DreamBox Learning®» DreamBox team

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.

DreamBox Learning is Growing!

Tracy H — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:11:55 +0000

In just a few short months, we’ve doubled our size – we’re now at 40+ employees! We’ve been so busy working on new lessons and grade levels, we’ve barely had time to pause and share the great news with all of you!

Meet the DreamBox Team!

Read the story behind the photo

One of our developers (Slavi) recently shared a great story about his sister, and is the reason we all got together for this very photo:

Weeks ago my sister and I were going through DreamBox Learning’s 4th and 5th grade engagement plan. Since she's in the right age group (4th grade), it was fun to brainstorm ideas with her. At some point we started talking about rewards: what would motivate kids? Suddenly her eyes started sparkling - she had an idea! She turned to me and said, "Oh you know what would be incredible? If those kids who do an absolutely great job in DreamBox get a photo of the entire team who built this amazing product, and it's signed by the people on the team! Oh can you imagine what that would be like? Oh…” And she spent the next 30 minutes talking and talking about this. And she's talked about it many times since then. My sister's 10th birthday was this month. To celebrate, I gave her a signed picture of the DreamBox team!

Thanks for sharing your story Slavi, and for getting the whole team together for a group photo!

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

DreamBox Customer Service Hours Have Expanded!

David G — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:59:46 +0000

In an effort to better serve our DreamBox users, our Customer Support team will now be available two hours earlier, from 6:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST, Monday through Friday. We’re here to answer any of your support questions; from troubleshooting, to helping you and your child get the most out of your DreamBox experience. In addition to questions or concerns about your account, we encourage your feedback and comments about DreamBox! To contact Customer Support, email us at support@dreambox.com.

Schooled by 5-8 year olds: Mouse Skills Needed

Mickelle — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:46:40 +0000

Early on in the development of DreamBox Learning K-2 Math, as we began beta testing with 4-8 year olds, we figured out that our users would have a variety of mouse skills. For some, this was the first time they’d used a computer, so they had little to no experience using a mouse. For others, they were experts. Drag and drop? No problem! As you can imagine, this variance made a big difference in user satisfaction with our lessons and games. We searched for an existing tool to help young students develop these skills. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any high-quality, free mouse tutorials that were geared toward this age group. (This was 1-½ years ago.) Most were for grown-ups. What to do?

DreamBox Learning Confronts Mouse Coordination for Kindergarten to Second Grade Kids:

We approached this as we would any other set of curricula. We thought about the steps needed to build the skill and set about designing activities that matched this. The result: our Mouse Midway games. Kids first encounter the balloon popping game. This simply requires moving the mouse over the balloon to pop it. Second they play the bowling pin game, where users must click on each bowling pin. Third is the turtle drag and drop game. Users must click and hold the turtle, then drag it to the water and release it. Each game requires a slightly more difficult skill than the one before it. And each has a timer so kids can see how many balloons they can pop, or how many turtles they can drop, before the time's up. The more they play, the more their skills improve. Because it’s important that users have adequate mouse abilities, these games can be played as part of DreamBox at anytime by going to the Carnival and then to the Arcade. They’re a lot of fun for kids and adults. Go ahead, challenge your child! See who earns the highest score. If appropriate, give yourself a handicap by using your inferior hand.

Does Mandating Higher Academic Standards Work?

Sue — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:15:21 +0000

There’s no question that a strong foundation in algebra is one key to raising academic standards, increasing the competitiveness of our future workforce and opening doors to broader career choices for students. But my attention was caught recently by the study of the effects of mandating algebra in 9th grade.

The Effects of Mandating Algebra in School Math Programs:

In 1997 the Chicago school district was one of the first to require that 9th graders take algebra to help ensure that its high school graduates would be ready for college. And many districts have followed—Minnesota and California even requiring it in 8th grade, assuming the California policy is implemented. However, researchers found rising failure rates, and the algebra mandate “did not seem to lead to any significant test-score gains for students in math or in sizeable increases in the percentages of students who went on to take higher-level math courses later on in high school.” (You can read the Edweek article I’m quoting here.) But isn’t it obvious that if algebra is the needed foundation for their future, kids need the right early foundation to be successful in algebra? All of which reinforces my belief in the importance of what we’re doing at DreamBox: helping more kids develop conceptual understanding and fluency with basics—like number sense and computation—and giving them engaging ways to develop problem solving skills. We're helping kids to be confident and well prepared for success with algebra.

Working Toward Personal Obsolescence

Lou — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:42:03 +0000

Dear DreamBox Co-owners, We stand ready to ship our 4th Beta in less than a year. An astonishing milestone, yet no heads swell among you. Instead, and with the same brute, elegant, and humble spirit that got you here, you turn your attention once again to shipping, learning, fixing, testing, planning, cutting, building, testing, and shipping anew. For many of you, this is because your march isn’t done until we reach V1/product launch. For others, it is when we serve all the children that we can. And for others still, the march will never end (mostly because you’re troubled overachievers). I ask you though to please take a moment and reflect on what you’ve accomplished. You have already built a product like no other, and in a manner that is all your own. It is a warm reflection of you all and it speaks to your collective and individual sense of ownership and sensibilities. You also continue to self-organize in a way that does justice to both our customers and each other. It is because you have built a company where there is a democracy of ideas, where trust and reliance on one another mean something, and where no froth or sloth is endured. In short, you all have made DreamBox a great place to ride to every day!

Thanks DreamBox Co-Owners!