John Hopkins University ITGL class 10.17.24

Interactive presentation of developing Ithaca Toys Company.

1. IthacaToys an
education journey
Lee Kaltman, MEd
John Hopkins University
Graduate School of Education
October 17th, 2024

2. A little about me
• B.S. Finance, Babson College
•Masters Education, SUNY Cortland
•Certified Math teacher (all grades)
•Trained by NASA, USPTO, and ORNL
• 20+ years in public education
• Serial entrepreneur

3. My professional journey
1993-2003 involved in multiple enterprises with three exits
2003-2013 teaching Middle School Math in Public Education
2013 -2015 consultant in education technology companies. 
•While researching, I found Bias in Curriculum at a company and
they changed their curriculum. I also worked on a team that
created an education technology tool called Transfolios.
2016- 2017 Taught in all primary grades in local elementary
schools
2017 - 2022 Teacher at New Roots Charter School
2018 - present CEO of Ithaca Toys Company

4. PLEASE SHARE
WITH YOUR
PARTNER AND
ANSWER THE
FOLLOWING
QUESTION
Friday, March 9, 2012
2nd grade problem that my daughter showed me

5. Answer Sheet
Friday, March 9, 2012
What
happens
when you are
told you got
something
wrong and
you do not
know why -
although you
are right?

6. What is Tactile Play?

7. Does
learning
happen with
Tactile Play?

8. Why choose a physical product?

9. How many different ways can
you create the value 25?
Our first learning toolOur first tagline / logo

10. What is a
BLOX?
*dictionary.com
defines BLOX as
a visual
language.
Visual languages have been
around for centuries
Present day visual languages

11. Isaac Kaltman a young creative explains BLOX.
Launch of IthacaToys

12. An observation between a young person and an elder

13. Observing students in
classrooms

14. Research behind NumberBLOX
•Sensorial play, and learning through experience with NumberBLOX is seemingly
conducive to developing students’ STEM skills, counting, and sense of numerosity
•Expansive and multi-dimensional tool - inspires creativity and exploration for
determining uses as an educator
•NumberBLOX has important uses as an assessment tool and scaffolding tool -
determining students’ understanding level of concepts and altering activities and
blocks used based on this information
•NumberBLOX is a powerful learning tool even when not used in intended manner
during a structured activity - having the blocks in hand facilitated recall even when
seemingly not engaged
•NumberBLOX has a significant impact on students’ development (eg. social-
emotional - problem solving, peer interaction, responsibility, etc. and mathematical
skills - counting, number sense, comparisons, early engineering, etc.)

15. Manufacturing:
Work with a
workforce
development partner
to engineer a
production process.

16. We learn from our observing our craftsman
CountingMotor / focus Practice

17. 1.Regarding innovation in sensory and tactile toys, How does Ithaca Toys capture
market trends and demands? Is there a plan to incorporate AI or other technologies to
enhance interactivity in future products?
"!
2.On the impact of sensory play for children with special needs: Tactile play is believed
to be particularly beneficial for children with special needs, such as autism. Does Ithaca
Toys have any toys or projects specifically designed for these children?
"!
3.Competition with digital toys: In a market where digital toys are prevalent, how does
Ithaca Toys convey the unique value of tactile toys to parents? Are there any specific
marketing strategies aimed at addressing this competition?
"!
4.International market expansion: Is Ithaca Toys interested in expanding to international
markets? If so, how would the toys be adapted to different cultural contexts?
Class questions

18. Any questions, just ask?
[email protected]