The Student Shed Collaboration with VOIS Learning

Today I’m pleased to announce our collaboration with VOIS Learning. VOIS Learning is an online learning company built by a Bahamian educational professional who has had over 2 decades of experience working with students in The Bahamas.

Like all of the learning resources on The Student Shed, VOIS Learning products are digital and available at your fingertips when you need it.

The video below shows a preview of the different learning resources available from VOIS Learning.

Interview with the Founder of VOIS Learning

Check out what the founder of VOIS Learning had to say during a virtual interview we had with her;

Question – What is VOIS Learning?

VOIS Learning is a K-12 Online Supplementary Education Content and Service Provider, specializing in K-3 Literacy products.

Question – When and why did you decide to develop online educational products?

I became a full-time Home School Practitioner in 2020, during the onset of the pandemic and had to facilitate the needs of one child in primary school and two children in high school.

During my search for supplementary materials, I discovered right away that there was an abundance of educational videos, online resources, and remote programs, many of them very well made and carefully designed.

However, there was a shortage of materials that could serve as a viable substitute for quality face-to-face instruction that aligned with the needs of students in the Bahamian educational system. Hence, my decision to do my small part to help fulfill this need.

Question – Who can benefit most from your offerings?

1.) Parents who are homeschooling or parents who are looking for quality education resources and tools or services that can be used from the comfort of their homes, while meeting a specific learning need identified by a classroom teacher.

2.) Teachers who want to save time while preparing for targeted lessons that will allow them to deliver quality differentiated instruction to all their students.

3.) Self-regulating students who are looking for supplementary tools to assist with studying and exam prep.

Question – How many years of experience do you have in the Bahamas educational system?

I have over 20 years combined experience as a classroom teacher and school administrator in the Bahamian educational system.

Question – From your experience in education, what would you say are some of the biggest challenges students face?

It has been my experience that because of the amount of content that has to be covered at each grade level, one of the major challenges that many students face is inadequate opportunities to experience and interact with materials, subjects, and topics in a manner that would allow for mastery.

Another challenge many students face due to the large class sizes is the lack of sufficient opportunities to experience targeted or needs based instruction that would allow them to keep up with their peers.

One final challenge that some students face due to reasons previously stated, is the lack of opportunities to engage in enrichment or extended learning exercises and activities.

Question – How can those challenges be overcome?

One of the most feasible ways to overcome these challenges, is for teachers and parents to seek out quality supplementary educational resources and services.

For example, teachers can help to reach diverse learners by using technology along with quality digital products to assist with small group and targeted instruction while attending to other whole class needs.

Similarly, parents who are advised to seek extra help for their children may also resort to targeted online courses and products or face-to-face programs to help meet needs for remediation or extended learning.

Question – What can parents do to help their children accomplish their academic goals?

Parents can help children to accomplish their academic goals in one or more of the following ways:
a.) Seeking the help of a tutor to help with specific skills

b.) Enrolling children in targeted online courses or face-to-face programs

c.) Helping with time management by ensuring that at least 1 hour everyday is spent studying, reinforcing skills, or going over content that was taught during the school day.

d.) Purchasing high quality digital products that children can use repeatedly in the comfort of their homes, while meeting the need for self-paced learning and mastery.

Question – What strategies do you use (in your products) to keep students engaged?

Each lesson is intentionally designed to cater to multiple learning styles through the incorporation of background music, audio files, video/compelling visuals, reading, writing and opportunities for some controlled movement or speaking.

Additionally, there are interactive features such as “click to play”, “click to continue” and/or “click to return” in each product, along with “positive feedback effects” deliberately included in each lesson.

Question – How important do you think it is to incorporate new technology in education?

It is important to incorporate new technology in education because it allows educators to meet the needs of diverse learners in an efficient manner.

Incorporating technology is also important because technology is here to stay, and our children need opportunities to learn about and interact with technology in positive ways that will allow them to develop a view of technology as a productivity tool.

If we fail to incorporate new technology in education, we will be robbing our children of the opportunity to thrive in a technologically driven society.

Question – What tips do you recommend for parents or teachers using your products?

I. For best results and meaningful learning experiences with all products created by VOIS learning, please use as instructed.

II. If using a product that is part of a series, it is recommended that you also download/purchase the introductory lesson because it usually includes information that makes it easier to keep up with the content/skills that are being taught in that series.

III. When it comes to answer keys, remember that there are usually multiple ways to arrive at an answer, state your answer and sometimes more than one possible correct answer. So, the answer keys are meant to be used as a quick reference, study guide and/or comparative tool to help students as they study and practice in preparation for their exams.

IV. If seeking or interested in custom K-6 literacy products to help your child/children or students to overcome a specific learning need or to supplement an upcoming unit, topic or skill, advanced arrangements can be made for special orders by sending an email to voislearning@outlook.com.