Name: ______Date: ______Class: ______

Topic: Review of the Purpose and Process of AVID Tutorials

How are AVID tutorials different from “tutoring”? /
  • Students come prepared with specific questions
  • Questions are high level thinking questions
  • Students work and discuss in collaborative groups
  • Students must reflect on their own participation in the groups and on how the group worked together
  • Tutors don’t teach the answers; they ask more questions; this is called the Socratic method

Why are AVID tutorials different from “tutoring”?
Main Idea:
Students must SAY and DO in tutorial in order to remember material at an acceptable passing rate. / Students remember:
  • 10% of what they READ
  • 20% of what they HEAR
  • 30% of what they SEE
  • 50% of what they SEE, HEAR, and SAY
  • 70% of what they DISCUSS
  • 80% of what they DO
  • 90% of what they SAY and DO
So, if the teacher/tutor only has you read something, you will likely remember only a tenth of it.If the teacher/tutor is telling you how to do something, you will likely remember only a fifth of it. If the teacher/tutor is showing you how to do something, you will likely only remember half of it.
Why are collaborative groups beneficial? /
  • No one knows everything
  • Teachers expect analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of subject matter
  • Students will move faster and remember more when working together
  • For most people, learning with other people is more fun than studying alone

Why are the questions students write important? / The skill of asking questions is fundamentally different from the skill of answering them because…
  • Waiting to answer a question is a passive process; asking a question is an active process and changes your relationship to the material.
  • Level 2 and 3 questions create a much deeper connection to the material than level 1.

What are the Socratic questions tutors/teachers should ask students or students should ask each other? / What is your question? What can you tell me about it? What does _____ mean? How would you teach this to a friend? What would happen if you changed _____? What have we overlooked? What have you already tried? What is the relationship between ____ and ____ ? How would you illustrate your process? Where can you go for more information? What did you learn? What questions do you still have?
Why are the Socratic questions tutors/teachersask and students ask each other important? / Socratic questioning helps students to think critically by focusing explicitly on the process of thinking. During disciplined, carefully structured questioning, students must slow down and examine their own thinking processes. This helps them:
  • Construct knowledge
  • Develop problem-solving skills
  • Improve long-tern retention of knowledge

What are the expectations of working in collaborative tutorial groups? /
  • Students come prepared each Tuesday with TWO level 2 or 3 questions over relevant, current material.
  • Students ask each other the questions listed above; the tutor/teacher should not be the only one asking these.
  • Students DISCUSS everyone’s questions. Each student must SAY things and DO things in order to be considered a participant and in order to REMEMBER 90% of the material.
  • Study the notes you take.

Why is reflection on your involvement and the group’s ability to work together so important? / Thinking about your thinking is called “metacognition”. When you reflect on how you approach a problem/question and how you operate within a working group, you are learning more than just the material. You are learning a life skill (reflective thinking) that will set you apart from others who lack that skill. Self-knowledge is a powerful tool!