There are many things to be aware of when picking out appropriate software for educational purposes. First, it is important to not be distracted by things such as flashy colors and animations since they may, in fact, distract the learner. Many software creators have information on their website which can be used in order to make judgments about whether or not the software is appropriate for the instruction. In order to start evaluating software, an educator should first see whether he or she already has materials that will already sufficiently teach the information, or whether additional software materials are necessary. It is also important to compare different types of software to see if there are other similar software programs which can teach the information the same if not better than an expensive type of software.
Many software producers allow you to download a free sample of their software, and there are many important and familiar software creators which are important to be familiar with, such as The Learning Company or Scholastic. It is also important to become familiar with the quality of the software and the reading level and set-up of the software in order to see how well the students of the classroom would adapt and be able to learn something from the software. It is important to consider all the ways that an educator could use the software and how much time it would take in the classroom. Also, there are many web games that are on the internet that could be used for teaching such as Web Physics. Or it is often possible to get special education purchases with bundles of software. There are many options when looking at and evaluating software. The key is to think of the ways that it can be included in learning and if it will be a successful tool. It is important to do the research and be aware of the products before using them in instruction.
Lamb, Annette, and Larry Johnson. "Electronic Materials for Children and Young Adults." EduScapes: A Site for Life-long Learners. Web. 25 Sept. 2009. http://eduscapes.com/earth/management/selection.html
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I found your post very well written and helpful. I like how you brought up that some softwares and hardwares offer free trials and downloads which could allow for teachers to test them out instead of purchasing an entire program only to find it ineffective. I also agree that it is important to do research on products before using them because if can effect how smoothly a lesson will be administered as well as impact the learning of the students.
ReplyDeleteI thought you wrote a very good post. I completley agree with you on not to get distracted by flashy colors and cool designs. I think they could be tempting and make the product look better, but when it comes down to it the quality of the prodect is what it comes down to. You would never want to waste all kinds of money and then just find out that, in the long run, it just isn't doing the job you'd thought it'd do.
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