Unit Three - Software
Objectives
At the conclusion of this unit, you will be able to:
- evaluate software.
- state how it can be applied to a lesson.
Instruction
If hardware was a race car, software would be the driver. Software uses some or all of the available hardware to accomplish a task. The two parts of a mobile device, hardware and software, work together to make tasks better and/or easier. For our purposes we are going to be looking at how software for these devices can be used to help our students recognize speech, print and language around them.
Before we look at specific software or specific needs, I need to share this tip. Wipe any ideas you have about software up to this point. Software on mobile devices is, I believe by design, focused and simple. Mobile devices are more analogous to a swiss army knife than a multipurpose knife. Each tool is separate and specialized but bound together as a unit. No matter how simple a program is, it still adds value to some process. Programs can be important and relevant, not just for their whimsical fun, but for their real world practicality. Young children aspire to be like the big people in their lives and will want to mimic what they do. This is where everyday apps (mobile programs) come in.
Whether we are looking at well developed sophisticated apps or simple everyday apps, they are all relevant. We need a way to evaluate them and assess their usefulness within our phonological lessons. I made an evaluation sheet for our specific need. The evaluation is not necessarily looking at the quality of the app, but the appropriate usefulness. I chose to use the scale, strong, fair and weak, to assist us in our look at an app's ability to be added to our lesson or spontaneous learning moment. Weak does not necessarily exclude the app from our to use list, but helps us identify what support it will need.
Explanations of the qualities being rated:
- Intuitive - Do you feel the app can be operated by a young child without software or other's guidance?
- Appealing - Does the app look appealing and visually interesting to a child?
- Meaningful Audio - Is their audio/speech that adds meaning to the learning and operation of the app?
- Collaborative - Can students share in the process, their creation or their work with others?
- Age Appropriate - Is the work on the app developmentally correct for the student?
- Usability - Can the program be frustrating to the child and deter work being completed?
- Creative - Is the work being done in the app original work by the student?
- Motivating - Is the app different, fun, interesting, explorative or have any other motivating quality?
- Interactive - Is the child doing something most of the time spent working?
- Individualized - Can the program be modified to adapt to different needs and levels of functioning students?
- Offers Guidance - Does the app help the student and/or ask them questions?
- Real World Use - Does the app have a connection to the real world that students may understand or have observed?
Also included on the mobile software evaluation sheet is a section titled phonological awareness tasks. This is where we match each app with the task(s) that would work best. Between the two areas, strength and task, a best fit can be found for our lesson's needs and/or our student's needs. The qualities we need from the software can be software driven or software along with teacher enhancements. More on that in a later unit.
Check Your Knowledge
First pick an app that you feel would be useful to a lesson in phonological awareness. Then, put yourself in a student position and perspective and play with it. Use it in a context your student's would use it in. If you do not have access to a mobile device that runs apps, you can find many app reviews and run-through videos online or even use a single purpose device like a basic mp3 player or basic digital camera. Get a feel for its functionality and utility. Look for what it does best. Fill out and complete the form.
In the last section, write down your initial idea on how it would be used. Based on the results of your evaluation, do you feel the app would be a valuable resource for your initial purpose? Record any thoughts and also additional ideas that came from your using the app.
Resources
Video of Software Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKSzIiQ8Xbc&feature=related
Other Software Examples:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zapd/id426955081?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sonicpics/id345295488?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storyrobe/id337670615?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/storykit/id329374595?mt=8
Evaluation
Do you feel your objectives were not met? Was there material that was unclear or confusing? Please leave a comment in the discussion area so that I can improve the lesson. Thanks.
- Continue on to Unit Four - Phonological Integration
- Go Back to Unit Two - Hardware