Finding Support with Schoolwork Online
Peer tutoring moves to Canvas and Discord to continue helping students
By Sydney Teves
Peer tutoring moves to Canvas and Discord to continue helping students
By Sydney Teves
School this year looks significantly different from before the pandemic, forcing the school to modify the way students are assisted with learning. In the past, student tutoring was held in the library and anyone could walk in and find a tutor who could help. This year, it’s all online.
All the tutors have access to the peer tutoring Canvas page, so they can set up Cisco Webex meetings with students who need help, receiving community service hours while helping their classmates with school. Right now, over 100 students have signed up with one of the 25 different tutors helping them with the subjects they are struggling with.
Assistant Principal of Instruction Brendan Simon created the student-led tutoring program with the help of two students. Seniors Matthew Seguin and Kellen Neff had the idea for this program since the original one was cut due to the transition to online school and budget issues. Along with the Canvas page and Webex meetings, the two seniors set up a Discord server for additional help.
“Kellen Neff and I worked together to make the Discord server we have. We use the Discord primarily for quick help that does not require a Webex meeting and for study sessions students can hold with people in the same class,” said Seguin. “Discord is faster and more user-friendly, however it is more of a quick thing. It’s a platform many are already familiar with and it is just another option for them.”
To make sure the tutors and students understand how the program works this year, Simon made an orientation video showcasing the new tutoring platform. Riley Oba, 9, who attends for help with geometry, feels that she benefited from the orientation video when she set up a tutoring session, although the online platform made it a bit more difficult.
“This is my first year at Pioneer and I scheduled a meeting for help with a class,” said Oba. “It was pretty easy to schedule a meeting. I think it was a bit hard though because we couldn’t write things down on actual paper.”
Elizabeth Chen, 10, has been a tutor before and has noticed the challenges of adjusting to tutoring over the computer. When tutoring is in-person, it’s easier for her to make connections with students while helping them understand the concepts better.
“We are using Webex and Jamboard to teach and talk them through the problem. I prefer it in person because you can see if the concept you are teaching them makes sense, or if you need to find a different way to explain it,” said Chen. “It's also harder because you can't make connections with others or help multiple people at the same time.”
As the current situation with distance learning is still evolving, in-person peer tutoring may be able to return later this year. However, Kellen Neff feels that continuing the online program may benefit students, as it brings an added flexibility to peer tutoring.
“I think if school goes back to normal, the tutoring program will most likely go back to in person,” said Neff. “That said, if students prefered the online system, it could supplement the in-person tutoring. I also think that online tutoring will change over time, as we figure out new systems to use or different methods of connecting students with tutors.”
All the tutors have access to the peer tutoring Canvas page, so they can set up Cisco Webex meetings with students who need help, receiving community service hours while helping their classmates with school. Right now, over 100 students have signed up with one of the 25 different tutors helping them with the subjects they are struggling with.
Assistant Principal of Instruction Brendan Simon created the student-led tutoring program with the help of two students. Seniors Matthew Seguin and Kellen Neff had the idea for this program since the original one was cut due to the transition to online school and budget issues. Along with the Canvas page and Webex meetings, the two seniors set up a Discord server for additional help.
“Kellen Neff and I worked together to make the Discord server we have. We use the Discord primarily for quick help that does not require a Webex meeting and for study sessions students can hold with people in the same class,” said Seguin. “Discord is faster and more user-friendly, however it is more of a quick thing. It’s a platform many are already familiar with and it is just another option for them.”
To make sure the tutors and students understand how the program works this year, Simon made an orientation video showcasing the new tutoring platform. Riley Oba, 9, who attends for help with geometry, feels that she benefited from the orientation video when she set up a tutoring session, although the online platform made it a bit more difficult.
“This is my first year at Pioneer and I scheduled a meeting for help with a class,” said Oba. “It was pretty easy to schedule a meeting. I think it was a bit hard though because we couldn’t write things down on actual paper.”
Elizabeth Chen, 10, has been a tutor before and has noticed the challenges of adjusting to tutoring over the computer. When tutoring is in-person, it’s easier for her to make connections with students while helping them understand the concepts better.
“We are using Webex and Jamboard to teach and talk them through the problem. I prefer it in person because you can see if the concept you are teaching them makes sense, or if you need to find a different way to explain it,” said Chen. “It's also harder because you can't make connections with others or help multiple people at the same time.”
As the current situation with distance learning is still evolving, in-person peer tutoring may be able to return later this year. However, Kellen Neff feels that continuing the online program may benefit students, as it brings an added flexibility to peer tutoring.
“I think if school goes back to normal, the tutoring program will most likely go back to in person,” said Neff. “That said, if students prefered the online system, it could supplement the in-person tutoring. I also think that online tutoring will change over time, as we figure out new systems to use or different methods of connecting students with tutors.”