Built by, with, and for teachers

Our team is on a mission to help teachers nurture students' love of writing in the Age of AI.

More about Scriblit (formerly Short Answer)

From one teacher’s classroom to all 50 states and 10 countries.

The earliest Short Answer designs, made in Google Slides

The early days

Scriblit grew out of my (Adam Sparks, cofounder) frustrations as a teacher. I’d spend large chunks of my weekend grading papers (I taught English & Social Studies) only to hand back those papers and have students ignore my feedback, look at their grade, and move on. At the same time, when I would use tech tools in my classroom that involved students sharing their work with others, the room would transform: Students were completely locked into the learning. So, in my free time, I started to design a platform with the specific goal of making it fun for students to give and receive feedback effectively. I knew nothing about design, so I used Google Slides.

The first Short Answer prototype, built at Stanford

LDT at Stanford

To pursue my newfound interest in edtech design, I applied to Stanford’s Learning Design & Technology program. When I was accepted, I decided to leave the classroom and head to California. In LDT, I collaborated with cohort members and educational researchers at Stanford to build the initial prototype of what became Scriblit.

Rhonda, Alexa, and Adam Sparks connect with teachers at NETA 2023

The launch

What began as my master’s capstone project soon grew into something much larger when Scriblit won both the Stanford Learning Design Challenge and the Futures Learning Tools Competition. My wife Alexa had been coding Scriblit in her free time, but with grant funding and the encouragement of leading educational researchers, we decided to go All-In (Scriblit teachers understand that pun) on Scriblit. We remain a husband-wife team today.

Students conduct an All-In activity in Short Answer

Scriblit today

Scriblit finished its first full school year in June of 2024. We have quickly grown to reach tens of thousands of teachers and students across all 50 states and 10 countries. We couldn’t be more excited to support K12 teachers as they navigate the new reality of writing instruction in an AI-infused world. We’re excited to work together to build better writers through engaging, human-to-human approaches to writing instruction and practice.

Our Team

Adam Sparks

Adam Sparks

Cofounder and CEO

Adam is the cofounder and CEO of Scriblit. He taught English and social studies for seven years and holds a master's degree in Learning Design & Technology from the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Alexa Sparks

Alexa Sparks

Cofounder and CTO

Alexa is the cofounder and CTO of Scriblit. She is a senior software engineer, holds a master's degree in Education Data Science from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, and has co-authored original research on AI and writing feedback.

Advisors

Dr. Dylan Wiliam

Dr. Dylan Wiliam

Formative Assessment

Dr. Wiliam advises Scriblit on learning experience design and formative assessment. Dr. Wiliam is the world's leading expert on formative assessment and its role in the learning process.

Phil Balliet

Phil Balliet

Product design

Phil advises Scriblit on product design. Phil was the founding product designer at Nearpod and has over 15 years of product design and management experience.

Alan Louie

Alan Louie

Product strategy and sales

Alan advises Scriblit on strategy, product development, and navigating the K-12 landscape. Alan is the founder of Imagine K12 and has over a decade of experience in edtech.

Jason Young

Jason Young

Product strategy and sales

Jason advises Scriblit on K-12 sales and strategy. Jason is the founder and CEO of Mind Blown Labs and a founding partner at Long Term Impact Fund.

Colleen Anderson

Colleen Anderson

Product strategy and sales

Colleen advises Scriblit on product strategy and sales. Colleen has over two decades of experience in K-12 edtech, most recently as head of product at Just Right Reader.

Daniel Jhin Yoo

Daniel Jhin Yoo

Product strategy and sales

Daniel advises Scriblit on K-12 sales and strategy. Daniel is the cofounder and CEO of Goalbook and a founding partner at Long Term Impact Fund.

In my 16 years as an ELA educator, this platform checks all of the boxes for an authentic way for students to engage in the writing process and with their peers on an enjoyable and practical digital space.
Lauren D’AmoreSecondary ELA Coordinator, Comal ISD, TX

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