Ontario News from ExploreLearning

Welcome to the New ExploreLearning Ontario Blog

Link to ExploreLearning.com and

Welcome Teachers and Coordinators!     

My name is Stephen Lippa and this is my first blog post. 

I never imagined that I would start writing a blog. In the past, I have not been sure I have enough interesting things to say that would draw a readership. What I have learned is "a readership" is not the point. First of all, I have come to truly believe that there is great personal value in reflecting on the experiences and people that you encounter. As a teacher, I have always believed in the value of reflection; but that has almost always been a personal and private experience.  A blog is a great way to capture ideas and simply make those ideas avaialable for others to find value. Throughout my career I have personally witnessed the power of teachers coaching teachers to learn new skills. There is no better way for us to grow professionally than to actively engage in reflection and professional discourse. A blog is professional discourse with those you may never meet.  

The purpose of this ExploreLearning Ontario Blog is to post resources, engage in conversation, document success & challenges and share announcements connected to my efforts to support Ontario coordinators and teachers as they integrate Gizmos and Reflex into their teaching practice. ExploreLearning makes great tools to differentiate instruction and reach students in new ways. My hope is that I can make the integration of these tools easier and more successful by facilitating the sharing of ideas and resources.

 Need your Username?   Forgot your Username?

Email: slippa@explorelearning.com

Phone: 1 866 882 4141 x263

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*NEW*   Grade 9 Gap Closing Supports now available

 

VROC T-Wise Interview

A couple of months ago I was interviewed by Kevin, Colin and Scott for VROC's T-Wise program. If you are just getting started with ExploreLearning Gizmos or figuring out why this is a great resource you will want to have a listen. 



OISE Workshops and IT Fair

Rose Salerno and I have the distinct pleasure of supporting teacher candidates at OISE this week (and next) learning more about Gizmos and Reflex. This post is simply bringing together the resources that we are planning on sharing so everyone can find what they need. 

 

Gizmos: www.explorelearning.com

Downloadable version of the workshop folder:  Download Gizmo Folder

Getting started with Gizmos booklet:  Download Self Guided Tutorial

What are Gizmos flyer:  Download What are Gizmos

Modeling Linear Systems - activity for whole class instruction:   Download Modeling Linear Systems 

 

Reflex: www.reflexmath.com

What is Reflex flyer:  Download Reflex Flyer

Reflex White Paper:  Download Reflex_White_Paper

Results from Ontario pilot schools:   Download ReflexOntarioFlyer

Importance of Math Facts by Miriam Small:  Download Miriam Small (Importance of Math Facts)

 

Newsletter Archive

Newletter archive is now up to date with the most current edition. Enjoy!

  Current Issue: January 2012 - Link to Jan 2012

Archive

September 2011 - Link to Sept 2011 

January 2011 -  Link to Jan 2011

September 2010 -  Link to Sept 2010

June 2010 -  Download June 2010

January 2010 -  Download Jan 2010 

 

ExploreLearning Social Media - Get Connected!

Are you ooking to connect with ExploreLearning? Link to our various feeds right here and get into the conversation.

           

 

Getting Started With Gizmos

Over the winter break I recieved several emails from teachers asking me for information on how to get started using their ExploreLearning account so they can use Gizmos with their students. Here is the 3-step process to getting going:

  1. Register for your account with your school board registration key (Umm..I need more info?)

  2. Read the self-guided tutorial - Download Self Guided Tutorial (PDF)

  3. Watch some of the How-to Movies to clarify the details.

 

 

 

 

However, most people prefer a workshop session, as the resources above only really get you understanding the ExploreLearning website but not how to effectively use Gizmos. Hosting a workshop in your school is by far the best and fastest way to get you and your colleagues started.

The full description of the workshop can be found here. 

Basically, what I aim to do is get the participants comfortable with using ExploreLearning.com and model 2-3 different lessons specifically highlighting how I have used Gizmos to differentiate my instruction, identify student misconceptions, and gather assessment information to guide and pace a lesson sequence.

There is also a significant portion of the session where teachers simply explore the library of Gizmos and experiment with ones of interest to them. When time permits, the ideas and discoveries are shared in a collaborative way either by teachers simply sharing what they have discovered and how they will use a Gizmo or, for a full day session, actually creating support materials to get them prepared with at least 3 or 4 lessons. The presentation is really tailored to the needs of the group, so sometimes a lot happens, other times, less happens because the group needed more support.

The majority of the sessions that I do are half day sessions (3 hours) that occur in a morning and/or afternoon. Occasionally, I do a full day session (6 hours) which allows for a slower pace, more exploration time, and the creation of a “mastery task” (collaboratively created lesson document, teacher lesson presentations, etc.). 

If you are interested in scheduling a session, the best starting point for me is for you to fill out this form: www.tinyurl.com/OntarioTRF. We can then work on finding a date that works for us. 

Still not sure how to get started?  Help just an email away: slippa@explorelearning.com

(image credit: www.sanfranciscosentinel.com)

Ring in the new year with new Gizmos


Our development team just announced the release of two new science Gizmos to start the new year. Both Gizmos are appropriate for students in elementary school through high school and cover highly requested topics.

The first Gizmo is called Dichotomous Keys. In this Gizmo, students use dichotomous keys to identify a variety of plants and animals, including California albatrosses, Texas venomous snakes, and more. Students can then try creating their own dichotomous keys for organisms in the Gizmo or for organisms found where they live.

The second new Gizmo is called Measuring Volume. In this Gizmo, students can use a variety of containers and tools to measure the volumes of liquids and solids. Students can fill containers from a faucet, pour water from one container to another, add objects to containers, and measure the dimensions of objects with a ruler. An eyedropper is available to add or remove small amounts of water, and a magnifying glass can be used to get a closeup view of a meniscus. Students can test their skills using the "Practice" mode of the Gizmo.

Let me know what you think of these new Gizmos. 

 

 

 

 

New "in-class" video showing best practices with Gizmos!

Recently published on YouTube is a 4-minute video demonstrating whole class instruction with Gizmos! Take a peek into a 5th grade classroom where students are investigating the Mineral Identification Gizmo.

Do you have videos of your students using Gizmos? If you do, please consider posting them to our Facebook page or YouTube channel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My broken leg...and the road to recovery.

Well, as the year is wrapping up I am reflecting on this years challenges and successes so to start framing my goals and direction for 2012. Of course, I am hoping 2012 brings fewer challenges than I faced in 2011. When I was engaging in this process at this time last year, I never would have imagined I would face orthopedic surgery to mend a shattered tibial plateau (left leg for the non-scientists reading this). It has not been an easy road to recovery but looking back now I can certainly see the blessings. Without a doubt, I am a much stronger person because I overcame the great challenge a little bit at a time.

In conversation with my new friend, CJ Calvert, he shared with me this:

"The doors to success swing on the tiny hinges of daily discipline.The biggest challenges that we face are overcome with the smallest of daily actions.

For me, I was dedicated to consistent small efforts toward a full recovery and that has made a big difference in getting this far. 

So, resolve to be commited to something for 2012 and work at it a little bit at a time. You will be amazed how quickly you can overcome.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Reflex exceeds 1 million logins in 7 months!

ExploreLearning announced today that Reflex, our new program helping students develop math fact fluency, has reached one million student logins. In that time, students have solved over 125 million math facts. These milestones have been achieved in the seven months since the product was launched in April 2011.

“Math fact fluency is a central pillar of elementary mathematics education,” says David Shuster, Ph.D., Founder and Publisher of ExploreLearning. “With over 125 million facts solved in one million Reflex student sessions to date, Reflex is helping a lot of kids gain confidence in their abilities as they learn their math facts.  The fact that they are doing it by playing games and having fun is the icing on the cake.”

Check out the comments and results from our Ontario pilot schools:  Download Reflex Ontario Flyer

Recently published success stories in The Sault Star and Huron Superior Catholic DSB website.

Looking for more info on the importance of math facts to student success? Have a look at this article written by Marian Small in the Ontario Math Gazette:  Download Miriam Small (Math Facts)

 

 

 

 

Generation G

Check out this TED Talk on Generation "G"amification: 

 

Now, if you are at all intrigued, sign up for a free trial to Reflex and experience exactly what Gabe Zichermann is talking about..."Games produce intrinsic reinforcement thru dopamine responses in the brain." You can actually see this in my son's body language in this video. 

I also challenge you to get in the game!

 

Having said that, I do not agree that the days of curling up with a book are over and that "Generation G" will no longer choose this learning tool. In fact, I think the opposite. I believe collectively on the brink of a change in how we value learning (long time in coming, I know). A book is still fantasitc technology becasue the paper is right there for you to begin interacting with the ideas the author is trying to convey. I love my Kobo e-reader but it is not as effective a medium for me to be actively learning. In my opinion, E-readers are fantastic technology for consuming books but mediocre technology for digesting them.

Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and spectulation at a stand still.     - Henry David Thoreau

I feel the same way about math. Reflex is fantastic at building math fact fluency for learners of all ages. The important thing is the transfer of the skill to other contexts and situations. The age old technology of paper and pencil is still perfectly suited for situations like having to calculate how much material you need to purchase from the hardware store for the project you are working on.