Math for international school and study-abroad students: why an online academy is the answer
Demand in Korea keeps growing for math courses aimed at students preparing for international schools and study abroad, such as IB, AP, SAT, and AMC. The problem is that these students are spread across regions, and in-person classes alone make it hard to gather enough students. That is why many directors are converting to an online academy or planning to start a remote academy from the beginning.
Unlike regular school-exam math, international school and study-abroad math requires screen sharing and precise handwriting for tasks such as IB Math IA feedback, AP Calculus FRQ coaching, using a calculator on the Digital SAT, and working through AMC competition problems. Because of this, a remote online academy environment is often more efficient than in-person teaching.
Why you should run it as a remote online academy
International school and study-abroad math classes have the following characteristics.
Students are scattered across the country or even overseas, so a physical academy space matters less.
Many classes, such as IA feedback or FRQ grading, are run while looking at documents and graphs together.
Digital tools such as graphing calculator screens and Desmos are at the core of the lesson.
Under these conditions, the remote academy format is actually a strength. The ClassCanvas live class program uses a one-board-per-student approach, so you can see each student's notes and solution process in real time. This suits classes like IB Math IA, where each student's equation work needs detailed feedback.
Online remote academy scenarios by subject
IB Math AA/AI HL IA feedback: Students share their chosen modeling topic on screen, you point out errors, and you give one-on-one feedback on their equation work according to the grading rubric. With ClassCanvas's one-on-one feedback feature, you can record each student's progress separately.
AP Calculus AB/BC booster workshop: Share a TI-84 or TI-Nspire emulator screen and coach students on how to operate the calculator and how to write model FRQ answers. The screen share feature lets you show the calculator steps exactly as they happen, which improves understanding.
Digital SAT Math short-term strategy class: Demonstrate the actual test screen interface and how to use the Desmos graphing calculator, and focus on the question types with the highest error rates.
AMC 10/12 and AIME advanced workshop: Solve past problems in a time-attack format and teach shortcut solutions by writing them out live on the electronic whiteboard.
Because each subject calls for a different way of sharing the screen, when you prepare a remote academy it is important to choose a live video class program designed for education rather than a simple video conferencing tool.
Operating around curricula and time zones
In international school and study-abroad classes, each student follows a different curriculum and exam schedule, and students abroad also need to be matched by time zone. So when forming classes, it is better to decide "which curriculum and which time slot" first, rather than the subject.
Even in the same time slot, IB students and AP students can be split into individual mode so each works on problems from their own program, while the teacher moves between student boards giving feedback.
Students whose time zone doesn't fit the live class time can catch up with recorded video lessons. With speed control and section repeat, they can rewatch just the parts they need.
Even when parents are in another region or country, you can show them class videos and learning records through a parent link.
You can find out how to join classes from abroad in the guide to remote classes for students abroad.
The documents and steps needed to register a remote tutoring academy are covered in the 6 steps to setting up a remote academy, and how to choose between a remote tutoring academy and a remote lifelong education institute is covered in the difference between a remote tutoring academy and a remote lifelong education institute.
Wrapping up
Math classes for students preparing for international schools and study abroad face few geographic limits and need precise, screen-sharing-centered instruction, which makes the online academy format a good fit. When preparing to set up a remote academy, check the registration procedure and required documents first, and put in place a live video class program suited to each subject's teaching style along with a learning management system.
If you are considering starting an online business or an academy, we recommend looking at a platform like ClassCanvas that supports both live classes and learning management, and designing an operating approach that fits your academy's subjects step by step.
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ClassCanvas: the total solution for online remote academies