| The Student Success Center offers RTC students a variety of resources. In fact, it is our mission to provide students a welcoming environment and resources to help them complete their training and become gainfully employed. As you enter your program, you may find balancing school needs with your other responsibilities or completing your school work on time a bit of a challenge.
Some of the resources we have to offer include: Study Skills
Tip Sheets, Math and Writing Assistance,
Keyboard Pro to help you with computers and keyboarding,
Peer Tutoring, and Assistive Technology.
Study Skills
In the Student Success Center you will find tip sheets to help you remember or
learn how to take good notes, study, or take tests just to name a few. You can
either print them yourself by clicking on the PDF below, or stop by J218 and
pick one up.
Math and Writing Assistance
Many students struggle with math. That’s why we’ve created a lab environment where you can stop in and get some help with your work. You’re invited to come to J218 between 3:00 and 4:30 pm, on Tuesdays and Thursdays to receive assistance from a math instructor. No appointment is necessary.
In partnership with Basic Studies, materials have been developed and are available on the links below. The math materials provide exercises to practice and answers to check your work. The site is not designed to be a course but rather a way to check your understanding of a concept. The writing materials provide writing guidelines to help you improve your writing and reference materials to help you with proper citation of sources. Check them out!
http://www.quia.com/pages/sscmathresources.html
http://www.quia.com/pages/sscwritingresources.html
For additional assistance with writing mechanics, grammar, and punctuation, the Student Success Center has Learning To Write. This software provides you with exercises that you can choose from for specific practice in a variety of areas. Please visit the Student Success Center for a user ID and password that will allow you to access the resources from any computer at any time.
Keyboard Pro
Using a computer is no longer a “nice skill to have.” It has become an essential skill to have and to be successful. If you have struggled with touch typing, Keyboard Pro will teach you the correct placement of each finger and provide you with activities to build your speed so you can complete your assignments in your program and help you meet your employment goal.
Talking Typing Teacher is also available for use by students who are blind or visually impaired and who want or need to learn how to type. All the lessons and practice sessions are read aloud with clear, concise pre-recorded dialog. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can pick from dozens of fonts, change the size of text, and decide how heavy the print should be, not to mention achieving the ideal color contrast by selecting from thirty different background and text colors.
Peer Tutoring
What is Peer Tutoring?
The Student Success Center provides peer tutoring services free of charge, as funding permits. Students with special needs receive priority for tutorial services. To view a list of programs and classes that are eligible for tutoring assistance, please click here. Peer Tutoring is where students are tutored by other students who are in the same program. By using a tutor from the same program, the student is able to get help with a subject from the tutor who is familiar with the context and application. For example, the type of math used and its applications will be different in Accounting, Welding, and Culinary Arts. Another advantage of peer tutoring is that the tutor is familiar with the expectations of the instructor as well as the projects and/or assignments that are due. Tutors can help students learn how to balance the multiple demands and create a schedule to meet those demands and study efficiently.
Peer Tutoring is Not
Peer Tutoring is not able to provide students with academic support when the student is missing essential basic skills. For example, a student must know how to read before a tutor can help with suggestions on how to read the textbook and understand key points. In situations where a student needs to more fully develop their reading, writing, or math skills, attending a Basic Studies’ class is highly recommended.
How Do I Request a Tutor?
To apply for a tutor, students must fill out a request. The request is
available on-line. or by visiting the Student Success Center in J-218
and picking up the form. Once you have filled out a request, your instructor
will be contacted to confirm your need for a tutor and to determine who might
be a good tutor for you. Once a good match has been found, generally within 2
business days, you will be contacted to set a time to meet the tutor. Once
you’ve met the tutor, you can establish a regular meeting time and location.
Students experiencing academic difficulty are encouraged to apply early.
Becoming a Tutor
Thank you for your interest in becoming a tutor. Our tutors are important
resources. They help their peers to learn new ways to approach difficult
subjects, practice a new skill or application, and gain confidence in their
abilities. Tutors help themselves and others to succeed. Tutoring can be an
enjoyable and challenging part-time job.
The Student Success Center offers qualified students pay and flexible hours.
Qualified tutors are students with excellent organizational, interpersonal and
communication skills. Peer Tutors are students who have an overall GPA of 3.00
and have instructor approval to tutor in a given subject matter. Tutors should
be willing to work five hours per week or less.
Please review the Peer Tutor Job
Description. If you have the qualifications, print out the
Tutor Application. Once you’ve completed the Tutor Application, please
bring it to J218 A. Please bring with you the appropriate ID to complete the
job application process. International Students should contact the Counselor
for International Students at 425.235.5840 to ask about required forms.
After completing the application and brief interview, your instructor will be
contacted to discuss your strengths. After careful review of your application,
the hiring process may be completed. A tutoring assignment can begin
immediately after the completion of all forms for employment. Assignments are
contingent upon the number of tutoring requests received and whether you have
the skills to meet the student’s need.
Once you’ve become a tutor, please contact the office at 425.235.2352 x 5514
or at peertutor@RTC.edu
if at any time:
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You have problems contacting the student.
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Your address, phone number or email have changed.
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Your circumstances have changed and you are no longer able to tutor.
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You have a question about tutoring.
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Your studies are being impacted negatively by your tutoring responsibilities.
Before the Tutoring Session:
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Read/review class materials.
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Do the homework assignment to the best of your ability before you meet with the
tutor.
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Come prepared with questions.
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If you need to cancel a meeting with your tutor, let the tutor know as far in
advance as possible.
During the Tutoring Session:
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Show up for the appointment.
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Be punctual.
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Meet at a public location.
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Be alert and attentive.
It’s important that you understand the following:
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The Peer Tutor Program tries to provide qualified and interested students to
work as peer tutors.
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You are responsible for your own academic performance.
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A tutor works with you and the instructor to provide a better understanding of
what you need to know and do.
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A tutor can answer questions that you may not have asked in class.
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A tutor can give you tips on how to study more effectively.
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A tutor may direct you to other academic resources when appropriate.
Hiring a Private Tutor
The Student Success Center cannot be held responsible for any of the private
tutoring services that may be advertised on campus. We cannot guarantee the
quality of tutoring which occurs outside of our program.
If you decide to hire a private tutor, please consider the following guidelines
listed below to ensure the quality of your tutor.
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Always interview the tutor before making a commitment to hire.
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Ask to see a copy of his/her transcript to verify (s)he has taken the
appropriate class(es) and received a good grade (usually a B+ or above).
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Ask for at least one personal reference from the tutor.
Eligible Programs & Classes
[PDF]
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology plays an important role in helping students with learning
challenges succeed. Using U.D.L,, Renton Technical College has provided
assistive technologies to students in the Pilot programs as well as made them
available to all students who use the Technology Resource Center 's Open Lab,
Student Success Center or Library. Some of the technologies allow books and
materials to be read aloud to students, enlarge text and screen images, provide
graphic display of text and use voice recognition. The following are some of
the assistive technology available for use in the Student Success Center.
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Dragon Naturally Speaking - software which allows you to speak
into the computer rather than typing. This software requires “training” the
computer to understand your voice. As you “train” it over time, it learns your
vocabulary! If you hate to type but need to prepare papers, email, etc., this
tool is for you!
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Zoom Text -enlarges text and graphics. Provides magnification
of up to 16x with a variety of view and contrast settings. This can help anyone
who may have trouble seeing smaller graphics or print. It can be used with any
of your other applications. |
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Wynn Wizard/Wynn Reader- scans (digitizes) materials into the
computer with an optical character reader so that it can be represented in
multiple formats. You are able to scan in pages from text books or handouts and
have the information read to you or you can look up words on the dictionary,
highlight main topics, create sub-lists, add in other notes, and more. This is
a great tool to use if you have to learn information or study from written
materials.
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Inspiration - software which allows the student to represent
ideas in graphic format and convert easily to text. This software improves
visual learning and provides support for critical thinking, comprehension,
planning and organizing. If you like to organize your study notes or write with
charts and pictures, this is the tool for you.
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TextHelp Read and Write - gives the student assistance with
word prediction, grammar and vocabulary support. As you type, Read and Write
predicts words for the sentence even if you don't know how to spell them . This
tool is great for proof reading. It also reads aloud to you, which is great for
students who want to improve their English skills.
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Homepage Reader - helps the student hear as well as see when
exploring the World Wide Web . Homepage Reader assists in web page reading,
changing font size, color and background of pages.
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Talking Typing Teacher is also available for use by students who
are blind or visually impaired and who want or need to learn how to type. All the
lessons and practice sessions are read aloud with clear, concise pre-recorded dialog.
With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can pick from dozens of fonts, change the
size of text, and decide how heavy the print should be, not to mention achieving
the ideal color contrast by selecting from thirty different background and text
colors. |
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