Software Evaluation Reflection

The best part of the teaching experience was really watching how David reacted

when confronted with a problem. He always asked me for help, but I made him think

about things and try out his ideas. Most of the time they worked. I learned that David is a

very stubborn child. We had been on the computer for a while playing Aladdin’s Math

Quest and we saved Aladdin from the black hole. We went on to see if we could find al

the pieces of the lamp. We played this pattern game. It is the same pattern game that you

play to rescue Jasmine accept this time you play against the computer and you are not

mimicking one side or the other. He played three or four long games of this and kept

losing. I tried to hint around that he should try the big pieces and finally he got tired of

losing. He listened to what I had said and chose a big jewel and won. Then, he had to

play one more time. David was ready to give up when he did not think he could win but

the minute he won he wanted to play over and over. If I were going to do this session

again I would have a specific ending place for the child. I would also make sure that if I

had a slower paced learner that I chose an ending place closer to the beginning. This

software is wonderful and would be a great addition to any classroom. This software

could be used for many math ideas such as counting, patterns, and modeling. By using

Aladdin’s Math Quest in your classroom you could really improve a child’s math skills.

It is especially nice since the software starts out on an easy level and can be modified for

older students or students who need more challenging tasks.