Even with many fantastic Web 2.0 tools out there, there is truly something whimsical about puzzle makers. I love them. When I taught ELA I gave my students a 5 minute assignment (known as the "do now") at the beginning class to ease them into the day's lesson. Students knew that when they came into class they were to look on the Promethean board and quickly begin their "do now." Because I wanted to get their minds revving and ready to learn I would often change it, matching it to whatever we were learning. I would place a riddle, a soduku problem and sometimes hand out a short crossword puzzle.
When doing research a new Web 2.0 tool for this class I came across a very neat and free site. Discoveryschool.com offers the teacher a way to create puzzles for their lessons. I especially like that the puzzles can be created for just about any subject area. The Discovery site also has pre made puzzles. I thought of using it as an icebreaker for trainings as well. To avoid making copies I could just as easily pull it up on one of the Promethean boards (smart board) and have the students copy it into their notebooks with several students working on the board.
Not only does this site have a puzzlemaker, but it also has a variety of other lesson plan ideas for teachers, including tips for new teachers and free clip art for use in the classroom or on your very own web page. I must say that although we are living in the age of new Web 2.o tools and engaging media a little tradition with an interactive twist can be just as interesting to students.
I agree, Tamara, with your closing statement that some of the simplest, traditional type games and learning tools can sometimes be the most engaging and effective.
ReplyDeleteI remember a time last year, when I was desperately trying to find a puzzle maker site that was free and simple to use. After downloading several different types, I finally gave up the project I was working on.
This tool seems very simple and I am now working on another project for which this tool would work fine. I am in the process of collecting Web 2.0 tools into an on-line library for all our faculty share. The simplicity of this tool should make it popular.
Thanks for sharing, Tamara. Some great ideas here.
Games are the most effective way to keep students engaged and interested. I samples the the puzzlemaker application and I was able to create a math puzzle involving vocabulary words for my students to remember.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great idea that you found - Thanks. It allowed me to create a new type of homework assignment.
Thanks for the great feedback Ginger and Joseph.
ReplyDeleteHey Ginger do you mind sharing your online library with me when you are done or your ideas on how you are getting it done. I am looking to do the same with our staff here at my school and it's also a part of my AR project.