Wednesday, August 22, 2012

25 Tools That Take Tutoring To a New Level

by Staff Writers, Online College Courses: http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com

Like other areas of education, tutoring has seen some radical changes in the past decade courtesy of new and increasingly innovative technologies. Students and their tutors can now interact at any time and from anywhere in the world, and tutors can create and share educational resources with their students in minutes using high-quality and often low-cost online tools.

Learn more about some of the websites and resources that are helping to define the new face of tutoring by reading about a few of the best of these new tools that we've collected here.
  1. Skype:


    Through Skype, tutors and students don't even have to be in the same country to interact with one another. In addition to high-quality video chat, the site also makes it easy to share files and even conference in other students or tutors. While it's great for global communications, it's just as useful for helping local learners with simple questions as they go through their homework.
  2. Google+ Hangouts:

    Google+ Hangouts is another excellent tool for remote tutoring. Not only can tutors talk with students over video on laptops and other handheld devices, they can also use just about every other feature Google has to offer at the same time. Screen sharing, connectivity with Google Docs, and the ability to archive discussions have made it an excellent choice for a number of educational applications.
  3. IDroo:

    While Skype alone can be a great way to meet and talk with students, some subjects require a little more interaction and instruction. That's where IDroo comes in. IDroo works with Skype, adding whiteboard features that make it simple for tutors to show students how to solve math problems, construct sentences, or even build circuits. It's flexible, useful, and allows tutors and their students to work well at a distance.
  4. WizIQ:

    To date, there are more than 150,000 teachers and tutors and 2 million students using WizIQ, an online learning program. WizIQ allows users to set up classes for students, deliver lectures live or recorded, distribute educational materials, monitor usage, and even give tests.
  5. Wikispaces:


    Tutors and their students can easily share and collaborate on things through Wikispaces. It's an amazing tool for collecting information students can use to learn, but it can also help tutors to give feedback to students who are doing research, writing a paper, or just showcasing how much they know about a subject.
  6. TutorCloud:

    Tutors can use this great website to showcase the services they have to offer learners. It helps to simplify the process of finding new students and allows learners to easily connect with those in their area or who have expertise in subjects with which they struggle.
  7. Tutor.com:

    Tutor.com is another excellent tool for tutors who are looking for new clients. It allows tutors to find students at a variety of different levels (and vice versa). Even better, all tutoring through the site takes place online, so tutors never even have to leave their computers to start bringing in extra income.
  8. GlobalScholar:

    GlobalScholar offers a wide range of online services, including homework help and tutoring. Tutors can use the site to build personalized learning environments for their students, which make it simple to teach, share information, and even track progress over time. With many large school districts already using the program, students may already be familiar with it, and progress in tutoring sessions can easily be shared with the students' teacher.
  9. ziizoo:

    There are a lot of online tutoring programs out there these days, but ziizoo sets itself apart by being the first to integrate tutoring with Facebook. Students can sign up, pay as they go, and get help from tutors on a wide range of subjects. Since it's all integrated directly into Facebook, it's easy for students to keep up and check back.
  10. Animoto:


    With a lot of tutoring taking place online, it's key that tutors have tools that will help them to develop web-friendly learning resources. One of the coolest tools for doing that is Animoto. Animoto lets users combine photos, videos, and music into one sleek presentation, which can be a great way to introduce or explain topics that learners are struggling with.
  11. Tutor's Office:

    Tutor's Office is a great service that can help tutors and teacher manage all of their activities, meetings, and students. It features a calendar, tools for invoicing and accepting payments, a personal website, student portals, and much more. Essentially, the site brings together a whole host of tools that are pretty key to managing a successful online tutoring business.
  12. Moodle:

    Moodle is a course management system that is free for educators to use. It offers resources that make it simple to create learning sites that students can use, integrating a calendar, blog, and other useful tools into one site. It's a great way for tutors to share information, especially when working with multiple students in the same grade.
  13. TutorVista:

    Tutors can offer their services through TutorVista, a site that makes it simple for tutors and learners to connect and interact online. The site offers 24/7 availability, testing, homework help, and tracking, making it a step in the right direction for both students and those teaching them.
  14. Edufire:

    Share your expertise through Edufire, a site that offers classes and tutoring to learners of all ages and abilities. Live video chats, one-on-one sessions, and pre-recorded content make it simple to find help with just about any topic, from math to Chinese.
  15. InterLangua:


    Speak Chinese or Spanish and want to help others to learn? Looking to learn yourself? This site offers fully-featured language tutoring through online private sessions with native speakers, making it an amazing tool for anyone looking to do a little language learning.
  16. Growing Stars:

    Growing Stars is another online tutoring site, though one that focuses on hiring tutors who have an MS or above. Those who are qualified can apply to tutor, finding long-term clients who teach math, science, history, and other subjects through online video sessions and training.
  17. YouTube:

    YouTube is a great tool for tutoring for a variety of reasons. Tutors can make and share videos or learners, or direct their students to some of the amazing educational content that already exists on the site to help them understand complex topics or make learning a bit more fun.
  18. 24 Hour Answers:

    This site offers college homework help and online tutoring in just about every subject imaginable. As a result, both students and tutors will find it to be a great resource, and unlike many other tutoring sites, this one focuses on helping students at the college or university level.
  19. e-Tutor:

    e-Tutor offers both students and tutors some incredibly helpful learning tools, from instant feedback and progress tracking to the ability to self-pace and direct any online learning. Resources aren't just for students who need help catching up, but also gifted students, homeschooled students, and adult learners, too.
  20. HomeworkHelp:


    Need some quick help with homework? This site can be a great place to find it. There's a store, online tutorials, and, most importantly, great academic services that match up with state standards for K-12 education.
  21. TutaPoint:

    Students pay by the hour to use the tutoring services offered through this site, which focuses on math, foreign language, and science. In addition to being able to offer or receive tutoring, the site is also home to books and videos that can help students along as well.
  22. Sylvan Online:

    Sylvan is keeping up with the demand for web-based learning resources by offering their own online tutoring program. Instead of heading into a Sylvan Learning Center, students can learn from anywhere they choose. This may make tutoring easier for many families who are too busy or too far from traditional tutoring resources.
  23. Vienova:

    Tutors at Vienova offer one-on-one sessions with students through video chat, whiteboards, and interactive conversations in subjects like English, math, biology, and economics. It's another simple, easy way for learners to find high-quality tutors and for tutors to offer their services to students.
  24. Care.com:

    Forget about posting tear off posters at your local grocery store; there's an easier way to find clients these days. Tutors and students can connect through Care.com. Tutors can create a profile that allows them to showcase the services they offer, and students can pick the tutor they think will be the best fit.
  25. TutoringMatch:


    Here you'll find another tool that focuses on online tutoring. Visitors to the site can not only search for a tutor who works in the subject they need help with, they can also get online instruction from that tutor right through the site.

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