Cube View • Visual Puzzles

Looking for a fun and challenging spatial relations puzzle game for your students to play on their iPads? Look no further than Cube View, which creates random configurations of blocks called buildings and challenges your students to figure out how many blocks are in each puzzle.

With features like sound and speech effects, your students will feel like you’re right in the middle of the action as they solve each puzzle. And positive reinforcement for correct answers, will help them feel a sense of accomplishment as they progress through the levels.

So why wait? Download Cube View today and start improving spatial relations puzzle-solving skills with our exciting and challenging game. With over two dozen puzzles there are plenty of activities for students. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to challenge your students and let them have fun as they learn about important math concepts such as surface area and volume!

Some research indicates that in addition to being educationally sound, this type of puzzle is also an excellent brain exercise that can improve visual perception, spatial relations and logical thinking skills. By analyzing the different configurations of blocks and determining the number of blocks in each puzzle, students will be training their brains to think critically and logically. Additionally, the visual aspects of the game help them learn to use spatial awareness and pattern recognition abilities, which can also improve overall cognitive function. With regular practice, students may find that they will be able to solve the puzzles faster and with greater accuracy, leading to a sense of accomplishment and improved mental agility. So not only is this app a great way to pass the time, it’s also a valuable tool for keeping your student’s brain sharp and healthy. 

Our apps are available with a volume discount for educational institutions. Each app can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the AppleApp Store.  Our apps are also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of any of these apps. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

Advertisement

Sign Language, Morse Code and Nautical Signal Flags – 3 Toolkits for Building Communication Skills in a Fun Way

I designed this app to be visually appealing and hope that it will introduce sign language in a fun and exciting way. The app presents all the letters of the English alphabet as well as the numbers from zero to twenty.The Sign Language Toolkit is an interactive learning tool and provides a way to get started using sign language. In the exploration mode users can press any key and see the how to sign the associated letter. Using the keyboard students can see how to sign spell any word. Switch to the number mode to learn how to sign numbers from zero to twenty.

Students who are learning sign language will find the quiz feature helpful. After pressing the question mark to start the quiz a word is randomly selected from the word list. The way to spell the word in sign language is shown. The object is for the student to recognize the gestures for the letters in the word and to type them on the keyboard.

Speech effects are provided so that when a letter is pressed on the keyboard it is pronounced aloud. This feature can optionally be turned on or off. 

Special features make using the Sign Language Toolkit app fun:

1. Express yourself with this fun to use app.
2. Learn to communicate using sign language.
3. Practice spelling words with sign language.
4. Speech and sound effects. 
5. Available for iPad iOS and Apple TV.

After designing the Sign Language Toolkit I wanted to explore other methods that are used for communicating. I decided to build an app to introduce the Morse Code. The app presents all the letters of the English alphabet as well as the numbers from zero to ten. Learning to use the Morse Code is an fun way to send secret messages to your friends. It is also a way for teachers to introduce the history of how electricity was first used to send messages. Learning about the Morse Code is important because it encourages them to experiment and gives them confidence to be creative. It also provides a historical perspective on a communication that was an important that helped in the expansion and settlement of the western parts of the United States.

The Morse Code Toolkit is an interactive learning tool for introducing the signalling system used in the middle part of the 19th century. Invented by Samuel Morse, the coding system is made up of sequences of dots and dashes. It is still used today by ham radio operators and others. When using the app In the exploration mode users can press any key and see the how to represent the associated letter in dots and dashes. Using the keyboard students can see how to spell a word using Morse Code. Switch to the number mode to learn how to represent numbers from zero to ten. Press any key in this mode and see how to represent the number using a series of dots and dashes.

Students who are learning Morse Code will find the quiz feature helpful. After pressing the question mark to start the quiz a word is randomly selected from the word list. The way to spell the word using Morse Code is shown. The object is for the student to recognize the dots and dashes for the letters in the word and to type them on the keyboard.

Speech effects are provided so that when a letter is pressed on the keyboard it is pronounced aloud and also played as an audible series of dots and dashes. This feature can optionally be turned on or off.

One very colorful way to communicate is to use Nautical Signal Code Flags. With Nautical Signal Code Flags messages are sent by linking together colorful flags. The app presents all the letters of the English alphabet as well as the numbers from zero to ten.

The Nautical Signal Code Flags Toolkit is an interactive learning tool for introducing the way that flags are used on ships and boats to send information. In the exploration mode users can press any key and see the flag that is associated with selected letter. Using the keyboard students can see how to spell a word using signal flags. Switch to the number mode to learn how to signal numbers from zero to ten. Press any key in this mode and see how to signal the number.

Students who are learning how to read nautical signal code flags will find the quiz feature helpful. After pressing the question mark to start the quiz, a word is randomly selected from a specific word list. The way to spell the word using signal flags is shown. The object is for the student to recognize a flag for a letter in a word and to type the corresponding letter on the keyboard.

As in the other apps, speech effects are provided so that when a letter is pressed on the keyboard it is pronounced aloud. This feature can optionally be turned on or off. 

These apps are available with a volume discount for educational institutions. Each app can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the AppleApp Store.  Our apps are also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of any of these apps. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

QuizCalc

I recently updated QuizCalc. QuizCalc is more than just a cool calculator. It also helps kids develop basic arithmetic skills. QuizCalc shifts into the quiz mode by simply tapping a key on the calculator face. Once in quiz mode, the operation keys (+, –, × and ÷) are used to select a math skill for practicing. Likewise the function keys (%, √, +/- and x²) shift the quiz into presenting problems related to percent, square root, integers and powers. In quiz mode QuizCalc will show two keys labelled L1 and L2. These keys are used to select the level for the problems. When L2 is selected the problems are more challenging that when using the L1 option.

But of course, QuizCalc is also a basic calculator perfect for elementary age students with percent, square root, integer, power and memory ( +, – , C & R ) functions.

QuizCalc is available with a volume discount for educational institutions. This app can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the AppleApp Store.  The apps are also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of any of these apps. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

Here is a list of the skills that can be practiced with QuizCalc:

Topic	Level	Math Objectives
Addition of Whole Numbers	1	Addition Facts with Numbers from 0 to 10.
	2	Addition Facts with Numbers from 10 to 40.
Subtraction of Whole Numbers	1	Subtraction Facts with Numbers from 0 to 20.
	2	Subtraction Facts with Numbers from 10 to 60.
Multiplication of Whole Numbers	1	Multiplication Facts with Numbers from 0 to 10.
	2	Multiplication Facts with Numbers from 0 to 20.
Division of Whole Numbers	1	Division Facts with Divisors from 1 to 10.
	2	Division Facts with Divisors from 1 to 20.
Percents	1	Problems with Percents from 10 to 100.
	2	Problems with Percents from 10 to 200.
Roots of Perfect Squares	1	Find Roots from 1 to 10.
	2	Find Roots from 5 to 12.
Addition of Integers	1	Numbers from -5 to +5.
	2	Numbers from -10 to +10.
Perfect Squares	1	Find the Square of Numbers from 1 to 10.
	2	Find the Square of Numbers from -10 to 10.

Short-Term Memory Workout

Give your brain a memory workout using this fun app. Short-term Memory Workout is designed provide activities to help improve short-term memory capabilities.

Daily training activities will help improve memory capabilities. The Short-term Pattern Recall activity provides a workout for your ability to remember patterns that you see and hear. Choose the dice icon to generate a random pattern. Pay close attention while the pattern is shown. After seeing the pattern you will be asked to repeat the pattern by tapping the circular buttons on the hexagon. 

The Shape and Location Sensory Recall activity focuses on the sensory recall aspect of memory. Use this activity to provide a workout that involves remember the shape and position of randomly placed on a 3×3 grid. Choose the dice icon to generate a random set of shapes placed at random locations on a 3×3 grid. After the shapes disappear, you are challenged to drag shapes from below the grid to show where the shapes were on the grid. 

Challenge yourself to see how high of a score you can get on the Short-term Memory Workout activities. The scoreboard feature automatically keeps track of your scores. 

Short-Term Memory Workout is available with a volume discount for educational institutions. This app can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the AppleApp Store.  The apps are also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of any of these apps. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

Virtual Learning Amid School Closures for Corona Virus (COVID-19)

Experienced educators who are familiar with the challenges associated with responding to national emergencies know that school closures can affect children’s academic progress, safety and social lives.  Parents and teachers are now faced with extended school closures due to the threat of the corona virus (COVID-19).

According experts at this time more than 30,000 schools in the U.S. are being closed and this leaves more than 20 million students being asked to shift to online learning activities to keep their academic progress on target. Currently entire states have shutdown schools and some of the nation’s largest school districts have recently announced closures.

Ventura Educational Systems is offering five free apps to help elementary students to keep up their math skills:

Addition Puzzles

Addition Puzzles is an exciting, interactive math game to help kids practice addition skills. Use logic to select the numbers that will solve the puzzle. Puzzles are randomly generated so the app offers an almost infinite number of puzzles at six different levels. Puzzles can be selected that involve just whole numbers from 0 to 20 or integers from -10 to 10.

Math Spin-o-Rama

Use Math Spin-o-Rama to help your students practice and improve math skills.

Math Spin-O-Rama provides practice with two and three place addition with a new twist. The numbers in the problem are in the wrong place and must be rotated to be in the right place to fit the answer.

The app has four levels and includes practice in doing both two-place and three place addition. Math Spin-O-Rama makes learning fun. As students answer correctly they earn gold stars. Once they have earn five gold stars they get a chance to spin the wheel to earn a prize. The prizes are collected in a table.

Make learning fun with Math Spin-O-Rama.

Addition Blockmania

Help Kids Learn Addition Facts and Improve Basic Math Skills!

Use Addition Blockmania to help your students practice and improve math skills.  This game challenges students to think quickly and be accurate. The object is to find a set of blocks in the stacks whose sum is equal to the given number.

The app offers four levels of activity. Larger numbers are used at the higher levels. Animation, sound effects and speech help to make this curriculum-based math activity exciting for young mathematicians. Elementary school teachers and parents with young students will find that kids enjoy practicing math skills when they are given this app to use.

On Target Math Skills

Help Kids Practice Arithmetic Skills and Problem Solving Abilities with On Target Math Skills.

The On Target Math Skills app generates an almost infinite number of puzzles where the challeng is to make a specific number given four other numbers. Students can use any of the four basic arithmetic operations, addition, subtraction, multiplication or division to try to solve the puzzle. In coming up with a solution, students will need to use the problem order of operations.

The app challenges the player to find 10 solutions in order to earn a trophy. The app offers 5 different levels of difficulty. The On Target Math Skills app is designed to be a quick math exercise that teachers can use to provide a quick basic arithmetic and problem solving activity.

Interactive Multiplication Chart

Help Kids Learn Multiplication Facts and Improve Basic Math Skills!

The Interactive Multiplication Chart app uses a grid to help students see the patterns in the addition table.

This app challenges the player to find an intersection on a grid where the product of the two multipliers fits the randomly selected problem description. Complete the activities by finding 10 correct answers. The Interactive Multiplication Chart app is designed to be a quick math exercise that teachers can use to provide practice with basic multiplication facts.

In addition to the free apps listed above Ventura Educational Systems offers a huge library of inexpensive apps focus on math, science and reading development. Our most recent releases are Hundreds Chart Deluxe, Math Connections I and II, and Phonics Connections.

Please visit our website for more information.

Pioneers in Math and Science

New apps for iOS and tvOS Devices:

Aristotle • Ancient Greek Philosopher
Rachel Carson – Environmental Scientists
Bonaventura Cavalieri • Mathematician
Nicolaus Copernicus • Astronomer
Marie Curie – Chemist & Physicist
Charles Darwin  • The Science of Evolution
René Descartes • Philosopher • Mathematician
Albert Einstein • Theoretical Physicist
Euclid • The Father of Geometry
Leonhard Euler • Mathematician
Michael Faraday • Chemist & Physicist
Fibonacci • Mathematician
Leonardo Fibonacci • Mathematician
Galileo Galilei • The Father of Modern Science
Carl Gauss • Physicist • Mathematician • Astronomer
Johannes Kepler • Astronomer & Mathematician
Sofia Kovalevskaya • Mathematician
Ada Lovelace • The First Coder
James Maxwell – Physicist • Mathematician
Lise Meitner – Nuclear Physicist
Gregor Mendel • Botanist
Isaac Newton – Mathematician • Physicist • Astronomer
Blaise Pascal – Mathematician • Scientist • Philosopher
Louis Pasteur – • Microbiologist • Chemist
Cecilia Payne – Stellar Astronomer • Astrophysicist
Pythagoras • Mathematician & Philosopher
Ernest Rutherford • Nuclear Physicist

It is reported that Newton once said , “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of Giants”.  The Pioneers in Math and Science series of apps for iOS and tvOS devices explores the lives and contributions of several giants in astronomy, physics, philosophy, biology and mathematics who lived before and after Newton.

In Galileo Galilei • The Father of Modern Science, a timeline feature is used to introduce students to the fascinating life of Galileo.  It discusses his early education and explains that as a young man Galileo’s father moves the family to Florence which at the time was a major center for artistic, literary and scientific studies.

The timeline feature is interactive and students can request more information about any of the highlighted years but tapping the year.  The arrows at either end of the time allow students to scroll through the time period.

Illustrated information screens pop up to help students learn about Galileo’s accomplishments.  Students will find it inspirational that many of the things that fascinated Galileo as a young man became a major focus of his studies and lead to mathematical and scientific breakthroughs for him later in his life.

In Isaac Newton – Mathematician • Physicist • Astronomer, students explore the many Newton’s achievements including those related to the nature of white light.  Newton discovered that sunlight was actually made up of many different colors.  He should this by holding up a prism near a window in his laboratory and projecting a spectrum of colors.

René Descartes • Philosopher • Mathematician presents the work of the man who linked algebra and geometry and laid the foundation for modern mathematics.

Descartes work in philosophy formed the basis for the modern scientific method.  He wrote about his skepticism regarding what he could experience through his senses and encourage people to seek knowledge through reason, mathematics and science.

In Charles Darwin • The Science of Evolution a map of the world is used to show the voyage of exploration of the HMS Beagle.  This five year journey around the world gave Darwin the information he needed to develop his Theory of Evolution.

Each of the apps in this series feature a quiz so that student can demonstrate comprehension of the reading material and other special features such as a speech where the text from the diagrams, quizzes or scrolls can be read aloud to students.

Galileo Galilei • The Father of Modern Science, Isaac Newton – Mathematician • Physicist • Astronomer, René Descartes • Philosopher • Mathematician and Charles Darwin  • The Science of Evolution and other  apps in this series are available with a volume discount for educational institutions. These apps can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store.  The apps are also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of any of these apps. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

Math Decoder

Most people who are involved in education and have studied educational psychology know the name, Jean Piaget.  Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, defined and described stages of development: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational and formal operational.  Many math curriculum materials are designed to fit with these developmental stages that roughly correspond to age groups:  sensorimotor (0-2), pre-operation stage (2 to 7), concrete operational (7 to 11), and formal operational (11+ and adulthood).  The availability of computers and educational software may have shifted some of these age groupings toward the younger ages since very young children are often using iPads and other devices to explore and learn concepts with assistance of highly interactive educational games and experiences.  Apps can be very engaging and often create multimedia learning environments that motivate students through positive reinforcements such as praise, points, stars, trophies or virtual stickers.

The manipulative approach to teaching math is based on the cognitive development theories of Piaget, Bruner and others.  Software designed to support these theories, for example my Hands-On Math Series, brings the manipulative approach to the computer screen by creating interactive representations of mathematical objects.  Math Decoder is designed in a similar way so that the student is able to move numbered tokens into place to show his or her answer.

Math Decoder presents random numbers in a grid that is similar to the familiar tic-tac-toe board.  Problems are given using shapes that reference the position of the numbers in the grid.  To give an answer students must determine which numbers are referenced by the shapes and then perform the arithmetic operation.

Using Math Decoder helps build mental math skills.  It involves abstract thinking because the symbols are used to represent numbers in way that is similar to how variables are used in algebra.  I designed Math Decoder to be a quick exercise that teachers and parents can assign to students when they have a few minutes of time.  Challenge students to earn a trophy.  It’s fun!

Math Decoder is available with a volume discount for educational institutions. Algebra Portal AR can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store.  It also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of Algebra Portal AR. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

Algebra Portal AR

Apple’s new ARKit has opened the door to new kinds of app experiences.  My new app, Algebra Portal AR, creates virtual rooms filled with information about important terms and key concepts related to the Algebra I curriculum.  What is really exciting about the Algebra Portal is students stand up, walk around and experience a totally immersive environment that is filled with illustrated examples that are used to explain some of the fundamental ideas of algebra.

The floor Algebra Portal is a standard Cartesian plane with the x and y axes labelled.  Teachers could develop lesson experiences that involve students walking into the portal and then moving to a specific (x, y) position to learn about a particular topic from the algebra curriculum.

When a wall inside the Algebra Portal is tapped a menu of terms is displayed.  If a term is selected detailed information about the topic is displayed with examples.

Students and teachers will be amazed when they create virtual rooms filled with information about key terms and concepts from the middle school and high school algebra curriculum.

Explore algebra in a new way with the Algebra Portal AR. Use the camera view on your iPad to detect a flat surface and then tap the screen. Instantly a portal opens to a world filled with information about the terms and concepts that are part of the algebra curriculum.

In an nutshell, to use the app, students walk around in the augmented reality algebra portal where they can tap on the walls and other objects in the rooms to get more information and to hear Siri read aloud information about the selected item. Students can scroll through an extensive list of terms related to the information on the walls of the rooms, walls and objects in the portal.

Algebra Portal AR creates virtual rooms that are approximately 4 meters by 7 meters. It is best used in a well-lit open space, perhaps in a school’s auditorium or multi-purpose room. If the Algebra Portal sounds interesting to you, you might also like the Geometry Portal AR.

Algebra Portal AR is available with a volume discount for educational institutions. Algebra Portal AR can be purchased worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store.  It also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of Algebra Portal AR. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

 

Target 10 – Like a Word Search but with Numbers

It is great fun when you have precocious grandchildren who have creative and inventive minds.  One of my grandkids is really into word search puzzles.  He loves finding the names of states, or capitals, or astronomy words, or anything else that might be the theme of a word search puzzle.  But the gears in that creative mind started spinning one day and he created a search type of puzzle with numbers.  The gist of the idea was to write an array of random numbers on graph paper and then pick a random target number and try to find numbers in the array that add up to the target number.  This concept gave birth to an iOS and tvOS app named Target 10.

The screen above shows the main game board for Target 10.  The object of Target 10 is to earn 10 stars by finding sets of numbers in the grid that add up to the target number.

Target 10 offers four levels. On an iPad simply tap the Settings icon and then from a screen similar to the one show below, choose a level.  If you are using Apple TV you swipe to get to the Settings Icon and then swipe and click to choose a level.

Automatically a new puzzle is generated at the level you selected.  Study the puzzle to find chains of numbers that add up to the target number.  There’s a fun little twist.  The position of any two numbers can be switched.  When you can’t find any more sets of numbers to make the target sum, try using the Switch icon to move numbers.  To do a switch tap the Switch icon and then navigate to the two numbers whose positions you want to switch. If you are still stuck, you can tap the New Board icon for a new grid.

Switch Icon                                                            New Board Icon

            

Continue finding sets of numbers that add up to the target number until you have earned 10 stars.

In designing this app I wanted to motivate elementary age students to get quicker at mental math.  It is my intention that by using Target 10 on your iOS device or Apple TV you will be able to engage students problem solving and strategic thinking activities that they will enjoy. The tvOS version of Target 10 offers the same great features as the iOS version, and additionally can be controlled using tvOS compatible game controllers so maybe the kids will think they are playing a video game.

Target 10 is available with a volume discount for educational institutions.  Target 10 is available worldwide exclusively through the Apple App Store.  It also available through Apple’s volume purchase program. Schools get a significant discount when purchasing multiple copies of Target 10. Contact Apple Education for more information about the volume purchase program.  Please visit Ventura Educational Systems’ website for more information about this and other iOS and tvOS apps for education.

More Widgets

Once I got started designing the Math Widgets series I realized it was going to be a lot of fun.  The study of mathematics is an immensely broad topic and for kids who are really into math it is wonderful if a teacher can provide enrichment experiences that introduce new ideas and concepts that go beyond “what’s on the test”.  The Math Widgets series is a collection of tools with these kids and teachers in mind.

Math Widgets III explores some special concepts in number theory.  For example, the Multibase Abacus piques one’s interest in alternative number systems.  What if we only had 8 fingers instead of 10?  Would we use a base 8 system?  With the Multibase Abacus students can investigate base 8 and any other base from 2 to 10.

On the Multibase Abacus, numbers are represented by tapping beads to add or subtract values from the columns of various place value systems.  In the example below we are showing a base 5 system.  Starting on the right we have the ones place labeled with 5⁰.  Moving to the left we have 5’s, 25’s, 125’s, 625’s etc.  Tapping one of the column labels results in a bubble showing the value of the place in base 10.  In the quiz mode students are challenged to represent randomly selected numbers in randomly selected bases.  Quite a few skills come into play when trying to answer the questions posed by the Multibase Abacus, including: estimation, addition, subtraction, multiplication and using exponents.

Clock Arithmetic is another topic in math that is perfect for an enriched curriculum.  Whenever we divide two integers there is always a remainder (sometimes it’s zero).  Clock Arithmetic is a widget that encourages student’s to explore this concept which is known as Modular Arithmetic.  In programming languages there is a special operator used to signify the modulus function.  If a=7 and b=3 then in computer code a%b returns 1 since one is the remainder when 7 is divided by 3.  Sometimes the word ‘mod’ is used instead of the “%” symbol to describe this calculation, for example 15 mod 12 is equal to 3.  In the example below, tapping the 2 is the correct response.

Once in a while, but rarely, you might find a newspaper article about a mathematician solving a problem or finding a proof that has been elusive for hundreds of years.  For example, the conjecture  that no three positive integers a, b, and c satisfy the equation aⁿ + bⁿ = cⁿ for any integer value of n greater than 2. The cases n = 1 and n = 2 have been known to have infinitely many solutions since antiquity.  First conjectured by Pierre de Fermat in 1637, this theorem had been the focus of study by mathematician for centuries and was finally proven in 1995 by Andrew Wiles.  Goldbach’s Conjecture has never been proven. It was first posed in a letter from Goldbach to Euler in 1742.  The conjecture posits that every even integer greater than 2 can be expressed as the sum of two primes.  Use the Goldbach’s Conjecture widget to explore this idea by finding the primes whose sum is the given even numbers.

The Hexagon Arithmetic Widget is a six number system that uses emojis as the symbols.  Counting moves in a clockwise direction around the hexagon.  The object is to complete the addition table using logic to figure out the pattern.

Math Widgets I, II and III are offered exclusively by the iTunes App Store and sell for $1.99 each.  Educational discounts are available for schools.  Please visit our website for more information about these and other apps for education.