Week #5 Fun! Fun! Fun!

                                                        Fun, Games, and Learning!

In the classroom, we want the children to be engaged at all times and what is better than using games to do this! The students in my classroom love to play games on the computers and centers. The students think they are just have fun playing the games, but they are learning through games.

Games provide instruction, practice, reinforcement of skills, feedback, data, and of course FUN! Our teaching jobs are made so much easier with all of the new instructional software that is available.

One such type of instructional software is drill-and-practice software. This software is wonderful for students to practice what they have learned in class. I use this type of software in my classroom to help get my students ready for tests. I love this type of software because it provides the students with immediate feedback. We are working on time in math and one type of drill-and-practice software I will use to help my students is a game on the website on learning planet found at:  http://www.learningplanet.com/act/tw/index.asp

Another type of software is tutorial which is where the students have more control over their learning. I use this type of software to teach my students typing skills. In first grade we have technology in our course of study; I meet this requirement through tutorials. I have my student learn typing skills through a game called Dance Mat on the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

Simulation is another fun way for students to learn in the classroom. We learn about plants in our classroom; we learn what plants need to grow and I have found a game where students simulate a garden and they must provide their plants with the correct amount of water, sunlight, and care in order for it to grow. This software is found on the following website: http://www.schooltimegames.com/science/GardenGrow.html

Our class loves the instructional software which turns learning and competing into a game. My class loves to use the instructional games to help them prepare for a test. Our favorite game is "Class Feud." We were researching different ocean animals for our science lesson and we made our question cards for our game. We made a game from our research and it helps us prepare for the test. I found a blog by Richard Byrne titled "Free Technology for Teachers" on http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ it discusses this type of software.

Problem-Solving is another type of software that we use in our classroom. We are a "Leader In Me" school and we are all about achieving goals. The students make personal goals, we make classroom goals, and we discuss how to achieve those goals. I think this is the reason why we love this type of software in our classroom. One of the games we use with problem-solving software is helping a frog get to the other side of the bank by getting the math problem correct and jumping on the lily pads across the pond. This game can be found on the following website: http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/problemsolving/frogjump.html

The last type of instructional software is integrated learning. This type of software can be a teacher's best friend; computer-based learning that tracks the progress of the students in your classroom. We use this type of software in our classroom for centers in math and reading. My class spends a lot of time on Education City and this provides me with data on their progress. The website is: http://us.educationcity.com/

With all of these types of instructional software, you are sure to find something that works best for you and your situation. I have had fun learning about the different types of software and where each of my classroom websites fall under.