By Scott Rolfe
As the former director of technology at The Dove Foundation I have been privileged to witness the beginning of the Digital Age first hand. I developed Dove’s website back in 1995 and the changes in technology since that time have truly been amazing. Over the years, I’ve chased the latest fads and devices until my wallet was bled dry so I finally decided to stick with what worked and closed my mind to new methods and products. Then, along came a gentleman named Lewis Hall.
Lewis had developed an iPad app titled “Elevated Math” and wanted to know if he could submit it to us for review. Being a PC guy from way back I was reluctant to take on this new venture. I had avoided Apple® products from the beginning. Besides, we didn’t have an iPad in the office so I couldn’t perform the service – or so I thought. When I explained the dilemma to Mr. Hall he replied, “No problem, I’ll send you a fully loaded iPad that you can use for the purpose of reviewing my app.” I agreed and now here I am, writing a review of his app “Elevated Math” and madly in love with the iPad too (or was that the iPad 2). So, here we go…
“Elevated Math” is a cool app that packs 2 years of math instruction into a single package. That may not sound like much until you realize that there are over 190 lessons that are grouped into five math standards. Numbers and Operations, Measurements, Geometry, Algebra and Data Analysis. I know this sounds boring, but Lewis has made me a believer by using cool animations to keep the kids entertained as they learn.
Also included in the app are a series of career-oriented live-action videos that answer the frequent question: “Why do we need to learn this stuff?” These mini-documentaries focus on individuals who are using math in their jobs and include a jazz musician, a stunt pilot, an animator, a landscape architect, a chocolatier, and fifteen other. Wow! that’s over xx hours of video that really inspire young minds to knuckle down and learn how fun applying math in their daily lives can be.
Each lesson begins with a cartoon intro followed by the actual lesson. Also included are guided notes and practice sets followed by a conclusion. Many of the lessons even include hands-on experiments so the student can test out their new skills. Every lesson is entertaining, educational and just plain fun. There is also a glossary of terms with their definitions.
“Elevated Math” is powerful, exciting and educational all at the same time. I can truly say we are very pleased to award our first Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for an iPad app to “Elevated Math” and I personally want to thank Lewis Hall for opening up a whole new world of exploration to me.
Editor’s Note: Since Mr. Hall has been kind enough to let us keep the iPad used for the review of “Elevated Math”, we now have the ability to review other iPad apps as well. We are currently re-designing our website and will create a space for these reviews. If you want your iPad app reviewed by The Dove Foundation, please send an email to movies@www.dove.org and we’ll let you know how to proceed.
