MY SECRET WEAPON IN GETTING MY STUDENTS TO LOVE STEM
it is a requirement for her to be able to pass the course . She reluctantly agreed to log on . Lina was one of these students : a very intelligent young lady with low interest in STEM overall . She often told me that “ Math and Science were hard and boring … and not for her “ and “ by the way , when was she ever going to use any of that ”.
Fast forward to the following week and all my students thanks to Gizmos have become completely engaged in their learning , even Lina . In fact , Lina was logging on and getting more work done than many others in her class . This may sound too good to be true , but allow me to explain how Gizmos work and I am confident you too will see the value that it can add to your students .
When my students started using Gizmos , they became truly engaged . They started thinking like scientists and mathematicians . Even students like Lina , participated in class . I could hear “ Aha !” and “ what would happen if we changed this variable ?”. These online simulations made it possible for us to study complex concepts and develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking , collaboration , communication and creativity , naturally . Every Gizmo ( or simulation )
Like many teachers , I had a really rough time at the start of the pandemic . Trying to move my students to online learning was not easy . I am a STEM teacher , and like many teachers , the best part of my teaching is being in the classroom doing hands-on experiments or solving problems with my students .
What do you do when that is all taken away without notice ? At first I panicked . I started to try any and every program available . Can you relate ?
I was fortunate to find Gizmos early in my search . Gizmos has completely changed the way I teach . It is my secret weapon .
In this article I will share with you why I am its biggest fan , and why you simply must try it .
Have you ever had a student in your class who does not respond to any of the teaching methods that you have tried ? Well , I have one such student . Her name is Lina . Lina was hardly impressed with anything and distance learning gave her the perfect excuse to disengage even more .
When I announced to the class that we were going to try Gizmos , most students were ok with the idea and were willing to explore the new program . Lina on the other hand was simply not interested . I told her that