NewSchools Venture Fund Recognizes Virtual Nerd For Helping Advance Education Technology
Virtual Nerd Joins Other Prestigious Firms on Education Technology Map Providing Educators with Access to Top-Notch Online Resources
ST. LOUIS, October 12, 2011 – Virtual Nerd, providers of Web-based, supplemental math instruction, today announced that NewSchools Venture Fund has added the company to its renowned Education Technology Map, acknowledging Virtual Nerd’s significant contribution to the growing field of educational technology.
NewSchools Venture Fund, a nonprofit philanthropy firm working to transform public education for low-income children, recognized Virtual Nerd for the positive impact the company’s interactive video tutorials are having on students and teachers. Created by NewSchools Venture fund in collaboration with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation in 2011, the Education Technology Market Map offers a representation of the current K-12 ed-tech thought leaders operating in this burgeoning market.
“It is an honor to be listed on NewSchools Venture Fund’s Market Map,” said Josh Salcman, President and co-founder of Virtual Nerd. “At Virtual Nerd, we believe in the power of technology to revolutionize the learning experience both inside and outside the classroom, and we’re working with districts across the country to help them leverage technology to improve student outcomes in math. This recognition by NewSchools Venture Fund is a significant acknowledgment that we have accomplished what we set out to do.”
Virtual Nerd is the only video-based, online tutoring company offering an interactive platform for students and teachers to engage with supplemental math curricula: it provides teachers access to customizable video playlists to support differentiated instruction, and it allows students to engage with the playlists by watching the tutorials, solving practice problems, and clicking on links to related content, carving out their own learning path. New York City’s School of One implemented Virtual Nerd in Fall 2011.
The Market Map lists Virtual Nerd in its “Curricula” section, under the sub-head “Tutoring.” To view the full map, visit http://www.newschools.org/entrepreneurs/edtechmap.
About Virtual Nerd and Virtual Nerd School Edition
Virtual Nerd offers Web-based video tutorials in math for students in grades six through twelve, providing the benefits of one-to-one tutoring at a fraction of the cost. Leveraging state-of-the-art cloud technology, Virtual Nerd’s vast library of interactive video tutorials are accessible at any time and from any Internet-connected computer. Its patent-pending Dynamic Whiteboard® instructional platform puts students in the driver’s seat to navigate instructional content and drill down into prerequisite concepts through embedded links to related content. Virtual Nerd School Edition combines Virtual Nerd’s video tutorial library with customizable playlist and reporting tools, so educators can deliver more personalized instruction, gauge student performance and engagement, and measure improvements in real-time. Unlike other video-based solutions, School Edition incorporates Virtual Nerd’s instructional platform and content with tools for teachers and administrators to support planning, assessment, and intervention. Virtual Nerd videos are aligned to Common Core and state standards, and teachers can develop personalized playlists to address their students’ specific instructional needs.
About NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund is a nonprofit venture philanthropy firm that raises philanthropic capitol from both individual and institutional investors, and then uses those funds to support education entrepreneurs who are transforming public education.
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