Educational Technology (also called learning technology) is the study and ethical practice of facilitating, learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. An example of an Educational Technology Software is described and discussed below.
WORD MUNCHERS 2008 SOFTWARE
Students in Grades K-8 practice reading skills as they journey through outer space in this engaging program. The software is ideal for students who struggle with reading or grammar skills and need reinforcement or for those who want extra practice to sharpen their skills.THE FUN, QUICK-PACED SOFTWARE FOCUSES ON FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES:
Letter Recognition, Phonics, Vocabulary, and Grammar, which cover skills including consonant and vowel sounds, rhyming words, all eight parts of speech, prefixes, and suffixes. All skills are tied to national standards and are correlated by grade level. The software includes a Teacher's Guide with complete game play instructions, a chart showing each skill's correlations to national standards, a research and standards page, and a complete list of all words used in the software by grade level.
GAME PLAY:
The student chooses a category and a level to start the game. The goal is to "munch" all of the correct answers on the game board. The student is challenged with moving the Muncher around the game board in order to select correct answers by munching them while evading the Troggles. The student is rewarded with captivating animation as he or she earns points. Players aim to earn enough points to be included in the Hall of Fame, which lists the top 10 scorers.
OPTIONS AND ADAPTATIONS:
Skills progress in difficulty level from kindergarten to fifth grade. Students can play independently by selecting any category and level. Teacher options allow adaptations for individual needs. All directions are voiced and appear on the screen and can be repeated at any time during game play. Rollover audio for each word tile allows greater adaptability for struggling readers. A tutorial is available for every skill in the program. Teacher controls and assessments are also included.
I had the pleasure of playing the older vision of Word Muncher called Word Muncher Deluxe just before adding this blog. The software was bought for my little sister some years ago and has proven to be very helpful in teaching concepts of Language Arts. Children gain a sense of independence as they manipulate different aspects of the software to their satisfaction. The colours and animations are attractive to children and will encourage them to continue to participate in the game. It gives children the opportunity of having pre-knowledge of Language Art concepts even before it is covered in the classroom. Topic enrichment is another benefit of this software as students gain greater understanding of work already taught to them. Schools that incorporate this software in their teaching and learning strategies have a good chance of improving students’ performance in Language Arts. Educational technology such as this can transform the teaching environment for both teachers and students especially in developing countries.
Word Munchers Deluxe can be downloaded at the following site:
