Online Games for the Classroom

Online Games For The Classroom

Providing interesting and fun ways for students to learn in the classroom are beneficial to todays learning.   In my classroom, I want to provide as much academic technology as I can to help my students grow.  Web-based games can provide fun rewards for students while still engaging them in learning.  Students can play games and still learn in a standard aligned content area.  I have found 3 web-based games to use in my classroom.  They are Spelling City, Free Rice, and Flocabulary.

Spelling City

www.spellingcity.com



Spelling City gives students the freedom to work independently on games to help them with using correct words for complete sentences, spelling, writing and language arts.

Educational Value:

• Correlates with education standards.  
• This program provides academic vocabulary for grades (6-8). 
• Provides different games for different skill levels
• Provides schools and district level reports.

Flocabulary

www.flocabulary.com

Flocabulary takes a multi sensory approach of using music, rhythm, and rhyme to provide academic content and increase student engagement.  

Educational Value:

• customize to fit curriculum
• provides standard-aligned content for grades k-12
• Unlimited access from any device
• Hip Hop songs, videos and lessons for all subjects

Free Rice

www.freerice.com

Free Rice is a non-profit website that is owned by and supports the United Nations World Food Program. It provide education while helping to end world hunger.  Each answer a student gets right, the program donates 10 grains of rice through the world food program to help end hunger.

Educational Value:

• Improves students english vocabulary and grammar
• Helps students to better formulate ideas and read faster
• Enhances Comprehension
• Improves test scores
• Teachers can create a group for each class to keep up with student progress

All of these programs provide fun and exciting games and simulation to give students rewards while still engaging them in learning.  

Technology's role in differentiated instruction

Technology's role in differentiated instruction is very important for today's classrooms.  In my learning environment I plan on implementing as many tools as possible to help student learning.  Among many tools available, I have done some research on a new program being used in the classrooms today called Straight Ace, that is proven to be very successful.  Straight Ace provides a variety of differentiated instruction for students on level 3 and up.  It provides the teacher with easy ways to monitor students.  Some of the great features for me to use as an educator are:

• The ability to use in class with my students or have them use independently
• Easy ways to manage students assignments
• Multiple question types for students for better understanding
• The ability to see student progress at a glance
• The ability to see results of assignments by topic
• The ability to track individual performance
• Communicate with students classwide or one on one
• Share information of progress with co-teachers or other subject teachers
• Program can be accessed from any device at school or at home
• The ability to email parents of progress and keep them involved

The Straight Ace program provides the students with fun interactive features, including instant feedback and game-like rewards.  They can also earn coins to trade in for cool items in the theme shop. There is research behind this product that proves students are achieving marked pre-to-posttest improvement in Common Core testing.  I am truly excited to try this product out for my students!