On Tuesday, November 15th, 2016, Brooklyn Learning Lab launched its first program. We strongly believe the future of K-12 learning will move online. Thus, our free online mathematics tutoring targets children who want to learn using computers. We used BRAINCERT as our online platform. Our first week revealed some positives and negatives. Below is an account of our experience:
Online Teaching with Brooklyn Learning Lab: The Positive
Our BrainCert platform consists of the following features: video, chatbox, audio, shareable whiteboards and other tools to mirror a classroom experience. These features permitted classroom participants to learn in the same room together. The classroom felt similar to an in-class small group interaction: close and intimate between teacher and students. In all, teaching was enlarged as voices boomed, webcam made individuals appear closer and whiteboard content is shared and controlled by each participant. Overall, the platform gave us the ability to connect over space with our students in a small community of shared mathematical experience.
48 + 59 =
Online Learning with Brooklyn Learning Lab: The Negatives
Our negative experiences involved technical issues ranging from frozen live videos to interrupted audio. This gave meaning to ‘CAN YOU SEE/HEAR ME NOW’. The frozen video and broken audio disturbed our mathematical conversation.
Lastly, we felt awkward interacting online in a classroom dominated by a whiteboard. A whiteboard we wrote on, erased from, scrolled through powerpoint presentations, and watched videos. We basically had all our mathematical experience on a board outside our conversations. At heart, we are comfortable connecting physically. This makes online teaching an adjustment to our human habits and way of living. In short, the experience was new, and it means our mind is poised to learn through our present online interaction: over space and distance.
At heart, we are comfortable connecting in a physical space. This makes online teaching and learning an adjustment to our human habits and way of living. In short, the experience was new. Therefore, our minds are poised to learn through our present online interaction.
Brooklyn Learning Lab will
Build Digital Capacities: Engage children in learning using online tools.