Online Math Tutoring

Topics:

  



.

What is Online Tutoring?

Online tutoring/teaching means that your child and I will work on math problems through the computer.

“Social Distancing Approved!”

It is also the wave of the future. Nowadays, one kid is better with technology than 25 adults, combined.  In this day and age, kids are growing up with technology – and it’s no exaggeration that the majority of kids have technology in theirs hands before they can even walk.

Online tutoring is a fun, interactive, and engaging way for children to learn mathematics! It is also very flexible and tailored to exactly what the student needs at any given time.

Basically, online tutoring is like a private math teacher always sitting around in your living room just waiting to help… But a lot less creepy.

 

Logistics

Usually, I meet with students for 1 hour – 90 minutes per lesson, around 1-3 times per week – but this is totally customizable to your schedule! Just let me know what works best for you, and we can come up with a specific meeting time. I’ll then set up a video call and virtual whiteboard that can be accessed any time we decide to “meet.”

.

 .

Why are you the best?

(1) Degree / Training

There are other math tutors out there, but most do not have a Masters Degree in, specifically, the art of teaching upper level mathematics. Communication and content knowledge are both important characteristics of what you should look for in a tutor…

Someone with just a degree in just mathematics, economics, engineering, etc. will understand upper level math, but will lack the essential training of HOW to teach and effectively communicate.  You must keep in mind that people with most math-based degrees will understand how to do a particular math problem but they are not trained on how to read students.  They explain to the student “this is how you do the problem” and try to teach the student of what makes sense to THEM.

I, on the other hand, am trained in how to read students and understand what already makes sense to THE STUDENT, and then work with that to make more difficult concepts seem familiar and easy [not foreign].

(2) Experience

I have been a public school teacher as well as a private tutor and home school teacher for over a decade. Currently, I’m teaching overseas in an international school in Norway, but I also teach online to American students (for once, the time different really works in my favor).

(3) Amazing Feedback

Currently, I’m teaching online and have had only amazing feedback from my students, parents, and administration. I have a perfect system set up for engaged learning and have been practicing online teaching for years.

Due to COVID-19, I’m am now teaching full-time online with up to 18 students in one  online session, and things are still running smoothly! Online math class is almost exactly the same as in-person math class, but the whiteboard is now on the laptop instead of in front of the classroom. Students can talk to me as I teach (which is strong encouraged) just like in a real classroom!

Click here to learn ALL about me!

 


.

Wouldn’t meeting face-to-face be better?

Right now, with social distancing, no. It’s important to stay home!

But even aside from this unfortunate virus situation, meeting face-to-face is not necessarily better for learning.

Honestly, I really enjoy meeting with students in person for a number of different reasons, but of all the reasons as to why I like meeting face-to-face, most can be accomplished through the above mentioned methods of communication.

I have tutored for many years, so I understand what students need. I have also researched a LOT before making the transition from face-to-face-tutoring to online-tutoring. I honestly believe that the system I created (with a personalized webpage) is the best method of online math help and tutoring.

Like I said from the beginning: online tutoring is a fun, interactive, and engaging way for children to learn mathematics!  It is also very flexible and tailored to exactly what the student needs at any given time.

Basically, online tutoring is like a private math teacher always sitting around in your living room just waiting to help… But a lot less creepy..

Advantages of Online Tutoring:

» Safety with Social Distancing

» Kids are naturally adept with technology

» No driving


.

What Online Tutoring Includes

01| PreTest Assessment and Adaptive Practice Problems – below (in the getting started section), you will find a link to a PreTest. This will help me determine where to start with each student – no student is the same! I want to give every student the exact attention he/she needs in the specific areas he/she struggles with.

However, if the student is currently working on a specific material for school, we can skip the pre-test and dive right into the content that is due (and I can adapt the lessons on the fly).

02| A Personalized Webpage – Once a student is signed up for online tutoring, I will make a personalized webpage just for him/her! This webpage will be a place where students can check in to look at notes, questions asked and then answered (by me), upcoming assignments, corrected homework, etc.  The webpage will include:

03| A Personalized Virtual Whiteboard – This is the most fun and my favorite to play with!  Each student will have his/her very own virtual-whiteboard where he/she can write down notes, do the homework, and practice with me (in real-time)!  If I’m logged on at the same time,  I can see exactly what the student is writing and see exactly where in the problem the misconceptions begin.  If I check the whiteboard after the student did the problem, I can correct it just like a teacher would correct a homework assignment or a test.

The whiteboard automatically saves everything (no need to remember to hit a “save” button) and the student can access this whiteboard at any time!

What’s even more amazing about each board is that only the student and myself can edit the math problems written on the whiteboard… so even if the student happens lose the piece of paper the URL is written on and someone else finds it and then decides to go to the web address – only the student can access his/her account (by logging in with his/her email).

Example: click here to view the Virtual Whiteboard

04| Video Calls via Google Hangouts – Allow the student and me to easily touch base and communicate. Just like if a student were to call a friend for homework help, but 100 times better.  The student and I will be talking (just like we would be on the phone), while using the whiteboard and other resources to collaborate.  Also, Skype has a “share screen” option – so if I student is having technical difficulties with the computer, the screen can easily be flipped so that I can see exactly what the student is seeing (to better assist with any problems).We can talk on video, or if the student is shy on camera, he/she can leave the camera off and just talk to me as if it were a normal phone call.

05| Video/Website Resources – Being on the computer to learn has its advantages. There are so many resources out there that I can easily share with students. I’ll send them some videos to learn at home as well as other great online tools for home learning.

06| Online Activities – Games, videos, assignments in Khan Academy, tailor made problems, etc. will all be used for learning.  Depending on what the student needs, is what I will recommend (through the student’s personalized webpage).

  • Extra practice problems
  • Games
  • Video tutorials
  • Visualization of improvements
  • Me, as the student’s one-on-one “coach”

07| Unlimited Homework Help!  With the whiteboard and chatroom, it makes it super easy to answer any questions a student might have with assignments from school.  All the student would have to do is access his/her own webpage, and start working (write down the problem, try it, ask questions in the chatroom, etc.).  Then, the next time I’m on the computer, I will check each student’s page; any page with work or questions, I will answer and give other example problems to help students better understand…

08| WhatsApp (an optional app) – a messaging app (just like text messaging), but with much much more! Super easy and fun, students and parents will feel comfortable touching base with me on a regular basis and WhatsApp has all the tools necessary to convey any point.

Includes:

  • Texting (SMS)
  • Picture messages
  • Videos
  • Voice recordings
  • Live calling (just like a phone call)

I use WhatsApp sometimes because it’s easy to use and less formal than an email, so students can send me a quick message any time they’d like

.

 


.

How do I write on the virtual-whiteboard?

Once a student is signed up and has a webpage with a virtual-whiteboard, there are a few options:

01| Tablets / Touch Screen – If you have a touch-screen computer or a touch-screen tablet (like an iPad), that will also work!  Simply use your finger to write on the whiteboard.

02| Stylus with Touch Pad – Some students, as well as myself, prefer to use a separate touch pads with a stylus pen that syncs to any computer. This gives the feeling of writing in a physical notebook, but then all the notes can be stored digitally. There are many touch pads that are very inexpensive and work great! Of course there are extremely expensive touch pads as well for artists, architects, etc. but those are not necessary for online tutoring. Touch pads should be no more than $20 in any local electronic store. This is the touch pad I use – I’ve had it for about a decade and have used almost every day for online tutoring!

03| None of the Above Options? No problem. A lot of my students simply watch what I do on the whiteboard while they follow along on their paper. Once I give them a problem to solve, they explain to me on the video call how they would approach the problem as I write their steps. They can see, in real time, the steps that I’m writing as they describe in detail what I should write (this is great for their verbal communication). At the end of the lesson, some students like to take pictures of their physical notes and email me the pictures so I can review their process and give suggestions of edits during our next meeting.


.

How do I get started?

Send me an email (summers.math@gmail.com) with any questions or concerns, or fill out this easy form and I will be in contact with you as soon as possible. If you send an email, please include as much information as possible:

  • Which level of math is your student currently in? (Algebra, Geometry, etc)
  • What are some weaknesses of the student in math class?
  • How many times per week should we have a 1 hour lesson?
  • Which hour (day and time) is best?
  • Is there an online version of the student’s textbook? If so, am I able to sign in to it?
  • Is it ok if I email the teacher directly? (to find out what he/she would like me to focus on, homework policy and participation, performance on assessments, etc).  If yes, then please include the teacher’s email address.
  • Does your son/daughter have access to a computer with a reliable internet connection?
  • If the student has time, click here for a student pre-test and include it in the email so that I can assess the student’s weaknesses, or just let me know in the email what he/she is currently working on in class.

.

.