Software Evaluations and Webquests

This past week I worked on the software evaluations. I looked at Timez Attack, Dance Mat Typing, and Playhouse Disney. The first two, Timez Attack and Dance Mat Typing, I found were useful only for extra practice, not so much as part of an actual lesson. These would be perfect for at-home practice and/or during downtime and post-activity time in class. Timez Attack was beneficial for those who learn best visually. So, boys would probably benefit the most from this. I thought the game could be produced a little better, yet considering its small credibility and amateur production it can help students learn. Dance Mat Typing seemed very advanced for a free product. It was easy to play and the overall gameplay was excellent. My favorite software was the Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online. Extremely detailed and relevent to children, Disney put together a fantastic program that allows Pre-K age children to have fun and learn at the same time. I actually got way too involved in this game, playing and viewing so many different activities.

After reading the articles on WebQuest, I feel I have a better understanding of how to set up my Filamentality page. As a teacher, I will definitely use this resource. The first article, "Focus", explained the proper way to use and set up a WebQuest. Big or small, a WebQuest can really enhance a child's learning experience, escpecially in our expanding technology age. Also, knowing that there are so many great WebQuests out there, I would feel comfortable using other teachers work.

Internet research and Excel

The Web is full of so much useful information and through Internet search engines we can view this info. Felt and Syman explained this, as obvious as it seems to many of us, yet it is important to be reminded of the proper usage of the Internet as an educational tool. Finding credibility in Internet sources is fairly easy to recognize today, but students unfamiliar with the Internet still need to learn how to find info and learn what is and isn't credible. Like many students, I usually use the Internet as my primary source of information when doing research, especially the online article databases provided by our library. Not that I'm lazy, but it's so much more quicker and provides an abundance of information.

With excel spreadsheets, students and teachers can organize and present information with professional precision. It helps, of course, to learn the tricks of the program, but even the simple entries of numbers and converting to graphs is simple and beneficial enough to teach in a day or two. After taking the excel quiz (score: 5/9), I realized I should have reviewed the terms. I will definitely use Excel as an educator and as a prospective Math teacher, expect students to learn this program as well.