sarah jones

Thank you for the feedback, Silvia. Great questions. I actually envision Open Teach for all ages from K-12 and for all subjects including non-STEM, which is where I hope it ends up. However, I don’t think I will find an investor interested in funding the full scope of my idea, so I am trying to start small. I am a little concerned that STEM is still too broad. I would also like parents to me involved and perhaps be linked to their child’s account. As for how it will be categorized: another important question and it’s something I have thought about but don’t have a good answer yet. I would like background technology to detect what the content is about and the competency level of the creator and then organize the content based on this. But, initially, I will probably need creators themselves to choose a category and the moderation team will need to monitor this. I appreciate your feedback!

Thank you for the constructive feedback, Ying. I was concerned that High School STEM would be too vague because that is really broad. This is why I think it's important that I find a lead costumer, a High School that believes in what I am doing, to pilot and/or beta test my product before full implementation. This way I will have some good examples of knowledge creations to show and inspire others. I love your idea for a semi-annual theme. That would be another great way to help inspire users on an ongoing basis. Maybe even a monthly competition? There will me a moderation team and pre-screening technology to make sure the environment remains safe and appropriate for kids, similar to what other kids platforms like Scratch and Creatubbles do.Thanks again for the very helpful feedback!

Hi Chava, Thank you for the constructive feedback. You make a very good point about not just emphasizing the social sharing aspect but showing HOW Open Teach will help students develop creativity. I intend to use the mantra that guides the design of MIT's Scratch: low floor, high ceiling, and wide walls. In other words, I want to make it easy for beginners or users who need some inspiration to get started by offering easy to follow templates, I want to offer more advanced users opportunities to create from scratch and offer wide walls by allowing users to create and sharing anything in broad STEM subjects so they can personalize their experience and let their own interests guide them. You are right, this is too vague in my pitches, partly because I'm not sure how to explain it or show it. However, I will put some serious thinking into this as I work on a new and improved pitch. Thanks again for the comment. :)

I did struggle with the audio even though I felt that I was talking loud. Maybe I need to use something other than the ipad to record or try to increase the volume with a video editor. Thanks for the comment, Abraham.

Thanks for the comment, Steve. The business side of this was most challenging for me. I am thinking the $100,000 will go towards building my platform from the ground up. But, I am sure I will find out that there is more to it than that, which is why it is so important that I build a good venture team. I agree, the lack of a concrete business plan is something I need to work on. :)

Hi Abraham, I enjoyed your venture plan. The link to your elevator pitch didn’t work for me, which is unfortunate because I am curious. Can you fix this? Your strength is definitely the venture idea itself because it offers a solution to a real problem that is current and ongoing in BC in addition to your expertise in this area and your solid plan. Since the BC government has already invested in skilled trades but still are not filling enough positions, I think your venture is just what they need and would make a perfect partnership. Despite your lack of business experience, as you expressed in your reflection, I thought you did a great job breaking down your plan: how the money will be used, what the timeframe is, the return and so. I just think the medium you chose for your presentation was a bit weak. From an EVA’s perspective, I would have liked to have felt your presence more, which is hard to convey with just text and images. You have a brilliant idea that could have a big impact; with a more effective presentation method such as video, I don’t think much could stop this venture from taking off.

Hi Johnny, I think language immersion is a great way to reflect the benefits of Mathlandia; the name for your venture makes perfect sense. I enjoyed your pitch videos. They were compelling and persuasively convey your venture. I would only suggest that you put yourself in the video, at least at the beginning, to establish better authenticity and to better express your championship. I would also suggest less words per slide. I found it a bit overwhelming and found myself ignoring the text to pay attention to you. This resource lists some suggestions such as advice on how many words/messages per slide, which I found very helpful: https://startups.co.uk/write-killer-startup-pitch-deck/?utm_source=iNews-Readers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SNS+iNews+Highlights+for+August+22+2018 With my EVA hat on, I believe Mathlandia would be a smart investment. Math was boring for me in school and not my strength. It is a common problem and you do a great job explaining why. Take math out of a real world context and it is like trying to learn a language in a classroom. I definitely think that using MR to make math learning more hands on and authentic through role-play can transform math learning, even more than GBL, and would be a smart investment.

Hi Sydney, I really enjoyed your slideshow primer and thought it was the most professional looking one I saw here. It is compelling and effectively conveys your venture. Your venture pitch may have passed the time limit but it was comprehensive as a venture pitch should be and I did not feel overwhelmed by information. You created the perfect balance of text, visuals and graphics which was timed effectively with your audio. From an EVA/investor perspective, I think I would have liked to see you in the presentation at least at the beginning. While your expertise in this area is clear in your presentation seeing you would have reflected even more authenticity, confidence and championship. As for the idea behind your venture, I think it is brilliant because it does fill an important gap in the market. I can speak from personal experience. I went to college pursuing a double major in psychology and secondary education, but dropped out of the education program right before completion, at the start of my internship semester, when I realized teaching just wasn't a good fit. If I had a tool like this, I could have prevented this from happening. Enabling High School and post-secondary students to immerse themselves into life-like situations would help them find a path that really fits. I also see great value in immersive interview simulations to give students a good feel for what kind of skill employers are looking for in different professions and which skills they need to work on. From a profit perspective, I think it is a smart investment. However, as an EVA that looks at social impact first, I would have the same concerns that Tyler expressed regarding accessibility of VR and equal opportunities. Great work!

Hi Judy, I also found it challenging to step into the shoes of a potential investor. You definitely found a gap in the market and not a trivial one! I didn’t know about the financial literacy crisis and an extension of Pigzbe for high school students could have a great impact. High school students typically don’t start thinking about financial responsibility yet, but it is critical to start preparing for after high school. They don’t care because they are not there yet; no one likes to worry about matters for tomorrow, especially at that age. But, immersing students in lifelike situations where they need to use financial skills can engage students in financial literacy practices because they are in the situations they will face in the future. For your elevator pitch, some of the text was cropped off, at least on my screen. I would also suggest putting yourself in the video, at least at the start, to better express championship and authenticity. Last, if you could go an entirely new direction with Pigzbe, what would you do differently besides expand the age group it targets? Do you think it would be worthwhile to start a new venture that could have an innovative advantage over Pigzbe? Just something to think about. :)

Hi Marc, Your venture pitch is compelling, straightforward, simple (easy-to-follow, not overwhelming) and reflects your championship well. You used a beautiful, simple layout for your slide deck presentation with just the right amount of information per slide to keep me engaged without feeling overwhelmed by information. As for the venture itself, what a great idea! Cultural awareness and understanding is so important, especially in a world affected by globalization. I can see NeighborhoodAR increasing empathy and other soft skills like ethnorelativism and intercultural competency. In a world that is connected digitally it can be so easy to become disconnected from what is right in front of us. NeighbourhoodAR can reconnect us to place. For a previous MET course, I did research on place-based learning and how technology like AR can enhance PBL and connect us to place even more than we can without technology. I also see great value in this tool for the indigenous population. From an EVA standpoint and one that focuses on social impact first, profit second, I would absolutely recommend this venture as a smart investment. And I hope you get what you need to make it happen.