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I’m so excited to have you here as we begin this professional learning journey together. This space is designed for collaboration, sharing ideas, and growing as educators while exploring Gizmos and its impact on student learning.

To start, please take a moment to introduce yourself by commenting below with:
✅ Your name

✅ Your job title
✅ The grade(s) and subject(s) you teach
✅ Your email address
✅ One thing you hope to learn from this experience

Looking forward to learning and collaborating with all of you! 😊

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This week, our focus is on getting started with Gizmos. Please take some time to create your account and explore the website. Once you've done that, kindly respond to this post with one of the following:

"Yes, I have created my account and set up my classes."

"No, I haven’t created my account or set up my classes yet."

Also, feel free to share any questions or concerns you might have as you navigate the platform. We’re here to help! Looking forward to hearing from everyone.

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One of the best things about Gizmos is the interactive simulations. They let students explore hard concepts in a fun, hands-on way. I really like that students can change things in the simulation and see what happens right away. This helps them understand big ideas more clearly and encourages them to ask questions and think deeply.

I plan to use Gizmos during whole class lessons and small group time. For example, I can use a simulation to start a new topic, then have students work in pairs or small groups to answer questions and learn more. Gizmos also work well in learning stations or for students who finish early and need something challenging. Overall, they make science lessons more interesting and help students stay curious and involved. - Dian Taylor

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The most promising feature of Gizmos is its interactive, inquiry-based approach that fosters critical thinking and conceptual understanding. It enhances student engagement through hands-on virtual simulations. I see Gizmos fitting into my instructional practices by supporting differentiated instruction, reinforcing complex concepts, and providing visual, real-time feedback that aligns well with evidence-based strategies for diverse learners.

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What features stand out to you as the most promising or exciting? How do you see Gizmos fitting into your instructional practices?

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I hope everyone enjoyed their spring break and got some much-needed rest! We are now entering Week 2. This week’s discussion focuses on selecting Gizmos that align with the standards and deciding how you will instruct students using them.

Reminder: If you have not yet responded to the Week 1 discussion, please be sure to do so.

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After viewing the resources and exploring the Gizmos platform, take some time to find a Gizmo that aligns with a standard relevant to your grade level or content area.

In your post, please respond to the following:

1. Which standard did you select? (Include the code and description.)

2. Which Gizmo did you choose that aligns with this standard? (Include the title of the Gizmo.)

3. Why did you choose this particular Gizmo? (Consider how it supports instruction, engages students, or enhances understanding of the concept.)

4. How will you use this Gizmo in your instruction? (Would it work best for whole group teaching or in a small group setting? Explain why.)

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 Welcome to the Final Week of Our Professional Learning Network!

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 Welcome to the Final Week of Our Professional Learning Network!

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Hello Educators!

Welcome to the last week of our Professional Learning Network! 🎉

This week, our focus is on implementing your Gizmos lesson and using the data to drive instruction. It's time to bring everything together and reflect on how these tools can truly enhance student learning.

I hope you've found valuable insights, ideas, and inspiration throughout our time together. Your participation and collaboration have been appreciated more than you know!

Thank you so much for being a part of this PLN.
If you haven’t connected with others yet, please take a moment to do so — we grow best when we learn from one another!

Let’s finish strong! 💪

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How did your students respond to the Gizmos? Based on the data, what instructional decisions did you make next? Would you use this Gizmo again—why or why not?

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One of the features that I like about Gizmos is that the lessons and simulations are aligned with Common Core and state standards, making it easier to plan instruction that meets required benchmarks. The students can manipulate variables, test hypotheses, and see immediate results, which helps build conceptual understanding through inquiry-based learning. It is my differentiation tool because it allows for different levels of exploration, so I can scaffold or extend learning based on student needs.

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The Georgia standard that I selected was 7.PAR.4.7 Use similar triangles to explain why the slope, 𝑚, is the same between any two distinct points on a non-vertical line in the coordinate plane. The Gizmo that I selected was Slope: https://gz.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=102 . The reason I chose this Gizmos is because it allows students to drag points on the graph, change coordinates, and instantly observe how those changes affect slope which is great for kinesthetic and visual learners. It also helps build a deeper understanding of positive, negative, and undefined slopes. I will use it with struggling learners can use it to practice basic slope recognition, while advanced students can explore connections to linear equations. Little

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ExploreLearning : Get hands-on, minds-on in math and science

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Slope Gizmo : Lesson Info : ExploreLearning

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Explore the slope of a line, and learn how to calculate slope. Adjust the line by moving points that are on the line, and see how its slope changes.

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Since 65% of the class passed the Gizmo activity, this suggests it was an effective instructional tool. Based on this data, I believe it would be beneficial to use the Slope Gizmo again next year. The application really helps the students by allowing them to dragging a point on a line and watching the slope value change helps students intuitively understand the relationship between rise and run. For I can tailor the tasks for advanced learners or scaffold for those who need extra support. Then the application lets students receive instant feedback as they interact with the Gizmo.

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✅ Name: Ebony Hawkins

✅ Job Title: High School Science Teacher

✅ Grades/Subjects: 9th-12th Grade Anatomy and Environmental Science

✅ Email Address: ebony.hawkins@clayton.k2.ga.us

I’m hoping to learn to increase my skill set with gizmos and utlilize what is learned to increase classroom engagement.

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The feature that stands out to me the most is the interactive settings tht can be manipulated at the students discrection. I plan to use Gizmo at the start of a lesson to spark curiosity. I will also allow studrnt to explore through "play time" with Gizmo to discover patterns or rules on their own (inquiry-based learning).