What Software are you using?

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Permalink Reply by Kevin amboe on February 29, 2008 at 10:19pm

We don't specify titles by grade but K - 7 have access to
Appleworks, MS Office, FirstClass (2-7), Comic Life (Mac only), Inspiration, Kidspiration, Google Earth, Google Sketchup, iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, All the Right Type, KidPix (currently RiverDeep but likely changing to MacKiev)

At the secondary level, we vary by school but these titles might include:
MS Office, Macromedia (adobe now), Adobe Creative Suite, FirstClass, Inspiration, ComicLife, Google Earth, AutoCAD

Hopefully Helpful,

Kevin

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Irish on March 1, 2008 at 6:42am

k-2
kid pix, tux paint, tux typing, tux math,kirans typing,fluxtime, Gcompris, Clicker5, symbol sandbox,kinetic lab,reading blaster, math carnival, Word, logo
3-5
westpoint bridge design, tess,Word, Excel, Powerpoint, tool factory, photostory,celestia, google earth, google maps,
lego digital designer, Inspiration, squeak, star logo, 3d design

4-8- Office,html, alice, scratch, google earth, google sketch up, game maker, photostory, google earth, google street maps, HP scrapbook maker

Everything else I use is a browser based tools and you can find my list here

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Permalink Reply by Ann on March 1, 2008 at 2:07pm

I have a variety of software that the school owns. I have and use KidPix and Microsoft Word for various things in grade K-8. I just purchased Kidspiration, but have not had a chance to use it. I use Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint in grades 4-8. I used to use HyperStudio until it was incompatible with OS X on Intel Macs. I have since purchased MediaBlender, but do not use it to the degree that I did with HyperStudio. We use Mavis Beacon Teaches typing from fifth grade and above. GarageBand and iMovie are tools I use in 6-8.

I am moving toward use a lot of open source software: Scratch (5-8), The Gimp (6-8), and NVU (8). I enjoy the flexibility of Wikispaces and Classblogmeister for giving my students access to collaboration on the Internet.

I try to keep a wiki up-to-date with my various projects and plans if you'd like to take a look.

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Permalink Reply by Gerald Logan on March 1, 2008 at 7:39pm

The new Hyperstudio that is Mac only( yet) looks great.

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Permalink Reply by Ann on March 1, 2008 at 8:49pm

I agree, but now that I went and purchased MediaBlender, I'm going to have to stick with it. I used to LOVE teaching HyperStudio and HyperLogo. Now I'm using Scratch for the programming language part.

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Permalink Reply by Des Howell on March 2, 2008 at 6:21pm

My special interest is in using spreadsheet programs like Excel throughout the Middle Phase of education.

I see spreadsheets chiefly as problem-solving, game-making and creative tools that can be used
(a) Like a piece of paper
(b) Like a hand-held calculator, and
(c) Like a simple programming language.

I use spreadsheets in every classroom subject wherever I find them useful as learning tools in these three ways. I have developed a set of projects to facilitate this for Years 4 to 9.

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Permalink Reply by Des Howell on March 3, 2008 at 7:56am

I have had Year 4 students really excited learning to use spreadsheet programs "like a piece of paper" e.g to investigate pentimoes. One of these students turned to me and said "Wow! I have never played this [computer] game before." The first step in a Constructivist approach to teaching is to start looking at things from the learner's point of view, not our own.

Few adults realise how much their ideas about "Spreadsheet Programs" have been influenced by the marketing divisions of software companies as well as the terrible courses based on the IT view of spreadsheet programs.

It is true that when the software called VisiCalc was invented back in the late 1970's, its creators made sure it could be used to produce tables of facts and figures about commercial enterprises. The first advertisements for VisiCalc did not even mention "spreadsheets", however. It was only when marketing people advised that the best way to make money out of VisiCalc and its "clones" was to sell them as "business tools" that the label "spreadsheet program" was created. This notion of spreadsheets has become the "Gospel" preached in textbooks and courses for adults ever since, rather than the notion of a Mindtool that can be used as "scaffolding" for the construction of a vast variety of ideas.

By the way, the typical lesson in which teachers introduce spreadsheets to Year 8 students by showing them how to use a Chart Wizard really horrifies me.

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Permalink Reply by Des Howell on March 3, 2008 at 7:33pm

That's cool with me Indigo. Your adult needs probably go beyond those that can be satisfied using the limited "database" features included in spreadsheet packages.

A lot of children's learning and problem solving difficulties are related to their often limited short term memory capacities and visualistion skills.. I am rather focussed on creatively using spreadsheets to help them in that regard.

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