In the past year, EdSource has highlighted the work of fascinating people, innovative programs and impactful policies that contribute to the broad picture of education in California.
As the year comes to an end, the EdSource staff shares some of their favorite stories of 2024.
We are happy to introduce you to one of our Superuser Teachers from Santa 
Fe, NM, Katherine Bueler. She started her career as a mechanical engineer but changed occupations to become a math & science teacher. She loves math and knew that with a career teaching science and mathematics she could make a difference in the lives of the students in her community.
Katherine earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, California State University-Chico in 1983.
She also acquired a teaching license in secondary math & science-bilingual and is currently a Nationally Board Certified Mathematics Instructor in Santa Fe, NM where she has been a science and math teacher for 20+ years. She is very dedicated to making sure that her students understand math and knows that it requires her to personalize learning for her diverse group of students. She has been using the Wowzers personalized math program in her classroom for a few years and recently “connected the dots” with a revelation. “As a child, I attended 12 schools between kindergarten and 12th grade. In 6th grade, we moved to Minnesota and the school said I was at a 3rd-grade math level. All students in the class were on individualized math programs: we’d do a paper lesson, wait two weeks while our bubble sheets were sent to a computer in Iowa for scanning (my first interaction with a computer!), and move on to the next. I went through three years of math that year, and have gotten high-percentage A’s in all math since, including magna cum laude in mechanical engineering. So, my revelation was that one factor in my advocacy for the Wowzers program is that it reminds me of something that worked extremely well for me. “
Katherine has developed routines for her classroom that are set up to best benefit her students using the Wowzers program. She is able to hold students accountable through monitoring student progress on the Wowzers Teacher Dashboard. Her room is enveloped with quiet concentration and students are on target during Wowzers time. She asked one of her once challenged & unmotivated students, who are seeing growth in his understanding of math concepts, why he used the Wowzers program beyond the required class time. He responded, “ Wowzers is helpful and fun!”. She thought, “that should be the goal for all teachers– provide instruction and materials that are helpful and fun!
She also says, “I believe in this Wowzers program and I’ve developed a workflow that fits nicely into my grading. In terms of the program itself, there is no other instructive math program that truly teaches & uses effective pedagogy like Wowzers. I’ve waited for a program like this for years!”
For our latest teacher feature, we connected with Julie Nicholson, a sixth-grade teacher in Texas. Ms. Nicholson just discovered Wowzers this year, but already the program has made a huge impact on her classroom. Because she works in a 1:1 school, she incorporates Wowzers whenever possible. Every day, she uses Wowzers after the students answer their bell ringer question of the day. As soon as she verifies each student’s correct answer, her students immediately log in to Wowzers to pick up where they left off in the curriculum. When she pulls out small groups of students, the rest of the students continue working on Wowzers. She finds that when students use Wowzers, they stay engaged longer so she’s able to concentrate on each small group.
Mrs. Nicholson’s favorite feature is how she’s able to import her students’ NWEA MAP Growth scores to create a personalized curriculum for each student. She toggles her students between these personalized curriculum paths and a general classroom path as needed. She explains, “I love the differentiation of it reaching my students right where they are as individuals. I have students below grade level, on grade level, and I have students a couple of grade levels above. This program allows my students to get that individualized instruction without me feeling bad that there is not enough of me to go around or enough time in one class period to work with ALL of my students. It is very important to me that the lower, middle and upper performing students grow.”
The reports built into Wowzers have also been a lifesaver for Ms. Nicholson since they save her time and energy. By quickly looking over the real-time reports, she sees which students are struggling, and who’s receiving remediation. Because she doesn’t need to spend hours grading papers, she’s able to give her best to her students and spend more time with her family. She describes the reports as a “make or break” feature for her as a teacher.
Ms. Nicholson’s students seem to be enjoying Wowzers as well. As one student explained, “It gives you lots of things to do and keeps you hooked. I have never been attached to a math program, and when Mrs. Nicholson said we were getting a new one, I thought, ‘Oh great, another boring program.’ But I love Wowzers!”
When we asked Ms. Nicholson what else she’d like to see in Wowzers, she said, “One idea could be to set up a way for my students to compete against each other and in teams. They like the competition. It would also be great if they could compete against my other classes or classes within my school for points, or coins. It’s great motivation and creates excitement and teamwork.” What a great idea!
We recently got the chance to speak to Stacy Maxwell, an elementary school teacher in Battlement Mesa, Colorado. Ms. Maxwell used Wowzers in the classroom and took advantage of Wowzers easy transition to remote learning when schools closed. She uses Wowzers to facilitate small groups and takes advantage of the program’s many resources to supplement her students’ learning. Each student has their own personalized curriculum path, which she believes has helped them become more successful in their learning, and meeting students’ specific needs in math
As her students progress through Wowzers, Ms. Maxwell tracks their progress using the teacher dashboard. Each week, she checks their usage and uses it to highlight their successes. Celebrating her students’ successes has been more important than ever as they adapt to virtual learning. The dashboard also helps her identify where she needs to supplement and step in to assist her students.
Ms. Maxwell’s students have been enjoying their Wowzers journey as well. They’ve remained engaged in the program and particularly liked creating an avatar to personalize their adventure. The progression in Wowzers allows them to feel successful as they move through the curriculum. They’re motivated to work hard in order to earn more game time in Wowzers.
By customizing each student’s curriculum, Ms. Maxwell was able to create a specific learning goal for each of her students. This has been her favorite part of implementing Wowzers since it gives her the ability to easily meet each student where they are. This helps supplement the students’ learning and pushes them in the right areas exactly when they need it. Ms. Maxwell also takes advantage of Wowzers’ supplemental materials. The downloadable activities, worksheets, games, and discussion questions allow her to personalize the program to her state’s specific standards.
We appreciate all our Wowzers users, and love hearing about how teachers customize the program to meet their classroom’s needs.