DreamBox Learning®» Technology

The Power of Technology to Reach All Students

Tim Hudson — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:34:59 +0000

The most challenging aspect of teaching involves reaching all learners. In a given classroom of 20, 30, 40 or more students, I want and need to know what each student is thinking at every moment in order to be the best teacher possible. Yet with all that teachers are expected to do on a given day, true differentiated instruction is - and always has been - essentially impossible. Technology tools are often held up as the solution to this dilemma, but too often these tools merely simplify the presentation of material or collect small bits of student data during class. These technology uses enhance current teaching practices, but fall short of continually capturing information about a child's understanding at critical points of thinking and transfer. At DreamBox, we provide classroom teachers not only with data on student understanding and performance, but also with learning software that engages students, intelligently adapts to provide a differentiated experience for each child, and teaches rigorous mathematics. We know achievement gaps still exist. We believe our technology is a partner with teachers working to close those gaps. To fix the education crisis, we have to think differently about reaching all students. And we have to think differently about how new technologies can be a key factor in accomplishing this goal.

As a classroom teacher, I realize that more data would be useful for instructional planning, communicating with parents, and helping students set their own goals. But too often, assessments simply confirm what I already know - for example, that a fourth grade student doesn't understand second grade math content. I don't have time or opportunity to go back to those foundational number concepts; and with education funding cuts, my school may not have enough resource teachers to work with this student outside of class. Similarly, many data reports may confirm that another fourth grader is really doing math at a sixth grade level. The schedule and resources available in the school are rarely adequate to meet this student's needs on a daily basis either. The power of an intelligent, adaptive learning technology is the ability to differentiate learning support for every fourth grader: those working at grade levels above or below as well as every child in-between. Our technology represents a radical transformation in how students learn. By weaving an adaptive learning environment into the curriculum and classroom structure, we can drastically improve student learning, close achievement gaps, and adapt uniquely to individual students, each of whom will at some point encounter a learning challenge.

In the end, what every classroom teacher really needs is a tool that is proven to actively and directly foster learning for every single student. If more accessible textbooks and lectures were the key to closing achievement gaps, the education crisis would have been solved long ago. I need software that adapts to each student just as I would - moment by moment - observing what the child is thinking, how she is approaching the problem and analyzing the strategies she uses in order to make a pedagogical decision about where to go next. I want software that doesn't replace me entirely - I know that's impossible - but it should meet students where they are when I'm not able to get to them.

At DreamBox, we provide teachers and students with technology that makes this learning support a reality. We don’t expect to replace teachers; our technology enhances what teachers are trying to accomplish with each student. When teachers can't be there individually for a student at the point of learning, they can trust that DreamBox will be a trustworthy partner for ensuring that student will experience success.

Updates to Teacher and Administrator Dashboard Navigation

Tracy H — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:00:47 +0000

As many of our teachers and administrators begin to prepare for the start of the new school year, you will see a few subtle yet significant changes within the Teacher and Administrator Dashboard. We have updated the navigation tabs to more accurately reflect the content available to you. Below is an update of the changes, as well as what you can expect to see when you log in.

Old Navigation	New Navigation
School Reports	School Reports
Student Progress	Student Reports
My Students	Manage Students
Subscriptions	My Account
Resources	Resources

Example of new dashboard navigation:

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.

Tuesday Teacher Tips: Using Webcams in Classroom Learning

Lisa W — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:46:38 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. I was recently talking to a good friend, Dana, who teaches 1st grade. She was excited about the authentic learning that was happening in her classroom this winter and spring. This year her class has been faithfully watching the Lily and Hope den cam on the North American Bear Center’s website. The Bear Center is an educational outreach center located in Ely, Minnesota. Lily and Hope are mother and daughter black bears being studied by the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely. This winter Dana’s 1st graders, as well as viewers from around the world, watched the den cam and were able to “meet” two newborn cubs (Jason and Faith) as they came into the world in January. Everyday this winter Dana’s students faithfully watched the web cam and discussed their observations. Dana integrated the following real-life math activities around bears; the students were motivated and excited to learn everything they could about the topic. Charting temperature—each day the class charted the temperature in their area and compared it to the temperature in Ely, Minnesota. Calculating ages—using the family tree information on the Bear Center’s website, Dana’s class calculated the ages of each bear. Comparing Weights—Dana used the weight of each bear to compare and order numbers, teach number line concepts, as well as introduce mathematical vocabulary such as greater than and less than. Graphing Data—each time the students had a sighting or heard the bears, the class recorded the information on a graph. Problem Solving—Dana’s class was so captured by the bears that they held a class read-a-thon to raise money to buy bags of nuts to feed the resident bears at the Bear Center. The class discussed how much money was needed to buy one bag of feed and how many minutes they had to read to buy that bag. On a daily basis they recorded their reading minutes and used a graph to display the information. How do you integrate the outside world into authentic math experiences for your students? Email us and let us know. We love to hear all of the great things that teachers are doing to involve their students in real-life math experiences!

Tuesday Teacher Tips: My How Times Have Changed!

Lisa W — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:41:31 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. When I was in fifth grade there was one lone computer in the entire school. It was very apparent, even to a ten year old, that my teacher didn’t quite know what to do with this new piece of machinery. At one point we had to fill out punch cards to program the computer to say, “Hello.” The objective may have been for us to understand programming and computer language, but in reality the students didn’t see the purpose. It was not something we needed and we had no previous experiences on which to base our learning. And I’m pretty certain that my teacher didn’t understand the purpose either. I remember at one point after many students complained—their run program didn’t work, the cards were jamming the machine, and the computer crashed—the teacher threw up her hands and said, “Enough! We’re putting this away!” We didn’t see the computer again until sixth grade. The next year, the lonely computer sat in the hall and was available as a reward. Twice during the year, if you were good, you were allowed to play, “Oregon Trail.” No programming instruction was taught that year. When I first began my teaching career, the computer was an extra. For me it was like having a deluxe blender in my kitchen, I thought I needed one, it looked impressive on the counter, but if pressed, I would admit, I didn’t use it all that much. Then slowly, the computer became an administrative tool. Instead of sending the attendance to the office on a slip of paper, we logged on, completed the attendance, and logged off. Our professional development time included learning how to point, click, drag, and drop. And now? The change is incredible, not only what the internet brings into the classroom and what is available, but how indispensible it has become. School computers are no longer the one extra computer sitting in the hall, available for a turn with Oregon Trail. They are used for real, authentic student learning. A local school district recently approved Project REAL (Resources to Engage All Learners). Next fall, all students in grade 5-12 will have an iPad. And grades K-4 will have sets of iPod Touches. Instead of textbooks, the district is investing in technology and digital curriculum. Sometimes I feel a bit like my grandmother when she sees people with personal cell phones walking through the store. She remembers when one phone was installed, by a professional, into her home. She usually shakes her head and says, “My how times have changed!” It's exciting to experience the changes that technology has brought to education. But it’s also challenging. Not only are teachers trying to keep up with everything new, but they have to figure out to integrate it in the classroom without throwing up the hands and shouting, “Enough!” What changes have you seen in educational technology throughout your career? How do you integrate technology into daily instruction? Email and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Using Technology to Spend Quality Time with Family

Becca — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:07:20 +0000

My 7 year old niece and 4 year old nephew moved to San Diego a year ago. Though I knew that I would miss them a ton, I wasn’t going to let 1,200 miles get in the way of spending quality time with them. We quickly developed a routine of talking regularly via Skype, but after the first few calls where the conversation was the same each time, I was looking for new ways to spend quality time with the two of them. I can’t take credit for all of these ideas (my niece is pretty creative!), but maybe some of them will help you reconnect with someone you love!

Choose a book and read it together. With my nephew (pre-reading), we take turns. Sometimes I read while showing him the pictures and other times he “reads” while showing me the pictures. With my niece, we each have a copy of the book. Sometimes we read together, taking turns. Other times, we’ll plan to pre-read a couple of chapters and then talk about what we read during the Skype call.
Play an activity on the computer together. With Skype, one user can share their screen with the other user. One day, while talking, my niece needed help logging into DreamBox K-3 Math. I asked her to share her screen with me and helped her log in. Once she was logged in, we played “together.” I was careful not to help too much, but it was fun to watch her play and ask her questions about how she was solving the problems. We’ve done this with other websites as well—it was pretty cool to help her research butterflies for a school project despite the distance!
Play “car games”. Even though we rarely ride in a car together these days, we are still able to play our favorite “car games.” One of our favorites is “The Guessing Game.” One person things of an item and gives 3 clues. (A recent one? “I’m thinking of something that’s red, is used in pies, and some people put cinnamon in it.” Answer: Apple)
Have a meal together. Sounds kind of crazy (and takes some coordinating of schedules), but we’ve had dinner together by setting the computer on the far side of the table and talking over a meal. Not quite the same as our Sunday dinners of the past, but fun nonetheless.

How do you connect with long distance family and friends—especially kids?

"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."

Tech & Learning Award of Excellence to DreamBox Learning

Tracy H — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 23:38:32 +0000

Tech & Learning has announced their 28th annual Awards of Excellence winners, which honors products that help educators teach and manage classrooms with technology.

“Now that the use of technology in schools is no longer a novelty but a reality, it’s no longer about the promise of what a product can do; it’s about the proof," says Kevin Hogan, Editorial Director for NewBay Media’s Tech & Learning Group.

DreamBox Learning K-3 Math has won the Tech & Learning Award of Excellence for the second year in a row! We are honored to have been included as a winner – thank you to the more than 30 educators who reviewed our product and found it among the best of the best. Read more about the 28th Annual Awards of Excellence by Tech & Learning Magazine. View a list of our awards and honors!

The "Hole In The Wall" Project

Neal M — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:07:14 +0000

There is a quote from Thomas Carruthers that I had for years attached to my e-mail signature. He said, "A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary." Just as teachers need to guide and shape learning for our students, we also need to embrace a shift in our locus of control to our students. It is in this shift that we will empower students to take ownership of their learning and to take control of their individual academic journey. I find this shift essential in intermediate grades especially, as empowered students are more successful upon entering Middle School and beyond. There exists also a debate in education as to the balance between an educator-driven experience, versus the students taking ownership over their learning. I recently found particularly interesting the work of Sugata Mitra and his Hole in the Wall Project over the past nine years. In short, Hole in the Wall project began with a Learning Station consisting of a computer system setup with no instruction manual or teacher involvement. Mitra and his team found that the residents, especially the children, were able to teach themselves and one another how to use not only the computer hardware, but the basic software included as well. Mitra's team expanded this concept throughout India, with Learning Stations set up in impoverished neighborhoods as a minimally invasive academic tool. If you are interested in learning more about Sugata Mitra, I recommend these videos from TED on "How Kids Teach Themselves" and from PBS's show Frontline: World. How can we apply the findings of Hole in the Wall to our own classrooms and schools? Should we as teachers drop off learning materials, computer systems, and leave our students to handle the learning on their own? Of course not. However, there is a time and place for a teacher to know when we stop advancing learning, and are instead inhibiting academic growth. Sometimes it is appropriate and preferred to pose a question, provide materials, and take a step back to see what happens. You may be surprised at the ability of your students to self-organize and seize their learning.

Tuesday Teacher Tip: Farewell, Dear Friend

Lisa W — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:41:32 +0000

Welcome to the Tuesday Teacher Tips series! Each week we’ll highlight teaching and learning resources, ideas to use in the classroom, as well as things to ponder as you go about your teaching day. My old, faithful friend in the classroom has always been my overhead projector. It provided a way for me to keep students’ attention on exactly what we were doing, in a very visual way. My overhead cart was outfitted to the hilt with all the tools—colored markers, overhead manipulatives, water spray bottle, and lots and lots of transparencies. I didn’t think I could teach without my projector. But along came the interactive white board. My overhead’s days quickly became numbered. Our school has been adding interactive white boards to classrooms as money becomes available. On the second round of purchasing, an email went out asking who would want one in their classroom. I wasn’t sure if I should request one. Would I use it enough to warrant me having one, and not another teacher? Would my technology skills be current enough to use it? I decided to take the plunge and request one. And after only one year with it, I don’t think I could teach without it anymore. The capability of being able to pull information from the internet, and use it for teaching and demonstration can’t compare to my old faithful friend. So this fall, after collecting dust in the corner of my room all last year, I sadly carted my overhead projector to the media center. It now sits in a storage closet with other technology relics—the ditto machines, filmstrip projectors, typewriters, and record players. Farewell, dear friend. You were good to me. What is your new, or old, classroom tool that you just can’t teach without? I'd love to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a future Tuesday Teacher Tips topic you’d like to see covered? Let me know and it could be featured in a future blog!

NCTM Baltimore is Next Week! Will We See You There?

Tracy H — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:11:23 +0000

One of three regional events by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is next week at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. This event will provide two full days of professional development for teachers attending, and we'll be there right there with you!

Are you attending? If so, visit DreamBox in booth 322 and get in on the action!

Stay up to date; follow tweets by DreamBox Learning from the conference exhibit hall, and other participants, using the hashtag #NCTM.

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FREE 30-day classroom trial!

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