The best part about learning with Tomorrow’s Genius is that you are connected with some of the world’s most amazing teachers. Our programs happen in real time which enables students to interact with their teachers, as they would in a traditional classroom setting.
For our teachers, this real-time concept can sometimes prove to be a challenge, as many of our educators have busy careers and other educational commitments. Thanks to technology however, Tomorrow’s Genius lessons can happen any time from virtually any place. Since Tomorrow’s Genius began offering online courses, we have delivered classes from some unique locations. Here is a look at how combining fantastic educators with cutting edge technology can make anything possible…
Two Places at the Same Time…
Thanks to technology we can now really be in two places at once. About a month ago, Aryeh Eisenberg, TG’s director and an online teacher realized he had a problem. He was set to teach his Monday morning English class at the same time he had to be traveling to meet with Israel’s Ministry of Education. Aryeh did not want to postpone the meeting as it had taken a long time to schedule. Of course, he did not want to miss a session with his students. So, what could he do? Using his I-Phone as an Internet source, Aryeh delivered his class from the back seat of his moving car, as someone else drove to the meeting. Because the TG platform does not require high bandwidth, Aryeh was able to meet the students with video and all, as usual. The students did not know where Aryeh was until the end of the class, when Aryeh pointed his webcam at the cars behind him.
Yes Sir!…
In Israel, some of TG’s teachers are active army reservists, and are required to participate in reserve duty during different times of the year. Shlomi Cohen, who teaches Tankah and Hebrew for Tomorrow’s Genius did not want to miss two weeks of class time because of his reserve duty. So, Shlomi brought his Motorolla Xoom Tablet with him to his posting and was actually able to deliver his classes from his post. Not only was it an amazing learning experience for the students, as Shlomi was fully clad in his army gear, but it was also a great example about how distance learning can really happen anywhere.
Do You Want Fries With That?
If you walk down the streets of Tel-Aviv or Jerusalem, you will notice all of the signs for “free Internet.” There are no signs however, offering quiet places to work. Rabbi Yisroel Porath who teaches history and Tanakh for Tomorrow’s Genius was not worried when he had a meeting in Jerusalem. His class was not until 1:00PM and his meeting was at 9:30AM. There was plenty of time to get back to the office to teach his online class. As luck would have it, the meeting ran late, and there was a problem with the buses. It was 12:45PM and Yisroel was still stuck in Jerusalem. So, he decided to try and make the best of the situation and find a nice quiet place to teach his class. Well, if you have ever been on Ben-Yehuda at lunch time, you know that there aren’t too many quiet places. With only a few minutes to spare, Yisroel found a restaurant with Wi-Fi that agreed to let him teach his class from the restaurant’s basement. With his IPAD ready to go, Yisroel had an amazing class and even got a free side salad with his lunch.
I Now Pronounce You Man and Math….
Rena Lev, a math and science teacher for Tomorrow’s Genius came to us with a unique challenge. Her students were only days away from a major exam and really needed some extra review time. The only problem was that Rena was getting married on the day that the students had asked for an extra online session. We could have arranged for another teacher to conduct the review, but Rena felt strongly about being there for her students. So, in the middle of make-up, photos, and the other pre-wedding tasks, Rena taught her session from the dressing room at her wedding hall. The students commented afterwards that it actually made them feel like part of the celebration. Most teachers do not come to class in formal wedding attire, but thanks to a laptop and the wedding hall’s WI-Fi, the class went on without a hitch. Luckily, the same was not the case for Rena and her new husband.
So, why do we share these crazy stories with you, our readers? Tomorrow’s Genius works with the most dedicated educational staff out there. Our teachers take their commitments to their students very seriously, and they give their all to every online session. By enabling our amazing teachers to work with the amazing technology, our possibilities become virtually unlimited.
