CD ROM Reviews for the homeschool

Question:
The computer is an integral part of our homeschool and we now have a library of various programs and software which we have used over the past few years. I'm finding more and more homeschoolers who are purchasing family computers and thus, software! Having access to purchase NFR copies of Microsoft software products including the new Microsoft Home CD ROM programs, and having used them in our homeschool, I thought I would pass along my humble opinion of a few programs as to their use in a homeschool situation. As a homeschooler, I want to get the most for my money when purchasing for our school, and I hope this will give other parents an idea of what the product will, and will not, do for them. We have analyzed the products in three categories; content, razzle-dazzle, and overall usefulness in a homeschool. Razzle-dazzle is just that - what kind of cool thing does the program have to capture your attention. My kids would call it the coolness factor, but I prefer razzle-dazzle. Content is obvious, and use in homeschool includes giving you the best value for your money. If this software review is not useful, indeed, if you feel this is about as useful as the evolution/creation postings going on, please e-mail me and let me know! I will do more, or less, reviews based on the feedback. Also, I'm concentrating on CD ROM programs, but we have used a myriad of other software as well, I just thought that with the CD programs it is harder to find a homeschooler who has used them. MICROSOFT ANCIENT LANDS. Content *** We are currently studying the Old World in our school and so we are incorporating this program into our studies. AL covers "from the dawn of Egypt to the glory of Greece to the fall of Rome." There is some general information on the other civilizations of Mesopotamia and the fertile crescent area, but Egypt, Greece, and Rome are the main focus. There are various ways of going through the information, either by category, (monuments & mysteries, people and politics, work & play) or by a guided tour. The guided tours are aimed specifically at kids and are wonderful. In Egypt you can choose a young Egyptian boy, a farmer and more to take you on a tour of ancient Egypt through their eyes. The voices are excellent, and well done. How could we forget hearing about the embalmer's daughter and how she embalmed the family cat when it died! The photos and illustrations are stunning, and the animation and video are quite good. The guides bring to life something that otherwise may seem dry and lifeless - history! They have done an excellent job covering the history of the ancient world, my only caution would be that they lack a strong Christian outlook or overview. We are using A Beka "History of the Ancient World" to go along with AL. We do our textbook studies as the foundation, and then move over into AL to supplement. This program is not a curriculum, and I feel should not be used independently of other material. Razzle-dazzle **** I can't begin to tell you how we were dazzled! There are over 1000 interactive articles, illustrated with full color images and featuring hours of sound and narration. We watched animation of the ancient pyramids and monuments as they came to life with color, people, and artifacts. We realized how different these places looked when they were in use! We watched video of papyrus reeds being pounded into paper, and Carter carrying out the first artifacts from King Tut's tomb. My kids were also fascinated with the toys and food that the children of the ancient lands played with and ate. Even I stayed up a few nights exploring and was enthralled. Over all usefulness in a homeschool *** If you have the money to spend, this is a great program. However, it is not a curriculum, and should not be purchased as such, but we have found it invaluable for bringing the ancient world to life. This is not a game, it is a real learning program, and worth the money. Also any grade student K-12, could use this program with success. Even my four year old uses and likes it.

Answer:
- As homeschooling parent, I appreciate this type of review. Please continue with your humble opinions especially as how it could be integrated into homeschool. Are there specific software packages that you use to integrate with home school? We have a 286 and EGA monitor and would appreciate input on some software packages that have been very useful such that you would use for years on this PC configuration? BTW, I am considering a new machine. However, I plan to use OS/2 instead of DOS as an operating system. OS/2 will be able to run both DOS and Windows 3.1 programs. I use OS/2 2.11 at work now and enjoy the flexibilty of multitasking and going from one program to another without the limitations of task switching.

- If you plan on using your existing computer you are going to be limited to older software. Very little of todays software will run on any less than a 386 and VGA display. There is a collection of educational software available from the US Department of Education. You can get a list of available file via gopher.ed.gov. go into the educational software section. There is also a file describing the number for an 1-800 bulletin board for downloading the listed files. As for your intended purchase of a new computer, I think this is a good idea. A large portion of the new educational/edutainment software is only available on CD-ROM. be sure you get a decent system with plenty of RAM. I ran our computer in the school with 8MB, but found that it was not enough all of the time. This of course is dependent on the software you select and how you use the computer. The current version of OS/2 is slower and consumes more RAM when running windows applications. The forth comming WARP version supposidly solves these problems and will prove to be a great home operating system provided they (IBM) smooths out the installation procedure. We established a simple rule on the school computer to resolve problems with Windows/DOS. If it doesn't have a "Windows" logo on it, we don't buy it. We don't use any DOS programs at all, never have to mess with memory (I don't even bother loading anything high anymore), and have the added benifit of a small Windows for Workgroups Network to share files, e-mail and printers. If IBM included networking in Warp, I would concider running it.