Bibliographic Information: Help Now! database. Brainfuse, 2011.
Genre: Database, Homework Help, Tutoring
Reading Level: All ages
Curriculum ties: Science, Math, Social Studies, Literature, Foreign Language
Awards: Brainfuse recently topped effectiveness rankings from studies conducted by The Los Angeles Unified School District and the Colorado Department of Education.
Note: Library subscription needed to access this database along with patron library card number if accessed remotely.
Reader’s Annotation: A 24/7 tutoring database that not only helps with homework but builds skills for success in the future such as SAT prep and writing labs for any age.
Contents: The HelpNow! database offers help at Grade levels K-Adult 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a variety of subjects. Math (including Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus), Science (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science), Social Studies (including US History, and World History), and English/Language Arts. Additional help includes other skill building subjects with assistance with writing, grammar and vocabulary. HelpNow also offers foreign language help which only currently offers Spanish but they hope to expand to others as soon as they can recruit approved tutors. Once teens register at the site, they can keep a record of their activity. The Learning Account Features include the ability to view past sessions, has a dropbox/pick up center, view scores of online tests, and create an online study calendar. Lastly, Brainwaves is an archive for whiteboard screenshots that have been shared by you or other teens which is good for reference, especially when doing math problems.
EXPERT HELP SERVICES
Skills-Building: Our skills building service helps you master an academic concept through expert tutoring and state-aligned online lessons, HelpNow Skills Building has been designed for a variety of age groups and academic needs.
Submit a homework question and a tutor will provide you with a response (usually within 24 hours).
Foreign Language Lab: Our Foreign Language Center provides expert homework assistance and support for students who are learning a foreign language. Expert tutoring is currently offered for Spanish, and a host of helpful online resources for learning other languages is forthcoming.
Writing Lab: HelpNow offers two types of writing assistance:
Live Writing Assistance: Connect with an online tutor for expert writing assistance with our live help feature. Live help is particularly helpful during the initial stages of the writing process when you are working on the organizational and thematic features of your paper.
Intensive Writing Lab: For a more thorough analysis, simply select “Writing Lab” from the launch menu and submit your writing via our secure messaging feature. Within approximately 24 hours of submitting your paper, you will receive a detailed analysis of your paper in your message center inbox. Our writing experts are trained to focus their analysis on voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and organization.
Critical Evaluation: What I like about HelpNow is that it provides three distinct ways of studying, understanding that not all teens learn the same way. This database provides students with peer-to peer, self-study, and collaborative options. The peer to peer component offers students the opportunity to meet with friends using the MEET function. Here you can schedule study sessions and have the freedom to meet remotely which is especially helpful with group projects and studying for tests. The self-study components available include an online test center where teens can access sample SAT, ACT and GED tests as well as subject test including math and science. Once taken, students will get immediate scores and will be able to see in what areas they need improvement. The second self study element is Flashbulb, a collection of flashcards on different subjects which gives students a fun way to study. The collaborative aspect is of course the live tutors. All tutors go through rigorous screening, must have a four year degree, and prior tutoring experience.
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Challenge Issues: none
Challenge Defense Ideas: There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this book. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could read the book and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have read the book.
Why was this book included?:
Company Information: Brainfuse- Founded in 1999, Brainfuse is one of the nation’s leading online education providers, serving a diverse client base of libraries, school districts, workforce centers, and universities. With Brainfuse, users receive real-time tutoring and career assistance from certified instructors via our proprietary online classroom.
Since our founding, we have completed millions of one-to-one tutoring sessions.
Over 30 state departments of education have selected Brainfuse as an approved tutoring provider (based on a track record of effectiveness, state alignment, financial soundness, and the capacity to serve large numbers of students). Our K-12 clients include The Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools, and New York City Public Schools.
Brainfuse recently topped effectiveness rankings from studies conducted by The Los Angeles Unified School District and the Colorado Department of Education.
Brainfuse serves hundreds of library systems throughout the country, including Las Vegas-Clark County, The Free Library of Philadelphia, The Connecticut Library Consortium, and Queens Public Library.
(Company information obtained from Brainfuse website. Retrieved from: http://home.brainfuse.com/?page_id=136).
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