into this conversation by bringing along our very own sweater vests to wear at the Tutor.com booth and show our commitment to the freedom to read!

Now that we’re back in the office we are already thinking ahead to our next stop, ALA Annual in Chicago this June. We can’t wait to join that conversation, Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves!

If better grades are on your 2013 resolutions list, then you’re in luck!  Below are some recommendations straight from our expert tutors to help you ace your tests, homework and final grades for the rest of the school year. What homework or study tips do you find work best for you?

“I encourage students to not put anything off. Make the most of your time and use it wisely. Also, my own personal little study tip for all those visual learners out there: color-code everything! Write exam study guide questions on different colored note cards, and highlight different portions of your text in a different color for each topic. When you’re staring at that exam question, you’ll be surprised how your memory can so quickly recall that color and consequently, the answer.” – Shawn K, English Tutor

“My best tip for students is: practice! practice! practice! That’s how you learned the ‘elementary’ math topics and science facts that you already know. Don’t think that you’re ‘not good’ at math or science.  If necessary, get help from Tutor.com to better understand the logic behind the concepts and then do lots of practice questions. And soon enough, the new concepts will become familiar to you, and you will be able to add them to the growing list of things that you already know!” – Leah S, Science Tutor

“I have always told my students that just like any sport math requires practice and more practice. The best thing about Tutor.com for the students is they can get individualized help on demand. This teaches them the important skill of advocating for their own learning.” – Deborah M, Math and Science Tutor

“I’d tell students that to better understand the material they are learning in school they need to make connections to real life.” – Hope W, Science Tutor

“It’s tough to say one thing that will make someone a better student but if I had to, I would remind students to constantly keep their mind on the long term goals they have. Think about how much your future self will thank you for doing all the right things to make the rest of your life easier on yourself with what you do in the present.” – Andranik A, Science Tutor