Reviews educational software for children ranging in age from 3 to 12. Contains descriptions, recommended age levels, and contact information for 16 software packages selected based on entertainment and educational value. Topics include spelling and alphabet, science, math, geography, and reading. (JW)

Evaluates six "open" (empty of content and customized by users) software programs using the literature-based characteristics of documentation, learner control, branching capabilities, portability, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Interviewed computer-knowledgeable individuals to confirm the legitimacy of the evaluative characteristics. (LRW)

Describes Accelerated Reader (AR), a computer software program that promotes reading; discusses AR hardware requirements; explains how it is used for book selection and testing in schools; assesses the program's strengths and weaknesses; and describes how Grant and Madison Elementary Schools (Muscatine, Iowa) have used the program effectively.…

Reviews a commercial software package that was originally developed for English but can be adapted for use in Japanese. The approach here is the adaptation of a generic program to a specific instructional context, with the attendant benefits and limitations. (Author/JL)

Describes some of the characteristics of Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) technology. Reviews two CD-ROM products: (1) "Sammy's Science House," which introduces fundamental processes in science; and (2) "Dangerous Creatures," which allows exploration of a world of more than 250 endangered species. (TM)

This annual guide provides information on recommended software programs and multimedia applications for K-12 use. An introductory section describes the evaluation process and lists the highest-rated programs for 1998-99. The program entries are organized by the following subject areas: the arts, early childhood, health, language arts, mathematics,…

Describes a hypermedia/compact disk program designed to provide beginning and advanced music listeners with a tool for learning about an opera, i.e., "The Magic Flute." Hardware and software requirements for accessing the multimedia program are described, and it is suggested that the program can be used to study the opera's music,…

Describes a HyperCard-based simulation/tutorial for the Macintosh that is designed to teach users to search the Medline CD-ROM database on an IBM microcomputer. Results of a user survey are reported, and the potential of HyperCard for bibliographic instruction, including the use of the tutorial to develop transparencies, is discussed. (MES)

This critique of "Writing to Read," a computer-based reading and writing program, uses aesthetic criteria and artistic criticism. Observations of kindergarten and first grade classes are described; education as art is considered; the issues of time and control are examined; and the aesthetic criteria of balance and coherence are…

This paper presents a model for designing computer-based simulation environments within a constructivist framework for the K-12 school setting. The following primary criteria for the development of simulations are proposed: (1) the problem needs to be authentic; (2) the cognitive demand in learning should be authentic; (3) scaffolding supports a…

Recommends two computer programs for elementary social studies use that help solve the problem of one-computer classrooms: Little Shoppers Kit, a store-in-the-classroom role play; and Choices, Choices, a two-part program concerning ethical questions relevant to students' experiences. Emphasizes cooperative learning, teacher as facilitator, and…

Applications are now available that allow teachers to create presentations and programs tailored to the exact needs of their students. This paper examines tools that may be used for presentations. Programming environments that may be used to develop computer aided instructional programs are also compared and contrasted. The availability of…

This field test report was completed for a producer of an educational computer software program. The program, designed to help students learn about Canadian history, is outlined. The program simulates the events and atmosphere of the years 1864-1873, formative years in Canada's history; the student user is cast in the role of a journalist on the…

An update of an earlier publication, "Software for Substance Abuse Education," this guide provides critical reviews of available technology products designed to instruct students, teachers, or parents about alcohol and other drugs. The products included are computer software, interactive videodiscs (level III), non-interactive videodiscs…

Reviews three computer software: (1) "Elastic Lines: The Electronic Geoboard" on elementary geometry; (2) "Wildlife Adventures: Whales" on environmental science; and (3) "What Do You Do with a Broken Calculator?" on computation and problem solving. Summarizes the descriptions, strengths and weaknesses, and…