As I created my own Gizmo, I spent a little to much time playing the various "games." I also like how each of the Gizmos come with an already made short quiz at the end. It helps as a teacher to cut down on time making your own assessment or CFU assignment. Plus it gives the kids instant feedback.
If you want to check out my Gizmo, here is the classroom code:
WWWJCV98DW
The disadvantage of using an online simulator is that it does take away from that "real world" experience. I'm all about using simulators when you can't get access to the real thing, but I can see kids getting burnt out from just doing things on the computer. With a good mix of hands on experience, and online experience, I think simulators have a great place in classroom learning.
I'd like to see a "sports simulator," in which I could have kids play a "game" of, say soccer, online. The program could have different things happen, and the kids have to figure out what the rules that are in violation are. For example, if a kid is having a hard time understanding the off sides rule, they could run a simulation to see what it looks from a different perspective.'
Andy - I agree with you in that this is a terrific resource to enhance the students' learning, but still there is nothing better than a true hands-on science experiment. I think the kids will love it in short doses.
ReplyDeleteIt's also good for pre-teaching, run the simulation and then do it in real life to see if your results match up.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of sports simulations. You should suggest that to Explore Learning!