As many students across the world engage in online learning and shift away from being educated in the classroom, many parents remain skeptical as to whether learning online is more or less productive. As the world moves toward increasing use of technology, we all find ourselves more attached to our smartphones and thus peering into a screen to a greater extent than in the pre-smartphone era.

The shift that we are experiencing toward increased online learning has been a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but nonetheless has been slowly occurring pre-pandemic as advances in the technology space continues to abound. The rise of world-wide online learning over the last 10 months is a testament to the fact that the technology has been ready and waiting. However, veering away from the traditional in-class learning model presents challenges for working parents.

As the entire world adapts to the ‘new normal’ and parents and their children/students are spending more time at home, the reality is that online learning will continue to advance and be more fine-tuned to the lessons of 10 months’ worth of data collected on online learning at such a massive scale. The retention of material that students learn online is shown to be 25-60% more than in the classroom at only 8-10%, which suggests that online learning is a better method of learning. As material is presented to a student through online interactive whiteboard, they now have access to that material. They no longer have to take notes as in a traditional classroom, which often leads to a disconnect in understanding of the material through multitasking between listening and writing. Another benefit of online learning is that classes can easily be recorded through many video cloud platforms, which gives the opportunity to students to replay classes if a concept is forgotten or needs refreshing.

This large-scale experiment of online learning is an eye-opener for many parents and students who are doubtful of online learning’s benefits toward enhancing the academic experience. As technology continues to advance and more platforms geared toward streamlining the online learning experience emerge, more will embrace the online learning world and contribute toward a shift of improving the educational experience.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christopher Atkinson is the CEO of Tutor Scholar and an alumnus of The University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, physics and mathematics. He is the founder of the company, Tutor Scholar, which offers one-on-one tutoring to ensure students receive the best quality of learning.

www.tutorscholar.ca

It’s that time of year again when parents may be thinking of enrolling their children in summer school at the secondary school level. There may be many courses to choose from that specifically suit the student’s academic goals. It could be that the goal of the student’s education is to ‘fast track’, by gaining extra credits that can be used toward the graduation course requirement. In another scenario, a parent may want their student to re-take a course to achieve a higher mark and gain extra practice with their academic studies. Whichever path that is desired, a summer school education can ultimately lead to a higher focus in student’s academic abilities in subsequent years to follow.

Parents can discuss the possible course options with their children, to see which summer courses are a good fit and in line with their academic goals. Keep in mind that these courses are usually condensed into 2 weeks to a month, from the regular school semester of 5 months. This means that some planning needs to be involved if one is considering the option of pursuing summer school courses. The acquisition of a tutor who is well trained in the subject material could be very beneficial to a student who is faced with learning condensed material. Requesting information from the school’s guidance counsellors is also a great way to learn about the specifics of summer school courses that may be of interest.

Each student will have their own individualized academic goals, and at Tutor Scholar we strive to ensure that these academic goals are met. Enrolling in summer school is an excellent way to achieve those academic goals and we encourage students to take summer school courses, whether it be to boost their mark in a subject that was taken during the regular school semester or to get ahead and take a new course. Continued learning is a skill that can take an individual very far in their education and equip them for success in many facets of life.

The Tutor Scholar Administration Team

The Tutor Scholar Administration Team posts articles like this to help parents and students successfully navigate the Ontario curriculum 

Prepared by The Tutor Scholar Administration Team

Before reading selections…

· Before reading selections, expect that multiple choice questions will follow. Make sure that as you read, you understand what the selection is describing. Have someone read it out loud for you, if that helps you understand clearer.

Before answering Multiple Choice questions…

· Before answering multiple choice questions, re-read the question very carefully. See if the question refers to a specific line or paragraph, then go back there in the selection.

· Re-read that specific line or paragraph as well as the sentences before and after it to gain a clearer understanding. Choose the answer that makes the most sense.

Before answering Open-Response Questions…

· Before answering open-response questions, read the question very carefully.

· Write small in order to fit in all of your supporting details and use quotations from the selection.

· A tip to starting your answer to an open-response question is to rephrase the question in the form of an answer. Remember to begin sentences with capital letters and end them with periods.

· Here is an example of an open-response question: “What is the main idea of this selection? Give one specific detail that supports your answer.”

· Here is an example of the beginning of an answer to the above mentioned open-response question: “The main idea of this selection is…”

· If the question asks to provide “one specific detail that supports your answer,” give only one answer. Include quotations from the selection that help support your answer.

· If the question says “use specific details from the selection to explain your answer,” give at least two or more details.

· Include quotations from the selection which help to reinforce your supporting details and help to strengthen your answer.

Before Writing a News Report…

· Make rough notes in the space provided or on the back of the paper of the questions: Who? What? Where? Why? When? and How? 

· Write small.

· Include quotations of commentary of people at the event of your news report.

· Make sure to fill in all the lines with relevant information describing the events of your news report.

· Do not cut your news report short by providing too little information.

· Do not write more than the lines permit.

The Tutor Scholar Administration Team 

The Tutor Scholar Administration Team posts articles like this to help students successfully navigate the Ontario curriculum.

‘Education is the key!’ We may have heard that phrase many times, but not really give it the full attention that it deserves. With all the different responsibilities in life, we may forget the importance of making sure that we plan for our children’s education from an early age.

Whether it be starting a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for college or university, or enrolling your child in a tutoring program, you must have a plan to set your child up for success in this world where technology is ever changing.

Children excel in their studies much more quickly when they are taught fundamental concepts from a young age. Parents can do a little each day as well, to help guide their child with learning the basic concepts of subject material (if they are able to recall the knowledge of a particular subject). It is important to remember that most of these concepts are often totally new to children and that it will take time for them to understand it fully. A lot of the time, it takes a great deal of patience to actually convey a concept to a child. This may take some work, but when you are able to successfully understand how your child thinks through a problem, it will ultimately draw you closer to them and create a stronger bond.

Help from a tutor is also beneficial to children, since they are given the opportunity to gain the perspective of an individual who has extensive knowledge and is able to effectively impart this to them. One-on-one studying is by far the most effective way to teach a student. Each student has their own unique style of learning and as the CEO of Tutor Scholar, I have seen many students excel in different ways, specific to that individual.

Bringing It All Together

When we take the time to invest into our children’s current and future education, we are not only investing in them, we are also investing in our relationship with them. Our children will see the impact of our efforts benefit them in the long run and use the ‘key’ that we have provided them to unlock the doors of empowerment. They will be able to walk through those doors confidently and help shape the future of our society.

What do you think about education and its role in the success of the younger generation? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christopher Atkinson is the CEO of Tutor Scholar and an alumnus of The University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, physics and mathematics. He is the founder of the company, Tutor Scholar, which offers students one-on-one tutoring to ensure they receive the best quality of learning.

Really detailed in their teaching and can approach the student in different ways! My daughters grades have improved greatly!

Amazing tutors! So calm and understanding... a special gift when helping a struggling student. Thank you

Truly had an amazing experience with tutor scholar! It’s helped my daughter a lot with her grades. Thank you!

Tutor Scholar has definitely had a positive impact on my daughter’s performance at school . The tutors here are extremely patient to ensure that students perceive the material well in order to handle tests/assignments easily. They are awesome at understanding the requirements to the needs of each individual student and are attentive on how to work around any hurdle the student might have. Would surely recommend Tutor Scholar to high school /university students. - Parent

Very helpful, always on time!

"My son has been using Tutor Scholar services for Grade 11 and 12 math on a consistent basis and my daughter for Grade 8 and 9 math on and off for over a year. Both are very happy with the quality of tutoring and I can see a big improvement not only in their marks but also in the way they approach math problems. Thanks Tutor Scholar!!"