Name of Software:  Fizz and Martina in Tough Krudd
Publisher:  Tom Snyder Productions, Inc., 1992
Format:  CD-ROM loaded on a Macintosh hard drive
Reviewer:  Margaret Lu

Description of Program:
    The program allows the user to practice his/her language art skills.  It contains clips similar to those of an animated cartoon.  The clips stop and start repeatedly to allow the user time to read, write, or record his/her own story.

What are the overall objectives of the software?
     The overall objectives include allowing students to use and practice their computer skills and build their language art abilities/techniques, such as creative story writing and descriptive recording of observations.

Does the application give a general overview of the subject or are
specific skills targeted?
     The application targets the specific skills of reading, writing, and recording.

What do you, as a teacher, want to be able to do with the program? Are
these needs met by the program?
     As a teacher, I want to be able to use the program to let students interact with computers in the classroom and practice creating their individual narratives.  Yes, these needs are met, but in a limited way.

How flexible is the program? Does the user need to follow certain steps to
proceed or can the user move at his or her own pace?
     The program is fairly flexible.  The user can move at his/her own pace; he/she can choose his/her own appropriate level, such as early reader or standard.  The program also features buttons to allow students to click to proceed.

Does the program have features that can be modified by the user? By the
teacher? If so, what features?
     No, the program does not have modifiable features.  The features are set, but the user can choose to select a new or previously-created story.

What methods does the program utilize to reach multiple intelligences of
users?
     The program allows users to create their own stories from given pictures and choose their own storylines (of what happens next) to narrate the story.  It goes slower for early readers, and users can also read, write, and record using the program’s story.

What methods does the software use to engage the user, or keep the user's
interest? How successful are these methods?
     The software uses animated pictures that are colorful and that start and stop at the reader’s pace.  These methods are fairly successful.

What do you like about the application?
     The program allows the user to write his/her own story, asks for students’ name(s), goes at the user’s pace, and has options of who writes/reads/records by utilizing an option called the “click picker.”  The program delves into the
problem of bullies in schools.  A child is put into the “bullied” child’s shoes; this software does a fairly decent job of conveying the thoughts and the emotions of that child.

What do you dislike about the application?
     The sound either was not working or was not made available by the software’s producers.  It does very little in terms of talking to or interacting with the user through sounds.  In addition, there is only one basic story that the program uses; it makes the program very dry.

Was there a bias involving gender, race, etc.?
     No, there was no particular bias because the application used animals instead of children in the animated pictures of the story.  However, these creatures were “seen” as boys.  This observation can most definitely seen as a bias; the user does not see girls being bullied.

Rate the following (1=best; 5=worst):

Ease of use:  4
Flexibility of Features:  3
Ability of application:  3
Interesting:  2
Recommend:  2
 

Brief Lesson Plan:

Grade level:  3rd
Time:  40 minutes
Groupings:  Large group, pairs

Application (or any possible strategies):
     As a teacher, I would use the program to introduce a lesson on creative story writing and/or the parts or components of a narrative.  Then allow the students to play with the program in pairs and write their own stories using the
program.

Number of computers available:  15-20.  If there are not enough which would probably be the case, have students rotate using the computers in pairs.  Have them write stories of their own at their seats and/or give them pictures and have
them “create”.
 

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