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The telephone lines are now open and Internet connections ready for
Indiana middle school and high school students to receive help
understanding their math and science homework through Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology’s Homework Hotline toll-free tutoring service.
The program reinforces basic and advanced math and science concepts,
supports classroom practices, and helps students develop better
problem-solving skills as they prepare for postsecondary education and
successful placement in Indiana’s workforce.
The Homework Hotline is available on Sundays through Thursdays from 7
p.m. to 10 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) for Indiana students in grades
6-12 by calling 1-877-ASK-ROSE (1-877-275-7673) or submitting a question
through the service’s website, www.AskRose.org. The website also has
been updated with a variety of math and science resource materials.
The Homework Hotline is a free community service, provided by Rose-Hulman
and Lilly Endowment Inc. Students and parents may call at no charge.
Persons using the Homework Hotline will be assisted by Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology students. Recommended by faculty, tutors are
selected for their technical knowledge and ability to communicate
clearly. They have access to current math and science textbooks,
computers and the Internet. More than 30 tutors are available each night
–- from approximately 140 tutors on staff.
“Helping a caller understand a concept is fantastic, and giving a caller
the confidence to continue learning on his or her own is even better.
That’s what we do: explain concepts and inspire confidence,” stated one
of the Rose-Hulman tutors. (The identities of tutors and callers/online
users are kept anonymous.)
Homework Hotline tutors answered a record 46,228 calls and 3,405 online
tutoring sessions during the 2009-10 school year. That total increased
the number of calls received to more than 300,000 since the program’s
inception in 1991.
"Our research shows that if a student calls or conducts an online
session with our tutors once, the student has such a wonderful
experience and gets the desired help, that he or she will call again,"
said Homework Hotline Director Susan Smith. “The Homework Hotline has
experienced tremendous success reaching students, educators and
community leaders across Indiana.”
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Homework Helpers: More than 30 Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology students are available each night (Sundays through
Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.) throughout this school year to provide
assistance on the Homework Hotline’s free telephone or online services. |
The Homework Hotline is not an answer line, but rather an educational
resource that reinforces classroom concepts and offers assistance, Smith
said.
“Rose-Hulman’s Homework Hotline has been a savior for many of my
students who are doing homework at home and become stuck or frustrated
by a particular problem or set of problems,” states Sandy Cowgill, math
teacher and department chair at Muncie Central High School. “The tutors
are very friendly and helpful, and their suggestions help my students
remember how to do the math they learn in the classroom.”
Eugene White, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, adds: “I
have witnessed the value of Rose-Hulman’s Homework Hotline through
improved performance by many middle and high school students. It has
served as a constant support for our students.”
Finally, Tony Bennett, Indiana State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, states: “Learning experiences often must happen beyond the
classroom walls, and Rose-Human should be applauded for its commitment
to assist students in those efforts.”
Sara B. Cobb, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education, stated,
“The impact of Rose-Hulman’s Homework Hotline is as basic and concrete
as helping a student solve an algebraic equation, or as profound as
increasing a student’s confidence level and even sparking an interest in
a technical field. The Homework Hotline continues to touch people on a
very personal level by providing a needed educational resource through a
unique learning program.”
Besides working with schools, the Homework Hotline has also developed
partnerships with Indiana libraries and school media centers as well as
collaborations with community organizations that serve youth. These
partnerships have enabled community organizations to impact youth and
motivate parents and families to become more involved in student
learning outcomes.
“Rose-Hulman’s Homework Hotline has been an invaluable partner with the
Indiana Library Federation (ILF), from providing keynote speakers for
our district conferences to showcasing their service at our annual
conference. ILF truly values the manner in which the hotline helps us
strive to keep Indiana libraries on the cutting edge of the profession,”
states Jason Gilbert, ILF’s program manager.
The Homework Hotline was started in 1991 as a free community service for
students in Vigo County.
Take a peek behind the scenes of the Homework Hotline by viewing three short videos about how the service and tutors at
http://askrose.org/media.php?section=videos.
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