Redo your homework on the concept of teaching

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Redo your homework on the concept of teaching
Thea Myhrvold, founder of TeachMeNow.com

dubai - TeachMeNow.com crowd-sources teachers

By Muhammad Riaz Usman

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Published: Sat 5 Aug 2017, 8:01 PM

Last updated: Sat 5 Aug 2017, 10:09 PM

After studying in Geneva with the goal of getting into the United Nations, Thea Myhrvold, founder of TeachMeNow.com, realised she could have more of an impact through technology.

Her passion for education was ignited when she began teaching two girls with learning disabilities (one with attention deficit disorder and the other with dyslexia). This inspired her to start one of the first game-based apps for high school students on the App Store in 2012. This was an online version of the games she made for her students.

After launching this app, Myhrvold received numerous requests for teaching online. "I had was approached by students from Japan to Australia. However, I was looking for an Uber or airbnb-like platform where I could teach online with all the tools I needed," says Myhrvold.

"I moved back to the Middle East with the intention of creating a global success story for and from the region. Dubai is a city with big dreams and it inspires you to think big," she continues.

Taking a proven offline method of personalised live tutoring, TeachMeNow.com makes it simple, accessible and effective to learn online.

Untapped potential
"We are essentially crowd-sourcing teachers, experts, mentors and leveraging untapped potential like stay-at-home moms and dads, fresh graduates, native speakers and teachers who want to share their knowledge to those who want to learn," Myhrvold explains.

TeachMeNow.com allows students to choose a teacher and at the same time, teachers have the liberty to set their hourly rate and get ratings and reviews.

The interactive sessions include live audio and video chat, real-time editing of documents and whiteboards, screen-sharing and more. The live sessions take place through the website and no downloads are required. There is no need to use a video tool like Skype as everything happens through the website.

"This application can also be customised, rebranded and white labelled for our partners and clients and has been translated into different languages including French, Norwegian and Arabic. We also have a special focus on learning disabilities and have special fonts for dyslexics," she says.

The cloud-based platform also offers a training package for corporates who need to train their staff on languages or skills.

"We see a lot of companies, especially in the UAE, who have a demand for things like language learning. We offer special packages for companies, where employees can schedule training around their timings and the company can easily track the progress," she says.

TeachMeNow.com offers more than 100 subjects and topics, including languages such as Mandarin, Arabic, English for Ielts, Toefl, or high school subjects such as math, IB, A-level, GCSEs and professional skills for CFA, social media marketing and public speaking.

Myhrvold recalls starting her entrepreneurial journey five years ago when startups and the tech scene was taking off in Dubai.

"In the beginning, I worked from entrepreneurial cafés like the Make Business Hub and I loved seeing the ecosystem grow. I then joined In5 hub as one of their first startups. This was a great initiative by the government and Tecom. Dubai is a great starting point for any company in the region. Their innovative approach to attracting talent has grown with initiatives such as the Dubai Future Accelerators," she says.

Some of TeachMeNow.com's clients and partners include Microsoft, Gems Education, Careem, NoTe, NKI, Akademiet, QMS Global, MedAcademy, etc.

"To work with companies like Microsoft has been fantastic. We secured Microsoft as a client, building a customised and tailored platform for them to crowdsource their experts and train customers on their products."

Explaining her strategy to stay ahead, Myhrvold says technology is always changing which means "you always need to think ahead and stay up-to-date."

"We are currently offering our white label solutions and are open to other partnerships too. We recently started signing up institutes and academies to TeachMeNow.com. We have some great partners like the Arabic Learning Centre so that anyone who is looking for a certification or a degree can also get one through TeachMeNow.com," she says.

Global reach
Myhrvold claims her portal has a global reach as the platform connects students and teachers all over the world.

"We have some amazing experts who have graduated or are studying at places like Harvard, Cambridge and MIT. We also work with local superstars like Anna Qasimi Roberts, who was a presenter on DubaiEye and now runs her consulting company for media training called TheNudgeEffect.com," she says.

Explaining how TeachMeNow works, Myhrvold says online learning is often associated with pre-recorded video-based courses.

"We are an alternative and a complement to pre-recorded videos. You often need a personal touch or guidance if you are stuck in a certain subject or topic. For example, if you are preparing for an interview or exam - you can read endless blogs about how to prepare, however, you need someone to give you feedback on your performance and your questions. You need to consult an expert," she explains.

Myhrvold believes her mission is to make learning accessible and create jobs through leveraging the latest technology.

"Tech is fundamental in how we approach what we do. Otherwise, we would just be a traditional school. Just like Uber doesn't own any cars, Airbnb doesn't own any property, we aim to disrupt and do the same in education in this knowledge-based and sharing economy," she concludes.

- riaz@khaleejtimes.com


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