The website was a key component during Center time. At the beginning of the summer students were instructed on how to get to the website and how to navigate once they were logged on. Each day during Center time students were given instructions on the activities they would be practicing while on this website. Students worked quietly and were consistently motivated and interested in participating in the activities offered on this website.
The following are positive reflections of :
Easy to navigate: The game choices are easy to see and read.
Clear game instructions: On the home page games have a brief summary.
Targeted skill was clear: Teachers and students can choose games based on the skill needing reinforcement.
Fun: Games were fun but challenging. Many of the games feel like you are playing a video game rather than learning a academic lesson.
Variety of skills: Students are given a wide variety of skills to choose from, like multiplication, coordinates, patterns, math concepts, word problems, money, etc.
Choice: Students can choose what multiples they want to practice when playing certain games. They feel comfortable building on what they know.
Interactive: Students feel they are a part of the action.
Interesting graphics: The graphics on a page are big, bright, and clear. There isn’t too much going on during the game.
Motivating: The students are given a score at the end of each game and the students challenge themselves to improve on their last score.
Short games: Students work on a skill for a short amount of time then move on to something else, so they don’t get bored.
One example of a game on this website is “Balloon Invaders”. This reinforces the skill of knowing multiplication and division facts automatically. The game is fun and there is an extra challenge to pop the correct balloon while it is moving.
The following is the set of directions for the game.
- Choose an operation, division or multiplication
- Choose a fact to practice.
- When the game begins students must compute facts and then find the corresponding balloon which has the product or quotient.
- Use the balloon popper to pop the balloon with the correct answer.
- It is timed game so students are reinforced to know their facts automatically.
Another great game is called “Calculator Chaos”. It is similar to the Investigations Ten Minute Math activity called “Broken Calculator” where students must find a value without the use of some of the buttons. Students must use their number sense to complete the activities.