Tutorpedia Spring & Summer Workshops

In addition to providing tutoring in all academic subjects, Tutorpedia's highly qualified instructors also teach small group workshops on a variety of subjects. This Spring and Summer, we're fortunate to partner with a number of schools and organizations to offer workshops to middle and high school students around the Bay Area. Below are workshop descriptions and dates for upcoming workshops. If you'd like more information, please be in touch with us by calling 415-948-1585 or emailing info@tutorpedia.com.

Spring Workshops at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

High School Prep & Study Skills

Dates: Sunday April 15-Sunday May 20, 9:30-12:30 (6 times on Sundays)

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For middle schoolers who strive for admission to competitive high schools, the application can improve or diminish their chances of success. Teens are provided with mock high school admissions applications and general study skills to position them for success in high school and beyond.

SAT Prep

Dates: Saturday April 14-Saturday May 19, 9:30-12:30 (6 times on Saturdays)

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For those seeking admission to competitive colleges, SAT performance can improve or diminish their chances of success. Teens are provided with high-quality SAT preparation and general study skills to position them for success in taking SATs. They learn how to become more desirable candidates for admission to the school(s) of their choice plus study skills to help them succeed throughout high school, college and beyond.

Summer Workshops at Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton

Conquer the SAT!

Dates: July 23 – August 3, 1:00-3:00

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For those seeking admission to competitive colleges, SAT performance can improve or diminish their chances of success. Teens are provided with high-quality SAT preparation and general study skills to position them for success in taking SATs. They learn how to become more desirable candidates for admission to the school(s) of their choice plus study skills to help them succeed throughout high school, college and beyond.

College Essay Writing

Dates: July 23 – August 3, 1:00-3:00

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Does the thought of writing an essay give you anxiety? It doesn't have to; mastering this essential academic skill is easier and more fun than you think. If you're looking to get a head start on your personal statements and college essays, or would just like to refine your techniques to master the 10 page essay in no time, this workshop is for you. In this workshop, you will get a chance to work through the formats and conventions of several different types of essays from expository to epistolary, as well as develop your skills using persuasive evidence and literary interpretation. You'll also master the nuts and bolts of the five-paragraph format, which will help you craft strong essays under pressure on the SAT or on your college applications. This course examines a diverse sampling or writing styles and examples in order to enable students to see all the fun they've been missing out on in their previous essay-writing. Students will also have the opportunity to share and critique one another's work in a safe, friendly environment.

Summer Workshops at Fei Tian Academy in San Francisco

Math Support

Session 1: July 2-13 - Algebra Support, 9:30-11:30

Session 2: July 16-27 - Geometry Support, 9:30-11:30

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This workshop is designed to provide students with a boost in their math abilities. We customize each workshop to the students with whom we will be working. The class will focus on skill building around Algebra and Geometry at the appropriate grade/ability level.

Creative Writing

Session 1: July 2-13 (5th-8th grade), 12:30-2:30

Session 2: July 16-27 (9th-12th grade), 12:30-2:30

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Love to write? Like it, but not digging how it's set up in school? We take writing and make it fun! Whether you have been writing since you were a baby, or just started yesterday, we take a creative approach that helps you look at writing from different angles.

This workshop will focus on essential elements of writing. It includes many non-traditional ways to view writing and a healthy dash of peer review in a safe environment.

When you enjoy the way you write, what you HAVE to write becomes more fun! We show you how to put the fun back into writing. This workshop is designed to accomplish the course objectives and goals through experiential-style writing, which includes the use of nature, prompts, colors, music, and other forms of creativity.

Riverside School in India

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting an amazing school in Ahmedabad, India called Riverside. Founded by Kiran Sethi, the school bases its pedagogy and curriculum on Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences. I've never seen such a successful synergy of multi-sensory learning and school design, creating a truly holistic approach to education. This is a school built on rigor, relevance, and relationships. See http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html for her TED talk.

Kiran studied design at Harvard (her husband is a world-champion billiards player), and when her daughter was ready to start school, she found no suitable place for her. Motivated to give her daughter a world-class k-12 education, and to change India's dismal education options, Kiran decided to design a school from scratch. Starting with one class in a modified bungalow covering less than one acre 11 years ago, the school today boasts almost 400 students from pre-K to 11th grade. Next year it will add its final class (12th grade) and graduate its first students (including Kiran's daughter) to college.

Innovative curriculum:
Three "key stages" mark three developmental stages in learning at Riverside (similar to our elementary, middle, and high school distinction), but what is beautiful is the cross-pollination of ideas and collaboration between students, teachers, and team leaders. I watched a multi-dimensional presentation on the American artist Jackson Pollock, where 7th-grade students expressed his art in different media: with dance, music, food, poetry, and play. The presentation was watched and critiqued by grades 3-6, then Kiran met with the 7th graders after to offer her harsh yet proper analysis. "Respect your audience", she said, and "put mindfulness in your work".

I asked students what they love most about Riverside, and one said, "we get to learn by doing activities and projects". Students are involved in their community in a variety of ways. They participate in projects where they help local NGOs, and recently they competed in a global competition called Design for Change, where students design their own solutions to social problems. Students venture off campus to teach slum children how to read & write, help in sanitation and recycling efforts, and cook and clean at local cafes. The words "immersion" and "persistence" are used often to describe their daily activities. Students don't learn Hindi until 3rd grade (English-only until then).

Innovative design:
Most striking of all at Riverside is the design of the school. The open space, the colors, the mosaic-tile designs created by students, the movable doors and furniture, the playground, and the student projects on display (a chair made of CDs, lights made of plastic bottles, elaborate hats and paper-mobiles, detailed biology projects by 2nd graders...). There are mini-amphitheaters for small discussions in the round, outdoor staircases filled with primary colors and cool breezes, computer and science labs, comfy couches to work alone or talk with others, and plenty of play and performance space to run around, learn collectively, and let kids be kids.

Kiran designed the school with an architect and contractor, but her greatest inspiration came from her students. When it was time for 2nd graders to change rooms, she had to design a new class, so she asked her students if they wanted cubbyholes again. When they responded "no", gone were the cubbyholes, and it became apparent how essential student input and feedback was in the design of school space. Moreover, student needs and learning styles change over time, with age, hormones, and natural growth in family and persona, so keeping the school flexible and organic was and remains an integral part of the school design. The grand idea for Riverside belongs to Kiran, but it's the collaborative effort of her students that have created the final space. What a beautiful idea, that students have a say in their learning environment. After all, this is their space, so shouldn't they have a say in how - and where - they learn?

Learn more:
To read more about Riverside, visit www.schoolriverside.com. Kiran's next big project is to document (with video and writing) the school and create an open source portal so others can bring these design and curriculum innovations to their schools. If you'd like to put your technology and education know-how to work here, or know someone who would, email kiranbirsethi@gmail.com. And if you're in India, join the likes of president Obama and Howard Gardner and stop by to visit!