Sadly — the pandemic has clearly exacerbated the inequities in education. Millions of students in under-resourced areas have struggled with an online learning curriculum, whereas students in more affluent communities have been able to transition fairly smoothly.
After the winter break in 2020, many students reached their burnout point. Val Chapman, a 5th-grade teacher in a lower-income community within the Oakland, California Unified School District, witnessed a significant drop in student attendance. Half of her students were logging in late to her Zoom class and exhibiting signs of boredom. Some were even logging in while lying in bed. Val knew she was losing her students to this pandemic learning environment — they were falling even further behind.
Something needed to change. Immediately.
Val first made sure all of her students had access to their own computers at home. If not, she equipped those students who shared devices with other siblings, with a new Tanoshi 2-in-1 computer, pre-loaded with educational apps so they could do their homework, conduct research, and participate in video conferencing.
She then applied her financial background and changed part of her curriculum to a virtual Stock Market Game. Students would learn financial literacy using various subjects including math, reading comprehension, research, how to evaluate risk and corporate data — in a fun, gamified, and life-changing way. And it worked!!! Students began trading corporate stocks and talked about Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Ken Chenault, and Mellody Hobson.
As a result of this pivot in teaching style, Val’s students started logging in early and waiting in line to enter her virtual class, engagement increased 100%, and many of her students ranked amongst the top 20 students in the statewide, competitive Stock Market Game. The students also voiced their interest in pursuing careers in the financial service industry!
We can all agree that 2020 unloaded many surprises into our lives. However, the true test became our response to those surprises. Val certainly passed the test.
As an Advisor for Tanoshi, Val Chapman stated, “Creating a whole new way of inspiring students was crucial during the pandemic, and that’s what Tanoshi is about. Tanoshi gives children the exposure to essential 21st-century skills for future success.”
Tanoshi’s mission is to provide an equitable digital education for all children, no matter their socio-economic background. As we raise money through our equity crowdfunding campaign, to build even better products and content that’s educational, age-appropriate, affordable, and fun — we look forward to hearing and sharing more success stories.
