Partick Brissey

EDTE 731

Dr. Dickey

On-Line Portfolio

 

Instructional Software

 

    I decided, at the last minute, to do my portfolio on Greek intellectual thought.Ê This has caused me considerable time constraints.Ê I leave my initial software evaluation for the sake of time.Ê I hope this does not cause any considerable penalty. ÊAlso, there is no software that I have found that includes Greek intellectual thought.Ê There are many programs on ancient Greece itself, but even these programs will not deal with my theme (ancient philosophy) directly, if at all.Ê Iâm sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

 ÊÊDespite this, with a little thought, this CD could be included with my theme.  The ARGUS CD that I presented to the class is a comprehensive study of the geography of the United states.  If my theme presentation was conducted in a geography class, I could focus more on the science portion of the PowerPoint presentation and can evaluate the Greek philosophers understanding of a scientific enquiry of the earth compared to our, contemporary, understanding of science.  Portions of the ARGUS discs description of the formation to the North American continent could be used and examined with the ancient scientific theory of elements.  Moreover, one could apply Heraclitus's notion of the substantive nature of the earth to the discs discussion of mountain formation.  The US ARGUS Geography CD does fit with my topic. 

    Vice versa, the ARGUS disc could be used oppositely in a history.  The disc could serve as a contemporary understanding of science and then a student could show the influence of Greek philosophers to the different descriptions on the CD.  Either manner, the ARGUS CD fits in with the theme of Greek intellectual thought, though  in a very indirect way.  I hope this fulfills this portion of the online portfolio!   

 

To name: Ed Dickey
From name: Patrick Brissey
School: Summit Parkway Middle School
Name of package: ARGUS (Activities and Readings in the Geography of the United
States)
Vendor Name: The Association of American Geographers
Vendor Toll Free Phone Number: (202) 234-1450
Grade Level: 8-9
Subject-Area: Geography
Simulation: yes
Macintosh: yes
Intel PC/Windows: yes
     specification:
Memory
Needed: NA
Type of
Monitor: any
Printer?: None needed
Disk
(hard, 3.5, CD): Need a CD ROM
Other-Peripherals:
Instructional Purpose: The purpose of ARGUS is to help middle school students
understand the purpose of geography.  The CD informs students of the processes
that have occurred on the landscape of the U.S. to help students understand why
their landscape looks the way it does.  The ARGUS CD, also, endeavors to show
the vastness of the United States along the lines of landscape, economy,
culture, religion, and numerous other perspectives.  The CD shows that
Americans are collected together by a common belief in liberty and the
!0American way.!1  It also shows how US modern society is very diverse through
regions
use: The ARGUS CD is very interactive and it would be excellent to use in the
classroom.  The CD could be used as an incentive to learners as they get their
normal work finished.  The program could, also, be used in a teachers lecture
to show different aspects of the US.  Moreover, the program could be integrated
in to a class project on a certain region of the US.  The students could use
this program to fill in a table in this project.   There are numerous ways that
this program could be used.
Objectives Met: yes
Vocabulary Appropriate: yes
Content Accurate: yes
Free of Bias: yes
Learner in
Control: partially
Proper
Reinforcement: partially
Self-Directed: partially
Appropriate Sequencing: yes
Student Record Keeping: no
Disk Crash Safeguard: no
No Distracting Sounds/Visuals: no
Animation/Sound/Graphics Effective: yes
Uncluttered Screen: yes
Material Clearly Presented: yes
Easy Program to Load: yes
Simple Screen Directions: yes
On-screen Help: yes
Tutorial Manual: partially
Easy Printer
Setup: partially
Strengths: This package lets a student know how landforms were created in a very
simplistic manner.  The CD incorporates simple language, picture files, and
mini-movies to show how landforms were created.  This CD also gives a
comprehensive knowledge of the United States geographically today by giving
illustrations, elementary explanations, and simple movement from page to page.
Weaknesses: I!/m sure that there is a way that you can print information from
the CD, but finding how to do this is problematic.  Moreover, the tutorials
constantly give you choices other than the current task that you are own.  This
is asking a student to get off task.  It is also extremely hard to get out of a
simulation.  There are many confusing clicks to get off of the program.
Recommendation: very good
Comments: This software is great for anyone.  It gives the information sought
after quickly and simply!

 

This software is easy to use and has a considerable amount of information that can be used in a geography class and an US history class.Ê This package can be used directly in front of a class using a projector or it can be used individually with students.Ê I selected this software package because, initially, I was going to do my portfolio on US history, but, as I mentioned above, the ARGUS CD does fit indirectly with my portfolio topic. A problem with this piece of software is that it appears very busy at first sight and confusing.Ê Moreover, the software is not organized well.Ê The CD, also, has some errors. It places Charleston in Florida.Ê I hope my change of theme does not cause a great deal of frustration.

 

Thanks!

 

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