With the recent updates to iOS 8 as the operating system for iPads and iPhones, there are some new features available. One is that widgets are able to run in the Notification Center. This allows you to see the widget without entering your passcode. Visit http://go.unl.edu/kuif to learn more about this feature and how to enable the widgets on your iPad or iPhone.
In case you were wondering, widgets are small apps that run on a device's interface.