Stimulating Science Simulations

One of my favorite classroom tools are the data probes from Vernier Technologies.  During our 5th grade unit study of motion, we used the Go! Motion sensor to detect student motion including speed and velocity. You can see the level of concentration in my students' faces as they collected their data using laptops and probes.  In addition to collecting the data, students developed an understanding of how speed can be represented on a line graph.     I highly recommend the use of data probes such as these.  Grant sources such as DonorsChoose and Bright Ideas are great places to secure funding. After completing this investigation, we analyzed various line graphs representing speed. Check out our notebook entries.

As a part of the accountability to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, I have been trying to find a way to track the download stats for things I offer on my Stimulating Science Simulations website. In particular, I wanted to be able to state the number of times a simulation unit has been downloaded in comparison to the number of feedback forms received. After several failed attempts, I finally came across a very simple method. It relies on the use of shortened URLs created with a free account at bit.ly Bit.ly tracks clicks on the shortened URLs and these are immediately available in the stats section. I am pretty excited about this and glad I haven't already added too many things that I will want to link in this way.  I only have a few items to re-link and a reliable method for linking from this point forward in order to collect trackable data. There may be other tools that provide even more detailed information, but for now I am satisfied. If you have another method that ...