CD-Rom Reviews: October, 2004
-- School Library Journal, 10/1/2004
ESL
English for Kids. 6 CD-ROMs. Systems: Win 95 & later. ESL Pro Systems. 2003. ISBN 1-894919-11-4. $54.99.
Gr 3-5–Designed to help young children learn English as a second language, this set includes "English for Kids," "My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary," "Printing Workbook," "Cursive Writing Workbook," "Creative Writing Workbook," and "English Practice Combo." The primary CD-ROM and the dictionary must be installed on the computer, while the workbooks do not. Users must go through a mandatory and unavoidable tutorial upon each visit. The program uses a phonetic approach for teaching English pronunciation in 31 lessons using sound, pictures, and live-action. Users hear the sounds and are shown cartoons of the lips and a cross-section of the mouth and throat as well as instructions on how to move one’s tongue to make certain sounds. Users score points for typing the sound heard on the virtual keyboard whose keys are the phonetic symbols rather than actual letters. The instructions don’t seem to be clear about this task. The program repeatedly froze up after five or six exercises. The promised videos and sound bites seen in the tutorial were not available for most words. "My First Incredible Amazing Dictionary" would not open once loaded. The workbooks have the most potential, offering some practical exercises in printing, cursive writing, and creative writing skills. Their format is problematic, however, because as single, lengthy pdf documents those with limited English and/or computer skills might find it difficult to figure out how to print particular sections. The non-English speaking targeted audience, some of whom use a different alphabet, will be very confused by the phonetic symbols and the elusive instructions. Add to that the technical difficulties, and users will be frustrated. Libraries would serve their ESL children far better by investing in BBC’s award-winning language course, MUZZY, available from Early Advantage (www.early-advantage.com).–Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Guidance–General
Character Journal Interactive (Series). 6 CD-ROMs. Systems: Win 95 & later, Macintosh OS 8.1 & later. Live Wire Media. 2004. ISBN 1-57348-443-1. $495 ser., $89 ea.; 5-copy lab pack: $129.95. Includes: Trustworthiness (ISBN 1-57348-437-7); Respect (ISBN 1-57348-438-5); Responsibility (ISBN 1-57348-439-3);Fairness (ISBN 1-57348-440-7); Caring (ISBN 1-57348-441-5); Citizenship (ISBN 1-57348-442-3).
Gr 7-12–Character education is a hot topic in schools. This series of six interactive journal-based CD-ROMs challenges students to reflect on their own character traits in a variety of ways. Each CD-ROM begins with a self-quiz on a particular character trait. From there, students can go to any of eight different sections. In the "See" section, they view short video documentaries about teens who exemplify good character, such as the two teenage boys who found $10,000 in a garbage bin in a mall and reported it to the police. In "Hear," a moderator named Dr. Mike leads discussions on video with diverse groups of teens "Know" provides profiles of individuals who displayed that particular character trait, such as Shakepeare’s Othello, whose trust in Iago proved a fatal mistake, or Sojourner Truth, who campaigned for respect for African Americans. The "Think" section has essays, which can also be read aloud, on real-life issues related to those character traits, such as whether sports stars should be role models and whether sports teams should use stereotypical nicknames. In the "Test" section, Dr. Mike challenges students with provocative hypothetical situations. "Act" gives students ideas for follow-up activities as well as recommended books, videos, and Internet sites. The final two sections are focused on students’ journals. The CD-ROM creates a folder on the hard drive for each student’s work. This series will be most effective if used in small groups with plenty of time provided. The CD-ROMs can’t be run on a network server. Each workstation must run the program individually, and each workstation must use an original CD-ROM.–David Bilmes, Schaghticoke Middle School, New Milford, CT
