Zoom Is Bringing More Tutors Into Classrooms
Schools are using zoom tutors for as a solution to place tutors in front of young readers to make up for pandemic era learning loss.
Eleven years ago when Zoom, the video teleconferencing company first launched, not many people would have likely guessed that in time, the technology would be a coveted tool keeping businesses and schools operating, and family and friends connected as it did during the pandemic. Three years in, and most schools are back to in-person learning, and teachers no longer have to worry about making sure little ones are muting their microphones every two seconds. As happy as most teachers who used this technology to teach are not to rely on it 24/7, many educators have noticed the benefits of using the technology, as Zoom tutors are popping up in classrooms all across the nation.
While there is no longer any doubt to most educators that in-person learning is the key to success for most students, districts have learned the hard way that not only is tutoring a necessity to catch students up from pandemic era learning loss, but it is also hard to come by. Teachers are already strapped with an overabundance of work. Most of them are struggling just to stay afloat amid larger class sizes due to vast teacher shortages. Because of this, states are struggling to find able-bodied tutors to help students. In comes Zoom; easily placing tutors in front of students, via a screen for interaction.
Zoom tutors are a simple solution to the growing issue. More and more online tutoring companies are popping up, as both educators and districts see the benefits of utilizing this tactic. Inside the classroom, teachers have long been relying on interactive apps that integrate various technology and games to engage students to learn. However, these apps are nowhere near as productive at raising proficiency levels as a one-on-one tutor can be.
Likewise, apps that teachers use in the classroom still require teacher aid, and since teachers have to move from student to student to help them navigate apps, the task can be daunting. Zoom tutors alleviate most of these issues. And given the proven success that one tutoring company known as Ignite! Reading has displayed, the two companies joined together to boost literacy for students across the country.
Ignite! Reading makes good use of college students who are currently striving to attain their teaching degree by placing them with young students to coach literacy. The CEO of this organization, Jessica Sliwerski, reached out to Zoom for a partnership to help first graders catch up on reading loss suffered from the effects of the pandemic. Now collaborating together, the groups place zoom tutors in front of children’s tablets inside of classes, for quick 15-minute catch-up sessions each day.
The zoom tutor endeavor has already proven its worth. Now that word is catching on about its success, more and more districts are joining in. Last January, the program was reaching around 325 students throughout various schools in three separate states. As of now, it has placed these Zoom tutors in front of double the students across six states. By next fall, it is expected to grow even further.
Zoom tutors through the Ignite! Reading nonprofit mirrors a growing trend in the United States. More and more districts are turning to online options to bolster academics. While the overall notion is that in-school learning is necessary, school officials are finding a happy medium between keeping classes in person, but also taking advantage of all that technology has to offer, especially given the fact that schools are short on staff.
