Review of ELearning sites for kids

Review of ELearning sites for kids
Helen Perdue
Prepared for Course:
Integrating Computer Technology into the Curriculum
Instructor: Christina Noyes UC Berkeley x359.5


I approached my review of Elearning sites for kids as if I were one: a kid. I imagined myself as me, only 25 years younger. That would make me about 9 years old. Fourth grade. I could really imagine it. As a kid, I liked to play games. But I liked to play games that challenged my mind, and gave me the opportunity to succeed and have the 'ah-hah, I got it!' moment. Challenging guessing games like trivia and charades, or word games like boggle and scrabble, were my favorite. What would I have enjoyed (and benefited from) if Elearning sites were available to me at 9 years old? How might a teacher use these sites in the classroom today?

I chose to 'try out' and review 3 sites from over a dozen options (titles of 'links') that were provided by my tech ed instructor. Given my self described interests mentioned above, I chose 2 sites with the titles that sounded most appealing for my 'brain challenge' seeking self:
1) Brain Pop and 2) Fun Brain. For my 3rd option, I chose site with a title that might appeal to my more action-oriented male comrades: 3) Cyber Chase. (Even as a 9 year old I had a lot of guy friends and wanted to play with them. This site sounded like fun for that reason).

RESULTS AND REVIEW:
So, how did it go? Did I have fun? What worked? What didn't work? Could a teacher use these sites in their classroom? Could I? Why or why not?

1) Brain Pop:

Brain Pop was by far the most educationally sound site of the three that I chose. The subject matter was very educationally centered, with topics such as 'reading and writing', 'computer history', 'transportation', among others. The delivery of information is both in written text, images, and videos. There are options for accessing the information by 'trial membership', 'membership' and simply by being on the site. I was able to get information about 'computer history' as well as 'paraphrasing.' I was also able to find out about the site through the 'about us' link, which informed me that the activities were aligned with technology state standards. Hurray!

Well, hurray for an educator, at least. As a nine year old, I would have personally enjoyed this. I was a nerd for information and I wanted to 'be smart' the way adults were. With that said, I would not imagine that all kids would love this site. It was not very 'playful' in that it did not have a lot of games as much as information. For me, this was better. I would have loved it as a nine year old, and I certainly loved it a seasoned educator. Would I use this in the classroom? Definitely! This site is, in many ways, a more students friendly wikipedia of sorts. With the added videos, it provides more options for learning styles. While it is probably not every kids favorite, it is most definitely one to bookmark for parents and teachers.

Moving on...

2) Fun Brain provided various options for games, based on subject matter. The home page, as well as all other pages I navigated through, were like visual eye candy and very 'kid friendly.' Without any doubt, the creators of this site put a lot of time and investment into the research and application of effective images and digital design. With enough visual appeal, I decided to branch out and go for the 'arcade' option (as opposed to the reading option). I decided to approach this site in the company of a friend, who happens to by a male who loves arcades. I thought he could provide some additional perspective on the site.

The game we decided to play had many interactive options for the character (assuming it was the player) and the exploratory adventure of the game. It was somewhat fun to dress up the character and make choices, but there was never any sense of purpose, reason, or reward. After about 15 minutes into the game, I got tired and wanted to move on. What was the purpose in moving further (aside from my need to review the site)? My friend was more patient and saw it as 'simply having fun.' But even he agreed, there was no story line.

In conclusion, while this site gets an A+ for image appeal and user-friendly interactive options, it is not get the highest rating as an educational resource. With that said, I would not negate the site altogether. It would be more like a 'free-time' activity for those kids who love to explore and wonder. In the area of adventure, it wasn't half bad. In the area of learning, it was only half good.

Last but not least,

3) Cyber Chase was surprisingly the most fun and user-friendly all around. While there was much to explore and play that I did not indulge in (much was for members who 'log-in'), I did watch the video and play the game that was featured on their home page. The game was called "Lucky Star" and simply by the title and the 'easy to navigate' icons, I liked it from the start. As the game progressed, I realized that this was exactly what I was hoping for in the beginning. It was like a trivia challenge that required me to think, enabled me to respond, and provided me with the opportunity to win, to 'be a star.' Many of the questions were math oriented, challenging indeed, but I got them all right!

Okay, I will have to admit that part of what I liked about the game is that it was easy. Yes, it required me to think. But I did not 'learn' anything new as much as I refined my sharp thinking skills and got a little sense of reward for what I already knew.

Would I use this in the classroom? Sure. It was more of a game than a learning site, though. I would send kids there for fun and reinforcement of skills, as opposed to new learning.

Well, kids, off to play some games. What will it be now? How about scrabble, or musical chairs?