It is not a case of the blind leading the blind, but rather the poor leading the poor.
Businessweek reports that the government is saying 80% of kids eligble for after-school tutoring at taxpayer's expense are not getting that tutoring.
Tutorvista, based in Bangalore, is coming to the rescue.
Tutorvista announced it will provide a year of FREE tutoring to kids in the 10 poorest rural counties in America.
Texas' Zavala County and South Dakota's Ziebach County are eligible for help and Tutorvista owner, Krishnan Ganesh, says he is happy to oblige.
This is no reflection on Tutorvista's gesture, but it is indeed a sad state of affairs when America has to go around the world to find someone to teach her kids.
As for losing more work to outsourcing, Ganesh responds, "There is plenty of work to go around." And then adds, "The American educational system is pathetic."
He got that last part right.
What do you think?
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I read that article, and could not agree more. A paradigm shift for teachers should be keeping up with learning about new technology that will help their students.
TutorVista (.com) based out of Bangalore, India is making waves across oceans with their personalized and affordable technology and expert driven tutoring service.
They have a great business model that satisfies the needs of their tutors and students. It's a win-win situation.
Following are a few excerpts from the FAQs on their website which you'll find highly informative:
How hard is it to use?
TutorVista is as easy to use as Skype, Yahoo Messenger with Voice or Google Talk. The student logs in, initiates a tutoring session and talks naturally with the tutor using a headphone with an attached microphone. Both student and tutor communicate using a whiteboard that is easy and intuitive to use - they can write or draw on it, with both seeing what is being written or drawn.
How good are the tutors?
TutorVista only hires experienced tutors - all have graduate degrees and teaching credentials. The tutors undergo weeks of intensive training and pass stringent certification exams. Our tutors adhere to national and state academic standards and curricula. Our competitive exam tutors for SAT, GRE, GMAT and other exams are all top scorers in that exam.
Is the instruction personalized for every student?
Absolutely! TutorVista's tutoring process begins with the student taking an assessment test that calibrates the student's proficiency in various topics. We then develop a comprehensive learning plan for the student focusing on the topics that need more attention, to help the student achieve his or her academic goals. One student per tutor ensures that every student receives 100% attention of the tutor. The student typically uses the same tutor every time thus ensuring continuity.
Posted by: Alex | January 6, 2007 7:20 PM | Permalink to Comment