DreamBox Learning®» K-3 Curriculum

On-Demand Webinar: Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your CCSSM Implementation

Tracy K — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0000

If you missed our webinar earlier this month on Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your Common Core State Standards Math Implementation, you now have the opportunity to view this webinar on-demand.

Webinar: Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your Common Core State Standards Math Implementation Duration: one hour Host: Casey Davidson, Director of Product Marketing at DreamBox Learning Presenter: Neal Manegold, National Board Certified Teacher, Curriculum & Instructional Designer at DreamBox Learning Audience: K–5 educators preparing to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in the 2011–2012 school year. During this webinar, you will:

Learn about a variety of free virtual manipulatives that are designed to address the domains and the Standards for Mathematical Practice reflected in the CCSSM.
Understand which domains and practices each virtual manipulative addresses.
Share ideas and best practices for integrating virtual manipulatives into classroom instruction (whole group, small group, centers).
Obtain professional development resources and materials to support teachers in implementing the CCSSM
Participate in a live Q&A session with the presenters.

Additionally, you’ll get an in-depth look and a chance to explore these virtual manipulatives.
View the on-demand webinar on Using Virtual Manipulatives today!

Simplified student login for schools

Casey — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 04:04:39 +0000

Welcome to a new school year! In order to simplify student login to the DreamBox Learning program from school and from home we have created a site-based Internet address for students that can be accessed 24/7. Every DreamBox school now has a personal DreamBox Learning site-based Internet address. To log in, students will click on the DreamBox link, select their class, log in and start learning independently! Log in to your DreamBox Dashboard to learn more.

New simplified student login!

Also new from DreamBox: picture or text password options

Educators now have the ability to determine if individual classrooms use picture passwords or text-based usernames and passwords for student log in. Picture passwords provide easy access for Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade students, while text-based usernames and passwords provide additional student account security for 2nd graders on up. Existing student passwords will remain the same unless you choose to edit classroom password settings on your DreamBox Dashboard.

Picture and text password options

We hope you find these updates valuable, and as always, your feedback is extremely important to us. Please send any feedback or comments you may have to play@dreambox.com.

2 Days Left to Register: Webinar on Jump-Starting Your CCSSM Implementation

Tracy K — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:00:45 +0000

There's just two days left to register for this free 60-minute webinar designed for K–5 educators preparing to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in the 2011–2012 school year.

Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your Common Core State Standards Math ImplementationDate: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 Time: 11:00 AM PDT to 12:00 PM PDT Cost: FREE

Can’t make it to the live webinar? No problem — just make sure you complete the free registration process, and you will receive a link via email to a recording of the live event. With the new school year upon us, we know that educators are working hard to provide professional development and resources to their teachers to support them in implementing the CCSSM.

During this webinar, participants will:

Learn about a variety of free virtual manipulatives that are designed to address the domains and the Standards for Mathematical Practice reflected in the CCSSM.
Understand which domains and practices each virtual manipulative addresses.
Share ideas and best practices for integrating virtual manipulatives into classroom instruction (whole group, small group, centers).
Obtain professional development resources and materials to support teachers in implementing the CCSSM.
Participate in a live Q&A session with the presenters.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from GoToWebinar with a unique link and instructions on joining the webinar. Learn more about this webinar and it's host and presenter on our Webinar Series page.

Nominate DreamBox: District Administration Award

Tracy H — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:06:49 +0000

Has DreamBox Learning transformed the way you're students learn, and how you teach? Has DreamBox had a positive impact on your school or district's math proficiency? If so, tell District Administration about it by nominating us for their Top 100 Products Award. Each year District Administration has readers nominate the products that have made a positive difference in their school districts, including hardware, software, books and materials, Web sites and facilities products. The 2011 Readers' Choice winners will be announced in the November/December issue. Submit your nomination today.

Lessons Too Hard? Let's Put A "Stop" To It!

David G — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:00:45 +0000

A teacher recently contacted me with the following issue:

"What my students enjoyed about Dreambox initially was the fact that they're given a variety of activities to choose from, the activities adjust to their skill level, and they don't have to work on only one activity for long periods of time. However, one of my students was complaining that her activities were too hard for her. That was two weeks ago - now, she only has one activity available on her Lesson Map! This student says she's been given the same activity over and over again, for the past two days, with no other options. Is this a bug?"

The short answer to this is "no, it's not a bug", and I will be more than happy to explain the problem. As you know, DreamBox Learning's GuideRight technology is designed to adjust the difficulty and variety of lessons offered, based on a student's demonstrated instructional level and unique input. If a student finds that DreamBox is not making these adjustments, then you might want to check the way they are using DreamBox - chances are, they are using the "Stop" button to exit out of their lessons. DreamBox analyzes a student's input on a click-by-click basis, and uses this input to assign the most appropriate follow-up lessons. However, if a student does not complete a lesson, DreamBox does not make this assessment, as it assumes the student must leave for a non-academic reason (e.g. eating lunch, using the bathroom, etc). It's hardly fair to give a student a bad grade every time they stop a lesson, so DreamBox chooses instead to ignore the results of the lesson entirely. For this reason, if a student makes a habit of exiting lessons with the "Stop" button, instead of completing the lessons, then they won't be assigned new, easier to understand lessons in a timely fashion. In worst case scenarios, where the student keeps exiting the same lesson repeatedly, and doesn't try doing any other lessons, this can actually cause DreamBox to stop offering other lessons entirely! In many cases, students who exit lessons do so because they are apprehensive about getting answers wrong. However, DreamBox analyzes a student's incorrect answers, and uses this analysis to offer the most appropriate follow-up lessons. Therefore, it is very important that students do not shy away from incorrect answers - wrong answers are part of the educational experience, and this is doubly true in DreamBox Learning. If your student is saying that their lessons are too hard, then watch them use DreamBox for a while, to see if they are using the "Stop" button when they get frustrated. If they are, coach them on when it is and is not appropriate to use "Stop" mid-lesson. Then, encourage the student to push through every lesson, even if it is a little difficult or they have to guess or make mistakes, and you should see more appropriate lessons being offered. Remember, too, that the "Help" button is always available - one click will repeat the lesson instructions, while a second click will give more detailed instructions. This can also be very helpful for a student that is stuck on a difficult activity, and using "Help" will not have a negative impact on a student's score for the lesson. And, of course, you can always contact us here in Customer Support! We're always more than happy to study your student's progress file and make recommendations. You can call us at 877-451-7845 Monday through Friday between 8AM and 5PM PST, or e-mail us at support@dreambox.com. We're here to help!

Webinar: Using Virtual Manipulatives to Jump-Start Your CCSSM Implementation

Tracy H — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:00:21 +0000

Join us for a free 60-minute webinar designed for K–5 educators preparing to support teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in the 2011–2012 school year.

Date: Wednesday, August 24, 2011 Time: 11:00 AM PDT to 12:00 PM PDT Cost: FREE Host: Casey Davidson, Director of Product Marketing at DreamBox Learning Presenter: Neal Manegold, National Board Certified Teacher, Curriculum and Instructional Designer at DreamBox Learning

Can’t make it to the live webinar? No problem—just make sure you complete the free registration process, and you will receive a link via email to a recording of the live event. With the new school year upon us, we know that educators are working hard to provide professional development and resources to their teachers to support them in implementing the CCSSM.

During this webinar, participants will:

Learn about a variety of free virtual manipulatives that are designed to address the domains and the Standards for Mathematical Practice reflected in the CCSSM.
Understand which domains and practices each virtual manipulative addresses.
Share ideas and best practices for integrating virtual manipulatives into classroom instruction (whole group, small group, centers).
Obtain professional development resources and materials to support teachers in implementing the CCSSM.
Participate in a live Q&A session with the presenters.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from GoToWebinar with a unique link and instructions on joining the webinar. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

DreamBox Learning Virtual Manipulative Teaching Tools

During this webinar, you'll get an in-depth look and a chance to explore these virtual manipulatives. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Learn more about this webinar and it's host and presenter on our Webinar Series page.

Around the Corner: ASCD 2011

Tracy H — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:36:30 +0000

Are you attending ASCD 2011 next week (March 26th-28th) in San Francisco, CA? If so, make sure you visit DreamBox Learning in booth 2311! Join us in our booth for a daily schedule of presentations focusing on key educator challenges:

Presentations Schedule

10:00am	Finding Funding for Instructional Technology
11:00am	Leveraging Real-Time Reporting for Insight Into Math Proficiency
12:00pm	Achieving Better, Faster Math Proficiency with DreamBox Learning
1:00pm	Increasing Elementary Math Proficiency for English Language Learners (Sat & Sun only)
2:00pm	Math Intervention and the Promise of Adaptive Learning (Sat & Sun only)
3:00pm	Achieving Better, Faster Math Proficiency with DreamBox Learning (Sat & Sun only)

When you're at the event, come find us and share the challenges you and your schools face. We look forward to meeting you! Follow us for booth related news at @DreamBox_Learn.

TCEA 2011 is Next Week! Will We See You There?

Tracy H — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:27:49 +0000

Are you attending the TCEA 2011 Education Conference next week in Austin, TX? If so, make sure you visit DreamBox Learning in booth 1350! We'd love to meet you, and you could win some great giveaways for your classroom. Join us in our booth for:

Hourly demos

FREE Teacher Tools

A FREE 30-day classroom trial!

You could win!

When you're at the event, come find us and share your DreamBox experience with us. We look forward to meeting you!

Helping Parents Understand How Children Learn Number

Sherry B — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:35:34 +0000

Recently a parent of a kindergartener sent us an email expressing some concern that her child (Julie) was working with two digit numbers but hadn't received any place value instruction. The parent was helping her daughter "answer" the lessons and she was concerned that DreamBox might have an instructional sequencing problem. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to put the parent at ease, help her understand how young children learn number concepts, and coach her on letting her daughter do the lessons herself. Young children are like sponges, and it's fascinating to watch as they soak up the world. They are in a "making sense time" of learning, meaning that first the learning is "mimicing", then they develop relational understandings, and finally they own the learning because they can apply it in new situations. However research shows us that this is not a linear model of learning. Learning is fragile in young children; they go in and out of this pathway before they get to consistent application and own the knowledge and skills. This is especially true when it comes to developing mathematical understanding. DreamBox is an adaptive learning environment designed to support a child's fragile learning path to knowledge and application. We begin the young child with developing number concepts and number sense. The big ideas for this step in Julie's development are:

Counting by telling how many things are in a set.
Numbers are related to each other through a wide variety of relationships.
Numbers have different values when connected to real objects and measure. For example, 5 elephants is a big amount, but five crayons is a small amount though the same number; 12 minutes is not much more than 10 minutes, but it is a lot more than 30 seconds.

Along with these big ideas, we want to help Julie develop number sense which means having a good intuition about number and their relationships. Number Sense develops gradually as a result of exploring numbers, and visualizing them in a variety of contexts. Early counting starts with mimicing of the sequence. Then a young child learns to count understanding a one to one relationship, and develops ideas about quantities so they see the relationships of more, less and the same. This allows Julie to see numbers as "groups of" (as in counting by 2's, 5's and 10's) and her counting starts to become more fluent and efficient. This leads the child into what some refer to as the "pre-place-value relations with 10." They count easily to 10, can group and count with ten, but they are not using place value and are really not ready for the "tens and ones" conversation other than to mimic what they hear. In this stage, we still want them to see larger numbers, to count them using one to one correspondence, to identify where they fit on a number line, and to count them using groupings like 5s and 10s (like the mathrack example you mentioned); but for the child, the understanding is not at a readiness for place value. So when you see DreamBox using larger numbers, this is what is happening. For us as adults who do have place value knowledge, it seems like place value is being taught and that place value would make it easier to answer the questions but this is not the case. With this in mind let me go to how DreamBox sets up the learning path for Julie and how that learning path can get interrupted. With each click of the mouse DreamBox is subtly adapting Julie's learning path based on her answer and her strategy to get to that answer. DreamBox knows that a young child's learning is fragile so there is a very deliberate back and forth going on. We don't want to push Julie beyond the point of her understanding but rather challenge the edges of her understanding so she moves along at her own pace. If a parent coaches the child so she gets a right answer or uses a more efficient strategy, DreamBox responds not knowing that the child didn't really understand what was presented to her. We adjusted Julie's learning path to a more appropriate level for her. Julie's mom to going to encourage her to spend time on DreamBox, acknowledge her efforts, and talk to her about her "adventure" and what she learned today.

Math Soft Spots in Child's Understanding

Sherry B — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:21:02 +0000

The DreamBox curriculum is focused on Number and Operations, as well as Number Sense. This content is so core to elementary mathematics that it takes up about 80% of classroom math instruction. With a new school year upon us, assessing what student's understand about numbers is a priority for teachers. I thought I'd share some soft spots I look for as I begin assessing young children's understanding of mathematics in the fall:

Counting items more than once or two at once

Counting one past the actual number of items

Being misled by perceptual clues

Confusing cardinal and ordinal numbers when counting

Reading a written number doesn't ensure an understanding of the number as a quantity

Thinking of a number as a group of symbols side by side rather than as an entity

What soft spots would you add to this list? As Director of Education Programs at DreamBox, I'll post regularly about teaching young children mathematics. We can share ideas, questions, and challenges through our blog postings. I look forward to hearing from you!