06 March 2013

Funding Your Dream


I recently came across what looks to be an extremely helpful app for grading student writing papers. The app is called Markup and it's coming from the San Kim, one of the creators of the ever popular ShowMe App which is currently ranked #62 on the Apple iOS Education AppStore. ShowMe is a great app that allows users to "record voice-over whiteboard tutorials and share them online." While I haven't used ShowMe as frequently as I should, this new app Markup sounds very interesting.

The idea behind the app is to help create paperless classrooms where students can submit writing assignments to their teachers digitally and yet still allow teachers to correct and mark their paper as though it were on paper. Their video from Kickstarter is below.



As interesting as this project is, I think what is more interesting is the way in which the San Kim and crew are going about to create and fund it. Kickstarter is a website where people can create a webpage about a project they are either working on or wanting to create and then ask the regular human being to help fund their idea. If you find the idea interesting and wish to contribute, you can choose to "back" the project. By backing the project, you decide a dollar amount you wish to pay to the developer/creator and then if the funding goal is met, you pay the amount you decided upon. If the funding goal is not met, then you don't pay a penny. It's an all or nothing game, and I find it incredibly awesome. Each creator establishes certain dollar amounts they hope to receive and then create reward tiers based on dollar amounts contributed. And did I mention that each project only gets up to 60 days to be funded, although they recommend keeping it around 30 days.

If you have never been on the site I suggest you look around and see what is out there. I guarantee you will find at least one project that interests you. If you create an account you can star projects to more easily find them later.

So take a few minutes and get to know a fun, and possibly expensive, site where you can help aspiring creators achieve their dreams all while getting a little something for yourself. And if you think the idea of the Markup App is interesting, why not help out San Kim and crew and make a pledge to help them get funded, they only have until Wednesday, March 20th to see their dream come true.

Disclosure: I have not yet decided to fund the Markup app, but will probably do so before the March 20th deadline.


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