Joe Restoule General has been teaching for 13 years and currently works as a Learning Resource Teacher and is a certified Peer Helper Trainer. He attended Queen’s University for his B. Ed. and the University of Western Ontario for his M. Ed.
Mr. Restoule General works at J.C. Hill School, which is located on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation. All his students are First Nation students, which he describes as, “enthusiastic and inquisitive learners.” He works with students requiring extra support in math and language, or alternative learning in those subject areas. “These students are most engaged with technology and games that infuse math and language learning, as traditional methods of instruction haven’t provided the best learning experience for them.”
Mr. Restoule General enjoys using Gizmos because they help present simpler mathematical models that help to “unlock a concept” that may sometimes be difficult for students to understand. One example he mentions is the Toy FactoryGizmo. “This is a fun way to present a model of fractions. The adjustable variables allow for students to gradually increase their comfort level of exploring fractions from simple, common fractions like one half to more complex modelling like equivalent fractions. The Gizmo also allows for switching up questioning approaches between numerical and pictorial representations and opportunities to use a lot of the vocabulary associated with fractions.”
In addition to having the students collaborate in small groups and interacting with Gizmos during whole-class instruction on an interactive whiteboard, Mr. Restoule General supports open inquiry with Gizmos. He explains, “I just let the students experiment with a selection of Gizmos and report back to their peers what the Gizmo models and how the math concepts appear in the Gizmo. This presents the students with an opportunity to ask their own questions and see how the Gizmo can adequately assist in solving the student generated inquiries.
Apart from an obvious engagement and motivation to manipulate and “play” with the Gizmo, the results speak for themselves when students can carry the mathematical model into their own explanation or interpretation of the math concept studied in another classroom situation. Talking with students about how to change a median, ‘If I added a seven it would balance the scale.’ [This type of response] shows how students take the interactive, virtual manipulation of the Gizmo and internalise the concepts in their interpretation of the math being taught.”
He concludes, “I would encourage more teachers to experiment with Gizmos and try it in a variety of ways in the classroom. Just as mathematical problems can be solved in many different ways, so too can Gizmos be utilized in a variety of approaches. Gizmos’ ease of use and ability to collaborate and share techniques and user-generated resources makes every teacher’s job easier while connecting us to make our profession stronger.”