KIDSPIRATION KIDSPIRATION Is this software program for YOU?

GENERAL OVERVIEW  Kidspiration uses the principles of visual learning to help young readers and writers (K-5) as they learn to develop and organize their ideas creatively and confidently  Over 45 built-in student activities in reading, writing, science, and social studies  A library of over 1,200 student-friendly symbols inspires kids to explore, think and create

GENERAL OVERVIEW  All menus, buttons and other text are audio supported helping children read and navigate  Toolbars are colorful and easy to use allowing kids to express themselves freely  Smart Activity Wizard allows teachers to easily create and modify activities to match their lesson plans

TECHNICAL INFO  Compatible with both Macintosh (System 7.1, 8.0, 9.0 or OS X) and Windows (Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT 4.0, ME or XP)  Amount of memory required is 2MB for Macintosh & 8MB for Windows  Storage medium is CD ROM  No other software programs are required

TECHNICAL QUALITY  Technical support is available and easy to access via Internet or phone  Installation of software is quick & easy  Software program doesn’t appear to freeze and moves easily from one activity to another  Graphics and visuals are clear & well designed

CONTENT  Content information is current and not outdated  Activities and games enhance learning  Level of difficulty is appropriate for intended users  Teacher can modify or add to curriculum  Teachers are not provided with summaries of student performance or progress

INSTRUCTIONS  Instructions are not clearly stated  Toolbars have colorful pictures, but there are no instructions on how to use them  As there are no instructions, students may have difficulty working independently  No instructions on what to do if the computer should freeze or unexpectedly turn off

STUDENT USAGE  Data entry is easy and consistent  There is a cursor or other indicator to show students where the response goes  Provides a variety of colorful pictures and symbols  Students receive no feedback on whether they are doing the work right or wrong  No examples are given

CRITQUE Positive:  Highly interactive  Great use of visuals & graphics  Incorporates a variety of learning styles – visual, kinesthetic, audio that will increase learning of students  Wonderful supplement for teachers  Student work can be saved

CRITQUE Positive Continued:  Teachers can modify/add to curriculum  Very easy to download and install  No trouble with computer freezing  Does not require any additional hardware or software programs  Technical support is available if needed

CRITQUE Negative:  Can only be used as supplemental material  Toolbar is not easy to use as the instructions are not clear  There appears to be no instructions on how to use program that students can easily access  Students may not be able to use independently – will depend on computer ability

CRITQUE Negative Continued:  User Guide is available, but appears you must purchase it as it was not listed as part of the package deal  Students are given no feedback whatsoever

OVERALL ASSESSMENT  Great tool for teaching writing and reading  Visuals help students learn how to organize and structure their thoughts to be transformed into a paragraph  This program can make a relatively difficult and boring subject into something fun and exciting

RECOMMENDATION  Despite the negatives associated with this program I highly recommend it as a supplemental tool  This program can make learning how to read and write fun and easy for students  Just realize that you will need to carefully review instructions with students so they understand how to use the toolbar to complete the assignment