Jenelle+Smith

The first site I chose was **A+ American Education Corporation**. They offer a full range of grade levels from Kindergarten to college prep skills to adult learner curriculum software in all core content areas. The purpose of the program is to work in conjunction with a teacher or parent in providing instruction that meets the specific needs of a student by self-adjusting or allowing a monitor to adjust the program as necessary. The site boasts that all content meets and exceeds that of the National Council of content standards. This software provides a drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, some problem solving, and instructional game. This program appears to be similar to the SuccessMaker Enterprise (SME) software that District 60 uses to assess and build skills in our students. This program would easily integrate into my K-5 classroom because regardless of the age appropriate curriculum, each of my students works at their own pace in each of the core curriculum areas. This could be a center either in my SPED classroom or within the general education setting because of the content area focus it provides to students on an individual basis. I think this is a hard area to evaluate without playing in the curriculum. I do like the fact that it provides the teachers an outline of the scope and sequence, has adaptive assessments, can be adjusted to meet state standards, also works like Galileo (allowing all groups of students in a district/grade, to take the same test), allows student data to follow the school to school or district to district, and customizable reports. I hesitate to judge the weaknesses with the limited previews it allowed. I do think that it could have more of a game like feel. The cost is not mentioned on the site, which makes me think that it is quite costly. Instead, they ask that you contact them and they will arrange a demonstration for you, provide you with an estimate, and the software if you decide to purchase. The system can be either the American Education Corporation-hosted online version or a customer hosted version. The American Education Corporation-hosted online version:

** Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7: ** · Processor: 3.0 GHz Intel**®**/AMD single core, or faster · System Memory: 1GB or greater, 2GB for Vista and Win7 · Available hard drive space: 150MB · Other: Java**®** 1.4.1 (installed with product) ** Apple® Macintosh™ OS 10.5.x and Apple Macintosh 10.6.x: ** · Processor: Intel Core™ Solo, 1.50GHz or faster · System Memory: 1GB or greater · Available hard-drive space: 150MB · Other: Java 1.4.2 or 1.4.5 ** Internet Bandwidth ** ** On-Line Connection Speeds ** - if the //A//+ Client is connecting to the server through the Internet (including hosting by AEC), it is recommended that all Clients have broadband or better connection speeds for a single-user. Generally, for multi-user configurations, the equivalent of 1.5 Mbit/s will support about 40 users. The customer hosted version requires:  ** Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7: ** ** Apple® Macintosh™ OS 10.5.x and Apple Macintosh 10.6.x: ** Additional requirements are necessary for the customer hosted version as their servers must had specific software installed. This is the company website []
 * Processor: 3.0 GHz Intel®/AMD single core, or faster
 * System Memory: 1GB or greater, 2GB for Vista and Win7
 * Available hard drive space: 150MB
 * Other: Java® 1.4.1 (installed with product)
 * Processor: Intel Core™ Solo, 1.50GHz or faster
 * System Memory: 1GB or greater
 * Available hard drive space: 150MB
 * Other: Java 1.4.2 or 1.4.5

The purpose of the **SoftTouch** software is the teach students with moderate to severe disabilities both with autism and without. The software is not based on grade level nor is it age specific, rather the software is geared to specific functional life skill sets necessary for daily living. However, some of the classroom suites work like the SmE program. This software includes instructional games, drill and practice, and tutorial modes. There also is an authoring program available for purchase that allows the instructor to formulate their own questions which means it has the possibility of problem solving and or simulations. Once again, this could be used in my classroom to help my students meet those functional life skills that help lead them to independent living as adults. It could serve as a center, work with peer-tutoring, with a para educator or teacher. Further, because of it’s unique focus, it has the possibility of helping my students who have autism study feelings and how to “read” other’s faces. One of the strengths is that all the lessons can be purchased independent of a package deal, making it less costly up front. I do like the fact that it has the focus of those functional life skills geared for special education students and later independent living. Further, the site has cause and effect programs to help students realize there are consequences (both positive and negative) to their choices. In addition, the site does have additional hardware available for purchase to help those students with severe needs to better access the programs, including touch screens. It does seem to have several pit falls though. For example, the site boasts curriculum in only math, science, and literacy. Further, unlike the site listed above there is little research mentioned nor customer reviews to speak of the programs’ success. The cost of this program varies immensely. You can purchase bits and pieces as needed to teach certain skills or you can purchase classroom suites. One such classroom suite was $345.00 other items can be purchased for as little as $22.00. Additionally, there were no system requirements listed on the site, only a list of “Access Options” was available to show how the additional hardware would work for certain programs. Here’s the link, [|www.softtouch.com/**curriculum**.aspx]

The **Time4Learning** website offers curriculum for students preschool thru eighth grade. It boasts that is a home school curriculum, an after school curriculum, a summer use program and will also meet the needs of special education students. It has a focus of language arts, math, science and social studies. The software has instructional games, problem solving skills, tutorials and a drill and practice section. I was unable to determine from the lesson demos if it also offered simulations. The graphics are colorful and cheesy, but would entertain most kids. The site boasts that it “provides flexible, student-paced approach that combines animated lessons, interactive activities and exercises”. Further, there are printables available from the site that correlates with the lessons presented with the software. Honestly, I thought about my daughter first when I played with the lesson demos. She is twenty months and loves the computer and watching educational games. I can understand how some of my younger students would really get into this because of the enthusiasm that the characters show. I think that something like this would help with those students who have little interest or buy in or have trouble focusing on traditional educational methods. I believe that this one could truly be a center for even some of my younger students where as the afore mentioned sites could only be a center for my more focused older students. This site has many parent reviews and awards or certifications, which helps to validate its effectiveness in student learning. It offers three grade level lessons of curriculum to subscriber. The lessons all correlate to state standards and are interactive. I do like the fact that science and social studies are included with this program. Some of the downfalls are that it is internet based. I also do not like the fact that it boasts that it is for special education students when there are no functional life skills included in the curriculum. This is an online program that is priced out per child. The first child is $19.95 per month with each additional child only $14.95. The company boasts that “any computer (PC or Mac) with "fast access" (DSL or cable modem) to the Internet is ideal. A small adjustment is sometimes necessary if your computer uses Linux as the operating system.” The site reminds users that it will not work with Flash based technology such as iPads or iPhones. Check out the program at []

Crick Software offers a variety of choices to its clients. It ranges from lower elementary levels to high school curriculum and boasts that the qualified teachers on staff have extensive experience with a variety of special needs. There are also specific programs geared to ELL students. The Crick software focuses in on reading, writing, and comprehension. The software uses drill and practice, tutorial, and instructional games to meet each student’s particular needs. This is however speculation, as I could not find a real demo play. I think this again could be used as part of a literacy center during reading instruction. The software did allow for some student made animations of stories to increase comprehension which conceivably could be linked with AR (Accelerated Reader) to aid in student understanding. It could also be used in conjunction with the weekly spelling words during centers time. I like how the program has only one focus. However, I was unable to play with the software, instead screenshots of the applications were available. I did like that all of the software has universal designed that makes it easy for all users. There is a read function, word prediction, and can be integrated with Moodle. The site does not provide independent research of its curriculum but does state that its software is used on well over half a million computers in schools across the United States. I did not see too many down falls, but it is difficult since all of the previews are screen shots. One school site license is $3500.00 and includes an unlimited number of computers at that location. The software is available via the internet or schools may purchase a CD too. The system requirements are as follows:

Mac:
=== Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, 10. 6 ===

Networks:
===When you purchase a Clicker SuperSolution //OneSchool // site license, a network installer is included on all of the CDs, together with full deployment instructions. ===

Here is the link, [].

The e-Special Needs site offers a variety of different curriculum programs designed for special needs students. These range from behavioral and social interactions to basic core subjects such as reading, spelling, and math, as well as attending and cause and effect software. Because this software is designed for special needs students, there is no specified age or grade level attached to the curriculum. The software categories are also very broad depending on which subject the client desires. Some are drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, instructional game, or problem solving again depending on topic. Most of the programs seem to have an instructional game feel. I felt there were more possibilities with this software than some of the previous sites because it deals with much more on the special needs spectrum. This software could not only serve as a center in my classroom, it could also work in the general education setting. Further applications extend to the home environment because of the toileting skills and dining skills that are specifically targeted with the software. Additionally, it gave teachers tools to record and alter behavior utilizing an ABA system. I felt that one of this sites strengths was that it did focus on so many of the issues that moderate to severe special needs kids require. It offered expert help if teachers need it and had a universal design in mind to ensure access for all students. Additionally, the software packages did not need to be purchased in big expensive bundles so it is feasible that schools could pick and choose their curriculum to best meet the unique needs of their students. It even lets customers look up curriculum by diagnosis. I was not able to play with any of the software, this to me is a weakness because it does not allow a preview. Other weaknesses include that fact that it only covers the basic core curriculum areas of literacy and math. The cost of the program does vary dependent on what is chosen. The most expensive pack I found was $3500.00 with other supplemental software available for as little as $129.00. The site also did not specify how many computers the software could be loaded onto or if it was a site license. Further each program, even when bundled or packaged has its own specifications to use. “ **Minimum System Requirements: **The system requirements vary with each of the above program. Please view the programs of your choice above for detailed system requirements.” The software can be viewed at []

I like how there is such a wide variety of options available, for a range of grade levels, subject areas and price points. Mary

Soft Touch looks like a program I would like to use for my younger ELL students. The literacy programs would integrate nicely in lessons about the alphabet and certain topics about growing up. I liked the fact that it was somewhat affordable too. I tried to find what systems that work with the program, but couldn't find them. There is a section that sells hardware that would work with certain programs. I am wondering if they all need additional hardware or if just a basic computer would work. ~Stephanie Amos