In this virtual workshop, you will learn how to access and share PhET simulations with your students, and explore the features that make PhET sims a powerful tool for science and mathematics teachers.
All Virtual Workshops
If you have any questions, please email us at phet-workshops@colorado.edu
Goals
Learn what makes PhET simulations unique.
Find simulations that are relevant to your classes.
Reflect on Active Learning for effectively integrating simulations into your teaching.
Embed simulations in your teaching materials and share them with others.
Format
Videos
Readings
Activities
Reflections and discussions
Total Time
2 hours
Get the most out of this workshop! We make the following recommendations:
Work through the course content at your own pace. However, we encourage you to do the workshop alongside a colleague to learn and share with each other.
When watching videos, click on the settings icon to adjust playback speed and subtitles (in English or other languages).
Download, read, annotate, and save documents for future reference.
Engage authentically with all of the course activities. All example sim-centered activities provided by PhET have a link to an editable Google Doc in their footers.
Take time to engage in the discussions. If you are not working with a colleague, take time to record your self-reflections.
Learning Goals
10 minutes
Before we engage with PhET and its teaching strategies, it is important to think about what you want your students to achieve when using simulations (sims).
Reflect on the following:
What should students learn in a mathematics or science class?
What does it really mean to learn a concept?
Which skills and attitudes should be encouraged in a mathematics or science class?
Is the way you currently teach the most effective approach to help your students learn? Why?
As a best practice, educational activities should begin with identifying the learning goals for your students. In that respect, the PhET project and its sims are no exception. We invite you to get familiar with the following document that presents PhET’s suggested learning goals for you and your students.
PhET’s Goals for Student and Teachers
Introduction to PhET
20 minutes
If you’re not familiar with PhET, this lecture will provide a brief overview of the history and goals of the PhET project.
Let’s start with a brief video introduction to the PhET project from the perspective of teachers, students, and members of the PhET team. (Note: Although the video refers only to PhET’s science sims, PhET sims address a range of topics from mathematics and science.)
What makes a PhET simulation unique? Watch the next video to discover more about how PhET sims are designed and tested.
Let’s discuss how to find and select the best sim for your class. The next video gives you a tour of the PhET website and describes how to access the multitude of resources available on the site.
Is internet connectivity a challenge for you and your students? PhET has offline options that you can review in the “Offline Access” section of our website. There you will find the link to download our app installer for Desktop/Laptop computers, which allows you to use the simulations even when you do not have Internet access. You will also find the link to the Apple AppStore and Google PlayStore to download our new smartphone and tablet apps.
The PhET team works to make sims accessible for all students. Check the accessible features that are available on some of our sims, and learn more about our commitment to accessibility.
Play with Sims
20 minutes
Now that you have learned a bit about PhET, it’s time to have some fun with our sims! The purpose of this activity is to explore the sims, notice features you can discover within the sim, and identify questions you have about the sims or their features. Try out 4-5 different mathematics or science sims and write down your thoughts. You can choose among physics, chemistry, math, Earth science, and biology sims.
Which simulations did you try using?
What mathematics or science concepts did you identify in each simulation?
How might you link the simulation with your own objectives for student learning in your classes?
How would you use these simulations with your students?
Active Learning with Sims
30 minutes
To get the most out of PhET simulations and enhance student learning, the simulations need to be used with active learning methodologies.
Take a moment to get familiar with Active Learning, its characteristics, and how to connect this approach with PhET sims.
Active Learning with PhET
Reflect on the following:
What strategies could you include in your class to move towards a more active class with sims?
How can you create an environment where students are motivated and engaged?
Integration Tips
10 minutes
Here are some tips to customize a simulation and integrate it within other information technologies that facilitate the use of PhET in lectures. Please review the following information:
Projector Mode: Struggling with visibility when using PhET simulations on a projector? Learn how to change dark backgrounds to white backgrounds by enabling projector mode in our simulations.
PhET PowerPoint Add-In: PhET sims can now be DIRECTLY embedded into your PowerPoint slides!
Customize Screens: You can modify the URL of a sim to customize the number and order of screens within the PhET sim.
PhET in OneNote Documents: PhET sims can now be DIRECTLY embedded in your OneNote document. Just copy the URL of the sim, paste it in any OneNote document, and that’s it! Instead of a URL, the simulations will be displayed and ready to use. Modify the size of the simulation and use the rest of the document to write or draw anything that you need to make your lecture more engaging.
Sharing Sims
10 minutes
The new PhET HTML5 simulations can be used on all electronic devices (e.g. computers, cell phones, and tablets). This technology makes it easier for students to learn by interacting and discovering.
To share an HTML5 or Java via CheerpJ sim, a good practice is to send your students a direct link (i.e. the URL of a sim you have opened). Here’s an example of a sim URL:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/area-builder/latest/area-builder_en.html
To share a Java sim, send your students a direct link to the .jar file to download and open. To send this link, right-click the ‘Download’ button and copy the link.
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/nuclear-physics/alpha-decay_en.jar
You can also embed the simulation by using an iframe. Copy-paste the embed code accessible on the sim webpage, clicking the code symbol that is under the sim’s name. Please review the following tutorials on how to integrate PhET sims on different platforms:
Congratulations! You have completed the Intro to PhET Simulations workshop.
Take a moment to summarize:
What are the main ideas or skills you learned from this workshop?
How will you take what you have learned and implement it in the near future?
Now It’s Your Turn!
10 minutes
Let’s make a plan for which sims you want to use in your classroom. Review the instructions for the activity in the document below.
If you are taking this course independently, we recommend that you complete the following activity and save it to your computer. (Should you later decide to enroll in a facilitated version of this course, you can then submit these assignments to earn a certificate).
Selecting PhET Sims Template
Now that you know how to navigate the PhET website to find sims and teacher resources, continue your learning journey with one of our other workshops:
Whole-Class Strategies: Learn strategies to use PhET with whole-class activities.
Science Activity Design: Create your own PhET inquiry-based activities for science classes.
Math Activity Design: Create your own PhET inquiry-based activities for mathematics classes.
Facilitating PhET Simulation Use: Prepare, implement, and reflect on your use of a PhET inquiry-based activity.
