How Does Online Tutoring Work?

While the education system’s effectiveness is up for debate, there is no denying the most beneficial way to educate someone is in a one-on-one setting. Up until now, it was believed you had to be face to face in order to receive a quality tutoring session; the times have certainly changed.
Children today are what we call digital natives. In their eyes, life could not exist without the internet and all of our advanced technologies. Facebook, Twitter, Skype, video games, etc. have created a culture in which young people magnetize to technology. Schools and parents all over the country are using the internet to boost academic success by utilizing online tutoring services in an attempt to close or even create achievement gaps.
How exactly does this all work? It might not be as complicated as you would think and your tech savvy son or daughter would catch on to the concept almost instantly. It all starts with finding a good online tutor. Once you have found a tutor and set up meeting times, you will be given access to the virtual classroom via a link that is emailed to you. You would then click the link at the appropriate time and enter the virtual classroom for the tutoring session.
The virtual classroom has a fantastic set up. The tutor can use a video and audio feed to communicate with the student during the session. Participants also have the ability to chat with each other live in a chat box. Each virtual classroom has a whiteboard available in which both the tutor and the student have the ability to manipulate. Tutors can also upload PowerPoint presentations, Microsoft Word documents and YouTube videos directly in the classroom and use these resources to provide high quality instruction. Tutoring in the virtual classroom opens up several instructional avenues that simply don’t exist in the traditional tutoring setting.
The days of traveling to the library to meet with a tutor who can only do worksheets are long gone. No more cleaning the house or using extra gas to meet at an inconvenient location. All of the tutoring takes place from the comfort of your own home. Kids love it too! They don’t feel intimidated or incompetent when they meet with the tutor because they are in a comfortable setting; online via the computer.
Tutoring online, however, is a rather new practice. Finding experienced tutors in the online setting can be somewhat difficult. The key is to look for a tutoring business or individual tutor who has at least 2 years of experience educating in an online classroom. A competent online tutor has training, experience and skill in the online education setting. Before committing to any services, be sure to ask the tutor questions regarding how it all works. The tutor should be well versed and educated when describing the process.