Stress less over homework

Did you know that if you have a Gilgandra library card, you can log in to a free tutoring service online? The service is called “yourtutor” and you find it by going to the Library catalogue website (http://nwls.spydus.com). Scroll down the page and click on the link (“click here”) to access the program, using your library membership card number to login.

The tutoring is for year 4-12 students and is available from Monday to Friday, from 4pm-8pm. You can select from a range of subjects, so that you get a tutor who has expertise in the area you are interested in. The idea is that you would login with a specific question you wanted to ask. It might be a maths problem you are having trouble with, or an essay topic you are having difficulty researching. Or perhaps you have nutted out a plan for your essay and want to know if you are on the right track. “Your tutor” enables you to communicate with the tutor via instant messaging, and has an interactive whiteboard so you can draw a geometry question on the screen to show the tutor what your problem is. There is also a file sharing capability, so you can send your rough draft through to the tutor and receive immediate feedback. And finally, “yourtutor” enables the tutor to share websites with you through a co-browser, if you are having difficulty researching your topic.

Tutors are certified teachers, professional tutors, post graduates and advanced undergraduates from Australian universities. Gilgandra Shire Library has taken a 12 month subscription to this service, which is provided by an Australian-owned company called Tutoring Australasia. We have had the subscription for just over a month, and have received a report from the company on the last month’s usage. At the end of each session, students are asked if they were satisfied with the service, and also to give a comment. This month, a year 11 student commented that “It was excellent. They really helped me a lot and gave me ideas on how to write creatively.” So why not give it a go and maybe cut some of the stress out of homework time.