[seul-edu] Education software houses...

[Robert Rickenbrode II <rkr_ii@yahoo.com>]

Sorry folks, I said this:

"Ideally, to get Linux on the desktop in education you need to simplify the
UI, get the big commercial software houses to begin supporting it, set it
up correctly, and lock it down. Train. Repeat."

Which engendered a small discussion (thus far) about the quality of the a 
lot of the educational software out there (poor) with which I concur almost 
completely. My first computer experience was in 4th grade - an Apple IIE - 
and Lemonade!!

I think there is much that can be said of the quality of the software 
(particularly it's educational content), but much also needs to be said 
about the teacher's use of it.  For example, I installed Sim*Earth for a 
6th grade science teacher who never really took the time to implement a 
curriculum with it - kids wound up sending asteroids and such into their 
planets more often than not to see them burn. I recently installed 20 
copies of Sim*City at a school that I work for now in DC.  For two weeks 
students received multi-disciplinary instruction on urban planning, 
including the use of that software.  Overall, a good thing!

Finally, the current principal of an elementary school chose to model 
instruction using MS Works 3.0 for Macs across disciplines for his teachers 
several years ago.  Students recorded measured data from a science 
experiment in the spreadsheet, plotted in that spreadsheet, and 
drew/wrote-up their results in draw/word.  At the time, MS Works 3.0 was an 
old version.

Software quality is just part of the story. Effective instruction using ANY 
piece of software depends on the training and motivation of the teacher.

(*Disclaimer: all teachers were excellent!  The 6th grade instructor just 
chose to focus on more outside/outdoor activities in the end.)

However, when I said this, I was thinking of the biggies used in schools 
where I worked. Software like Accelerated Reader, Star*Math, and 
Star*Testing (http://www.renlearn.com/Default.htm), Plato 
(http://www.plato.com  - which is
apparently moving to a web-based system; the version I'm used to is running 
on a bunch of 386's, still), CCC SuccessMaker (http://www.ccclearn.com), 
Hyperstudio/HyperCard, Mavis Beacon or All the Right Type (or typing tutors 
with some record keeping system and sense of progress for the student), and 
some I'm leaving out I'm sure.


Cheers, Rob


Robert K. Rickenbrode II
rkr_ii@yahoo.com


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