K12 Schools Must Fill Need For Digital Media Skills
There is a new urgency to teach digital media literacy as a study finds students are taking online information for granted
The age of the Internet and Web 2.0 is changing the way students think, speak and gather information. The trends involved are also changing how teachers and administrators access and implement computer software programs. While many of this year's top software products act as stand-alone packages, quite a few are more or entirely Web-based, blurring the line between software that you "put on" your computer and software that is "wired in" and integrated to a network of other users.
Regardless of their various forms of interconnectivity, what really brings the top software products of 2007-08 together is that, if used properly and to their potential, they can make your job more productive.
We received many votes for Pokémon Learning League, the award-winning online suite of interactive, animated lessons in language arts, math, science, and life skills spawned by the hugely popular Nintendo Game Boy video games. With its lively characters and adventures, the suite's content has captured the attention not only of young students but also educators and parents.
Says Bill Burrall, the coordinator of instructional technology at Marshall County (W. Va.) Schools, "The present generation of learners expects this type of content delivery, and the Pokémon Learning League has designed the lessons to meet expectations."
Other top software products, such as FileMaker Pro 9, perform more pragmatic functions geared toward staff members. As the number one selling database software program, educators say that its wide range of features and tools allows them to do a variety of things better.
"It's all very intuitive. The graph tools, the plug-ins, everything," says William Bircher, the principal at Head O'Meadow School in Newtown, Conn.
The beauty of the FileMaker software is that it allows you to connect directly with the information you need every time you launch the program. Bircher adds that the software, which is in place and districtwide, has been used to create a special report card system and student attendance surveys.
Many products are Web-based, blurring the
line between software that is "put on" your
computer and software that is "wired in."
And then there are top software products that cross over into hardware, such as Leapster Story Explorers from LeapFrog SchoolHouse, which at first glance might resemble a Game Boy more than an educational device. But Story Explorers is a powerful learning tool, with story narratives and engaging activities, and is the first curriculum for English Language Learners developed for an interactive handheld platform. "After spending 20 minutes a day with the program, my students' oral and phonics skills improved a great deal," claims Natalia Del Pozo, a teacher from Richmond, Calif., who participated in a six-week study on the effectiveness of the product.
DimensionM Math Software ratches up the excitement even more. The software takes all the elements of high-stakes action and suspense from first-person shooter games such as Halo and Doom and brings them to an immersive, interactive multiplayer world for learning algebra and pre-algebra, without any of the blood and guts. "The DimensionM games speak to our students in their language - captivating them digitally - and inspiring them to learn," says Kay Clark, principal at Ocoee Middle School in New York City.
The following 2007-08 DA Readers' Choice Awards for software products represent some of the best tools for improving connectivity and productivity. Educators looking for ways to enhance instruction and learning will also find the Top 100 list a valuable and informative resource.
ADOBE
CREATIVE SUITE 3, Design and Development Tools,School licensing from $3,999 to $11,499
Adobe offers six Creative Suite confi gurations, including Creative Suite 3 Design Premium and Design Standard, Creative Suite 3 Web Premium and Web Standard, Creative Suite 3 Production Premium, and Creative Suite Master Collection, the new design and development tools into one box. K12 school licenses start at $3,999 for Creative Suite 3 Web Standard and $4,999 for Creative Suite 3 Design Standard. Creative Suite Premium site licenses are $7,499, and the CS3 Master Collection is $11,499. www.adobe.com
The American Education Corporation A+nyWhere Learning System + Electives, is an e-learning courseware program that provides research-based curriculum content for grades K-12 and adult learners in reading, language arts, process writing, mathematics, science, social studies and Spanish. The system's objective-based, problem-solving courseware consists of over 5,200 lessons and over 200,000 pages of content. In addition, the courseware's curriculum, integrated assessment, and automated reporting tools are aligned, where applicable, to all national and state academic standards. www.amered.com
ANGEL LEARNING
MANAGEMENT SUITE 7.2, Pricing varies by institution size and type
Angel Learning's Management Suite of enterprise learning management tools offers native podcasting, key industry standards, enterprise content management, assessment item analysis, and native support for learning outcomes. It also provides faculty with tools to map course content to specific standards. Reporting tools provide visibility into performance against standards or objectives in addition to the traditional reporting of grades for assignments. The software supports three key public standards for openness, interoperability and accessibility. www.angellearning.com
