Roberto Germán [00:00:01]:
Welcome to Our Classroom. In this space, we talk about education, which is inclusive of but not limited to what happens in schools. Education is taking place whenever and wherever we are willing to learn. I am your host, Roberto Germán, and Our Classroom is officially in session.
"The Anti-Reading Revolution" by Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul provides K-8 educators with a comprehensive framework for anti-racist teaching. Learn how to create joy, community, and justice in your classroom through transformative reading experiences. Chapters in this book offer personal and insightful anecdotes, provide a clear and actionable guide for K-8 literacy educators, encourage reflection, and guide educators towards selecting and teaching with books that center the lived experiences of BIPOC students in an anti-racist classroom.
Roberto Germán [00:01:02]:
Reading helps us to dream, experience joy, engage in collective struggle, liberate our minds, and love. Let’s move forward to realize our vision of an anti-racist reading classroom rooted in love and liberation.
Roberto Germán [00:01:17]:
Welcome back to Our Classroom. Today, I’m joined by Noam Gerstein, CEO and founder of Bina, a global accredited virtual school. Noam is a visionary in online education and shares insights on innovative teaching methodologies and educational technology. Welcome to Our Classroom.
Noam Gerstein [00:01:41]:
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I love being a student.
Roberto Germán [00:01:45]:
Well, I do too. And I’m looking forward to learning more—not just about Bina but about online education. Obviously, it’s a phenomenon in the day and age that we live in, and so it’s something that we need to continue to discuss and learn about and, yeah, actually definitely discover. But before I go any further, where are you located?
Noam Gerstein [00:02:11]:
So I’m in Berlin today. I’ve lived a very globish life and landed here, and I’m here for now. I’m looking to see where next steps might take me. Our educators, our students, and the team are spread all over the world, and so I’ve been very, very lucky to meet people from incredibly varied walks of life.
Roberto Germán [00:02:39]:
That’s awesome. So we’ve got a global episode going on here, right across continents. Let’s go ahead and just get started by you sharing a little bit about Bina. We understand that Bina is pioneering the concept of precision education. Can you share how this approach works in practice, especially for younger learners in different time zones and cultural contexts? I’m curious to hear how younger learners are engaging in this approach, what’s working for them, and what’s challenging for them.
Noam Gerstein [00:03:20]:
We can start with the practicalities that happen every day, and we can talk about why we educate digitally, including the wonders and the difficult aspects of the day-to-day that are still being crafted and worked on. Both are very, very interesting, especially for people here today.
We teach a full schooling program covering and exceeding the UK Standards, the US Common Core, the Australian standards, and the Canadian standards. We have up to seven kids in a group, aged 4 to 12 years old. We have two educators matched with each class, and they have bi-weekly one-on-ones. Like most schools, we teach a little over 200 learning days a year, structured into four quarters and four intakes, which makes it easy to transition to any kind of international school.
We teach Monday through Friday, with five hours of live, active, collaborative, real-time lessons, plus playgrounds at both ends. We work closely with families, providing real-time teacher feedback, direct messaging with families, and active, specific suggestions and support. We offer ever-adapting progress reports, creating a very active and charming global community.
Noam Gerstein [00:05:02]:
This daily structure is very much a school environment. We have kids from different time zones studying together every day. From the very north to the very south—spanning seven time zones—it’s fascinating. For example, we work on a project of building a house, and everyone collects materials from their surroundings. One child builds an igloo while another builds a mud hut because their daily lives and environments are so different. It’s a very global community and daily experience, reflecting the nature of how humans interact today.
If we think about school as something that mimics society or prepares students to be part of society, Bina is looking at the new nature of human interaction today and working towards making that more fluent.
Teaching digitally allows us to focus resources on what matters most: keeping classes small, ensuring educators are highly trained and compensated, and having continuously updated materials. Without buildings, tables, or chairs to maintain, we can maintain incredibly high quality in what we think matters most in education.
Roberto Germán [00:07:17]:
That’s incredible. You mentioned earlier that teaching digitally allows you to do things that aren’t possible in physical classrooms. Could you elaborate on that?
Noam Gerstein [00:07:32]:
Absolutely. Digital learning lets us do the impossible, the dangerous, the expensive, and the impractical. For instance, students can experience flying planes, crashing them safely, going underwater, or looking inside the body of an octopus—things that can be replicated digitally but not physically. Imagine daily "Magic School Bus" experiences.
We can also collect detailed learning evidence through data and have discussions with students, educators, and families. This allows us to make informed decisions together, ensuring learning is constantly tailored and adaptive.
Roberto Germán [00:09:18]:
Speaking of structure, how do you address concerns about screen time, especially considering the strain it can place on eyes for both learners and educators?
Noam Gerstein [00:09:36]:
Great question. First, our classes include breaks between every session, and the length of the sessions differs depending on students’ developmental phases. For younger students, we focus on shorter slots. Our five-hour day is broken into up to seven parts, with movement and breaks integrated into the schedule.
We also incorporate physical activities during lessons. For example, if young learners are studying letter sounds, they might have a timed activity to find items around the house starting with a specific letter. This ensures movement and engagement.
Another point is that the average child spends over five hours in front of a screen anyway. We work closely with families to ensure our screen time is connected to productive work. Everything else is encouraged to be outdoors and physical.
Roberto Germán [00:12:20]:
You’ve touched on adventure and exploration in virtual learning. How do you maintain engagement and ensure that students find joy in learning?
Noam Gerstein [00:12:36]:
We do this in several ways. First, we teach thematically. Every month and a half, we center learning around a big topic, such as biomes like deserts, tundras, or marine ecosystems. All subjects—math, history, literature—tie into that theme, often originating from cultures in those environments. Thematic learning makes it easier for students to retain knowledge because it’s contextualized.
Additionally, every month and a half, students create projects to showcase their learning. These projects are always connected to a social development goal (SDG) and require students to apply the knowledge they’ve gained. This approach keeps students engaged and ensures learning is purposeful.
Finally, because our classes are small, we can adapt content to individual interests while meeting developmental goals. For instance, if a child loves dolphins, we’ll integrate dolphins into their math lessons—even if they’re reluctant to learn math.
Roberto Germán [00:19:00]:
That’s wonderful. I’m also curious about how Bina fosters cultural inclusivity in its global community, particularly given the diversity in students’ backgrounds and potential tensions between different cultural perspectives.
Noam Gerstein [00:20:32]:
Inclusivity is integral to our model. We focus on environmental, social, and personal awareness throughout our curriculum. Students learn to articulate their feelings, set boundaries, actively listen, and respect others.
Because we don’t have a majority group dominating the environment, every student is treated as “the other,” which creates a powerful and beautiful dynamic. For example, we’ve seen children from opposing sides of conflict zones become best friends and guide their families toward understanding and acceptance. This global network from a young age is invaluable.
Roberto Germán [00:24:13]:
What do you think the future of early childhood and elementary education looks like, especially as technology evolves?
Noam Gerstein [00:24:28]:
Digital learning inherently offers accessibility by providing high-quality education globally. However, traditional systems—designed during the Prussian era for a different society—are outdated. We need to rethink school design to reflect today’s digital and interconnected world.
I envision immersive, real-time, multiplayer game-based content tailored to individual interests. Assessments will move from periodic tests to continuous evaluations, providing a high-resolution understanding of what students know and how they learn. Education systems will need to embrace flexibility and prioritize supporting talented educators while fostering collaboration and connection.
Roberto Germán [00:36:41]:
Thank you for your insights. As we wrap up, if you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Noam Gerstein [00:37:00]:
I’d love to meet Bertha Pappenheim, also known as Anna O., Freud’s first patient. Many of Freud’s insights reportedly came from her. After overcoming her challenges, she founded an orphanage and made significant contributions to education and the understanding of the human psyche.
Roberto Germán [00:39:52]:
That’s fascinating. Lastly, what message of encouragement would you like to share with our listeners?
Noam Gerstein [00:40:00]:
Humans have immense agency, far more than we often realize. Our ability to change ourselves, our surroundings, and the world around us is immense, especially when we collaborate. Exercise your agency—because you have so much of it.
Roberto Germán [00:40:54]:
Thank you, Noam. For those interested in learning more about you or Bina, where can they find you?
Noam Gerstein [00:41:10]:
Visit our website at Bina.School. If you’d like to chat or think I can support your community or work, email me at [email protected]. If you’re an educator looking for opportunities or a family interested in joining, don’t hesitate to reach out. Of course, we’re also on Instagram and Facebook.
Roberto Germán [00:41:54]:
Thank you for your time and insights. We look forward to learning more about Bina and continuing this journey in education.
Noam Gerstein [00:42:19]:
Thank you so much for having me. It’s been an absolute delight.
Roberto Germán [00:42:22]:
As always, your engagement in Our Classroom is greatly appreciated. Be sure to subscribe, rate the show, and write a review. Finally, for resources to help you understand the intersection of race, bias, and education in society, go to MulticulturalClassroom.com. Peace and love from your host, Roberto Germán.
