Wowzers

Wowzers is an interactive, adaptive math program that provides students opportunities to learn, practice, and apply new concepts. Each full session is organized in a traditional workshop model. Students start with a pre-assessment, followed by a lesson, practice, games, quests, and a final quiz. Students may move through a remediation step as needed, or skip a lesson if they do well on assessments. The assessments are modeled after the styles used on PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments, which can help students prepare for high-stakes testing environments.  

The site provides comprehensive math content for grades K-8 based on the Common Core State Standards. Teachers are prompted to choose how they plan on using the website with their students; choices include core instruction, supplemental instruction, and extended day programs. Once students are entered into the site, teachers can choose activities and playlists across multiple grade levels. Students begin their work on Wowzers by creating an avatar and learning about the site. The kids’ virtual world is a visually engaging, animated space where they are rewarded with coins as they make progress on math concepts.

If you're looking for game-based learning, Wowzers is worth a look. It blends traditional math concepts into an animated virtual world, and the engagement factor is high, at least for grades K-5. Visually, middle school students might find the world a bit childish and less attractive. Although it's been recently improved, the audio still sounds a bit robotic at times, which can be a turn-off. Earning coins for performance might feed kids' desire for extrinsic rewards, but teachers should think about the implications of this within the context of their classrooms; will the knowledge stick?

On the plus side, the workshop model embedded in the program supports student learning. Teachers can create break-out groups from within each classroom to create differentiated learning scenarios. Students get instant feedback on assessments and get step-by-step instruction as needed. Some of these lessons are animated, while others are Khan Academy-like tutorials. These tutorials may help some learners, but others may need different types of instruction. The site also has downloadable supplemental materials, including homework worksheets, games, and activities for higher-order thinking and writing; teachers will appreciate the variety here. In particular, the Extended Response Four Square is a useful tool for problem-solving. With online and offline lessons, practice, and fun, Wowzers could be a valuable addition to an already balanced math classroom.