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Name: Jon Bischke, founder and CEO of Edufire
Nominated Category: Organization & Individual
Area: Education, language learning
About:
Founded by Jon Bischke — an online education entrepreneur who had previously started LearnOutLoud.com edufire began as a platform that enabled people around the world to tutor and learn languages from each other via video chat.
Description:
While web cams are not required it’s possible to do text-chat sessions between tutors and students, and students get their text-chat session free most of the lessons are done via video chat. Through this method, interested learners around the world can share their skills in Japanese, English, Spanish as well as less popular languages. In the last year, the company has also expanded to include test prep for the ACT, MCAT, SAT, GMAT and other standardized exams. There’s also an other category, where tutors teach everything from calculus to basic HTML to Adobe PhotoShop sessions.
EduFire s name derives from the William Butler Yeats quotation, Education is not the filling of a pail but a lighting of a fire. It’s a for-profit company: Tutors can sign up and create profiles for free, and eduFire then charges a 15% fee for use of video and audio streaming tools on eduFire; students pay for tutoring sessions based on tutors set rates, and payment is channeled through eduFire to the tutors.
On the web site, other resources include discussion forums, flashcards and learning groups which also include sub-communities like Let’s learn and talk about tasty Italian recipes! and Anime club resources.
The Basics:
WHO: Educational start-up edufire
WHAT: A platform that offers language learning via video chat. People sign up to tutor and learn from each other.
WHERE: Learners and tutors participate all over the world.
HOW to get involved: Sign up and create a profile, then look for tutors who offer what you re interested in (or wait for students to find you). Follow EduFire on Twitter and Facebook.
WHAT other people are saying:
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Posted in: Education, Individual, Organization, awards | Tagged: Education, facebook, language, Learning, Tutoring, twitter
