AI Part 2: The Living, Digital Tutor

Our middle school created Thunder Rolls: a couple days at the end of each quarter students are given a fresh chance to demonstrate a previously assessed standard. Often, using stations is a helpful model when running Thunder Rolls. Basically, you make a standard available for re-exploration and demonstration of understanding. 

I suggested to our 8th grade math teacher to use Tutor.com as one of the stations (and then list the standards instead as a menu and the student can pick). Our 8th grade math teacher is open-minded and curious. She was intrigued and so gave it a shot. 

The teacher worked in advance to teach the students how to use Tutor.com to get that logistical piece out of the way. She set it up as a station (with a menu of standards to choose from). 

The outcome? The teacher said bluntly, “I wish I had been doing this the entire year.” 

Here’s what I what we learned from this first foray: 
1. Students in general were afraid to speak to a tutor directly, but chatting was more palatable. 
2. The chat was a barrier to some students as they struggled communicating technical information, but there were many students that took right to it. 
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Here is one example of a significant learning moment recorded real-time in Tutor.com. Quick background: Mali (name changed for privacy) is English speaking. She comes from a lower income household. She is reserved, shy and incredibly gifted (can do a Rubics cube in seconds), but also withdraws from academics, particularly math, and struggled reaching out for help from the teacher (and never in front of others). Here’s her dialogue with a live tutor (abbreviated for key exchanges). 

Mali 
[00:00:02] I need help with irrational and rational numbers 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:00:06] Thanks for signing on! How are you?  
Mali 
[00:00:23] Im ok 
[00:00:27] how are you 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:00:35] I am well, thank you for asking!  
[00:00:45] I see you are working on rational and irrational numbers 
[00:00:52] Was there a problem you were looking at? 
Mali 
[00:01:12] no 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:01:33] Would you like to learn how to identify or differentiate between the two? 
Mali 
[00:01:55] could we do both 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:02:03] Sure! 
[00:02:15] Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a fraction 
[00:02:20] They can be positive or negative 
[00:02:24] Here are some examples 
[00:02:57] See that decimal? Do you know how we can write it as a fraction? 
Mali 
[00:03:16] no 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:03:22] That's ok, I can explain 
[00:03:35] Nearly all decimals can be expressed as a fraction 
[00:03:44] First, we write the number without any decimal 
[00:03:57] Then a 1, followed by some zeroes 
[00:04:15] How do we know how many zeroes? We count the number of digits after the decimal point 
[00:04:27] Three digits, hence 1000 
[00:04:31] Did that make sense? 
Mali 
[00:04:40] yes 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:04:44]  
[00:05:00] Repeating decimals can also be written as fractions, hence they are also rational 
[00:05:25] Finally, let's look at whole numbers 
[00:05:31] For example: 19 
[00:05:38] Can we write 19 as 19/(something)? 
Mali 
[00:06:06] cant we write it as 19/1 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:06:14] That's right! Well done  
[00:06:23] That is why, whole numbers are also rational 
[00:06:39] Rational is another word for 'fraction' 
[00:06:45] Any questions before we look at Irrational? 
Mali 
[00:07:14] so whole numbers and fractions are rational numbers 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:07:24] Correct. Also, repeating decimals 
Mali 
[00:07:30] ok 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:07:33] And any other decimals that can be successfully written as fractions 
Mali 
[00:07:45] ok thanks 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:07:57] Irrational numbers cannot be written as fractions 
[00:08:03] The most common example is pi 
[00:08:19] And square-roots that do not simplify into repeating decimals 
[00:08:39] These are Irrational 
Mali 
[00:09:25] how do you simplify square roots to figure out if its irrational 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:09:44] Good question! Are you familiar with square roots in general? 
Mali 
[00:09:58] a little bit 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:10:07] What is the sqrt(9) = 
Mali 
[00:10:28] 3 
Madhu T (Tutor) 
[00:10:40] Very good! And this is a rational number, because 3/1 
[00:11:02] On the other hand, if we look at sqrt(7), we will need to use a calculator and it will give us a lengthy decimal 
[00:11:33] Square roots that give us neat answers, say even like sqrt(12.25) = 3.5 
[00:11:37] Would be rational 
[00:11:52] However, lengthy decimal root means Irrational 
[00:11:55] Did that help? 
Mali 
[00:12:03] yes very much 

It worked in at least these ways:  
1. The teacher could potentially use the recorded chat, along with a follow-up demonstration with a series of problems, as an assessment piece and update the students understanding of a standard.

2. The chat gave this talented, shy student direct, personalized feedback on a particular math question while in a classroom of 27 other students.