Students in high-school are at a stage of learning at which they need to take complete control of their own learning to make it effective. The high-school curriculum is crucial and helps students narrow down their career choices. At this stage, students
should not restrict themselves to learning just by the prescribed textbooks and by confining themselves to the classroom but should broaden their perspectives and look for new and reformed ways to learn. In high-school it becomes imperative for students to access a variety of learning resources beyond the reach of their curriculum for a better, advanced and informed learning. The Web is abode to many such learning resources including educational websites, applications, tools, games and more, which help develop the skills necessary for high-school students to have to become capable of university/college-level learning. Here’s the compilation of some of the best educational websites and games for high-school students.
Educational Websites:
TED-Ed: Consists of an extensive video library which has collections of carefully curated videos designed through collaborations between expert educators and animators. The TED-Ed videos are a work of world’s greatest educators and deliver exceptional quality. Specifically aimed at high-school students and teachers, TED-Ed has released a collection of short, animated videos on a dedicated YouTube channel. These videos are shorter than the normal TED Talks and rely more on animation to add the element of interest to them. These videos arouse curiosity in students and provoke questions which they might not otherwise attempt to ask.
Science NetLinks: Is a premier K-12 Science education resource produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It provides teachers, students and families with quality resources, teaching tools, interactives, podcasts, and hands-on activities for teaching and learning Science, at no cost. The activities in the lessons provided allow students to participate in guided reflections that engage them with their subjects. It also provides latest news on what’s happening in the world of Science.
Coursera: Partnered with top universities and organizations around the world, Coursera provides free online courses that can be taken by anyone. Coursera classes offer lectures which are taught by world-class professors through which you can learn at your own pace, test your knowledge and strengthen concepts through interactive exercises. It allows students to be a part of a global online learning community. Courses are offered in a wide range of topics such as, Humanities, Medicine, Biology, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Computer Science and more.
Vocabulary.com: Is the easiest and most intelligent way to improve vocabulary. It helps students build their word power with more than 40,000 multiple choice questions and automatically adjusts the choices as it gets to know about the student’s knowledge of the English language. Teachers can use this to prepare high-school students to tackle the vocabulary in competitive exams such as SAT, PSAT, NAEP and the like, by creating vocabulary lists. It is designed to be the world’s fastest online dictionary and functions through an adaptive learning system.
Thinkfinity: In an online professional learning community which provides students access to thousands of educators and experts in curriculum enhancement along with numerous award-winning digital resources for K-12 aligned to State and Common Core standards. It has blogs, resources and best practices shared by educators to support 21st century teaching and learning and includes primary source materials, interactive activities, videos and games for K-12.
Educational Games :
Game Corp: Is a highly interactive and entertaining business management simulation game for older kids, high school and college students, and grownups who enjoy online games that involve business themes and thinking strategy. In this game you have to set up your own computer game development company through activities which help you practice and test essential real-life business skills such as money management, decision making and strategy planning, the ability to successfully motivate employees, and general project management skills.
Chemikul: Is an online Science/Chemistry-based game that will send you on an atomic mind-bender of confusion and provide endless hours of enjoyment. The goal is to create molecules using all of the atoms floating all over the game screen. Six different atoms have different amounts of ‘Valence’ (combining power), ranging from 1 to 6 in strength. You need to win the game by using up the Valence of each atom.
Shift 2: Is an addicting brain-teasing puzzle game for all ages which helps develop your logical and analytical thinking skills. It requires you to solve puzzles or riddles, earn trophies, challenge and develop your problem solving skills. The objective of the game is to reach the key to unlock the door in order to proceed to the next level by watching out falling on spikes that hinder your progress, grabbing extras and earning medals on the go.
Arm Surgery 2: Is an educational online activity especially for children who dream of becoming doctors, nurses or other medical professionals. You have to begin working at St. Flak’s Hospital, by saving lives within challenging time limits. Start treating the patient as quickly as possible, answer the nurse’s questions, choose the correct treatment for the injury. You must pick out the correct medical tools provided and if your actions are quick and efficient, your patient will be back to good health in no time, hence you should do your best and save as many lives as you can.
Rolling Fall: Is a fun Physics-based puzzle game for children and grownups where you have to cut chains at the precise moment so that the heavy wrecking balls attached to them can swing or fall loose with gravity and knock the Zombies from the platforms below. It starts off easy but then gets really tricky as the levels progress. There are 40 Zombie-filled levels to cut your way through, and each one offers a new and complex challenge.
I hope students find these educational websites and games valuable and fun and can use them especially to develop the skills they lack to advance their learning. You’re invited to add more of such resources to the lists. The Comment Box awaits you.
