SPRING BRINGS A NEW FEELING TO most schools and the creativity tools included in this column will help add to that new feeling. Take time to see the music, art and web publishing options available. In addition, we will continue to see CD-ROM programs tied to the Internet with some startling and excellent features. Be sure to give this feature some thought when planning for those year-end school purchases. Finally, look at the superb edutainment options included in this issue's column. Whether we like this option or not, we as educators need to realize that it does fill a need in our software collections.
The magic schoolbus inside the Earth CD-ROM from Microsoft upholds the same high quality seen in other programs in the series. This program enlists youngsters to help Arnold find the missing sample from his rock collection. They can tour any of six terrains -- canyon, fault, cavern, land or underwater volcano, or inside a crystal. Youngsters can then access up to 10 reports on each area visited. These digitized and animated reports provide a wealth of information in short, easy-to-understand segments. A retriever arm helps collect samples for further exploring. The x-ray option provides an in-depth look at the particular terrain being examined. The 3-D processor in the back of the bus also includes an animated look at basic features of the terrain. Arnold's rock collection, a rock transformer, a geo table, an earth kitchen, a rock cycle poster and a geo globe area also located at the back of the bus. The activities and games are engaging and reinforce the information learned via the other options. This program works well as a learning station or as a small group activity.
An updated Creative writer 2 from Microsoft is now available for Windows '95 users. This word processing software offers options for desktop and webpage publishing. Youngsters can also send their creation via an e-mail option. The writing tools allow access to 30 fonts, 99 type sizes, 10 colors, standard alignment features and a number of special effects. Page tools help with setting up columns, margins, orienting a page and checking spelling. Picture tools provide 2,000 clip art choices, over 230 borders, 30 background textures, a full paint program, word wrap around pictures and a means for turning words into pictures. Included in the package are templates for web pages, greeting cards, banners, certificates and newsletter options. A myriad of starter ideas are available including 230 visual cues with audio and over 35 musical themes. Ease of use, excellent audio help features and the Internet features make this a worthwhile upgrade.
Chronicle of the 20th century by Dorling Kindersley Multimedia provides a superb snapshot of historical events. The user navigates by using a newsroom option, calendar done by decades, news screen selector, biographies index, focus features and a well-developed search engine. A "Chronicle" on-line option includes a monthly quiz, an amazing images section, monthly caption contest, time galleries of information about specific decades, people's feature where primary source material can be found, "today in history" feature and an e-mail option. The wealth of concisely presented information is engaging; the use of video and sound is superb. However, the "scandals" section should lead to some discussion as to the definition of a scandal. It can easily be argued that some of the events in this section are not actually scandals.
The ultimate human body version 2.0 includes superb 3-D videos and models of various parts of the human body. An enormous amount of audio and video information makes the program quite useful for users with limited reading abilities. Other options include using an x-ray view and two-dimensional view of the body. An on-line feature easily accesses the Internet and provides information on women's health, family health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A quiz feature with 15 questions is also available. Complete reproductive information is given in a very straightforward manner. This is a well done multimedia reference tool, which provides quick access to concise information. An alphabetical index is available as well as visual options.
Another word processor for beginning writers is from Sunburst Communications. (Sunbuddy writer.) This CD based program includes many features which help kindergarten through second graders become independent authors. The voice feature, which can be turned off, guides the user through the toolbar, help and beginning a work. Standard word processing features such as changing typestyles, cutting, pasting and saving work are available. In addition, authors can access a bank of words sorted by category or alphabet and add a selected word or rebus picture to their story. Youngsters can also record sounds or their entire story for later playback. Ease of use, helpful audio features and the ability to customize makes Sunbuddy writer very attractive for beginning writers.
Geometry comes alive with Edmark's Mighty math cosmic geometry. Twelve to fourteen year olds will be enthralled as their spaceship lands on a planet full of polyhedral characters. Five activities can be found on the planet. Amazing angles provide an interactive maze where angle measurement, volume and geometric relationships must be solved in order to open doors. Geometry academy provides the opportunity to review geometric terminology and visualize figures. Robot studio uses visual skills and logical thinking to build dancing robots. GeoMovies and Tessellation activities strengthen creativity. Using Mighty math cosmic geometry, students are engaged at a very high level and often are not even aware of the vast amount of geometry they are learning.
COLUMNIST'S CHOICE Sim Tunes. Multimedia PC with 486 or better. 8 MB RAM, Super VGA, 2X CD-ROM drive, Sound Card, Windows 3.1 or higher, $34.95. Maxis, 2121 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA 94586.
Stanley's sticker stories is the latest addition to the beloved Early learning series. Stanley helps youngsters in preschool through second grade to create stories and animated works. Sample stories can be viewed or Stanley can provide a story starter if needed. Authors begin by choosing one of 30 backgrounds, and then selecting from over 300 stickers add to the picture. Stickers can be customized by including animation, adding sound or changing the size. Authors can also see the work related to the sticker or hear the spelling of the word. Writing tools, which allow for various typestyles, size, color and centered text, are available. Pages can easily be reordered once they are created. Youngsters can also record their own sounds or narration for each story. Once a story is created, it can easily be saved for playback at a later time. The creations can also be printed for adding to home libraries and display. The ease of use, familiar characters from other Edmark early learning programs and depth of features make this another "must" purchase.
Elementary teachers will be delighted with Sunburst's school version of web workshop. This authoring tool provides everything necessary to create and publish pages on the World Wide Web. The author begins by selecting a background for the page and then adds text, graphics and voice messages. Links to other created pages or to a set of over 40 addresses are also included in the program. All of this is accomplished without ever using HTML. The final projects are saved and can be viewed in a web browser such as Netscape. The projects can be used on a school network such as an intranet without ever accessing the Internet. The CD containing the program also has EarthLink Network's Total Access with a free 10 day Internet account, an Internet dialer, Netscape Navigator and SurfWatch, a site blocking piece of software. This tool makes the world of publishing on the World Wide Web within the grasp of everyone.
SimTunes opens a wonderful world of creativity for users of all ages. Musical pictures are created by a series of colorful bugs who travel through squares of color. When a bug hits a color it makes a sound. Users can pick from over 48 percussion, brass, wind and string instruments as well as non-instrumental sound effects. A paint menu provides tools to paint the colored squares and control the direction and speed of the bugs. Over 100 musical designs from the stamp menu can be stamped onto the screen. The explore menu lets the user fill the screen with various musical patterns. The bugz menu is where the various instruments and sound effects are chosen. Saving, loading and watching the programs are handled by the file menu. A gallery contains many creations for exploration. A well-designed tutorial introduces all the features of the program and the on-line help is very complete. This delightful program open the world of music and art in a very unique manner.
Big science comics by Theatrix presents scientific concepts in a delightful comic book form. Sponsored by a National Science Foundation grant, this program provides practice with the scientific skills of observing, measuring, comparing, recording, analyzing, forming and testing hypotheses, as well as drawing conclusions. Users meet Mo, the pack rat, the Bumptz, who have lost their spaceship and Bette, who has a spaceship in her garage. Mo helps the Bumptz attempt to rescue their spaceship. But along the way there are a number of activities which need to be finished. The ones in the basement deal with weight, balance, and motion; the backyard challenges concern energy transfer and trajectories; and the garage provides options for inventing contraptions to control the bouncing, bumping, jumping Bumptz. Mo records the user's observations in a notebook and provides help with drawing conclusions. The inviting, well-developed experiments and activities make this program a favorite of children, parents and teachers.
Interactive math journey by The Learning Company follows the same framework as the well-designed Interactive reading journey. Twenty-five activities, which support the NCTM standards, are included in the program. The sequence of activities is logical and works well in the classroom and at home. Youngsters visit ten math lands that deal with patterns and shapes, addition and subtraction, measurement, fractions and multiplication. The first five lands include a math tale, song and exploration activities. The next five lands include a math exploration and challenge. An example of a pattern activity is placing lines on pictures to divide them in half. The second level of this activity has the student place shapes on one-half of a quilt pattern to make it match the existing pattern. Children in grades 1-3 are intrigued with the various activities and stories.
Drawing discoveries by Brainstorm is a delightfully unique art tutorial. The user's guide is Akua, a gazelle, who lives in Africa. The program contains 15 drawing lessons from three geographic regions of Africa. Each lesson includes complete step-by-step directions and the option of drawing with a pen or a mouse; a video clip of the animal being drawn is also usually included. Once an animal is drawn with the mouse, a coloring screen appears that allows the youngster to complete the picture. Options to save the creation to disk, print the picture or listen to African music are included. In addition, an art tour shows the development of African art from simple cave drawings to modern African art. A studio tour introduces the user to the artistic style of Pablo Picasso and the art studio provides many extra pictures to draw. The cultural experiences gained by hearing the African language and music are an added bonus. Youngsters, teachers and parents will be delighted with the wide range of options and cultural experiences found in Drawing discoveries.
Software References
Big science comics. Multimedia PC with 486/25Mhz or higher, 8MB RAM, Windows 3.1 or higher, 256 color VGA graphics, double speed CD-ROM drive, Windows compatible sound card. Macintosh version on same CD. $29.95; school edition $39.95. Theatrix Interactive, 1250 45th St., Emeryville, CA 94608-2924. (800) 955-8749.
Chronicle of the 20th century. Multimedia PC with 486DX or higher, 8MB RAM, Super VGA 256 color display or higher, double-speed CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1 or higher, 8MB hard drive space. $39.95. Dorling Kindersley Multimedia, 95 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. (800) 356-6575.
Drawing discoveries. Multimedia PC with 486/66Mhz or higher, 8MB RAM, Super VGA 256 color display or higher, double-speed CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1 or higher. Windows '95 and Macintosh version on the same CD. $29.95. Brainstorm, 16815 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, CA 92606. (888) 427-2467.
Interactive math journey. Multimedia PC with 486SX/25Mhz or higher, double-speed CD-ROM drive, 8MB RAM, SVGA 256 color monitor, Windows compatible sound card, Windows 3.1 or higher. $159.95 school edition. The Learning Company/SoftKey Education Division, 6160 Summit Drive North, Minneapolis, MN 55430. (800)685-6322.
Magic schoolbus inside the Earth. Multimedia PC with 486SX/25Mhz or higher, double-speed CD-ROM drive, 8 MB RAM, SVGA 256 color monitor, Windows compatible sound card, Windows 3.1 or higher, 8MB hard drive space. Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399. (800) 426-9400.
Microsoft creative writer 2. Multimedia PC with 486 50Mhz or higher, double-speed CD-ROM drive, 16MB RAM, SVGA 256 color monitor, 16-bit sound card, Windows 95 or NT Workstation, 16MB hard drive space. $34.95 for school edition. Microsoft Corporation. (800) 426-9400.
Mighty math cosmic geometry. Multimedia PC with 486 or better, 8MB RAM, Super VGA, double-speed CD-ROM drive, sound card, Windows 3.1 or higher, DOS 5.0 or higher. Macintosh version on same CD. $69.95. Edmark, Box 97021, Redmond, WA 98073-9721. (800) 368-2890.
SimTunes. Multimedia PC with 486 or better, 8MB RAM, Super VGA, double speed CD-ROM drive, sound card, Windows 3.1 or higher. $34.95. Maxis, 2121 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA 94586. (800) 336-2947.
Stanley's sticker stories. Multimedia PC with 486 or better, 8MB RAM, Super VGA, double-speed CD-ROM drive, sound card, Windows 3.1 or higher, DOS 5.0 or higher. Macintosh version on same CD. $69.95 per title. Edmark. (800) 368-2890.
Sunbuddy writer. Macintosh family with 68040 processor or higher, Systems 7.0 or higher, 4MB RAM, CD-ROM drive, color monitor. $59.95. Sunburst Communications, Inc., Castleton Street, Pleasantville, NY 10570. (800) 321-7511.
Sunburst's school version of Web workshop. Multimedia PC with 486, Windows 3.1 or higher, 4MB RAM, 256 color display. Mac and Power Mac versions available. $79.95 disk version, $89.95 CD version. Sunburst Communications, Inc., (800) 321-7511.
Ultimate human body 2.0. Multimedia PC with 486DX or higher, 8MB RAM, Super VGA 256 color display or higher, double-speed CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1 or higher, 22 MB hard drive space. $39.95. Dorling Kindersley Multimedia. (800) 356-6575.