RSS Feed....slightly late
16 years ago
For this software review assignment I chose two educational software programs that are available on our laptops from Laurier; Poetry in a Nutshell, which explores different types of poetry and the purposes of them, and Canadian Geographic Explorer which is an interactive program delivering information about the history and geography of Canada. Both programs are aimed at the upper junior divisions, and I think could be used in intermediate classrooms as well.
For Canadian Geographic Explorer interactive journey (CGE), I began by exploring the game as if I was a grade six student. It begin with a nice slide show of pics from across Canada accompanied by instrumental music complete with loon calls. It then proceeded to a menu screen asking if you would like a tutorial/introduction. I observed this tutorial and conclude that it is sufficient as an explanation for students to follow in order to understand how the program works. Pedegogically, this program is extremely effective. It covers a lot of the grade 4-6 Geography strains, as well as a good amount of the 4-6 Canadian History curriculum. It is easily used, and organized in a logical manner which encourages exploration of the program and consequently more learning. I had fun using it and opening pages to find out interesting and relevent facts. The main page allows you to choose either history or geography to explore, and in each section there are a many options to choose from. These include; About Canada, Write Pad, Index, Dictionary, Mouse Tutorial, Menu, sound, Help, and Quit. While the graphics cannot compare with Wii or Playstation, there are some skillful illustrations and real photos incorporated into the subjects. There are narratives accompanying a variety of pages which help the program appeal to different learning styles. There are options to complete exersices in every section, which gives the student the choice between a Text exercise or Map exercise. One negative thing I noticed is that it seems a lot of guidance would be necissary if a tecaher wanted his/her students to use the program for a specific topic. There is a large amount of information available within the pages, so in order to direct one's students much modelling would be necessary.
As a tool for furthuring and expanding lessons in my classroom I would definately use this program. I will be in a grade six classroom in my next practicum so I am planning a few lessons during which I can make use of this software. There is also a helpful teacher's resource to accompany this software which is available online.
To evaluate this software I used the Kathy Schrock Evaluation Form, which was a fairly comprehensive review tool. I like the identifiers at the beginning of the form, as well as the spaces for product's specifics. This is probably the most significant addition I would add to the evaluation tool we developed in class. CGE had a pretty good review according to both assessment tools. I would definately recommend that other TECs explore this software as a potential way to integrate technolgy into their lessons while meeting curricular expectations.
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Poetry In a Nutshell had a significantly different review from myself. I was very disappointed in this software. I am a very big poetry fan and just love reading, writing, and learning about it. I found I was bored with Poetry In a Nutshell almost from the introduction. It is my opinion that we have a responsibility to change the negative connotations that poetry has had in the past with elementary aged children and demonstrate how engaging and fun it can be. If use modern examples such as hiphop lyrics, spoken word poetry, and the like we can ignite interest in different poetic forms. But this software began with a dull intrumental that sounded as if it were composed in the 1800's , and a fairly monotone voice explaining three catagories to study poetry; Image, Tone, and Mood.
The one positive feature I must comment on in this software is the variety of interesting pictures. The shots often reflect the mood of the poems being read, and are really quite nice. During one activity, however, in which the students are required to imagine what images can be seen in a picture of a cloud, the selected photo does not seem to display any of the suggested forms. Not a great example at all.
If you are interested in turning your students off of poetry, this is the software for you. But if you at all intend to instill a modern notion of the potential and excitement which poetry can entail, then please steer clear of Poetry In a Nutshell. I will not use this program in any of my classes.
I used the same evaluation tools for this software and found the Kathy Schrock form a bit less useful. This is because I wanted to explain the short comings with more detail than the checklist allowed for. Again, I liked the space for sofware particulars however.
I was quite surprised by the amount of technology in my PLS when I began working their in September. While there is not a lot in the individual classrooms, there is quite a large number of Macs (about 30) in the library computer lab. There are nice computers with great programs on them, including much of what we have on our laptops. There is no Smartboards in my school but there is an LD classroom that has it's own set of about 8 computers with programs such as dragon, co-writer, and pages to help students get their writing typed and edited. The school has a digital camera that classes can sign out if there is an opportunity to snap a few pics of an activity. And one friday a month at the weekely assempbly, there is a slide show of pictures from various classes and events around the school. It is a nice incorporation of media into a routine event.
The area in which my PLS is located is quite low income, and so I am not sure if very many students are able to access computers at home. None-the-less, most every child I have seen using a computer at school seems confident and perfectly able to navigate through successfully.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/default.stm
It was neat to get an article directly sent to my Google reader. The article was from a BBC News website, and this is a site that I visit frequently so to get it sent directly is a time saver. The article is about some war crimes spys in Sudan who have been arrested.
From kids POV : grade 2
Pretty neat stuff. There is a snake and a talking garbage can. I can sort things, and learn about animals. But this is boring compared to my Wii! I liked building the helicopter bulldozer, that was fun but the picture was easy...I like my brothers Aircraft Wars game better. It was really easy to use though, and I liked the animals that talked to me. I liked making movies, but the rabbit was kind of scary, and he wouldn't let me make a funny movie that didn't make sense. There wern't very many things for me to do here either, and I kind of got bored afer about ten minutes. It was fun but not as much fun as other games I can play.
Teacher's criticle POV:
This software is pretty basic in all respects. From very simple graphics, to repetative jingles, to dated symbols, to monotone voices, and finally the disorrienting background grid on the desktop behind every screen.
The games are basic, and they are fairly user friendly. I think that this software would only really be used on very low grades. Compared with a lot of todays programs this would not intrigue students or challenge them. There are a few good teaching point, such as sorting which could help with some primary curriculum...but the attributes they are sorting by are a bit complex for the age range I think these graphics were designed for.
If I did not have access to other software, I would definetly let my students use this to reinforce classroom learning. However, if there were any more recent programmes available I would definetly choose them over Sammy's Science House. Overall, my opinion is that Sammy's Science House is in desperate need of going one of those reno shows. Oh yea, and the creepy English rabbit in the movie section who asks the players to 'touch me when your ready' definately needs to go.
Here's a link to another review. http://www2.worldvillage.com/wv/school/html/reviews/sammy.htm
This person seem to think it was bit more appropriate for age 3-6, but I would argue that the topics covered in the pond acticity as well as the attributes used to sort the animals (such as scales vs fir, and warm blooded vs. cold blooded) are to advanced for this age group.
SMART TECH Goals for Me
Honestly, I found the survey a bit confusing to decode exactly what it suggests my areas of improvement should be. Partly because the colour did not transfer and partly because I am not very familiar with the words that were used to suggest what I should be doing. For example, in the Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum section the survey suggests my ‘needs to start using content specific media, tools and resources for own learning and research’. I am unsure about what exactly ‘content specific media’ is, but I assume throughout the course this will become more clear.
Completing the survey has helped me understand some specific areas where I can grow to help me in the area of integrating technology into my classroom. Some goals I have going into this course and for myself as a developing teaching, as I mentioned in my brief review of completing the survey, are in the area of developing lesson plans that involve more technology and becoming better able to fix problems that occur with computer technology. I am looking forward to being able to name the exact technologies I will be integrating into my teaching, exactly what it will look like, feel like, and sound like, and how I will be integrating then into my lessons. There are of course the obvious computer games, even if they are educational, but I want to learn about some other ways and other technologies to use.
To be clear, my two main goals are in the categories of Technology Operations and Concepts and Planning and Designing Learning Environments. Specifically, I would like to improve my ability with solving routine hardware and software problems as mentioned by my skills test. To me this means being able to fix basic programming problems and knowing how to go into the control panel and decode and diagnose problems with software. This is perhaps not a completely measurable goal because I am not sure how to compare my present abilities and what I will arrive at. As far as who will help me, I presume the most obvious person will be the professor of my Technology in Education course, for which I am writing this. I will also learn a lot from those peers who are more adept with technology and perhaps even from some of the students I will be working with. A more measurable goal will be to design inclusive tech-based learning experiences. To describe a very tangible goal, I would like to have developed 10 lessons for my next practicum that directly involve suitable technology for the grade six class I will be teaching. I would like to integrate the technology into lessons in a variety of subjects, not solely in media communication classes. An important aspect of this goal is that I want to use five different types of technology, although exactly what five types I am not yet sure. I am setting this goal because it is important for me to build a variety of tools I can use when I want specifically to integrate technology into my lessons. I need to build a reserve of different games, programs, and websites that are applicable to the grade level I am teaching, and to be confident with the technology I am using with my students. My associate teacher will be an asset surely, in helping me integrate appropriate technology with the grade six students.
I believe these goals are feasible, as long as I remain focused on achieving them. With the help of my professor, my peers, and my associate teacher I will achieve what I have set out to during the course of EU432.
http://www.downes.ca/post/38502 Things Your Really Need to Learn
These ten things that Downes has pointed out are indeed quality attributes to posses. Reading his posting made me question why we were required to read such a posting in a Technology course, and I am a bit puzzeled. I do think it is valuable to consider the posting as an example of what can be communicated through blogging spaces and the internet in general. These ten points are not demanded of us from law, or even culture, but I doubt very much that any one of us would consdier them irrelevent. Reading another person's blog, and considering that another person has taken the time to share his views about these qualities is a comforting reflection for me because it casts an optimistic glow on the capacity for wisdom that my neighbours can posses. While Downes is not my next door neighbour, he is a sort of virtual neighbour as I now am a resident of Blogsville.
to be con't...
This is some technology I helped bring into a youth centre in a slum of Nairobi. We had fundraisers, wrote proposals to city council and gov. ministers and finally got 5 computers into our office. Four months after I left Kenya, in January 2008 they were able to get internet access for the first time; a huge moment for the youth centre and for the people in Marurui.
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