Sandy M

Hi Lane, Thanks for your feedback. i too have weighed this q of Kurzweils relevance with the new built in tools and GAFE. The Kurzweil format offers a wealth of curriculum text already scanned and at the ready for BC educators. It also converts PDFs and Word docs into a .kes format and scans the web, so I think it does have the upper hand with the content! rrto, yes there is an app for iPad and it is well used! The frustration with highschool learners not wanting to appear "different" and asking me as I work in schools why they cannot get their materials on their phones led me to this venture. You are right in that younger learners use the app and the web version on a laptop more often. Thanks!

Hi everyone, Thank you for the feedback. Kurzweil is a solid "real" company and the iphone app would make a huge difference to students. caleb, the android issue is already solved as Kurzweil text can be accessed with an android device using a flash friendly browser. The app would work for not only iphones but iPod touch, so hopefully that will help reduce the availability of device issue, thank you Michael. I look at a text reader and accessing information as a similar skill, I could have made that clearer. It was difficult for me to realistically create the market part of the venture and pitch, I realize that was a weakness, but I sure appreciate all of your suggestions and responses to date.

FEEDBACK: Interesting idea Dave, i have wondered about the Oculus Rift and its use in education. Project Time Travel was a great pitch, lots of potential for future applications. Good luck.

FEEDBACK: What a great idea Laura. No doubt there are limited collective resources and as mentioned there is funding for the teaching of French in the Canadian public system. I thought you presented yourself well in the pitch and followed it up with a detailed venture plan. I wish you luck on Kickstarter.

REVIEW: Print Pass Hi Victoria, You are an extremely passionate CEO and articulated very well in your pitch and your presentation the problem many of us face as educators of students using shared, and mostly apple devices! The market pain point was well explained and the subscription model is a viable action plan. There is an absolute need for the product and Apple should have come up with it long ago as there is now multi user sharing and no security on these devices. The security issue is a big one and I am not sure of the viability of the fingerprint itself as a login, however the idea is so strong and the presentation so complete that I back it as one of my reviews. If it could be developed to be really user friendly, not fraught with “can’t read the fingerprint” prompts, you have a powerful venture idea which may solve a HUGE problem in the shared device dept. Great job, I will invest!

FEEDBACK: Laurie, this is a great idea. You have identified the problem and come up with a safe secure solution. Most ideas in this area offer some of the same storage options, but not all and not "in-house". Your images of kids working was captivating and I thought of Makerspaces, and how nicely this ties in together. Great to see the images of the 3D printer in action, you have a solid venture plan. Good luck.

FEEDBACK: Wow, I learned alot in your pitch and venture Meril. I loved the way you used the audio in the pitch and the way you presented your venture. You made the problem clear, I had not given any thought to this idea, although it makes sense as I compare my radio time to my teenagers, and they are not getting their information through audio only. Your passion and work put into NPR and your venture is powerful and I wish you luck on your journey.

REVIEW: EmoTech app This is a brilliant idea. Your pitch was well done and enthusiastic. I really liked how you pitched yourself as founder and your background as an educator with much experience in working with students who struggle with Anxiety. You seem very authentic, something an EVA looks for. You laid out the problem, with research and provided both data and a human face “Brodie” to the information. I love how the app connects physiology to emotion and adapts to the user and provides “real time “ data interpretation and strategies to use. Foe students with lower cognitive skills or those who are “exploding” first, there will need to be scaffolds but this app rides on the “wearables” technology trend that is so big right now. I would like to try it, TOMORROW!! I think your venture is well thought out and I recommend invest!

REVIEW: Cathy, your idea is brilliant, timely and well researched. I have spent time myself researching what is out there for e-portfolios for our students to use in a public district in the province of BC. You identified the problem, the need to look at assessment of our students differently, and value the variety of ways they show their development of skills. The value of creating a learning portfolio is apparent and you outlined clearly your solution. The market was clearly defined as were many of the competitors in Canada. One solution we are exploring is Freshgrade A free portfolio service that can be transferred to a district license. https://www.freshgrade.com/ Your information on ease of use within a school server and concern for privacy and the need for data storage in Canada to be FIPPA compliant was well done. I appreciated your reflection, I think that the numbers and marketing data is the most difficult to project. Well done, and good luck to you and Y2Y! I recommend investment in this venture.

FEEDBACK: Hi Mary. Your idea is an interesting one. I was not quite sure about the entire venture from the pitch, but your ideas came through clearly in the presentation. data collection is so important and difficult to do so this venture has merit. Your reflection is very realistic and shows thoughtfulness and investment in the idea. Good luck!