Here’s an equation for you: what do you get when you add standards-based math and patented technology, plus pixies, dinosaurs, pirates and pets? Why, DreamBox Learning K-2 Math
of course!
At Sampa, we’re passionate about spending quality time with family. Additionally, we’re interested in using technology in a way that brings a family together, rather than isolating family members from each other. So when we heard our fellow Bellevue, Wa start-up company DreamBox Learning had launched an online game that accomplishes all these things, and factors in awesome math learning to boot, we couldn’t wait to share the news with all of you.
The game, called DreamBox K-2 Math, launched yesterday, and the buzz is already impressive. What makes this game way cool is that DreamBox Learning is based on standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), wrapped in 350 web adventure lessons kids will love. The new math game even features patented GuideRight technology which adjusts and adapts the lessons to each kid’s learning style. No wonder both parents and teachers reported steadily improving math scores after using this clever new game. And did I mention dinosaurs?
Take a tour here (http://www.dreambox.com/product_tour/) or sign up for a two week free trial here (https://www.dreambox.com/store/register). Check it out!
On Monday, October 6, 2008 at 12:30 PM PDT we will be upgrading our services and your website and Sampa.com will be unavailable for about 1 hour.
OK, this doesn't really have a lot to do with Sampa, with our whiz-bang technology, or our plot to take over the universe. But it does touch a subject that lots of our users care about, and it's an excuse to post a great pic.
This entry is the first in what may turn out to be a recurring series of posts about how to shoot great pictures of your kids. The kind that are light on photographic expertise but heavy on the "adorable factor." The kind that call out to be shared with loved ones... on maybe, umm... Sampa?
Today's entry is:The spin-kid-around-while-holding-camera-shot
Advantages:You're guaranteed to capture a genuine look of delight.
You won't need to use any candy bribes to get your kid to hold still and smile.
It's physically impossible for them to pick their nose while the shutter snaps.
Disadvantages:You need to use two arms.
One of those arms needs to be very strong.
Parents can get dizzy quickly.
Other kids nearby will nag you mercilessly until they get a ride too.
Good luck trying this with a teenager.
The Camera Setup:If you have a snazzy camera with manual settings (like last month's
contest winner), you can simply set the exposure setting to around 1/60th of a second, to get just the right amount of background blur. If you have a simpler point-and-shoot camera, you'll probably get the best results by just setting it to "portrait" mode and avoiding very bright sunlight (to give your camera a chance to use a slower exposure time).
The Technique:For small children, hold both their wrists together so that you can swing them around with one hand. For bigger kids, hold one forearm and have the child hold onto your forearm tightly with both hands. Swing around fast enough that both feet (your kid's feet, not yours) leave the ground. Snap a picture in mid-spin with your other hand.
Sound fun? The little guy above thought so. We hope you get some great shots using this technique, and invite you to share them with your friends & family on Sampa. And if you have ideas for other simple, iconic ways to compose and shoot great kid pictures, we'd love to hear about it. Just send an email to
feedback@sampa.com and we'll credit you in a future article.
Congratulations to Tera P. and her family for building the 100,000th Sampa site. She won a great prize package that included a Canon Pro Series digital camera, a picnic set, and tickets to her local zoo. So if you happen to see Tera and her family at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, please say "hi" for us!
Have you ever watched your car's odometer click over to 100,000 miles? Remember that growing feeling of excitement? That's what we're like over here at Sampa, where we're expecting to add our 100,00th website any day now. We can't take our eyes off the little spinning dials.
Now picture the old TV gag where someone is the lucky 100,000th customer at a supermarket, and suddenly horns blare unexpectedly, and confetti falls from the ceiling. We're going to do that too -- only in a much more geeky way, with Amazon gift certificates and FedEx trucks and everything.
So if you woke up this morning feeling lucky, we invite you to create that Sampa site you've been thinking about starting anyway. If yours is the 100,000th site, we have a fabulous prize package with goodies like a Canon Pro Series digital camera, a deluxe picnic set for four, a sandcastle playset, and other great items for kids or grownups who act like kids.
Plus, if you're already a Sampa site owner, and you refer the 100,000th site to us, we'll send a prize package to the winner and a second one to you! To ensure that you get credit for the referral, the winner can click the "built with Sampa" link at the top of your website, or click the "create your own free website" link in an email sent from your site.
You can find full contest details and exciting legalese on our new contest page at
www.sampa.com/contest.
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