Write a paragraph describing each program and your professional opinion of its usefulness in education.

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1 (1) General Software Review. In this activity you will be reviewing software that you would find useful in your roll as a teacher. Note, this is a review of software, not websites. Websites can be used only if they have a high level of interactivity and animation such as those at ExploreLearning.com. Although we have software on our local servers, much of it is antiquated, and students are best served by downloading freeware and shareware. Review five or more pieces of educational software. You are free to choose any piece of software that is of value either for instructional, administrative, or professional purposes. You must have hands-on experience with the software... watching someone's software review is not sufficient. Write a paragraph describing each program and your professional opinion of its usefulness in education. At least one of your titles should be freeware or shareware that you have downloaded from the Internet. Include a screen capture from the software. Choose the best one from among these 5 for the formal software review/presentation. 1 Title Disease Spread Review Observe the spread of disease throughout a group of people. The methods of transmission can be any combination including person to person, airborne, and food borne. The probability of each form of transmission and number of people in the group can be adjusted. Screen Capture 1

2 2 3 4 The Human Anatomy Body Management: Nutrition Power Physical Education Clipboard 7 for Palm OS/Pocket PC The Human Anatomy software contains anatomical & pathological information. All structures and musculature are modeled and labeled including nerves, deep and superficial muscles, blood supply and skeletal structures. Explains features for each individual body part Play an interactive board game with hidden bonus and penalties. Answer factual questions about nutrition, its relationship with body energy and performance. Examines how good eating can prevent disease. This software is for the collection and organization of lesson plans, lockers, various music inventory, equipment inventory, etc. It allows for the transfer of data to the computer and the printing of various forms. 5 Cateye Game Bike The Cateye GameBike transforms into a interactive experience. Every movement on the screen is controlled with your own body movement. Control steering, speed, turns, and strategy. The Cateye GameBike connects to a Sony Playstation 2. Play against the computer, or, connect additional GameBikes and compete against others. (2) Formal Software Review. In this activity you will be reviewing software that you would find useful in your roll as a teacher. Note, this is a review of software, not websites. Websites can be used only if they have a high level of interactivity and animation such as those at ExploreLearning.com. Although we have software on our local servers, much of it is antiquated, and students are best served by downloading freeware and shareware. 2

3 Select one software product for formal review and presentation to the class. Write reviews for each according to the format guidelines provided on the following page. Post you selection. (1) Description of Program: Title: Dance Dance Revolution Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) has created a fun and healthy way for children and adults to become more active and realize the benefits of physical activity. DDR delivers a healthy workout to people of all ages. For those ready to take their exercise experience to an even greater level, DDR comes with a built-in workout mode that allows players to track how many calories they burn as they play. Case study examples provide to show how teachers have incorporated DDR into their PE curriculum Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR (known as Dancing Stage in Europe), is a music video game series introduced by Konami in After being shown at the Tokyo Game Show in 1998, it was released for Japanese arcades later that year, with a fairly basic version coming to the US in arcade versions have been produced, in addition to many home incarnations for various game consoles. Bemani music game series. (2) Basic Information Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) conceptually is a very simple game. There is a platform with four arrows: up, down, left, and right. DDR Platform There are four stationary arrows at the top of the screen. There will be arrows that scroll up from the bottom of the screen. 3

4 DDR Screen When the scrolling arrows overlap the stationary arrows, you then hit the corresponding arrow on the platform. And that's it! You have now learned the basics of DDR. Sounds easy enough, but throw in combinations of multiple arrows, add the quick speed at which veterans play, and the game is as challenging as an aerobics class. Most beginners are flushed in the face after one or two songs. (3) Target Population: Although DDR has been targeted for the arcade industry, more and more Physical Education Instructors have incorporated DDR within their curriculum. DDR has been linked to improving health benefits to obese children, helping children lean to follow patterns and for advance students, the ability to program dance patterns into existing music. (arcade game) (4) Content Goals A cardio-vascular work out, moving to a beat, and eye/foot coordination are some of the physical benefits of the game. 4

5 (5) Lesson Plan Dance Dance Revolution main mode requires that you select a difficulty level and song before you start stepping. By excelling in this mode, you ll earn new songs and other unlockable goodies. The Workout mode is great for those looking to burn off a few calories. You ll enter your weight and the amount of calories you wish to burn during your workout, then, as you play the game, it ll keep track of how close you are to reaching your goal. (3) Formal Presentation of Software: One or two sessions will be scheduled for formal software review. During these sessions you will present your software in small groups or to the class using network sharing software such as Apple Remote Desktop. Once you have decided on software to review, post your decision on the newsgroup as specified in class or on the web-page. first-come, first-served. Make a presentation of your software using the following guidelines Each presentation must be limited to 15 minutes. Your presentations should stress how this software can be used effectively in the curriculum. Do not spend time discussing mechanics (menu structure, etc.) nor shortcomings Illustrate how the software can be used to enhance instruction. Provide your peers with a "hands-on experiences" lesson if at all possible.. 5