Hit: That's A Fact, Jack

[Crd Cat <CrdCat@AOL.COM>]

Here are your replies about this reading incentive program.
Thanks for the contributions!
Teresa Thompson

Saw your message re:  TFJ.  It's great.  It asks the students all
kinds of questions including literal, inferential, and evaluative.  The
motivation to read for understanding is central.  You can use it
individually, with up to three students on the keyboard, or divide the
class into thirds and play with teams.   The format is highly motivating.
Of course, no one can play the game without finishing their plot chart,
compare and contrast diagram, chapter summaries...(whatever strategy you
are using) so it's a real carrot!  Let me know what you think.
Barb Fowler
TAG Coordinator
Lincoln County School District

We just started using TFJ in the last 3-4 months.  The kids love it!
Now I am in the process of buying multiple CDs of titles we have.  My
reading teachers (heavy into novel units) prefer 3-5 copies of each CD
so that more students can run through the game in a timely format.  Just
this week, my 7th grade reading teacher gave 4 options to her students
for their final book project.  Over half opted to do the project that
included TFJ as the finale.  One draw back I see is that every novel
does not have comparable point values.  THerefore our teachers do not
use points for any type of reward.  Good luck with TFJ.  Post a note if
you come up with any clever uses of the program.
Linda

FYI, That's a Fact Jack was reviewed in the Nov. 1996 issue of Technology
Connection.
Shelley Glantz
Reviews Editor
Technology Connection

I was first in line to buy it when it came out and I can't say enough

positive about it.  It is all I could ask for in a reading motivation

program.  It fully utilizes the power of technology and is very powerful in

terms of motivation.  The administrative features make it usable in a

variety of level and situations.  The first student to play came in first

thing on a Monday morning saying she didn't watch TV all weekend, her book

was so good.  We offer no incentives other than playing the game and it is

used on a daily basis in the library.  I feel like I've been cloned, only

better.  Adults have even started reading so they can play!

Mary Lee Crowe

Elementary Library Media Specialist

Burlington Community School District

Our middle school students like it! We put it on the library computers
during slow times and they have fun with it.
Pat Johnson, Librarian
W.I. Stevenson Middle School

I have TFJ and Electronic Bookshelf. It depends on what you are planning
to do. If you have alot of kids TFJ will take a long time to "play" the
game. My kids love it. We use it in conjunction with EBS. EBS is the
core because we can get alot of kids reading quickly. WE use TFJ as a
supplement. It is a cool program.
Paula

        A very good addition to another incentive program, but not one to use all
alone.  I used it as a higher level reward for those who scored over 50
points on AR, for instance.  TFJ is easy to defeat and figure out - I
played it twice and scored a perfect score on the third go around without
having read the book. . .  It takes too long to play - the 10 minute
version can be stretched to 15 minutes or so : and the opening screens and
jokes get old very fast!
        It might be used as a class incentive once or twice during the year -
especially if the students stay with you a while (K-5, for instance) - but
as a weekly or monthly incentive, I think it will lose its value with the
students quickly. . .
        I also encourage you to get the movie "The Mind's Treasure Chest" from
Follett which is the accompanying movie to the host - Jack Peterson - An
excellent movie about libraries, research, and librarians. . . and a very
catchy tune at the end of the movie ...  I was really surprised that I did
not know about the movie until I ran into TFJ. . .
It is a lot of flash and not much substance (which is why they lowered the
price from $750 to $99 after the first year) ...
        I especially liked the ability to set up teams and such ...
BTW, you can connected two keyboards to the one computer and the students
do not have to sit or stand over the same keyboard ... some students have a
tendency to push their opponent's hands off the keys. . .or push and shove
around the keyboard... just unplug the mouse from one keyboard and plug a
second keyboard in where the mouse used to be. . .  works GREAT!
And the students are amazed that we librarians know so much about making a
single computer run with two keyboards...  This trick is for the MAC
version ... I don't think it will work with IBM types. . .
        If you have any specific questions, please send them along ...
And you don't have to erase my name from a hit if you build one - I don't
mind having my address posted...  8-)
Aloha...   Earl J.   earlj@moniz.org

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