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Barbara Jarosz |
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Shodor Interactivate The Shodor
Education Foundation www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities
(919) 530 – 1911 Grades 3 – 12 Subject Area: Mathematics Reviewed by Barbara Jarosz Website
Description The Shodor Interactivate website is an educational
resource geared towards helping students explore mathematical concepts
through a series of interactive games.
The games available on this website range from basic arithmetic
operations to multi-step algebraic equations.
With over 140 games available on this website, students in grades 3
through 12 are able to use this website and find age-appropriate mathematical
applications. The site organizes its
games in a series of 8 categories: ·
Number and
Operations ·
Geometry ·
Algebra ·
Probability ·
Statistics ·
Modeling ·
Discrete ·
Other The games available for each category range in
complexity and try to appeal to students.
One game called “arithmetic four” is a variation of the Connect Four
game that many students are familiar with.
Students need to successfully answer an arithmetic problem to be able
to drop a red or black chip into the board.
This game can be used in grades 4 through 8. Another game intended for middle school
students allows users to simulate a coin toss in order to analyze the
probabilities of various combinations.
Every game on this website can be adapted to meet
the needs of the individual student. The teacher or the student has the option to
set several parameters for each of the games.
The user can determine the game’s difficulty level by selecting 1, 2,
or 3. There is also an option to set a
timer for the game in which one can opt to not set a timer, or to set one
between 10 and 60 seconds for each question.
There are also drop down boxes for several games that allows the user
to choose the categories for the game’s questions. Also, the types of problems the game generates
can be set by the teacher. For
example, if students are learning about fractions and are able to convert
fractions to decimals but they are not able to convert fractions to percents
yet, the teacher can limit the material to fraction and decimal conversions
on the “fraction quiz” game. Because this website can be adapted to a variety of
classrooms from elementary school all the way to high school, this review
will focus on its effectiveness and implementation in the middle school
classroom. Accuracy
of content The content of this website seems to be completely
accurate. Of the several games that I
have tested, I have never encountered an incorrect answer. The content in the 146 games available on this
website are appropriate for its intended audience. At the middle school level, teachers can
find games that would supplement units on integers, order of operations,
fractions, decimals, percents, and even one-step algebraic equations. This website is also free from any bias. The content of these games include cartoon
characters and animated drawings that do not portray any derogatory images. Technical
quality The games on this website are very easy to use. A teacher can determine the level of
difficulty and nature of mathematical problems it will generate in a matter
of seconds. However, the graphics of
many of these games are very basic. In
this day and age of HDTV and video games that are highly animated to seem
real, students will definitely be disappointed with the far-from-fancy
graphics of these games. The
“arithmetic four” game is merely a grid in which either a red or black chip
can be dropped from the top if a student gets the answer correct. Having played this game with my students,
at first, they do get excited about seeing their chip drop into the board,
but their excitement seems to stem more from the competition between teams
rather than from the game’s simple graphics.
Although this website may not be graphically appealing to the typical
middle school student, its technical quality is quite sound. None of the games available on this website include
sound effects, which might make the technical aspect of them more appealing
to students. Use of
technology Despite its unsophisticated graphics, this website
does provide a “hook” for students to become engaged in the material. Incorporating this technology as a
supplement to a unit on integers is a great way to spark the interest of
students who normally do not respond to paper and pencil type drills. The games can get students moving around
the room and can appeal to the kinesthetic learner. Although the games do not promote the construction
of a product, teachers can require students to produce their math on paper
during the games in order to use as a formal assessment. Role of
students This website encourages students to play the role of
an explorer. Whether a student is
playing the game individually on a laptop or the class is playing the game
together in teams, students are responsible for their own individual
contributions to the game. Students must analyze the question and
use their mathematical reasoning skills to produce accurate responses. If played as a class, students are
encouraged to have positive group interaction to successfully win the game. Role of
teacher The role of the teacher is to serve as the game’s
host. The teacher must facilitate the
game and ensure that students are all equally participating in the game. The teacher will most likely be the one
reading the question out loud to the class as it appears on the board and managing
the time for students’ responses. The
teacher may also be the one keeping score on the board. In order for these games to be successful in the
classroom, a teacher must be very familiar with the game. Some games only allow an answer to be typed
in as a decimal, while other games only allow fractions to be submitted. These types of nuances must be known prior
to launching the game in the classroom since not being aware of them can
delay the game. Classroom
Usage The games available on this website are a great way
to finish a unit or review for a final assessment. Students can play individually on their own
laptop, which allows the teacher to set the difficulty level according to
that student’s unique skill level. Or,
an entire class can play the games in groups of two teams and compete against
each other. The use of the Smartboard
lends itself very nicely to these games because they are all
interactive. The teacher can host the game
right from the board rather than from behind her computer screen. However, these games are beneficial on
their own and do not necessarily need to be used on a Smartboard. The use of a Smartboard
would merely enhance the experience of the game. Teachers who do not have access to a Smartboard can still reap the game’s benefits by using a
standard projection system and maneuver the website from their keyboards. I have used this website at the end of a mini-unit
on order of operations. The class was
divided into two groups and we played “operations four”; a version of connect
four using order of operations. All
students were required to do their work out on their own paper, and I
randomly drew their names out of a hat to determine what student would have
to go to the board and be the “spokesperson” for their team for that
particular question. This ensured that
students all did their work on their papers since they did not know who would
be called on next to answer for their team.
I encouraged group interaction by allowing teammates to help each
other during the game, but all students were required to do their own work on
their scrap paper. This website can also be used to introduce a
unit. There are several games
illustrating the basic concepts of probability where students spin a spinner
to determine the chances of spinning a particular color. Teachers can use these games to captivate
students’ interest at the onset of a unit. Critical
summary Overall, the benefits of this website outweigh its
disadvantages. Although the graphics
of these games are basic, students will still benefit from its use by
providing another way to represent the material in a way that no textbook
can. The games engage students and
prompt even the most unmotivated math student to participate. Overall
rating: 9 This website receives a score of 9 based on its
sound curricular content and for its potential to create an interactive
classroom in which all students are engaged.
Although the graphics and lack of sound effects keep this website from
becoming a perfect 10, students will most likely be able to see past its
basic technical quality and even find some of its rudimentary features
somewhat humorous. |
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© B. Jarosz
| Last revised April 16, 2008 | email barbarajarosz2002@yahoo.com |
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