DreamBox Learning®» dreambox learning

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.

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?

Give The Gift Of DreamBox!

David G — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 18:05:11 +0000

Well, it's that time of the year again! The Christmas season is upon us, and if you're like most people, you're trying to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. 'Tis the season of door-buster sales, crowded shopping malls, snow-filled streets full of congested traffic, and miles upon miles of gift wrap and ribbons - all of this, to make sure you get the best possible gift for the special people in your lives. But... what if you could give a great gift, without all the hassle? Consider this: fluency in math is a gift that a child will keep for their entire life. It doesn’t need batteries, they’ll never outgrow it, and its value will only increase over time. And these aren't just metaphors - research shows that proficiency in math can lead to more education opportunities, higher salaries and greater job satisfaction down the road. DreamBox Learning can help you give this valuable gift - and you won’t even have to wait in any long lines, or drive around in the snow, to give it. You can purchase a six-month gift certificate for DreamBox Learning, and give the gift of serious fun and serious learning to the special child in your life. You’ll be able to choose whether you receive the gift certificate (so that you can give it to the child yourself - perfect for gift cards or as a stocking stuffer), or you can have us send it to any e-mail address you like, along with a personalized message from you. You can purchase a six-month gift certificate by clicking here. It takes just moments to sign up, and your gift certificate is delivered in seconds. Happy holidays from DreamBox Learning!

DreamBox Learning vs. Other Math Programs

David G — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:26:57 +0000

I received the following letter from a parent who is not yet a customer. She writes:

I recently tried the DreamBox free trial, and feel it is a great program! However, my husband thinks that there are better programs out there. Can you help me explain to him why DreamBox is better than other math education programs on the market?

Many of our customers find DreamBox Learning as part of their research into math educational software, and I think this is great! As a parent myself, I strive to understand, as completely as possible, the goods and services that I give to my daughter, and I expect nothing less from our customer base. That being said, this blog post would be quite long if I did a side-by side comparison. Therefore, I’ll highlight was makes DreamBox stand out from the rest – then you be the judge.

Conceptual Understanding and Fluency

Our curriculum helps students simultaneously develop conceptual understanding, computational fluency, and problem-solving ability. We provide children with opportunities to develop the full range of skills and logical thinking, from learning the basic facts for computation, to developing problem-solving strategies.

Individually Adaptive

The key word is "adaptability". Unlike many educational programs, DreamBox Learning’s differentiated instruction looks beyond right or wrong answers. DreamBox is uniquely adaptable, offering each student an appropriately-challenged experience, tailored to their individual instructional level. We track every mouse click in order to offer the appropriate hints and instructional feedback, pacing, sequence, and level of difficulty of the lessons.

Self-Adjusting Lesson Placement

DreamBox Learning also offers a highly individualized response to student errors, making adjustments based on a wide range of variables. Instead of simply marking answers as "wrong", DreamBox analyzes the full range of each student’s online behavior, doing real-time assessment to determine if a student should skip content he already knows, or if reinforcement in a particular area of the curriculum is needed. By combining the latest educational research, with the expertise of our board-certified teachers, we’ve developed a unique and intuitive technology that constantly adapts, to optimize learning for each child.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

DreamBox Learning’s curriculum s with the Common Core State Standards, and matches their deep focus on developing student’s conceptual understanding and fluency in key curriculum areas. You can get more detailed information on how our curriculum aligns to the Common Core State Standards (as well as a detailed description of the concepts covered in each grade level) by going to http://www.dreambox.com/curriculum.

Detailed Progress Reports

DreamBox Learning also sends you updates on your children’s progression. The Parent/Teacher Dashboard reports on each student’s progress in real time, offering both summarized and detailed progress bars for easy analysis, and descriptions in plain English of what your children is currently learning. Parents also receive e-mail reports when their child meets new goals and milestones. We make every attempt to take the guesswork out of assessing your child's instructional level.

Engaging for Children

Finally, DreamBox is fun! The user interface (what the child sees) is designed to engage young students and keep them playing, by offering incentives such as award certificates and tokens. They can choose from a variety of themes, ranging from pirates to pet friends, and completion of lessons is rewarded with progress in their chosen stories. Students also get to personalize their experience, but here's the best part - none of these aspects affect the curriculum, meaning that the student gets the personalized engagement they want, AND the personalized math lessons they need. There certainly are a lot of great reasons to give DreamBox a try, but if you need one more, then here it is: a free 14-day trial! Signing up is quick, easy, and completely safe. At no cost to yourself, you can see, firsthand, what DreamBox Learning can do for your children's fluency in math. So... Is DreamBox Learning the best math education software on the market today? We'll let you be the judge of that. Do you have a question about DreamBox? Well, what are you waiting for? Use the “Send Feedback” button in the lower right hand corner of the DreamBox Learning game window, and let us know what’s going on. We can also be contacted about this, or about any other DreamBox questions you may have, at support@dreambox.com. We’re always more than happy to help you!

Unlocking Learning Potential with Dreambox

Jessie W — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:21:14 +0000

DreamBox Learning is an exciting company that provides engaging, individualized and, yes, effective learning experiences for young students. This nimble technology infuses fun into learning and delights students, parents and teachers alike. For years, education technology has existed on the periphery of instruction, often providing after-the fact, rear-view perspectives on a child's progression. Today, we know we need more: real time, personalized data that shapes the individual learner's educational path and guides them toward mastery. This is what we do at DreamBox. Our K-3 math curriculum impacts learning at the point of instruction, and in doing so, unlocks learning potential in all learners at all levels - regardless of zip code or background. This is transformative and will help to reshape the future of learning in the US and abroad. At DreamBox, we are closing the gap between the way students live and the way they learn by leveraging new adaptive technologies that promote student success. I am thrilled to be joining such a talented and committed team. I look forward to participating in future dialogues with school administrators, teachers, parents and students to grow this company so that more and more students can benefit from the unique DreamBox Learning experience. -- Jessie Woolley-Wilson CEO DreamBox Learning

New DreamBox Math Activities Coloring Page #1: Color Adventure Friends the Colors of the Rainbow

Sue — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:29:24 +0000

When kids play DreamBox Learning K-2 Math, they explore the DreamBox Adventure Park, an amazing place where kids go on many different adventures as they solve problems and learn math! Students choose their adventures from four themes: Pirates, Pixies, Dinosaurs, and Pet Friends. The DreamBox themes, stories, and adventures were inspired by suggestions from kids who were the early DreamBox testers. Children are shown the way to the Adventure Park by Stella – their friend and “tour guide.” When kids first begin DreamBox, Stella helps them find the key that opens the park, and introduces them to the adventure friends. Now you can print out the first in a series of new DreamBox coloring pages, and meet “Stella and her friends in the Adventure Park!” Download the Math Activity Coloring Book PDF so your kids can enjoy some coloring fun! Would you also like to print out color posters of the DreamBox friends? You can download more math activities:

Have fun, and watch for the other coloring pages to come from DreamBox!

Education Vacation: Exciting Summer Math and Science Camps

Sue — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:12:51 +0000

To a kid, there are no sweeter words than summer vacation. No more pencils, no more books.... But this doesn’t mean they can’t have fun learning this summer. Research shows avoiding the “summer slide” can have a profound effect on your child's learning development. You may already know that DreamBox Learning is a wonderful source for engaging math activities for kindergarten, first grade and second grade students. You also know that the sun is out, the weather is great, and your kids shouldn’t spend their entire vacation in front of the computer. Don’t fret. There are so many summer math and science camp options that you’ll envy your kids’ learning possibilities this summer.

Out of this World Summer Math and Science Camps

Rocket at Space Camp

In 1977, while watching students study rockets at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Dr. Wernher von Braun commented “We have band camp, football, cheerleading; why don't we have a science camp?” As the math camps pioneer, the United States Space Camps in Huntsville, AL brings space exploration alive with summer camps, day camps and year-round family oriented activities. My son still talks about Space Camp, even though he's long outgrown his flight suit! If you’re looking for a space-related camp closer to home, here is a list of space camps throughout the country.

Down-to-Earth Summer Math and Science Camps

Giraffes at SeaWorld/Busch Gardens

If animals catch the eyes of your young ones, the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Camps are sure to light the inspirational spark for biology. These resident camps, day camps, or group camps give children of all ages the opportunity to interact with land and sea animals from all over the world. These camps are offered at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks in Tampa Bay, Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego, or here is a list of biological science summer camps throughout the country.

Budget-Friendly Educational Summer Camps

These science summer camps may be convenient, but they're no less exciting. For math and science activities closer to home, look to your nearest children’s museums or science centers for summer camps. One example that we DreamBox Learning appreciate is the Pacific Science Center’s camp and workshop program, which offers overnight and day camps. This summer, campers of all ages will learn about candy chemistry, GPS adventures, and discover supervised experiments with unstable elements. And the Seattle Aquarium, where one of our own staffers volunteers every week, offers Marine Summer Camps, where kids can get face-to-face with underwater life.

Choosing a Summer Camp

Whatever activity you choose for your little campers this year, make sure the summer camp is connected with the American Camp Association (ACA) to ensure your children are cared for by trained professionals. For a complete list of summer camps of all kinds this summer, visit www.mysummercamps.com. When your summer is filled with DreamBox Learning and these great summer math and science camps, your children will learn and grow while having a blast this summer vacation.

Happy Wordless Wednesday: Just Another Beautiful Day in MathLand

Tracy — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:03:20 +0000

Just Another Beautiful Day in MathLand

Head to Wordless Wednesday for more cool "Wordless" posts.

DreamBox: My Purple Cow

Mickelle — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:19:15 +0000

Recently, I reread Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow. It’s about transforming your business by being remarkable. There’s a lot of talk about what it means to be remarkable. Of course I read the book thinking about our product, DreamBox Learning K-2 Math. But more and more, I thought about my job at DreamBox as being the truly remarkable. Before DreamBox, I taught in elementary schools for 9 years. I loved the classroom. Even with all the frustrations, low pay and school politics, I loved teaching, and I wasn’t looking to leave the classroom. Then came the call from a former parent. He founded a start-up company and needed a teacher. Was I interested?

Life With the DreamBox Learning Team

Along the way, I was given more than I ever imagined. When I read an academic book that spoke to the type of teaching we wanted to apply to DreamBox, I met the author. I brought her into our fold and picked her brain, learning straight from the source. I was handed an assessment guru who was always there with the right advice and background knowledge. I was surrounded by and worked elbow-to-elbow with world-class developers. They’d ask questions and dig deep into how my mind worked as an educator. They’d come back with technology language that my team transformed into high quality learning games. As artists, developers and teachers we created our own virtual manipulatives. Building K-2 Math was an organic, get-your-hands-dirty process. We worked very hard and forged our own processes along the way. Our CEO was always there, clearing the path and providing inspiration. DreamBox is remarkable because of the people, the talent, and the empowerment. Almost three years later, joined by 3 more teachers on the Academic team, as well as Development, Creative and Marketing teams, we got there. 2 months ago we launched DreamBox Learning K-2 Math. Now it’s time for my own launch. The timing on all this is poetic. I’ve just given birth to my second child. My responsibilities leading the Academic team have come to an end. When and how I return to DreamBox are tbd. If this were any other job, there wouldn’t be a question of my returning to work. I’d stay home and be with my kids. But this isn’t any other job. This is DreamBox. Challenging, empowering, giving - Remarkable.

Last Chance: Vote for DreamBox as Seattle's Best Startup

Tracy — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:18:51 +0000

Voting for Seattle's Best Startup ends on April 28! That means you have only one day to cast your ballot for DreamBox Learning. Here are three reasons to vote for DreamBox.

A Vote For DreamBox Math Learning Games Is:

A vote for DreamBox is a vote for kids. We're more than a business. We sincerely care about kids and math education. Our online math game doesn't just entertain, it really teaches. If DreamBox had only one goal, it would be to improve every child's access to a great math education. Other startups strive to make money; we also strive to enrich minds.

A vote for DreamBox is a vote for change. To receive the award a company has to "...make a difference in the lives of the people involved..." No other company in the "Best Startup" category is as likely to make such a positive impact in the lives of children.

A vote for DreamBox is a vote for dreams. Anyone who has ever dreamed of starting a business should vote for DreamBox Learning. We've come along way! Even if we don't win, it's an honor to be nominated. We thank everyone who has been here from the very beginning. (And thank you Seattle for those drizzly days that kept us inside and working!)

Please vote for DreamBox as Seattle's Best Startup in the Seattle 2.0 Awards, 2009. One final reason you should vote for DreamBox: we're really looking forward to those award ceremony cocktails.