The Use of Educational Software in the Classroom

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The Use of Educational Software in the Classroom

It is no surprise that technology is expanding every minute of every day. That would mean it should not be surprising that computers are becoming part of an everyday classroom. Middle Schools and High Schools have been using computers in a certain classes for years, but is it expected that children in kindergarten through 5th grade will be using computers also? It seems strange to think those children 11 and under are using a computer in the classroom on a daily basis. Yet it is true. Children in Elementary School are learning basic computer skill and putting them to work in order to learn things. Children are learning things from math to art on a computer. Is this necessary for such small children to become overwhelmed with? It is really decided by the child.

Certain children learn faster then others. A computer is not an easy thing to learn. It may be believed that putting a child into a class that uses computer software gives them the basic skills needed to understand a computer. But having only nine months in a classroom, how long does it take for the child to catch on to the program? It varies between children. One child may take only a few minutes or hours of instruction of how to use the program, while another child may take days or weeks. This causes problems on the progress of the class. Are we supposed to separate the slow learners? Of course not, if we did that, as they get up to speed they are stuck learning slower. Does this mean that we should not use computer software in the classroom? No, it just means the use of software in the classroom has to be considered with the period of time you have to accomplish what needs to be done.

What types of educational software are used? Well although there are many different types of computer software out there it is common that particular ones are chosen.

Harford County Public Schools have been using the program “Kid Pix” often in the past two years. Although this is not the only school system that uses the Kid Pix software, it is an example that is close to home. Kid Pix is made by Broderbund a huge educational/entertainment software maker.

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