Teaching with Gizmos - Part 3, Using Gizmos in Different Settings

The Teaching with Gizmos Series:
Part 1 - Purpose | Part 2 - EGs and AQs | Part 3 - Settings

Gizmos lend themselves to use in many different educational settings. Below you will find our suggestions for how to use Gizmos in a variety of common settings.

Using Gizmos with students in classrooms, labs, and other group settings

The way you design the lesson will depend on the setting in which the lesson will take place. Here are some logistical details to consider for a variety of common group settings.

Many computers (in a computer lab, or with a full set of laptops)

Having a full set of computers allows you to have students interact directly with the Gizmos, which is ideal. We recommend that you provide either the Exploration Guide (EG) or an original worksheet to guide the students’ interactions. We also advise that you have students write out answers to all the questions. This will encourage them to slow down and think about what they are doing. When they are done, have students complete the set of Assessment Questions (AQ) with the Gizmo.

• Tip: If you do not have as many computers as students, place students in groups of 2 or 3 per computer. We recommend assigning each student a task to keep them engaged in the activity. For groups of two, have one student read instructions from the EG or worksheet and record answers, while the other student does the actual Gizmo interactions. For groups of three, split the roles of reading the questions and recording the answers into two jobs. (You may want to have students switch roles halfway through the activity.)
• Tip: Even if you do have enough computers for each student to have one, you may still want to group them in groups of 2 or 3 per computer. The discussions they have as they agree on answers to the EG/worksheet could be fruitful.
• Tip: If possible, have each student individually answer the Assessment Questions, so that you have data from all of your students. If this is not possible, then be sure you know which students were in each group since they will be submitting only one set of answers.
• Tip: Don’t feel that, just because all of your students have a computer in front of them, you need to turn them loose for the whole time. You can still intersperse some demonstration or direct instruction time. While doing this, we recommend having students turn off their monitors (but not their computers). It removes a distraction and helps them focus.
• Tip: If there is an LCD projector in the room, it is a good idea to give students an initial introduction to how the Gizmo works, and a short demonstration of the kinds of investigations they will be doing. This helps focus students on the activity, and helps them get started more quickly and effectively once they are on the computers.

Two-to-five computers in your classroom

To use Gizmos in this arrangement, you may want to divide your class into small groups. One group at a time can be on the computers, using Gizmos. Again, you can have one, two, or even three students per computer. (Of course, be sure that the students that are not on the computers have work to do too.) When one group of students finishes, rotate another group onto the computers. Keep track so that all students get equal Gizmo opportunities over the course of the year. We do recommend, again, that you have students work through the EG or a worksheet, to guide their interactions with the Gizmo.

One computer (teacher-led investigation, using a projector)

For a quick investigation, you may want to make a short presentation and ask your students questions verbally. Of course, having students complete an EG or custom worksheet is useful during a teacher-led investigation as well, and helps to engage all of the students in thinking about the questions being investigated.

• Tip: Often there is a lot to look at in a Gizmo. If there is a particular part of the Gizmo that you want your students to pay attention to, specifically point it out before you start interacting with the Gizmo. Focus students’ attention as much as you can.
• Tip: To make a Gizmo appear larger, lower the resolution of your monitor. For example, a Gizmo will look larger on a monitor set to 800 by 600 than it will on a monitor set to 1024 by 768.
• Tip: If you have an interactive whiteboard, take advantage of it. Use the Gizmo much as you would a regular teacher-led investigation, but bring students up to do the interactions on the whiteboard. They often enjoy this quite a bit.

Using Gizmos independently

Students can use a Gizmo independently — at home, in a library, or really anywhere that they have a computer and an internet connection. So, if your students have internet access, you can assign a Gizmo as homework, for review (before a quiz or test), for remediation, etc.

Again, we recommend that students complete the EG or a worksheet so that their Gizmo interactions are guided, and so that they have to slow down, think, and answer the questions.

Also have them complete the set of Assessment Questions when they are done, so you can have a feel for how well they have learned the topics in the Gizmo.

Teaching with Gizmos

1. The Purpose of Gizmos
2. Using the Exploration Guide and Assessment Questions
3. Using Gizmos in Different Settings