Help Center

Find answers here to your questions about this site.

Learning and Teaching on this Site

See the following if you're using this site for online learning:
Help for All Users
Help for Students
Help for Parents of GlobalScholar Students
Help for Teachers and Supplementary Learning Companies

For more help, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) links (left).

Schools and School Districts using the GlobalScholar CIIS

See the following if you're using the GlobalScholar Curriculum Instruction Information System (CIIS) through a school or school district:
Help for Schools and School Districts

 

 

Help for All Users

Sessions and schedules Learn about GlobalScholar instruction See your schedule See your classroom See your next session's date and time Cancel a session		E-mail and passwords Send a message to a teacher or student Change your password Change your e-mail address or other personal information Make sure GlobalScholar e-mail isn’t accidentally blocked
Help with whiteboard audio Audio tips Check audio settings for the whiteboard Check audio settings for your computer Check connection settings for the whiteboard		Getting started Use a computer with the right browser and Internet connection

Learn about GlobalScholar instruction

GlobalScholar offers different types of instruction to help you meet your educational goals.

Instant Tutoring

Get help now! Instant Tutoring provides instruction on-demand, where students can ask one question or a thousand questions. When a student searches for an Instant Tutoring teacher and the search results for the teacher say I'm Available!, the student can connect and start learning instantly. Using Instant Tutoring has an added advantage: If you purchase a block of teaching time but don't use all the time with your Instant Tutoring session, you can use the balance of your time later and schedule another session.

Scheduled Tutoring

A student and teacher can schedule to meet once or to meet regularly, as needed. To schedule tutoring sessions, either the student and teacher can find a time that works for them both, or the student can find an available time slot from the teacher's calendar. Scheduled Tutoring is popular with students who want ongoing help with difficult courses.

Homework Help

Students get feedback on assignments, for example, a book report, college application essay, or science project. To do this, the student submits an assignment to a teacher through this site's online classroom, and the teacher responds with advice on how to complete or improve the assignment.

Self-guided Learning

A student learns individually, at his or her own pace. Self-guided Learning is non-interactive, that is, students do not interact with teachers. This type of instruction is popular with test preparation, for example, for the SAT, GED, or other standardized tests. Students also use Self-guided Learning to purchase educational content for unlimited use.

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See your schedule

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Calendar.

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See your classroom

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. If you are a student, on the left, click Classes Attending.
   If you are a teacher, on the left, click Classes Teaching.

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See your next session's date and time

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Classes Attending.
   If you are a parent, also click your child’s name.
3. In the course list, click the name of the course you want.
4. Under Future Sessions, look for the date and time.

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Cancel a session

Note If your session starts in less than 24 hours, contact customer support to cancel your session.

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. At the left, click Classes Attending.

If you are a parent, click your child’s name.
3. In the course list, click the name of the course you want.
4. Find the course in the list, then in the Cancel column, click Cancel.

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Send a message to a teacher or student

To contact a teacher or student, you can quickly prepare and send e-mail through this site. Because the privacy and security of students and teachers is important, this site conceals (masks) e-mail addresses.

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. If you are a student, click Classes Attending.
   If you are a teacher, click Classes Teaching.
3. Find the course in the list, and then click its name.
4. Under Send Message, click click here.
5. Write your message and send it.

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Change your password

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Account, and then click Change Password.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Change your e-mail address or other personal information

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Account and then click E-mail Preferences or Personal Info as appropriate.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Make sure GlobalScholar e-mail isn’t accidentally blocked

Often, good mail gets blocked — by accident. To avoid problems, make GlobalScholar a safe sender in your e-mail program. With most e-mail programs, if you have already received an e-mail from GlobalScholar, you can highlight it and select an action that marks it "safe" (for example, not spam or not junk).

Note The following procedures apply to different e-mail programs. Because programs routinely change from version to version, it's a good idea to follow the steps in your e-mail program's documentation.

America Online (AOL)
Microsoft Outlook
Mozilla Thunderbird
Windows Live Hotmail
Yahoo!

America Online (AOL)

1. From the Mail menu, select Address Book.
2. When the Address Book window opens, click Add.
   The Address Card for New Contact window opens.
3. In the Other E-mail field, type @globalscholar.com.
4. To make GlobalScholar's "from" address the primary e-mail address, select the appropriate check box.
5. Click Save.

Existing Subscribers: If GlobalScholar e-mail is in your AOL Spam Folder, open the e-mail and click the This Is Not Spam button. Also, add @globalscholar.com to your address book as described above.

Microsoft Outlook

Add GlobalScholar.com to your Safe Senders list:

1. On the Tools menu, select Options.
2. On the Preferences tab, select Junk E-mail.
3. On the Safe Senders tab, select Add.
4. In the Add address or domain dialog box, type the @globalscholar.com domain name.
5. Click OK twice.

Mozilla Thunderbird

Add our "From" address, @globalscholar.com, to your Thunderbird Address Book and configure your Junk Mail Controls to whitelist your address book. A whitelist is a list of accepted e-mail addresses.

1. In Thunderbird, click Address Book.
2. On the left, select the Personal Address Book.
3. Click New Card.
4. In the New Card dialog box, click the Contact tab.
5. In the E-mail field, type @globalscholar.com.
6. Click OK.

To whitelist your personal address book in Mozilla

1. In Mozilla 1.5.0 and earlier, go to the Tools menu and select Junk Mail Controls.
   In Mozilla 2.0.0.x, the controls are divided between these locations:
   (a) Tools -> Options -> Privacy -> Junk and
   (b) Tools -> Account Settings -> *each account* -> Junk Settings.
2. On the Settings tab, update the whitelists module. From the drop-down list box, select Personal Address Book, and then select Do not mark messages as junk mail.
3. Click OK.

Existing Subscribers: Check your Junk e-mail folder to determine whether GlobalScholar e-mail was mistakenly placed there. To prevent this from happening, mark GlobalScholar e-mail as not junk. Do this by right-clicking our e-mail and selecting Mark -- As Not Junk.

Windows Live Hotmail

Add our "From" address, @globalscholar.com, to your Hotmail Safe Senders list.

1. At your mailbox, go to the upper right of the page and click Options.
2. Under Junk E-mail, click Safe and blocked senders.
3. Click the Safe senders link.
4. In Sender or domain to mark as safe, type @globalscholar.com.
5. Click Add to list.

Existing Subscribers: If GlobalScholar e-mail is in your Junk e-mail folder, open the e-mail and click Mark as safe. Next, use Options to see if our e-mail address is in your blocked senders list. If you see @globalscholar.com on this list, select it and click Remove from list. Finally, if you have not done so, add the @globalscholar.com domain to your Safe Senders list as described above.

Yahoo!

Set up a filter to redirect GlobalScholar e-mail into your inbox:

1. Sign in to Yahoo! Mail and go to your inbox.
2. In the upper right of your mailbox, click Options and, from the menu that appears, select Mail Options.
3. On the left, select Filters.
4. On the Filters page, click Create or edit filters, and then click Add.
5. For the From header rule, select contains and, in the next box, type @globalscholar.com.
6. From the Move the message to drop-down list box, select Inbox.
7. Click Save Changes.

Existing Subscribers: If GlobalScholar e-mail is getting sent to your Yahoo Bulk Folder, open the e-mail and click Not Spam. Next, check to see if the e-mail's address is in your blocked addresses list. If you see @globalscholar.com in this list, select it and click Remove Block. Finally, be sure to set up a filter as described above.

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Audio tips

Use the following information to help you with setting up and troubleshooting whiteboard audio and connections on this site.

Troubleshooting a problem? Start here:

• Use a supported browser. For the latest information, see Use a computer with the right browser and Internet connection.
• Use a high-speed connection for best performance. Lower-bandwidth connections such as dial-up are less reliable during whiteboard sessions.

Check the following for best performance and to troubleshoot audio problems:

• Check microphone and speaker volume controls.
  If your microphone or headset has a Mute switch, make sure it is not muted. If your speakers and headset have volume controls, make sure they are turned up.
• Use the chat option, if you don't have a microphone.
  If your computer doesn't have a microphone or the mic doesn't work, then type your questions in the whiteboard's Chat box instead.
• Check connections.
  Make sure your microphone and speakers are connected correctly. For example, with an external microphone, make sure it is connected to a microphone port (typically pink). With external speakers, make sure they are connected to a speaker port (typically green). Make sure connectors are fully pushed in.
• Move wireless devices.
  Keep cell phones and other portable devices away from the computer and microphone.
• If possible, do the following for best results:
  Use a wired connection between your microphone and computer. Wireless connections can create interference.
  Use either a headset or a combination of headphones and an external microphone.

If you are still having problems, continue with the next section.

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Check audio settings for the whiteboard

Check audio settings at the upper left of the whiteboard.

To check the whiteboard's connection to this site

• Check the Connection Status box, which displays the following:
  A green dot means you are connected to the other party.
  A red dot means you are not connected. Continue with the steps in Check connection settings for the whiteboard.

To check the speaker volume

• Check the Speaker slider.
  Click the slider. Drag it right for higher volume. Drag it left for lower volume.

To enable the microphone

1. Under Microphone, click Click here to allow microphone.
2. In the settings box, select Allow and then select Remember.
3. Click Close.

If you are using a lower-bandwidth connection (for example, dial-up)

1. Under Microphone, click Adjust Your Audio.
2. Change the Audio Rate setting to 5 khz or 8 khz.
3. Click the close box.

To adjust the microphone

1. Under Microphone, click Adjust Your Audio.
2. To adjust the volume for sounds that your other party hears, move the Mic Volume slider.

Drag it right for higher volume. Drag it left for lower volume.
3. To adjust the microphone's ability to transmit background sounds, move the Mic Sensitivity slider.
   Drag it right to increase background sounds' volume. Drag it left for lower volume.
4. Click the close box.

If you are still having problems, continue with the next section.

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Check audio settings for your computer

Check basic audio-related settings based on computer type. For more detailed information, see the Help and documentation for Microsoft Windows or the Apple operating system.

Microsoft Windows XP computer   Windows Vista computer   Apple Macintosh computer

Microsoft Windows XP computer

To check audio settings

1. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Sounds and Audio Devices.
3. In the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box, click the Audio tab.
4. Under Sound Playback, check the name listed under Default device.
   If this shows the name of the playback device you want to use, go to the next step.
   If this does not show the name of the playback device, select it from this drop-down list box.
5. Under Sound Playback, click Volume.
6. On the Master Volume dialog box, click Options and then Properties.
7. Under Show the following volume controls, make sure all check boxes are selected (for example, Master Volume, Wave, and more).
8. Click OK.
9. When the Master Volume dialog box appears again, under a heading that typically reads Master Volume, check the following:
   Make sure the slider is not set to zero. If needed, move the slider up to increase volume.
   Make sure Mute All is cleared.

To check microphone settings

1. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Sounds and Audio Devices.
3. In the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box, click the Audio tab.
4. Under Sound Recording, check the name listed under Default device.
   If this shows the name of the microphone you want to use, go to the next step.
   If this does not show the name of the microphone, select it from this drop-down list box.
5. Under Sound Recording, click Volume.
6. On the Recording Control dialog box, click Options and then Properties.
7. Under Show the following volume controls, make sure all check boxes are selected (for example, Microphone, Line in, and more).
8. Click OK.
9. When the Master Volume dialog box appears again, under Microphone, make sure the slider is not set to zero. If needed, move the slider up to increase volume.

If you are still having problems, continue with Check connection settings for the whiteboard.

Windows Vista computer

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click Sound.
3. At the Sound dialog box, click the Playback tab.
4. Select the audio/playback device you want to use (for example, a set of speakers).
   Windows displays a green check mark to identify the default device.
   Note Make sure the selected device shows Working. If it doesn't, use Windows documentation to troubleshoot.
5. Click the Recording tab.
6. Select the microphone you want to use.
   Windows displays a green check mark to identify the default device.
   Note Make sure the selected device shows Working. If it doesn't, use Windows documentation to troubleshoot.
7. Click OK.

If you are still having problems, continue with Check connection settings for the whiteboard.

Apple Macintosh computer

This procedure is based on Mac OS X.

To check audio settings

1. Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. In the System Preferences window, click Sound.
3. On the Sound Preferences panel, click Output.
4. As needed, adjust the Volume and Balance settings.
   Make sure that the mute check box is cleared.
5. Check the device names in the Built-in Speakers and Headphones lists.

To enable the microphone

1. Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
2. In the System Preferences window, click Sound.
3. On the Sound Preferences panel, click Input.
4. As needed, adjust the Volume and Balance settings.
   Make sure that the mute check box is cleared.
   Tip Generally, set the input volume high enough so sound can be heard, but not too high to cause distortion.
5. Check the device name for the internal or external microphone, based on the type you're using.
   If the list contains more than one device, select the device you want to use.

If you are still having problems, continue with Check connection settings for the whiteboard.

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Check connection settings for the whiteboard

Check your Internet connection to help avoid audio problems with this site. To do so, use this site's Bandwidth Checker utility. Bandwidth typically refers to the ability of a transmission medium — for example, an Internet connection — to send and receive information. The utility estimates your speed and, in some cases, provides guidance for connectivity problems.

Tip For more-reliable whiteboard connections, use a wired (Ethernet) connection with your computer rather than a wireless connection.

To check your Internet connection from the whiteboard

1. At the bottom of the whiteboard, click the option to check your bandwidth.
2. In the Bandwidth Checker dialog box, click Test.
   Allow the test to complete, which can take between 10 and 20 seconds. During testing, do not click your browser's back button or forward button. If the test appears to hang, click Cancel to halt the test.
3. Check the test results.
   Unsuccessful results say that you need more upload bandwidth. If this is the case, continue with the troubleshooting steps in the next section.

Troubleshooting

The following sections help you troubleshoot error messages displayed by the Bandwidth Checker. If you do not see a specific error message, see the general guidance for ways you can improve your whiteboard connection.

Error message: The bandwidth checker unable to connect to this site.

This message appears when there is no Internet connection, or if the checker cannot connect to this site. Repeat the test by clicking Test Again.

Error message: There may be a problem with settings

This message appears when there is at least one problem with your computer or Internet settings. Repeat the test by clicking Test Again.

General ways to make better use of available bandwidth

There are many ways to improve your Internet connection. One way is to turn off bandwidth-consuming programs. These run in the background, that is, as processes. Examples include file sharing programs such as current favorites Limewire, Kazaa, or Gnutella. Programs like these use bandwidth when idle. As a solution, follow the manufacturer's documentation to disable these programs during your whiteboard sessions or, if you do not use the programs, uninstall them.

Tip Because fixing bandwidth problems can be complicated, you might consider using a higher-speed connection during your whiteboard sessions. For example, if you can use a suitably-equipped computer with a wired Internet connection at, say, school or the home of a friend or relative, consider trying that for a whiteboard session.

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Use a computer with the right browser and Internet connection

Here are recommendations for having a good experience while using this site:

Web Browser Recommendations

Use any of the following:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer: Version 6.0 or later
• Mozilla Firefox: Version 1.5 through Version 2

Note that the following browsers are not recommended for use with this site, particularly when connecting for a session using this site’s whiteboard. Students and teachers use the whiteboard as a communications tool.

• Apple Safari
• Mobile browsers

Internet Connection Recommendations

For good performance, we recommend that you use a high-speed, broadband Internet connection, for example, cable or DSL. However, we do not recommend that you use a broadband satellite Internet connection with this site, particularly for online learning sessions that use the site's whiteboard.

Note If you use a dial-up Internet connection and attempt to use GlobalScholar’s whiteboard, you can experience slow performance and interrupted connectivity.

Optional

When you connect with a teacher on this site and use chat, voice, and the site’s whiteboard, the following can improve your learning experience — but are not required:

• A headset with a microphone
• A digital pad and pen

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Help for Students

Find the right courses Find a course Check a course's ratings and reviews Find the course with the highest rating or lowest price Find the right tutor: Try before you buy! Get help on your terms using Name Your Price See more available times for a course Learn more about a teacher or a tutoring company		Everyday learning See the courses in which you are enrolled Submit a question to get help with homework Test your skills using free assessments Learn more using free Student Resources
Purchases and accounts Purchase a course for yourself Check the balance of remaining instruction time Purchase more instruction time for a course Change billing information Cancel a purchase

 

Find a course

1. At the top of the page, click Online Learning.
2. In the I Need Help box, search or browse for the subject you want (for example, English or Science).
3. Read the course descriptions.
   To learn more about a course, click its name. When you do this, you can check a course's ratings and reviews.

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Check a course's ratings and reviews

1. Find a course.
2. If there is more than one teacher for the course, locate the teacher in which you're interested.
3. Check the ratings information provided by students, as available:
   Rating stars: Five stars is the highest rating.
   Reviews: Read opinions from GlobalScholar students.

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Find the course with the highest rating or lowest price

1. At the top of the page, click Online Learning.
2. Browse or search for the type of help you want.
   For example, in the I Need Help box, enter a subject (for example, Math).
3. If needed, under Narrow Your Search, find courses by type, grade, or topics.
4. Under the type of learning you want (for example, Online Tutoring or Homework Help), to sort courses with the highest rating first, click Rating.
   To sort courses by pricing, click Price.

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Find the right tutor: Try before you buy!

If you're trying to find a tutor or want to try out online learning, try a free trial tutoring session. Working with tutors through free trial sessions is a great way to find the right tutor for the subject and the type of help you want. When you try before you buy, you can get help with a problem, try online tutoring tools, and find a good match for meeting your educational goals. With free trial tutoring, session time is limited, typically to 10 minutes.

To start a free trial session

1. If you don't have a GlobalScholar account, create one first.
2. Search or browse for the type of help you want (for example, Homework Help).
3. Find a tutor that you think is a good match for your needs.
   Check the course's ratings and reviews.
4. If the tutor is online now, click I'm Available! and connect.
5. Work online with your tutor, using the site's whiteboard.
Before the session ends, the site alerts you.
6. During a free trial session, you can purchase additional time with the tutor.

After the session, you can typically set up Scheduled Tutoring with the same tutor.

Remember You are limited to one free trial session per tutor.

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Get help on your terms using Name Your Price

Name Your Price is a special offer on GlobalScholar.com that lets you get the help you need for an assignment, your homework, and more using flexible pricing.

When you submit a question using Name Your Price, your question goes to many tutors for bidding. This means that if you already have a preferred tutor with whom you'd prefer to work, you should schedule a regular session instead.

Follow these steps to use Name Your Price:

1. Find the subject area.
   Search or browse for the type of help you want (for example, Homework Help). In the Name Your Price box, click Learn More.
2. Submit your question.
   Under Name Your Price, select the subject, topic, and grade (for example, 12th grade trigonometry). Type your question and describe it, for instance, to clarify where you need help or what you have already tried to solve a problem. Name a price you want for an answer. Set a deadline. Click Post Question. After tutors review your question, they either accept your price or submit counter offers (bids) to you. You accept the tutor and bid you want.
3. Review tutor bids.
   Once you receive a tutor reply by e-mail, go to your GlobalScholar home page and, under Name Your Price, review the tutor bid. Make sure this is the right tutor for you, then accept the bid and pay.
4. Get your answer.
   After you receive an e-mail reply that an answer is ready, go to your GlobalScholar home page and, under Name Your Price, view the response.

If you want, you can return to your GlobalScholar home page later and review the response again.

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See more available times for a course

To check available times, you open a course calendar and check availability before scheduling. By doing this, you can confirm that the teacher is available at the time you want to connect.

1. Find a course.
2. Under Buy Now (right), under the available times, click Choose another time.

Tip If the course does not offer other times, the Choose another time link does not appear. The teacher might not be available at the time you want.

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Learn more about a teacher or a tutoring company

Some courses are taught by several teachers. To learn more about the teachers:

1. Find a course.
2. In the course description, either click the stars it has received in ratings or, if it has received at least one review, click the number of reviews (for example, (2 reviews)).
3. To learn more about a teacher — for example, the teacher's GlobalScholar biography, background verification, and degrees — click Show Teacher Details.

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See the courses in which you are enrolled

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Classes Attending.

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Submit a question to get help with homework

1. Before submitting a question, decide whether it is complex enough that it should be considered multiple questions instead.
   For example, if it is a multiple part problem, you should purchase multiple questions.
2. At the GlobalScholar home page, go to Homework Help and find a course and teacher.
   Before you purchase the course, make sure that the teacher’s response time meets your needs (for example, to get a response by a particular date and time).
3. After you complete your purchase, click My GlobalScholar.
4. With multiple part problems, you can purchase additional questions from your classroom page. Look under Balance and click Buy More to purchase the additional questions.
5. Now it’s time to submit the question to your teacher.
6. Provide the question with a title.
   Use a title that makes it easy to refer to the question.
7. If you have a file attachment you want to include, click Browse and attach the file to your question.
   Note In this step, you can upload only one file. If you have additional files to submit, do so later in this procedure.
8. Type the number of questions you want to submit.
   Your teacher will compare this number to your question and determine whether it can be answered in the same number of responses. If there is a discrepancy, your teacher will contact you and customer service about purchasing more questions.
9. Click Submit.
10. If you have additional files you want to accompany your question, use the Classroom File Resources section at the bottom of the page to upload them.
    Make sure you provide all the necessary supporting documents that your teacher needs to answer your question.
11. When you want to check for a response from your teacher, click My GlobalScholar and then click Classes Attending.
12. Click the link with your course name, and then look for the response in your online classroom.
    Note GlobalScholar does not send Homework Help responses by e-mail.

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Test your skills using free assessments

Build your skills and check your mastery of selected subjects by completing self-assessment tests on this site. Assessments are short, self-paced quizzes that you can complete in minutes, giving you practice in subjects including math and language arts. There are no fees for these assessments.

For additional practice, you can retake an assessment in the same subject and grade level. When you take an assessment, GlobalScholar randomly selects questions from its item bank.

To take an assessment

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. Do one of the following:
   • On the GlobalScholar home page, go to the Test Your Skills box and select the subject and grade level, and click Bring It On!.
   • If you're signed in, click My GlobalScholar. On the left, click Free Assessments. Select the subject and grade level, and click Take Assessment.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.
4. After you've answered all questions, click Submit Assessment.

After GlobalScholar scores your assessment, you can check the following:

• Assessment score (top)
• Correct answers are highlighted with green and incorrect answers are highlighted with red. To understand why a particular answer is correct or not, see Thinking through the problem in your assessment's results.
• After you save your assessment scores, you can go to My Dashboard and, through Free Assessments, view the tests you've completed.

Tip You can share your assessment results with others. Click E-mail this Score and e-mail a link to your results to teachers, parents, or friends.

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Learn more using Free Student Resources

You can quickly build your skills in a particular area, working when you want, at your own pace — and free of charge. This site's Free Student Resources are online lessons and activities from a variety of quality curriculum providers.

Here's how it works:

• Decide which skill areas interest you or where you need help (for example, math or economics).
• Search this site's free Student Resources for lessons you want.
• After find and select a lesson, complete it on the online curriculum website.

There are no fees for these lessons.

To learn online using Free Student Resources

1. Go to the GlobalScholar home page.
2. Under Free Student Resources review the many activities and resources available, and find the topic you want.
3. To learn about available activities, read the descriptions and check the grade levels.
4. When you find an activity that interests you, next to the topic, click View Details.
5. When you're ready start the activity, click Open Link.

Your lesson opens on the curriculum website.
6. Start learning.
   Simply follow the instructions on screen.

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Purchase a course for yourself

1. At the top of the page, click either Home or Online Learning.
2. Find a course.
3. Click the course name to display details.
4. On the right, click Buy Now.
5. Follow the instructions on screen.
6. Click Place Order.
7. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Check the balance of remaining instruction time

If your instruction time elapses while a course is in session, the session closes automatically. For this reason, remember how much time you have remaining.

1. Start in the GlobalScholar classroom.
2. If you have GlobalScholar's whiteboard open for a teaching session, minimize the whiteboard.
3. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
4. Click Classes Attending.
5. Find the course in the list, and then click its name.
6. Under Current Balance is the amount of remaining instruction time.
7. If needed, purchase more instruction time.

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Purchase more instruction time for a course

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. Click Classes Attending.
   If you are a parent, also click your child's name.
3. Find the course in the list, and click the course name.
4. Under Current Balance (left), locate the amount of instruction time you have already purchased.
5. Click Buy More.
6. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Change billing information

1. Click Your GlobalScholar and, on the left, click Account.
2. Under Account (left), click Payment settings.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Cancel a purchase

Note If your session starts in less than 24 hours, contact customer support to cancel your purchase.

1. Click My GlobalScholar and, on the left, click Account.
2. Under Account (left), click Purchases.
3. Find the purchase you want to cancel, and then click View Details.
4. Above the order summary, click the cancellation link.

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Help for Parents of GlobalScholar Students

See what courses your child is taking
Purchase a course for your child
Create an account for a child
Connect your account to your child’s account

See what courses your child is taking

Use the following procedure to see your child's courses when your child's account is linked to your family's account on this site.

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. Click Classes Attending and, after the page refreshes, click your child's name below Classes Attending.

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Purchase a course for your child

1. Find the course you want to purchase.
2. Click View Details.
3. Click Buy Now.
4. Select This course is for one of my children and the select the child's name.
   • If your child already has an account, select the child’s name from the box.
   • If the child has an account through his or her school, but the page does not list the child’s name, click My child has an account but it is not listed here, and then follow the instructions on screen.
   • If the child does not yet have an account, click My child does not have an account, and then follow the instructions on screen.
5. Under Payment Method, do one of the following:
   • Select PayPal.
   • Select Use a credit card in my account.
   • Select Use another credit card, and then complete the information for that card.
6. Click Place order.
7. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Create an account for a child

1. Click My GlobalScholar and, on the left, click Account.
2. Under Account, click Family.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.

Help for Parents | Top

Connect your account to your child’s account

You can connect your account to an existing account for a child, so that you can purchase courses for your child. To connect the accounts, you need your child's GlobalScholar user name (e-mail address) and GlobalScholar password.

1. Click My GlobalScholar and, on the left, click Account.
2. Under Account (left), click Family.
3. Click My child already has an account.
4. Follow the instructions on screen.

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Help for Teachers and Supplementary Learning Companies

Many routine tasks are the same for most users—for example, students, parents, and teachers. However, to set up their courses and tutoring sessions, teachers and educational organizations must complete additional steps. These steps include the following:

Getting started Apply to teach Write a teacher biography Create a course		Everyday learning Update your calendar Connect with a student for a scheduled session Review the courses you are teaching Respond to Homework Help questions Set your online status for instant tutoring or free trials Remind students about instructional time
Provider organizations Manage tutors in your provider organization		Manage your information Update your teacher biography

 

Apply to teach

To apply to teach on GlobalScholar, you create a GlobalScholar account and complete an online application. In your application, you provide typical information that includes your address, your education and job history, and more.

Before you complete your application, have the following ready:

• A teacher biography — This is background information you want to provide to students. You'll copy and paste this into your application.
• A digital photo of yourself — Students will see this when they read about your courses and your background. You'll upload this photo with your application. For best results, resize your digital photo to 95 x 69 pixels.
• Your current resume — Refer to this as you complete your application, for example, to include your work experience.

To apply to teach

1. On the GlobalScholar home page, under Here's how GlobalScholar helps, click Teachers and below, click Learn How.
2. On the Tutoring Tools for Teachers page, click Apply Now.
3. Click Create a Secure Account.
4. Follow the instructions on screen to create an account and complete the application.
5. After you check your information for accuracy, click Submit.
   If you have omitted required information, GlobalScholar prompts you to provide it.

You'll receive an e-mail indicating that we have received your application, and that we will notify you by e-mail of next steps. We process applications as quickly as possible. If you want to check your application's status, you can sign in to GlobalScholar and check My GlobalScholar. After we review your application, we require that you complete a brief training session on GlobalScholar web classroom skills. In it, you'll receive training in the use of our online classroom tools, such as the whiteboard used during teaching sessions. After your training, you're ready to get started teaching on GlobalScholar.

Tip Another way to apply is to go to the bottom of any GlobalScholar page and click Teachers, and then Apply Now.

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Write a teacher biography

When you apply to teach on GlobalScholar, you add a short biography to your profile after GlobalScholar has reviewed and approved your application. While the biography is small, it's an important part of your teacher profile on GlobalScholar. A well-written biography gives students and parents the information they need to decide you are the right teacher for them. It can make the difference between good and poor student enrollment.

Tips for writing a good biography:

• Keep it simple and focused.
  Students shopping for teachers typically skim biographies quickly. Your biography uses a small space on screen. For these reasons, be concise.
• Clearly state your background, including your degrees.
  Make sure you have the right degree for your subject area.
• Use good grammar and complete sentences.
  You want to make the best first impression that you can.

To help you write a better biography, look at the following fictional examples.

Example of a good biography:

"I'm a retired teacher of elementary math who wants to keep helping children learn. I received my Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Lewis and Clark College, and my Master's in Teaching from Columbia University. I'm looking forward to explaining fractions, decimals, and all kinds of math problem-solving to GlobalScholar students."

Example of a bad biography:

"Hi! i can teach english for highschool students and all students who want to be speaking fluntly and naturally. experinced also in math, scince, econ, all subjects!"

Examples that effectively explain teaching success:

"I specialize in SAT preparation. I've helped more than 50 students achieve high test scores and get into the college of their choice."

"I'm an experienced math teacher who has helped hundreds of elementary school children turn from struggling with math—and hating it—to doing well at it, and loving it."

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Create a course

On GlobalScholar, you set up the courses that you want to offer. Students and parents can then find and sign up for your courses.

You can create a course by providing simple services, such as Instant Tutoring or Homework Help. To learn about the types of instruction, see Learn about GlobalScholar instruction.

To create a course

1. Click My GlobalScholar.
2. At the top of the page, click Your Org.
3. Under At a Glance, click Create Course.
4. On the Create a Class page, select the type of course you want to offer.
5. Follow the instructions on screen to include a title for your course, the grade range you want to teach, the subjects you want to offer in this course, and more.

When you type a course description, use a complete, compelling description that accurately reflects what you can offer. Doing this helps attract students.

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Update your calendar

After you have created your courses, you create a schedule to let prospective students know when you're available, and for what type of service.

To update your calendar

1. Click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Calendar.
3. Click the Your Availability tab.
4. For the time you want to be available to students, select the time slot.
5. In the Add Availability dialog box, type the start and end times.
   Tip You can specify times another way: click the clock icon and use the Time Picker.
6. Click Update.

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Connect with a student for a scheduled session

After a student has registered and submitted payment for a course, you can easily go to the online classroom. By doing the following, you open the website's interactive whiteboard that you and the student use during your session.

To connect with a student for a session

1. Click My GlobalScholar.
2. Under Your Sessions Today, click the course's name.
3. In the online classroom, click Start Session.

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Review the courses you are teaching

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On the left, click Classes Teaching.

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Respond to Homework Help questions

1. After you receive a GlobalScholar e-mail indicating that a student has purchased a Homework Help course, sign in to GlobalScholar.
2. Click My GlobalScholar.
3. Under Homework Help Requests, click the question title.
4. Under Pending Questions, click View to read the question. To open the question, go to the Question column and click the View link.
5. Check the response due date and time.
6. If you need clarification before you prepare a response, click Send Message. Prepare and send your e-mail to the student.
   Important You can only click the Respond link once, so you must either be prepared to answer the question or to decline it at that time.
7. In the Response column, click Respond.
8. If you have an answer, select Yes and then type or upload your answer. If you want to upload multiple files, use the Classroom File Resources section at the bottom of the page.
   If you do not have an answer, you can reject the question. The student will receive a credit, and then has the option of asking another question. If you still cannot help the student, you can issue a refund to the student.
9. Click Submit.
   GlobalScholar sends the answer to the student.

Note To read your response, your student must sign in to this site and go to the online classroom. GlobalScholar does not send your response by e-mail.

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Set your online status for instant tutoring or free trials

When you're ready to tutor online at any time, you can quickly tell new and prospective students. In addition to scheduled sessions with students, you can tutor through Instant Tutoring, Homework Help, and free trial sessions. Working with students through free trial sessions is a great way to get new students to sign up with you for schedule tutoring.

Remember This procedure controls your availability in addition to any scheduled times you have already set up on this site.

To set your online status

1. At the top of the page, click My GlobalScholar.
2. On At a Glance, click Start Tutoring Manager.
3. Follow the instructions on the page to set your availability.
4. Click Close.
5. After you complete your tutoring session, repeat the steps above to set your online status to unavailable.

About free trial sessions:

• Session time is limited, typically to 10 minutes. The site alerts the student before the session expires.
• During a free trial session, the student has the option to purchase additional time with the tutor.
• A student is limited to one free trial session per tutor.

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Remind students about instructional time

If a student's instruction time elapses while a course is in session, the session closes automatically. For this reason, it's a good idea to remind students to regularly check the balance of remaining instruction time.

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Manage tutors in your provider organization

If you manage a provider organization on GlobalScholar, you can add and change employee information and schedules.

1. At the top of the page, click Your Org.
2. On the left, click Manage People.
3. On the Manage People page, you can do the following:
   To see employees with a certain role, select it from the Select users drop-down list box.
   To add an employee, click the Add a new user link. Note that the user must already have a GlobalScholar account.
   To change an employee’s role, next to that person’s name, click Edit.
   To remove an employee, next to that person’s name, click Remove.

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Update your teacher biography

After GlobalScholar reviews and approves your application to teach, you can update your biography at any time.

1. Click My GlobalScholar and, on the left, click Account.
2. Click Biography.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.
   For information about preparing a biography, see Write a teacher biography.

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Schools and School Districts using the GlobalScholar CIIS

See the following if you're a student in a school district that uses GlobalScholar, a teacher using GlobalScholar for course planning, or an administrator managing GlobalScholar for your school, district, or state.

Note The following documents are in PDF format. You can use the Adobe Acrobat^® Reader to read them.

Download free Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site

For Students:
Students Training Guide

For Teachers and for CIIS Administrators:
Teachers Training Guide
Administrators Training Guide
Curriculum Preparation Guide
Roles and Responsibilities

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