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?
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!
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?
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!
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 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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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?
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
“ 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
“
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.
”
Jacob
Hesselschwardt teaches mathematics in Northwest, LA.
Glenn
Nakamura is a math teacher at the 
Rachel Love is a science teacher at 
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!"
