Comments on: With $6m to spend on Literacy, why not just build a product?

By: nextgenstacey

nextgenstacey — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:36:21 +0000

hi heather, thanks for the info. someone from my team will be in touch soon to learn more. We don’t support digital textbooks in our portfolio, but it would be great to know what you are up to.

By: Heather Chirtea

Heather Chirtea — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:33:01 +0000

Digital Wish has built a mobile eTextbook-building tool that allows teachers to build digital textbooks with very simple drag-and-drop skills through a browser. Digital textbooks can be saved as an “app” that can be downloaded to any smartphone, tablet, iOS, Android, Kindle, Mac, or Win and all content will be searchable by the Common Core Standards.
Do you have any time to get on screen share with me? I’d love to show it to you. We have a couple states looking at this project as a state-level eBook platform, and they have already identified matching funding for curriculum development. Some of the largest teacher networks are partnering with us to launch marketplaces for both free and paid content against Common Core standards. It’s a self-sustaining business model, that could eventually generate additional funding for school technology. Our tool may also help your other grantees. I’m sure there are synergies here.
Please let me know if you have time to meet.
All the best,
Heather Chirtea,
Executive Director, Digital Wish, [email protected], 802-379-3000

By: nextgenstacey

nextgenstacey — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 04:52:04 +0000

Thanks Andrew!

By: Andrew Spinner

Andrew Spinner — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:26:35 +0000

A really great initiative. As an edtech entrepreneur with Understoodit, the really valuable part of this program is the piloting in the schools. The hardest part of determining how to commercialize your product is getting that constructive and valuable feedback, especially in a significant enough quantity. Very cool.