The Teachers of Mathematics conference was well attended by K-12 teachers and, for the primary grades in particular, by math intervention teachers who work with kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade students in Kentucky. One of DreamBox Learning’s Board Certified teachers presented two sessions at the conference. The first presentation was on Best Practices for Incorporating DreamBox Learning K-2 Math Into the Classroom and the second presentation was on Using Virtual Manipulatives to Teach Early Numeracy. We loved hearing directly from teachers how they were incorporating DreamBox into their classes.

Here are a few of the great tips we heard from teachers on how they are using DreamBox in their classrooms:

• Before starting students on DreamBox, teachers are using the DreamBox sample lessons and tutorials as a group to introduce the DreamBox virtual manipulatives and math concepts, as well as to get the class excited about the program. (By the way, any teacher can use our sample lessons for free! Just go to www.dreambox.com/play_samples).
• Math intervention teachers love the ability to ‘share’ the view of their students’ progress with those students’ homeroom teachers. Students are able to play DreamBox while they’re working with the intervention teacher, as well as in their regular classroom during transition times or small group rotations—and the intervention teacher and homeroom teachers can both view student progress reports.
• Teachers love the notifications that DreamBox sends to let them know when a student is struggling with a math concept or lesson.  When teachers see a red flag for a student needs assistance they are sitting down with the student to review the concept.
• Teachers are using our full classroom view of overall progress to see at a glance the range of progress for multiple students through the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade curricula.  They are then pulling groups of students who are at a similar level of progress for small group activities and lessons.
• The Kentucky teachers we met were excited about the new free DreamBox Teacher Tools, which we introduced at the conference.  They were very interested in ideas for how they could use the manipulatives as quick games to get students back in their seats during transition times, as well as how to use the tools and lessons for in depth discussions in class about what strategies different students are using to solve equations.  Any teacher can use the free DreamBox Teacher Tools! Just go to www.dreambox.com/teachertools.

“All students learn in different ways, and in the book, we use the theory of multiple intelligences to describe this,” explains Horn. “Considering these differences and constraints on time and space for learning, it’s incredibly hard to individualize instruction for 20 or 30 students at a time. So our big question was: how do you break apart that interdependency and allow for truly student-centered learning?’ Horn calls for educators to be more purposeful in their use of technology in the classroom and discusses the new role of the teacher in a disrupted classroom.”

Michael Horn is co-author of “Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns.”

“Led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the states, including Maryland and Virginia, are aiming to define a framework of content and skills that meet an overarching goal. When students get their high school diplomas, the coalition says, they should be ready to tackle college or a job. The benchmarks would be “internationally competitive.”

Once the organizers of the effort agree to a proposal, each state would decide individually whether to adopt it. …

[U.S Education Secretary Arne] Duncan and others also said that even the highest goals lose their punch if there’s not an accurate way to gauge whether students measure up. That means revamping state tests — a cumbersome and expensive process. So far, the states have committed only to working to develop the standards.”

Does the assessment portion of this plan strike anyone else as being “too little, too late”? Darn it, if only there were a way to accurately assess a student’s knowledge and understanding at a very fine grained level that actually integrated with what and how they learned while they learned it! Then assessment would be neither cumbersome nor expensive. And the students might just be taught – and when necessary, retaught – what they needed to know when they needed to know it.

The DreamBox Learning K-2 Approach

Those of you familiar with DreamBox Learning K-2 Math know that our approach is to continually assess each student and individually adapt how we then present not just portions of the curriculum or individual lessons, but individual questions within those lessons. While DreamBox is based upon existing national standards, it teaches each student as an individual with their own strengths and weaknesses. In other words we continually assess then teach. Which is what good teachers have been doing for hundreds – perhaps thousands – of years.

Children aren’t screws or widgets. Each one is uniquely different and may require specifically individualized teaching. While the debate about national standards goes on, let’s not forget that no matter which “standard” you adopt, if you consider assessment as an afterthought rather than an integral part of teaching, then you are forcing some students to continually play catch up. As I wrote in a recent blog (Sometimes Things Just Don’t Compute…): If you don’t know a student is having a problem, how can you address it in a timely manner?

The success with which DreamBox Learning addresses students with widely varying skill levels has reinforced for me a variation of that old Chicago saying: If you want to provide a successfully individualized learning experience for a student,  “assess early and assess often”!

Let’s hope our politicians can be taught that as well.

My role at DreamBox is to work with hundreds of teachers, who are finding that DreamBox is an incredibly effective way to teach 4-8 year olds math in a fun way. The benefit of teaching children with DreamBox is that the program is able to leverage the latest technological innovations to create an online math learning product. Our kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade math games that adapt lessons based on each child’s knowledge and adjusts pacing on an individual basis.

Why DreamBox Online Learning Games?

With no exaggeration I can tell you that teachers are lining up to get DreamBox into their classrooms because it works! Independent effectiveness studies have shown that student test scores have increased by 19% after 2 weeks playing DreamBox.

I love working with teachers and hearing how excited they are about DreamBox. Here are a couple of recent emails I’ve gotten from teachers who are using the program (and you can read many more here):

“I use DreamBox as a regular part of my kindergarten curriculum. I rely on DreamBox to keep my advanced math students interested and challenged. It’s also a great program for my students who are not as advanced in the classroom because the program is auditory and visual and will repeat lessons and concepts as needed. As a teacher I love that DreamBox is really teaching mathematical thinking. I also love that students can play DreamBox at home in addition to the classroom — the parents of my students often ask me what they can do at home to supplement what their children are learning at school. DreamBox is a great way for students to practice and reinforce math at home. ”
— Marie Hewitt, kindergarten teacher, Norman Rockwell Elementary

“I was really interested in using DreamBox Learning K-2 Math with my first grade class because of its ability to adapt to each individual student’s level. This program challenges each child whether they need remediation or need more advanced work. DreamBox is focused on the critical foundational math my students must learn such as the ability to add and subtract fluently. I also liked how the DreamBox program immediately offers tips and lessons on how to solve a problem if a student doesn’t answer a problem correctly.”
— Lisa Niva, 1st grade teacher, Wade King Elementary

ABCnews.com just wrote a story on DreamBox today and I personally think it’s a great example of a video game and technology that is helping students learn rather than a waste of ’screen time’.

Perhaps not all video games are created equal!

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. In fact, DreamBox Learning exists to be a key agent of transformative change in education, such that every student enjoys an individually-tailored, world class learning experience. We are doing our part by providing a web-based curriculum that is incredibly effective, fun, and highly individualized to a student’s particular learning needs. Our product will first be offered in the homes of some students, later in the schools for all students. In order to achieve that latter goal, we need your help. By ensuring that every student has access to a quality computer, thick broadband connectivity, a teacher that is trained to use technology, and a school system that embraces the power of software both in spirit and in budget, we are certain a difference can be made. In short Mr. President, if you provide the infrastructure and access, we will do our level best to bring innovation and entrepreneurship to meet the “demands of the new age.”

Mr. President, you also stated:

“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”

Again, those words resonated for the DreamBox team. Today we celebrate the inaugural launch of our first product – DreamBox Learning K-2 Math. After three demanding and determined years, we stand ready to take our first step, not our last, in delivering on our promise so that children can take hold of theirs. We were humbled by the challenge but no less deterred. It was a simple recognition that someone had to; why not us? But as the hard charging and willful team here knows, any far-reaching goal needs to be grounded in bare-knuckled execution and a united ethos. We hope that these are the hallmarks of yours and our journey to success.

Lou Gray
CEO, DreamBox Learning, Inc.

I’ve written in this blog before about my own math education – although my father was an engineer I didn’t do well in math in school, and there have been times I’ve struggled to help my son with math homework because I had to first figure out the way it was being taught. It took me longer to see that math is problem solving, and to believe that I could be good at it.

So I wanted to pass along a link to a site, published by a math teacher named Mark Karadimos, called MathGuide—and in particular the page on “Why Must I Learn Math?” For parents who bring the same kind of baggage to the subject that I do, this is a very educational read. Because today, it’s not just the traditional math and science careers that require mathematics—not just astronauts and scientists and engineers—every profession needs math.

Kids Need to Build Math Skills for All Professions

I’m more aware of this than ever because I’m working on a short documentary-style video for DreamBox where we interviewed more than 50 children, asking them what they want to be when they grow up. As part of this project I’ve been researching how an amazing range of careers—from beauticians to farmers to paleontologists, rock stars, and zoologists—all need math in their jobs!

And if you still have any doubt about why it’s important to overcome our own negative math education experiences, read the National Math Panel report to learn more about the importance of math in terms of access to college, career choices, and earning potential! You’ll find it, along with other parent resources, at the U.S. Dept. of Education site.

When we created this blog round-up, we looked for the education heavy hitters. We defined this as blogs that offered a thoughtful, incisive look at education today, from a variety of angles. We looked for blogs that posted frequently, had a popular following, and genuinely contributed provocative food for thought to the education discussion.

We also strove to create a snapshot across the breadth of education today, so below you’ll find perspectives from teachers, academics, and parents. They’re an opinionated bunch and we don’t always agree with them, but together, these blogs represent the lively heart of education commentary on the web.

But while we don’t endorse the individual viewpoints of these bloggers, we do commend the hard work and heartfelt passion they’ve put in to creating an active online voice for the subject most dear to us: education. So without further ado…

A Directory of the Best Educational Blogs!

1. The School of Blog. A crowd-favorite among education bloggers, The School of Blog is a fun look at everything educational under the sun. From Jib Jab cards, Onion articles, and YouTube videos, with a healthy dose of humor, a fearless use of multimedia, and a nice relief from endless prose, School of Blog adds much-needed levity to the education blogger realm.
2. Eduwonkette. This education blog prides itself on covering serious education issues with an occasionally irreverent twist. The result is meaty articles heartily discussed by the ever-interesting Eduwonkette. (Don’t you just love that name!) This blog distinguishes itself with a social science lens, so expect plenty of analysis on race, culture, and the gender gap as applied to education. Also expect fun features like Halloween Edu-Parade 2008.
3. Wild About Math. What do you get when you add social media and a former Stanford math major who’s recently walked away from a 25-year career in the high-tech industry? Answer: a clever blog, Wild About Math, whose mission is “inspiring others with the joy of math,” according to blogger Sol Lederman. No small order, but through fun weekly features such as “Monday Math Madness,” intelligent math book reviews, and humorous posts like “Impress Your Friends with Mental Math Tricks,” Lederman manages to score on all counts. This blogger is also a willing tutor and math mentor, so check out his blog today!
4. Kitchen Table Math, The Sequel. Do you know what a WiiMote is? No? Then head on over to Kitchen Table Math, The Sequel! Kitchen This is a group blog about K-12 education, dealing mostly but not exclusively with math education. An interesting mix of education politics, technology, and the dynamics of classroom learning are covered here. The rich roster of contributors really adds to the depth and breadth of the education discussion topics.
5. Of Kids and Education. Monica Lim, a blogger from Singapore, intersperses anecdotes of her children, Andre and Lesley-Anne, with practical applications such as math models, time table tricks, and logic puzzles. If you like math clever and bite-sized, rather than complex and abstract, and if you’d like a little math each day to keep the brain nimble, this is a good place to dive in. Check out Miss Lim’s priceless Ode to Teachers 2 right now!
6. Eduflack. An expert on educational advocacy, marketing and communication strategies, Patrick Riccards articulates the ripple effect of education in intelligent prose that make you stop and think. Eduflack is particularly laudable for its ability to take complex educational issues and synthesize them down to easily understood ideas. One stand-out read is Eduflack’s ten educational tenets.
7. D-ed Reckoning. Are kids really learning anything valuable in class these days? What would valuable education look like? D-ed Reckoning – opinionated but always thought-provoking – seeks to identify exactly that. The moniker of this blog posits that all of the problems with K-12 education can be traced back to a lack of information. Not enough is known about K-12 education, therefore all efforts surrounding it are based on speculation a.k.a “dead reckoning.” In an attempt to remedy this “sound and fury signifying nothing” syndrome, the co-authors of this blog, a published author and a patent attorney, set out to prove/disprove the current maxims and metrics of current education on a case-by-case basis. The result is Snopes-style exposes of flaws in various education studies, standardized tests, academic books etc, as well as a host of charts, YouTube videos, and cartoons to illustrate the points. In general, D-ed Reckoning is a good example of how to deliver fairly intense, complexinformation in a digestible manner.
8. Inside Schools. This blog features education issues with a thoroughly modern bent, from pre-school applications, specialized high schools, and finding a school in the right zip code. How important is location when choosing a school? Check out this blog to read a thoughtful account of the the competitive nature of school decisions in this area, as well as plenty of other insights on education. This blog chronicles New York City public schools specifically so it’s especially relevant if you happen to live there, but the accounts are so colorful and engaging they will be enjoyable for any parent dealing with the same issues. Written by a collection of bloggers, the quality of writing never wavers, so check out Inside Schools!

Resources for Further Education Reading

In our research, we came across a few other education articles of note. Check them out below.

For an out-of-the-mouth-of-11th graders glimpse at what’s really happening in our classrooms, check out this colloquial take on a literary classic.

Copy/Paste shares ten tips for helping foster student creativity in the classroom.

Last but not least, Let’s Play Math has a round-up of free math resources.

Ignoring the Math of the Financial Crisis

Certainly we can now all say “they just didn’t do the math”, and include in that sweeping condemnation the lenders who made loans to people who couldn’t possibly pay them back, as well as the borrowers who signed up for payments that overwhelmed their income. But in this case, I’m afraid it was more a problem of them CHOOSING not to “do the math” than of them not being ABLE to do it.

Being able to do the math can lead to success though, just ask Warren Buffet.

This is not to say that all homework is bad. In fact, of the following varieties of homework, only the first presents the real problem:

1. Traditional homework (aka busy work).
2. Supplemental learning.
3. Longer-term / self-directed projects.
4. Direct test preparation (not to be confused with yearly WASL-like testing).

Is Homework Simply a Tradition for Elementary School Kids?

My oldest son goes to a school with some pretty incredible teachers. They make learning fun and it shows because he LOVES and works hard at school. As is the norm, however, a fair mixture of his homework is lengthy and of the traditional variety. Despite his natural desire to do well, he is already complaining about these homework assignments — he views them as both a chore and infringement on his family / personal time. My wife and I completely appreciate his position (as does his ever-watchful younger brother). As a 2nd grader, is he already burning out? Will he lose his affinity for school, or worse, learning? Is it worth the household tension it creates? Does it come at the expense of other meaningful activities? Or is it all just an acclimating phase?

We really can’t blame the teachers or the administration for providing traditional homework — they are responding to well-meaning, but otherwise misguided, parents clamoring for more for the sake of more (and, of course, for the varietal of homework these parents received as children).  That said, my wife and I wish his school were able to educate (read: convince) other parents about the homework big picture and how it relates to their child’s education. Until then, school assignments of any variety must get done in our household . . . even though I can always feel the BTUs generating from my wife as she prepares to do battle with my son to get it done on time and with bona fide effort.

To be clear about this, Bellevue teachers didn’t strike against standardized tests. But standardized curricula are being implemented to improve standardized test scores. And what is being sacrificed in order to improve scores? Standardized tests emphasize recall at the expense of critical thinking. Automatic recall of basic facts is important because it frees up the mind to think. But recall isn’t the same as thinking, or putting those facts to use in real-world problem solving.

According to Marion Brady, a widely respected educator, this increased focus on tests means ignoring higher-order thinking skills because “nobody has yet invented a test-scoring computer program that can evaluate the quality of complex thought processes and spit out meaningful numbers…The more sophisticated the thought process, the less it lends itself to meaningful mechanical or electronic evaluation.”*

Prioritizing Educational Standards and Practices for Kids

Unlike a number of people at DreamBox, I’m not an educator. Rather, I draw on my experiences sitting down with my son after dinner for family study time. He would drag himself through the memorization homework and would light up with ideas for any hands-on creative or collaborative project. While I wanted to instill the discipline of studying, I hated having to pull him away from the progressive story or research project he and his buddies were developing when it was time to do some rote exercise.

Personally, I’m a wholehearted believer in reordering our priorities and making education one of our most important investments as a society. As difficult and subjective as it is to measure, I think we need a system that goes beyond standardized tests to truly recognize what great teaching can do. Excellence must be defined, outstanding teachers should be held accountable and rewarded (yes, monetarily) for improved student outcomes, but machine scoring shouldn’t be the only measure of success.

*Educational Leadership, Cover the Material—Or Teach Students to Think?”, Marion Brady, February 2008, Volume 65, Number 5, Pages 64-67

A key issue for teachers was the curriculum instituted in the past decade. The district is considered one of the best in the state, as measured by test scores and a high level of college attendance, and four of its schools are in the top 100 high schools in the country according to Newsweek’s 2008 ranking.

So what’s the problem?

Teachers objected to the scripted curriculum mandated by the district — a top-down approach that required teachers to stick to the daily curriculum, which teachers claimed doesn’t take into account individual student needs.

Standardized Curriculum Ignores Individual Needs for Learning

In some districts, standardization is being taken to extremes. I know of engaged, creative teachers who are leaving the profession in frustration as individualization is being mandated out of their approach to teaching a diverse group of learners. One fantastic elementary teacher I know has successfully taught hundreds of young elementary kids of various skill levels to read, by working in small groups and giving lots of individual attention. But now she’s being told to stand in front of the room reading a book, while every child in the room sits in a chair and follows silently along.

I’m with the good teachers on this. There must be a balance between having consistent standards across the district, and across the country, based on curricula that are shown to improve student outcomes. But we must also train, motivate and hire smart, passionate teachers, support them with sufficient resources, and then let them do their creative best to educate our children.

Pumpkin math games and other fall activities

Here are some other fun ways to combine math and the pumpkin season.

Pumpkin math, literally

1. Get the book “How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin” by Margaret Mcnamara and follow along.
2. Find out if a pumpkin floats and why, or why not. What about a really large pumpkin? You’d be surprised.
3. Wrap a string around a pumpkin and guess the size. For extra credit figure out the diameter (hint: 3.14 x diameter = circumference).
4. Follow some of the fun fall activities at Math Cats.

Share your ideas for pumpkin math games and fall activities by posting your comments below.

How many seeds in a pumpkin?, by Margaret McNamara

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

This book shows how one class predicted and counted the number of seeds inside different sized pumpkins. They found that size didn’t necessarily determine the number of seeds inside. Time on the vine, number of ribs, and color all play a role in the number of seeds inside a pumpkin.

Finally, they’re ready to explore the insides of a pumpkin, count the seeds, and see if their predictions are accurate. By using the counting techniques shared in the story, the students begin to explore which techniques for counting are efficient. In the story, as well as in class, the students begin to recognize that counting by 4’s is not as efficient as counting by 10’s when dealing with large numbers. It can also be fun to chart the number of ribs, color, and the number of seeds for all the pumpkins in the class to see if a pattern arises. Looking at data that was self-created is more likely to give kids have those ‘aha’ moments. It is an excellent way to help them realize that math and nature are closely linked!

If you like these pumpkin math problems, check out our 2009 Pumpkin Math Activities Calendar.

I came across a news article today about some high school students who learned strategies for estimating by getting out of the classroom, going to a football stadium, and figuring out how to estimate the total number of seats in the stadium! (Learning Math Outside Class Helps Students Understand It ) I think it’s a cool idea. As more states and more districts respond to the crisis in math education and increase their focus on effective math learning, I’m sure we’ll be reading about many more cool ideas like this real-world example.

Get At Home Math Learning Activities

It’s an idea we believe in — we incorporate the learn-by-doing principle into our math lesson games, and we use parent communications to suggest activities families can do at home: DreamBox Learning’s Parent Newsletter, for example, always includes tips. And when we email parents about an academic milestone their student has achieved in DreamBox, we include ideas for at-home activities that provide hands-on experience with those math concepts.

I’m always looking to hear good ideas on games and activities that parents can use to promote math learning through experience – I would love to hear yours!

I remember a similar discussion when I was a kid during the 70’s oil embargo. I dreaded the thought of my Mom (the omnipresent teacher) loading me to the gills with rote exercises and makeshift homework while all my friends would be outside playing (can’t you just envision them waving their tongues and moose-horn hands at me).

Homeschooling with Dreambox

Today, if my sons’ schools instituted a four day school week, I’m reminded how lucky they’d be to use DreamBox at home. So lucky in fact, I actually think I’ll recount it for them — along with stories about my ill-fitting hand-me-down paisley polyester shirts, shoveling snow with a 40 lb rusty spade, and grandpa’s insistence that milk expiration dates were a conspiracy to get you to buy more milk.

It’s no wonder I dislike cottage cheese.

As he met his teacher, made shy “hellos” and “high fives” to the other kids in his class, and looked around, I couldn’t help but think about what he would learn this year, what his big “wins” and big “challenges” would be, and whether we had prepared him well enough.

In one corner of the room there is a cozy reading area, with shelves of books and soft big pillows on the floor. Yes, he would like that. We had always cuddled with him on our laps and read stories and adventures and dinosaur books, and today he has a great love of books (though still a non-reader). What might he be able to read by the end of the year?

In another area was a magnet board with baskets of letters, numbers and pictures of food. My son immediately created a feast for a king on that board, organized by …um, his own system.

Having Confidence in Math Skills is a Great Head Start

Taped on the back wall was a set of pictures showing the different ways to “make 10” – add 1 to 9, or 2 to 8, etc. and next to it was a shelf full of math manipulatives. Being an early beta tester of DreamBox, he nodded with familiarity at the wall, and picked up a mathrack with confidence. Hooray! I thought. The overlap of my work life and home life had helped give him an early love of math and a good head start. (That certainly wouldn’t have been true if I had stayed in my previous jobs in network security or medical information systems!).

And then he ran out to the playground, and was quickly playing loudly with the other kids, glancing my way only occasionally to make sure I was still watching.

Yes, he is prepared enough for Kindergarten, ready to start an amazing educational journey that will include academic, social and artistic adventures.