Geometer’s is a fairly pricey software that can be used to design shapes, best used inside a Geometry class, hence its name. A comparable program (as I’ve mentioned previously) is Google SketchUp.

Why Geometer’s Sketch Pad is so well received by students?

Geometer’s is very easy to use based on all the information in regards to it. Geometer’s can help students with their geometry homework if they should stumble across problems. It is also helpful if an educator asks a student to produce “neat” drawings of certain shapes when submitting homework or take-home test answers.

The software also allows drawing shapes that may not be seen inside the classroom, essentially creating art of mathematical shapes. One example shown was that of something you’d see when looking inside a kaleidoscope.

Why Geometer’s Sketch Pad may not be received well by students?

Geometer’s is fairly pricey so may not be available to all students; it is very unlikely it will be available in classrooms either due to the price.

Why Geometer’s Sketch Pad is so well received by teachers/educators?

There are countless lessons & information in regards to Geometer’s – even a sample lesson plan on to use the program. An educator would be able to use Geometer’s across the mathematics curriculum. It is also rather easy to create lessons, quizzes, exercises, etc. in your own time.

Why Geometer’s Sketch Pad may not be received well by teachers/educators?

While Geometer’s would be easy to implement in the classroom it is fairly pricey software. It will be difficult to get administrators to agree to have it used in the classroom, just on an educator’s computer. It will be even more difficult to acquire a version for each student in the class to use.

My Summary of Geometer’s Sketch Pad

1. Cost an issue.
2. Teachers can easily integrate it into their curriculum.
3. Beneficial for designing mathematical shapes, can even create artwork!

Many engineering, CAD & math students are looking for a free alternative to Geometer’s Sketch Pad, well here it is. Although there is a “Pro” version that costs money, the free version is more than sufficient.

Why Google SketchUp is so well received by students?

Google SketchUp allows students to design most shapes (like Geometer’s) but is more in depth – even going so far as allowing students to create structures/buildings as they see fit. Perfect for any engineering, architecture, CAD or math student interested in how things are created.

The software is free & offers some tutorials, so students can use it in class & then play around with it on their home computer. Students can even design their own cities if they so choose with the program.

Why Google SketchUp may not be received well by students?

Things may not always end up looking exactly the way a student designed something to look. There are only a few tutorials to look through, so if you become stuck the only legitimate option you have is to continue to play around with the software or contact Google for help.

Why Google SketchUp is so well received by teachers/educators?

Google SketchUp is a free alternative to Geometer’s Sketch Pad & as a result should be easily approved by administrators for use. Google also offers a few competitions students can enter submissions they’ve made with SketchUp in.

There is an option to purchase the Pro version which offers more educator friendly materials, such as lab suggestions to be used in the classroom.

Why Google SketchUp may not be received well by teachers/educators?

Google SketchUp isn’t as in depth as Geometer’s & doesn’t offer lessons or meet any curriculum standards. Due to needing to play around with the software in order to learn it, it may become a daunting task to implement it inside the classroom. If the educator cannot learn the software it isn’t fair to the students for the educator to attempt to teach them something they (themselves) do not know.

My Summary of Google SketchUp

1. Students will love it if you allow them the time to figure out what they’re doing.
2. Teachers may struggle integrate it into their curriculum.
3. Beneficial to architecture, engineering, CAD & math students.
4. It’s free!

Sheppard Software is a website just like Knowledge adventure but geared towards an older audience. Sheppard Software also offers breakdown of each game by the subject (Fractions, Algebra, etc.) involved.

Why Sheppard Software is so well received by students?

Most students like playing games in class. Sheppard is a more organized version of Knowledge Adventure & most of the games are different. The games (most of them) are also newly created games, as opposed to existing games with a mathematical twist.

Why Sheppard Software may not be received well by students?

Sheppard Software is geared towards an older audience, so it is possible students can be confused by the games. There are also other games on the website under the banner “brain” that may result in students navigating away from the appropriate subject area. It’s possible students will want to play Battleship or one of the other games in this section, rather than the games geared towards the course.

Why Sheppard Software is so well received by teachers/educators?

All the games can be played straight off of the website without downloading anything or costs involved. It is very easy to use in all classrooms.

Why Sheppard Software may not be received well by teachers/educators?

It is very possible students will start playing the games, even when they are not supposed to be, due to their introduction in class. So you must set ground rules. It will be difficult to get approval to use the website in class due to the website featuring games – however relevant to the class topic.

My Summary of Sheppard Software

1. Easy to use online.
2. Game oriented, may be hard to get approval to use in class.
3. Make sure to set ground rules.

While my main focus in these reviews will be on various programs that can be used in the classroom I’m not ignoring various websites that provide an “enhancement” to the classroom experience. Knowledge Adventure can enhance Math, Science & Spelling.

Why Knowledge Adventure is so well received by students?

Knowledge Adventure offers an educational spin to numerous games. One in particular is a math version of Pac Man called Math Man – the same twist but the ghosts have numbers on them.

There are a bunch of games (not the limited amount of some of the other sites I’ve mentioned) & there is no age limit for the games. While some may be geared towards a younger audience, others like Math Mahjongg which can be played by anyone.

Why Knowledge Adventure may not be received well by students?

Most of the Knowledge Adventure games are just like the games they are meant to look like. For example, Math Man is just as difficult as Pac Man & Math Mahjongg is just as easy as regular Mahjong.

Why Knowledge Adventure is so well received by teachers/educators?

As long as a computer has flash installed on it (which is free) any student in any class can play the games on Knowledge Adventure. There are enough games on the website that every student in class could very well be playing a different game.

Why Knowledge Adventure may not be received well by teachers/educators?

While Knowledge Adventure requires no purchase they are in fact games, so administrators may frown upon their usage. It probably also doesn’t help that if you attempt to have students use the games on Knowledge Adventure in class it will be assumed the students are allowed to use Knowledge Adventure at any time during class, so if you’re allowed to have your students use the Knowledge Adventure website, make sure to set ground rules.

My Summary of Knowledge Adventure

1. Based on the web!
2. No costs.
3. Set ground rules if allowed to use.

DimensionM is software that is essentially a role playing game but heavily using mathematics in its structure. It is essentially a video game (which everyone loves!) that can be helpful for students in mathematics.

Why DimensionM is so well received by students?

It is in fact a game in a much different sense than the other games I’ve discussed. The best way to describe it would be to say that it is Metal Gear Solid meets Cookie Monster. There is even a breakdown of levels to show one’s expertise in the game. The whole while the student is probably unaware of the fact that they are learning mathematical concepts.

Why DimensionM may not be received well by students?

DimensionM offers lesson plans, activities, etc. like Aha! Math did. Each level also has a listing of what mathematical concepts were supposed to gain through game play. It is very possible that an educator test the student’s knowledge while he/she is utilizing the game.

Why DimensionM is so well received by teachers/educators?

The game offers lesson plans & meets state standards for curriculum. There is also an extensive help structure in place in case an educator has any questions; in most cases the response to email is fairly prompt as well.

The game also offers various versions to enhance game play & educational experience. The options available are for Pre-Algebra & Algebra (which offers a multiplayer version as well) & demos of them all on the official website.

Why DimensionM may not be received well by teachers/educators?

Although the game is moderately priced it is highly unlikely it will be allowed to be used in the classroom due to how much of a video game it truly looks like. It is a simple case of software designed too well that it may be rejected before usage simply based on how it looks.

The software is limited to Pre-Algebra & Algebra, so if you teach different math courses from school year to school year it is probably not beneficial to use the product because if you don’t teach Algebra for a few years, a new version could have come out.

My Summary of DimensionM

1. Too video game like to be given a true opportunity in academia.
2. Meets state standards for curriculum.
3. Online demos!
4. Keep checking for updated/newer software in other mathematical genres.

Aha! Math is another website (actually part of a website) that offers software that can helpful in the classroom. This software also offers various versions of itself, like a Spanish language version & a whiteboard version for better viewing functionality.

Why Aha! Math is so well received by students?

Aha! Math offers math games for learning concepts related to mathematics. There are a few games offered per grade level K through 5.

Why Aha! Math may not be received well by students?

There is curriculum associated with these games so an educator can use lesson plans, give quizzes & give tests in regards to the games because they all meet state standards for curriculum.

There are multiple lessons associated with each grade so students may tire of the software after a while. For example 5^th grade has four different lessons with Aha! Math & these lessons are primarily what is learned in a 5^th grade math class, so it is possible students will be using Aha! Math all year round – even if they tire from it.

Why Aha! Math is so well received by teachers/educators?

Aha! Math offers curriculum that meets the state standards they must be using while in the classroom. Included are lesson plans, activities, games & quizzes. All of this could easily be used to implement a test on the subject matter as well. Everything is also broken down into units that can be used during the course of a school year.

Not only does Aha! Math offer these for an educator to use if requested, some are even on the website so you can view sample quizzes, sample lesson plans & sample activities to get a better gauge of how everything will look or should look.

Why Aha! Math may not be received well by teachers/educators?

Aha! Math costs money & is primarily geared towards elementary school students. Due to this it will be difficult to get approval for purchase & use in the classroom. Some school districts frown upon purchasing software for the younger students because they worry the students will get bored easily (wasting money) or breaking the software requiring a new copy or license (costing more money).

Aha! Math’s lesson plans also may not fit what the exact educator is looking to accomplish in their classroom which could result in the educator re-writing the lesson plans to fit their needs. This could also impact how the software is used in class & can result in not as crisp a lesson as expected.

My Summary of Aha! Math

1. Costs money for a younger audience, so your district may not approve.
2. Could bore younger audience easily.
3. Offers various editions.
4. Teacher friendly with lesson plans, activities, etc.

Maple can be very useful inside Calculus courses for any students but comes with many shortfalls that usually prevent educators from using it.

Why Maple is so well received by students?

Anytime students stumble upon a tricky subject like Calculus they look for help through any means necessarily & unfortunately they usually only turn to educators as a last resort. Maple offers extensive help in regards to everything that will be covered during the course of a Calculus class. Unfortunately due to Maple’s abilities it could very well do a student’s homework for them.

Why Maple may not be received well by students?

Maple isn’t cost efficient so most students will not see it until their college days. As a result students may explore other, cheaper options to help them with learning Calculus that won’t be as good as Maple which could very well prevent the student from learning Calculus properly.

Students tend to think if there is software on the market that can help them in their studies that it is the best option to go out & spend a bundle on it. As someone who’s spent as many hours using computer programs as I have spent in the classroom I can attest that educators have taught me more than programs have.

Why Maple is so well received by teachers/educators?

Maple can be used in the same way that a graphing calculator can in showing students how certain Calculus problems can be answered using technology. The most proficient way to do so though, is to show them how to solve the problems with their mind & pencil, as opposed to technology giving them the answer.

Why Maple may not be received well by teachers/educators?

Maple costs money that a school district is not going to put money towards, however a college probably will. Maple’s costs make it not even a worthwhile consideration.

The best an educator can do is purchase their own copy of Maple & use it in the classroom as a different form of instruction while showing how to solve a problem. Due to its cost this is also unlikely.

Maple is helpful in showing students a different way to solve things but may cause reliance on the software instead of doing the problems by hand to get a better grasp of the concept.

My Summary of Maple

1. A bit pricey for K through 12.
2. May cause reliance issues.
3. Only useful as a supplement to the educator!

While my main focus in these reviews will be on various programs that can be used in the classroom I’m not ignoring various websites that provide an “enhancement” to the classroom experience. Wall Street Survivor could very well enhance all business, computer & mathematics courses.

Why Wall Street Survivor is so well received by students?

Wall Street Survivor is an online version of the Stock Exchange where you can buy & sell while making a portfolio to compete against the rest of your class & possibly even other classes.

When using “Stock Exchange” games like this in classrooms I have been a student in the teacher would offer some kind of perk involved with winning. For example, if you play per marking period the perk could be a few extra points on the marking period test. Giving incentives usually results in the students making a substantial effort towards winning.

Why Wall Street Survivor may not be received well by students?

Some students could very well see Wall Street Survivor as “extra work.” They may be put off by the fact that they have to create an account, log in every so often & essentially compete against their classmates in something they’re not sure they can win.

The tutorials & forums on the same page as the game should work to help any student who may have any issues with thinking the game is extra work, as it should be a fun experience for all.

Why Wall Street Survivor is so well received by teachers/educators?

Wall Street Survivor can be found online, requires no download & is easily monitored. Since it can be found online there is nothing to implement on a computer as far as software is concerned. You will still want to ask your administration if you can use it though.

Wall Street Survivor can be used as an out of class tool which will not interfere with current curriculum. For software like Alice & Scratch they have to be shown & used in the classroom to be used outside of the classroom.

The game offers research of stocks to allow for a fair playing field for all the students, as opposed to being geared to those already with interest in financial ventures.

Why Wall Street Survivor may not be received well by teachers/educators?

Wall Street Survivor could be perceived as a gateway to students losing money by actively engaging in the Stock Market later in life. While some may consider this fair fetched, it is still always a good idea to explain how playing Wall Street Survivor & winning doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make money playing those same stocks for real on the Stock Market.

Due to this playing Wall Street Survivor may result in having to do a lecture or two or providing information otherwise on the Stock Market, so students are fully aware of what they are doing.

Wall Street Survivor attempts to help you as much as possible with your portfolio, which some would think is a great thing. It is great, if you are willing to tolerate the e-mails. It isn’t at a level of “spam” e-mails but it is close. It may be a good idea to create a hotmail account that you can link into Microsoft Outlook in order to avoid this as an issue.

My Summary of Wall Street Survivor

1. Instruct students about the Stock Market before letting them dive in.
2. Offer perks, so everyone makes an attempt at the game.
3. Easy to use in business, computer or math classes.
4. No downloads or implementation required.
5. No need to edit curriculum in order to use it.

Many younger students in today’s society are learning how to program using Alice. To show the depth of created software geared towards the educational field there is software similar in style to Alice, called Scratch. It is also geared towards computer programming.

Why Scratch is so well received by students?

Scratch is an interactive program that students can use to learn computer programming, without even knowing it. Scratch allows the student to select a variant of objects to “add to the story board” in order to create stories, games & videos. Scratch doesn’t have the extensive packages that Alice has which may make learning it easier for students.

Due to the simplicities of the software students are able to help each other if they struggle with the software. Students may be able to create multiple Scratch projects in the same amount of time they could create an Alice project.

Why Scratch may not be received well by students?

There is no age restriction on Scratch so anyone can use it. From speaking with various educators over the years about Scratch, it would appear the “niche” for Scratch is at the middle school level. The thought process is the software is a little too advanced for those from pre-K through fifth grade & a bit behind them as far as high school students are concerned.

Scratch isn’t in the same league with Alice, as far as being able to do different extensive tasks that can help teach various computer programming concepts. If a student has any issue with learning Scratch there is very limited information they can look through, mainly the forums on the Scratch website. Some students like when they are able to find helpful information on the program they are using.

Why Scratch is so well received by teachers/educators?

There are two primary reasons why Scratch is so well received by teachers/educators of all venues.

Firstly, Scratch is free to download. Due to this an administrator is more likely to allow your class to utilize it, because there is no cost involved. It also takes up very little space, so it may be possible to store it on all of your classroom computers, rather than just the head teachers’ computer.

Secondly, Scratch is much easier to learn than Alice & as a result teachers/educators do not have to spend all that much time learning a new software to implement it in the classroom.

Why Scratch may not be received well by teachers/educators?

There are two main reasons why teachers/educators frown upon using Scratch inside the classroom.

Firstly, teachers/educators will find if they are stuck when using Scratch it will be rather difficult to find an answer to their question. Their best bet would be to use the Scratch forums but chances are their questions won’t be answered. The only other real option they have is contacting the creators of Scratch & hoping for a prompt response (which isn’t likely).

Secondly, due to the structure of Scratch, mainly it’s easy use (for the most part), it doesn’t have the “hook” factor that Alice has. In fact it could have the exact opposite result. Due to the “simplicity” of Scratch it may be assumed that everything related to computer programming is very easy, which isn’t the case, & as a result if something comes across that is difficult, such as recursion, the student may end up quitting on the project because it was as simple as assumed.

My Summary of Scratch Programming

1. It’s free!
2. Not as good as Alice.
3. Won’t create future computer students, may detract them from being computer students.
4. Limited help offered for those that want it.

Many younger students in today’s society are learning how to program using Alice. Alice makes learning programming fun & is rather simple, which is why students younger & younger are starting to enjoy the wonders of Alice.

Why Alice is so well received by students?

Alice is an interactive program that students can use to learn computer programming, without even knowing it. Alice also currently uses packages that include linking with The Sims 2, to allow for an even more pleasant experience. Alice allows the student to select a variant of objects to “add to the story board” in order to create stories, games & videos.

Students are allowed to enter a plethora of different worlds based on the packages Alice offers. Based off of the package the student picks he is then given the option to select items he can add to the “story board.” As a result students are learning about if-else & various other programming fundamentals.

Why Alice may not be received well by students?

There is no age restriction on Alice so anyone can use it. From speaking with various educators over the years about Alice, it would appear the “niche” for Alice is at the middle school level. The thought process is the software is a little too advanced for those from pre-K through fifth grade & a bit behind them as far as high school students are concerned.

There are also a few quirks getting used to in Alice that some students may not have the patience to “play around with.” Another issue arrives in the fact that students view the software as a game, so the response may not be what you’d expect if you, the teacher, attempt to use one of the lessons listed on Alice’s website. In some cases the exact opposite is the case, where students want to hop right in & play around instead of watching/listening through a lecture on Alice – some of us learn the most when we are doing things on our own.

Why Alice is so well received by teachers/educators?

There are three primary reasons why Alice is so well received by teachers/educators of all venues.

Firstly, Alice is free to download. Due to this an administrator is more likely to allow your class to utilize it, because there is no cost involved. It also takes up very little space, so it may be possible to store it on all of your classroom computers, rather than just the head teachers’ computer.

Secondly, Alice offers tutorials, help & a wide range of other simplified information to allow the students to have the best experience they possibly can. It is also possible to integrate Alice into the curriculum due to three different books featuring lesson plans (varying from 2 to 4 weeks in total). At $70 the book is well worth the investment considering it will allow you to better educate your students on how to properly utilize Alice.

Thirdly and most importantly is the “hook” factor. When I was a high school student, many of my friends went to college for computer science or another computer related field. By time I graduated fewer & fewer students were going to higher education for anything computer related. Having software like this which is not only fun but educational as well may “hook” the student into wanting to study something computer related later in life.

Why Alice may not be received well by teachers/educators?

There are two main reasons why teachers/educators frown upon using Alice inside the classroom & neither of which do I think should prevent them from using Alice in the classroom.

Firstly, teachers/educators may find it too difficult to learn Alice themselves & don’t want to proceed with using Alice in the classroom & attempting to teach it when they are unsure of themselves. Simple solutions are as follows: some teachers spend all summer preparing for the next school year, why not at least take a few days to learn the software. The college who created Alice usually offers seminars during the summer which you can attend. Did I stress the countless tutorials, forums & help page?

Secondly, due to the structure of Alice it may be looked upon as a “game” which puts teachers/educators off from using it. Very simple solutions…..ask your district if you could use it in your classroom. If you receive a no, write up a synopsis as to why Alice would be beneficial in the classroom. Chances are if you show why something can be beneficial it will be approved, rather than blindly asking to use it.

My Summary of Alice Programming

1. Students will love it if you allow them the time to figure out what they’re doing.
2. Teachers can easily integrate it into their curriculum.
3. Beneficial in creating future computer students.
4. It’s free!