Activity 1d
C&I 335
Summer 1998
Tammy McLane
Argenta-Oreana Junior High School
Argenta, Illinois
I found a children's software evaluation instrument in one of CSR's magazine issues. I retyped it and adapted it for my district to use. We are in the process of forming a software review committee.
I thought this page http://www2.childrenssoftware.com/childrenssoftware/bologna/default.html
was particularly interesting because it mentions international software for children (Italian, French, and Polish). I think we are aware that the Internet is global but we forget that there are other software publishers than the "American" ones.Reference-- Britannica Internet
Guide (www.ebig.com) Encyclopaedia Britannica
"An ideal tool for teachers, parents and kids who want to ensure that the sites they
access have been received and graded for content and suitability"
We already have MS Encarta 97 and Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia 95 on CD-ROM in our district. I thought this web site would be a good addition to our "software collection" for those classrooms that have Internet access.
Music-- Musique by Gallimard Jeunesse
"The first music program that gives children the chance to try their hand at playing
the instruments they usually can only watch from a distance."
Our music teacher (7-12) is very interested in obtaining a computer for her classroom. This CD (although the language barrier would be a problem) might be one she would like to preview.
I also particularly liked the search tool at this site. I have been looking for an elementary typing/keyboarding program and through this search tool, I found several new titles that were already evaluated by teachers and parents.
Our district has taken advantage of the Scholastic Software Club for several years. However, I was not aware of its web site and the many resources it has to offer teachers. Upon visiting that site, I found summer tech resources for teachers, online tutorials, glossaries, and educational web site listings.
The state of Illinois has a contract with this company. An annual subscription costs $1000 but the state is picking up $700. Our school district is one of 300 participating this year. It is an online "Integrated Curricular Solution". I was impressed when we previewed the program because it has sections for students and teachers. It included many finished and sample lesson plans which should be an easy way for our teachers to start using the Web. The interface was easy to use and a fellow technology coordinator recommended the program. This program also includes many "safe" online reference materials that will coordinate with the new SIRS program our high school has purchased.
Educational Resources Staff Development
Our district has purchased several software titles from this company. However, as with Scholastic, I never took time to look at the web site. Upon doing so, I found many training options for staff. Although these courses are not free, our district has won some grant money for staff development. This may be one company we want to approach about technology and curriculum development.
Note: This site has some technical problems. I couldn't reach the staff development pages from one link but fortunately another link did work. The site's content is not particularly deep but it works as an advertisement for the company.
HyperStudio v. 3.1
Our district owns 3 copies of this multimedia software program but I foresee that we will be purchasing a district or site license soon. Along with PowerPoint, this is a perfect program for integrating technology in the classroom. Teachers and students can use it for eportfolios, presentations, organizing information, etc. in a multimedia, non-linear format. Also, because it has been used in education for many years, there are many lesson plans, stacks, and related sites available online and in print format to supplement the program itself.