Leaping from Abstract to Real: Rural Classroom Meets a Neurologist, Virtually

Kelly Margot teaches in a classroom surrounded by farm fields and sagebrush. Neurosurgeons don’t hang out in her Texas town. Mrs. Margo teaches at Royse City Independent School District (ISD), a small district with big career aspirations for their kids. Schools in rural districts like Royse City ISD all face the same challenge. It is difficult for their students to make the leap from classroom lessons to the real world where science, math and writing will actually fit into their work one day.

Royse City ISD has a plan, though. Teachers in their schools have been using Nepris.com to bridge that gap of making learning relevant. Nepris helps them bring speakers from around the world into their classrooms for virtual, interactive discussions on everything from neurology to writing a book.

“I love Nepris. It is transforming my classroom,” said Mrs. Margot, a Royce City ISD educator who teaches at Fort Elementary School. “My students are reaping the benefits. The world will eventually be rewarded by their curiosity.”

Through Nepris, Mrs. Margot and her colleagues have brought in speakers and subject matter experts who video-conference with students to talk about careers, to help them on projects or make connections between classroom lessons and the real world. Mrs. Margot’s has had 13 experts connect with her class virtually to talk about a dozen topics from neurology, to DNA, to mollusks.

Inspiring curiosity is half the battle. Getting students to start being curious and making the cognitive leap from classroom theory to real world can make a world of difference to their future.

Mrs. Margot summed it up by saying “Yesterday, my students were able to talk to a brain expert in New York. Today, a student came in fired up about his next research idea over 'Cures for Neurological Issues.' The expert told the kids what happens in the brain that causes autism. This kid wants to know what is being done to fix it.”

“This is how the world gets changed,” said Sabari Raja, the founder of Nepris. “One student meets an industry professional or an expert in a particular field and suddenly the light bulb goes on. That single interaction can light a fire affecting their lives forever. This is what Nepris is all about; making connections between students and the world so that they see how and why school is a stepping stone into their future.”