Puzzlemaker.com is part of the Discoverychannel.com site. Puzzlemaker is a tool for teachers, students, and parents that allows the construction of various puzzles with the goal of providing a fun way for students to better understand vocabulary while fostering independent learning. This material enables teachers to use their own word lists to create and print customized word searches, mazes, crosswords and math puzzles. These games are made available online, but the CD-ROM can also be purchased. The CD-ROM offers clip art images, a searchable Merriam-Webster elementary and intermediate dictionaries, new tools that help to organize and save puzzles in multiple formats, and a comprehensive teacher?s guide. The site also offers a tour of the CD-ROM so that perspective buyers can fully understand the software before purchasing.
Type of Material:
Utility to create instructional puzzles and games.
Recommended Uses:
Create target language puzzles and games.
Technical Requirements:
One must either have a computer with Internet access, or have purchased the CD-ROM to use with a computer that is Windows or MAC compatible in order to use Puzzlemaker.
Target Student Population:
The target student population for this site suggests ages K-12, but also suggests that puzzles can be built for any age level.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Using this site requires basic website navigation. Students must also be able to recognize letters and or words to be able to solve puzzles generated.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The organization of material is very clear through a single drop down menu that allows the user to select the puzzle of their choice. Another link bar underneath offers the links: FAQs, Awards, Help, Hints, and Feedback. A link box titled ?puzzle extras? offers a link to word lists that can be used to make puzzles, a way to save the puzzle created, a way to add clip art to the puzzle. A puzzle maker?s guide offers step-by-step instructions. A section titled, CREATE PUZZLES ON LINE, offers a drop down menu of 11 different puzzle choices. A link below the drop down allows the user to see a description of each of the different puzzles. Below this is a heading for ?Cool Mazes?, a separate generator that offers multiple pre-drawn picture mazes that are quite unique and appealing.
Concerns:
The amount of advertising on each page detracts from the pedagogical power of these tools.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The nature of the games in Puzzlemaker may motivate younger students. The site is easy to understand which helps the teacher to create the games, giving them a new outlet to teach target language vocabulary. The materials can be readily integrated into language/culture learning activities since the games can be played independently, or with a partner or group. By completing the puzzles with peers, the student is able to use written and spoken language to communicate and complete the given task. A variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals can be reached with this site as the puzzles and games can be used in a number of ways. For example, the teacher can use the website to create puzzles that can be used to assess the student?s skills, review old material,
or to introduce new material. The games can also be used as a reward for completion of other work, while integrating effective technology into the classroom. Students are able to use the puzzles to review work, assess their own areas of need, and as a fun and different way to learn vocabulary. The teaching-learning goals are easy to identify when the user clicks on the task bars that have further descriptions of the site. Furthermore, the site has several other links that would assist any parent or teacher to help reach learning goals. There is a link to visit the teacher store online to order other educational products. There is also a sign-up for a free newsletter that also offers special teacher promotions. For students, there are several additional links off of the Puzzlemaker site. There is Brain Busters, which offers hundreds of word problems and puzzles in a variety of subjects. A link to clip art is also available to students to use for various projects. The clip art is available online or a CD-ROM can be ordered. Teachers can create puzzles using their own word lists, or lists are provided on the site. These activities would be good supplements to a lesson to reinforce newvocabulary.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The website uses a pleasing color scheme of purple and lime green, along with other colors and a few pictures that users find attractive. Navigationally everything is clearly laid out. It does not take the user long to figure out how to create a puzzle online or how to order the CD-ROM, as both options are at the top of the page in large text. Additionally, right at the top of the page, under the large title, there are other links to help with the use of the site. The user does not get trapped inside the module,
as there are navigational features to prevent this. The user can also scroll down to the bottom where there is a link to a user?s guide of how to use Puzzlemaker. Here, step-by-step instructions are found allowing any user to easily create a puzzle. There is also a link to contact Puzzlemaker to ask questions and supply feedback.
Creative Commons:
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