Reading Blaster 2000 Evaluation

The program that I’m evaluating is called “Reading Blaster 2000”, which is a product of Davidson. This software is geared toward the students developing their phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills all in one. The program works on word building. The program drills the learner on what he/she already knows. The software is geared towards having the student adventure out on his/her own to work on their language arts skills. The software is easily loaded on to Windows and Macintosh through the CD-ROM.




If I were to use this software in my classroom I would use it as a supplementary aid on a stand-alone computer in my classroom. As a Special Ed teacher I have to spend a lot of one on one time with my students, so I would have my students use the software until I could make my way around to each of them. Also, if any student has completed their work and needs further practice with their reading skills they will be encouraged to use the software. I would also use it as a way to allow students to earn free time to work with a partner while using the software. Working with another student would be the most significant motivator for my students to use this specific software. This program takes advantage of only a little of what technology has to offer. The student can also do the same things with regular paper and pencil drill and practice, but the program allows direct feedback and would the students overall would be a lot more motivated to work on the computer instead of sitting at their workstation with regular paper and pencil drill as they practice these skills in hand. The only draw back is when the software doesn’t seem to be working correctly on the computer and the students have a hard time figuring out what it is they are suppose to do.

When looking at cognitive growth of my students while implementing this program into my curriculum I would have to say that it would help to reinforce their basic understanding of how to decode words, it would work on their memorization skills, but I feel that it wouldn’t help their reading comprehension skills like the program indicates. The software would only build off or help them maintain what the students already know before using Reading Blaster 2000.

The leaner is guided through a problem at his/her own ability level. You’re allowed to monitor the student’s progress and understanding of specific concepts. The program is also designed to give the student the problem and then with plenty of wait time it re-asks the questions. If there is no response or if the question is incorrect it allows the participant to retry the problem with positive feedback. The software is also self-directed in that it allows the student to move at his/her own pace. The program is set-up with a base line, which allows the teacher or student to select a level of easy, medium, or hard. This will allow me to adjust for the wide range of ability levels that I have in my Cognitive Impaired classroom. The software supports individual skill growth, and by using technology would allow me to use the software as a stands alone program once the student has been introduce to the program by the teacher.

The program is intended to enhance the learning of something that the students have been unable to grasp in the curriculum by using tools to help aid the understanding of identifying parts of speech, silent letters, and compound words. It also works on recognizing synonyms, antonyms, and rhyming words. The software builds the learner’s vocabulary through fun phonic-based activities. Reading Blaster 2000 says that it also improves comprehension, which I didn’t see much evidence to support that. The program is aligned with the basic skills that the learner needs in order to be a strong reader in the area of phonic skills.

As I viewed this program I found that this is an excellent resource for all learners. It is geared for students from the ages 6-9. I feel that this program can reach every individual’s reading skills within this age group, but it also supports students with special needs. It is also designed to give ample time to respond with the answer. However, if the answer is not found to be correct, the program repeats the question with positive feedback. The learner will find that this program is meaningful to his/her daily tasks. My special needs students need these skills to function independently within the community.

The teacher needs to be a facilitator at first until the students have become comfortable and have learned how to navigate through the program. The program is set-up with an introduction video that is very important for the teacher to view. The video contains information on what the program involves, what it contains, and how it is more than just drill and practice. It also talks about how it is geared around reading with an understanding of various phonic skills and is a great motivator, which builds the students confidence with their ability to read.

The software is substantive in that it builds off of what the student has for his or her reading skills. It doesn’t have them apply their knowledge in different situations that doesn’t help the learner find new knowledge. This software would build off of any reading approach that the student has had. It is another supplementary aid that would allow the student to have fun while reading. When looking at the behaviorist part for this software I would have to say that it is very extrinsic with the whole stimulus and response concept. Once you have a clear understanding of what your task is at hand the player gives a response with one click of the mouse. Once the player has become more familiar with the process of the game then his or her response is less of a cognitive thought and more of a routine.

If I had a choice to redesign this technology based on my experiences as well as its affordances and constraints for my classroom I would choose to leave it alone. Like I said before, I would only use Reading Blaster 2000 as a supplementary aid or as a reward that would allow the students to have a chance to play around on the computer while practicing some of their reading skills that they have been taught before. The software does a good job at guiding the students along and it is very supportive with an app amount of feedback.

The program that I’m evaluating is called “Reading Blaster 2000”, which is a product of Davidson. This software is geared toward the students developing their phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills all in one. The program works on word building. The program drills the learner on what he/she already knows. The software is geared towards having the student adventure out on his/her own to work on their language arts skills. The software is easily loaded on to Windows and Macintosh through the CD-ROM.




If I were to use this software in my classroom I would use it as a supplementary aid on a stand-alone computer in my classroom. As a Special Ed teacher I have to spend a lot of one on one time with my students, so I would have my students use the software until I could make my way around to each of them. Also, if any student has completed their work and needs further practice with their reading skills they will be encouraged to use the software. I would also use it as a way to allow students to earn free time to work with a partner while using the software. Working with another student would be the most significant motivator for my students to use this specific software. This program takes advantage of only a little of what technology has to offer. The student can also do the same things with regular paper and pencil drill and practice, but the program allows direct feedback and would the students overall would be a lot more motivated to work on the computer instead of sitting at their workstation with regular paper and pencil drill as they practice these skills in hand. The only draw back is when the software doesn’t seem to be working correctly on the computer and the students have a hard time figuring out what it is they are suppose to do.

When looking at cognitive growth of my students while implementing this program into my curriculum I would have to say that it would help to reinforce their basic understanding of how to decode words, it would work on their memorization skills, but I feel that it wouldn’t help their reading comprehension skills like the program indicates. The software would only build off or help them maintain what the students already know before using Reading Blaster 2000.
The leaner is guided through a problem at his/her own ability level. You’re allowed to monitor the student’s progress and understanding of specific concepts. The program is also designed to give the student the problem and then with plenty of wait time it re-asks the questions. If there is no response or if the question is incorrect it allows the participant to retry the problem with positive feedback. The software is also self-directed in that it allows the student to move at his/her own pace. The program is set-up with a base line, which allows the teacher or student to select a level of easy, medium, or hard. This will allow me to adjust for the wide range of ability levels that I have in my Cognitive Impaired classroom. The software supports individual skill growth, and by using technology would allow me to use the software as a stands alone program once the student has been introduce to the program by the teacher.
The program is intended to enhance the learning of something that the students have been unable to grasp in the curriculum by using tools to help aid the understanding of identifying parts of speech, silent letters, and compound words. It also works on recognizing synonyms, antonyms, and rhyming words. The software builds the learner’s vocabulary through fun phonic-based activities. Reading Blaster 2000 says that it also improves comprehension, which I didn’t see much evidence to support that. The program is aligned with the basic skills that the learner needs in order to be a strong reader in the area of phonic skills.
As I viewed this program I found that this is an excellent resource for all learners. It is geared for students from the ages 6-9. I feel that this program can reach every individual’s reading skills within this age group, but it also supports students with special needs. It is also designed to give ample time to respond with the answer. However, if the answer is not found to be correct, the program repeats the question with positive feedback. The learner will find that this program is meaningful to his/her daily tasks. My special needs students need these skills to function independently within the community.
The teacher needs to be a facilitator at first until the students have become comfortable and have learned how to navigate through the program. The program is set-up with an introduction video that is very important for the teacher to view. The video contains information on what the program involves, what it contains, and how it is more than just drill and practice. It also talks about how it is geared around reading with an understanding of various phonic skills and is a great motivator, which builds the students confidence with their ability to read.

The software is substantive in that it builds off of what the student has for his or her reading skills. It doesn’t have them apply their knowledge in different situations that doesn’t help the learner find new knowledge. This software would build off of any reading approach that the student has had. It is another supplementary aid that would allow the student to have fun while reading. When looking at the behaviorist part for this software I would have to say that it is very extrinsic with the whole stimulus and response concept. Once you have a clear understanding of what your task is at hand the player gives a response with one click of the mouse. Once the player has become more familiar with the process of the game then his or her response is less of a cognitive thought and more of a routine.

If I had a choice to redesign this technology based on my experiences as well as its affordances and constraints for my classroom I would choose to leave it alone. Like I said before, I would only use Reading Blaster 2000 as a supplementary aid or as a reward that would allow the students to have a chance to play around on the computer while practicing some of their reading skills that they have been taught before. The software does a good job at guiding the students along and it is very supportive with an app amount of feedback.

First Day of Class

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