EASTON, PA-"I hope everyone who has been
eagerly awaiting the Area/Perimeter 2D module really enjoys it-I
know it was a long time in coming," smiles FIM creator Robert Sun,
explaining that he's been tinkering with the mechanics of the game
for nearly two years.
Sun, a life-long inventor who was granted
his first patent in 1976, offered insight into what can sometimes
be a lengthy process. "People sometimes ask me why we don't churn
out new games on a fixed schedule. My answer is that it's simply
not possible if you want to produce a quality product. In a few
cases we've had games that were halfway through preliminary
testing, and I realized there was a better way to do it. At that
point you can either settle, or bite the bullet and start
over."
Starting over is ok with Sun, because the
reward for getting it right is improved math skills for children of
all ability levels. "Our games are engineered to make the most of
every single minute a child spends on the site, so it is imperative
that they are focused activities that offer concentrated levels of
practice in a particular skill," explains Sun.
In addition to generating new content, Sun
mixes the sound effects, and personally supervises a dedicated team
of in-house site architects, programmers and creative personnel
that bring the games to life. The process also includes educator
input. "Teachers told me that they needed an area-related activity
that was rigorous, yet doable for the middle school grades,"
explains Sun. "I think the Area/Perimeter 2D game fits the
bill."
To play, a student selects an area and a
perimeter from up to three options given for each and then "draws"
an object that is equal to BOTH the area and perimeter selected.
Higher levels present ever-increasing challenge, especially when it
comes to the rectangle and right triangle shapes, where students
need to calculate the hypotenuse. The workout becomes even more
rigorous as higher-level games present mixed and fractional units.
Students can choose from four shapes: square, circle, rectangle and
right triangle; each shape offers games measured in U.S. Customary,
Mixed or Metric units.
Sun expects that small tweaks will be made
to the game as suggestions roll in from classrooms across the
nation, but says he is glad to hear that for the most part, he got
it right. "The A/P game is something else," says fourth-grade
teacher Matt Morse of C.W. Dillard School in Wilton, CA. Morse is
currently the #1 Team Leader Player in the nation.
Chris Sakers, from Franklin Middle School in
Reisterstown, MD, agrees. "The amount of multi-dimensional
processing the player must accomplish to be successful in this game
is simply outstanding. This module is a wonderful tool for ensuring
students are independent masters with these four shapes."