Identify a software program that you use in the classroom and the instructional objectives and goals you will meet with the software.
I use the Everyday Mathematics online software on a regular basis to help enhance my instructional objectives and goals. One particular objective that has been addressed in the first couple of months of school is the concept of number comparisons…which is an objective in our curriculum as well as a CCS for kindergarten. Students play a game called “Monster Squeeze.” In this game, the computer chooses a number and the students must guess what number was chosen. As students choose a number the monsters close in around the correct numbers by stating that the number chosen was greater than the mystery number or smaller than the mystery number. Not only do students have to identify numbers, but they must compare numbers based on if they guessed to high or too low. It is an extremely engaging game with great graphics and the students are constantly asking to play the game. Once students master their numbers 1-10, the game can be differentiated to include numbers 11-20. This provides a challenge to some of my kindergarten students.
This program is extremely efficient and works well with the curriculum already in place. It serves as a way to reinforce the objectives taught in the Everyday Mathematics program. The only problem I see with using this program as a whole group activity is that your high end students find it non-engaging after a few times of playing…they would prefer a more challenging game. I would like to have several iPods in my classroom that I could use with my high end students when we play games as whole group….I could download games that would provide more of a challenge for them which would keep them more engaged. All in all, I enjoy the program and find it to be a great way to revisit skills and concepts taught in the classroom.
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