The Benefits Of Independent Study Learning Pods

What's A Learning Pod?

Learning pods or learning hubs have been popping up all over the country due to the pandemic and are reimagining the idea of both virtual and in-person learning. Learning pods provide smaller groups of students with a safe environment where they are supervised and supported by teachers while at the same time offering the flexibility of online learning. While learning pods were a quarantine staple, many families and communities may be wondering how they can gain the familiarity and results of a learning pod while still receiving a standards-driven, high-quality education.

While learning pods were largely organic and parent-driven, pods benefit students in virtual learning programs in several ways. One obvious benefit to learning pods is children having regular and structured interaction with their peers. Teachers in learning pods facilitate activities outside of regular coursework to benefit a child’s social emotional learning and encourage socialization with other students.

Consistent Meeting Times

The consistency of a learning pod provides students with the opportunity to see the same peers on a weekly basis, which can also support social development and provide students with friends they may fear missing because of their virtual schooling. Consistency in both routine and in relationships contributes to students feeling safe, empowered, and ready to learn.

Students can get out of the home and into varied environments, which can develop stimulation, encourage inquiry, and simply provide a change in routine. Through field trips and varied meet-up locations, learning pods also create a place for valuable hands-on learning such as science experiments, team or group projects, kinesthetic learning, crafts, and art projects, and so much more. Stepping away from the screen and using other senses activates different areas of learning that can help students to retain new information.

The Personalization Afforded By Small Group Learning

Another benefit of learning pods is that students have live in-person access to teachers who are dedicated specifically and solely to their education. With small groups, teachers can personalize instruction based on the child’s interests and learning style, further enhancing the flexible education a virtual environment provides. This offers more opportunities for a child to engage in the material she or he is learning and to facilitate a positive perspective to education.

Learning Pods Make Homeschool Easier For Parents

Virtual learning often means that parents and caregivers are juggling other responsibilities around their child’s school day. This can even include multiple learners in the same household. Learning pods not only benefit students but also provide parents and caregivers with added support, technology such as devices and math and science manipulatives and take the burden of helping students with questions about their course work.

To learn more about how Method Schools uses Teach Squad to facilitate learning pods, contact one of our enrollment specialists today. You can also start a chat session below on this page!

This blog post was jointly written by Jana Sosnowski and Tanaya Burnham of Method Schools.