Education
Back to School with Mikogo
Educators know that technology can be a powerful teaching tool, and that distance learning opens more opportunities to more students. A challenge has been to reproduce the immersive, interactive nature of the classroom, whether in a traditional lecture, for private tutoring or in collaborative online projects. For many, Mikogo has been a vital part of the solution: it’s easy-to-use yet packed with features, it doesn’t tax limited resources, and it can fully recreate the traditional classroom.
The Virtual Classroom
For Jeffrey Peariso, who teaches at-risk students at Clarkston Junior High in Michigan, recreating the classroom is key. His students can least afford to fall behind when they miss class. Using Mikogo, a student can login from home and follow Peariso in the classroom, listening via audio conferencing.
“I setup Mikogo for my computer, which is hooked to my smart board, so they get to see me work every problem out and hear me give the explanation, and it works great,” he says. “I was teaching a full class in my room and a full class outside of my room, a single student at home and a student who’s in another school in our district. I teach my full lesson the same way that I would if it was just to my class.”
Mikogo’s ability to accept control of a student’s desktop, and then hand the reins to the student, is one of his favorite features. “Being able to show them exactly what I’m teaching and then having them show me what they can do is invaluable.”
Teaching the World
“Mikogo is an exceptional application that is simple to use, does not require advance training, and that we can put to use immediately when needed.”
Dr. Yvonne Marie Andres
Global SchoolNet
“Global SchoolNet works with 45,000 schools and youth organizations from 194 countries, so ease of use, regardless of native language requirements, is extremely important to us,” she says. “Mikogo’s solution has allowed us to work with every school or youth organization that we work with worldwide.”
The California based organization is focused on improving academic achievement through global collaborative learning and anticipates that Mikogo’s application will continue to provide further value as the teaching experience evolves from traditional face-to-face classrooms to blended learning experiences that are both online and face-to-face.
Going the Distance
Noely Quinto is an independent teacher providing English lessons in central Brazil. Taking her business online has cut costs, made her lessons more attractive to busy adult students, and let her expand beyond her home city. Yet to make it happen, she needed to find a way to teach that’s as easy, collegial and effective as an in-person lesson.
She found the answer in Mikogo and, like Peariso, says the ability to turn the presentation around really makes remote learning work. “By clicking on what they see them can show me things and ask me questions about them.”
Mikogo has allowed her to successfully expand her teaching business. “My classes are now entirely online,” she says. “I’m happy to be able to work from home. Traffic in Brazil is a killer.”
Quinto believes that Mikogo’s simplicity is rivaled only by its potential as a teaching tool. “Let’s just say I’m very thankful to be able to use it to build my virtual classroom,” she says. “It’s a very simple-to-use platform, and I’m sure other professionals can use it in many different ways.”
Take your next class online by downloading the Mikogo software for easy-to-use online teaching.
