Adventures in Tutoring Daily Challenge – Day 23

Well folks, we’re on day 23 of the “Adventures in Tutoring Daily Challenge.” In this challenge, I have commissioned myself to blog about my tutoring adventures Monday through Thursday until Thursday, November 27th. I started back on Monday, September 29th. And, it’s been a blast, thus far. My intention is to finish out this challenge to the very end; and then, I plan on slowing down the pace of blogging and getting to more of a once-a-week/twice-a-week schedule – a more sustainable schedule for the long term.

I just needed this little burst of momentum to get me back into a writing rhythm after being on an extended blogging hiatus. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Days 1 through 23 of the challenge yet, you’re in for a smorgasbord of content from the experiences I’ve encountered while tutoring elementary and middle school students. Please feel free to peruse this blog site for all the particulars.

And for Day #23, I’m currently in the middle of sharing some of my reasons for specifically choosing to tutor virtually over tutoring in person. I’m on Reason #3, to be exact. So, here it goes . . .

Reason #3 – Online is Aligned With the Times

I hate to admit it, but the Technological Age is ruling in every facet of life, including education. I say that “I hate to admit it,” because I tend to be the one who wants to do things old-school, stick to the old paths, put up with manual processes over automated ones (I’m such a tactile individual), experience the human touch rather than commune with AI, and the like.

I know . . . I know. Makes you wonder how I’m even functioning as an online tutor instead of an in-person tutor, doesn’t it? Well, I don’t want to be totally predictable. I have to be an anomaly in some respects, so I can keep life interesting.

But in most cases, I’m a rebel when it comes to technology hype. I’d rather be far from it. And, I’m probably living in denial, trying to delay the inevitable grasp of tech’s overwhelming influence. Not wanting to become a believer, but being forced to by the demands of life.

So, I guess it’s time to get in line (or aligned) with the times, so I don’t get further and further behind in my quest to be an online presence of some relevance. It appears that I must somewhat comply to tech’s compelling ways to effectively function on this blog, serve as a virtual tutor, or do pretty much anything else online. The TIMES call for it!

And, I’d better answer the calling.

So . . .

I recognize the increasing need for online education. This path is the popular path that has been chosen, and I don’t see it changing for the unforeseeable future.

I mean —

Everything is technified in education these days. Even the children who go to a brick-and-mortar school, children who aren’t doing virtual/distance learning, are using computers, laptops, iPads, tablets, etc. in school for learning. Like, they are REQUIRED to use technology, even though they have all their teachers physically in their presence.

Children are not only utilizing tech equipment as a tool for learning, but these electronic programs that run on these devices are teaching them. They have programs that will even shortcut their learning processes by practically reading for them and writing for them and computing problems for them.

And, here’s one of the pitfalls of tech in education. It’s making our children dependent on it, because they aren’t being made to reason for themselves.

Is tech creating generations of . . . (well, I don’t like using the “L” word when discussing topics about educating our children), but I’m going to . . . LAZY Learners? Oh, I have much to say about this, but I won’t. I just want to drive home the point that tech is put in front of children ALL THE TIME! I guess the educational “powers that be” don’t want to create generations of somewhat tech-adverse people, like myself, who will get left behind the times they so desperately need to successfully navigate within.

For that reason, I do understand the need to introduce tech to children early on. They were born in the Technological Age; therefore, they have no choice but to embrace it if they want to keep up with educational demands.

So, I guess my foray into online education is right in line with what the educational systems of the world are serving up these days. I didn’t choose the virtual path for that reason; because after all, I am a rebel, you know. However, it just so happened that my natural inclination to work in a virtual capacity actually put me in line with the times. Go figure!