EDGE Institute 2014

Getting More out of GizmosLaurie Kirkland

Agenda

• CEL 5D+ Alignment• Session Objectives• Review of Gizmos

– Searching– Resources available with the gizmos

• Best Practices– Use with kids– Planning– Implementation

• Continuing Support

Session 3: Curriculum and PedagogyWhat strategies will help students practice, review, and apply their learning? CP1: Alignment of materials and tasks

– Aligned with our texts and CCSS– Multiple ways to search and browse

CP2: Discipline specific conceptual understanding– Simulations that allow for students to manipulate variables and conditions

CP4: Teacher knowledge of content– Provides a teacher’s guide with background for instruction for helping teacher with concepts

CP6: Scaffolds the task– Provides students with student exploration guide to help them learn about the concepts using

the simulations– Provides for Pre and Post activities to engage prior knowledge and provide for enrichment or

remediation as needed

Session Objectives and Success Criteria

Participants will receive a review of how to browse and find gizmos and use the resources available with each gizmo

Participants will come away with best practice ideas for using gizmos with students

By the end of the session participants will be able to: locate standards based gizmos find and use explorelearning resources for

planningGlean ideas for exploring gizmos in class

using best practice strategies

Review of Gizmos

• Over 450+ online simulations for math and science topics.

• License for every math/science teacher 7-12

• Overview video

Review of Gizmos

How to search for gizmos?• By standards – CCSS, NGSS• By textbook• By topic/grade levelBrowse

Review of GizmosWhat resources are available with the gizmos?

Support Resources

Teacher’s Guide exampleStudent Exploration Sheet exampleUser Lesson Material example

Best Practices with Gizmos

Start the day before using the pre-gizmo activities – prior knowledge With any manipulative, you have to give students time to play -“How

do we use this gizmo?” or “How does this gizmo work?” Let them share what they found out Then begin to model what the lesson is…

Use in pairs with one computer using the gizmo, the other one has the exploration sheet open – have students switch jobs half way through so everyone has an opportunity to use the gizmo

Encourage students to take screenshots and explain what and why they made their choices

Have each partner set up a scenario – then have them switch computers and explain to the partner what they see the gizmo doing –

Teachers can make their own assessments or exit slips using the gizmo by setting up a scenario, take the screenshot and ask questions relating to the screenshot

Steps to Follow as you Plan your Gizmo Lesson

1. Identify the standards you are teaching and select an appropriate Gizmo.2. Preview the Gizmo while referencing the Student Exploration Sheet Answer Key.3. Decide how you will use the Gizmo to address the standard(s).

• Does the Gizmo make a good introduction to engage the student and allow them to construct meaning for themselves?

• Or would you rather use the Gizmo to explain the concept and provide students with practice?

4. Utilize the Student Exploration Sheet, Teacher Guide, and Vocabulary Sheet to plan the whole-class instruction script. Remember, each of these is easily customizable to meet the individual needs of all your students.

Example Gizmo Planning Implementation Example- Science Class

Making a More Student-Centric Classroom

1. Allow the students to control the Gizmos. If you have an interactive whiteboard, select a student to manipulate the Gizmo controls demo.

2. Have the students make decisions about the activity. Whenever possible, have the students decide what to do next. As you are following your Student Exploration Sheet, you will see many places where you can select variables or settings. Ask students to make those choices rather than just doing it yourself.

3. Don’t say something the students can say. Rather than the teacher doing the explaining and the students doing the listening, reverse the dynamic! If students are making and describing their observations, predictions and explanations, then they will be active participants in their learning.

Sometimes this is difficult for teachers who are used to explaining concepts. For one lesson or one hour each day, practice speaking only in questions!

Where can I find the list of updated gizmos?

http://news.explorelearning.com/blog/tag/lesson-material-updates/

Gizmo Homepage

Continuing Support

• Call or email the Customer Support Center– Extension 7030– Email to CSC

• Watch a tutorial or get tipsheets on explorelearning website at Support

• Tech Talks in Fall• Gizmos on youtube –teaching strategies

(http://www.youtube.com/user/ELGizmos)• Gizmos Facebook• Twitter