Web-based Educational Resources?????

Representatives from industry, academia and nonprofit organizations released new applications and programs at the National Educational Computing Conference this week, jockeying for the attention of the 15,000 educators in attendance. Here's a sampling of the latest tools from those developing technology for education:

PowerSchool powers up! Apple's PowerSchool announced partnerships with three new school districts including the Chicago Public Schools, the third largest district in the country. The Web-based student information system tool allows teachers to take attendance, record assignments and post grades in a central location. School administrators and parents can access the information on the Web. About 3,000 schools use the system.

The cool, not dirty, dozen? With more Palms in the classroom these days, teachers need quality applications to use with their students. The Center for Highly Interactive Computing at the University of Michigan announced its Cool Dozen educational applications for the Palm, available for free on the Internet. The tools include PiCoMap, a concept mapping tool; Cooties, a virus-transfer simulation program, and Sketchy, a drawing and animation program.

Need help with research and evaluation? The International Society for Technology in Education and Educational Support Systems unveiled a new Web-based project to help schools access research and evaluation when planning for technology in schools. Educators will be able to access studies, translated into user-friendly language, that will be useful in making technology planning decisions.

A cheaper computing option? Larry Ellison's new internet computer company is teaming up with Sun Microsystems to provide an affordable option for schools to get on the Internet. The server appliance provides basic network-based services such as e-mail, file storage space, firewalls and filtering.

How are handhelds helping? Palm is awarding $2 million in handhelds to K-12 schools and universities as part of its research on how the computers enhance teaching and learning. The Center for Technology and Learning will study the effectiveness of Palms in the classroom.

No more auto-reply? In an effort to make finding the perfect grant even easier, Netday announced a Research Desk to NetDayCompass.org, which provides resources for teachers looking to implement technology in the classroom. The Research Desk will be staffed by real live human beings who will answer specific questions and guide teachers to the proper resources. If necessary, a researcher will perform the search for the seeker.

Educational Software

Although computers and educational software have rapidly become a part of the schooling experience and the home environment, what can educational software really provide and where can it be of real help to my child?
Let's start with what typically goes on in the daily school experience. Most teachers, such as myself, are facing class sizes of 25 to 30 students. With the increasing emphasis on teaching content to students, I only have time to teach a concept once, before I need to go on to the next concept. The amount of time and individual attention I can give is limited and I constantly face the challenge that the students who are fast learners are being held back and the ones who are having difficulty are not going to get the attention they need. In addition, all students need practice to fully learn a skill and be comfortable with it. Can good educational software help a teacher overcome these challenges and make an impact on a child's learning? I believe it can.
Good educational software reinforces and expands what students are learning in school. For students that are having some difficulty, it's important to recognize that educational software and the computer never get tired or frustrated by students who take the time to repeatedly go over concepts and lessons. For those students who grasp concepts quickly, educational software gives them the opportunity to advance at their own pace and really master the concept. They are able to take the educational software and computer and fly at their own pace without anyone telling them to slow down. A great quality of good educational software for all students is that it is interactive. It is very engaging for many users and provides immediate feedback on how they are doing .
Can the computer and educational software help every student become an "A" student? No. Students who have poor work habits are not going to magically transform overnight into conscientious students by sitting in front of a computer and doing a software program. The human interaction, both from the teacher and the parent, are crucial to guidance, building self confidence, and building the desire to learn. So when your children take you by the hand and ask you to come and see what they're doing with a software program, sit down and listen to them. Ask them to show you how the software works. You can learn a lot from how your children approach a software program by quietly observing them. And that's what good parenting and good learning is all about. Being there for your children as they discover the world around them.

Kidspiration!!!

As a parent most of the troubling experiences are connected to your child's education. What school he should attend, a private one or a public one, and then what courses and so on. What I mean is that everybody has to learn to read and to write but is math more important than music? Should you try educating your offspring by means of games or are the traditional methods still a better choice? Primary education has, of course, a great importance, being the milestone of your kid's proper upbringing but how can you be sure that he has every opportunity to develop appropriately? The best you can do is to make sure that he is prepared for anything that may come. That is why a program created especially to develop kids' numeracy, literacy and thinking skills using visual learning might be everything you've been searching for. Kidspiration is one of the most interesting educational software applications I've seen designed for this age. The audio explanations are very helpful, making it suitable even for kids who don't necessarily know how to read. The program definitely stimulates the child in every aspect, making him solve problems, develop projects and link concepts, bumping into things that he might not use every day. The fact of the matter is that this application isn't necessarily useful only for kids, but it can also be used for organizing events, web pages, projects, brainstorming, almost every activity that may be better if you visualize it first. Although at a first glance you think this program is very simple and easy to use, it takes a little time to explore and get used to all its features and patterns. Kidspiration is not going to transform your child into a rocket scientist but it will help him better organize himself and his projects, while the attractive interface will actually keep him in front of the computer doing something fun and educational.

My Access!!!!!!!

I’m passionate about teaching my students the importance of writing, even though it is by far the most frustrating thing I do. I have good days and bad days. One period will become a thriving writing environment while another limps along and students look like they would rather sit in the dentist’s chair than spend another second with me. I don’t expect all my students to love writing, but I do know that they all need to become proficient writers. And sadly, for a variety of reasons, many of our students are not. I certainly don’t have all the answers for why this is, but I do know that it’s not enough to just teach students a set of skills. Rather, they need to understand how writing works-why we write in the first place. They need to have a reason for writing so that they have an incentive to revise. The power of MY Access and why we are fortunate to use it, is that it can become a visual symbol that will help students internalize writing process. It’s a powerful ally, and personally I need all the help I can get.