Chapter Three

Out of all of the chapters so far, I have enjoyed reading Chapter Three the most. I liked reading about the different types of instructional software available, their benefits, and the best ways to use them. I really like the idea of teachers using computer programs to empower them and their lessons. I also think it is important for teachers to be knowledgeable about all the different types of software so that they are able to recommend certain things to parents who may be concerned for their children.
Throughout the chapter, I kept thinking back to how computer software was integrated into my own education. In grade school, we used to have a class once a week where we would go to the computer lab and do different things. While reading through the different categories of software, I recalled different things that I used to do, and compared my reading to my own experiences.
I definitely used drill and practice software. I think that this is a great way to have students learn automaticity with certain skills, especially things in math like the multiplication facts. I think that this type of software is extremely beneficial if used for in the correct way. I hope to use this with my future math students somehow. I think I learned a lot through this type of software.
I don't think that I ever had any experiences with tutorial software or integrated learning systems. However, I think that they would be very useful in specific situations. I like the idea that they teach a whole topic at the pace of the individual students. This can be very beneficial, especially with children with learning disabilities, or advanced children.
To me, simulation software seemed like the coolest educational software. It offered so many possibilities, and opened the door to so many exciting things. I like how the text described it as being able to do things that would normally be time-consuming, dangerous, expensive, and unrealistic.
In school, I specifically remember two games that I really enjoyed. One was called Ice Cream Truck (similar to Lemonade Stand) where you have to decide how much ice cream to buy, where to sell it, what times, etc. Then, you make a certain amount of profit. The other game was called My Mathematical Life, and you got to choose a job and run your own life, managing expenses, etc. At the time, I found both of these games very fun. Now, I can see that they were not just fun, and in fact taught me problem solving techniques. Instructional games like these can be beneficial to students, especially if they enjoy playing them.
This chapter taught me a lot about the types of educational software I was unfamiliar with, and it reminded me of the benefits of the educational software that I had experienced myself. Teachers need to know when and how to integrate instructional software so that the student can benefit from it.