Archive for the ‘K-2 Curriculum’ Category

Early on in the development of DreamBox Learning K-2 Math, as we began beta testing with 4-8 year olds, we figured out that our users would have a variety of mouse skills. For some, this was the first time they’d used a computer, so they had little to no experience using a mouse. For others, they were experts. Drag and drop? No problem!

I’ve talked before about all the beta testing we completed before launching the product to the public. A significant portion of the beta testing took place in schools where the Academic Team (all certified elementary teachers with 75% having earned National Board Certification) could watch kids playing. We watched for signs of confusion and boredom, as well as excitement and learning. We listened carefully to their questions and statements muttered throughout the play. Kindergartners especially are known for talking aloud as they play. On the other hand, second and third graders can more easily express their misconception and "aha: moments.

Did you know that we beta-tested DreamBox Learning with 5 different releases before making it available to the public? Along with each release came a plethora of feedback. Feedback that was, and still is, vital to building a product that teaches and engages young kids. Along the way were many surprises.

As a teacher I often used software in the classroom. Much of this software relied on me to determine the appropriate starting place in the curriculum. Every year I’d add my class list and determine which objectives I wanted to address for each student. Often I’d do this in August as part of my preparation for the new school year, which means I hadn’t even met the kids. Plus, we all know about the loss of knowledge retention that occurs over the summer. How was I supposed to know what each student did and didn’t need?

I’ve had variations of the following conversation with relatives a couple of times in recent months. Has something similar happened to you? “She loves playing DreamBox and was doing fine. But now the questions are too hard and she’s getting frustrated.” “Hmm… Have you perhaps been helping her with her answers?”

This video clip illustrates to humorous effect how important place value is. It's pretty easy to see how a child without the understanding of place value might accidentally create a math solution like Ma and Pa Kettle.