Review of The Magic School Bus and How it Can Be Used to Support a Theme on the Human Body

Recently, I reviewed the web-based program for the Magic School Bus p(ublished by Scholastic, Inc.; copyright 2011)and I found this program to be highly entertaining and both eye-catching and ear-catching. The site even provides video clips on the various topics for the children to preview with information on where to find full episodes. The program is free to use and provides ideas for classroom activities, whole science kits for purchase, and even “pop” quizzes to test the children on their knowledge of the various topics. This is largely a science-based program but the subtopics run the full gamut of everything from adventures in space to kitchen science. Other topics covered include earth science, life science, physics, archaeology, much more. The intended age range is from three years to 10 years and would work wonderfully in a kindergarten classroom. Specifically, this site would come in handy for supporting a theme on the human body. A significant theme used in science for kindergarteners is that of the five senses. This site provides fun activities for the kindergarteners to perform to increase their knowledge base of how the senses work. A fun game on this site is called “Gets an Earful” where the student listens to a sound and has to match it the object that typically makes the sound. This is an easy way to demonstrate the function of hearing and what we would be missing without our sense of hearing. The activities and experiments typically call for small groups to carry out the directions and exploration which is a fun way for young students to learn the art of cooperation and teamwork.  Students can take a quiz regarding their knowledge of the human body either before, during, or after the unit and this will give some of the students a true feeling of success. However, for students who need hands-on activity to learn the material the experiments provided are a true gateway to learning. This website is not necessarily all that interactive so the true purpose or function for the classroom will be the activities and ideas provided. For the group work projects provided I would want to have a loosely structured classroom environment where the students are free to check out the groups’ projects and discuss with each other their findings.

  The fact that this program really isn’t that interactive is the huge drawback for a group of kindergarteners. I feel that the video clips will hold their attention for only a short while but hopefully they will serve to pique the students’ interest in further exploration of the human body. The main advantage of this program is that includes characters from T.V. and books that many of my students will already be familiar with. It can be extremely helpful for students to hear the same, valid, factual information from beloved, trusted characters that they hear in the classroom because sometimes my word just isn’t enough.

Review of The Human Body Explorer Deluxe and Recommendation for Use in a Kindergarten Classroom

  Upon researching information for The Human Body Explorer Deluxe I discovered that many parents and educators found this software to be effective in teaching about the human body. This program is suitable for ages six to nine years and would specifically meet the criteria of what our school is looking for in an interactive program to teach about the human body.

  The Human Body Explorer Deluxe teaches, through interaction, about basic human anatomy including basic function of body organs, the five senses, the Digestive System, the Circulatory System, and the importance of healthy living. The students will be able to test their own progress in fun, lively, timed gaming assessments.

  The children take guided tours through the human body and then get a chance to test what they have learned through interactive gaming provided on the software. The children get the opportunity to piece together a human skeleton and after practicing can piece it together against a timer. The main character for the software is a human skeleton that adds comedy and wit to learning anatomy for such a young age group. There is even the opportunity for the students to decide what the skeleton will do during his day including what he eats, what activities he pursues, and how long he sleeps. The program will start over if he spends too much time in front of the television to reiterate healthy living habits.

  Our K-2 grade levels will benefit from this software in ways that standard model displays have not been able to benefit them. In addition to interactively exploring the human body as a class, the students will be able to play the games and explore the software on their own at their own leisure so they will be learning while having fun. Priced at below $20.00 for a single software unit, the package actually includes The Human Body Explorer and The Science Explorer and was  published by DK Interactive Publishing in 2000. This could potentially save the school money in material costs. As it is now, models of human organs are costly and we do not them in every classroom which is a hindrance when combining the various classrooms for interactive group work. This software is priced at a point well under budget and is affordable enough that when the time comes to upgrade the school will not be taking a loss. Often assessing young children on their knowledge of anatomy can be difficult but this software provides teachers with a way to observe the children’s knowledge and understanding through their gaming.

 According to Discovery Education, this software is highly re-playable so the children will not grow bored with exploring this program again and again. Discovery Education says that through the experiments and interactive gaming, this software keeps the children tuned in and eager to keep learning. Also, Discovery Education found this software to be layered in a way that allows the students to go in depth on any topic they choose. Each level has another sublevel with more information. This helps to ensure a sound financial investment so that children are not just playing through a game, beating it, and done with it. Many parents are impressed by the knowledge their children display after using this software and Discovery Education gave it the Award of Excellence. Following is a link to the Discovery Education Review site.

Discovery Education Review Corner. 2011. Discovery Education. 19 March 2011. <http://school.discoveryeducation.com/parents/reviewcorner/software/humanbodyexpl.html>

Pros and Cons of Implementing Mobile Computing Devices in the Classroom

 If, in a magical world, my classroom was provided with a set of mobile computing devices I would have several reasons to be excited and several reasons to be concerned. To begin with, I fear many educators may look at this technology as a cure-all for what our students are “lacking in today’s schools.” In contrast of what I believe many parents and educators think, I do not feel that giving a child an e-reader or ipod will turn them into lovers of reading or even improve their reading magically. Yes, it is true that the more children read the better readers they will become and this is obviously influenced by their access to reading material. However, truly fluent readers increase their reading ability through discussion of the reading material, recall, and even prediction with the help of picture walks. I would have to be very careful to ensure that my students are still interacting with one another. In early childhood classrooms, interacting via computers can be tricky. If the students are sharing a device that remains in the classroom they at least have the opportunity to build on social skills through compromise, collaboration, and sharing and taking turns. I would also need to be sure to balance the time my students have using the mobile computing devices and learning through manipulatives and physical play. The website http://www.netc.org/earlyconnections/preschool/technology.html has some good points about the effect flashy imagery and fast-paced computer programming can have on a young child. How can we expect our young children to sit through standard old circle time discussing shapes and colors if they can see them flash all fancy like and excitingly on their handheld. A good balance is necessary to help children learn effectively through a variety of media and nothing can really replace hands-on learning experiences. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that perhaps some computer programs DO a better of teaching some things to SOME children but when teachers provide various media to learn from they are increasing the likelihood that they will reach ALL of their students.

 The advantage of using this technology in the classroom is that it is nice to have something flashy but educational to enhance the students’ learning. It can be tricky to be incessantly creative and energetic enough to reach every child in the way they need to be reached. Technology such as handheld computers provides a plethora of options as far as programming for introducing material and sustaining the students’ attention. Also, and I admit this can be a frustration at times, a limited number of devices may require the children to share or take turns with the devices. This is what I think early childhood education is all about: building social skills while developing a love for learning.

 I would use mobile computing devices in my classroom to provide my students with updated, relevant material. It is truly a delight to be able to provide my students with videos, games, and reading material relevant to what they are curious about. Much the Leapsters available for preschool aged children, children (all people really) learn best when they are presented with material in a variety of ways and flashy, digital imagery is definitely an enhancement.

Implementing the NETS for Students: Technology Operations and Concepts in the Classroom

  The NETS for Students I can most relate to my educational experience for this week is Technology Operations and Concepts. Until this week in my life I always ignored the Print Screen key on my keyboard. Performing functions such as Control + V to paste a screen shot onto a Word Document and Control + S to save it made me feel really “techy” and savvy. This particular NETS says that students should be able to use technology systems and be able to choose the most efficient system to use to complete the required task at hand. Now that I know what the Print Screen key is for I honest to goodness do not what I did before it was in my life! This NETS also includes the ability to transfer current knowledge to the learning of new technologies. I think this is important when learning any new technology. For instance, just being able to alternate between the screen for the website I was evaluating and the screen with my Word Document in progress was an ability that really helped me complete my assignment in a timely manner.

  I am really enjoying reading Derek Bruff’s blog “Teaching With Classroom Response Systems.” I have not had the luxury of working with Clickers with any age of students but I would like to be able to use that technology. The Tweets from students using Clickers shed some insight into how frustrating it can be for them to purchase the clickers only to have the professor unable to properly use the system. I would not want to be that instructor! I also do not think I like the idea of using the Clickers as merely a way to take attendance. However, being that children as young as kindergarten are learning and being assessed through the use of clickers and programs such as Mouse Mischief I really think that this is a technology I would like to promote and teach in my classroom. I checked out the Mouse Mischief blog to see how other teachers were using this technology in their class and found it really interesting. I understand that they are promoting a product but at the same time, most of us are always ready for fresh, inspiring teaching ideas. I mean, they have a Facebook following so there must be something to this! The ability for my students to manipulate drawings and create designs with the use of a program like Mouse Mischief means I am nurturing more than one kind of intelligence in my classroom. While they have a visual to use, they are also able to manipulate their work through hands-on interaction with the program. I also like the idea of using Mouse Mischief to poll the class on anything they might find interesting to discuss. I can see this working in even a class of kindergarteners. It’s just my opinion but there is no debate or discussion quite like the ones that take place between the five and under set! I am including a link to the Mouse Mischief blog site.

< http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mousemischief/archive/2010/06/12/drawing-slides-help-students-grasp-and-integrate-information.aspx>