According to our book, Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the classroom, “Software is the series of instructions that tell the hardware how to perform tasks.” (Gunter, Gunter, & Shelly, 2010) My principal came to me and gave me great news. She said that she has $1,000 for me to buy one software program for my classroom. Knowing that, I realized that I have a lot of thinking and decisions to make. She gave me three software catalogs that I can choose from. The catalogs choices are:
http://www.academicsuperstore.com /, http://www.journeyed.com/, and
After careful considerations, I decided to download Kidspiration 3.0. I felt that this software would be great to use in math, reading and writing. The students would have the ability to strengthen their skills that they have learned. Also, this software would help my students develop thinking skills, improve their reading and writing skills, and help build their conceptual math skills. After trying this software for several weeks, I would recommend to my team and hopefully they can download this software. If they cannot download the software, we probably come up with a schedule so that we can rotate the computer to allow our students to utilize this product. I decided to compare and contrast the specifications for my computer and the software. I wanted to see if the software is compatible and my computer have enough memory and space to accept this software.
Here are the specifications for the software:
System Requirements:
- Windows
Pentium II 266 MHz or faster Windows 98, ME, 2000 XP
Vita or Windows 7 128 MB minimum RAM 800x600
16-bit color or higher 75 MB minimum install 250 MB full install CD-ROM drive
- Macintosh
Macintosh G3 300 MHz or faster OS X, version 10.2.8 or newer
192 MB minimum RAM 800x600 (minimum) 1024 x 768 (recommended)
Thousands of colors or higher 75 MB minimum install 250 MB full install CD-ROM
My computer specifications are:
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium
Processor- AMD Phenom(tm) II N660 Dual-core processor 3.00 GHz
Memory: 4.00 GB (3.74 GB usable)
Screen resolution: 1366 x 768
Video card: AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250
Removable media options: is no longer available for Windows 7.
As I looked over my computer and software specifications, I realized that I have no idea what most of these specifications meant. I decided to look for more information in my textbook Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom to grasp further knowledge. I also learned that there are wonderful soft wares that are available to engage and motivate our students’ learning.
Resource:
Gunter, G.A., Gunter, R.E., & Shelly, G.B. (2010) Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom (6TH ED).
I also chose to download Kidspiration as my chosen software. I felt that this software would be the best 'bang for the buck.' I watched the Youtube video they had on their website and was impressed with the program. It seemed very engaging and I believe would keep the attention of my ADHD students. Would this program be able to download to your school computer?
ReplyDeleteIt is very difficult to discover the ins and outs of your computer - the internal hardware... however, I found that by clicking on "my computer" I was able to find many of the statistics required. Additionally, I used Google to find out further information if I had trouble locating it on my own.
I certainly can sympathize with your frustration of checking the specs of the program compared to your computer. From what you have shown, it does seem your computer would be able to run the software. I don't know what computer capabilities you have at your school, because it would be a shame to have to share the program on one computer. I'm assuming the specs you gave was for your home computer (Windows 7 Home).
ReplyDeleteI really believe that when we are considering purchasing software there are sources that we can contact to be certain of the requirements. The software companies can help with that. However, I have found in the past it is best to have some general knowledge about your hardware. I agree, this particular assignment was a challenge since I had never really paid much attention to my computer's specifications.
I chose Kidspiration as well because I like the components it contained for writing. I am used to putting a CD into the computer and installing a program that way. I was so confused when it came to knowing the operating system and if it was compatible. I had to talk to my sister to help through understanding where to even find all the info. After hours of searching I finally got on the phone to my sister and in about 5 minutes I had all the information I needed. As I did contacting my sister I know there is always help out there to find the answers to compatibilty questions and I think the software publisher should be the first line of defense.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of different software products for the classroom and just deciding what you want it to do so your students learn from it, is a project all in itself. I found Academic Super Store gave good descriptions of the software.
ReplyDeleteSince I teach adult learners and I work in a computer lab, we have interactive software that tests students’ basic knowledge in reading, math, and language arts (McGraw Hill: Skills Assessment Module Software-Sams) and www.myskillstutor.com. The software I chose is based on their initial test scores. Both software are in a test format and assess their incorrect answers then provides the students with the correct answers and explanation. The other is tutorials first, interactive activities, than a test format.
Some of my students probably would benefit from software like Kidspiration. It is very interactive and repetitive. It sounds great for foundations and concepts, something some of my students could use outside the classroom and in the computer lab. They come in testing at a 2nd-4th grade level. In AE some of the older students are not exposed to the computer the same way middle and high school students are.
I liked how you addressed the scenario of different O/S to share the software between classrooms.
It's always wonderful reading your blog.
I understand your frustration about not being familiar with certain specifications on a computer. It can be very challenging if you are not aware of what programs are compatible with your system. However, I believe that most of the programs will work with computers, as long as, you purchased it within a certain time frame.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it should be a companies responsibility to update all software so that people are able to use them on their operating systems.
I have used kidspiration in my classroom a few years ago. I loved it and the students were all actively engaged. There were many activities for reading and math. It also keeps those students interests of whom normally do not pay attention.