Evaluation
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Evaluation of Software Packages

Millie’s Maths

Ideal for junior infants. It consists of seven different sections, each of which is related to J.I. content. Eight lesson plans, that can be repeated twice a week each. Approximately eight hours work . The child learns basic click and drag.

Trudy's Playhouse

Ideal for J.I.
Six  lesson plans, six hours work.
The children learn to navigate about the software very quickly. Can be used successfully in S.I.

Baily's Bookhouse

Junior Infants to begin but can be revised in Senior  Infants. Seven sections, sixteen half hour lessons. Superb software.

Starspell 2001

All classes form first to sixth.
Graded phonics scheme, delineated for each class. Recently adopted as the school spelling scheme. Teachers can add their own spelling lists. Based on the "look, cover, say, spell " idea. The best practice evolving for this software seems to be about ten minutes coverage at the beginning of the computer class on nominated spellings for that particular week. Teachers usually follow this up with a spelling test back in the class. Results have been impressive.

Paint

S.I., First.
A clipart paint utility shipped with almost all computers free. Twenty formal lessons teaching the basic tools . About ten hours work.

Maths Circus One

First, Second.
Superb software. Nine problem solving ideas presented at five levels of difficulty. Best use would be twenty minutes on a nominated game at the beginning or end of a class.  Senior pupils often return to these same problems in their own time.

Maths Circus Two

Classes: Second, Third.
Superb software. Nine problem solving ideas presented at five levels of difficulty. Best use would be twenty minutes on a nominated game at the beginning or end of a class.  Senior pupils often return to these same problems in their own time.

Rosetta Stone

Third to Sixth
Language Laboratory software. Learn any language from French to Russian in a sequenced series of lessons from absolute beginners to advanced. Fourth class really enjoyed the French. Scores and success rates are outputted. Superb software if the preparatory work is done in the class. Thirty six levels, the early ones were completed in fifteen minutes. Good for a change.

Storymaker 2

Easily the best software for these classes. The children construct their own stories. Animation is excellent, database of features is extensive. This application is taught in about ten weeks, (Ten * 45 min), thereafter the children are sufficiently enabled to produce, save and print their own elaborate stories. However the quality is much dependent on the preparatory work done by the class teacher. This is the ideal lead in to word processing because many of the necessary skills are learned here first.

Logo

Second to Sixth
Very successful where it is teacher driven  during class time. A structured and sequenced set of concepts is introduced  and practised. Great facility for estimation and problem solving. Works very well for fifteen minutes at the beginning of the class and when the children complete their assignment (usually a spatial problem),they move on to next item. Huge potential.

Word 2003

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth.
Ten lesson plans and workcards. Module lasts about ten weeks. All objectives are available to the teachers.

Powerpoint 2003

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth.
Ten lesson plans and workcards. Module lasts about ten weeks. All objectives are available to the teachers. Great scope to use their digital camera images.

Encarta Encyclopaedia + Encarta for Kids

Once the children open all the categories and know how to use the "find" tool  all the information is readily available. This software must be teacher driven, and all the content of the history and geography books is supplemented here.

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