I found this exceptional web application on Cindy Putnam’s blog. After a few minutes testing it out, I knew Dance Mat Typing was going to be a hit with the kids, but more than that, it would get them actually typing. The right way.
Now, I will admit, a few students who choose not to follow the directions from me or the talking Rock ‘N Roll Goat (or Opera Octopus, Hillbilly Rooster, et. all) are still doing a bit of “seek and destroy” pointer finger typing. But the majority of the kids who are giving it a little effort are seeing great rewards. They are typing without looking at their hands. Their eyes are lighting up. They are both amazed at this quickly learned ability and proud of themselves for seeing that trying will get them somewhere. Lastly, those students with internet access at home (and some in the classroom–early finishers I suppose) are actually practicing typing with Dance Mat on their own free time.
“Wow” is all I have to say.
And I will admit, I can type without looking at my hands, but I don’t type the proper way. Well, I do peek at my hands now and then. I’ve actually been doing Dance Mat Typing on the weekends at home. Who doesn’t mind learning typing from a belly-dancing hippopotamus? Click on the image to visit Dance Mat Typing!
I first found this game as a web application at Learn4Good’s section of games for young children. Last week, it came in handy to get the primary students accustomed to using the directional arrows for manipulating an object on screen. Since it involved mazes, it also prompted some problem solving and critical thinking, especially with the first grade students.
Recently, though, I found the downloadable version of Ladybugs by Midori Tech. This is better, really, because it is run as an application on the computer and not the web. Learn4Good is a decent site, but the kids might click on something else. With the downloadable game, kids are only playing one thing: Ladybugs. Like the web version, there is a maze section in which the kid must use directional arrows and a bit of thinking to help the ladybug find her house. Two other games are included, though. One requires the child to race against a computer-controlled ladybug to navigate a maze first. The other requires the child to use directional arrows to match a colored ladybug to her matching house.
It’s a simple game as freeware, though a fairly inexpensive upgrade for about ten bucks presents more possibilities.
I am using this web site to get my kindergarten classes accustomed to using the mouse this week. Poisson Rouge (or Red Fish Soup) is a site designed with free games and activities that are both stimulating and educational.
Manipulation requires moving the mouse and clicking, and sometimes dragging objects. Various activities on the site include:
- Toybox: involves matching and other activities
- Art Gallery: painting in styles of famous artists
- Dot-to-Dot: connecting stars (like constellations) to make animals and familiar objects
- Piano: playing one octave of keys with the notes displayed in treble clef with playback
- Aquarium: Simple games with aquatic animals
- 123: Click on number blocks to open activities which teach counting
- Alphabet: activities that teach the alphabet in French, English, and Spanish
- Vocabulary: Clickable scenes from rooms, to transportation and animals, where the names of all objects are spoken aloud along with a printed spelling of the word. The scenes are identical in English and French.
There are several more activity areas that I have not mentioned. This is from the User Guide:
When small children pick up objects, they invent new ways of holding and using them. Thus there is no right or wrong way of using anything on this site. It’s up to the children to find what they want and to grow their naturally exploring mind. We found that what they don’t discover straight away, they’ll find later, what they don’t know how to do at first, they’ll learn when they are ready and, as many of you know and/or have found out, that is extremely powerful and confidence building.
I’ve been looking for some software to get the primary students keyboarding and using a word processor. Word is just too complicated for them. Not only did I find a simple program for the primary grades, but in searching, I found a great site that tutors older students on using a word processor.
OK-Writer is a word processor specifically designed for young children to grow up with. Using the simple button-driven interface, kids can create stories using OK-Writer, then print them out or have them read aloud by the Mac.
OK-Writer is shareware. Though you can download a free version of it, a full version is available as a site license for $150, which is pretty good as far as that cost usually runs. It is very simple, but the fact that with the click of a button the text can be read back to the student, I think it would be great not only to have in the lab, but in the primary classrooms as well. This can also be a great idea for parents looking for a way to more easily have their children type for homework or projects.
Mrs. Sterling’s Word Pad is an online tutorial for kids. It teaches how to format documents, adjust fonts, and add images and effects. It incorporates a pretest and post test, videos, games, and exercises. Students can work on these lessons at home, or it could be used to work with a group on reviewing the basics of word processing.
I’m going to quote Mrs. Sterling to explain why word processing is important.
Why Word Processing?
Simple, it is the foundation of most of the computer applications that students will come in contact with over their school career and in the workplace. The graphic user interfaces and icons are common across almost all productivity software. Bold is B, Italics is I and Underline is an underlined U. With word processing skills out of the way in elementary school, students over learn the techniques and easily integrate what they know into other applications such as presentation, publishing and design software.
The new iMacs in the lab have come equipped with a simple application called PhotoBooth. Bundled in with Leopard, it uses the built in iSight camera to allow the user to snap shots and add effects and backgrounds. Thanks to Mr. Coleman, one of our sixth grade teachers who tipped me to PhotoBooth (just one of many Mac apps I have yet to discover), one of the fifth grade classes dug in today when we finished the other tasks of the day.
