LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Here's my second HIT re what Software do your Grade 3-4 teachers especially
like. I asked:
Can you tell me your top Macintosh software pick for Gr.3-4 in any of the
following categories? (I need some ideas saspo---for a meeting Jan. 6!)
TIA Joan Kimball jkim@borg.com Hart's Hill School, Whitesboro, NY
1. Desktop Publishing-
2. Data Base-
3. Graphing-
4. Reference, including Atlas, Encyclopedia, Dictionary-
5. Math-
6. Social Studies, esp. Explorers, Colonial America, People in different biomes-
7. Science, esp. Desert, Rainforest, Ocean, Geology, Animals-
8. Language Arts-
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Joan, We use Clarisworks for a database, spreadsheet, and word processing
program with all grades K-8 in our school. In the media center I have
tried both the World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia and Grolier's and the
children prefer the World Book. All of the other programs are used in our
computer lab and I do not know the names of some of them. We do have an
ocean program which is used in the Spring with our Estuary and Ocean units.
The students in grades 3 & 4 learn many new ocean animals through using
it. Good luck with your search and if you still need to know the name of
the Ocean program, at the end of your hunt, e-mail me directly.
----from Linda Sherouse, North Hampton School, North Hampton, NH
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May I suggest another choice for your math
software--Crystal Rain Forest available from Terrapin Logo. We
have used it with students as young as second graders and have
been impressed with the level and quality of reasoning students
use. Best of all, a site license is only $250.
You had a comment that Kid Pix was difficult to use--I
think you will find that students will love to explore and
create with it. There is a book available from ISTE which has
loads of neat ideas. Our art teacher has been bringing classes
to our lab to teach drawing with perspective (and that is
another idea to consider--this year we have worked to be sure
that all special area teachers have at least one lesson in the
lab .)
Mac USA and Cross Country USA are both excellent for
social studies. Our guidance counselor will use Cross Country
USA (which simulates driving a truck to pick up and deliver
commodities) in her careers unit.
All my catalogs and list of 800 numbers are at school
let me know if you need any specifics and I will be glad to add
them on Thursday.
---from Meredith Altshuler D.J. Montague Elementary Williamsburg,Va
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Here are my choices in some of your categories.
Desktop publishing - Writing Center
Database - Clarisworks
Reference - encyclopedia - World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia
---from Lou Brewer, LMS Nickerson Elem. School Nickerson, KS 67561
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If you want my first HIT, just e-mail me and I'll send it to you. :-)
Joan
Joan Kimball (jkim@borg.com)
Clinton, NY
Hart's Hill Elementary School Library
Clark Mills Road, Whitesboro, NY 13492
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 1997 17:57:30 -0400
From: Joan Kimball <jkim@BORG.COM>
Subject: ELEM.HIT: Student Writing Center
On January 2 I asked:
Do you have experience with either of the Learning Company's desktop
publishing programs:
1. _Student Writing Center_ which has been out for several years and is
billed in the catalog as Gr. 4 up,
and
2. _Ultimate Writing and Creativity Center_ which came out this year and is
billed as Gr. 2-5.
It would appear that _Ultimate_ doesn't have all the capabilities of
_Student_, such as thesaurus, footnotes, headers, but might be more
appealing to younger grades.
Anybody have an opinion? I need this info as soon as possible as we are
likely to choose one of these programs for a grade three and four LAN this
coming week.
TIA Joan
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To summarize, people really like the Student Writing Center, and many use
it at primary grades. No one yet seems to have tried the Ultimate
Writing...Center.
Here are the replies:
We use
>1. _Student Writing Center_ which has been out for several years and is
>billed in the catalog as Gr. 4 up,
for grades 2 through 4/5. In 5th grade we start them on Word. It is an
excellent student program and does a good job of getting them ready for the
"real" thing.
______________________________________
Jamie Murphy Boston, Librarian
Davis Joint Unified School District
Birch Lane Elementary, 1600 Birch Ln. Pioneer Elementary, 5212 Hamel St.
Davis, CA 95616
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Joan,
We use Student Writing Center in our 3-5 classes. Have had it for two
years now and the teachers have not expressed a desire to look for new
software, which means (with this group ) that they like it. Have not seen
the Ultimate, though.
Pame Spencer
Winship Elem. Librarian
pamespen@tenet.edu
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I've used the Student Writing Center for quite a while now. I got
started with Learning Company's _Children's Writing & Publishing_
years ago. It was for grades 1 and up and then was unavailable.
It sounds as the Ultimate ... Center is intended to replace that
and, if so, would be a useful program. To be perfectly honest,
I'm not so sure that kids use the thesaurus and all those things
unless really encouraged (forced) to do so by the teacher.
Either program would work -- it just depends upon the ages you
are planning on having use them. I like both of the ones I've
used. In fact, I waited patiently to find a copy of Children's
to replace one that somehow got fried (waited 2 years but did
finally find one).
gary metzenbacher, lms
marion, indiana
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Joan,
we have the Student Writing Center set up in our MAC lab
of 15 computers. The teachers and students have not
voiced any complaints about the program to this point.
[I just started here this year and believe that the program
was installed a year or two ago.]
You might alos want to check into a program called My Own Story
which permits the production of little storybooks which the students
have the ability to also place graphics into the story. . . The printed
version of the story comes with the graphics as well. The only drawback
is the program places the graphic in the middle of the page - there isn't
any option to moving it around or shrinking it to size. . . [I am not
thoroughly familiar with this program, so I might be wrong.]
I hope this helps...
Just doing what I can from where I am with what I have...
Aloha... Earl J.
Earl J. Moniz (emoniz@christcom.net)
Lillington Elementary School
"Doing what I can from where I am with what I have..."
Lillington, North Carolina
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Joan, I still use Student Writing Center as my word processor of choice
and I have MS Word, et al at my disposal. For kdis it is exceptional and
has lots of whizzes and bangs that some more sophisticated programs are
not so good at providing. the spell checker in Student Writing Center
catches more errors thatn MS Word does!!!?? Good Luck. P.S. My own sons
use it aty hoem, agaes 14 and 17. Barbara Wall, Oswego Co,. BOCES, Mexico
NY
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Hi,
We use Student Writing Center with our elem. students even down into the
primary grades. It is not too difficult yet allows for good kids to move
ahead easily. You don't have to introduce all the aspects at once. Text
fonts and pictures is plenty to get them going. Add templets and other
extras as needed. The nice thing is they are there for those who have
the need and interest.
Ellen Jay
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We use "Student" with grades 4 & 5 and find it very good. It is really quite
complete. I have never used the "ultimate," so cannot compare. We are
satisfied with the scope of the other, though!
Pauline Herr, LMS pherr@int1.mhrcc.org
Arlington Elementary School Phone: (914) 486-4960
Raymond Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
District Web Pages: http://www.s390.ibm.com/arlington
"He who opens a school door, closes a prison." Victor Hugo
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Hope that helps everybody.
Joan
Joan Kimball (jkim@borg.com)
Clinton, NY
Hart's Hill Elementary School Library
Clark Mills Road, Whitesboro, NY 13492
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