Gizmo's are a learning object or online simulation that can be found on www.explorelearning.com. They are specifically designed for maths and science for grades 3-12 and have been created as a way to offer deep conceptual understandings. The founder of explorelearning.com, David Shuster, explains that Gizmo's were created as a way to " Take a difficult concept and create an environment where kids can experiment, visualise and draw conclusions about the maths or science involved". This online tool does cost money, however it allows you to sign up for a free 30 day trial which I have done. In this time you have 100% access to all the simulations and you can use them in your classrooms. I have done a SWOT analysis on this tool to investigate it further. I think this might be one tool I will be forking out the cash for!
Strengths
- Easy to use for both students and teachers
- It is supported by frameworks such as Marzano's Dimensions of Learning
- Includes an assessment section for each simulation
- Answers to questions on each simulation provide further detail and in depth feedback if answered incorrectly.
- Provides visually authentic problem solving and inquiry based activities
- Each simulation provides lesson information and key vocabulary
- Allows you to search for key terms
- Professional Development and training is available for teachers on how to get the most out of this tool.
- There are 450 Gizmos to choose from
Weaknesses
- It costs money to join and set up
- Some of the simulations take away from the real deal. For example, there are push/pull experiements and observation Gizmos such as 'The life cycle of a seed'. Personally I feel these experements and inquiries are much better to do as a hands on lesson with real materials to make the experience more authentic. I also feel young children need to be able to physically touch and manipulate some things when learning mathematical or scientific concepts. On the other hand, often time or resources are limited or unavailable so in this case the simulation would be an ideal alternative.
Opportunities
- These learning objects can be linked and integrated with other KLA's
- Will work in with most curriculums
- Teachers can create an online classroom where they add favourite Gizmos or commonly used simulations
- There could be potential to add learning objects from other key learning areas in the future.
Threats
- As it costs money, other sites which provide free learning objects are likely to be more drawn upon
- It currently only provides Gizmos for two key learning areas
I urge you take the time to have a look at this site and try a free 30 day trial. If you have already investigated this tool I am keen to hear your thoughts and ideas on it.
Hi Kristen,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great Learning Object! Thanks for blogging about it! :-)
I agree that some schools may not be able to afford this site as learning objects from Curriculum Exchange are free. However, I really think that this learning tool which allow students to access and gain information in a safe and productive manner on subjects (maths and science) which can be difficult to teach. Gizmos provide learners with the opportunity to discover new information for themselves through inquiry based learning (Marzano and Pickering, 1997). Higher order thinking skills are also developed through the use of Blooms’ Taxonomy, specifically to formulate the process of investigation and thinking skills used when completing the requirements of the individual task (Bloom, et.al, 1956).
All in all I think this learning object is worth the money to achieve learning gains for students.
Looking forward to reading your other blogs!
Anna
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ReplyDeleteHi Kristen and Anna,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your thoughts on learning objects, like you Anna I believe this tool will help students construct meaning for declarative knowledge as they are given the opportunity to discover new knowledge for themselves. These tools are also a means of organizing knowledge as the learning objects allow students to develop physical and pictographic representations of the new information. (Marzano and Pickering, 1997). When I profiled my grade six class, Maths and Science were two of the most disliked subjects within my classroom context as my students claimed to have difficulty grasping concepts and seem to find tasks overwhelming and boring. I think by using the suggested Gizmos I will improve my students’ attitudes and perceptions towards these challenging topics. Kristen, you commented that a weakness of this tool is that the simulations take away from the real deal. I agree with you that the real experiment will provide a more authentic context for learning. Although these simulations would be great when revisiting knowledge and will help students that were absent catch up with the rest of the class.
Thanks for your great insights ladies.
Cheers Pauline