This is where InsertLearning started! This is the initial idea and working doc from Twin Cities Startup Weekend EDU 2014.
Karin Hogen, Eric Cameron, and I worked out this idea
Initial Pitch doc
Online assignments built around the internet. Questions and discussions go where the content is.
Matt Nupen
THE PROBLEM
When I assign an online reading I paste a link, write questions in a doc, post it, students copy it, read the text, go back to the questions, go back to the reading… You get the point, it’s a lot of wasted time and disconnected. And if you struggle with technology, reading, or critical thinking you might just give up.
THE SOLUTION
My startup is a website and browser extension that solves the workflow problem and adds new abilities. Teachers place questions and supporting materials directly on the reading site, be it news, book, or blog. Students answer questions right next to the text, highlight notes, select text to support their answers, and have private class discussion that are streamlined and coherent.
I need programmers and designers to help me create this software that will change how students interact with the internet.
Uses:
- Online books
- completely remake how students read a book
- News/magazine articles
- Research articles
- Blog posts
- Class discussions/collaboration on websites
Features:
- Main site organizes questions by assignment and lesson
- Quickly access unanswered questions or see comments/grades for each
- Easily navigate to readings via toolbar button
- Embed Additional content
- videos, text, and photos
- Standards alignment tools
- Common Core
- Reading/Critical thinking aides
- reading level assessor
- Students can view teacher highlighted content
- dictionary extension for defining words
- Question types
- multiple choice
- true/false
- polls
- short answer
- textual support highlighting/linking
- audio/video comments
- Draw a picture or insert an image
- google research tool
- basic drawing tools
- touch screens on mobile?
- Discussion
- charts
- Highlight text to support answer in different colors
- Automatically saves student work
- Smartphone/chromebook compatible
- Students can create questions
- share link
- Commenting system
- teacher and student
- whole class or group
- voting
- LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) for communication with any LMS that uses the API
- Notes collection/summary feature for students
- notes are searchable so students can combine knowledge over several articles that are then used to write a report
- currently students must manually go through notes
- notes are searchable so students can combine knowledge over several articles that are then used to write a report
Social Features:
- Polls/Opinion checks
- Group notes/highlighting
- group research tools
- Private Discussions
Possible Funding Sources:
- ads
- subscriptions
- per class, per article
- premium features
- curated content
- pre-made standard aligned lessons
- regular updates of new lessons
- Partner with publishers to integrate questions system with their online books
Working Doc
Value Proposition:
helping educators bring real world content into the classroom.
Who I am (5-10 seconds)
My name is Matt Nupen, I have been teaching high school science to at-risk teens for 6 years. Before that I worked for three years as a web developer.
What is the problem (10-20 seconds)
When I assign an online reading I paste a link, write questions in a doc, post it, students copy it, read the text, go back to the questions, go back to the reading… You get the point, it’s a lot if wasted time and disconnected. And if you struggle with technology, reading, or critical thinking you might just give up.
Explain how product solves problem (10-20 seconds)
My solution is a website and browser extension that solves the workflow problem and adds new abilities. Teachers place questions and supporting materials directly on the reading site, be it news, book, or blog. Students answer questions right next to the text, highlight notes, select text to support their answers, have private class discussion that are streamlined and coherent.
who do I need on the team (5-10 seconds)
I need programmers and designers
Name of startup
Elevator Pitch:
online assignments built around the internet. questions go where the content is.
Main uses:
- Add questions to any text (article, blog post, online book)
- Directly use text to support answers which builds critical thinking
- Take notes, answer questions, receive feedback, have discussions in the same place as the content
current method:
- Find a good article
- email to self or save to computer
- copy and paste into LMS system
- or app
- create a separate document with questions and links
- deliver questions and article separately to students
- students flip back and forth between questions and article while answering
- note taking/highlighting requires additional software/site (diigo, etc.)
- students need to remember to save responses
- submit answers to teacher (LMS, email, etc)
Features:
- Common core
- open internet (not closed)
- reading level assessor
- automatically save to drive
- students can view teacher highlighted content
- Teachers can embed additional videos, text, and photos
- highlight text to support answer in different colors
- question types
- multiple choice
- true/false
- polls
- short answer
- textual support highlighting/linking
- audio/video comments
- Draw a picture or insert an image
- google research tool
- basic drawing tools
- touch screens on mobile?
- forum/survey
- charts
- hands on activity
- able to insert links to other places on internet
- autosaving
- smartphone/chromebook compatible
- students can create questions
- share link
- commenting system
- teacher and student
- whole class or group
- voting
- dictionary extension for defining words
- audio
- Open Education protocol for syncing to gradebook systems
- Main site organizes questions by assignment and lesson
- quickly access unanswered questions or see comments/grades for each
- integration with sites commenting system
- have ability to make assignment open or private
- social media buttons
- notes collection/summary feature for students
- notes are searchable so students can combine knowledge over several articles that are then used to write a report
- currently students must manually go through notes
- notes are searchable so students can combine knowledge over several articles that are then used to write a report
- Youtube videos
- LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) for communication with any LMS that uses the API
- http://www.imsglobal.org/lti/
Social Features:
- Polls/Opinion checks
- Group notes/highlighting
- group research tools
- Private Discussions
Gamification Features:
Uses:
- news/magazine articles
- research articles
- online books
- completely remake how students read a book
- videos/youtube/streaming on sites like PBS?
Money:
- ads
- subscriptions
- per class, per article
- premium features
- curated content
- pre-made standard aligned lessons
- regular updates of new lessons
- Partner with publishers to integrate questions system with their online books