ExploreLearning News : Case Studies

Scott Lehman: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Mr. Scott Lehman has taught for 18 years, and has a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Science Education from Nova Southeastern University. He teaches 5th grade science in a Palm Beach County public school.

Mr. Lehman began to use Gizmos when he taught at Village Academy in 2007. He had the opportunity to participate in a Gizmos initial training workshop, and was immediately “hooked.” He found Gizmos both exciting and educational, and saw that the simulations would work as another tool to help his students study science.

His students are excited to learn using Gizmos, and Mr. Lehman uses them to spark interest in the topics they study. Gizmos help start a discussion at the beginning of the lesson, and often the conversations among students continue throughout. He finds that Gizmos help students gain a better understanding of the topics they discuss in class and how they connect to one another.

Mr. Lehman’s students often have a hard time grasping the concept of energy conservation. Using the Energy Conversions Gizmo helps his students understand the different pathways that can be created with energy. Mr. Lehman spends time introducing the Gizmo, and, after the students work through the simulations, the discussion questions encourage the students to talk amongst themselves. The Gizmo helps the students gain a better understanding of energy.

Mr. Lehman has observed that both students and teachers get excited when they use science Gizmos. He finds that the best part of using a Gizmo is the “Ah-hah” moment. Students will recognize something in class and tell him that they learned it before when they were using a Gizmo. “When students look at you and realize what they are learning is exciting, fun and educational, that’s what makes teaching worth it,” says Mr. Lehman.

Julie DeBoer: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Julie DeBoer is a 5th grade science teacher at an elementary school in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Texas and has been teaching for six years.

When you enter Julie DeBoer’s classroom, you will often find the students engaged in exploring science concepts with Gizmos. This consistent use of Gizmos in her classroom is the reason why Ms. DeBoer has been awarded the title of Cy-Fair’s Outstanding Elementary Gizmo User for the past two years. Ms. DeBoer‘s students have found great success in developing their conceptual understanding of science through the meaningful explorations Gizmos provide.

Ms. DeBoer loves that Gizmos allow her to simulate an experiment that they might not be able to do in class. “The students love doing Gizmos because they get so much out of it, and the lesson is no longer just me talking and telling them about science concepts,” she says.

One of her favorite Gizmos is“Seasons: Why do we have them?” The Gizmo shows students how rays of light affect the temperature on earth, and why it is hotter in the summertime. “As soon as we do the Gizmo together and they are on their own, the students understand direct and indirect rays and how those rays are associated with the seasons.” She also likes to use the Moon Phases Gizmo since it helps her students understand the relationship between the moon phases and how they change.

Ms. DeBoer uses Gizmos every day in her Science Rotations. She makes sure that her students encounter science concepts in a multitude of ways. Through the various uses of Gizmos for introductory, exploratory, conceptual building, and refresher experiences, Mrs. DeBoer brings science learning to life throughout the teaching and learning cycle. By varying the means in which students experience Gizmos, including as an individual, as partners, in small groups, and as a whole group, every student has the opportunity to work within his or her optimum learning style.

Ms. DeBoer successfully brings together tried and true teaching strategies, ongoing and varied learning opportunities, and the power of ExploreLearning Gizmos to provide the best learning scenario for her 5th grade students.

Desiree Hurtado: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Ms. Desiree Hurtado teaches Biology, Biology Honors and Physical Science (9th and 10th grade) in a high school in Miami-Dade. She has been teaching for two years.

Ms. Hurtado uses Gizmos to both reinforce lab experiments and to increase understanding with alternative activities in class. With the Plants and Snails Gizmo, she first had students do a hands-on experiment in class. Students prepared four beakers with water and bromothymol blue indicator. Students added Elodea plants to the first, Elodea and snails to the second, snails to the third, and nothing to the fourth. Students collected data from the experiment, and then discussed the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration.

Ms. Hurtado then led them through the Plants and Snails Gizmo, and students were able to immediately understand how to manipulate the variables in the simulation. The Gizmo helped students see how carbon is essential to the function of organisms, and why organic compounds are required by organisms to live. Then students completed the quick, 5-question assessment online for practice with individual reading and comprehension. The Gizmo helped students see that oxygen produced by plants is essential for animals, and how carbon dioxide produced by animals is essential for plants.

Ms. Hurtado finds it both fun and easy to get creative with Gizmos. With the Dichotomous Keys Gizmo, she first used the Gizmo in class as a technology-based lab. She provided the students with the student worksheet, and introduced dichotomous keys. After Ms. Hurtado modeled the first organism, she had students come up one-by-one to identify the next organism, as the other students annotated the genus and species of each.

Then she asked her students to create their own dichotomous keys using the images from the Gizmo. Students took "screen shots" of the organisms with the Gizmo camera tool and created their own dichotomous keys on colored paper. Students presented them in class, and then Ms. Hurtado displayed them on the walls. Students from other classes became interested in the dichotomous keys made by their friends, and they played around with identifying the organisms from other classes.

Ms. Hurtado feels that Gizmos are excellent for engaging students, especially since students today are so comfortable learning with technology. She finds that students retain more information after seeing the images and manipulating the variables on the screen. Gizmos allow students “to see things and open up their eyes to ‘that which is invisible.’”

To explore our Gizmos library, take a free trial today.

Clayton Ellis: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Clayton Ellis OCT, is head of science at David Suzuki Secondary School, Peel District School Board in Brampton, Ontario. He has taught for 16 years, and has collaborated with colleagues to support science teaching in the province. He has been the primary author on several science and biology textbooks.

Years ago Mr. Ellis was looking for innovative technologies that would engage his students. After one of his classes tried out Gizmos for the first time in 2004, he became convinced that he had found an extremely effective supplemental tool for teaching science.

When Mr. Ellis teaches genetics to his high school students, he uses the Human Karyotyping Gizmo. In the past, his students had started the learning process on this topic by cutting out 46 photocopied chromosomes. Inevitably the students would lose some of the pieces of paper, and the activity that should have taken only 45 minutes stretched out to two days. The Human Karyotyping Gizmo allowed students to see the colour coded chromosomes and determine the disorders after a thorough analysis.

Without having to cut out the karyotypes on paper, the students had the additional time they needed to do the analysis. Mr. Ellis was then able to incorporate a genetic disorder roundtable into his class, and students included a karyotype of a problem in their presentation.

Mr. Ellis plans to run a Science Olympics competition later this year where students will compete against each other in a variety of science activities. One of the planned activities will involve the Mineral Identification Gizmo. The students will be using the Gizmo to compete against each other to see how quickly and accurately they can identify minerals.

Using Gizmos also has allowed Mr. Ellis to accommodate the needs of various learners in his classroom. He finds that some students need a great deal of time to initially grasp fundamental concepts, while others are quickly ready for more complex tasks that allow them to gain a deeper understanding. Gizmos are perfect for this type of differentiation and have become a fundamental part of Mr. Ellis’ layered lessons for all students.

Christine Nolan-Dack: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

 

Christine Nolan-Dack is a technology resource teacher for grades 3-5 at Boca Raton Elementary School. She has been a teacher for 16 years and has taught a variety of classes, including technology, art, ESE, and ESOL education.

Mrs. Nolan-Dack has used Gizmos for three years and Reflex for one year. She coordinates with classroom teachers, choosing Gizmos that expand on what students are learning in the classroom. Mrs. Nolan-Dack reports that Gizmos provide opportunities for practice, hands-on learning, and enhanced understanding. By collaborating with classroom teachers, she has been able to provide individualized instruction with Gizmos, allowing more students to master difficult concepts.

Mrs. Nolan-Dack’s students particularly like some of the math Gizmos that mix humor with a clear presentation of concepts, including Fido’s Flower Bed (Perimeter and Area) and Cannonball Clowns (Number Line Estimation).

Boca Raton Elementary also adopted ExploreLearning Reflex last year as part of a pilot project. Mrs. Nolan-Dack started using Reflex with only a few students, but demand from teachers and students quickly increased. Before long, 192 students were enrolled in Reflex. Students talked about the program to each other, and parents called to find out more. Mrs. Nolan-Dack says she has never seen an educational program engender a response like that before! Over the course of the pilot, students' overall math fact fluency rose by an average of 40 percentage points.

Thanks in part to Gizmos and Reflex, Boca Raton Elementary had some of their strongest FCAT scores ever, with scores rising over 25% from the previous year. It was also impressive that scores rose most prominently for those in the lowest quartile. Mrs. Nolan-Dack is thrilled to be a part of these gains and is looking forward to another great year!

Stuart Merves: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Stuart Merves teaches Biology and Introduction to Physical Sciences at Timber Creek Regional High School in Erial, NJ. A graduate of Clemson, Mr. Merves just started his fourth year of teaching. He has been an avid Gizmos user since 2010.

This article will also appear in the New Jersey Science Teachers Association Newsletter.

Mr. Merves loves how Gizmos enable him to maximize the limited time he gets with his students and still allows them to have interactive lab experiences. Gizmos are also great because they can be used at home, allowing students who are absent to stay caught up. Students gravitate to the Gizmos because they “feel like video games” and they love being able to manipulate the variables any way they like. Mr. Merves also appreciates the framework provided by the Student Exploration Sheets, and he often modifies them to more closely match his lesson objectives.

In all of his classes, Mr. Merves starts the year with the Growing Plants Gizmo, which teaches experimental design. In addition to teaching students about the best conditions for plant growth, the Gizmo helps students understand how to successfully design experiments for optimal results. With four variables to manipulate (seed, light, water, soil), students can come up with hundreds of unique combinations as they try to grow the largest plant. “Students are always amazed that the plants never grow the exact same way, even in the same conditions. I tell them ‘Well yes, it’s just like real life!’” Mr. Merves reports. 

One of the highlights of the year in his Introduction to Physical Sciences class is a project in which students get to design their own roller coasters. After discussing the concepts of potential and kinetic energy in class, Mr. Merves lets his students loose on the Roller Coaster Gizmo. The Gizmo demonstrates how kinetic and potential energy are related to mass, height, and speed, and demonstrates the principle of conservation of energy as the roller coaster car moves over hills. Based on what they learn in the Gizmo, students then design their own roller coasters. Depending on their design, they have to calculate the potential energy, kinetic energy, and velocity of the car at several points along the track. Students then present their designs to each other in class.

Kay Stephen: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Kay Stephen teaches a variety of science courses at St. Pius X High School in Ottawa, Ontario. She has been a science teacher since 1996. Mrs. Stephen is an active science blogger, curriculum developer, and textbook writer. In 2011, Mrs. Stephen served as a judge for the Google Science Fair and was selected as the Smarter Science® Secondary Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Stephen believes that science teaching needs to be less about the regurgitation of facts and more about discovery, inquiry, and collaboration, so she has become a devoted fan of Gizmos.

Mrs. Stephen has been using Gizmos for four years and considers them an invaluable resource. She uses Gizmos to enhance her students’ real-world scientific explorations. Mrs. Stephen uses Gizmos to introduce topics, to reinforce learning, and to experiment in ways that that normally would not be possible in a secondary school science lab.

Some of Mrs. Stephen’s favorite Gizmos are Building DNA, 2D Eclipse, 3D Eclipse, Circuit Builder, Germination, Circulatory System, and H-R Diagram. She has found that these Gizmos promote inquiry and collaboration in her classroom, can be used by learners of all levels, and provide instantaneous experimental results.

A great example of how Mrs. Stephen blends hands-on and virtual investigations is described in her blog. Realizing that many of her students had little experience with nature, Mrs. Stephen initiated a plant growing project. The students began the project by planting marigold and tomato seeds. As the seeds were germinating, they spent a class period working with the Growing Plants Gizmo. Mrs. Stephen’s students jumped right into the Gizmo and spontaneously began a “Who can grow the tallest plant?” contest. Students were then able to design and run controlled experiments to understand the effects of each variable on plant growth. The results of the virtual experiments informed the real-world investigations students were doing with their plants.

Beverly Roy: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Beverly Roy has been teaching in the Miami-Dade County Public School System for nine years, and is currently a special education teacher at Gulfstream Elementary. She is a graduate of Florida International University and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Teaching with a specialization in Educational Technology. Ms. Roy is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society and the president elect of Alpha Delta Kappa Lambda, an altruistic sorority for educators. Ms. Roy has been using Gizmos for five years.

With her special education students, Ms. Roy generally introduces Gizmos on a SMART board. Once students have gained knowledge and experience with the concepts, they can manipulate Gizmos on classroom computers or in centers. Ms. Roy appreciates how Gizmos allow students to manipulate variables and provide immediate feedback. She reports that “manipulating variables encourages cause-and-effect critical thinking, and students are able to mentally organize, categorize, and verbalize their findings.” The animations provide clear visualization of abstract concepts and are especially helpful for students with processing deficits who struggle with text.

Ms. Roy utilizes all of the Lesson Materials that are provided with Gizmos. The Vocabulary Sheets are a very helpful resource because students can cut and paste the terms right into their science journals! The Teacher Guides help her structure her lessons and provide meaningful pre-Gizmo activities that encourage concept formation and critical thinking skills.

Some of Beverly’s favorite Gizmos are the Pond Ecosystem and Forest Ecosystem Gizmos, both of which provided excellent background material for a field trip to the Everglades. “When students are able to see the consequences of depleted plant and animal life, they are able to make connections to the importance of the different ecosystems and the interconnectivity of the Everglades. This in turn leads to a better understanding of food chains and food webs across environments.”

Ms. Roy appreciates how the Gizmos and Lesson Materials work together to foster student engagement and enthusiasm for science. “Gizmos enable my students to be active participants in the scientific inquiry process.”

Sam Olivieri, PhD: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Sam Olivieri, PhD, or "Dr. O" as his students refer to him, teaches sixth grade science at Sugar Land Middle School in Texas. He has worked in 70 countries with the Agency for International Development, and he has been teaching in Fort Bend for the past six years.

Dr. O loves teaching the sixth grade because it is his students' first year of having a dedicated science class. He sees it as his mission to bring the subject alive for them, so that by the end of the year they have a lasting love of science. Not surprisingly, he makes Gizmos a central part of his instruction and has been recognized as a Gizmo Leader for the past three years.

Here is an example of how Dr. O uses Gizmos to enrich his students' science experience. When students have completed the Assessment Questions on a Gizmo such as Rock Cycle, each student is assigned one of the questions to present in a multi-media format. Dr. O video-tapes the students presenting their assigned question and giving the solution process in his or her own words! At the end of the year, each student burns a disc of those presentations and takes home a lasting video record of his or her own science expertise!

"I love using Gizmos with my students, as they allow my students to interact with numerous science concepts which are difficult to bring into the classroom. Gizmos gives them hands-on experiences with real science. It is my mission to have every one of my students leave at the end of the year loving science, and Gizmos helps me to bring that love of science to them."

Graham Whisen: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

For the past seven years, Graham Whisen has been teaching at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School in Ontario. He has taught grades 9 through 12 and specializes in Physics education. Graham is passionate about science, educational technology, and inspiring a love of learning.

That passion is evident in his teaching style. When he introduces a new lesson, sometimes he starts by having his students launch a Gizmo and explore its features. He doesn't provide any structure, instead just allowing them to have fun playing with the Gizmo and seeing what it can do. Then he introduces the lesson, and revisits the Gizmo later when he wants to use it to delve deeper.

As an example of a lesson where Gizmos are particularly helpful, he points to the concept of projectile motion. Students often have trouble grasping the idea that horizontal and vertical motion are independent. But the Golf Range Gizmo clears that up, both because it depicts motion and vectors visually, and because students can manipulate variables and see the results.

Graham presents a series of Gizmo-based challenges to help draw out the main ideas in this lesson. He asks which angles launch the ball highest and farthest, how the initial height affects the range, what the impact of air resistance is, and what golf would be like on the moon. These questions work for students of all ability levels, enabling them to interact with the Gizmo and derive meaning at their own pace. Meanwhile, he can circulate the room and reinforce or extend as appropriate.

"Gizmos are designed for inquiry and this is what makes them so useful. Any one Gizmo can be used to connect to many different concepts, so teachers are able to use them in creative ways. I always love hearing about how other teachers use Gizmos in their classes because the methods are always innovative and expand my own teaching practice."

You can see more of what's on Graham's mind by visiting his blog.

Michael Mosby: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Michael Mosby is in his fifth year of teaching and he now teaches 4th grade science at Owens Elementary, in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Texas.

He recently attended a Gizmos training event and was excited to take advantage of them in his classroom. He now uses many different Gizmos, covering concepts as diverse as Density and Phases of the Moon. At an ExploreLearning School Leadership event last spring he was honored for his extensive use of Gizmos, bringing more engaging and effective math and science instruction to his students.

Mr. Mosby points to the Density Gizmo as a good example of how Gizmos have helped with his teaching. He uses a hands-on experiment to explore density with his class and then reinforces that lesson with the Gizmo. He has his students pair up and work through the Exploration Guide to go over the various concepts. This sequence has really engaged his students, and this difficult concept has become easier to teach and fun for students.

Mr. Mosby doesn't stop with classroom instruction either.

"I encourage my students to use Gizmos at home with their families. The students really enjoy showing their parents the things that they get to do on Gizmos at home. I think it gets them excited about science concepts that they would normally not be interested in."

Alejandra Guzman: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Alejandra Guzman has been teaching high school science for four years, first in Miami-Dade Schools in Florida and now at Stafford High School in Texas. She was named Teacher of the Year at Miami's Somerset Academy Silver Palms, and now serves on the Stafford MSD Technology Committee as well as the district's mentoring program for new science teachers.

Mrs. Guzman, or "Mrs. Gizmo" as some of her district administrators refer to her, started using Gizmos in 2009 and has been integrating them into her teaching practically every week since then. Since moving to Texas, she has been helping her new district get set up with Gizmos. She has also been presenting Gizmos at science and technology conferences around Texas, demonstrating their effectiveness in her specialty, Biology.

Mrs. Guzman points to the Plants and Snails as an example of how Gizmos can help save on lab expenses, avoid experimentation on live animals, and allow for faster data collection. Plants and Snails is also her personal favorite, because students often have difficulty understanding how photosynthesis and respiration are interdependent. As with many lessons, she covers the concept in her lecture, but then uses a Gizmo to drive and reinforce understanding.

"Gizmos are great because they are teacher and student friendly and they require no lab prep! They are very easy to use and all of the work (lesson plans, background, vocabulary, worksheets, assessments) are provided. Gizmos make teaching easy and fun!"

Missy Graham-Allison: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Missy Graham-Allison teaches Biology at Durant High School in Florida's Hillsborough County Public Schools and is one of the sponsors of the school's Science Honor and Competition Club. She has degrees in Biology and Educational Leadership and has been teaching for twelve years.

Mrs. Allison has been using Gizmos for two years to create new opportunities for her students to interact with scientific concepts. She turns to such diverse Gizmos as Cell Division, Human Evolution - Skull Analysis, and Rabbit Population by Season to bring concepts to life. She gives an example:

"The Rabbit Population Gizmo helped students to see how populations can be affected by different factors. Terms like density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors, carry capacity, and population density tend to be hard concepts for them. I use this particular Gizmo to 'show' them what the terms mean. My students feel that it gives them a 'visual' on what is going on instead of just getting the information from the text or lecture notes."

She reports that many students demonstrate a comfortable comprehension of these complex scientific concepts after working with this Gizmo.

Mrs. Allison also makes good use of Gizmos Assessment Questions. She uses them for formative assessment, but also to drive parental involvement. Parents are made aware when students do poorly on the assessment questions, and this helps motivate them to get involved in their child's learning. Working on a Gizmo can be a fun and engaging way for parents to learn with their children.

Stephanie Minor: ExploreLearning Educator of the Month

Stephanie Minor is in her tenth year of teaching. She has a B.Sc. in Geology and worked in both mining and oil exploration before getting her B.Ed. She is now teaching at the brand new DSBN Academy, an Ontario public school geared toward empowering students to become the first in their families to graduate from a post-secondary institution.

Ms. Minor has been using both math and science Gizmos for three years. When she can't get time for her students to use them in the computer lab, she presents them herself both to introduce and to reinforce concepts. For example, she uses the Density Gizmo as a highly effective intermediate step between a class lesson on buoyant force and a design challenge where students design a boat to float the largest load.

Last year, she also started using Reflex in grade 2 and in grades 5-8. She notes that even her eighth graders have had a lot of trouble with math facts but were of course too embarrassed to admit it. When she would approach the problem, she found they were "not inclined to do the awful, boring flash card type activities." With Reflex, however, she saw a real difference.

"Many problems were not ones of understanding grade 8 concepts, but rather errors resulting from incorrect math facts, or slow processing because of a lack of math fact fluency. Reflex definitely helped improve the students' confidence in math."

Stephanie has been part of the DSBN Academy design team for almost two years. While reviewing students' applications she came to realize that math was going to be a major focus area. Specifically, she noted that she would need help building their confidence in mathematics, and she thinks Reflex is the right tool to build that confidence. Ms. Minor has worked hard to ensure Reflex will be available for DSBN Academy teachers.

Anthony Armbrister: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Anthony Armbrister has been a mathematics educator in the Miami-Dade County Public School System for two decades, and for the last ten years he has served as a mathematics curriculum specialist/coach. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and both an Educational Specialist degree and a Masters degree in Math Education.

He first experienced Gizmos in 2005 and immediately saw the value of simulations that bring math concepts to life. As the Mathematics Coach and Department Chair, he realized a great opportunity for Gizmos.

"…our department designated Computer Lab time for all our Intensive classes to utilize ExploreLearning.com as the lead web-based program for our struggling learners. The results speak for themselves. At least 80% of our lower quartile designated students made 'learning gains' as defined by the the state of Florida quantitative measure."

Concerning his own teaching, Mr. Armbrister points to Geoboard: The Pythagorean Theorem as a particularly useful Gizmo for teaching a traditionally difficult concept. He finds that simply stating that "a squared plus b squared equals c squared" isn't very meaningful to students. However, when they can visualize and then draw actual squares, the idea becomes concrete and easy to apply.

He combines the Geoboard Gizmo with a related physical activity. After his students have explored with the Gizmo, he has them use a protractor to draw a right triangle on construction paper. He then has them draw and cut out the squares of the triangle's sides, as they had learned about in the Gizmo. Then he has them cut up the two smaller squares to make them fit into the larger square, giving them physical proof of the theorem.

Trevor Tyner: Gizmo Educator of the Month

	Mr. Tyner demonstrating gas laws to his students.

Trevor Tyner teaches science at Lake Worth High School in Palm Beach, Florida. In the past five years he has taught biology, chemistry, physics, marine, environmental, and integrated science. He dove into Gizmos as soon as his district started using them, and they fit very well into his lesson plans.

Mr. Tyner starts many of his lessons by explaining the basics of the material. He then extends that with a live demonstration of the concept and reinforces it by letting his students explore with Gizmos.

As an example, in his integrated science class unit on the solar system, he let his students delve into Gizmos such as Phases of the Moon and Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun to discover the effects of planetary bodies on moon phases, tides, and seasons.

He also demonstrated the lesson by gathering his students into the center of the room, giving them the perspective of the Earth, as he walked around (orbited) them while holding a volleyball (the moon). Trevor reports that this "first-hand" experience of moon phases, combined with independent learning from the Gizmos, tied all the concepts together into a lasting lesson for his students.

“I can get my kids to memorize information and regurgitate material, but getting them to really understand the concepts is always a challenge. Because the Gizmo allows each student to manipulate their own models, it's just like a scaled down science experiment. When they are actually able to perform the experiments themselves, they almost always have a more thorough understanding of the material.”

Amy Van Pelt: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Amy Van Pelt, a National Board Certified Teacher, has been teaching science in Arkansas for the past eight years; first in North Little Rock School District and now in Bentonville Public Schools. She received her board certification in Early Adolescent Science in 2007. She currently teaches 6th grade integrated science.

Mrs. Van Pelt's teaching style is to fuse hands-on labs with high-tech activities. When she attended a Gizmos training event in her district last year, she thought it would be only natural to incorporate Gizmos into each of her units.

When we asked her about how she uses Gizmos, Mrs. Van Pelt gave us a lot of interesting examples. She pointed to the Density Gizmo as a great tool for teaching that density is a characteristic property, and noted that she can easily differentiate the density lesson with this Gizmo. Students who quickly grasped the basics then move on to Density Experiment: Slice and Dice.

Her class voted the Forest Ecosystem Gizmo as their favorite. She uses this Gizmo to model the process of scientific inquiry, not as a rigid procedure, but as a flowchart of observations and ideas. She has the students play the role of scientists in real-world scenarios, such as becoming biologists collecting data and making observations to determine how a farm's use of fungicide might affect the local forest ecosystem.

“I asked the students what was it about Gizmos that most appealed to them. The first few answers were that Gizmos were fun interactive games, but with a bit more reflection students told me they enjoyed being able to manipulate situations, make decisions and predictions and receive immediate results and feedback.”

Kandy Froehlick: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Kandy Froehlick, also known to his students as "Mr. F" and "Fro," has been teaching since he graduated from University of Lethbridge in 1997. He teaches several high school science courses, plus Forensic Science, Paleontology and Marine Biology at Rimbey Junior/Senior High School in Alberta, Canada.

Three years ago, his assistant superintendent asked him to learn more about Gizmos and possibly become a trainer. When he got together with ExploreLearning's training consultant, he was really impressed with the product and became involved in training other Alberta educators. He has been using Gizmos in his classroom ever since.

Mr. F points to the Mouse Genetics Gizmo as a great way to effectively demonstrate genetics to his ninth graders. They can actually see how two black mice could produce white offspring, if the parents have recessive genes for white fur. His students can also learn about the probabilities of fur colors via Punnett square predictions and repeated trials. He reports that after using this Gizmo, assessment scores were higher than previous years on the same genetics quiz.

“Gizmos are absolutely great for showing the students ideas that are abstract or too impractical to collect the data. Everything from balancing chemical reactions and being able to see the molecules to food chains and being able to see how the numbers are affected generation after generation. Gizmos make concepts real and fun to learn.”

Go Gizmos!

Donna Abbruzzese: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Donna Abbruzzese is an eighth grade science teacher at Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland, New York. She teaches with Gizmos in virtually every one of her class units.

Donna uses Gizmos with her eighth graders for everything from exploring characteristics of subatomic particles with Element Builder Gizmo to studying genetics and heredity with Mouse Genetics (Two Traits).

Donna makes good use of the Lesson Materials provided with each Gizmo. She frequently customizes the Student Exploration Sheets to students' abilities. Sometimes she has students load a Gizmo and an Exploration Sheet in two adjacent windows, and complete it as they work through the Gizmo. Students then upload completed assignments to her in electronic format.

“Using the exploration guides, I find that Gizmos are easily adapted and customized for my students. Differentiation is seamless as each guide is separated into different activities, each building on the concept development and understanding. Students are able to follow the guides with ease and respond well to the questions posed.”

Take a look at the wealth of contributions Donna has made to the ExploreLearning Community. From her insightful Gizmo Recommendations to her resourceful user Contributed Lesson Materials, Donna provides lots of ideas for other teachers on ways to incorporate Gizmos into effective science teaching.

Kristy McElhinny: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Kristy McElhinny is a high school biology teacher in Afton, New York. She uses Gizmos with ninth through twelfth graders in Regents Biology class and Advanced Biology electives.

A few years ago, a colleague introduced Kristy to the Photosynthesis Lab Gizmo. She was so impressed, she worked with her district to bring Gizmos to her entire school. Since then, she has given presentations to other teachers on Gizmos and has become a very active contributor within the website's online community.

Kristy says that Gizmos have revolutionized the way she teaches. Her school does not have the equipment to run complex or lengthy biology experiments, and Gizmos open up those realms to her classes. She points to not just Photosynthesis Lab, but also such diverse Gizmos as Greenhouse Effect and Circulatory System. But it's not just the new teaching opportunities she appreciates:

“My favorite part of using Gizmos is how engaging it is to the students. Instead of just telling them, 'if you add snakes to an ecosystem, the hawks will increase and the rabbits will decrease,' they can use trial and error to discover these concepts themselves. Students learn by doing and with Gizmos, there is so much more that they can do.”

Take a look at the wealth of Gizmo Recommendations and Lesson Materials Kristy has contributed to ExploreLearning.com. She has adapted our Lesson Materials to her students' ability levels, and she has shared many of her favorite Gizmos with the ExploreLearning Community.

Wayne Worthley: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Wayne Worthley has been teaching science at Redland Middle School in Florida's Miami-Dade County Public Schools for fifteen years. He teaches several mainstream science sections and vocational agri-science, and he has been using Gizmos since Miami-Dade first partnered with ExploreLearning in 2006.

Although Wayne uses Gizmos in a variety of ways, a favorite is to incorporate Gizmos into his curriculum as reinforcement. He believes Gizmos really help students gain a deeper understanding of science concepts covered by the Florida standards and their science textbook. Wayne often has half of his class work on understanding concepts through Gizmos and the other half through lab activities or writing assignments. This way, students are engaged in a variety of activities to study, and they can break up a long two-hour class period.

Wayne also shared the outstanding results he has seen in his students using Gizmos in preparation for their 2009 science FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test).

“In 2009, I taught about 75 students in Earth Space Science. About 67% of them scored a three or better on the 8th grade science FCAT (state average was only 41%), and I attribute much of their success to the many science Gizmos that they were exposed to that year.”

Wayne especially appreciates the Earth and Space Science Gizmos. His favorite is the Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun Gizmo because it visually explains concepts such as day length, sunrise and sunset, temperature, and seasonal change, which are really difficult without great models. Wayne has students use the Gizmo to observe from the perspective of a point near a pole, then run a simulation of a 24-hour period. Students can directly compare the sun's position on the horizon with the alignment of the bodies in space. Even though he also shows them videos of the phenomenan in Barrow, Alaska, he says that students are amazed to watch the Gizmo's simulation of perpetual summer daylight and perpetual winter night.

Jacob Hesselschwardt: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Jacob Hesselschwardt is our May Educator of the Month. Mr. H. (as he is known to his students) teaches Middle School math in Bossier City, Louisiana. He uses Gizmos in classes ranging from 6th grade math to Algebra. Jacob has contributed one lesson material and seven Gizmo recommendations as part of the ExploreLearning Community.

Jacob had this to say about Gizmos: "ExploreLearning Gizmos are fantastic online, virtual manipulatives for facilitating discovery based learning in mathematics and science. Students are able to get a deeper, more personal knowledge of the content through explorations with the Gizmos than what they can through simply using textbooks and workbooks."

Jacob's contributed lesson is for the Fraction Artist Gizmo, a popular Gizmo on our site. Since Jacob teaches at the Middle School level and his students are computer savvy, he modified the Student Exploration Sheet to allow insertion of student-developed fraction scenarios as screen shots. Jacob's students are used to completing assignments directly on the computer and then submitting them electronically to him via the school's intranet.

Sue Bridgman: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Sue Bridgman is our Gizmo Educator of the Month for March. She teaches grades 7-12 math, and other subjects as well, in Osborn, MO. She uses Gizmos for every level of math from 7th grade through Algebra II. Sue has contributed two lessons, and three Gizmo recommendations as part of the ExploreLearning Community.

Sue’s contributed lesson materials are for the Distance-Time Graphs Gizmo, one of the more popular Gizmos on our site. Sue actually uses this Gizmo in all of her math classes, by varying the focus of the lesson.

The first lesson is a pre-Gizmo warm-up lesson. It starts with a set of questions to introduce the concept of slope. The last question on this warm-up is “Is it possible to make a graph of distance versus time in which the resulting graph is a circle?” This encourages students to think about functions, and the meaning of this distance-vs-time graph.

Her second lesson with this Gizmo is a more advanced activity, which she uses with her algebra students. The lesson has students set up various graphs using both runners (a system of two linear functions). Students then are asked to create runners’ graphs from hypothetical equations of lines, find the equations of lines shown in graphs copied from the Gizmo, and solve systems of equations and demonstrate the solutions on the runners’ graphs.

Dan Bruni: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Dan Bruni, our Gizmo Educator of the Month for February, has taught Physics, Biology, Earth Science, and more in Ontario’s York Catholic District School Board for six years. Dan uses Gizmos frequently to enhance and extend the curriculum in all of his classes, and for cross-curricular learning, linking the science to mathematics concepts. Dan has contributed Lesson Materials for three Gizmos, three Shared Class Gizmo Lists and a Gizmo recommendation.

Dan believes that being an active part of the ExploreLearning Community really helps educators enhance their teaching experience with Gizmos. "Using this pool of knowledge provides educators with accessible Professional Development to help them incorporate technology into their curriculum."

The Free Fall Laboratory Gizmo is one of Dan's favorite Gizmos. The Gizmo is designed to help students investigate the motion of an object as it falls to the ground. Students can explore many of the variables at work and view scientific data in vectors, graphs, and numerical tables. Dan’s Lesson Materials for this Gizmo showcase the extension of the scientific scenarios in the Free Fall Laboratory Gizmo into advanced math, by working with the equations of the resulting graphs. It even ties in derivatives. That’s cool!

Richard Feay: Gizmo Educator of the Month

Richard Feay is our first Gizmo Educator of the Month. His love of Gizmos is infectious. Richard is a former teacher who just retired as a Tech Integration Coach for LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified). He has used Gizmos with students for years in the classroom, and he has spread the word to other educators during professional development and training sessions. Richard put things in perspective this way,

"I have always wanted to shout from the rooftops about my favorite Gizmos - and the new site features enable me to do just that - plus I get to see what others are doing."

Richard is a top contributor using the Community Features at ExploreLearning.com. He has submitted 6 Shared Class Gizmo Lists and 6 Gizmo Recommendations, which would benefit math and science teachers from grade 3 all the way through high school!

So, what are the top Gizmo picks of our Educator of the Month?

The Systems of Linear Equations - Activity A Gizmo is great for helping students visualize this difficult algebra concept. They can actually manipulate the variables and constants within the two equations and immediately see the effects of changes - and finally say "Now I understand!"

The Element Builder Gizmo allows students to build atoms by adding protons, neutrons, and electrons. As they do this, the element symbol, atomic number, mass number, charge, and electron dot diagram can be displayed.

Case Study: An Interview with Charlene Cooper

Charlene teaches 6th grade Physical Science at Rusheon Middle School in Bossier City, Louisiana. She is a National Board Certified teacher in Early Adolescent Science, and is currently in her 9th year of teaching middle school science.

We are very grateful that Charlene could spare some time to talk to us about Gizmos!

Let's learn more about how Charlene uses Gizmos in her teaching by asking her a few questions:

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

A math teacher in my school was investigating virtual manipulatives when he came across ExploreLearning. He was very excited to share the site with me!

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmos when you got access to ExploreLearning.com? What keeps you using Gizmos?

At first, I was very impressed at how user friendly the site was. As I started to explore the Gizmos more, I was impressed with the content and how applicable it was to our current curriculum. I was also excited with what the site could offer my students in terms of manipulating variables in a way that could allow them to easily test and retest their hypothesis.

How do you use Gizmos in class? (For example, do students work individually on computers? In pairs? Do you use Gizmos as a demo for the whole class? Do you assign Gizmos as homework?)

I am able to use Gizmos in a variety of ways for my students. I can use Gizmos to help introduce a new concept, reinforce what we are currently studying, or as an enrichment. My favorite way to use Gizmos is in conjunction with a hands on activity! I can use the Gizmo before or after a hands on activity to enrich what we are studying - this helps my students to really develop their science process skills!

If you've used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover some of the same math concepts, how do you find that Gizmos help you cover the topic more quickly/easily/more effectively?

Gizmos allow my students to become actively involved in their learning - they are able to manipulate variables, and collect data as they investigate key concepts in physical science. My students have had much more success in making connections to key concepts and real life.

How do your students respond to Gizmos?

We work on Gizmos on a weekly basis – our day to use the computer lab is on a Wednesday. My students always tell me that they can't wait to go to the lab! I've also had positive comments from parents...they tell me that their child has shared the Gizmos with them at home. What I really love to hear is that the students are teaching their parents by going through the Gizmos with them at home!!

Describe the technology setup in which you use Gizmos. (e.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops and/or Carts? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

We are fortunate in our school that we have a computer lab dedicated to science. In our lab we have 35 computers, and a Promethean ActivBoard. My students visit the lab every Wednesday for ExploreLearning.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

My students have really enjoyed the Mineral Identification Gizmo and the Circuit Builder Gizmo. I also had success teaching the scientific method through the Growing Plants Gizmo.

What was it about these Gizmos that made the lessons successful?

In the Circuit Builder Gizmo, students were challenged to create a circuit that would make a light bulb light up. After they investigated and practiced this with their Gizmos, they were given the same real components and they applied what they learned to make a real light bulb light. The students enjoyed the Mineral Identification Gizmo because as they went through each mineral, they found that they were improving how they took their data and then identified the mineral based on the data. I like this Gizmo because it reinforced density and important science process skills. The Growing Plants Gizmo helped reinforce the importance of proper experimental design. As they progressed through this Gizmo, students were able to understand why they should only change one variable at a time.

Have you any evidence that you’d like to share on the impact of Gizmos on student learning in your classes?

I have seen an increase in student interest level in science. My students this year are more inclined to look for more information on their science topics. For example, we completed the Measuring Motion Gizmo where students measure the speed of different animals. This Gizmo sparked so much curiosity that my students started investigating these animals to find out more information on how fast (or slow) they were in real life. Although I was not planning it, this became an opportunity for students to share their findings and then compare their research with what they learned from the Gizmo.

Do you have any other comments or statements that you’d like to make about Gizmos?

As a middle school science teacher, I strive to build science confidence in my students. I don't want for any of my students to feel that they are "not good at science." Gizmos have helped students to develop their understanding of science. Students are able to see that if they don't understand something in science, they can design an experiment in a way to help make sense of their questions. As one young lady sat at her computer working on the Mineral Identification Gizmo, I noticed that she was really strengthening her science process skills and understanding how to identify the mineral based on her data. I commented that she had correctly identified her last 6 minerals and she said to me, ”Mrs. Cooper, I finally found something that I am good at!” I have a deep appreciation for the way that Gizmos have helped me build confident science students!

Case Study: An Interview with Linda Koch

Linda has been working for Maine School Administrative District #75 (MSAD 75) for almost 12 years and has worn many hats. She started work in education as a substitute teacher when her children were young and then as a Title One tutor for several years. She is now a staff member for the MSAD 75 Gifted and Talented Support Services and coordinates, delivers, and manages most of the programs and services they deliver to teachers and students in their district.

We are very grateful that Linda could spare some time to talk to us about Gizmos!

Let's learn more about how Linda uses Gizmos in her teaching by asking her a few questions:

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

I was talking with a co-worker about my search for an enrichment program for higher level elementary school math students. She told me about ExploreLearning and how she was using it with her 7th grade science class with great success. I checked out the program and I was so impressed with Gizmos, we purchased a license and included it in our menu of Gifted/Talented Programming options.

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmos when you got access to ExploreLearning.com? What keeps you using Gizmos?

My first impressions were visual; the site was colorful, it had a well designed layout, it was user friendly, and easy to navigate - all important aspects to tech savvy kids! The Gizmo choices are endless and the quality of every Gizmo is superb. My GT students are never bored and always find Gizmos that are interesting and challenging.

How do you use Gizmos in class? (For example, do students work individually on computers? In pairs? Do you use Gizmos as a demo for the whole class? Do you assign Gizmos as homework?)

Since I travel between 6 schools, I often work with small groups of 3-4 students. This more intimate setting allows students to work at appropriate levels and choose Gizmos that not only correlate with their current math or science units, but also challenge their thinking. Students will also discuss Gizmos and share ideas and strategies with each other in this smaller setting. Some of the conversations have been very rich.

If you've used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover some of the same math concepts, how do you find that Gizmos help you cover the topic more quickly/easily/more effectively?

I work with teachers to help support their advanced learners with differentiation options. When these learners finish early or pretest out of a unit, Gizmos provide activities to further challenge the students within the topic area or beyond. I have had a few students share their Gizmo activities and outcomes with their classmates as a project.

How do your students respond to Gizmos?

ALL of the students I work with love Gizmos because they feel like they are playing a game. There are so many choices, they always find activities that are interesting and valuable to their learning. I had one student who was worried about upcoming testing and the fact that her teacher didn't have time to teach them about Stem-and-Leaf Plots before the test. She browsed and found a Gizmo for Stem-and-Leaf Plots and taught herself by using the Gizmo.

Describe the technology setup in which you use Gizmos. (e.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops and/or Carts? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

I usually use a projector in the computer lab to walk students through the Gizmo warm up. They then work either in pairs or independently on desktops or laptops.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

My math student's favorites are Treasure Hunter, Cannonball Clowns, City Tour, and 3D & Orthographic Views. The top science Gizmos so far are Gravity Pitch, and Inheritance.

What was it about these Gizmos that made the lessons successful?

The students were exposed to 2-3 different ways to view the information, such as the number lines in Treasure Hunter. Not only could they see the distance in a map view, but they had to place a marker on a number line to collect their treasure. They also liked earning a reward for their efforts.

Have you any evidence that you’d like to share on the impact of Gizmos on student learning in your classes?

I have no concrete evidence at this time, but I can say that after tracking math scores of students who used Gizmos, they had some of the highest scores and the greatest percentage increases from Fall to Spring.

Do you have any other comments or statements that you’d like to make about Gizmos?

I have yet to find a better product for the advanced learners I work with. It is easy, they love it, they are learning, they never complain about being bored, they always find a "new favorite" Gizmo, and since the assessment is right there below the Gizmo, they can see instant results and track their own progress.

Case Study: An Interview with Jacob Hesselschwardt

Jacob Hesselschwardt teaches mathematics in Northwest, LA.

He uses Gizmos regularly, and they have been particularly inspirational in preparing his students for the regional MathCounts competition, in which they placed first in the parish!

We are very grateful that Jacob could spare some time to talk to us about Gizmos!

Let's learn more about how Jacob uses Gizmos in his teaching by asking him a few questions:

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

I came to hear of ExploreLearning through an investigation of web virtual manipulatives that I conducted in preparation for a grant proposal.

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmos when you got access to ExploreLearning.com? What keeps you using Gizmos?

My first impressions of ExploreLearning were that the site is well organized and thus very easy to navigate. I thought that the Gizmos were very appealing and applicable to my students’ studies, and I appreciated the fact that the assessments were clearly written and self graded. I continue to use Gizmos because my students respond well to the virtual manipulative environment and student test scores have shown an increase since we began using Gizmos.

How do you use Gizmos in class? (For example, do students work individually on computers? In pairs? Do you use Gizmos as a demo for the whole class? Do you assign Gizmos as homework?)

Gizmos are used to reinforce and to enrich topics that are taught first in the regular classroom. I discuss the student exploration guides with my students in a whole class setting, students then answer the assessment questions to demonstrate their understanding, and finally, students may perform webquests as follow up.

If you've used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover some of the same math concepts, how do you find that Gizmos help you cover the topic more quickly/easily/more effectively?

Students are able to get a deeper, more personal knowledge of the content through explorations with the Gizmos than what they can through simply using textbooks and workbooks.

How do your students respond to Gizmos?

My students have responded very favorably to Gizmos and look forward to their weekly ExploreLearning time in the school computer lab!

Describe the technology setup in which you use Gizmos. (e.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops and/or Carts? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

My school has a computer lab of 35 computers, and a Promethean ActivBoard,which my students use on a weekly basis for ExploreLearning.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

Both my students and I really enjoyed the Beam to Moon (Ratios and Proportions) Gizmo where we compared the weight of items on the earth to items on other planets and the moon.

What was it about these Gizmos that made the lessons successful?

What makes the Gizmos most appealing is the extensive usage of color, graphics, and interactivity available in each Gizmo. The exploration guides are also well written, as are the assessments. I personally appreciate that all assessments are graded by the program – thus the teacher becomes more of a facilitator and the student becomes more of an explorer.

Have you any evidence that you’d like to share on the impact of Gizmos on student learning in your classes?

My students have all witnessed personal growth in their content knowledge of mathematics through the regular use of ExploreLearning Gizmos. I also used ExploreLearning in preparing my students for the regional MathCounts competition, in which they placed first in the parish – the first such title in 20 something years!

Case Study: An Interview with Glenn Nakamura

Glenn Nakamura is a math teacher at the International Baccalaureate at Bartow High School in Polk County, Florida.

For the past 15 years, Glenn has worked as a Mathematics instructor in Polk County, teaching various levels of math, ranging from Pre-algebra and remedial math courses to Advanced Placement Statistics and Calculus. In 2004, Glenn earned National Board Certification in AYA Mathematics, and in 2007, he became certified in Advanced Placement Statistics.

We are very grateful that Glenn could spare some time to talk to us about Gizmos!

Let's learn more about how Glenn uses Gizmos in his teaching by asking him a few questions:

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

I heard about Gizmos through a district-wide initiative. Our county purchased 150 licenses for high school science and math teachers and sought volunteers to pilot it. I seized the opportunity because I had been searching and using flash applets for a few years on my own, and I thought it would be great to have access to a large variety of them in one place.

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmos when you got access to ExploreLearning.com? What keeps you using Gizmos?

During the initial training, I really liked the user-friendliness of the site. The browse option for alignments by text or state standard was great. It was nice that there were exploration guides to assist in lesson prep. The more I use Gizmos, the more likely I am to use more Gizmos. I like the flexibility of the applications. My students like exploring the topic using the Flash applets too.

How do you use Gizmos in class? (For example, do students work individually on computers? In pairs? Do you use Gizmos as a demo for the whole class? Do you assign Gizmos as homework?)

I use Gizmos in a few ways. Like most, I’ll use it during whole class instruction. If I use it as an assignment, it is the introductory piece. Where I can, I use it to build student knowledge and background prior to my instruction. Most students won’t understand all of it, but it helps provide those “ah-hah” moments where the student might say they understand what it means when… It’s really nice to have students come to me with questions about a math topic prior to me teaching it. I have also used Gizmos for remediation when a student is having difficulty with a concept or has a “hole” in their math knowledge that needs to be filled. It can also be used as an enrichment activity or even extra credit.

If you've used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover some of the same math concepts, how do you find that Gizmos help you cover the topic more quickly/easily/more effectively?

Gizmos are convenient in that they are all kept in a singular library that I can browse and find applicable ones quickly, without much searching. The online assessment and student tracking give me a simple source for student accountability. The ability to edit the exploration guides cuts down on my planning time and makes implementation easy. And any time that I can find something to enhance my teaching and provide a different method of delivery, I’ll use it if it benefits my students.

Describe the technology setup in which you use Gizmos. (e.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops and/or Carts? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

I have an interactive whiteboard that I use with most of my instruction, so Gizmos are easily integrated into my instruction.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

In math I liked the linear regression and rational functions Gizmos. The science ones have several that are a blast to play with, but I don’t teach science.

What was it about these Gizmos that made the lessons successful?

I like the instant, interactive manipulation of graphs. The students get to see the effect of changing points, equations, or data instantly without having to flip back and forth between a whiteboard and a calculator or taking the time to graph by hand. By reducing the time between the algebra and the graphical representation, the students don’t lose the concepts while pushing buttons or performing calculations.

Have you any evidence that you’d like to share on the impact of Gizmos on student learning in your classes?

My students have been pretty receptive. Many of them appreciate that they can self-remediate on their own schedule, instead of having to come before or after school for help. They will often browse for Gizmos on their own to help with understanding in my class or in their science classes.

Do you have any other comments or statements that you’d like to make about Gizmos?

If I were a beginning teacher I would love these things. They are so inundated with administrative hoops to jump through that anything that could cut down their lesson planning while at the same time improve the diversity and quality of their instruction would be of tremendous benefit.

Case Study: An interview with Kris Campesi, Science Teacher, Stafford County, VA.

Kris Campesi is a veteran middle school science teacher at Stafford Middle School in Virginia. She teaches 8th grade Physical Science, for advanced as well as special needs students. She has a passion for showing special needs students that they can succeed in Science. She is also interested in helping her advanced kids take science to the highest heights! Check out the photo below of Kris on a 'Weightless Flights of Discovery' trip!

Here is more about how Kris uses Gizmos in her classroom.

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

When I was at a regional NSTA conference I saw the booth and stopped by. It did not take the person in the booth more than a few minutes and I was sold on how great the product was.

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmo when you first signed up? What keeps you using ExploreLearning?

I was very impressed with how you had made the experiment/activity visually appealing but not complicated. Many of the computer modules that I had tried spent so much effort trying to make the 'lab look real' that it was very complicated to use and visually distracting. You kept the activities to the basics and made them data driven. There was good data collection and best of all, a 'do-over' ability.

I keep coming back to ExploreLearning because I noticed an interesting phenomenon--- that my students understand a concept better from the Gizmo than doing a lab. I often find that if I do the concept with the Gizmo first, then the hands on lab, they stay on task better and get to the 'conclusion' better than if they just do the lab.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

I am not sure there were any Gizmos that I have not liked. At the end of the year, I did a survey about the activities in class and this is what some of the kids said. They really liked all of the simple machine Gizmos, such as Levers, Pulleys, Ants on a Slant. They loved to make the levers go crazy and spin round and round. They had a good time with the Food Chain Gizmo also--- they finally really got the idea that everything is connected. They loved to play with it to see if they could 'kill' everything. I loved the Density Laboratory where my students had to determine the mass and volume, and then the density. The kids liked to 'play' with the Golf Range Gizmo. Mouse Genetics also really intrigued many of the students. I liked the use of independent and dependent variable with the Growing Plants Gizmo too.

How did you use the Gizmo in class?

I always do a demonstration of the Gizmo with the projector for the class. Each student then has his or her own laptop to work on. I provide detailed instructions for most Gizmos and students always have data to record from experimentation. In some cases, I have them take a picture of a data table and paste it into a Word document. Often the students at the lab table help each other to be successful with the Gizmo.

The Assessment Questions online have usually been done as 'replacement grades' which means that students can use the score from these questions to replace a homework grade they don't like.

If you've used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover this same science concept, did you find that the Gizmo helped you cover the topic more quickly/easily, less quickly/easily or about the same?

As I mentioned earlier, I feel that Gizmos help make the concepts more clear than just the hands-on labs. I believe one of the reasons is that students today are familiar with working at a computer screen. They have acquired the ability to concentrate using the visual sense and this translates over to the Gizmos.

How did the students respond to the Gizmo?

The students loved 'Gizmo Day' which we had almost every Thursday. They would be at their lockers in the morning and when they realized it was Gizmo Day they would start chanting 'GIZMO DAY.' Many students even told their parents not to make doctor's appointments during my class and some came in sick and then went home after my class.

Describe the technology setup in which you used Gizmos.

I use a projector and Smart Board (when I can get it) to demo the Gizmos before the students work on them. I also have done screen shots of Gizmo simulations and used it with my CPS (classroom performance system), which the kids call my zappers.

At the beginning of this past school year I signed my class up for the cart of 30 laptops EVERY Thursday. Most of the teachers were not even thinking about computers at this point so I got a head start! I believe there were only 3 days all year that I gave the laptops back and did not do Gizmos. I made it a priority for the year!

Case Study: An Interview with Rachel Love, Science Teacher, Virginia

Rachel Love is a science teacher at Western Albemarle High School who, as a teacher in a very first year, shows that Gizmos are as helpful to the newbie teacher as they are for a teacher with years of experience.

Actually, in Rachel's case, the term new is somewhat of an understatement: Rachel was in her first few weeks of student teaching at Western Liberal HS when her coordinating instructor had an emergency and Rachel was needed to to assume the full role of teacher.

Additionally, Rachel is a recipient of a 2005 Knowles Foundation Science Teaching Fellowship.

Let's learn more about how Rachel uses the Gizmos in her teaching by asking her a few questions.

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

Through my graduate program at UVA [The University of Virginia].

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmo when you signed up? What keeps you using ExploreLearning?

The Gizmos allow my students to be more actively engaged with what I’m teaching, something that is especially important with my lower level classes.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

The Element Builder. It's fantastic!

What was it about this Gizmo that made the lesson successful?

The Element Builder gizmo allows the students to see for themselves what happens with the addition/subtraction of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

I wanted the students to DO something rather than listening to me talk for a 90 minute block. I presented the material on atoms and the differences between them, then distributed laptop computers to each of the students and asked them to build several atoms, beginning with hydrogen.[At first] the material was overwhelming [for the students], but when they actually started playing with the Gizmo, the lights started to come on and, by the end, I think they understood the essential information about ions, isotopes, and atoms.

We had also been discussing isotopes (carbon-12 versus carbon-14, etc); this gave us a chance to see what made something an isotope, what happens to the actual element when it decays and how to make it more stable. After this, they became very interested in radioactive decay and other things dealing with nuclear chemistry, so I plan use the Half-life Laboratory Gizmo to demonstrate this next time.

How did you use the Gizmo in class? (For example, Did students work individually on computers? In pairs? Did you use the Gizmo as a demo for the whole class? Did you assign the Gizmo as homework?)

I demonstrated how to use the Gizmo, then had the students work individually to complete a worksheet that I had made. We finished by using the Gizmo in class and went over the questions, referring back to the Gizmo on the projector as needed.

[Download Rachel's worksheet in PDF or Word format]

If you've used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover this same math or science concept, did you find the that the Gizmo helped you cover the topic more quickly/easily, less quickly/easily, or about the same? Explain.

This is my first teaching experience (I'm a student teacher), so I've never taught this before. However, I have highly recommended this particular Gizmo to all of the other student teachers in chemistry from UVA. Several have used it and have also said how beneficial it was.

How did the students respond to the Gizmo?

They really liked it — in fact, the next time we had class, they specifically asked if we were going to do another one.

Describe the technology setup in which you used Gizmos. (E.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops? Cart? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

I'm able to check out a laptop cart with enough laptops for each student to have his own. The school has a wireless server, so the students are able to log on and use them individually; I demonstrate the Gizmos with a projector. We are supposed to be receiving interactive whiteboard within the next couple of weeks or so, and I anticipate using it to demonstrate in the future.

Thanks for taking time out of what must be a very hectic first year of teaching to answer our questions.

Case Study: An Interview with Janet Kingsolver, Science Teacher, Oklahoma City

Janet Kingsolver teaches middle school science in the Oklahoma Public School District, and although she's only been using ExploreLearning Gizmos for a couple of months, she's finding the Gizmos helpful in helping students visualize science concepts. Janet's students like the Gizmos so much she writes, "My biggest problem is keeping [my students] from exploring the other gizmos I've put into their class [page]."

Let's learn more about how Janet uses the Gizmos in her teaching by asking her a few questions.

How did you first hear about ExploreLearning?

My sister won the program at a conference and gave it to me.

What were your first impressions of the site and Gizmo when you signed up? What keeps you using ExploreLearning?

It was fairly easy to get into, and the Gizmos were interesting. I keep using it because my students get excited about them each time they use them. I see my students studying relationship between things in concepts and getting excited about finding them. I also like the integration of the data tables and graphs into the changes of information in the concepts.

How are you using ExploreLearning? What features do you like the most? Have you used ExploreLearning and/or Gizmos in ways you hadn't anticipated?

When I begin a study of a concept I introduce it in class with as much foundation as I can using models, visuals and words. Then we go to the lab to work on a Gizmo. I ask the students to follow the Exploration Guides to certain points. Then I ask them to use the Gizmo to change things and look for patterns in changes. We then go back to the EG for more details.

I like the graphics and the ability to move objects to change things. I like the correlations shown between changes, numbers, and on the graphs.

I didn't think I would have the kids explore relationships as much as I do.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

Density, Ideal Gas Laws, and Element Builder. Each one had their own "specialness," .

What was it about these Gizmos that made the lesson successful?

Density was good to actually show how size/mass/density are related. The students who had not been able to see this before were amazed at how they saw it working. The ranking of the objects was the most fun for them.

The Ideal Gas Laws really showed the differences between Boyle's and Charles' Laws. The kids liked changing the pressures and watching the graphs change. They were very impressed by the straight and curved lines of the graphs and said they finally understood direct and inverse relationships from watching the graphs being built.

The Element Builder has been fun as I watch the kids try to find how changing protons, neutrons and electrons changes the periodic table. We had discussed before going to the Gizmo how the electron dot diagrams had been built, trying to see a pattern. They are now beginning to see how that pattern fits with the groups on the periodic table. Also the radioactivity and charges of the ions is becoming clearer as they experiment with adding electrons.

How did you find and choose these Gizmos for use in your class?

As I studied the text book I was to use this year, I paired it with all the Gizmos available at the time. As I tried different ones, I could see how they might be integrated into the lesson plans I was making. I saw that density, gas laws and periodic tables might be a challenge to my students and chose those to help with it. And they have

How did you use the Gizmos in class? (For example, Did students work individually on computers? In pairs? Did you use the Gizmo as a demo for the whole class? Did you assign the Gizmo as homework?)

We go to a lab to work on the Gizmos. Most of the students are working individually, though some end up working together, and almost all are discussing with someone else about their findings as they work. I monitor their work, asking questions, putting some ideas from one student out to others, pushing them on to other possibilities, and keeping them working in an orderly manner through the Exploration Guide.

After the Gizmo is finished we go back to class and review the findings, ask more questions and discuss possible answers based on what we have found in the Gizmos.

Did you make use of the Exploration Guide that accompanied the Gizmo? If so, how? If not, why?

I didn't use it for the first lab (Density). I had them put it on the screen with the graphics and follow it precisely, answering each question on another sheet of paper for the 2nd lab (Ideal Gas Laws). I printed the Guide on paper for them for the Element Builder lab. They were to write answers on the paper, and relationships they found on empty space around the guide.

[Note: For additional tips on using the EG in class, see Teaching with Gizmos - Part 2, Using the Exploration Guide and Assessment Questions.]

Did you make use of the Assessment Questions that accompanied the Gizmo? If not, why?

They have answered only the questions from the Ideal Gas Laws Gizmo because we didn't have time for the Density lab, and haven't finished the Element builder yet. The ones they did do were challenging yet they were able to do them. The students were quite proud of themselves for being able to answer them, and explain to me why the answers were what they were.

If you’ve used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover this same math or science concept, did you find the that the Gizmo helped you cover the topic more quickly/easily, less quickly/easily, or about the same? Explain.

I haven't taught these things in 15 years. When I was I was only able to simulate density with water and clay balls - it took forever and didn't work a lot. The Ideal Gas Laws were simulated with role plays of people under pressure. That worked only for kids who were thinking pretty abstractly. The periodic table was taught by just looking at the parts and moving on. Nothing about relationships between the atoms/parts of atoms and the table.

How did the students respond to the Gizmo?

They love them. They are challenged by them. The enjoy the manipulation and relationships they can see easily.

How effective was the Gizmo for struggling students? For gifted-and-talented students? For "typical" students?

I have mostly gifted students with a few typical students. The gifted ones are challenged and love it. The typical students find the basic concepts are made clear thru the Gizmos.

Describe the technology setup in which you used Gizmos. (E.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops? Cart? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

We have a computer lab with enough computers for each student to have their own. I may have access to a white board with them soon.

Tell us a bit about the school where you teach:

Classen School of Advanced Studies is a specialty school for 6th grade thru 12 th grades. We have students working in the IB (International Baccalaureate) program and in the VPA (Visual and Performing Arts) program. All students must apply to attend with test scores, portfolios, auditions, etc. They choose a 'major' when they enter and generally follow thru with that major to graduation.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions , Janet. It's especially gratifying for us to hear how much the Gizmos are making your job as a teacher easier.

Case Study: Anne M. Gill, Math Teacher, Alabama

Anne M. Gill teaches math at St. Paul's Episcopal School and has had great success at integrating ExploreLearning's Gizmos into her classroom teaching to the point where she says, "I now do not start a lesson without checking Explorelearning to see what gizmos they have on the topic!"

Let's learn more about how Anne uses the Gizmos in her teaching by asking her a few questions.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

Linear Programming – Activity A.

What was it about this Gizmo that made the lesson successful?

When you graph a feasible region by hand, it is not possible to plug in every value to the objective function. The kids do not have the ability to prove the theorem that states the maximum/minimum will occur at the vertices of the feasible region. This [Linear Programming – Activity A] Gizmo allows the students to move the points around to see that the maximum/minimum will occur at the vertices.

Without the Gizmo, students must take this on faith which I do not believe is an effective teaching practice.

How did you use the Gizmo in class? (For example, Did students work individually on computers? In pairs? Did you use the Gizmo as a demo for the whole class? Did you assign the Gizmo as homework?)

The students worked individually on their own computers. I also used my computer and a projector to show the class. Before showing the gizmo, I worked a linear programming problem on the board. When it came time to find the maximum/minimum, I introduced the class to the gizmo. I had the students work through a variation of the exploration guide provided for homework.

[Download Anne's modified Exploration Guide in PDF or Word format]

If you’ve used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover this same math or science concept, did you find the that the Gizmo helped you cover the topic more quickly/easily, less quickly/easily, or about the same? Explain.

I have not used other technology to cover this material. I have taught Linear Programming without the Gizmo, and I have found that students can repeat the process to solve a problem — But [without the Gizmo] they do not understand why it works. The Gizmo helped with understanding.

How did the students respond to the Gizmo?

My students always respond well to the gizmos. I get a lot of "a-ha" moments when using this and other gizmos.

Describe the technology setup in which you used Gizmos. (E.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops? Cart? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

My classroom is on a wireless network. Each student has their own laptop, and I also run the Gizmo on my computer that is connected to a projector.

Thanks for your time and insight, Anne. It's great to hear how you're using the Linear Programming to help students really understand the concept rather than the students just rotely following the method to arrive at the correct answer.

No problem. I now do not start a lesson without checking Explorelearning to see what Gizmos you have on the topic!

Case Study: An Interview with Julie Eglite, Science Teacher

Julie Eglite, a science teacher at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, IL is an enthusiastic teacher/user of our ExploreLearning's Gizmos. In order to better understand her feelings about Gizmos as well as learn some ways she's incorporating Gizmos into her teaching, we asked Julie a series of questions.

What Gizmo did you have the most success (and/or fun and/or satisfaction) teaching with?

The Solubility and Temperature Gizmo has been a real winner for us.

What was it about this Gizmo that made the lesson successful?

At the Freshman level, the ability to accurately collect data can often be difficult and counterproductive relative to the concepts that we are guiding them towards. In a solutions unit that we were working on, we were trying to get students to the idea that solubility tends to increase with temperature, but at different rates. We were able to perform a lab in which they used potassium nitrate and sodium chloride to see that the solubility of each of these substances did increase with temperature, but clearly not at the same rate. Now, with the Gizmo, students were able to gather actual numbers, calculate the solubility and create accurate solubility graphs of the two substances. From this, they were able to confirm their findings and trends with numbers as well as compare this to an actual solubility chart of the two substances to prove that the Gizmo was accurate.

Describe the technology setup in which you used Gizmos. (E.g., Networked classroom? How many computers? Laptops? Cart? Projector? Interactive whiteboard?)

[Deerfield High School] is completely wireless, and in our science department, we have 48 laptops that travel on 4 different carts. We also have a number of computer labs throughout our school. We also use a projector in the class to demo each Gizmo prior to students heading to the computers on their own.

How did you use the Gizmo in class? (For example, Did students work individually on computers? In pairs? Did you use the Gizmo as a demo for the whole class? Did you assign the Gizmo as homework?)

Students worked with a partner. We were able to bring in our traveling laptops, and due to the large number of students in the class (44—it is team taught), it would have been too much to have them work individually.

What made teaching with the Gizmo different than teaching without the Gizmo?

[The Gizmo] gave us the ability to collect accurate information and create useful graphs in which students could interpret and analyze data that would lead them to correct conclusions. Often students collect bad data, and therefore they can’t accurately draw conclusions. When that is the case, the lab is not doing its job.

If you’ve used other technology and/or teaching methods to cover this same math or science concept, did you find the that the Gizmo helped you cover the topic more quickly/easily, less quickly/easily, or about the same? Explain.

Again, [The Solubility and Temperature] Gizmo was a supplement to the actual data collection. We could have given students the information, but through the gizmo, although not with lab equipment, they could still gather data, and have ownership of the information. I think it was a helpful addition.

How effective was the Gizmo for struggling students? For gifted-and-talented students? For "typical" students? Please explain.

I really think it helps all students. It is a good visual for them! I believe this Gizmo, and others like it really benefit struggling students in a way that they are free of lab issues. Often my lower level students have a difficult time in a lab setting and using the equipment. Although I don’t want to completely take that experience away from them, taking out the element of lab set up and use helps them get to the end result more easily.

In your opinion, did you feel that students understood the topic better as a result of using Gizmos? Explain with specific /detailed examples, if possible.

I think yes for some students, as they didn’t have to worry about inaccurate results. This also allowed the teachers to move around the room and check to see if they were using the Gizmo correctly, and correct any mistakes with calculating solubility, as all of the students should be getting the exact same numbers. It is also nice in the sense that students can work in pairs instead of groups of four. I believe that really helps some student’s focus and concentrate better. Also working on the computer keeps students fully engaged the entire time.

Did you create any additional materials to enhance the Gizmo lesson? (Worksheet, quiz?) If so, what? Would you be willing to share these materials with other EL users?

Yes, we used the orignial Exploration Guide [for the Solubility and Temperature Gizmo] as a template and modified it according to what we wanted our students to do with it. I will attach a copy of this for you.

[Download Julie's modified Exploration Guide in PDF or Word format]

Great! Sounds like you are having a lot of fun and success teaching with Gizmos. Thanks so much for your time.

You're welcome. I'm looking forward to continued dialogue!

Case Study: Gizmos Help Interpret Real-Life Math Concepts

Honora Rainville, a mathematics teacher at Abington High School in Abington MA, uses ExploreLearning Gizmos in all her classes. Rainville appreciates how Gizmos give her students an opportunity to explore challenging math topics from a visual perspective and also likes how the Assessment Questions accompanying the Gizmos provide for student accountability.

“ The interactive approach of the Gizmos really helped the students grasp the concepts. When I teach I like to touch varied learning styles and I think ExploreLearning helps to connect those aspects of teaching and learning. ” – Honora Rainville

In the Computer Lab with an LCD Projector and Screen

Rainville had success using Modeling Linear Systems - Activity A with her high school geometry students.

“ I find it very important to be able to relate slope and y-intercept to real life concepts rather than just the mechanics of writing and graphing equations. [The students] also needed to ‘see’ what I had been talking about when I taught the solution of systems of equations, rather than just hearing the mantra ‘the solution of a system of equations represents the point where the two lines intersect. ”

After using the Modeling Linear Systems Gizmo to introduce the concept via her LCD projector, Rainville then had the students work individually at their own computer in the lab. Discussion among students was encouraged.

Rainville's approach is supported by the research that finds that students learn effectively and efficiently when new concepts are first introduced directly to them, and they are allowed to then explore and practice applying the concepts on their own.

“ The Modeling Linear Systems Gizmo, both Activity A and B, gave the students a good opportunity to see the relevance of slope and y-intercept of a graph to speed and starting points as well as actually seeing the point of intersection as being the solution to the system of equations. In this case, it was where the cat caught the mouse. It was fun! ”

Gizmo Exploration Guides and Assessment Questions: Mindful Student Interaction

After allowing her Geometry students to "play" with the Gizmo and familiarize themselves with its workings, Rainville turned to the Exploration Guide that accompanies the Modeling Linear Systems Gizmo to better focus their interaction with the Gizmo.

“ I always have the students do the Exploration Guide before doing the assessment questions. I found that otherwise many of them missed a lot of what the gizmo had to offer. ”

Thumbnail above of a typical Assessment Results screen.

Additionally, Rainville incorporates the Gizmos' Exploration Guides and Assessment Questions into homework assignments:

“ … when giving Gizmos for homework, the students had to pass in a copy of answers for the Exploration Guide and also submit their answers to the Assessment Questions for me to view. They knew they would see some of these things on tests, as well. ”

And to make it that much easier for students to see mathematical concepts from the Gizmo represented on a test, Rainville made use of the screen capture feature built in to all Gizmos.

“ I also used a screen capture to put two questions on the test of this topic. I really liked that! [The screen capture feature] gave me the opportunity to really assess what the students had learned from the Gizmo. ”

Using Gizmos with Different Kinds of Students

At Abington High School, Rainville has found that Gizmos are equally effective with struggling students as they are with advanced students.

Making use of her high school’s computer lab, Rainville had success using several of the integer-based Gizmos with a class of low ability pre-algebra students.

After introducing the Gizmos with the projector, Rainville and her co-teacher in the math lab worked individually with students using the integer-based Gizmos. The students, previously struggling to understand the abstract concepts first encountered in pre-algebra, found the hands on approach helpful to understanding.

For example, when studying the adding and subtraction of integers, the pre-algebra students use the Gizmos to manipulate the sliders and see a real-time number-line representation of their of the the addition or subtraction. the results of their actions as each of the multiple representations updates in real-time.

“ I found it interesting that some of the students who did not do well in the classroom setting (be it lecture or hands on activities), did well with the Gizmos. That is why I try to bring in varied teaching activities so I can grab as many kids as possible. ”

Likewise, Rainville's more advanced students in her upper level Pre-Calculus course found the Gizmos helpful.

Gizmos provide teachers with a ready-made path for harnessing the power of visual imagery in instruction. (Stock photo)

Rainville expects her more mathematically advanced Pre-Calculus students to "be able to grasp abstract concepts," and "emphasized that the gizmos were meant to give them an alternate approach to topics … and to have some fun [with the new] topics."

“ The interactive approach of the gizmos really helped the students grasp the concepts. ”

Resources

• The Modeling Linear Systems - Activity A Gizmo
• The Modeling Linear Systems - Activity B Gizmo
• Site Tour: A Teacher's View
• Why Gizmos Work: Research Evidence
• Using the Gizmo Screen-Capture Feature
• Sign Up for a 30-Day Free Trial

Do you have a Gizmo success story? Let us know: support@explorelearning.com