All but three of the games (Spy Chess, Fizziks, and Snowflake Maker) have been converted over to the new version. All of the reference units are online (but not thoroughly proofread). The quizzes are online, the Printables are online (with the exception of many mazes which have not been set up on the new site). We don't have instructions in place for the new versions of the games.
We have a lot left to do. Nevertheless, our goal is to have the new site LIVE over the weekend of July 4th. Why? Because it's the second lowest traffic weekend of the year (Christmas is first, of course!). Thus, if there are glitches in the switchover process, it'll affect the least number of people.
Also, since it's the beginning of the summer, it gives us a couple months to tweak things before school is in session again!
This means the next week and a half are going to be very busy for us.
It also means that if you have some bug reports that you haven't told us about, now is the time to share them!
Thanks so much for all the help you've provided!
Not only is the printables section of the site done, but there are three new printable worksheets available:
- Linear Equations
- Systems of Equations (does systems of 2,3 ,or 4 variables)
- Simplifying Radical Expressions
Many of the printables have more configuration options, including the new Equation Obfuscator.
The obfuscator takes simple equations like 3x + y = 9 and performs a variety of operations on them to make them into more complex equations.
For example, depending on the settings you chose for the obfuscator, you might get equations such as:
- 3x = 9 - y
- 2x - y = 9 - 2y - x
- 2(x - 4) + 1 = -y - (x - 2)
This will allow teachers to create worksheets that are very straightforward, or equations that provide more of a challenge for students.
We welcome your input and ideas for the existing worksheets, as well as suggestions for new worksheets. Also, if you find any issues with the existing worksheets, please let us know!
On the current version of The Problem Site, Pro Membership costs $5.00. On the NEW version of the site, it will cost $10.00. The reason for this is simple: Pro Membership on the new site will provide a vast array of new features that didn't exist on the old site. Read more about Pro Features here: Pro Membership Features.
Thus, if you're interested in getting a pro membership, it would be smart to do it between now and July, so you can get in under the old pricing, and get all the new features for half the price.
A Note For Pro Members
We're currently redesigning the way your "Media Galleries" work, in order to make it more simple to add images to your content. Instead of creating a media gallery, adding pictures, and then going to your quiz/problem/maze page, and inserting the image, the creation of media galleries will all happen behind the scenes, allowing you to create your content all on one page. It'll be MUCH easier to use.
In the meantime, the "Media Galleries" link has disappeared while we wrap up these changes. This means that some features are temporarily inaccessible. You can still create most of your content, but for a few days you'll need to stick to "text only" content. A notice will be posted in the "PRO" forum when the media galleries are back online.
Thanks for your patience while we make improvements!
You may have noticed a new menu item at the top of the page titled "Go Pro!" This is for those who want to access bonus content on the site. If you click that link you'll see a list of features available to people who have a pro membership.
Currently you can't set up a pro membership on the new version of the site (but your pro membership will carry over from the old version of the site, if you have one there!)
On the old version of the site, the primary feature of Pro Membership was the absence of advertising. On the new version of the site, Pro Membership carries far more features. One of the features we'll be rolling out soon is the personalized toolbar, which will replace the advertising column on the left. Here's what it looks like:
You'll want to click on the image to view it full size, and get a good look at the toolbar. At the top of the toolbar is the area for bookmarks. Any time you're on a page that you know you'll want to visit repeatedly, click 'Add Bookmark,' edit the page title if you want to, and then save.
The next section is the "What's New" section, which lets you see at a glance any new blog posts on the site, as well as any new problems posted.
After this is the area which will display your ratings on the various games you play, followed by the games in which you have a high score.
The toolbar is not yet available, but soon it will appear for members who have a pro membership!
We're starting the Brain Food page back up here on the new site. We will be posting one new brainteaser every two weeks through the summer months. There is a puzzle here: To Ride or not to Ride.
Here are three types of Brain Food puzzles which will often appear.
Hinky Pinky - In which you are given a clue, and you must figure out two rhyming words that fit the clue. For example, if the clue was: "A Much Nicer Restaurant", the answer might be: "Finer Diner" Hink Pink is a pair of one syllable words, and a Hinkety Pinkety is a pair of three syllable words.
Word Ladders - A game invented by Lewis Carroll, in which you must get from one word to another by changing one letter at a time. Example: to get from HATE to LOVE, you might use the following Word Ladder: HATE/RATE/RAVE/CAVE/COVE/LOVE.
We will often do synonym word ladders, in which we don't give you starting or ending words, but we give you a synonym clue for each word along the way.
Word Equations - A word equation is an addition of two or more words to create a third word. Here's an example: SLENDER + RULER = PONDERING. The reason this equation makes sense is, SLENDER = THIN, and RULER = KING. THIN + KING = THINKING = PONDERING.