Making the Invisible Visible: How a Florida Teacher Inspires Curiosity with Gizmos

Before her days in the classroom, Alissa Himelfarb spent her time surrounded by nature in a wildlife rehab center. “Raccoons are my favorite. They’re so smart,” said Himelfarb, recalling how the animals can remember lock combinations.

Now an eighth-grade teacher at Pizzo K–8 School in Tampa, FL, the teacher still gets the occasional call for help. “We get a lot of opossums, squirrels, or turtles on campus, and the students know to call me. I have brought all of these animals into my classroom and released them back into the wild in a safe space. The mindset that I see change in [students] and how they view other species in general or how they think of the world is super awesome,” said Alissa.

Alissa’s passion for science education is obvious, especially for the students she works with in Hillsborough County Public Schools. In addition to teaching, she serves as a science coach on her middle school team and writes 8th-grade curriculum for the district. “I was an in-person coach for a while, but I really missed working with the students,” said Alissa.

Seeing the unseen: Bring science to life with Gizmos

Alissa turns to ExploreLearning Gizmos virtual simulations to help illustrate complex science topics to her students. “Sometimes with a lot of physics and chemistry, it’s not possible to do hands-on labs, or if it is, the theme is so overarching or minuscule that we can’t see it with our naked eye, like light or some types of physics. That’s when the Gizmos really do come in handy because they give students the ability to act like scientists and use models.”

Gizmos provide Alissa with flexible and customizable options that fit her lesson planning needs. “I currently use Gizmos about once or twice per topic in my classroom. Depending on the student and my class, I'll either have them work individually or in pairs.” She sometimes uses a virtual lab or STEM Case before she introduces a concept, or she might use a Gizmo after students spend time in the lab.

“I always have my students experience the natural phenomena first, and that way, when they're doing the Gizmo, they already have that background knowledge. So now they're really pairing the actual scientific vocab and the words that go with what they're learning to their experience they had the day before. It's a full circle,” said the teacher.

“A lot of times, I’ll do a hands-on lab first so the students can experience [a concept], and then I like to do a Gizmo. That way, they can actually see the science and the mathematics of what it should look like. Then they can easily do repetitions and compare the replication results with the other students.”

Alissa’s 8th-grade students work in the science lab.

Helping students think and talk like scientists

“I think there's this misconception that I still see students grapple with—that science has to be in a lab, that science is not with models, or it's not even outside,” said Alissa. From Fan Cart Physics to Ocean Tides, Gizmos connect concepts to experiences that students understand.

“Gizmos show a huge variety of science interactives. Yes, some are in the lab, but they are all real-world related… Gizmos help break that down that yes, science is done across multiple disciplines, not just in a lab.”

They also reinforce key practices like doing multiple trials, changing variables, discussing data, and evaluating hypotheses. “With every Gizmo simulation, those nature of science practices are within it.”

“I love Gizmos. I think every student should have the opportunity to use it, especially in our technology and computer era today. Kids want to be on the computer. I think it's especially great if hands-on is not an option as well. But even if it is, then use a Gizmo after to solidify what they just learned.” –Alissa Himelfarb

Engaging all students with Gizmos

With just 45 minutes per class period, Alissa appreciates how easy Gizmos are to adapt and implement. “It syncs with my Canvas. Students log in, and it’s just there—they don’t have to search. That’s such a time-saver.”

Gizmos also include pre-made teacher and student resources, including vocabulary and answer keys, making it easy for Alissa to differentiate instruction and modify based on students’ needs. The teacher found that Gizmos have particularly helped support English language learners in her classes. “I have a very high ELL population. Because I can translate [the offline resources] in Spanish and print for them, they're able to complete it with the exact same rigor as a native English speaker. They know how to use an online simulation, so I think it helps break down the language barrier for them. So it's not that language, right, but instead do you understand the science concepts and why.”

Implementing Gizmos to drive student success

Like any classroom tool, implementation is key for successful outcomes. “My assistant principal actually used to be a science teacher, and she loves Gizmos as well. You know, any technology piece could be good or bad depending on how the teacher uses it,” said Alissa.

“When I'm using Gizmos I'm not just sitting at my desk while they're working independently. I am monitoring, going around, and asking probing questions. I’m making sure that not only are they on track, but seeing that they're understanding the reasoning and how they got answers…It's an actual lab, and I, as a teacher, am involved in it.”

Showing students the bigger picture

At the heart of it all, her passion lies in helping students grow, both as learners and people. “Eighth grade is a big year,” said Alissa. “My favorite part of teaching is watching the students grow over time, seeing them care about each other and the world, and learning and getting excited about the science around them that they might not have made that connection to. And making them better people and happy.”
 

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