What Is Peer Tutoring?

What Is Peer Tutoring?Peer tutoring will vary by child. One particular child may be a natural gifted student and when he or she does not develop the creativity and imagination needed to apply themselves to math, they will benefit from a class with peers in the subject. Sometimes, even a gifted child with all of the skills and abilities that they can imagine needs a tutoring or personal tutor to add new skills and capabilities to help them take on a greater challenge.A child that is quite good at a subject may find they are learning more through the interaction with peers than from the lessons that the teacher is providing. In some situations, a child that is not as good as a peer will benefit from additional instructions with teachers to enhance their skills. Parents often feel they need to have their child do every subject by themselves to save them from the possibility of getting hurt or just to keep the extra time to themselves.Peers should not be treated as some kind of competiti on but rather as people that can be taught and learn from. They should be made to feel as though they are contributing something positive to the process because they will be sharing a desire to further their knowledge and skills.All children have different learning styles. Some will be easily able to get attention, others may need more quiet time alone. A child's physical and emotional well being depends on how they learn. For this reason, it is important to create a space for your child that will allow them to be who they really are.In general, a child that can adapt to change is someone that is truly creative. If a child becomes bored with their day at school, they will need time out to recharge. If the child is happy and enjoying their education, they will want to continue to learn. A child that thinks about fun in their education is likely to see a brighter future.Peer tutoring is an ideal way to learn to get a feel for learning styles and in some cases a child may seem better a t a subject or class than the teacher is. Peer tutoring allows children to interact and work with others and it also allows them to see how other students work with each other and learn from each other. This helps them understand how best to interact with those around them and encourages them to be better.Once the lesson is over, if a child learns that their skill was not as effective as the instructor hoped, it is often acceptable to ask for help from their peers. There is a place for peer tutoring in every class, but in certain subject areas, it is sometimes best to have a member of the class to teach the class for one student who will then help the other classmates learn from that teacher. For example, a child with ADHD may need a peer who has mastered this skill and is willing to teach that child what other students in the class do with their special needs abilities. Teachers are not always available to help all students; a teacher may recommend peer tutoring for some students a nd they can be paired up with a student who knows what is expected of them.Peer tutoring will allow children to work with several different mindsets and can be used to learn how to become more creative in how they approach problems and learn how to be more cooperative with the adults in their lives. The concept of working on problems with another person can help children develop more confidence and can be very helpful in different ways. In the long run, teaching the same thing to all students may not be as beneficial as teaching them to work on new and unique skills.

Updates Design improvements, using the CEFR

Updates Design improvements, using the CEFR Its been a long time since weve posted on our blog, but we hope you know that doesnt mean we havent been making changes to the site. We uploaded a few changes recently and we just wanted to write a quick post to let you know what those are. Redesign Over time, italki has added many new features, including our questions and answers, and our notebook corrections. We think these features are helpful for our users, but its also added a lot of complexity to the website. In our latest design update, weve tried to simplify the user interface to reduce all the distractions. Where there used to be two user menus, now there is only one. Recent Updates now shows what is interesting We are also experimenting with recent updates to try and bring up more relevant information to you. Interesting is a feed of updates that tries to pick out questions, notebook, entries, and other information that might be useful to you. You can modify what is included in interesting by clicking on the gear icon. You can still see the previous recent updates (what your friends are doing) by just clicking on following to see what your friends are doing on italki. Adopting the European CEFR System We also decided to shift our language rating system to the European standard for language levels called, the strong>Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). While our previous system was easy to understand, we believe over time, these official standards will become more common. CEFR Explanation A1 : italki Beginner Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. A2 : italki Elementary Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need. B1 : italki Pre-intermediate Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. B2 : italki Intermediate Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. C1 : italki Upper-intermediate Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. C2: italki Advanced Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations. (Text was taken from the Wikipedia entry) Here is the link to the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages There are more changes coming up still we thought wed just post a quick note, as many of you have already noticed the changes. As always, if you have any suggestions or ideas, please keep sending them into feedback at italki dot com. The italki Team Updates Design improvements, using the CEFR Its been a long time since weve posted on our blog, but we hope you know that doesnt mean we havent been making changes to the site. We uploaded a few changes recently and we just wanted to write a quick post to let you know what those are. Redesign Over time, italki has added many new features, including our questions and answers, and our notebook corrections. We think these features are helpful for our users, but its also added a lot of complexity to the website. In our latest design update, weve tried to simplify the user interface to reduce all the distractions. Where there used to be two user menus, now there is only one. Recent Updates now shows what is interesting We are also experimenting with recent updates to try and bring up more relevant information to you. Interesting is a feed of updates that tries to pick out questions, notebook, entries, and other information that might be useful to you. You can modify what is included in interesting by clicking on the gear icon. You can still see the previous recent updates (what your friends are doing) by just clicking on following to see what your friends are doing on italki. Adopting the European CEFR System We also decided to shift our language rating system to the European standard for language levels called, the strong>Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). While our previous system was easy to understand, we believe over time, these official standards will become more common. CEFR Explanation A1 : italki Beginner Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. A2 : italki Elementary Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need. B1 : italki Pre-intermediate Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. B2 : italki Intermediate Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options. C1 : italki Upper-intermediate Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. C2: italki Advanced Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations. (Text was taken from the Wikipedia entry) Here is the link to the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages There are more changes coming up still we thought wed just post a quick note, as many of you have already noticed the changes. As always, if you have any suggestions or ideas, please keep sending them into feedback at italki dot com. The italki Team

To be or Not to be, Math is the Question

To be or Not to be, Math is the Question I always found the history of mathematics and the mathematicians themselves far more interesting than the actual math. I have never really figured out if this is because Im lousy at math or that I just do not have enough interest to make great strides into the ever advancing world of mathematics? I must admit that my math chops improved as I received a degree in it 4 years ago at the tender age of 55. However I cannot take credit for this achievement because I graduated from Venice High school in 1971 boasting that the highest math course I took there was called “senior math”.  I believe that course was for the “we are NOT going to college” kids. So when I sat down for my first college math course, which actually was a high school math course on a college campus with college prices, I had trouble grasping concepts. My first question to the instructor was; “How can a negative multiplied by a negative be positive?!” This made no sense at all. So you can see I was off to a great start on my mathematical journey. My biggest surprise about mathematicians was that many of the old school guys were also philosophers. I thought one of the things I’d like best about philosophy was that there were no wrong answers. Boy was I wrong.  â€œSymbolic logic” proved that!  I remember raising my hand and asking one of my professors if he ever noticed that an awful lot of mathematicians had troubled lives.  â€œAll professions have many members’ with troubled lives”, he said, defensively.  I thought well, this would explain my life. The main reason I was lifted onto this fast track to the world of higher math was simply because my major was Computer Science, and any Comp. Sci. student will tell you there is an awful lot of math required there. And I mean awful. Now please kids don’t allow me to discourage you on math because it is an incredible and very honorable scholastic path to embark upon. Some of the most amazing figures in world history were math guys.  Bill Gates for one. Oops, he dropped out didn’t he? Oh well. You get the point. There is always Descartes, Pascal, Einstein, and Wagner, to name a few.  Most of them graduated, I think? Either way these men changed the direction of the evolution of mankind.  Mathematics has been able to explain the universe and all that we see and all that we are. Except time, they still cant explain time! Maybe that’s why I always seem to be late. Now the real point to this diatribe is this; I could have never passed “Differential Equations”, “Numerical Analysis”, or “Combinatorial Algorithms” without some major help.  And my last year plus, of university work, I was helped by a tutor from (yes, you guessed it) TutorZ.com. Now this guy, from TutorZ, could have taught “Combinatorial Algorithms”. This is what my professor told me. So when I walked away from all that with an   “A” , I mean heh! That’s not bad? Right? So if you’re having trouble factoring a polynomial, or landing a mobile camera on Mars, click on TutorZ.com and see what you can accomplish with a little help from your friends at TutorZ! You just might be surprised. To be or Not to be, Math is the Question I always found the history of mathematics and the mathematicians themselves far more interesting than the actual math. I have never really figured out if this is because Im lousy at math or that I just do not have enough interest to make great strides into the ever advancing world of mathematics? I must admit that my math chops improved as I received a degree in it 4 years ago at the tender age of 55. However I cannot take credit for this achievement because I graduated from Venice High school in 1971 boasting that the highest math course I took there was called “senior math”.  I believe that course was for the “we are NOT going to college” kids. So when I sat down for my first college math course, which actually was a high school math course on a college campus with college prices, I had trouble grasping concepts. My first question to the instructor was; “How can a negative multiplied by a negative be positive?!” This made no sense at all. So you can see I was off to a great start on my mathematical journey. My biggest surprise about mathematicians was that many of the old school guys were also philosophers. I thought one of the things I’d like best about philosophy was that there were no wrong answers. Boy was I wrong.  â€œSymbolic logic” proved that!  I remember raising my hand and asking one of my professors if he ever noticed that an awful lot of mathematicians had troubled lives.  â€œAll professions have many members’ with troubled lives”, he said, defensively.  I thought well, this would explain my life. The main reason I was lifted onto this fast track to the world of higher math was simply because my major was Computer Science, and any Comp. Sci. student will tell you there is an awful lot of math required there. And I mean awful. Now please kids don’t allow me to discourage you on math because it is an incredible and very honorable scholastic path to embark upon. Some of the most amazing figures in world history were math guys.  Bill Gates for one. Oops, he dropped out didn’t he? Oh well. You get the point. There is always Descartes, Pascal, Einstein, and Wagner, to name a few.  Most of them graduated, I think? Either way these men changed the direction of the evolution of mankind.  Mathematics has been able to explain the universe and all that we see and all that we are. Except time, they still cant explain time! Maybe that’s why I always seem to be late. Now the real point to this diatribe is this; I could have never passed “Differential Equations”, “Numerical Analysis”, or “Combinatorial Algorithms” without some major help.  And my last year plus, of university work, I was helped by a tutor from (yes, you guessed it) TutorZ.com. Now this guy, from TutorZ, could have taught “Combinatorial Algorithms”. This is what my professor told me. So when I walked away from all that with an   “A” , I mean heh! That’s not bad? Right? So if you’re having trouble factoring a polynomial, or landing a mobile camera on Mars, click on TutorZ.com and see what you can accomplish with a little help from your friends at TutorZ! You just might be surprised.

University of Alabama Tutoring - When to Start Looking For a Program

University of Alabama Tutoring - When to Start Looking For a ProgramUniversity of Alabama Tutoring is a two-year, full-time program that gives students the chance to get an education and a job at the same time. If you have always wanted to earn a college degree, but couldn't afford it, then you can study at this university and earn your degree.If you are interested in American history and taking classes on that will make you a better history student, then this might be a good option for you. The university's mission statement is to be 'a nationally accredited institution of higher learning.' This means that students will have a solid education, and a good future.Tutoring is only one of the many things that the university offers. There are also online degrees, as well as graduate programs in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and psychology. You can also take classes in other subjects such as engineering, and business.When you have finished your courses and have earned your degree, you wi ll be able to work in any field you like. Some people choose to stay in business, while others are starting their own home based businesses.A distance learning degree is something that can be completed through several online schools. There are about 25 colleges that offer distance learning degrees.Most people who get a distance learning degree will complete it in just two years. This can be a great option for those who need some time to study. You will probably want to go for one of the bachelor's degrees that is offered by the university.However, you can finish your program and transfer to another school at any time. It would be best if you start looking for schools now so that you can find theone that you will like best.

The Nature of Volatility

The Nature of VolatilityDefine volatility. It is like some common characteristic that is not fixed but rather changes with the fluctuation of market performance. This means that there is no constant market performance and thus there is no consistency to the nature of the market.The best thing for you to understand when trying to define volatility in the market is the reason that there is no state or authority of stability to the market. And this creates the environment of volatility, which can cause an impact on the market that is beyond what we can predict. It means that we are unable to predict the price changes that occur during the course of the day.What you can try to do as a trader or even an investor is to learn how the market behaves. You can also get the facts by reading market reports. If you have a background in learning about volatility then you are all set to understand this volatile behavior of the market.As mentioned earlier, this behavior is not consistent in the mark et. There is no entity that is perceived to be the control of the market. And this means that the price or the trend can change without the knowledge of the person that is conducting the trading activity.So how is volatility defined? It is like the lack of truth that causes the market to become more volatile and unpredictable than anything else. As much as we as traders or even investors want this to be consistent then we will see it changing at various points.When traders or investors come across volatility, they tend to lose their nerve because of the nature of the market that is observed. They are unable to manage the profit from the trade in a short term. If you are in the business of trading then you know that the most important part of your trading is to limit the risk so that you do not lose your investments.So, now you have understood the concept of volatility in the market. Now you need to look at the short term effect of volatility on the market. You can assess how the mar ket behaves in relation to the changes of the volatility.

How Bill Gates Influences Education Reform

How Bill Gates Influences Education Reform Education funding may be down in the past few years, but one private donor is starting to pour more money back into education that one donor is Bill Gates. Gates is cracking his piggy bank to the tune of $373 million in 2009 for education and an additional $78 million to advocacy, according to an article in the New York Times. The $78 million poured into advocacy was four times the amount the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation spent in 2005 on advocacy. The money donated on education and advocacy do not go to the same areas. The advocacy money funds grassroots organizations that Gates and his wife support. For example, the Gates Foundation supported a group of teachers fighting against seniority-based layoffs, which were being debated in late 2010 and early 2011. These teachers were recruits in a national organization, Teach Plus, which testified before legislature, wrote briefing papers and published an opinion-edited article in the Indianapolis Star. The group described themselves as a group of local teachers who favored school reform. But together, they persuaded lawmakers to eliminate seniority-based layoff policies with the help of Gates generous funding. Gates support of this organization has marked a change in the way he funds education. For years, Gates simply focused his philanthropy on overhauling large schools and opening small ones. But, he is now more involved and ambitious, as he and his wife focus on overhauling the nations education policies. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is focusing on educators who pose alternatives to union orthodoxies on the issues of seniority systems and the use of student test scores to evaluate teachers. Gates is also funding Harvard-trained data specialists to collect information inside school districts and use that information to change policies. Major philanthropists, like Gates, are shaping education reform by creating new advocacy groups or helping existing ones grow stronger. These philanthropists can basically decide which issues they favor, fund them and help form education reform to their liking. Some experts are beginning to worry about Gates and other philanthropists power. They argue that they are squeezing independent thought too much and suggest that philanthropists need to be more transparent and open about their motives. After all, many reporters and politicians dont know that some of these grassroots organizations are heavily funded. However, the lagging American education system has become a concern of national interest. Journalists, teachers, grassroots organizations, private philanthropists, administrators and all the way up to major politicians and President Barack Obama are weighing in on education reform. These individuals all have different opinions on whats best for education. However, they are all including Gates donating their time, money and insights to make Americas education system as good as it can possibly be. They are all committed to making it better.

Online Calculus Limits Tutors

Online Calculus Limits Tutors Calculus Limits is used to solve the problems related to limits. This tool is helpful in determining the limits of the function. This tool not only provides the solution but also provide the step by step description along with the proper explanation. This generally uses the formulas and rules of the Calculus limits. Apart from that it also checks and substitutes the approached value to the given function. This can be better elucidated by taking examples of limits. The examples are as shown below:- Example 1:- Find the limit (where x approaches to 1) x2-1/ x-1 Solution 1:- Given function are x2-1/ x-1 To find: - limit (where x approaches to 1) x2-1/ x-1 We know that, limit (where x approaches to 1) x2-1/ x-1= limit (where x approaches to 1) (x+1) (x-1) / x-1 Therefore, limit (where x approaches to 1) x2-1/ x-1= limit (where x approaches to 1) x+1 = 1+1 =2. Hence the limit (where x approaches to 1) x2-1/ x-1 = 2 Example 2:- Find the limit (where x approaches to 2) x2-1/ x+1 Solution 2:- Given function are x2-1/ x+1 To find: - limit (where x approaches to 2) x2-1/ x+1 We know that, limit (where x approaches to 2) x2-1/ x+1= limit (where x approaches to 1) (x+1) (x-1) / x+1 Therefore, limit (where x approaches to 2) x2-1/ x+1= limit (where x approaches to 1) x-1 = 2-1 =1 Hence the limit (where x approaches to 1) x2-1/ x+1 = 1