DreamBox Learning®» Public Education

Educator Tools, Courtesy the Digital Literacy Initiative

Tracy H — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:53:04 +0000

On May 13th, 2011, the Department of Commerce unveiled a new website aimed at increasing computer and internet skills in America. www.DigitalLiteracy.gov provides librarians, teachers, and others a central location to share digital literacy content and best practices. Search by skill type, topic, or general search. What's great about this site is that users can suggest resources for inclusion. Check the site out today and if you see a great resource missing, request it be added! What resources can you not live without in the classroom? Share your favorites with us!

"DreamBox Learning is a window to the future"

Sue — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:48:49 +0000

A new article titled "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines..." predicting that education technology is (finally!) going to transform education in the next five years has been published by chartered financial analyst Michael Moe and portfolio manager Luben Pampoulov. They point to recent investments by influential venture funds and the announcement that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is buying Wireless Generation for $360 million - suggesting this represents an "inflection point" signaling that the education technology industry is finally going to realize its potential to impact education in a substantial way. For more tangible evidence they point to the "quiet" growth in the number of students online with either a virtual class or blended mode, up from zero students 10 years ago; the digitization of textbooks; and more importantly, the improvements students have shown using innovative technologies. DreamBox is pleased to be seen as part of the solution. According to the authors, "Student advancement will be determined by mastery of subject, not the time spent in class. Through real time and ongoing assessment, the ability to do on-the-fly prescription and "one-on-one" instruction is made possible. "Adaptive Technology" which is used with overwhelming success at companies like Amazon and Netflix, is being incorporated in learning technology that is getting smarter and more personalized with each click. DreamBox Learning is a window to the future showing remarkable results with kids playing math games and learning at an incredibly fast rate." The authors are so convinced of the importance of education technology and reform, they've created a free newsletter, neXt edu. You can sign up by emailing them at neXtedu@nextupnetwork.com. By the way, thanks to crudbasher for bringing this report to our attention! His blog Education Stormfront is "Forecasting the coming storm in Education."

Can Charter Schools be Scaled Successfully?

Tracy H — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:34:25 +0000

Last week’s Waiting for Superman’s debate asked the question, ‘Can Charter Schools be Scaled Successfully?’ Kevin Hall, a member of DreamBox Learning’s Board of Directors, weighed in on the debate. Hear both sides of the debate and tell us what you think! Position A: "We are beginning to see CMOs succeed in delivering consistent high-level quality across their networks. For example, Aspire Public Schools operated 25 schools last year and averaged a 9.5 (out of 10) similar-schools ranking, meaning their schools are averaging a ranking in the top 5 percent of schools in California serving similar demographics." Position B: "Charter Management Organizations have so far scaled faster and seemingly with more consistency than any of the many failed dissemination and replication strategies of the past, including comprehensive school reform. But the challenge is still immense." Join the debate on Waiting for Superman’s website.

Reminder: Common Core Webinar with Francis (Skip) Fennell Tomorrow

Sue — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:27:05 +0000

Don't forget to attend tomorrow's webinar on Meeting the Common Core Imperative with respected math leader Francis (Skip) Fennell, Ph.D., and math support teacher Kelly Krownapple. If you haven't signed up already, you still have time - register here today!

Webinar Details

Many educators, faced with the challenge of delivering effective math instruction that allows all students to excel, are now grappling with how the Common Core State Standards will help them achieve that goal. And they know they need to anticipate the hurdles—both instructional and technological—to successful adoption. What should schools and districts consider as they transition to the standards? How will the standards impact expectations for the math that is taught? How are students likely to benefit? And what’s the role of technology in affecting this change? We'll take on these challenges, with some very distinguished help, in our upcoming webinar: Meet the Common Core Imperative: Strategies and technologies to help all students excel in math Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Time: 2:00 p.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. PST Respected math leader Francis (Skip) Fennell, Ph.D. and math support teacher Kelly Krownapple will share their insights into the Common Core opportunity and the potential hurdles for your school and district. Join us on November 16th and you'll learn:

Why less is more when it comes to math instruction; why math instruction shouldn't be "a mile wide and an inch deep"
Instructional strategies that meet Common Core requirements, building understanding and fluency
How adaptive technology can provide important representations for key Common Core math topics
The importance of breaking down the barriers between assessment and instruction
How to evaluate Common Core alignment claims

We hope you can join us! Register here today.

Coming Soon: DreamBox Webinar with Francis (Skip) Fennell, Ph.D. on Common Core

Sue — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:42:37 +0000

Why less is more when it comes to math instruction; why math instruction shouldn't be "a mile wide and an inch deep"
Instructional strategies that meet Common Core requirements, building understanding and fluency
How adaptive technology can provide important representations for key Common Core math topics
The importance of breaking down the barriers between assessment and instruction
How to evaluate Common Core alignment claims

We hope you can join us! Register here today.

Funding Opportunity: ING Unsung Heroes

Tracy H — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:56:42 +0000

For some teachers, classroom budgets are tight this year. Here at DreamBox, we’ve been researching possible grant opportunities for educators looking to fund DreamBox Learning, and came across ING’s Unsung Heroes award. Applications are now open for the 2011 awards, and are due April 30, 2011. Educators chosen receive $2000 to help fund innovative class projects, a great way to fund DreamBox Learning in your classroom. Haven’t tried DreamBox Learning K-3 Math in your class yet? Get it in your classroom FREE for 30 days. Learn more about ING Unsung Heroes! For additional grant ideas, click here.

Common Core Standards

Aja — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 15:17:29 +0000

The New York Times recently posted an article about the newly released Common Core Standards from the State Standards Initiative. I spent some time reviewing the math standards and really appreciated that the standards were clear and concise. The summary for each grade fits easily on one page. The longer versions of the standards use plain English and plenty of examples. They are also clear on when a skill should be introduced and when it should be mastered. For example kindergartners are expected to solve addition and subtraction word problems with totals less than 10 using objects or drawings. First graders are expected to do this fluently. Second graders are expected to be able to do addition and subtraction up to 20 in their heads. I also liked the focus on base 10 and place value. I hear from teachers and read in research that understanding place value is vital to success in mathematics. It makes a lot of sense. The standard algorithms use place value (borrowing, carrying, adding a zero in multiplication, etc). But place value also is used extensively in science. Scientific notation, order of magnitude, and significant figures all have place value concepts at their root. It will be interesting to see where the common standards go from here. Past efforts to unify curriculum and standards across states have been controversial. Some students and teachers will benefit from common standards but local control of curriculum also has many advantages. Maybe these particular standards have the right balance between local control and common, high, expectations. What do you think? Are the new standards good? Do you want your local school to adopt them?

Sarah Daniels on Why DreamBox is Used in so Many Classrooms

Sue — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:56:49 +0000

Sarah Daniels, DreamBox Learning’s VP of Marketing, spoke at this week’s NewSchools Summit 2010. This annual event is sponsored by the NewSchools Venture Fund, the highly respected education-focused venture philanthropy firm of the same name. Here’s a brief video from a hallway conversation at the conference, with Sarah talking about why DreamBox is being used to help provide differentiated instruction in classrooms all around the country.

National Charter Schools Week Starts Today

Tracy — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:00:19 +0000

May has arrived, and with it National Charter Schools Week, May 3-9. This year's theme is "Promoting Innovation and Excellence." Since the first American charter school opened in Minnesota in 1991, they have spread across 40 states and are educating over 1.4 million K-12 students. Washington State, where DreamBox resides, is one of ten states without charter schools, so we understand those who may be a little unclear on what a charter school is.

What is a Charter School?

Charter schools, which were established in the early 90s on the model "schools of choice," are a part of the public school system, but don't necessarily conform to the same rules, regulations and statutes that apply to other public schools. Rather, specific results are targeted in individual school charters, and the schools are accountable for achieving those results. Founded by community members, non-profit groups, universities and sometimes government entities, charter schools often tailor their curriculum to specialize in, for example, arts, or mathematics, or they provide alternative learning systems within the public schools. The goal of National Charter School Week is to highlight the role of charter schools, raising awareness to inform and educate public officials and community members. In particular, we appreciate the dedicated teachers who strive to provide an excellent education for every child.

An Appreciation for Jaime Escalante, Teacher

Sue — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:30:14 +0000

Jaime Escalante has just died at age 79. Like most people I know him as the teacher portrayed in 'Stand and Deliver,' the 1988 movie where he showed, not just his East L.A. high school students, but also students, teachers, and educators everywhere, that inner city kids could master math at challenging levels and pass a rigorous national calculus exam. He was also an important mentor for many students through his PBS program, watched in thousands of classrooms every week through the 1990s. Engineers, scientists, astronauts, and others visited his classes to help his students think about the important, inspiring ways math is used every day in all kinds of careers. I heard on the radio the day he died that he was controversial among teachers, but I join many others who remember his contributions: he was a passionate, dedicated, and inspiring teacher who emphasized correcting his own mistakes when his students had weak test scores. He had the vision to see potential in students when others did not. And he stressed the importance of an early foundation for success in math. You can hear him in his own words, talking about what it takes to succeed at being a teacher.