Archive for January, 2009

No parent likes to see their child struggle – whether it be in the math class room, or with fitting in on the playground. As parents, we all get anxious when our child hits a speed bump. And when we get anxious, we forget one of the most basic rules of parenting that we all know: every child is different.

Stella is the narrator and host of DreamBox Learning K-2 Math! Stella introduces DreamBox students to the magical adventure park and prepares them for their adventures in math learning. As students play games, uncover clues, and learn lots of math, Stella is a fun and consistent guide through the world of DreamBox.

I’ve been in the software biz for 22 years or so, not counting high school and university. (If you want to add that, call it 28 years!) Of the companies I’ve worked for, this is the most balanced, professional, and most oriented towards shipping product. I love the way we have combined software, creative, teaching, marketing, and [...]

Dear Mr. President, A week ago you stood in front of the nation and spoke the following words: “That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood . . . our schools fail too many . . . [But] we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.” We at DreamBox Learning welcome your words.

I love creating software. A software product, unlike say, building a book case, is never completely done. As TV’s Detective Monk would say, that is “a blessing, and a curse.” A blessing, because you can fix the things that are not quite perfect. A curse, because you can fix the things that are not quite perfect.

Today’s blog round-up is dedicated to the burgeoning field of EdTech. For those who haven’t heard, “EdTech” is the portmanteau of “education” and “technology,” and explores ways the two are being meshed. As such, EdTech bloggers represent a new genre of educators, academics, and enthusiasts who are interested in using technology to fuel a more [...]

A parent recently wrote us saying “I LOVE the diversity in the characters that the kid can choose to represent themselves…” The writer explained that their kindergarten-aged daughter is of Central American descent and both parent and child are well aware of the lack of diversity in most animated shows, video games, and toys. I’d like to thank this parent for her kind words regarding our efforts and bringing up an important issue. Though this is the only email we’ve received on the subject, she makes a salient point regarding how a majority of cartoon and game characters are depicted in popular media. A brief and rough history of animation will show how the philosophy of character design has been evolving over the years.

Sorry, but this is a short commercial for a great non-profit program, The Math Olympiad. The program is a great way to get kids excited about doing fun and challenging math. I had a chance to be involved with this a couple years back when I co-coached our elementary school’s team. The kids really enjoyed the teamwork and competitive spirit of it – which are aspects generally missing from the math classroom.

I was at conference recently discussing DreamBox with a pretty savvy industry insider when she asked “what makes your product so unique?” My response was “It’s incredibly effective, fun, and highly individualized to a child’s particular learning needs.” That’s when she said it. “Individualized?! That’s what they all say!”

I’m increasingly conscious of the gap between the urgent calls for more effective math education in the U.S., and the seemingly low expectations some parents have for their own child to advance in math. It’s as if the pressing national need has nothing to do with us on a personal level. I hear parents talk about their child’s math performance, and say things like “I was never good in math either.” Or regarding newer ways of teaching math, I’ve heard “I don’t like the ‘new math’ because I wasn’t taught that way.”