Les Leonard

Posted on 10/20/09

On Demand Tutoring
Facilitating the Multilevel Classroom
A New Idea for a Familiar Challange

In most classrooms today, each student has different
strengths and weaknesses. Students with individual needs
often want individual teacher time. With so much demand on
raising test scores, we need to meet individual needs
efficiently. These students would benefit from having a
tutor. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a room full of
tutors? Well, you could.
We have learned a lot about how to reach our students and
we keep learning. How about a new tool? Let’s integrate
technology with teacher performance and demonstration to
reach students a new way. Most schools have a computer lab
or computers in the classrooms. We read about more new
technology everyday. Recently, smartboards and digital
cameras have been in the news.
I decided to try using the computer lab for more
individualized instruction. To give the students exactly
what they need, I created pre-recorded teacher DVDs for the
students to watch and take notes from. Teaching videos have
been used for years. Why not make some of your own? Using a
PC or laptop, projector, Smartboard and a digital video
camera, you can create your customized teaching DVDs to use
in the classroom.
The Smartboard allows a teacher to save entire lessons in
advance, thus, saving a lot of writing and erasing time
during a lesson presentation.
The Smartboard has a recorder feature built in which allows
a teacher to record segments that can be played back during
the lesson. After a lesson has been saved, a teacher can
film the lesson presentation using a digital camera .This
allows the teacher to clearly explain exactly what the
students need throughout the lesson. The teacher made DVD
can then be saved to computers for students to view as
needed. This allows students to work individually on the
areas where improvements are needed.

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For example, a Math concept that many students need
reinforcement in is fractions. To help these students
improve, I designed a lesson on the Smartboard with clear
Visuals and sample problems. Then, I filmed the lesson. I
went through the lesson just as I would if I were in front
of the whole class. I saved the written part of the lesson,
web sites to in -cooperate and power points. The DVD is now
on the computers in the computer lab for students to use.
At first, this process takes some preparation time, but it
is well worth it. The students are engaged and happy to
use the technology. Each student can play, pause, fast
forward or rewind the DVD as they watch and listen through
the headphones. The emphasis on individualized needs makes
them feel special. The presentation is authentic and
meaningful because it is the classroom teacher who has
prepared the lesson. One student can work on Math while
another studies Language Arts. Thus, in the long run,
saving the teacher time and making individual needs more
manageable. Several students have asked to buy or download
the lessons.

Les Leonard
Johnson City Schools

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