CD-ROM Reviews: August, 2005

-- School Library Journal, 8/1/2005

Language Arts

BrainGlow: Ideas and Tools for Digital Storytelling. DVD-ROM. with 80-pg. workbook as pdf file. Systems: Win 2000/XP/ME, Mac OS v. 9.2 & later. Prod by Bay Area Video Coalition. Dist. by Noodlehead Network.2003, 2004 release. $125, 5 copy lab pack: $350 (+ $6 s/h).

Gr 4 Up–Digital storytelling is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling, using digital tools to create media-rich stories to tell, share, and preserve. BrainGlow is an interactive application that instructs users in the methods of creating digital stories while demonstrating the art through dozens of stories produced by students. The interactive DVD-ROM, which must be played on a computer, contains more than 25 learning activities; over five hours of animation, video, and poetry made by young people; interviews with the teens; a teacher’s workbook with activities that can be printed; andhundreds of video clips, sound files, photos, and drawings for use in original stories. There are two broad categories: “Theater” and “Playscape.” Teens’ stories are viewed in the “Theater,” and the variety of stories helps to introduce the different media and range of techniques that digital storytellers may use. “Playscape” is the area for producing original stories.Story starters, scripts, and activities help budding storytellers put ideas together into a digital story. Using a click and drag technique, elements of the story, video, audio, backgrounds, and more are dragged onto a timeline and edited in a non-linear fashion. The work in progress can be viewed as it is edited, and projects can be saved or reopened later. This media-rich program requires 256 MB of free available system RAM, 100 MB of available disk space, and a 400M’Hz processor. Even with an advanced system, freezes and lock-ups occurred, making the process frustrating. According to a company representative, it may be a problem with the newer XP machines and they are looking into it. Fourth and fifth graders may be able to create stories with assistance and after much practice, but the program is much more suitable for older users with some video editing experience.Its strengths are in inspiring students to create unique and ingenious stories with digital tools.–MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY

Science

Switch Zoo Deluxe. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 98 & later, Macintosh OS X & later. Tubehead. 2004. ISBN 0-9759367-0-0. $29.95.

K-Gr 6–Switch Zoo, short for Switcharoo Zoo, allows children to switch animals’ legs, heads, and tails to make new, never heard of before creatures. (A free, but abbreviated version of the game has been available online for more than four years.) Users can choose a base animal of a cheetah, dog, elephant, monkey, rhinoceros, bear, pig, zebra, or bison. Then, they can select parts from over 100 other species to change their animal’s legs, head, or tail. They can do a quick switch or a morph where they can watch the change via animation. Users can print out pictures of their curious creatures, as well as create stories and names to accompany them. They can also make a postcard of their animal to e-mail to friends. In addition, fast facts are offered for 142 species included on the CD-ROM. The layout of the program is simple and easy to navigate. The nine base animals are listed on a map which children can click to go to their specific habitat. There’s also an alphabetical listing of all the different animals. The “Randomizer” simultaneously switches all of the animal’s features. Other sections include “Show Me How,” which offers demos to learn about the various features of the game, and an “Information” section which includes “Technical Questions and Answers” and links to “Educational Resources,” “Drawings and Poems,” and a “Hall of Names.” There are also links to sites that offer more information about animals in the zoo, lesson plans, and other teaching tools. “Gift Shop” takes users online to a site where they can purchase souvenirs such as a t-shirt or mug featuring a photograph of their creature. This title would be popular in public libraries and could be used as part of a science curriculum in elementary schools.–Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Browse the June CD-ROM reviews