What is ‘Pod’ learning and why is it increasingly popular?
The Corona Virus Pandemic has changed many people’s views on homeschooling and with the ever-changing advice on schools, it is a path that is of interest to many parents.
The concept of homeschooling ‘pods’ is one which has taken off already in the US and now parents all around the world are faced with the prospect of their children’s schools functioning in a restricted and different way. Therefore, parents have been exploring ways in which they can ensure the continuity of their children’s education without sacrificing the social side of regular schooling. The idea of grouping children into ‘pods’ with like-minded families allowing for group learning, in a controlled and personalised home-schooled environment, has taken off. There have already been several articles written about the success of home-schooling ‘pods’, both from BBC News and The New York Times which demonstrate its popularity. Pods have been praised for their affordability, as well as the fact they are a safe and controlled environment for the children to learn in after months of isolation. As the New York Times says, “learning for children is tied to being with peers” and for some, the option of school is not a possibility right now. ‘Pods’ therefore provide the perfect solution.
Can Keystone facilitate ‘Pod’ learning?
Despite specialising in one-to-one homeschooling, Keystone has experience of educating children from different families in home-schooling 'Pods', particularly online. It has been a huge success, giving way to friendly competition and comparison which can encourage students in their learning.
How does ‘Pod’ learning approach work through Keystone Tutors?
When approaching Keystone Tutors for homeschooling, we would be delighted to discuss the option of forming a ‘pod’. It may be that your child has fellow classmates who are not returning to school or relations of similar ages who they would be able to work with at a similar level. Our recommendation is that learning pods should have a maximum of 5 students, as this allows each participant to receive an appropriate level of individualised attention whilst also allowing them to learn in a collaborative setting.
We can arrange it so that ‘pods’ are formed for each lesson in the timetable, or it may be that there are one or two subjects within the curriculum that you would like to be group learning, for example Drama or Science, which can both be good in collaborative environments. These home-schooling pods can take place online, using our homeschooling platform or alternatively, if you have a location within Central London for the lessons to take place, face-to-face ‘pod’ learning can be possible.
The concept of ‘pod’ learning means that homeschooling can become an affordable, fun and collaborative alternative to the traditional homeschooling model of the past.
For more information on how Keystone can help and support with learning Pods or Homeschooling, please do email poppy@keystonetutors.com.