2. Getting Started
Getting underway in a digital tutoring environment can feel a bit overwhelming at
first. There are so many new things to learn; new interfaces, protocols, logins,
hidden menus. (Whose idea was it to hide important information behind those
three little dots?!)
3. Apps versus Resources
Sometimes it can be helpful to have a more concrete picture of how this all
works. In the setting of The Literacy Corner, we could broadly divide all that new
stuff into "apps" and "resources".
4. Apps
"Apps" (applications, also sometimes called programs) are particular online tools
designed to perform a task or facilitate an outcome. In our setting, most of the
apps have an educational focus - they are meant to help you and your students
share engaging, creative learning experiences in an online environment. This
course will introduce you to the apps we use most often. Some of them are quite
powerful. If you are inclined or motivated to do so, you can dig in and become
an expert. If not, using these apps even in their most basic forms will add
interest, impact and effectiveness to your online tutoring.
5. Resources
"Resources", in our setting, are primarily found in your Tutor Folder and on Tutor Central. If
apps are like toolboxes, resources are like particular tools - the actual items you pull out
and use to get the job done. Many of these resources have been developed by our in-
house team, carefully keyed to the lessons in the Literacy Links program. Using the right
tool at the right moment can make your job easier, and help your students feel the joy of
progress in their learning. The following sections in this course will help you feel at home
with both what is in your toolbox, and how to pull it out and use it without experiencing the
digital equivalent of bruised knuckles or a banged up ego. It'll take some practice, for sure,
but once you get going you'll soon find your favorite "go to" tools, and before long they'll
feel like your trusted companions in effective online tutoring.
