Bridget
Welcome to MotionMath, where math problems are transformed into multimedia situations. Created for math teachers by math teachers this program provides easy to use, affordable access to problems which come to life in the classroom. See our Elevator Pitch for a quick introduction or the Venture Pitch for more details. I am looking forward to […]
Continue reading MotionMath Posted in: Venture Forum K12 is the world’s largest online school for kindergarten through grade 12 and has been in operation since 2000. Their mission statement “to provide any child access to exceptional curriculum and tools that enable him or her to maximize his or her success in life, regardless of geographic, financial, or demographic circumstance” says it all. […]
Continue reading K12: Mr. Ron Packard Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Hi Bridget
Thanks for such a comprehensive analysis of the company. I had not heard of K12 but your piece has motivated me to go and take a look. It amazes me how these successful ventures begin from such ordinary problems.
Thanks for sharing
Valerie
Hi Bridget,
The inspiration for some of these ventures I think has become my most favourite part. It seems to indicate that if one personally sees the need for a product there really is likely several other people who would agree, but as you said most would not seek to fill it.
gillian
I agree with you here Gillian – the inspiration is the most inspiring part of all these ventures!
Lisa
Bridget,
Quite an insightful analysis on the company. I never heard of K12 and will certainly take a look
shortly. I am impressed by these success stories. For a start up company such as this really needed a versatile, experienced and well educated team for it to perform exceptionally well.
~Shawn
Hi Bridget,
Thanks for the summary – it sounds like a very intriguing site. I review the Khan Academy and it was good, but this sounds more comprehensive. I am going to check it out.
Janet
HI Bridget,
Thanks for the introduction. They certainly offer a variety of access options – school programs, parent doing the coaching or their own online coaches. I haven’t had any experience with this system but they certainly have created the market for a number of different buyers.
Denise
This is an excellent company you profiled Bridget, thanks for sharing. It’s fascinating that it was Packard’s daughter that triggered his search for a program that led to K12.
I chose to review the E-learning Coach 2012 Tops trends with Connie Malamed. The initial paragraph of the report makes it clear that the target audience is people involved directly with education. This makes it easy for a reader to decide if it will be pertinent to their needs. The website on which it is […]
Continue reading E-Learning Coach Posted in: Uncategorized
Bridget, based on your information, I took a look at this list. There does not appear to be any basis for the selection other than personal opinion and perception. While the list is interesting and presents information in an easy-to-read format, it would not be one I would follow from year to year either. The flipped learning presents the concept applied to business environments which may provide for potential change in ventures involved in this market.
Helen
Hi Bridget,
Maybe Malamed meant to show trends of technology that are likely to be used in the classroom, rather than discussing markets for serious entrepreneurs. Her list of trends seems as though it would be more useful for a teacher trainer who wants to plan and prepare training material for the next 6-12 months.
Hello everyone My name is Bridget Perry-Gore and this is my final course in the MET program. It is amazing how memories of the crazy weeks when school, social and MET deadlines all collided have faded. It has been a great experience so far and I have definitely improved my reading and writing. It sounds […]
Continue reading Hello From Montreal Posted in: Uncategorized
Hi Bridget
Nice to see you again. Congrats on being at the end of the MET program! I look forward to learning with you this term.
Valerie Wells
Hey Valerie,
Nice to see you again too. In the beginning I never thought that I would take this course but I am excited about it.
Bridget
Hi Bridget,
I like your picture; I can perceive your joy at nearing the end. Congratulations! I’m looking forward to learning from you. Being a runner, a mom, a teacher and more, you clearly have what it takes to succeed. I’m sure you’re going to do really well on this course.
Adriana
Hi Bridget. It looks like this is my final opportunity to work with you as our MET paths have yet to cross.
Congrats on all of the University degrees your family is collecting – especially as yours is only a few months away.
Best of luck to you
gillian
Dernier cours?! Beau travail! ( I have to assume you are bilingual or at the very least comprehend that, being from Montréal and all. 🙂 )
Congrats on wrapping up the MET after this.. with 5 kids and yourslef in Academia, it has to be busy times! Look forward to learning with you.
Cheers.
Hello again Bridget,
Nice to see you’re at the end. Must be a great feeling.
Good luck with the semester.
-Regen
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
Jody McKinnon 4:06 pm on July 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi there. As a mathphobic guy, I say yes yes yes to this venture. I love that it melds multimedia and math together. Maybe I would have done better at it had it existed 25 years ago when I was in grade 7! Wow. I just realized how old I was…anyway. I love the concept and I can this working very well. To extend this idea, what if you had students make their own videos too that could be added to a database of student exemplars.
Overall, I like the idea, although, I don’t recall learning about your CEO or team.
I’m all in!
Jody
Bridget 6:03 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jody,
Thank you for your comments. My goal has always been to show people that experiencing math can be fun and with technology it is getting easier.
I fell into the selling the product trap in my elevator pitch but after watching others I have a better feeling of how I need to hook the investor so that they will even consider looking at my venture pitch which holds more information. Yes, students making videos is excellent and part of my plan this year which I am very excited about.
Bridget
dmcinnes 9:33 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Bridget,
I really liked your pitches. I thought both were very clean, clear and succinct. You did an excellent job of presenting a clear vision that focuses on a very real problem. Very professional and believeable. I’d be interested in investing.
Well done!
David McInnes
Bridget 6:04 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
David,
Thank you. I learned so much about editing in this one and have even more to learn. It has been great watching other people’s pitches for ideas.
Bridget
Yves Mainville 11:10 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Bridget, you had me at ‘hello, errr, ‘demo’!
Your elevator pitch was excellent. Being a math head, I appreciated HOW you connected math to real-life and I think there is terrific potential with your concept.
I also very much liked that you are VERY pedagogical and that this aligns perfectly with the future of curriculum as per mandated by minsitries of education far and wide.
Before I invest, I would like to discuss a few items with you and the team:
– could we put more ‘pitch’ on the presentation and a tad less on ‘demo’ if we want to get more investors?
– What are the plans for key partnerships? I think of a company called ‘Explore Learning’ Gizmos that have a similar concept and I think there is great potential in exploring partnerships with these kinds of companies.
– Perhaps i need to go through the material again, but I would need to hear more about the market and competition (sorry if is there, I was perhaps still jumping up and down about the demo).
Well done! Where do I sign?
Bridget 6:14 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Yves,
I am glad you liked the demo idea…..kids are all over the few I have made and used with my classes.
Thank you for the comments. Great point about the “more pitch” and something that I had realized when the final product was complete. Fitting it all into 1 minute was quite difficult but when I sit back after view so many others I can see how I could have presented more as a pitch.
I have used Gizmos and that would be a good partnership…nice thinking. The main competition in TedEd which came out in June/July this year. It’s different but still new so who knows where and how big it will go. I do plan to contribute directly to their repository though…why not.
Bridget
Yves Mainville 7:15 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
That’s a great attitude… I agree, ‘why not?’. However, I seriously do think you are on to something though… I would love to see the reaction from the group MoEd group that asked me to present this past year… they would eat this up.
🙂
-y
Brian H 11:32 am on July 31, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Bridget,
Your elevator pitch sold me on the product but didn’t hook me as an investor. As an investor I would love to see returns that would be higher that what is projected in your numbers.
However, your content could be valuable to one of the big text book companies. Have you considered selling your content to the highest bidder? Or are you the next company that will provide resources on a mass level?
Very compelling as an educator. Wary as an investor!
Thanks,
Brian Hotovy
Bridget 6:18 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Brian,
Thank you for your comments.
Yes, I agree, got sucked in to selling the product. However, I have some ideas now that I have seen a few pitches. I missed that point a bit in hooking the investor so that they will have the interest to look at the longer pitch.
I am not sure where the text book companies will be going in the long run but it is good idea.
Bridget
kimnoel 1:04 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
Nice elevator pitch! I love the idea.
Would this work together with a specific set of objectives common to a particular province, or textbook publisher, or be largely generic ? I’m thinking of math IXL, which although not at all like your idea, is successful due largely to its concentration on math curricular objectives by Canadian province.
Well done!
Smiles, Kim
Bridget 6:23 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your comments.
You ask an interesting question. I had originally thought about having the content be solely Canadian which is similar to what IXL does although they are more of an online quiz/tutorial system. All my examples would be Canadian content with topics being tagged appropriately. I would be Interested to know how well IXl does….an interesting thought for partnership.
Bridget
Danielle 1:12 pm on August 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
I think you have done a fabulous job with your venture. Both your elevator pitch and your venture pitch are very clear and well laid out. The only thing is I thought your elevator pitch was more of a sales pitch then a message conveying the essence of your venture. However, I was captivated by the idea and I’m certainly interested!
I think the pilot idea is excellent. I think this is a very important for investors to see this and to get market research feedback from end users. I also think it would be useful to include current research on the effectiveness of authentic, meaningful, and relevant learning experiences.
Finally, I would suggest including the credentials of your management team.
Overall I think this is a fabulous venture and certainly one I would consider investing in!
Danielle
Bridget 6:23 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Danielle,
Thank you, much appreciated and great point about the credentials.
Bridget
sheza 10:43 am on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
I was really impressed by the professional quality of both your elevator pitch and venture pitch. The product is wonderful – I can definitely see it being used in classrooms and students learning a lot from it — I say this as an educator, but as an investor I wouldn’t have moved onto your venture pitch since your elevator pitch was more of a demo than an effort to convince me to open my wallet. I would have liked to see mention of the pilot schools and the revenue generated or projected in your elevator pitch so that I would have asked to hear out your venture pitch. The venture pitch was extremely well done and the demo was certainly thorough! I think again though, that an investor would like to see more emphasis on the “so what” rather than only see “the what”. Your information on the market and your projections for increasing that market share are believable and I also like the fact that you were able to show revenue projections in graphs. The comparison between competitors was also well done. Your team looks great, though I agree with Danielle in that it would be wise to tell us why these people are the best for the job.
Overall, as an EVA, after seeing your venture pitch I believe this is an impressive venture and I would be willing to invest! As an educator, I can’t wait to be able to use it in my classroom.
All the best!
Sheza
Bridget 6:25 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Sheza,
Thank you for your comments. I do agree that I needed to pitch more and got sucked into the demo.
I appreciate the vote of confidence.
Bridget
mackenzie 4:35 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
To start great job with you pitches, they were easy to follow and they have made me interested in investigating further. I like the idea of taking textbook questions and making them more real world questions just like the tank question that Dan Meyer presented in his conference video. I love the idea of getting students to explore questions in a more hands on way, supported with multimedia support. As an investor I question the viability of the product since there are a ready several online sites that offer similar services like 101 questions and Dan’s own personal site. As an investor I would be concerned that once the product was used by one teacher in a school why wouldn’t that teacher just copy as many lessons as possible then give it to his colleagues or store them for future use. It also seems that this product would be easy to duplicate and your competition would increase.
Bridget 6:42 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your comments.
My biggest worry was passing Dan Meyer’s video off as my own…..referenced it but not sure if it would stand in a real pitch. I am glad to hear that you are a fan and although this was his first 3-act problem (I think) it has remained a favourite of mine.
Dan focuses on the 3-acts which I think are great yet they are often not structured enough as a marketable product and they need a flexible teacher who knows the content very well in order to be successfully executed. I use his, and my own quite frequently in my classes. I am aiming to make more of a package out of the situations which can be more friendly for newer teachers and can be open or closed questions depending on the comfort of the teacher.
Great point about the duplicating and even with registrations teachers share passcodes so this is something to consider. Competition is good and I think that there are going to be many changes in the way in which math is taught in the near future and good fun to be part of the ride.
If you like Meyer you might also like Stadel http://mr-stadel.blogspot.ca/ who is also creating 3-act stories.
Bridget
Sherman Lee 11:28 pm on August 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
If I had more investment dollars, I would definitely commit money to your venture as well! It was actually a rather difficult because you did make an awesome pitch. I really liked it. The video and the showcasing make it authentic and easy to see your vision in action.
My biggest question for you is, how will you keep your product unique in the long run? Do you think that your product is easily replicable? How will your business model help prevent the market from diverging from your current dominance? I would also like to hear more about your team, to help me build trust in your venture.
Do pitch to me again when you are ready!
Sherman
Hussain Luaibi 11:18 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Bridget
Nice venture and a clever pitch! I am not a math teacher but I remember I used to be a top student. I used to love it. I think this project is unique and not easy to make. But nothing is impossible as long as there is a will to do it. Such initiatives should be encouraged to take their proper space in the world of education.
One of the positive things about your project is that it could revive math teaching in general. You are starting a different method of teaching it, not the usual conventional style. And that is really unique in itself.
A subject can be hated if it is not taught properly. Here we are tackling a very sensitive point, which is creating the interest in the learner. The new format of math teaching might trigger this interest and keep it tuned.
Your project can get through the hearts of investor especially those who know how important math is for the whole system of education. The investors might get scared at first of the idea of teaching math through media tools but their reaction will not last long as soon as they understand that there is a huge market for it.
Bridget, you will get a lot of investors. I am one of them!
Good job
Hussain
Colin 9:23 am on August 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
Amazing pitches! I think this venture has really good potential. The market size for math education is huge in North America alone, since it is a mandatory course. As a math educator, I think Motion Math will help those who struggle with abstract concept of math by using real-life, concrete examples. I particularly like the rate question that you posed in your elevator pitch, as it required students to think beyond what is required from a typical textbook question. I think the examples that you used help illustrate what your product is about. I would definitely consider investment if the asking the right. Well done.
Colin
P.S. You will probably need a good legal team since this product can be easily copied as pointed out by another potential investor.