What kind of computer set up do I need to do online tutoring?
Technical Requirements:
Online students must have the following technology/capabilities to support effective tutoring. Time will be wasted and tutoring results lessoned without these items in place:
Required:
A tablet, laptop, or desktop with a clear screen, camera, mouse or other touch system the student is comfortable with. No cell phones please.
A noise-canceling or acoustic fence technology headset and microphone. This is 100% required. A good headset and microphone make all the difference in the ability of the tutor and student to communicate clearly and effectively. 605Tutor uses and recommends Plantronics Voyager 4310 UC or a similar model. Some like the one-ear headset, but if your student is more distractible, you may consider the two-ear headset to help them minimize distractions and maximize focus. You can use any make and model as long as you have a good noise-canceling headset with a microphone.
High speed internet connection.
No Chromebooks please - 605Tutor uses Zoom and Zoom doesn’t work well with Chromebooks. If this is a problem, let us know and we can test out using Google Meets for the tutoring session.
Other things we like:
If you want us to see what your student is doing on paper, we recommend an In-Swan document camera. These are less than $100, and allow the tutor to clearly see what a student is writing/doing on the physical paper. This isn’t necessary for all kids. Talk to your tutor if you think it would be helpful.