Startup Offers Online Learning 'Pods'

A start-up has come up with a structure for delivering online education to young learners in small groups. DailiesPods pulls together small "pods" of students in groups of four to eight, divided by age bands (three to five years, five to nine and nine to 14) in a format that the education technology company said was conducive to peer engagement. Study focuses on math, reading and writing, science and history.

The pods last an hour to two and are tailored to each child's specific needs and use project-based learning. During sessions, students receive a guiding question and work together on research and development of a solution, response or "artifact" to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts.

Certified teachers handle facilitation, planning and discussions. The company said parents receive weekly progress reports to help them understand their students' strengths and weaknesses.

"After speaking to hundreds of parents and educators in the past few months, I can say that neither parents nor teachers nor even school principals feel confident in what's happening around them," said Founder, Manuel Zamora, in a press release. "It's time that parents and educators work together to provide a new future for education. We want to empower them by creating tools that facilitate the power shift."

Plans are priced based on the number of classes a student attends each week, a bit less than $20 per class hour. The cost starts at $150 per month for two classes each week, $200 per month for three classes and $300 per month for five classes.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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