Trying out Polyup
Thank you to the Polyup team - Shaya Zarkesh, Dr. Yahya Tabesh and Dr. Amir Zarkesh for coming out and sharing a lesson on casual modding with our class at Voices College Bound Language Academy. Polyup, is a game based math app designed for grades three through twelve. Check it out here:
Voices students experimented with numbers and functions in the Polyup app environment, as they built expressions, equations and algorithms. Alongside Poly, the app’s AI sidekick, students were able to effectively engage with, and traverse the Polyup app environment. Within the space of an hour, students build arithmetic expressions, and used Polyup’s block-based math language to complete level goals, as well as create their own algorithms.
Polyup has a number of options suited towards the school environment:
- The app can be used on a variety of devices and operating systems, such as mobile, tablet, Chromebook and Windows devices, allowing for ease of integration.
- Modding allows students to get a direct, visualized representation of their learning.
- Polyup provides lesson plans and presentations for ease of teacher use.
- The majority of student time will be spent solving math puzzles and designing algorithms in the app, interspersed with teacher presentation sections serving as signposts along the way. These lessons were designed to engage students in computational thinking by allowing them to “mod”/ “modify” simulations, designs, and more.
- The ability for students to customize their own experience. When students get to the My Mods section of the game, they can design their own puzzles.
- Group integration -students can design and share their puzzles with their peers, for collaborative opportunities.
Check out some photos from the Voices Hour of Mod below:
