EDU 271

Technology and Early Childhood

Technology

Can expand and supplement the early childhood program

Two main uses include software the Internet

Software Selection Guide Selecting software can be fun, exhilarating,

and rewarding. Or it can be a nightmare. With over 15,000 existing software titles and

thousands more released each year, there is plenty to get excited about and plenty of ways to make mistakes.

Considering that the average cost of a title is about $35.00 it is important to make good selections.

A good selection process will help you make good selections.

http://www.cyfernet.org/integrate/content.html#select

Consider Purpose & Equipment By defining your purpose you can quickly

narrow your search. Ask yourself these questions.

What are the ages/grades of the target audience?

Is the primary purpose recreational or educational?

Are there specific topics that the youth you work with want to learn about?

Will the software be supporting activities that are self-directed or adult-lead?

Hardware Requirements

Each software title has a specific set of hardware requirements. Generally, software written for older machines will run on the newer machines of the same general processor type.

For example Macintosh software won't run on PC-type machines. However, old Macintosh software will run on newer Macintoshs and old PCtype software will generally run onnewer PC-type machines.

Hardware RequirementsBefore you start shopping, know your system

specifications. You'll need to know: DOS and/or Window version (Example: DOS 5.0,

Windows 95, Windows 2000) Processor type and speed (Example: 486 or Pentium,

100 Megahertz) Amount of memory (Example: 8, 16 megabytes) Disk drive required (Example: 4x speed CD-ROM or

3.5 inch floppy) Hard drive space required (Example: 20 Megabytes) Display type (Example: VGA, SVGA) Sound card type (Example: 16-bit Sound Blaster

compatible)

Identify Quality Products

One way to learn about new software is to get on several distributors' mailing lists. They often send catalogs monthly.

After considering your purpose and equipment, make your first cut based on the catalog description.

Then look for reviews of this specific software on web sites, in magazines, from email newsletters and lists, and other media.

Another route is to subscribe to magazines that have software reviews.

After identifying the software that has received positive reviews and meets your criteria, look for additional reviews (just in case you read the only good review) and a distributor.

http://www.childrenssoftware.com/Children's Technology Review (CTR) is an independent survey, published monthly, of commercial interactive media products designed for children, aged birth- to 15-years. These are the products that children use for both fun and learning, either at home and/or at school. They include software, video games, interactive toys, web sites that a child might visit, and so on. From a theoretical perspective, CTR exists in the space between child development and interactive media. The Children's Software Finder(TM), our database of more than 7,300 reviews, has become a critical step in our core subscribers' purchasing-making decisions.

Identify Quality Products There are several Internet locations for software

reviews. You can browse the information on these sites, but it's endless. It is more efficient to identify likely titles and then use the search engines to find reviews on that product.

Older titles (12-18 months) are a little easier: there are books that review and rate titles.

Very old titles (5-10 yrs) are the most difficult to find. Most distributors favor the newer machine markets. Several publishers do continue to market older software.

Discontinued software can be found on the Internet.

It is generally not worth purchasing software for "real" old machines (IBM XTs/ATs or old Apples) or monochrome machines, as newer computers are being given away or used for doorstops.

Upgrade! There are more and better programs for the new machines.

Identify Quality Products

Most software reviewers will explain their criteria and bias. Try to find a source whose bias closely matches your criteria and intended use. Most reviewers will look for:

Easy to Install--It's hard to use if it can't be installed

Quality Content--Whether for fun or for work, the content should be high quality

Easy to Operate--It should be easy to navigate, easy to make changes, easy to follow.

Technically Sound--Graphics & sound should play smoothly without long delays. Should be no bugs.

Adequate Use Time--Titles that have multiple levels of play, incorporate changing variables, and other elements that extend the play, make it fun or educational to use multiple times.

Objectionable material--Just like movies, software needs to be screened for violence, nudity/sex, language, and other objectionable material.

There will be trade-offs and sometimes reviewers will not agree. Decide what is important to you. Set a standard and eliminate titles that fall below.

Selecting Software for Young Children

The average consumer doesn't usually have the opportunity to look at software before purchase.

To make an informed decision, it makes sense to check in with independent review sources. Following are the criteria editors of Children's Software Revue use in evaluating each program:

Ease of Use (Can the child use it with minimal help?)

Skills needed to operate the program are in range of the child

Children can use the program independently after the first use

Accessing key menus is straightforward Reading ability is not prerequisite to using

the program Graphics make sense to the intended user Printing routines are simple

It is easy to get in or out of any activity at any point

Getting to the first menu is quick and easy

Controls are responsive to the touch

Written materials are helpful

Instructions can be reviewed on the screen, if necessary

Children know if they make a mistake

Icons are large and easy to select with a moving cursor

Installation procedure is straightforward and easy to do

Childproof (Is it designed with "child-reality" in mind?)

Survives the "pound on the keyboard" test

Offers a quick, clear, obvious response to a child’s action

The child has control over the rate of display

The child has control over exiting at any time

The child has control over the order of the display

Title screen sequence is brief or can be bypassed

When a child holds a key down, only one input is sent to the computer

Files not intended for children are safe Children know when they’ve made a

mistake This program would operate smoothly in

a home or classroom setting

Educational (What can the child learn from this program?)

Offers a good presentation of one or more content areas

Graphics do not detract from the program’s educational intentions

Feedback employs meaningful graphic and sound capabilities

Speech is used

The presentation is novel with each use

Good challenge range (this program will grow with the child)

Feedback reinforces content (embedded reinforcements are used)

Program elements match direct experiences

Content is free from gender bias Content is free from ethnic bias A child’s ideas can be incorporated

into the program The program comes with strategies

to extend the learning There is a sufficient amount of

content

Entertaining (Is this program fun to use?)

The program is enjoyable to use Graphics are meaningful and enjoyed by

children This program is appealing to a wide

audienceChildren return to this program time after time

Random generation techniques are employed in the design

Speech and sounds are meaningful to children

Challenge is fluid, or a child can select own level

The program is responsive to a child’s actions

The theme of the program is meaningful to children

Design Features (How "smart" is this program?)

The program has speech capacity Has printing capacity Keeps records of child’s work "Branches" automatically:

challenge level is fluid A child’s ideas can be incorporated

into the program

Sound can be toggled or adjusted Feedback is customized in some way

to the individual child Program keeps a history of the child’s

use over a period of time Teacher/parent options are easy to

find and use

Valueo How much does it cost vs. what it does?o Is it worth it?o Considering the factors rated above, and

the average retail price of software, rate this program’s relative value.

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