Brick City Thoughts

posted Aug 27, 2014, 1:47 PM by Michael Schoeffler   [ updated Aug 29, 2014, 5:47 AM ]

Jaden and Rianna

I've been using educational software since the Seventies. I loved it as a kid, but had second thoughts once I became a father. Too much Pac-Man and not enough knowledge.

Software's improved a ton, but the basic question is unsolved. How do you make computers work for real kids?

I started messing around with different ideas - using myself and then my children as lab rats. Worked nicely, so I decided to go bigger.
 
My friends and I started Brick City Thinks a few months ago. We're having fun and it's paying off for Newark families. The kids are learning math in enormous gulps - we're seeing nearly a year's math progress in six weekly sessions. Best of all, they're enjoying themselves.

We're teaching differently. BCT is leveraging the latest software with old-fashioned, proven ideas:
  • Pride of achievement
  • Competition and teamwork
  • Parental guidance
  • And fun.
We're uncovering the gaps between what software can do and what it should do. We love educational software, but are also careful about its limits.

This blog is aimed at parents who dream about amazing futures for their kids. It's also meant for software designers who want to build a better education. And it's for anyone who thinks we're on the edge of something spectacular - a world where any kid can truly reach for the stars.
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