Use of Digital Manipulatives for Use of Digital Manipulatives for Experimental DesignExperimental Design

Joselyn J. Todd Joselyn J. Todd

Director of Instructional TechnologyDirector of Instructional TechnologyCary Academy, Cary, NCCary Academy, Cary, NC

http://caryacademy.org

Thank You, Liz!Thank You, Liz!

WelcomWelcomee

• Who am I?Who am I?

• **Who are you?** (**Who are you?** (Where are you from? Where are you from? Primary Discipline ?)Primary Discipline ?)

• What are we going to do over What are we going to do over the next 50 minutes or so?the next 50 minutes or so?

• (Browsers)(Browsers)

Participant Learning Participant Learning ObjectivesObjectives

Participants will be able to:Participants will be able to:

• Collaboratively explore Collaboratively explore how a DM can be used how a DM can be used with students to study with students to study experimental designexperimental design

• Help students analyze the Help students analyze the affordances and limitations affordances and limitations of a DMof a DM

• Share digital Share digital manipulatives-applets, manipulatives-applets, simulations, and software simulations, and software that can be used to create that can be used to create such thingssuch things

** Do you use DMs in your classroom? How?**** Do you use DMs in your classroom? How?**

Why use DMs?Why use DMs?

““Can students do Can students do this experiment in a this experiment in a classroom setting classroom setting and get reasonably and get reasonably accurate data such accurate data such that the “science” that the “science” or “math” may be or “math” may be discovered?”discovered?”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Balance_%C3%A0_tabac_1850.JPG Creative Commons Creative Commons

Digital ManipulativesDigital Manipulatives• Recommendations: Recommendations:

Update your Java and Update your Java and Shockwave; Safari, Shockwave; Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc. Have multiple etc. Have multiple browsers on your browsers on your machine. machine.

• Look for DMs that allow Look for DMs that allow manipulation of variables manipulation of variables for experimental design.for experimental design.

• Avoid “simulations” - Avoid “simulations” - unless you want to have unless you want to have your students analyze your students analyze them for accuracy.them for accuracy.

Let’s CollaborateLet’s Collaborate

**Determine whether the following are useful for students to **Determine whether the following are useful for students to study experimental design.** Explore for 5 minutes to study experimental design.** Explore for 5 minutes to determine if this is a good DM for ED. What are the determine if this is a good DM for ED. What are the affordances and limitations of these tools?affordances and limitations of these tools?

• DM 1 -DM 1 -http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsc/activities/simulations/gr5/unitb.html

• DM 2 - DM 2 - http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/olc/dl/120074/bio18.swf

• DM 3 - DM 3 - http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/

Exploring An ExampleExploring An Example**Go to: **Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/projectile-http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/projectile-motion/projectile-motion_en.htmlmotion/projectile-motion_en.html and “play” for and “play” for 3-4 minutes. Use FireFox if you have it.**3-4 minutes. Use FireFox if you have it.**

Let’s Collaborate Let’s Collaborate FurtherFurther

**Having explored the tool now we will divide into **Having explored the tool now we will divide into teams and develop short materials and methods teams and develop short materials and methods in order to design an experiment. Google Docs? in order to design an experiment. Google Docs? Board? Pirate Pad? Cacoo? We’ll use Pirate Pad.**Board? Pirate Pad? Cacoo? We’ll use Pirate Pad.**

• T1- T1- https://www.piratepad.ca/p/Simulationhttps://www.piratepad.ca/p/Simulation

• T2 - T2 - https://www.piratepad.ca/p/Simulationhttps://www.piratepad.ca/p/Simulation

• T3 - T3 - https://www.piratepad.ca/p/Simulationhttps://www.piratepad.ca/p/Simulation

Share Screen. Taking it Further!Share Screen. Taking it Further!

ResourcesResourcesTools for Math and Science:Tools for Math and Science:

http://nlvm.usu.eduhttp://nlvm.usu.edu//

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/

http://phet.colorado.eduhttp://phet.colorado.edu//

http://www.explorelearning.comhttp://www.explorelearning.com//

http://concord.org/activitieshttp://concord.org/activities ( Create your ( Create your own: own: http://mw.concord.org/modeler/http://mw.concord.org/modeler/ ) )

**Share your own resources in the Chat****Share your own resources in the Chat**

Joselyn’s InformationJoselyn’s Information

Joselyn J. Todd, Ph.D.Joselyn J. Todd, Ph.D.

Director of Instructional TechnologyDirector of Instructional Technology

Cary Academy, Cary, NCCary Academy, Cary, NC

joselyn_todd@caryacademy.orgjoselyn_todd@caryacademy.org

919-228-4541919-228-4541

Twitter: @joselyntoddTwitter: @joselyntodd