Edheads conquers the internet space when it comes to sparking real-world interest in medicine. I am a parent of three young elementary school children who get "Edhead time" as a reward for good behavior. Now, in addition to the standard American child's dream of growing up to be a police officer, fire fighter and rock star, I have a budding physicist and two surgeons (orthopaedic and orthopaedic oncology). I appreciate Edhead's time, detail and patience with transforming basic information into virtual wonderland of learning for our family.
When I applied to be the secretary board member at Edheads, I had little knowledge of the organization. Since then, I have learned so much about the dedication of the individuals working behind the scenes, the creativity and research that goes into every game, and the hugely positive effect Edheads' games have on students of all ages. While playing a game, you almost forget that what you're learning is based on fundamental facts and laws of physics, biology, anatomy, engineering and logic that you read about in text books. The games offer a way to broaden your understanding of how these concepts underlie numerous real-life situations, from how medical technology allows us to recreate the complexity of nature using simple artificial parts and some handiwork (as seen in the Virtual Surgeries or Stem Cell games) to how mathematical concepts, logic and the right training can be applied in valuable careers (see Manufacturing Technician or Crash Scene Investigation). The possibilities for enhancing education, and having fun doing it, are endless with Edheads.
As a high school anatomy teacher, I love the virtual surgeries! My favorite is knee replacement and hip resurfacing. My students are able to participate and engage.
I teach fourth and fifth grade students, and have used EdHeads many times over the years in both structured curriculum and in "free exploration" time for students. The simple machines activities and weather forecasting activities have long been a part of our classroom learning activities. When allowed to explore on their own, students flock towards the surgeries with great interest. Many students are interested in specific surgeries because they know of others who have had knee or hip replacement. Many students who have explored via EdHeads select medical careers or topics as their path of exploration for our version of Genius Hour where students explore a topic in-depth and share with their peers via a project of their choosing. EdHeads is inspiring and a wonderful way for students to learn about career paths and interests in science, math, and engineering! Thank you, EdHeads!
When I was homeschooling my eldest 10yrs ago I found EdHeads to be a great way to introduce Simple Machines to my son. 10Yrs later all 4 of my kids continue to enjoy learning with the EdHeads virtual surgery games etc. Really awesome site that I recommend often.
I teach middle schoolers and it is a great site for learning, reviewing, and new information. My students love it!
the virtual surgeries are shorter, compared to the real operation - which can take up to 7 or 8 hours.
I am a science teacher and donor to Edheads and was fortunate enough to join the Edheads Board of Directors last year.
I use and recommend this site at school as a way to excite students about science and technology. Edheads reinforces concepts taught in class in a fun way for elementary through high school students and beyond. The activities on Edheads show students how science is used in "real" life in a safe and entertaining environment.
The free activities provided by EdHeads have allowed students of all ages opportunities to better understand STEM ideas. Just Google "knee surgery" and the EdHeads Virtual Knee Surgery interactive experience allows everyone to see what goes on with knee replacement surgery. Activities such as "weather" and "simple machines" allow younger students to become excited by science and technology.