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Math Classroom Activity - Random Play At Tile Puzzler
Every day new puzzles are being added to the Tile Puzzler. These puzzles are added by teachers, students, curious visitors, site members, and (of course!) the Site Mascot Jeorge! If you want your students to have some "undirected" play time on the Tile Puzzler site, you can invite them to play "random puzzles" on the site. This option is the easiest for the teacher, since it requires no setup or preparation time. Simply direct your students to the Tile Puzzler website, and tell them to click the "dice icon" which appears on the site's home page. The icon is shown below:  When students click this link, the information for a puzzle will appear on the screen. Included in this information is the style of puzzle, and the number of pieces in the puzzle. Based on this information, the students will decide whether they want to attempt that puzzle, or click the "different random puzzle" link. Once the students solve their puzzles, they will see the dice icon again, allowing them to pick new puzzles. If you, the teacher, have time to explore the site in advance, you can try a few random puzzles, and try to determine which kinds of puzzles are best suited for your students. For example, you might tell them "If the puzzle isn't a Tetra Puzzler or a Tri Puzzler, pick a different puzzle." Or you might tell them, "If the puzzle has less than five pieces, it's too easy for you; try a different one." Or, if students want to create free membership accounts (click the "Login" link at the top of any page, and then select "Join The Fun"), they will discover that on their member page, there is an option to customize the Random Settings. Students can specify the style and size of puzzles they want to attempt. There are two primary disadvantages to Random Play. First, it is difficult to predict the difficulty of the puzzles students will be solving. The second disadvantage is that you have no record of which puzzles your students have played. The first disadvantage is addressed in Directed Play, and the both are addressed in Tournament Play. Quick Links
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