Week 3

Examples of drill and practice software includes Super Kids Math Worksheet Creator, A Plus Math, and Chemistry Drill and Practice Tutorials.  All of these sites could be used in the classroom to create worksheets for low achievers and/or to allow high achieving students to challenge themselves even more.

Tutorial Software like www.lynda.com and www.educate-me.net/ are sites that the teacher could use to help assist him or her in teaching the students.  Sometimes we create lessons that doesn't work to our benefit and we have to take the next step and find other resources to help assist us.  For instance with lynda.com you can view a tutorial on photography which could help you in a lesson of season changes.

Prezi.com is the perfect example of simulation software.  When you first enter the program they automatically prompt you to complete the simulation to show you how to maneuver through the system.  I found prezi to be extremely interactive and could use this in my classroom instead of power point presentations.  Students could easily create a summary about  Little Red Riding Hood.  The presentation could include major points from the story and they can even insert other versions of the story in their presentations.

Examples of instructional game software includes carrotsticks.com and kidscollege.com are both sites that help enhance students knowledge of math and reading skills by incorporating favorite sports.  On kidscollege.com students are able to pick their favorite sport and then begin answering questions on skills their teacher has already covered.  I use this as an incentive in my room during the week by letting kids work towards value points for computer time.  They love computers and work very hard to gain the points for usage.

Problem solving software like emteachline.com dedicates its site to solving math equations.  It takes you step by step to figure out problems after you have attempted to solve them yourself.  I would use this in the classroom to allow students to solve math problems in their own way without forcing them to think one way.  This would mimic "number talks" that are done with elementary students to figure out different math processes.