South Florida News from ExploreLearning : For Administrators

Quick FCAT - Nature of Science Prep! (Quick Virtual Science Fair)

Hi Everyone!

I know you are pushing hard before FCATs - I know that Gizmos have already helped your students prepare, and you are putting finishing touches on your preps.  I know many of you have seen this if you've trained with me, but just in case you forgot about it, here is a very quick and powerful tool to cover experimental design.  It can be done whole class, small groups, or individual.  You use screenshots to help fill in the design, and there is less writeup so that the focus is on designing the experiment (with one variable). Here's the file ( Download Mini_sci_fair ) and it has a rubric/standards too!

Let me know if you need anything!

One of my favorite new Gizmos! Measuring Volume!

One of my favorite new Gizmos is the fairly new Measuring Volume one!  Kids can use the sink for hours and never leave a impact on the enviroment!  There's an exploration and a practice setting - the practice one guides the student on using the meniscus to determine accurate volume measurements - yay, what a time saver!

FCAT & Gizmos

Here are some inspirational slides to help you find conceptually powerful and engaging lessons to remediate benchmarks in preparation for the FCAT...

These are the FL DOE sample test items correlated to specific Gizmos!

Here is an Action Plan that you may want to use at PLC meetings to help your staff: Download FCAT-EOC-Gizmo_Action_Plan

 

Gizmo Refresher Webinar!

YOU’RE INVITED!

Hello Gizmologists!

 

You are invited to take part in a Gizmo Refresher Webinar!  If you’ve had the initial training, but you’d like some reminders or pointers, please join us on Wednesday, February 8^th from 3-4 pm or 8-9 pm.  Each session is limited to 25 participants so that we can give personalized attention to your questions, so please RSVP by replying to desiree.sujoy@explorelearning.com  to reserve your spot.  We will gladly add additional days/times to the schedule to accommodate everyone’s interest in this event.  It will also be recorded, if you’d like to watch it as a video file at your convenience.

 

•       Topics to be addressed:

§  Settings, Class Tabs, Adding Gizmos, Gizmos resources, Enrolling students, Managing Gizmos list, Import Gizmos, Sharing Gizmos, End of the Year considerations, Highlighting a Gizmo

•       To participate, you need:

§  A computer with internet connection

§  Username and password for ExploreLearning.com (Gizmos)

§  Phone line/cell phone to dial into the conference call

In order to attend, please RSVP by 2/7/12 with the specific time that you want to attend, and a confirmation email will be sent to you with directions; i.e. the site to go to and the phone conference #.

 

Please pass this invitation around to anyone you know that uses Gizmos, as I may not have updated email addresses for all users.  See you there!

 

High School Gizmo Correlation Resources

Here are documents that will help you prepare your students for their EOC's and other exams using Gizmos. The documents have links to specific Gizmos embedded in the text. Enjoy!

• Download FL_Algebra_I_standards_correlated_Gizmos
• Download FL_Geometry_standards_correlated_Gizmos
• Download BiologyFL11Sp_EOC_Gizmos Embedded_FINAL

Elementary Gizmo Correlation Resources

Science Benchmarks:

• Download FL_Grade_3_science_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_4_science_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_5_science_benchmarks_Gizmos

PBC Science Textbooks:

• Download HMH_Science_Fusion_3rd_Grade_Gizmos
• Download HMH_Science_Fusion_4th_Grade_Gizmos
• Download HMH_Science_Fusion_5th_Grade_Gizmos

Math Benchmarks:

• Download FL_Grade_3_math_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_4_math_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_5_math_benchmarks_Gizmos

PBC Math Textbooks:

• Download Go_Math_3rd_Grade_Gizmos
• Download Go_Math_4th_Grade_Gizmos
• Download Go_Math_5th_Grade_Gizmos
  

Middle School Benchmark Resources

Happy New Year! I've created easy spreadsheet documents that will help you use Gizmos to remediate particular standards in response to your diagnostic results. Each standard is listed in order on the left, Gizmo in center, and standard + explanation on the right.  The Gizmos are clickable hyperlinks that take you straight to the Gizmo. Enjoy!

Science:

• Download FL_Grade_6_science_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_7_science_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_8_science_benchmarks_Gizmos
  

 

Math:

• Download FL_Grade_6_math_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_7_math_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Grade_8_math_benchmarks_Gizmos
• Download FL_Algebra_I_standards_correlated_Gizmos
  

Gizmo Refresher Webinar!

YOU’RE INVITED!

Hello Gizmologists!

 You are invited to take part in a Gizmo Refresher Webinar!  If you’ve had the initial training, but you’d like some reminders or pointers, please join us on December 6^th or 7^th from 8-9 pm.  Each session is limited to 25 participants so that we can give personalized attention to your questions, so please RSVP by emailing me (desiree.sujoy@explorelearning.com) to reserve your spot.  We will gladly add additional days to the schedule to accommodate everyone’s interest in this event.  It will also be recorded, if you’d like to watch it as a video file at your convenience. The video recording link will be posted on my blog on 12/8!

• Topics to be addressed: Settings, Class Tabs, Adding Gizmos, Gizmos resources, Enrolling students, Managing Gizmos list, Import Gizmos, Sharing Gizmos, End of the Year considerations, Highlighting a Gizmo

 

• To participate, you need:
  • A computer with internet connection
  • Username and password for ExploreLearning.com (Gizmos)
  • Phone line/cell phone to dial into the conference call

In order to attend, please RSVP by 12/5/11, and a confirmation email will be sent to you with directions; i.e. the site to go to and the phone conference #.

Please pass around to anyone who you know that uses Gizmos too!  See you there!

Gizmos are available anytime! everywhere!

Here's a letter that you can send to parents with lots of helpful information - including the fact that since Gizmos are internet-based, they are available anywhere, anytime you are connected!  Although they are primarily for classroom use, they're also great for homework, assignments while away from school, etc. The assignments are always there for the student to print out or answer electronically, right from the lesson info page on every Gizmo!

 

Here's the parent letter (pdf & word format)

Download Gizmos_parent_letter

Download Intro_to_gizmos_for_parents

Welcome to Gizmo News!

Hi Everyone! Welcome!

I am your Project Manager, and you can contact me for trainings, help, and ideas. I used Gizmos for many years during my 8 years teaching 7^th/8^th grade in South Florida. I look forward to creating a Gizmo community in which we can share best practices so that everyone gets help or inspiration...I will use this site to update you on training announcements, cool science or math ideas, how-to videos, and files that you may need. Check back often!

My contact information is:

Desiree Sujoy

desiree.sujoy@explorelearning.com