A Website to Cache: PHET

Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen

As we continue through this technological blog, there will be instances in which I will recommend a website for educators to use to help improve their ability to teach. These websites that I recommend are websites that I encourage you to cache for future retrieval. With that said, let's take a look at our first website to cache!

I wanted to contribute a short post regarding an area of technology education that I feel has been extremely useful as I have taught Physics at all academic levels for students in 9th Grade (Integrated Physics) and Juniors and Seniors who enroll in Physics and Advanced Placement Physics. As a Physics educator, I understand the need to allow students to “see the science taking place” even if a typical science classroom is not equipped in the same manner as a University Physics laboratory. In the event that a science classroom is lacking in supplies and materials, a helpful alternative is to include Physics simulations into a course’s curriculum. Assuming that a science educator is fortunate enough to be placed in a situation in which she/he has access to a wide variety of scientific tools and instruments, using simulations as a supplement to experimental investigations and lectures can be a helpful way to ensure that students see and learn what is intended to be seen and learned.

One of the best science simulation websites, one that is now rapidly growing in popularity, is The University of Colorado Boulder’s PHET Simulation webpage.

https://phet.colorado.edu/

According to the official website,

“PHET provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. These tests include student interviews and observation of simulation use in classrooms. The simulations are written in Java, Flash or HTML5, and can be run online or downloaded to your computer. All simulations are open source (see our source code). Multiple sponsors support the PHET project, enabling these resources to be free to all students and teachers.” – Official PHET Webpage (2016)

The following video shows how PHET simulations are used in the classroom from the perspective of the students and the teachers. It is also a fantastic introduction to PHET simulations in the even that a science educator has no experience working with simulations in her/his own classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hj6GqBRpA0&feature=youtu.be

What makes PHET a fantastic resource for your classroom is the fact that it contains virtual simulations from a variety of different topics in science and mathematics. The following available simulations are a sampling of what the entire website has to offer.

***Physics***

- Decaying of Atoms                                  

- Individual Forces and how they create Net Forces and Accelerations

- Position, Velocity, Acceleration graphs as objects move in time

- Circuit Creation

- How Colors are perceived by the Eye

- The energies present as a person travels on a skateboard

- How standing waves are produced on a string

***Chemistry***

- The Bohr Atom

- Acid/Base Solutions

- Concentration of Liquids

- Effusion/Diffusion

- Molarity

- pH Scale

- Different Types of Reactions

***Biology***

- Natural Selection

- Population Growth

- Eating and Exercising

- Sugars and Salt

- DNA

**Mathematics***

- Building Fractions

- Fourier Analysis

- Calculus Grapher

- Estimation

- Graphing Lines

- Vector Addition

- Trigonometric Functions

As an expert in one particular discipline, it is not expected that you be familiar with all of the individual terms above, but I do want to ensure you that the website contains about any form of simulation that you would like to use with your own students as long as it pertains to the Physical Science and Mathematics with the exception of several Biological simulations also available.

What is very nice about these PHET simulations is that they are designed with specific grade levels in mind. Some simulations work best for college students (Fourier Analysis) while other simulations work best for elementary school students (Building Fractions). Therefore, regardless of the age level of the students that you teach, there are still a plethora of simulations that you can use to your own benefit.

While this post is quite simple and is even written in a simplistic manner, I encourage you to visit the PHET Website below to start exploring the different simulations that are available to you as a mathematics and/or science teacher. Even if you are an expert in your own domain, manipulating the variables within these simulations will certainly lead to new discoveries, new knowledge, and new ways of approaching/teaching a given topic. So, go on! Try some of these simulations out!

Alright! I am caching out!