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Frequently Asked Questions
We have provided a list of frequently asked questions from early viewers of our web site. If you have additional questions, we encourage you to send in your inquiry, and we will respond via mail or post your question and answer here.
General topics:
Q: Is 3D Internet better than 2D? Why is it better to help children learn?
A: We do not claim one is better than the other. 2D Internet and 3D Internet each have positives, and in fact, we integrate 2D and 3D into many of our applications. We leverage the power of 3D Internet to make the learning experience more realistic for the student, making them feel they are in a physical room or location.
Q: Is this 3D site secure? Will my child be exposed to adult material or other advertising?
A: This site is completely secure. Some 3D Internet communities allow you to FLY around to other places within the community. This site is locked down to members only, and in many cases, it provides individual lessons where there is no interaction with another person, just the lesson.
Pricing
Q: Do I have to pay for these lessons or can I access them for free?
A: At Lessons and Tutors we feel that we provide the richest learning environment available right now for the least possible expense to our students. We provide a variety of services at modest prices. By involving experienced teachers from all over North America we provide effective lessons to help students grasp the concepts and outcomes taught in our schools. The cost to gather and build the lessons in this technology environment, as well as the infrastructure to power the lessons themselves, is high. We are committed to keeping the cost as low as possible, and we will continuously look for programs that give back to the community when the company recovers the cost of its investments. Given we are also a marketplace, we don't always set the price to students for some services. We do however encourage teachers and tutors to price their Tutor Services and General Education Sessions reasonably to allow anyone to participate. We also provide Study Hall sessions for students below our cost to run them, and sometimes for free, just to allow our users the experience of working in a 3D environment.
Q: How much will each lesson cost?
A: We are finalizing a price structure, trying to keep prices as low as possible. Our goal is affordability for all. We will set final prices when we launch our full system. This will give us time to get significant feedback from our students and teachers. We have launched an early Beta program where we offer special introductory prices for Study Halls. We are working with teachers who are new to our team to help them launch pilot Language Practice Sessions, and Tutor Services. See our web site for early Beta pricing for each service available. It will take time to build a full data base of lessons, so we are providing you sample lessons that are free of charge so you can see the power of this new technology, and how it can enhance concept mastery.
Interactive 3D Lessons:
Q: You have very few lessons. WHY?
A: Lessons and Tutors has built the technology environment that will allow us to interact with teachers and developers to build the most robust data base of lessons available. We could have waited until we had 100s of lessons available, but we felt it was better to launch our company, allow tutors and students to leverage our live virtual classroom services, while gaining exposure to how interactive lessons can be a beneficial learning tool. We expect this exposure to help drive more interest in contributors. Teachers and developers may like to see the product in action before getting involved. With the release of our site, we hope they will be able to see the how the innovative methods we use spark the interest of students and parents.
Q: Do I need a teacher or tutor to be able to use your site?
A: No, we have developed our environment so that a student can take advantage of lessons in an independent and self-paced learning environment. For younger students it may be preferable that a parent or teacher help identify the most appropriate lesson to meet a specific outcome. Our site gives parents the opportunity to help his/her child while accessing professionally approved content.
Q: How long will it take a student to complete a lesson?
A: This varies with the subject, the outcome taught, the students familiarity with the material, as well as any accommodations the student may need with respect to learning. Our teachers have recommended lessons that a student can complete in approximately 20 minutes, however some lessons could take multiple hours. We expect to have various options. Also note when you experience a longer lesson (such as "Kinds of Motion" which we have made free for demo purposes), we ask teachers to break these lessons into modules which allow the students/teachers to start and stop between modules.
Q: I am a teacher and I would like to leverage one of your lessons in my classroom to help my students gain a better understanding of the outcome I have recently taught from our prescribed curriculum. Can I do this?
A: Yes, you will need an Internet connection in your classroom and projection technology. Interactive boards, if available, will help to ensure the students can see and participate while you lead the lesson.
Q: I would like to purchase some lessons for my grandchild as a gift. Can I do that?
A: Yes. First, there are some security issues to which you must attend. The easiest way would be to have the student or parent provide you, the grandparents, with their account information and you can purchase credits for their account.
Teachers who want to contribute lessons:
Q: I am teacher who would like to contribute and become part of the professional community submitting lessons. How do I do that?
A: Go to our website www.lessonsandtutors.com and follow the instructions found in the contribute page. If you have additional questions or would like to speak to our teacher consultant, please email barbara@lessonsandtutors.com
Q: Do I have to publish all of my profile information on your website if I contribute my lessons?
A: We prefer to list your name as the owner of the lesson. We encourage teachers to allow us to publish their profile as it will be a good reference for our students, for you, and for Lessons and Tutors. A profile would include your name, and experience. We will also allow for optional information so that you can advertise your business.
Q: I like your approach of giving back to the education community. I want to contribute lessons, but I am not interested in making money. Can I do that?
A: Yes, but we do prefer to keep teachers associated with their lessons. Should questions arise from our students we would contact you to help us supply the answer. If you are willing to do that, you can have your revenue share sent to any charity fund or school of your choice, or we can pool it with other funds we give back to the community. Your name will be listed on any donation.
Tutor Services:
Q: You mention Tutors and Teachers on your website. What is the difference between a teacher and a tutor?
A: Teachers can be tutors depending on the role they are playing. However when we refer to a teacher, we are referring to a professional educator in the field, someone who has the required education to teach in a public system and may have years of teaching experience. In some cases these teachers use our lessons to reinforce the outcomes they are teaching in their classrooms, and in some cases they are teachers who are contributing to the data base of lessons that we have available. Tutors and General Education leaders are folks who help students/adults requiring additional information or instruction in specific areas of their educational development. Tutors could be, and often are, teachers but it could also be a senior student, a graduate student, a parent, or a teacher's assistant who has a mastery of the material they are tutoring or leading.
Q: My child needs a tutor, can you recommend one?
A: We do not recommend tutors for specific students. Choosing the right tutor is a personal process and involves reviewing the educational background, experience, and personality type to ensure it is the right fit for your child. Lessons and Tutors will allow tutors to post their background and advertise on our site to aid in your search. However, the final decision to hire a specific tutor for your child must remain with the parent or guardian.
Q: Can Tutors use your lessons?
A: Yes, all of our lessons are available for tutors to leverage. They can search the data base to find a particular lesson that meets a target outcome.
Q: I have a tutoring business and I tutor students in the elementary grades. I have requests to tutor multiple children at one time to reduce cost for the parents. How can I leverage your lessons while working with multiple students?
A: You have several options:
1. If you work with them in one physical location, you could lead them through the lesson, or have the students share the lead as you interact with the lesson on one computer or larger display board.
2. You have the option, as long as the students have the technology skills, to invite them to a virtual classroom. In this case, they may be at home or in different physical locations, but come together virtually to enable you to tutor them. You will have the capability to share your desk top with the students in your virtual room, so you can share your material, or one of our lessons with them depending on your plan for that day.
Q: I am a tutor, and I live in a location where the winter weather is not always pleasant, therefore leading to many cancelled tutoring sessions. I really like the concept of your virtual classrooms, but I don't always want to use your lessons. I have much material that I have developed over the years that works for my students. Can I utilize your virtual classrooms if I dont use your lessons?
A: Yes. You can rent a classroom for a nominal fee where you can conduct your tutoring session. We will allow you to invite students to join from any Internet high speed location, including their home. We will provide you with a Display Board in that virtual classroom, where you can broadcast your computer screen so that you can tutor using your own lessons or materials. We have introduced a Beta price of just five dollars for Tutors to rent a virtual classroom. If you would like to try out one session for free, contact us at support@lessonsandtutors.com
so we can help you set up your very first 3D virtual tutoring session absolutely free of charge.
Q: If I rent your virtual classroom, but do not use your lessons, how many students can I bring into the class for one tutoring session?
A: We limit tutoring sessions to a maximum of 3 students at a time. If you have a special request, require more student space, or should a teacher wish to do a virtual session with her class any time before a big exam, we can make a classroom available that will allow a larger number of students.
Q: I am a tutor and I want to sign my students up for lessons that I will review with them. Can I do that?
A: Yes, if you are physically with the student when you tutor them, you can have them interact with the lesson on your computer, or through a display unit or Smart board.
You may also review a lesson with them using a virtual classroom if you are not in the same physical location.
Finally, you may have the student (and guardian if the student is less than 13 ) sign up for a Lessons and Tutors account and work on a lesson themselves as you supervision.
Q: I am a tutor and I don't understand your virtual classroom concept. Please explain how that works.
A: A virtual classroom is similar to a real classroom. Instead of your students physically meeting in a room with you, everyone will use a computer and meet in a virtual 3 dimensional classroom, with each of you being represented by an avatar. You can see each other, speak to each other, and more importantly, you can tutor your students on any subject or any lesson. You have the ability to project your computer's screen on the white board in the virtual classroom. You can lead the student(s) through the tutoring session just as you would in a real classroom. Please see our web site for more information, including the video that explains how you can use virtual classrooms, thereby ensuring no one misses a tutoring session again.
Q: Do I have to pay for a virtual classroom?
A: Yes. A tutor can rent a virtual classroom and take up to 3 additional students in for a tutoring session. There is no additional charge for the student. This is an economical way to bring multiple students to one place for a tutoring session, and it will also ensure you don't have to cancel a tutor session due to bad weather, transportation issues, or tight scheduling. Larger class sizes are also available upon request. We have introduced a Beta price of just five dollars for Tutors to rent a virtual classroom. If you would like to try out one session for free, contact us at support@lessonsandtutors.com
and we will help you set up your very first 3D virtual tutoring session absolutely free of charge.
Q: Do the students who come into my virtual Tutor session need an avatar?
A: Yes. All students will represent themselves in your sessions with an avatar. Students should sign up for their own Lessons and Tutors account via our web site. If your student is under 13 years of age, they should have a parent complete the sign up process for them.
General Education Sessions:
Q: Why do you limit the number of people who can attend a single session?
A: There are a number of reasons for limiting the number of people in one session. First of all, there is a limit to the maximum number of folks that can be in a setting at one time and converse effectively. We want to ensure everyone can contribute to a single discussion topic. Facilitators will have the option to offer sessions of varying sizes. The goal is for everyone to have ample time to contribute and learn.
Q: I like the facility you provide for these sessions. It reminds me of a relaxing place I would go to connect with friends. If we wanted to gather for other than a formal education session, could I rent such a space?
A: We have been asked similar questions many times already! We have provided a service called "Study Halls" for students, and made them very inexpensive (sometimes free) to entice educational learning and communication. If you are a registered student, we recommend you use that service. The system will not prevent a non-student from utilizing a study hall for informal gatherings, but we request you limit that activity so that we may continue to serve the student population in an inexpensive manner. If you feel there is a greater need for adult meetings beyond educational sessions, please contact us and we will provide a suitable solution to meet your needs.
Study Halls:
Q: I love your Study Hall because it allows my friends and I complete our projects much faster! But you have a limit of four students at one time. WHY?
A: Our research has shown that most educators keep project teams, and study groups to less than five folks to ensure maximum participation in the group. We have the capability for larger sessions. You may request a larger group session by contacting us directly at support@lessonsandtutors.com. For the remainder of our Beta period, we will continue to offer standard Study Halls for a maximum of four students.
Q: Why would I use your service to study remotely with my friend when I can do that through other 2D applications, some of which are free?
A: There are other applications that offer some of the capabilities that we offer, but we are not aware of any application that offers all of the same functionality, and is cheaper or free. There are some free 2D applications that offer one to one remote sharing capabilities and communication that are free of charge, but lack group capabilities. We are not aware of any that offer a 3D virtual room with the same capabilities and pricing we offer. We are initially offering Study Halls to students free of charge for up to four people if they are booked within 24 hours of when they will be used.
Q: Is there an age limit for booking a Study Hall?
A: No. We have an age limit for Customer Registrations, and children under the age of thirteen must be sponsored by a guardian. Guardians can then monitor the use of funds applied to an account and how they are spent to ensure that younger children are using the Study Halls as designated.