Fractions for Primary Education with PhET Simulations

PhET Interactive Simulations (https://phet.colorado.edu/), a project of the University of Colorado Boulder, provides fun, free, interactive, research-based science and mathematics simulations for primary, secondary, and higher education levels. We extensively test and evaluate each simulation to ensure educational effectiveness. All simulations and associated resources are open source and therefore free for all users. In this course, you will acquire teaching and facilitation strategies for how to use PhET simulations in a grade 3-5 classroom (ages 7-11) and engage with lessons supporting students’ learning about fractions. Specifically, you will (a) develop familiarity with fractions through PhET simulations including Fractions: Intro, Fraction Matcher, Build a Fraction, Fractions: Mixed Numbers and Fractions: Equality, and (b) reflect on strategies for teaching fractions, including small groups, demos, storytelling, and predictions, while maximizing student talk. To finish this course, you need to complete discussions, auto-graded quizzes, and one major assignment with peer review. The peer review assignment consists of creating a lesson (using a template) on fractions using one of the PhET simulations introduced in this course, and reviewing others’ lessons (using a provided rubric)

• Develop familiarity with fractions through PhET simulations
• Reflect on teaching strategies including group work and demonstrations
• Design simulation-based lessons focused on fractions

• No deep prior experience required, but basic computer and internet skills are helpful
• Ability to read course instructions in English and complete short practice activities