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Educational Software Program 1

Name of reviewer (your name): Paula Ellico


Software Title: Brainpop
Web Address: https://www.brainpop.com
Publisher: Brainpop
Grade Level: K-12
Brief Description of the Software: Brainpop is a fun and interactive website made for
students K-12 as a learning tool. There are videos and activities to teach students about
many subjects, like mathematics, english, social studies, science, and more!
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
Honestly, I dont see any weaknesses of this program. I actually used Brainpop a lot
when I was in middle school and high school. It always helped me a lot. Its very easy to
understand and they present the information in a way that feels kind of fun and not such
a drag. The website is easy to use and there are even assessments to test if you
learned what you were supposed to.
How long did it take you to become familiar with the program?
It hardly took me any time at all to become familiar with Brainpop. Not only do I have
prior experience with this program, but also the website is extremely easy to navigate.
How long might it take students? Why?
Honestly, I dont think it would take students much longer than it took me. Its designed
for students K-12, so the design is actually very simple and easy to follow. It may take
students about 30 minutes of actively using the website to figure out all of the basic
functions.
What is the programs educational value? Explain
This program offers lessons in many different subjects, such as math, science, art, and
much more. On this website, there are educational videos, assessments, games,
charts, facts, and other activities to help students understand the many different
subjects on this site. Anywhere from paleontology to art concepts, Brainpop has it.
Is the documentation for the software program, such as technical support and
instructions on how to use the software presented clearly on the website?
Explain
In the Brainpop Educators section of the website, there is a technical support and
Brainpop help. Theres even a way to contact Brainpop with questions. I dont see a

place that states exact instructions on how to use the website, but honestly, its pretty
clear and self explanatory.
How does the graphic, sound, & animation contribute to its educational value?
Explain
The graphics, sound, and animations are simple and colorful, making it appealing to
kids. The sounds are also exciting and intriguing for younger people. With this program
making the visual and sounds more appealing to children of grades K-12, it will make it
easier for the kids to stay focused because theyre actually interested.
Will students enjoy using this program? Explain why or why not
Students will enjoy using this because its easy, fun, exciting, and educational.
Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses? Explain
Yes, it does! There are assessments that will display if you chose the right answer. If
not, you can rewatch the educational video to find the correct answer.
Is the program user friendly? Explain
This program is totally user friendly because of how easy it is to use. The website is
very simple and easy to navigate. Its hard to get lost or lose your place. If anything
goes wrong, there is a tech support page to find the answers you need.
Can the skill levels be adjusted by the user/instructor? Explain
The user/instructor cant adjust the skill level of a video, but they can choose a different video
that is of higher level.
Specific activity I chose to look at
Build-A-Body: Digestive System This game is a way for students to learn about the human
body while also being able to be creative and have fun. There is also a quiz that goes along with
the game to test the knowledge learned from the game. Its a very fun and educational game.

Educational Software Program 2


Name of reviewer (your name): Paula Ellico
Software Title: Education World
Web Address: http://www.educationworld.com

Publisher: The Educator Network


Grade Level: K-12
Brief Description of the Software: This software has so many different things to helps
both students and teachers. There are lesson plans, educational games, news,
worksheets, and much more!
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
One strength of this site is how much information is truly available for the taking. It can
be a very helpful resource in the classroom. One weakness of the program is its
design. It seems kind of crammed together and cluttered. It even felt kind of
overwhelming to be on. The words are small, which usually puts younger minds off, and
it just looks kind of dull.
How long did it take you to become familiar with the program?
It didnt take me that long to become mostly familiar with this program, but Im still not
completely familiar because theres so many things to look into. It took me about 20
minutes to figure out most the basic functions of the program.
How long might it take students? Why?
I think it would take students about 35 minutes to understand most of how to navigate
across the site. However, I think it would be hard to keep the students engaged in the
site because its not as physically appealing as other sites are.
What is the programs educational value? Explain
The educational value of this program is pretty high. Theres a lot to learn and see on
this site for both students and teachers. Theres many lesson plans, math games, news
and many other things too.
Is the documentation for the software program, such as technical support and
instructions on how to use the software presented clearly on the website?
Explain
I didnt see any clearly presented instructions, but I did see a sort of technical support.
There was a Help section where there is information to help you and also contact
information for the site to request information or help.
How does the graphic, sound, & animation contribute to its educational value?
Explain
All of these have a negative effect of the websites effect/influence. The graphics,
sounds, and animation are all pretty boring. For students in grades K-12, theyre very
easily bored and distracted. So in order to keep their attention, things need to be

intriguing, alluring, and exciting. I didnt get that from this website at all. So it will hurt the
educational value because it will be hard to keep the students engaged in the first place.
Will students enjoy using this program? Explain why or why not
I dont think students would like this program all that much because all of the reasons
Ive listed above. Im sure they could find joy in the games, but other than that, I think
they would get bored.
Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses?
I havent found a place where feedback is given.
Explain Is the program user friendly? Explain
This program is only kind of user friendly, if the user is young. For adults, this program is
user friendly. Its pretty clear how to navigate throughout the website, but that would not
be the case for students. Also, just to get to the information youre looking for, theres
quite a bit of steps to follow in order to get there. So it makes it a lot harder for students
K-12.
Can the skill levels be adjusted by the user/instructor? Explain
The user/instructor can choose the level needed in many of the activities. Like in the Worksheet
Library, you can choose the grade level in which you need a worksheet for.

Educational Software Program 3


Name of reviewer (your name): Paula Ellico
Software Title: Dositey
Web Address: http://www.dositey.com/2008/index-page-home.php
Publisher: unknown
Grade Level: K-8, Theres a button for High School, but I didnt see any actual High
School information

Brief Description of the Software: This software is full of information for many
different grade levels. It has many lessons for each grade level in mathematics and
reading.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the program?
The strengths of this programs is that its very easy to use, appealing to the eye, and full
of lots of information for students in the grades K-8. The weaknesses of this program is
that there is only math and reading for the lesson subjects, and that there isnt really any
information for high school students.
How long did it take you to become familiar with the program?
It took me maybe 10 minutes to get used to this site. Its very simple and easy to use.
How long might it take students? Why?
I think it would only take students about 10 minutes to figure out this site as well. Its
very easy and self explanatory. Things are clearly stated and very easy to use.
What is the programs educational value? Explain
There is a lot of educational value in this program. For both math and reading, there are
a lot of different lessons for each grade level. For instance, in 6th grade math, there are
172 lessons available. There are lessons, for decimals, units, factoring, integers, and so
much more. There are many options on this site to learn from.
Is the documentation for the software program, such as technical support and
instructions on how to use the software presented clearly on the website?
Explain
I could not find a tech support link or instructions for the site, but thinks are pretty easy
and self explanatory, so instructions probably arent needed. There may be a tech
support link if I was a member, but Im not, so the information might be different.
How does the graphic, sound, & animation contribute to its educational value?
Explain
The graphics are bright and colorful! This makes students excited to be on the site
which increases educational value. The sounds on the lessons/games are exciting and
fun. That will help keep the students motivated to do their work and be excited to be
learning. The animations do both of the things the graphics and sound do as well.
Will students enjoy using this program? Explain why or why not
I think students will enjoy using this program because its easy to use, appealing to the
eye, and has lots of information available. The games and characters are lots of fun and
it makes it very easy to want to learn using this program.

Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses? Explain


This program does go through and show right/wrong after a lesson or game has been
completed.
Is the program user friendly? Explain
This program is very user friendly for all ages. Its simplistic design and easy navigation
makes it a great choice for students of all ages (who can use the information on the
site).
Can the skill levels be adjusted by the user/instructor? Explain
The lessons cannot be changed, but they can just choose a different lesson that better
fits their needs.

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